The Amber Fort and Other Jaipur Sights

11/28/09

Eleven pictures today, and one powerful moment to share. (Numercal order of pictures at same level go right to left).
1. The “Palace of the Winds” in Jaipur. Built in 1799, this is a façade one room thick—a kind of stadium seating on steroids—for women of the court to use for viewing parades and festivals. When the Mughals invaded India, they helped establish the concept of “purdah,” the exclusion of women from public life. So women had to stay hidden in structures such as these, even in the case of Hindu royalty such as Jaipur’s. Of course, “har har,” women talk so much that it must be windy in there!
2. A close-up of one of the viewing rooms. On purdah: it’s sad to see women still so subordinate in India. Our guide told one of our traveling companions (Reade) that he never eats meals with his wife. The American idea of spouses as best friends and companions is really incomprehensible to the Indians with whom I’ve talked. The fact that the President of India (a seventy-something female) indulged in her own “Mission Accomplished” moment this week and flew a fighter jet doesn’t change that.
3. The Amber Fort, a few miles north of Jaipur. This was the seat of the Jaipur Maharajahs from the late 1500s to when they built Jaipur in 1727. We spent most of the morning there.
4. And also #5
5. Support of women’s equality doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy watching them and hanging out with them. The first woman in red was shooting some type of movie and made repeated entrances through the doorway. The second picture shows another woman in red (Denise) who consented along with Reade to explore the fort together with me.
6. The pleasure garden of the Fort. (Remember “In Xanadu did Kublai Khan a pleasure dome decree?”)
7. Text describing the basil plant pictured in #8.
8. The god Tulsi—basil. Denise can relate, as can consumers of her pesto!
9. The Ganesh Gate to the Fort. Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god, is the most popular deity in India, according to one guidebook. This is because he is the remover of obstacles and bringer of good fortune, and he is therefore placed on doorways and entrances of all sorts. In Denise’s and my spiritual tradition we experienced a similar concept that often when we center and listen to the Divine, “way opens,” and problems are overcome.
10. The “Water Palace” (Jal Mahal) built for day excursions (to play music or hunt birds, for example) by the Maharajah. It seems to float.
11. Sunset from the Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple on the south side of Jaipur.

Our driver took us here this afternoon because we wanted to see a temple. Because photography wasn’t allowed inside, I didn’t pay attention to getting a good picture outside. I was busy leaving my shoes for the shoe-check guy. The marble structure was built in the 1980s. It is cool and airy, with many marble carvings and stained glass windows showing scenes from the Hindu epics and depicting Hindu deities. We sat cross-legged on the marble floor and meditated for at least 15 minutes. Although many people were passing through, I was as close to centered worship as I’ve been since 11/8 when I was last in Quaker Meeting. Coming out and watching the sun go down seemed to be a good end to the day—and more of what we had hoped India would be.

PAUL