Written Mon 04th Feb, 2002 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Rajasthan, the semi-desert region south-west of India's capital, New Delhi, is a land of history, forts, palaces, wildlife and, above all, colour.
Every city seems to have its own colour scheme. Jaipur, the largest city in Rajasthan, is defined by its famous old 'pink city', even though most of it appears to be more orange than pink. In Jodhpur, the steep climb up to the immense fort high on a promontory reveals fabulous views of the indigo-blue houses within the old city walls. While walking the streets down below, it is obvious that not all the buildings are blue, but from above it is one vast expanse of colour, almost as if the sky has come to rest on the ground.
Then there is the marvel of Udaipur, known as the 'Venice of the East'. The fabulous Lake Palace is pure white, contrasting with the sandstone colour of the massive City Palace complex hugging the lakeside. Admittedly, the lake water, on close inspection during a boat ride, contains a lot of unsavoury looking green algae, but from a distance the overall affect is wonderful. Even more so at night - with the sun having gone down, the palaces are floodlit, reflecting in the waters of the lake. A full moon and star-filled sky add to the scene, rounded off with multi-coloured fireworks.
The area between Udaipur and Jodhpur is a major marble producer - on the road journey we passed endless marble wholesalers with huge yards full of stacks of white marble slabs of every shape, as well as enormous uncut lumps of stone on the ground and in vehicles which definitely do not look up to the job of taking the weight.
The animals of Rajasthan add to the rich palette. The wonderful varieties of bird life in the National Parks provide the deep blue of the peacocks and the bright green of the parakeets. The rare and elusive orange, black and white stripes of the tiger excite, and the sight of a huge grey elephant with pink spotty splotches on its ears, lumbering down the main streets of old Jaipur or the narrow back lanes of Udaipur, is always a pleasure. And who can discuss animals in India without mentioning cows - every colour, size and shape, wandering the streets feeding on the scraps, masters of all they survey.
Rounding off all this are the vibrant colours worn by the Rajasthani people, especially the women, often wearing brightly coloured saris, walking with poise and grace with huge bundles balanced on their heads. Not to be outdone, the men sport the Rajasthani turban - particularly fort, palace and museum staff with their colourful uniforms and red turbans.
Rajasthan, the semi-desert region south-west of India's capital, New Delhi, is a land of history, forts, palaces, wildlife and, above all, colour.
Every city seems to have its own colour scheme. Jaipur, the largest city in Rajasthan, is defined by its famous old 'pink city', even though most of it appears to be more orange than pink. In Jodhpur, the steep climb up to the immense fort high on a promontory reveals fabulous views of the indigo-blue houses within the old city walls. While walking the streets down below, it is obvious that not all the buildings are blue, but from above it is one vast expanse of colour, almost as if the sky has come to rest on the ground.
Then there is the marvel of Udaipur, known as the 'Venice of the East'. The fabulous Lake Palace is pure white, contrasting with the sandstone colour of the massive City Palace complex hugging the lakeside. Admittedly, the lake water, on close inspection during a boat ride, contains a lot of unsavoury looking green algae, but from a distance the overall affect is wonderful. Even more so at night - with the sun having gone down, the palaces are floodlit, reflecting in the waters of the lake. A full moon and star-filled sky add to the scene, rounded off with multi-coloured fireworks.
The area between Udaipur and Jodhpur is a major marble producer - on the road journey we passed endless marble wholesalers with huge yards full of stacks of white marble slabs of every shape, as well as enormous uncut lumps of stone on the ground and in vehicles which definitely do not look up to the job of taking the weight.
The animals of Rajasthan add to the rich palette. The wonderful varieties of bird life in the National Parks provide the deep blue of the peacocks and the bright green of the parakeets. The rare and elusive orange, black and white stripes of the tiger excite, and the sight of a huge grey elephant with pink spotty splotches on its ears, lumbering down the main streets of old Jaipur or the narrow back lanes of Udaipur, is always a pleasure. And who can discuss animals in India without mentioning cows - every colour, size and shape, wandering the streets feeding on the scraps, masters of all they survey.
Rounding off all this are the vibrant colours worn by the Rajasthani people, especially the women, often wearing brightly coloured saris, walking with poise and grace with huge bundles balanced on their heads. Not to be outdone, the men sport the Rajasthani turban - particularly fort, palace and museum staff with their colourful uniforms and red turbans.
Pick a city, pick a colour...