Namaste!

Starting with Pushkar I now bring you more photos....

We had an amazing ride into Pushkar, the road which had mainly been straight and flat turned twisty as we arrived at our destination surrounded by hills. The landscape was beautiful :-) :-)



There were many plants in flower including the cacti to be found in abundance on the hills.


K also spotted this banana plant flower as we sat awaiting our chai at a cafe.


One morning we climbed up to a white temple (you can just see it on the right hand side of the photo) on a hill which overlooks Pushkar.


K went for a walk and climbed the ridges and rocks surrounding the temple (from where the above photo was taken) whilst I wrote some postcards.


The next day it was Holi, a festival of colours. People were wondering the streets with bags of coloured powder throwing it over one another in celebration. Even if you did not want to play Holi you were going to be involved if you were outside :-)


K and I were also covered in powder although I have to admit that K was much more colourful than I was having been acosted by some over zealous teenage boys. No photos of us but from this picture I am sure that you get the idea.... There was so much colour that the open drains lining the streets ran purple for most of the day. Even now roads are still stained with colour as well as peoples hands (well maybe not now...after all that rain!).


We spent our final day on a walk around Pushkar which took us past the holy lake and it's bathing ghats.



We also visited the Brahma temple - the only one of it's kind.


Next it was onto Jodhpur, the blue city. We only spent one afternoon here, we had come to see the Mehrangarh Fort and get an overnight stop.


Inside the beautiful haveli where we stayed the night.


A view of the fort from the haveli where we stayed.


The approach to the fort.


There were still markings left by cannonballs on the bastions leading to one of the gates at the fort.


I present to you the great audio guide that gave us much information about the fort. We were so impressed by it's modernity :-) The Maharaja Through his trust) has invested in the restoration and preservation of the fort.


The rooms inside the palace at the fort were beautifully decked out with gold paint, elaborate painting, mirrors, coloured windows and Jali screens.



In this room the Maharaja would take counsel, his wife would secretly listen from behind the Jali screens seated above the company of men.


On display was the fine collection of howdahs (platforms or seats for people to be seated on elephants) and palanquins (seats carried by 4 men) we particularly liked the peacock palanquin, displaying the national bird of India.


Upon the bastions and walls was the colection of the Maharaja's cannon, there were many of differing sizes, some had been captured from his enemies in battle.


Looking down at Jodhpur city from the fort...that is the Maharaja's palace in the background (with the dome).


...the contrasting blue of houses against the landscape was beautiful to behold.


I would have loved to have brought you more photos tonight but have run out of time, I shall get the remainder out to you tomrrow. Until then - goodnight :-)