Day seven - Jaipur

We are getting familiar with India and it is a fascinating country. The evening at Agra was very enjoyable complete with a wedding in the street, fireworks, parade and a band.

Although rich in history, the forts and palaces we visited were primarlily from the 1500-1700 period, the Mughals. Originally from the Afghan region, the seven rulers built lavish palaces and fortifications. The architecture was a combination of Hindu and Moslem.

 This next picture shows a room where the Ruler would stand in the middle column and have conversations with his four top ministers.

We are not the only tourists. There are many different cultures, dress and languages. Donna fits rights in.

The last Moghul fortification we visited was outside Agra enroute to Jaipur in the Rajasthan state. It was built in 1503 and used only for 14 years when they ran out of water and relocated to Lahore. 

Visiting these sites and seeing how they lived brought the inevitable question on "how the toilets worked". Squatting was the appropriate stance and water flushed every hour. Curtains for privacy but it was usually a communal affair.

 

You just can't visit India without seeing a snake charmer. I wanted Donna to hold the python but she declined.

As in many rural countries, the kids go off to school with the backpack and a school uniform. Schooling is available to everyone, however there are groups or classes which are neglected usually at their own choice.For the untouchable class education is still difficult. We saw small children begging in the traffic. Their parents encourage begging to assist with income.

Mahatma Gandhi once said to get to know India, one had to travel outside the big cities and meet the people. Have you ever played chicken on the major highway? That is what we did for hours as we drove from Agra to Jaipur.

We arrived in Jaipur about 7:30, and have been booked into the Hotel Mandawa Haveli. This was previously the home of the Royal Family of the state until the mid 1980's when the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi stripped them of their powers. 

Our tour guide is Hindu. He is very thorough and has introduced us to a few Hindu words and symbols. This one you will recognize which is for good luck as you journey through the four stages of life, each 25 years. He didn't exactly know what the ages 75-100 signified as the life expectancy is usually 68. We told him we would let him know.