11 km north of Jaipur, Amber Fort glowed in the morning sun like a pile of pancakes glazed with maple syrup (I guess I'm having a moment of weakness daydreaming about western food today). Short climb up the hill rewarded us with amazing views of the town below and a procession of elephants carrying….tourists. I would be pretty irritated with someone jumping on my back, into a cumbersome basket sliding down my sides with every step, and pulling my ears - every twenty minutes. Sure enough….so were they. One of the elephants stomped a puppy to death on the way up the fort while locals watched without batting an eye and tourists gaped holding their breath. We both got a little nervous taking photos as this group of ten giants passed by. This is India...everyday life, death, and religion closely intertwined...spectacle in motion...rarely anything a shocking occurrence.
Jaipur is famous for it’s jewelry and textiles. A visit to a local clothing factory shed some light onto very intricate printing, weaving and beading techniques. Local tradition dictates that only men are allowed in the factory, but lots of women work from home. Products made with their small fingers are usually more complicated and of superior quality.
Fabric printing process [in case anyone wants to try this at home ;)]:
1. Carve our stamps - made from teak wood.
2. Dip into ink - made from natural pigments - green: spinach, yellow: turmeric, red: cayenne pepper, blue: indigo plants - all dried and crushed to powder which is mixed with natural binding agents.
3. Press onto fabric - price depends on the intricacy and number of overlaid stamps.
4. Dip in a salt bath - removes glue and reveals actual colors.
5. Give it a clean water bath - removes salt and binds pigment.
Instead of visiting the City Palace we decided to just walk the streets this afternoon. First couple of minutes were like a cold shower of rickshaw drivers and shop owners persistently “offering” their services. Just see, no buy. Madam, where you going? Take you to the Palace? Only twenty rupees, I take you. Honk, honk, hooooonk! Sir, sir, where you going? Need a rickshaw? I take you! Honk, hoooonk! Pashmina? Special price, just for you! Hooonk! Shoes, scarfs, pants, batteries, photo cards?? Kids circling around and gypsies offering to pose for money, cows brushing against you, goats and stray dogs running wild, kites flying from rooftops, river of people, cars, rickshaws and other moving vehicles. All of this can be very claustrophobic sometimes, but give it a “moment” and the initial sense of panic subsides. Being stranded in the middle of the intersection, first because we simply got stuck and refused to move across and later to take photos in peace, actually immobilized time. Paradoxically, standing still against the rushing surroundings felt safe, allowed us to breathe again, and created a bubble of personal space nonexistent otherwise.
Architecture was spectacular. The essence of Rajput artistic and defensive grandeur that was once the ancient capital of Jaipur state reflected in the waters at the foot of the rugged hill.
women's quarters, interior courtyards
Sebastian was investigating some masonry cracks...
...and, like always, stepping into crevices he wasn't supposed to
We found a passageway all to ourselves and could secretly hold hands for a minute without being scrutinized. Spontaneously showing your affection in public...not an viable option around here.
sometimes we have to pinch ourselves to believe where we are
Dosas…how we love thee.
We were in no way prepared for the size of this one, stretched across two plates.
Jaipur is famous for it’s jewelry and textiles. A visit to a local clothing factory shed some light onto very intricate printing, weaving and beading techniques. Local tradition dictates that only men are allowed in the factory, but lots of women work from home. Products made with their small fingers are usually more complicated and of superior quality.
wood stamp blocks
trays with pigment
Fabric printing process [in case anyone wants to try this at home ;)]:
1. Carve our stamps - made from teak wood.
2. Dip into ink - made from natural pigments - green: spinach, yellow: turmeric, red: cayenne pepper, blue: indigo plants - all dried and crushed to powder which is mixed with natural binding agents.
3. Press onto fabric - price depends on the intricacy and number of overlaid stamps.
4. Dip in a salt bath - removes glue and reveals actual colors.
5. Give it a clean water bath - removes salt and binds pigment.
Colors and patterns were speaking to Sebastian. Me…not so much. He actually envisioned these covers on our bed. I wasn't thrilled. Neither was the owner once he figured we wouldn’t spend a lot of money. His attitude changed instantly. Everything he showed us was of the best quality, certainly, but we knew the size of our pockets and didn’t budge. We haggled like crazy, which probably irritated him even more and by the time we were leaving, he could barely utter a frustrated 'goodbye'. Ironically, that's precisely what made us believe we got some great bargains.
Instead of visiting the City Palace we decided to just walk the streets this afternoon. First couple of minutes were like a cold shower of rickshaw drivers and shop owners persistently “offering” their services. Just see, no buy. Madam, where you going? Take you to the Palace? Only twenty rupees, I take you. Honk, honk, hooooonk! Sir, sir, where you going? Need a rickshaw? I take you! Honk, hoooonk! Pashmina? Special price, just for you! Hooonk! Shoes, scarfs, pants, batteries, photo cards?? Kids circling around and gypsies offering to pose for money, cows brushing against you, goats and stray dogs running wild, kites flying from rooftops, river of people, cars, rickshaws and other moving vehicles. All of this can be very claustrophobic sometimes, but give it a “moment” and the initial sense of panic subsides. Being stranded in the middle of the intersection, first because we simply got stuck and refused to move across and later to take photos in peace, actually immobilized time. Paradoxically, standing still against the rushing surroundings felt safe, allowed us to breathe again, and created a bubble of personal space nonexistent otherwise.
street bazaar
hardware
so tempting...but who's going to carry it for the next six months?
"Your wife? She very pretty."
What he meant was white.
What he meant was white.
Not everyone wants to have their picture taken...this man did. I asked because he seemed genuine and the smell of these offerings was hunting me from a distance. He also put a flower in my hand without asking for anything in return...very rare, at least so far.
Today we finally FELT we've arrived.
Lovely. It's nice to come to work Monday morning and see something new from you. Slightly expends my imagination for the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteSebastian az rekawy podwinol do obiadu :)