India is an exotic mix of many languages, cultures, customs, beliefs and lifestyles. In our brief visit, we were able to sample some of them in the city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan province.
Our group stayed at the incredible Umaid Bhavan Palace, home of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, who still lives in a gigantic wing of the Palace. It is a prime example of princely India’s opulence, as you will see in the pictures.
Our first morning in Jodhpur was Easter morning, and our tour operators had arranged for a group of us to attend Mass at a local Catholic Church, a memorable and beautiful experience. After Mass we toured Mehrangarh Fort, set atop a 400 foot rock, a majestic fortress built about the time Columbus discovered America. It houses vast museums in the royal apartments showcasing the opulence of the line of Maharajas of Jodhpur. Afterward, we a toured the Sardar Market, where almost anything can be obtained. We were treated to a ride in a Tuk Tuk, a three wheeled auto rickshaw, sort of like riding on a lawn mower with a worn out engine, more fun than a barrel of monkeys. There is a video of our ride, which I hope you will have the patience to watch, with all the people, vehicles, animals, trash, beeping and other chaos of the back alleys of an Indian city. The big event was an evening show worthy of a TV special, a Rajasthani festival of music, dance and performance designed exclusively for us by Rajeev Sethi, a world famous sceneographer, featuring 125 performers and musicians. It took place at the summer palace of the Maharaja, Bal Samand Palace, set on a beautiful lake. We were drawn down a path by music to continuously evolving performances by characters that appeared on our walk, some from the bushes or over a wall, a never ending cornucopia of Indian culture, fantastic costumes, music and dance.
Made us feel like royalty.
