GOODBYE Rickshaws, Sardine Bus Rides, Sweltering Rooms, Wet Bathroom Floors, Sleep Sack, Muscle Aches and HELLO Private Drivers, Lavish Buffets, AirCon, Bathtubs, Pampering Service, Massages…
April 24, 2011
Since my last blog my mom has joined me for a month and with that my style of travel has changed dramatically!
I wrapped up my time in Pondicherry reading my book at a coffee shop. I splurged on an AC bus to the Chennai airport, but I think the air was only mildly cooler than a regular bus with the windows open. The bus was more modern, though people still sat on the spare tire and in the aisles. Everywhere people just cram in. The bus doesn’t take you to the airport, as I’d be told, so I got off where I was told. Much to the chagrin of the rickshaw drivers I walked to the bus stand and with the help of others got on the right bus. This bus still doesn’t take you right to the airport, but drops you off across the highway. So I got a little bit more exercise and found the entry. I had arrived four hours before my flight and security at the airport entrance isn’t supposed to let you in until three hours before your flight, but I was let in. I think that’s one of the perks of being a foreigner.
My mom was supposed to fly into Mumbai the same night so we were to rendezvous at the airport, but she got stuck in Jersey because of weather. Fortunately, she was able to reach my cell while I was still in Tamil Nadu so I knew to get a cab to the hotel. Landing in Mumbai shows you a harsh reality of the city – the slums. Dharavi, one of largest slums in India, surrounds the airport and it looked straight out of “Slumdog Millionaire” – or rather the movie portrayed slums accurately. It’s a vast swath of small metal roofs and homes just built on top of each other. It spans 550 acres and is home to more than one million people! There are other slums in the city and on average there is one bathroom for every 15,000 people! Infectious disease is of course a part of daily life here and no hospitals exist. Apparently, much business takes place within Dharavi. There are about 15,000 single-room factories that mostly deal with waste recycling. Scavenging and such employs around ¼ million slum residents and produces $1 billion (USD) each year. Some of these workers make above the national average and there are banks and even ATMs in the slum. I did see satellite dishes at some slums.
Seeing these slums was my first introduction to Mumbai and then I took an hour plus ride to my hotel in Colaba. Mumbai is a massive city with high-rises, nice shops/restaurants, outdoor markets, and run-down impoverished areas all mixed together. In stark contrast to the slums and rundown buildings my taxi pulls up to a lavish hotel where the doorman greets you wearing a traditional raj-era uniform. My new, upgraded style of travel had begun, but my mom hadn’t arrived yet to enjoy it with me. And to add irony to the fact that my luxurious travel is due to riding the coattails of my mother, the hotel overbooked and put me in a suite. But the suite was only for one night and the next day when my mom arrived we were already moved to the basic double room. So for the night I enjoyed a huge bathroom, living room, bedroom, TV, DVD player (but I had no DVDs) and bathrobe. At the same time, Mom whittled away time at a Newark airport hotel. The suite was quite different from my $6 room from the night before – I’ve put pictures of both up.
The next day I had the day to explore Mumbai on my own because Mom’s plane didn’t land until 9pm. I hated to see too much without Mom so I walked and visited places that I figured she wouldn’t put on the top of her list. I did sneak a peek at the impressive Taj Mahal Palace & Tower (one of several Mumbai locations where terrorists killed people in 2008). I like the story behind the hotel. It was built during the colonial era when a wealthy Parsi industrialist, J.N. Tata, was refused entry into a prestigious “whites only” hotel, Watson’s. So what did he do? He built the Taj! It has a beautiful setting on the water and still has the reputation for being lavish, elite and decadent. Since 2008, the street lining the length of the hotel has barricades and you go through security screening to enter the hotel. This seems to be true of all the upscale hotels.
Just diagonal from the Taj is the Gateway of India, which was built in 1924 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. George Wittet designed it along with many of the other lovely grand constructions from that part of the colonial era. The extensive number of large colonial era buildings throughout Mumbai really attests to the major city Mumbai (Bombay) has been for years. Bombay became the main port for India after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.
I continued to walk and saw more colonial buildings, come housing museums. I went to the Jehangir Art Gallery, which is free and has continuously rotating exhibits of contemporary artists. It was wonderful to wander through and one woman had wonderful use of color, movement and emotion in her work. I got myself a bit lost walking to Crawford Market (not an exciting market in the end) and saw more slums and had persistent children begging for money.
After walking a few kilometers in the heat I treated myself to a non-AC taxi to a restaurant near the hotel. Then back to the hotel to enjoy the pool. What luxury! That night I went to my first Bollywood film, “FALKU.” It actually was a spinoff of an American film, which was a disappointment, but it did make it easier for me to follow the plot. The second half had its own twists and more singing and dancing so that was fun. The theatre wasn’t very full, but you get an assigned seats and all the locals picked seats in the back. I was an oddball sitting in the middle. :) There was also intermission.
Mom arrived late that night and we had a fun reunion after so many months. I feel so lucky to be so close with my mom and also that she can and wants to come visit me on my year journey. And with her arrival the tone of my trip has shifted dramatically for a month. I must admit that having more pampering is coming at a great time. After almost seven months of budget traveling I can use a break from certain hassles and inconveniences. But we’ll see how I do when I have to revert back to my budget traveling in mid-May! For now I’ll just enjoy being a poser staying at these nice hotels and being chauffeured around.
Since Mom’s time in Mumbai got cut from 2 days to 1 we decided to do a half-day tour so she could be sure to see the highlights. So after a lingering breakfast at the hotel buffet a private driver took us to see the city, starting with some institutions from the colonial era like a university and a gorgeous railroad station (oddly the inside is a dump). We made a quick stop a Chowpatty Beach on our way to Malabar Hill, the most expensive neighborhood in Mumbai. The neighborhood is odd for being so exclusive because many of the building looked so rundown. It was in this area that I visited my first Jain temple (decorated façade with blue on the columns). Jains respect all life and are vegetarian. They don’t eat root vegetables. Some wear a cloth over their nose and mouth so they don’t breathe in and kill anything. I think some, at least in the past, sweep ahead of their path so they don’t step on any living thing. The temple was teeming with worshippers who were singing and praying at various shrines, but it was also teeming with tourists. The temple was wonderful to see with its décor and energy.
We also stopped and paid homage to Gandhi at the house he lived in from 1917-1934. The museum has a nice diorama display of his life and also shows many of his letters – including one to Hitler asking him to not war. Gandhi’s image is all over India and he is clearly revered the way people talk about him, but I can’t help but think that Gandhi would be disappointed to see the poverty, corruption, religious divide and regionalist attitude.
We then clamored down a long narrow street out onto a jetty to get to Haji Ali’s tomb, a famous Sufi mystic. Being Friday the tomb was overflowing with Muslim worshippers. We actually had to wait to enter until one of the prayer sessions had ended. From here we had our last stop at the dhobi ghats. This is a massive outdoor laundry where small laundry businesses do their washing. It’s government run, but I believe areas of it get passed through the generations of a family. It was quite a sight see vast amounts of laundry hanging about and the rows of “sinks.”
This last week of traveling has been full of extremes and this was one of those moments. After seeing this intense laundry work and driving by slums our driver dropped us at the Taj Palace & Tower hotel. We pass through security and are immediately enveloped by luxurious surroundings. We had high tea in their restaurant overlooking the water and Gateway of India. It was such a treat to be there. The surroundings were lovely and the tea was delicious. The tea menu read like a wine list. And the food – oh the food – there was a buffet of western and Indian style foods. We hadn’t had lunch and thought we’d just get a little bit of food with high tea, but this was awesome. As I’m writing this, I’m dreaming of going back. We started at one table and once they brought us some food and tea they had to also bring a side table for the overflow! Fortunately, a window table (which was larger) opened up and we moved. I’m sure the side table was unsightly for the establishment. :) After a leisurely high tea we left our “bubble” and entered the hot noisy streets again where we had to fend off the vendors. We took in the Gateway of India site and caught it in a beautiful late afternoon light.
The next morning we had a 6:10am train to Aurangabad. The trick was that when I tried to buy tickets a couple of weeks before for the AC seating section it was sold out. So we were waitlisted and the number started at 14 & 15 and went down to 4 & 5. I had met other travelers who thought this would work out, but it didn’t. Alas, we needed to move on so that morning we bought an unreserved ticket for the non-AC seating. This means there are no assigned seats and you aren’t even guaranteed a seat. We walked the length of the train looking for seats and a conductor to bribe to get us into the AC, but had no luck with either. Finally, we hopped in the last car and found seats together and with even more luck we were next to a family and a nice young man who spoke English. His name is Mohammed and he said people come to get seats on the train as early as 4:30am! There were many in the aisles, especially once we hit the next stations. The people standing by the door, which was left open when the train was in motion, held it shut so no one else could get on. So through the barred windows we could see people on the platform trying to get on the train. If they didn’t get on there wasn’t another train until late that night.
Mom and I were definitely out of our cushy “bubble” as we sat on the uncomfortable benches and had cucumber and crumbs falling on us from the kids in the rack above us. It was quite an adventure and a must to see the reality of Indian life for the majority. Mohammed was great to talk with and he was also curious about the US. He actually works for Travelocity at the call center and goes by the name of Johnny. :)
He gave us some insight into Indian culture. As I’d heard before, widows and widowers do not remarry and he confirmed this. He said widows live with the in-laws, which made my mom cringe as her imagination ran wild. She remarried a few years after my father died and she told Mohammed how that is very common in the US. He also said women are not encouraged to have paid work, but to stay in the home. We learned that unless you come from an educated family your parents aren’t likely to encourage you to get an education, especially university. Usually, the parents want the kids to start working asap. His family is unique because his dad is illiterate, but wants all his kids to go to university. Mohammed is the oldest and has finished it, but his small salary from Travelocity helps pay for his siblings.
He told us he’s agreed to marry his first cousin. He likes the idea of marrying someone he’s known all his life. We had been talking about traveling around India and he said Indians don’t travel outside their region. He said he wouldn’t be welcomed in Kerala, etc. He said people stay within their own religion and state. He, like others, lamented the corruption in India and said it keeps India from progressing. Everything involves a bribe, including getting a passport. Later, I asked someone else if they thought Anna Hazare would make a difference and I got the reply “maybe, if he doesn’t take a bribe himself.” I just saw in the newspaper that the Prime Minister has said that India will soon ratify the UN Convention on Corruption. He said the people are not tolerating the corruption anymore so things must change – I’m sure to his chagrin! Right after the elections throughout the country it was in the news that Tamil Nadu had a record turnout of voters. But claims of corruption and bribery were being looked into – probably forgotten now.
Mohammed asked if there were laws in the US limiting the number of children we could have. He asked if my sister and I took care of ourselves and was surprised and amazed we did. He, like other Indians I’ve met, was also surprised I didn’t live with my mom. Family dynamics are so different between India and the US. Mom and I commented to him that the children in our area were behaving much better than most US children. They were quiet and not moving all about. He translated to the parents and one mother said it’s because of us. I guess their curiosity quieted them. But I’ve noticed throughout Asia that children are quieter and less rowdy on buses, planes, etc. They are able to sit quietly – and without ipods, video games or toys. One young kid, about 1 ½, would start to cry when I looked at her so I had to avert my eyes. I just don’t look like I fit in.
At one point he asked to see my passport and as he was looking at it a woman asked if it was a Bible. :) Personal space doesn’t exist here and at times I had kids’ feet and arms resting on my legs. There’s an ease between people, but also lots of drama (like shutting people out). We saw people arguing over seats and bag placement, but once you have a seat no one takes it. You could get off the train to stretch your legs at a stop and come back and find your seat. Mom and I had commented we were having trouble figuring out which kids belonged to whom and who was with what group. There was a couple sitting on the aisle floor with their baby and toddler and later the strangers seating in the window seats were holding them. Mohammed told us that strangers always talk and get to know one another on these rides. Another thing I noticed was that one of the women in our compartment had burn scars on her face, neck and chest. I’ve seen several women with these scars and I’m not sure what that’s about.
Once Mohammed got off at his stop, our 3 ½ remaining hours progressed slowly. We missed his conversation and the heat was increasing so the ride was less comfortable. One of the families in our compartment got off when we did so they helped us and people even helped get our bags off the train. We lost them in the crowd, but they were sweet. We had to lug our things up and down stairs in the heat. After the long train ride, the physical exertion, getting jostled and dealing with hagglers we were tired. It was especially an unusual and trying experience for Mom. We were making our way through the crowds to find a rickshaw (Mom said later she was looking for the AC cab) when the proverbial clouds parted and we saw a driver holding a sign with Mom’s name on it. Within a few seconds we were back in a “bubble” in a nice sedan being given cold water and cold wet towels to refresh ourselves with. A few kilometers later we pull up to a beautiful gate of our hotel and before we can go further we have to be screened. The car was checked out and our bags put through the x-ray machine as we walked through the metal detectors.
The Raj Residency is built like a palace and it’s just pure opulence. The service was amazing and the restaurant was delicious. I’m sure I’ve put on a few pounds since meeting up with mom! And our room rate was still less than or about the same as you’d pay at most Holiday Inn’s and the like in the US and the restaurant was comparable to the basic NYC restaurants. There was a large lawn with croquet and a sizeable pool that we paddled through a couple of times. I also got a big kick out of their laundry service price list when thinking of my budget traveler days. Their list included dressing gown, evening dress, safari suit, handkerchief, petticoat and frock!
The main reason to come to this town, Aurangabad, is to visit the cave temples in Ellora and Ajanta (UNESCO World Heritage Sites). These are exquisite Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples that somehow don’t get mass global attention. I never knew of them before the trip and it’s a shame. We first went to Ajanta, a two hour drive each way, and spent hours exploring 30 cave temples that were built into a horseshoe shaped cliff lining a river. Some were even left mid-excavating so we could see a work in progress.
This location was chosen to build caves starting in the 2nd century BC because of its geography. It is close enough to major trans-Deccan trade routes, but far enough from towns and cities to preserve the peace and serenity needed for monk meditation and prayer. So Ajanta housed the first permanent monasteries for the region’s itinerant Buddhist monks. At its peak, Ajanta housed more than 200 monks in addition to the painters, sculptors and laborers who were employed there. For unknown reasons the caves were abandoned in the 7th century AD. Two theories include that Ellora, other nearby cave temples, was growing in popularity or because of the threat of a resurgence in Hinduism. The caves were soon forgotten. Troops from the British East India Company stumbled upon them in 1819. Before this only the local tribal people knew of their existence.
The caves were so fun to explore and they had beautiful sculpture and painting. Columns were frequently carved out of the rock and had varying designs. Most caves had Buddha statues, but a few were simply dedicated to sleep and eating.
Unfortunately at cave 4 my mom’s flip-flops were stolen while we walked inside the temple. You have to take your shoes off to go in and I forgot about the risk of theft. Subconsciously I knew my dirty flip-flops that are about to break would be fine so it just didn’t even occur to me. We were just starting our tour and the walkway was only going to get hotter with the sun rising higher in the sky. I gave mom my shoes and just walked quickly and tried to stay in the shade. That worked for a while, but my feet started to yelp a bit. Then there was one long sunny stretch between caves and there was no way I could make it. So we tag-teamed this part of the cliff and swapped shoes. Then we had the dilemma of how to get back to the entrance. At the entrance we had refused to hire the sedan chairs, but now we were wishing one would show up. But of course, they don’t expect business part way through the walk so no extra ones were there.
So I played McGyevor and riffled through my purse. I came up with a bandana and our two entrance tickets with a hair band. It was slow going and I had to keep readjusting, but it was sufficient. Then within a few hundred meters of the entrance some guards saw my feet and got newspaper for me. That worked best. So for one foot I used the bandana to tie the newspaper to the bottom of my foot and the other was secured with the hair band. This whole walk back I got lots of funny looks and a few were sympathetic when they found out the shoes were stolen. When we arrived back at our plush hotel with my makeshift shoes the manager immediately asked if the shoes were stolen. We had good laughs about how ridiculous I looked, but hopefully that’s the end of the thievery.
The next day we headed to Ellora and were blown away even more by the caves here. Unlike Ajanta, these caves aren’t just Buddhist. Hindus and Jains also built temples. The Buddhist caves are the oldest and were excavated 500-750 AD and the Hindus overlapped a bit constructing there’s 600-870 AD. They even converted some of the Buddhist caves into Hindu ones. So one cave had lots of Buddhas and then one wall had a small Shiva and Ganesh carving. The Jain temples came last, between 800- late 1000s AD. The caves are geographically grouped together by religion and chronology so one can see the change over time. We did start with the Jains though because we had to drive a bit north for them and then went back to do the Buddhist and Hindu caves. A Jain cave and the last Hindu temple we saw were the most magnificent and ornate.
Kailash temple is the Hindu one that is carved out of this massive chunk of cliff (the last caves pictures). It is not made into a cave, but rather a temple surrounded by flat open-air space and a walkway chiseled within the newly made horseshoe cliff shape. This unbelievable structure is thought to have begun during the Rashtrakuta reign of Krishna I (756-773), but took 100 years and four more generations to complete. The temple is meant to be a replica of Shiva Parvati’s Himalayan home. In keeping with this model the temple used to be white, having been covered in white-lime plaster. That must have been an incredible sight!
Touring these sights, and any others it seems, takes longer than we expect because they are more extensive and impressive then we’d realized. It also takes a lot of time because we frequently area asked to pose in a picture with some of the Indian tourists. I was told they don’t see many foreigners so want a reminder.
Back at the hotel we hurried to check out. We had hours before our overnight trip back to Mumbai where we’d catch our flight to Udaipur. Our extended check out was at 2pm. We didn’t return from the caves until 2:40, but the hotel was very sweet and accommodating. They also allowed us to use the pool after check out and even the full equipped showers they have there. So we had lunch and relaxed at the pool – back in our bubble. Again, we were waitlisted for an overnight train to Mumbai, but needed a Plan B that did not include sitting up all night in the unreserved seating section. We finally got to waitlist number 2 & 3 and also bought our sleeper bus tickets. Of course when it was too late to cancel the bus the train tickets came through – about an hour before it was to leave. We still took the bus because we were told it would take us straight to the airport, whereas the train station would be an hour drive from the airport.
Mom had never taken a bus let alone a sleeper bus so it was amusing climbing up into our cubby. She still hasn’t adjusted to the time change and her mind was so excited with all that we’ve done that she didn’t sleep at all! I had a restless sleep as I kept imagining someone trying to steal our stuff. We had locked our backpacks to the bars in our cubby and slept with our purses on us, but I was still nervous. So we arrived in Mumbai at 5am pretty tired and not at the airport. Both times in India I’ve been told the bus goes to the airport it doesn’t. We had to take a rickshaw – overpriced! – to the airport, but on our way decided to have breakfast at one of the hotels. Otherwise we would have hours to wait before our flight and a couple before we might even be let into the terminal.
So we headed to the Intercontinental Hotel. I don’t think rickshaws tend to go here often because the driver didn’t know the security drill and the staff looked a bit surprised. All part of the fun! We had a two hour breakfast buffet and felt so good. It was also great to have a nice bathroom to get refreshed in. When I tried to get the bill for our meal the waiter said no and something about it being on them! I have no idea why, but we ended up with two free all-you-can-eat breakfasts!!! Then I went to use their internet to check about my taxes – having trouble getting them submitted through H&R Block. It was an expensive rate, but needed to get on email. I was only on a couple of minutes and the guy comped me! So here Mom and I spent hours eating and sitting in this lovely hotel passing the time before our flight and all they got was tip money!
After a cushy flight where we were given snacks and water (my other domestic flights here I wasn’t) we arrived in Udaipur. We had time for a nice lunch and visit to Sajjangarh, aka the “monsoon palace.” It’s a palace begun in 1883 by Maharana (King) Sajjan Singh who planned to use it as a summer retreat. He died shortly thereafter and the building was stopped for a bit. Then his successor, Maharana Fateh Singh finished it. The “minor” problem was that water couldn’t be pumped up to it so the palace was abandoned. But it now serves as a beautiful spot to see Udaipur down below and the countryside all around. The sunset over the arid mountains was pretty and worth the trip. We also caught glimpses of the 36km wall that used to protect the city – 36km!
Wiped out and full from our late lunch we skipped dinner and crawled into bed. This was to the chagrin of our “stalker waiter” who kept pushing us for dinner and drinks even going so far as to call the room to ask what kind of wine we wanted. The next morning we had a long list of sights to see in Udaipur. We visited Sahelion-ki-Bari, which was built as a summer retreat for the ladies of the royal family. Women of the royal family were not allowed to be seen by others and their servants were women or eunuchs (castrated boys/men). Apparently some eunuchs still exist, but I need to find out more. We also visited Shilpgram, which is an anthropological museum of the houses, arts and crafts of rural India. The artists and craftspeople who were there come for 15 days from their villages to try to teach about their work – and earn money. Then they are replaced with another village member. Those villagers there now have the unfortunate timing of going during the low season.
We headed to lunch at this gorgeous spot, Ambrai, that is back in Udaipur and across the water from the City Palace. In one direction we saw locals washing laundry and swimming and in the other saw the waterfront filled with beautiful buildings. We had a bit of fun walking the streets to get to the City Palace – even some drama. Bulls freely walk all around the city and are mostly sleepy and slow moving, but something about Mom irked one of them. He tried turned his horns on her and tried to hit her. Fortunately, she was able to swiftly move away and he just walked on. We were told that people keep their dairy cows secured, but the others they don’t care about so just let them wander. I guess they would rather the undesirables fend for themselves. Some are very skinny.
The City Palace is part of the largest palace complex in the state of Rajasthan. Udaipur became the capital of the Mewar dynasty in the late 16th century after a successful attack by Akbar on their former capital in Chittaurgarh (more on that later). Over the course of 300 years eleven palaces (mahals) were built. And moving through them is intentionally like a maze in order to thwart invaders. The hallways are narrow, steps uneven and doorways short.
The audio tour was really worth it and I learned about elephants and horses in battle. The horses had a fake trunk attached to them with the reasoning that adult elephants don’t attack baby elephants. I think elephants are too smart to be tricked like this, but who knows. One famous general had his horse injured in battle and the story is celebrated because the horse got the officer to safety before collapsing and dying. As a Hindu the king had to greet the sun before he could eat, but for the times he couldn’t see the sun a metal one was built. Another story involved a princess who was accidentally promised to two princes from other kingdoms and both showed up to claim her. It was impossible for the king to choose one over the other so he decided the only solution was for her to die. No one was willing to use the sword against her so she was given poison. She survived inhuman amounts of poison before she finally perished. She and all royal women lived in the zenana – which was the area only for them, eunuchs, maids and the king. Many windows had lattice stone cut designs so that women could see out, but not be seen.
We grabbed a drink in the palace complex to regroup and then realized that the last boat tour was leaving in 10 minutes. It was the 6pm sunset trip we had considered before, but didn’t think we’d make. So I ran to the ticket office and asked. He said it was a 10-15 minute walk to the jetty and we could get a ticket there. So I hurried back to Mom and grabbed her and we were off. Catching many stares we jogged down to the jetty and made it in time. I’m so glad we did because we saw gorgeous views from the water, but it also dropped us off at an island that is part of the royal complex. Jagmandir is a royal palace turned hotel. We walked and saw the sunset, even being able to view our sunset spot from the night before – the monsoon palace. We ordered some milkshakes and watched the darkness come over the city and all the lights turn on.
The royal complex is still owned by the royal family, but as of 1971 they lost their royal privileges. This is the Sisodia family whose dynasty is among the most renowned of the Rajput royal dynasties. Their kingdom, Mewar, covered much of what is present-day southern Rajasthan for hundreds of years. It’s also the longest lasting dynasty in Rajasthan’s history and possibly the world. The present maharana is the 76th in an unbroken line of the Mewar kings! He lives in a private section of the island palace mentioned above.
Early the next morning we hit the road early with a driver who was really friendly and helpful. He took us two hours away to Chittaugarh, which is a massive fort that has many fascinating and upsetting stories to tell. To enter we had to pass through seven gates – quite a fortification! Chittaugarh was the capital of Mewar before it moved to Udaipur because of its sacking by Akbar in 1568. This was the third time over the course of its long history. The fort likely dates back to the 7th century, but was seized by the founder of the Mewar dynasty, Bappa Rawal, in 734. For the next 834(!!!) years it remained the capital. A 15km fort wall encircled its inhabitants, but its major defensive flaw was that the farming was outside the walls.
I’m sure the story of the first sacking of Chittaugrah (grah = fort) is more complicated than what was relayed to me, but like many disputes it involved a man and a woman. The man was King Ala-ud-Din-Khalji of another kingdom and the woman was the Mewar queen. The king had heard about how beautiful she was and wanted to see her in person. The Mewar king refused and asked for understanding that his dynasty’s tradition was to keep the royal women hidden from view. Ala-ud-Din-Khalji left the area, but returned with his military force. The Mewar king decided on a compromise in order to protect his people. The king offered for Ala-ud-Din-Khalji to see the queen through a mirror so as to indirectly preserve tradition. So the invading king stood in a small room with a mirror above him and a window behind. The queen stood outside on some stairs. (I included a picture of the mirror and the stairs.) At this distance the enemy king was not satisfied and when refused more compromises he continued his attack. And with this the Mewar fort fell into enemy hands for the first time. This was 1303 – nearly 600 years of a perfect record. The second attack came in 1535 by Sultan Bahadur Shah.
After each seizure the Rajputs (Mewars) eventually got their land back – even from Akbar in 1616. However, the 1616 return was on the condition it was not refortified. Lay people have lived within the fort walls throughout this period and even reached a population of 90,000. However, in 1857 the British required most to move. Our guide through the fort grew up there and said no new people can come in. You have to prove your ancestors were within the fort.
A tragic part of the fort history is the tradition of johars (mass suicides of women). There were three of these events, each following the defeat against the three invaders. Due to the battles the women of the fort were left without protection and to preserve their honor they took their own lives. So the woman who was heard to be so beautiful a war began – she killed herself. The preferred method was by fire, but if enough wood wasn’t available poison would be used. In a couple of my pictures you can see an open lawn area with buildings about – this was the site of the johars and the general cremations.
Around the other side of the fort you see the massive plains below. This was the battlefield for the hundreds of years. We stood in one gate and imagined the horrors that took place down in those fields. The gate had massive doors with spikes beginning several feet up the doors. These were to defend against elephants ramming through the gate. We also visited a temple that is still used and has three gods enshrined. The one on the left is Brahma (the creator), the large middle one with big eyes is Vishnu (the preserver) and on the right is Shiva (the destroyer). Their expressions match their duties.
A quick note on British rule… they did not directly control Rajasthan (or most of it, I’m not sure). They made treaties with the various kings and gave favors and protection from enemies. The British did wield a lot of influence though. And when India gained independence from Britain the various rajas had to decide if they would remain independent or join the new India.
We got back into Udaipur in time to visit Bagore-ki Haveli (haveli = ornate mansion of the wealthy, mostly nobles). I don’t have pictures to include, but the haveli has a few sections and is mostly in square shapes with courtyards. Again, there were zenanas for the women. The coolest thing about the mansion was its large turban. It’s possibly the largest in the world and has about a 2 ½ foot radius. The color, materials and method of tying a turban all have meaning and not just anyone could wear anything. Men wear them, but your job, location, and status determine what you wear. Certain occasions also require certain colors, etc. It is still common to see men in Rajasthan wearing turbans though the majorities in the big cities don’t.
We also visited the bustling Jagdish Temple. As you walk the narrow streets in the old city one has to dodge not only motorbikes, auto-rickshaws, and pedestrians, but also cows and bulls! They are a generally slow, lazy bunch who saunter or lay about, but one turned its horns on Mom. She jumped out of the way in time and the cow (the females have horns too) moved on. I had one last night sneaking up behind me so if Mom hadn’t warned me I would have felt a sharp surprise. They don’t seem to do this to the locals.
I’ve loved traveling in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. These states are more what a westerner imagines India to be like given the history, art, and music that the outside world focuses on. It also has just amazing architectural feats. I’ve also enjoyed being able to compare these states with Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Bright colors, saris and salwar kameezes are common throughout these states. I love the colors and patterns of the women’s clothes and I have fun seeing the red and green combo. It always makes me think of Christmas since that’s the only time you see that combo in the US, but here it works anytime. In keeping with the Christmas theme, I heard “Santa Claus is coming to town” the other day in a store! Anyway, men in the south often wear the lunghi, but I’ve only seen it once since. In Rajasthan many older men dye their grey hair and/or beards orange. We asked if it had religious meaning, but no. In the south nearly 100% of the men have mustaches. Up here it isn’t uncommon, but the percentage is much lower. Since leaving the south I haven’t seen as much evidence of Christianity, but I have seen more of Islam. Hinduism permeates throughout. Lastly, Rajasthan is more of a dry heat rather than the humidity down south, but every state has been is HOT.
There are so many different languages throughout India that English seems to have become the bridge language. That’s what I hear spoken when tourists are traveling in a different area and the Chennai airport only did their announcements in English. Many people don’t speak it, but the educated population seems to and in some areas and socioeconomic groups English is the first language. Hindi is the other most common language, but when I tried to use it down south I would get blank stares.
I do get hassled more in the central India, but it still isn’t as bad as I expected and no worse than any other place I’ve been. We’ll see if Delhi lives up to its intimidating reputation…
For several days the big story in the news was of a top athlete, Sonu Sinha alias Arunima Sinha, who lost her leg when a train ran over it. The thrust of the story though was that she was on a train and resisted harassment, apparently someone(s) tried to steal jewelry and he/they pushed her from the train. I forget what state it happened in, but it has notoriously corrupt and ineffective police and they didn’t even know of the incident until it was on the news. And they displayed little remorse. So the national government and people were in uproar and demanding justice and for the woman to get compensation. Apparently, she has been in the Olympics and does several sports. Anti-corruption and better law enforcement seems to be big topics in the news, but I feel like it mostly is lip service. I hope I’m proved wrong.
A more amusing news story you might have heard is about a bank that lost 10 million rupees ($222k) – to termites! The money was in a metal case and in the last couple of months the termites have been feasting.
I still have amazing Jodhpur to write about and tomorrow I head to Pushkar. Will type on the road…
