Week 5

 We arrived in Pushkar in time for Holi-The spring colour festival
 The photos were taken at about 4.30 am and in our hands are bags of coloured powder to throw over our fellow holi revellers

Doing the mass pooja (prayers) just before the burning of the symbolic effigy of HOLIKA which is like a giant guy fawkes fire

The fire is lit and the men all have large metal spoons and take some of the burning coals home to waft the smoke from the coal cinders into all the corners of all the rooms to ward off evil spirits.

 Fireworks at about 5.30 am

Photos of Holi played in Pushkar

Left -Having a blessing before the celebrations by the priest of priestsHaving a break overlooking Lake Pushkar which is where Brahma the creator of the universe dropped a lotus petal and where it dropped a lake appeared

People getting ready to clean themselves near the lake

Us at the end!

The coloured powder and debris left from the days celebrations

 India's version of scaffolding bamboo  sticks!!!!!!!

 

A full moon occurred on the night of Holi and this is a very auspicious day for women to bathe in pushkar lake

 Holi cows

 

Sunset in Pushkar

 

A really yummy falafel place in the main street

Pushkar was a really lovely place to stay, the people are friendly and the food is great. The atmosphere was very calm too.

We set our alarm super early the next day and wore loads of layers of clothes! We headed up to Savatri temple at 5am - what felt like a million steps which took us 40 mins to climb. We watched sunrise drinking a big mug of sweet tea and then headed back down. 

We had buffet breakfast, well a big bowl or two of chinese rice Mmmmm and went back to the hotel to pack up our bags and spend the rest of the day by the pool at our hotel.

We had a really lovely afternoon chilling by the pool, but as all good things come to an end we headed off to the bus station juts down the road.

Our bus was booked for 4pm, we were unable to get a seat on that bus so waited for the 5pm, which turned up at 5.20. that was hideous but at least we had a seat. We set off 11 kms to the next town and then sat there for 1.5 hours?!?! then we drove for 45 mins and stopped for food for 30 mins. Then 1 hour later we rolled into a petrol station as we had run out of fuel, 5 men had to push the bus to the pump! 7 hours later (mean't to be 3.5 hour journey) we arrive in Jaipur at 10.30 and manage to choose the only tuk tuk driver who does not know where the hotel we have booked . We arrive at 11.30pm and crawl into bed.

We did not sleep well but hauled ourselves out of bed and dropped laundry off as we had NO clean clothes! We had a lovely walk around the old part of Jaipur with lots of old shops and we watched life go by.

We headed to the Hawa Mahal- Palace of wind 

                                          The women used to look out of the grilled windows

this building was built for the ladies of the day to watch city life and the processions.

We also went to the Jantar Mantar which is an observatory built by Jai Singh in 1728 

You can tell the time by the movement of the suns shadow on the dials and curves shapes here

We also went to City Palace which is beautiful and of course had an audio guide 

                            Traditional rugs that are woven by hand the designs are in the weavers head

A very elegant part of city palace in Jaipur

Green - Spring

Peacocks - Monsoon

Rose petals -Winter 

Lotus leaves -Summer

We met up with Ravis friend Jai and his family at their house and chatted.
I was measured up for a suit which will be sent to the uk in the next few days.
Padma, Jai's wife, runs a boutique so her and her daughter showed me loads of their work.
 Beautiuful.We went out to Pizza hut at 10pm for dinner! A real treat for the kids.

Having a lassi ( milk and yoghurt drink) served in a clay pot that is thrown away after one use

We had a busy few days in jaipur and went to the Albert Hall Museum, The Amber Fort, Devji ka Mandir and Birla temple. 

Giant pompadours seller

A horse on it's way to a wedding to carry the groom through the streets

 Ditto for the elephant who had to compete with Jaipurs rush hour traffic

 Jai's family who took us to the Fort and temples 

Thanks for a fab time guys.

On the way home we saw 5 wedding processions with the grooms on horses and lights being held up by boys. apparently 11th March is a special day to get married.