David M. Byrne
Well-Known Member
Howdy,
This week, week 31, was all about ancient lands, desert, dust, forts & (of course) people. The majority of the week was spent in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, the so-called Land of Kings. It was the home of the Rajputs, strong, Hindu warrior caste clans with a passionate belief in the dictates of chivalry who controlled this part of India for more than a millennia. It’s a land vastly different to the south of India, where I've spent the last 3 weeks. Up here it's all scorching desert & ancient cities, all of which retain their medieval flavour thanks to opulent but crumbling palaces, towering, impenetrable forts, havelis (old Indian mansions) transformed into present-day heritage hotels, temples, mosques, & vibrant bazaars. Here’s my pick of the images I captured over the last 7 days, days 210-216, of Mave On The Move.
Picture 146, Day 210 – Bundi Palace, Bundi, Rajasthan, India. October 1st 2012
My first stop in northern India was Bundi, dubbed The City That Time Forgot. It’s an apt title; it’s an ancient looking & feeling place with crumbling buildings, vibrant streets & narrow, claustrophobic lanes with medieval-esque open sewers. It was once the capital of a major princely Rajput state & thus has an impressive medieval fort & 15th century palace, both now well since past their best. I spent a few hours touring the castle, a fine example of Rajput architecture with great views over the town of Bundi, but my favourite picture of the structure is the shown above, taken from the rooftop of my guesthouse on my first night in town.
Picture 147, Day 211 – Schoolgirls, Bundi, Rajasthan, India. October 2nd 2012
I was an early riser in Bundi, as I like to be in most places I travel to. Garnering my usual amount of attention I managed to get this shot of girls on the march to school. I was amazed how early life got into gear in India; this was taken at 7:24am and the day was well underway.
Picture 148, Day 212 – Pushkar, Rajasthan, India. October 3rd 2012
No warring past, forts or palaces in Pushkar. Here it’s all about religion. There’s a mythological significance attached to this place. According to myth, Brahma, one of the three major deities of the Hindu religion, dropped a lotus flower on the earth and Pushkar floated to the surface. Today it’s an important Hindu pilgrimage site, a tranquil town on the banks of a natural & sacred lake & on the edge of a desert. It’s awash with temples, the most famous being the Brahma Temple, the only one in India dedicated to Brahma. Photography isn't allowed by any of the 52 bathing ghats that surround Lake Pushkar. It’s an immensely photogenic place, especially at sunset, & it was a difficult exercise in abstinence to sit there at any time of day, but especially at end of it, with my camera stowed in my bag. The above picture was taken on the streets of the town. This little girl was more than happy to pose for me.
Picture 149, Day 214 – Meherangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. October 5th 2012
My last stop in Rajasthan was Jodhpur, aka The Blue City. Rajasthan’s second city, it’s another ancient place (founded in 1459) steeped in Rajput history. In a land full of forts, Jodhpur’s Mehrangach is probably the most famous, and certainly it’s most impenetrable. Inside the fort walls are some magnificent palaces & gates. The above picture was taken walking up the rampart through the Lohapol (Iron) Gate of the fort, one of the main access point to the structure.
Picture 150, Day 214 – High over Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. October 5th 2012
Mehrangach soars 125 metres above the surrounding plains on the top of a rocky hill. The views over Jodhpur from its ramparts are amazing, views down over the blue rooftops of the old town of Jodhpur, a fascinating jumble of buildings seen from this vantage point.
Picture 151, Day 214 – Mehrangach Trio, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. October 5th 2012
Easily my favourite picture from my week in Rajastan, a picture of late afternoon sunlight illuminating three ladies exiting the Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur.
Picture 152, Day 215 – Nai Sarek, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. October 6th 2012
I guess I had eased my way into India this time. After 4 weeks in the country it was here in Jodhpur that I finally felt like I had it was in the middle of a busy city – an Indian-esque busy city. This is a view of activity down Nai Sarak, one of the main drags in Jodhpur, as seen from Sadar Market in the old town part of the city. Look closely and you can see all the Indian street usual suspects: taxis, people, motorbikes, cows (yes, there’s one there), market stalls, rikshaws & general chaos.
Link: Want more? See all of my Rajasthan pictures as uploaded to my Rajasthan entry of my photography blog.
Picture 153, Day 216 – India Gate, New Delhi, India. October 7th 2012
The end of the week was spent in Delhi, India’s capital. On this particular trip I really only had one day to see the city. But that was fine - it’s a city I’m very familiar with & one I like. For that – liking the city - I praise the British. Without them Delhi would be a maze of unremarkable and decrepit buildings, narrow alleyways and downright chaos. But here, in the New Delhi parliamentary area of wide, tree-lined boulevards & red sandstone colonial buildings, you forget all that (or at least you escape it for a bit). The India Gate, seen here, was designed and built by the British to commemorate the Indian and British soldiers who died fighting in WWI and the 1919 Afghan war - the names of 90,000 soldiers are engraved on the stone of the monument.
Link: See all of my Dlhi pictures as uploaded to the Delhi entry of my photography blog.
What/Where Is Next?
All going to plan there’s only one week left in India. And with a last leek itinerary reading Amritsar- Agra-Varanasi-Calcutta I’m thinking next week’s entry could be one jam packed one.
dMb Travel
Don’t forget you can keep up to date with my trip on the dedicated travel page of my photography blog, a page I set up to specifically chronicle this trip.
Until next time.
David M
This week, week 31, was all about ancient lands, desert, dust, forts & (of course) people. The majority of the week was spent in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, the so-called Land of Kings. It was the home of the Rajputs, strong, Hindu warrior caste clans with a passionate belief in the dictates of chivalry who controlled this part of India for more than a millennia. It’s a land vastly different to the south of India, where I've spent the last 3 weeks. Up here it's all scorching desert & ancient cities, all of which retain their medieval flavour thanks to opulent but crumbling palaces, towering, impenetrable forts, havelis (old Indian mansions) transformed into present-day heritage hotels, temples, mosques, & vibrant bazaars. Here’s my pick of the images I captured over the last 7 days, days 210-216, of Mave On The Move.
Picture 146, Day 210 – Bundi Palace, Bundi, Rajasthan, India. October 1st 2012
My first stop in northern India was Bundi, dubbed The City That Time Forgot. It’s an apt title; it’s an ancient looking & feeling place with crumbling buildings, vibrant streets & narrow, claustrophobic lanes with medieval-esque open sewers. It was once the capital of a major princely Rajput state & thus has an impressive medieval fort & 15th century palace, both now well since past their best. I spent a few hours touring the castle, a fine example of Rajput architecture with great views over the town of Bundi, but my favourite picture of the structure is the shown above, taken from the rooftop of my guesthouse on my first night in town.
Picture 147, Day 211 – Schoolgirls, Bundi, Rajasthan, India. October 2nd 2012
I was an early riser in Bundi, as I like to be in most places I travel to. Garnering my usual amount of attention I managed to get this shot of girls on the march to school. I was amazed how early life got into gear in India; this was taken at 7:24am and the day was well underway.
Picture 148, Day 212 – Pushkar, Rajasthan, India. October 3rd 2012
No warring past, forts or palaces in Pushkar. Here it’s all about religion. There’s a mythological significance attached to this place. According to myth, Brahma, one of the three major deities of the Hindu religion, dropped a lotus flower on the earth and Pushkar floated to the surface. Today it’s an important Hindu pilgrimage site, a tranquil town on the banks of a natural & sacred lake & on the edge of a desert. It’s awash with temples, the most famous being the Brahma Temple, the only one in India dedicated to Brahma. Photography isn't allowed by any of the 52 bathing ghats that surround Lake Pushkar. It’s an immensely photogenic place, especially at sunset, & it was a difficult exercise in abstinence to sit there at any time of day, but especially at end of it, with my camera stowed in my bag. The above picture was taken on the streets of the town. This little girl was more than happy to pose for me.
Picture 149, Day 214 – Meherangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. October 5th 2012
My last stop in Rajasthan was Jodhpur, aka The Blue City. Rajasthan’s second city, it’s another ancient place (founded in 1459) steeped in Rajput history. In a land full of forts, Jodhpur’s Mehrangach is probably the most famous, and certainly it’s most impenetrable. Inside the fort walls are some magnificent palaces & gates. The above picture was taken walking up the rampart through the Lohapol (Iron) Gate of the fort, one of the main access point to the structure.
Picture 150, Day 214 – High over Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. October 5th 2012
Mehrangach soars 125 metres above the surrounding plains on the top of a rocky hill. The views over Jodhpur from its ramparts are amazing, views down over the blue rooftops of the old town of Jodhpur, a fascinating jumble of buildings seen from this vantage point.
Picture 151, Day 214 – Mehrangach Trio, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. October 5th 2012
Easily my favourite picture from my week in Rajastan, a picture of late afternoon sunlight illuminating three ladies exiting the Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur.
Picture 152, Day 215 – Nai Sarek, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. October 6th 2012
I guess I had eased my way into India this time. After 4 weeks in the country it was here in Jodhpur that I finally felt like I had it was in the middle of a busy city – an Indian-esque busy city. This is a view of activity down Nai Sarak, one of the main drags in Jodhpur, as seen from Sadar Market in the old town part of the city. Look closely and you can see all the Indian street usual suspects: taxis, people, motorbikes, cows (yes, there’s one there), market stalls, rikshaws & general chaos.
Link: Want more? See all of my Rajasthan pictures as uploaded to my Rajasthan entry of my photography blog.
Picture 153, Day 216 – India Gate, New Delhi, India. October 7th 2012
The end of the week was spent in Delhi, India’s capital. On this particular trip I really only had one day to see the city. But that was fine - it’s a city I’m very familiar with & one I like. For that – liking the city - I praise the British. Without them Delhi would be a maze of unremarkable and decrepit buildings, narrow alleyways and downright chaos. But here, in the New Delhi parliamentary area of wide, tree-lined boulevards & red sandstone colonial buildings, you forget all that (or at least you escape it for a bit). The India Gate, seen here, was designed and built by the British to commemorate the Indian and British soldiers who died fighting in WWI and the 1919 Afghan war - the names of 90,000 soldiers are engraved on the stone of the monument.
Link: See all of my Dlhi pictures as uploaded to the Delhi entry of my photography blog.
What/Where Is Next?
All going to plan there’s only one week left in India. And with a last leek itinerary reading Amritsar- Agra-Varanasi-Calcutta I’m thinking next week’s entry could be one jam packed one.
dMb Travel
Don’t forget you can keep up to date with my trip on the dedicated travel page of my photography blog, a page I set up to specifically chronicle this trip.
Until next time.
David M
