Jaipur

Jaipur - the "Pink CIty" - in all honesty, has proven to be a bit of a disappointment. This Lake Temple was one of the few things we really liked. The pink is more of a drab salmon/cinnamon color and the buildings are not well maintained (see below). We took a long rickshaw ride to get to a fort overlooking the city for a "pink" view, but the pollution was so bad and the colored buildings so few that there wasn't much to see. Nonetheless, we did have an active day.

These carrots were among the most colorful things in the city.

These ladies were dancing during a temple puja, led by a very old but very vigorous lady - India's verson of D. in her 90s.

Example of the havelis that now house shops in various bazaars in the old city.

Those two pots in the background (in the City Palace) are the largest silver objects in the world.

This astornomical observatory was quite interesting. An 18th century creation of a Peter the Great type marajah. One of the sundials can measure time to within two seconds. Principle use is for astrological divining for the timing of key events, like marriages, of which over 70% are still arranged by the families. Everyone we talked, to including the very highly educated, had arranged marriages, but for one guy who claimed he sought out a wife on his own.