“Pic of the Week”, March 3, 2023: A Puppet Show in Jaipur

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Often a few unexpected moments are what make a trip memorable.
As we were heading for a visit to the Palace in Jaipur, we noted a puppet show had drawn a small crowd to it.  We stopped for a few minutes and watched. Seemed the hero of the show was a snake-charmer who calmed a cobra that slithered on stage.  You can follow the actions of snake and charmer in the few images in the slide show below (images are placed in sequence taken).

(Puppeteer in Jaipur)

When the crowd thinned, one of the puppet masters emerged.  I like his turban.
(Click on thumbnnails to enlarge photos)
 
 

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The Meena Bazar, Delhi

00 Meena Bazar, Delhi

Meena Bazar is located in Old Delhi close to the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Red Fort. It’s an old sprawling market that’s impossible to completely take in during one visit. It seems as though most people shopping here knew what vendors they wanted to patronize, although of course there was a lot of browsing.
The Bazar was created during the Mughal era as a place for women from the Red Fort to go shopping (for clothes, jewelry, sarees, carpets, etc.). The market has grown significantly beyond its original presence inside the Red Fort and caters to all now, not just to women. It seemed to me that just about anything you might want, you could find for …

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Spotting a Wild Tiger, Panna Tiger Reserve, India

00 Panna Tiger Reserve

It’s a rough bumpy 45 km ride from Khajuraho to the Panna Tiger Reserve — but it turned out to be very worthwhile.
A Brief Background of the Panna Tiger Reserve
The Panna Tiger Reserve is part of Panna National Park, which is a large swath of nature in one of the world’s most densely populated countries, having an area of 542.67 km2 (209.53 mi2).  The reserve has grass habitat with extensive open woodlands, and plateaus punctuated by gorges.  Life here depends on the Ken river and its tributary streams, which sustain everything you see.  The area was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2011.
India has the world’s largest surviving tiger population.  In 1993 Panna was declared India’s twenty-second Tiger reserve and placed under the Protection …

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Shopping in Jojawar, Rajasthan

02 Shopping

Jojawar is a small city in Rajasthan. Walking its streets is a good way to get a feel for how the people in the region sell their goods, shop, and live.
We spent a few days in Jojawar and had several opportunities to explore the area near our hotel. There were a large assortment of vendors selling everything from textiles and clothes, fruits, vegetables and other foodstuffs, to assorted commonly used household goods.
(Clock on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance slideshow)

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“Pic of the Week”, February 26, 2021: A Parade in Jojawar

04 Parade

Our entry into the city of Jojawar was delayed by a traffic jam.  When we got out of our vehicle to see the reason why, we encountered this parade on the city’s main street.
I never did find out what the reason for this gathering was — perhaps a Jain celebration?  But the colors, music, chanting and enthusiasm of the celebration were engaging and evident. 
Within 10 minutes it was over and we resumed our journey to our hotel.   But I did gain an appreciation for how people in India love to celebrate.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance slideshow)

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“Pic of the Week”, January 29, 2021: The Masala Chai Men’s Club, Jojawar

00 Masala Chai

While rambling around the city of Jojawar, we came across this group of older men.  They were gathered in the shade of an overhang, shoes off, sitting on towels and blankets, smoking and enjoying good conversation and some masala chai.
As is typical of the more remote regions of Rajasthan, the men almost uniformly wore turbans.
A street vendor near them was cooking up masala chai, a treat our tour group had grown to enjoy.  We watched him go through the process of preparing our chai — a mixture of boiled milk, water and spiced tea.   He kept constantly stirring the mixture until it was ready.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance slideshow)


 

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Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, Agra

04 Tomb of Itimad Ud Paulah

The Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah (hereafter called TID), also know as the “Baby Taj”, is overshadowed in popularity by some of Agra’s other tourist attractions, namely the incomparable Taj Mahal (25 mins away) and Red Fort (14 minutes away).   Yet TID is a beautiful marble structure that’s worth a visit, especially at dusk or dawn as the soft light highlights its beautiful architectural details.
TID is on the eastern banks of River Yamuna and was built by Nur Jahan, wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and step-mother of Sha Jahan (who was to become the builder of the Taj Mahal).  Nur Jahan built the tomb for her father, Mirzā Ghiyās Beg,  a Persian amir in exile who had been given the …

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A Wedding in Jaipur

01 A Wedding in Jaipur (2)

If there’s anything more colorful than a wedding in India, I’m not sure what that would be.  It’s uncommon for a group of tourists to be invited to a wedding celebration; this unique opportunity arose because our tour guide was a good friend of the groom, hence the invite.
Indian weddings are still mostly arranged affairs, the parents picking appropriate mates for their children.  I personally believe that marriage for love is better, but the Indians are happy with their system and it seems to fairly work well for them.  Marriages in India are as stable as those anywhere in the world.
We arrived at the rented venue, part of a total of about 250 people ultimately attending.  We were invited to …

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