Rajastan - One

Photo taken In the open courtyard at the Chobdar Haveli in Mandawa. Our dining room is behind 0us but very much like the sitting rooms in the photo.  Our first night in Rajastan and it just got better from here.  There were musicians playing traditional drums called Tabla and a hand pump keyboard called a Harmonium.  Some Havelis added a dancer or marionette show to the music.  Our room which was one floor up was beautiful and comfortable and opened onto the open courtyard.  

> We have driven from Delhi to Rajastan. On the first day we stopped at Mr. Omprakash's ( our driver) home in a small village south of Delhi. His family was very nice - his wife, a son and two daughters, and his parents. We were served chai, then fresh buttermilk with roasted cumin seeds floating on it (I thought it was really good!). And a wheat, butter, and raw sugar cane sugar. It was good and filling. Then we drove to Mandawa. The landscape became more desert like and groups of small round huts began to appear. Mostly made of grasses - thatched and bound, but then becoming mud or mud brick and we started seeing groups of mud huts connected by walls making small walled compounds.
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> We stayed in a small old Haveli in Mandawa that was beautiful with modern rooms in a very old building. The rooms surrounded the central courtyard on three sides. There was an entrance room and wall closing the courtyard completely. The weather is mild and dry so tables are set in the open courtyard and in open arched rooms to the side. The walls were beautifully painted with frescos.
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> Driving on to Bikaner the land got drier and more sandy. We were getting into the edge of the Thar desert that goes into Pakistan. We are seeing many older weathered men with big gray mustaches wearing colorful turbans. We learned that the turban is worn by the head of the Hindu families in Rajastan. In this region there are so many different head covers that can be used to identify the individual's religion and position. There are the Hindu turbans, the Muslim turbans tied differently than the Hindu, and the Sikh turban also tied differently.
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> In the evenings and mornings there is always the Muslim call to prayer echoing through the towns. There is also the sounds of singing and music from the Hindu community. Very exotic to us hearing all this at sunset and sunrise everyday. Also everyday we see lots of camels pulling wagons, plowing, carrying loads, and just grazing along the highways. Elephants are being used mostly for carrying tourists.
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> The days in Rajastan have been very warm and the nights cool. Also very dry desert climate which is nice after all the time in wet jungle areas in the past month. The clothes we wash at night will actually dry here!
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> We rode camels into the Thar desert one evening to some high sand dunes for sunset. Very touristy thing but was fun and being in the large dunes at sunset was beautiful. These desert forts up on the rocky ridges above the towns are really beautiful and very old with great histories.
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> Our itenery for those days is below along with whatever photos I can get into the blog from the iPad.
> 16th Nov: DELHI - MANDAWA.
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> MANDAWA The land of Shekha (Rao Shekhaji 1433-1488) is known for its human and artistic enterprises. This region has been the home of the Marwari community, known for their commercial success. Hundreds of havelis, temples, cenotaphs, walls and forts in this region have intricate wall paintings or frescoes.
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> 17th Nov: MANDAWA – DESHNOK - BIKANER.
> BIKANER is the royal fortified city with a timeless appeal. Lying to the north of Rajasthan, the city is dotted with many sand dunes. Bikaner retains the medieval splendour that pervades the city's lifestyle. More popularly called the camel country, the city is renowned for the best riding camels in the world. The splendour of the desert is all around -specially in the camels. It has forts, palaces and beautiful temples, signifying the rich heritage. The annual camel festival is one of the many highlights of the city.
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> Junagarh Fort. This imposing fort was built between 1589 and 1594 by Raja Rai Singh, one of the trusted Rajput generals of Akbar. The fort defied every attack that was made on it and today, stands proud and unconquered. The perimeter wall is nearly a kilometer long, with 37 bastions and two gates. The Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) is the main access to the inside. Within are a profusion of palaces (37 of them), pavilions and temples. Each palace is, in turn, a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies, towers and kiosks. The palaces, exquisitely built in red sandstone and marble are ornate with mirror work, carvings and paintings. A museum with valuable miniature paintings and rare antiques is also located in the Junagarh Fort.

> 18th Nov: BIKANER – PHALODI - JAISALMER.
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> JAISALMER The Golden city, is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located 575 kilometres (357 mi) west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples are finely sculptured. It lies in the heart of the Thar Desert (great Indian desert) and has a population of about 78,000. It is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer Distric
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> The havelis are also known as the 'mansion of brocade merchants'. This name has been given probably because the family dealt in threads of gold and silver used in embroidering dresses. However, there are theories, which claim that these traders made considerable amount of money in Opium smuggling and Money-lending.
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