A Colorful Page that was Rajasthan

This being my last post on the desert state of Rajasthan, I was thinking “What would be a perfect end for this trip, what should I put in this post that will describe the place perfectly”

I closed my eyes… And all I could see was colors, lots of them!!

Colors of Warmth...

She was the caretaker of the cows at the Iskcon Temple. I requested her for a photograph and she obliged willingly. That smile for me is what I would call a billion dollar smile… Isn’t it?? The warmth and the friendliness of the people, the hospitality was just remarkable.

Colors of Royalty...

A super-royal posture, the colorful turban and long curved mustaches… A symbol of their pride and reputation… Everything about Rajasthan was so colorfully royal and majestic! The forts and the palaces… elephants, camels and horses… You will find it all here!!

Colors of Faith...

This satsang (religious discourse) was going on, in a ground across my hotel in Pushkar. I found it fabulously colorful and loved how the people were bound together by the string of faith. I can never forget the colors of faith that were reflected in the Pushkar Lake… The magnificent Temples made in pure white marble, the colorful paintings and frescoes inside… everything just left me speechless.

4 months and 24 posts later…

These myriad colors stretched across the desert that I encountered during my 5 day trip in May, refuse to fade away from my memories... Though it saddens me to end this journey but my heart tells me that this will continue someday…

Thank you all for accompanying me on this journey. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I have had fun writing about them!

I am just taking a couple of weeks off from blogging,
So then, till we meet again,
Loads of love, take care and keep blogging!!!

Photographs from Here and There in Rajasthan... Rustic Rajasthan

Experience the rustic charm of Rajasthan… The villages… The heart of the state!!!

Magnificent doors in the villages painted in vivid colors, the walls are carved with traditional paintings. The small but heavy metal rings act as door bells. These photos were taken in Khatu, Salasar and some other villages that I passed through in Rajasthan.

A top view of a typical Rajasthani village, I took these photos from the terrace in Jhunjhunu where I was staying.

And behind every door you will find things that will make you wonder in amazement… Given below are some of the traditional things which are still used in the kitchens in the villages of Rajasthan.

Tea is being brewed on traditional brick and mud fireplace over coal fire.

A traditional coarse stone grinder known as Chakki used to grind grains and spices.

The clay pot known as Ghadaa or Matka is primarily used to store drinking water.

Hung from a ceiling, a Chikka is mainly used to hold earthen pots containing butter which need to be kept out of reach of small children.

One can’t help but recollect how Mother Yashoda used this chikka to protect butter from her mischievous son Krishna. But Lord Krishna always had the last laugh as He and His friends still managed to steal it by forming human pyramids. The festival of Dahi Handi is still celebrated on Lord Krishna’s birthday, depicting this fascinating leela.

Photographs from Here and There in Rajasthan... Along the Way

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness.

God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence;

see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...

We need silence to be able to touch souls. - Mother Teresa

During my entire Rajasthan trip, a considerable amount of time was spent on the highways. The long stretches of the desert with the glistening sands and the withered trees coupled with the blazing sun provided for plenty of picturesque moments.

I clicked some pictures from the car and am putting some of them below. Enjoy!!

While going from Salasar to Pushkar, about 30km from Salasar Balaji Temple, lies a small town of Laxmangarh on the highway. While crossing the town, this massive Laxmangarh Fort comes in view and is a distinctive piece of fort architecture, as it is built upon strewn pieces of enormous rocks.

[ The Laxmangarh Fort along the highway ]

Vast expanse of sands, wild and withered trees ...

and bright luminous sky give you company on the highways...