Jaipur

Trip to Jaipur with Swedish visitors!

We took our own car.

Jaipur is called the "pink city" but for me it looked more like "Swedish ginger bread city".

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It was Diwali and many streets was decorated and it remined us about Christmas decorations.

Lot´s of people selling marigold to decorate and to bring to the Gods in the temples.

In the Palace of wind you could try to  imagine yourself a woman of the court a couple centuries ago, gazing out from behind these walls. It has 953 jharokhas (windows) and all are decorated with intricate lattice work. We saw it from the outside and it really caught our eyes. Such an amazing structure!

 

This is Jantar Mantar and was built by Maharaja Swai Jai Singh. Guess what he was interested in?!

 It had just been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is a collection of astronomical instruments. Our guide was telling us about how to measure parameters like time, sun sign, season etc by using those so called instruments.

Wow, built almost 300 years ago! This is a good place to visit and is a totally different attraction from all the monuments and historical sites in the Golden Triangle.

Jai Mahal (Lake Palace)

Very pretty and during monsun it looks like it´s in the water. We were lucky seeing this!



Carl and his friend were having two camelrides in two different places. Scary when the camel rising!!!

Amber fort

Amazing place and wonderful views!!The fort & palace complex is vibrant with stories of various kings  - how they lived and what all they made within this complex. We say the "harem" and the guide told us it was about 200 women there!!!

The fort being so vast is facilitated with elephant tours around on the grounds. We found a much nicer way of having an elephant tour but that will come in my next blog.

Thank you for reading my blog!

Helping children in need

With friends from Sweden we visited a school for 125 underprivileged children wich were abandoned or were found begging on Delhi streets. There were also old people living at the premises. The children gets education, breakfast and lunch before going home to their parents. The headmaster was a fomer building constructor who sold his company and made a dream come true by starting this school and The Earth Saviours Foundation. My friend Ann Hörnell brought materials from Domsjö school and also letters-drawings from the pupils. We also brought basic food stuff with us for the children in need. Our experience from visiting the school were great. The children were very appreciative for everything and found our visit both fun and exiting.

Diwali

Namaste!

So many festivals in India and now it's time for Diwali. It is the most important of Hindu's festivals, comparable to Christmas and New Year rolled into one. You give gifts to family, friends, business partners and clients. Houses are decorated with colorful lights.

Me, Carl and his friend Mark went to the school to celbrate Diwali night. They had lots of stalls selling beatiful and colorful things.

There are lot's of pollution, garbage and others bad things living in India but I can't helping folling in love with all the beatiful color and food of India. I am greatful for my experience here!

I still trying to set my camera  and not using automatic.

Mahatma Ghandi Memorial

Namaste!

I went with my friend from New Zealand and four kids to Mahatma Ghandi's memorial. The kids were not really happy about it but after arriving they had a great day. We did lot's of things and also visit the multi media exhibition.  

The last steps before Ghandi was assassinated!

People often come and ask your child to be photograhed with them.

Ghandi encouraged Indian's to know the skill of weaving their own clothes from thread they themselves spun on a charkha.

In these boxes you could find the names of thousands of people following Gandhi on the "Salt march" where they marched 388 km(241 miles) to make salt themselves.He proved that sea salt belonged to all and was not just a British commodity. This campaign was one of Ghandi's most successful at upsetting British hold on India; Britain responded by imprisoning over 60,000 people.

I can really recommend to see the movie Gandhi by Richard Attenborough. My son 10 years old saw it with his friend and they did enjoy it a lot. 

Ayodhya verdict,CWG and shooting in Old Dehli

Just to tell you I had forgotten to post this!!!

Namasté!

Lot's of things happening in India at the moment. The headmaster sending emails all the time to assure the safety of our children. I had to admit it is a bit uneasily but all expats mum comforting each  other.

• Some weeks ago shooting incident  in Old Delhi in which two tourists were shot.

• Lot's of schools were closed yesterday because many were afraid of riots reagarding  a verdict that would be  delivered in a long running and highly controversial case.  The American school decieded there were no reason to cancel the school. All is calm today (yet) 

This is what it's all about! A long time ago....

In the 1500s a Muslim ruler demolished a Hindu temple in Ayodhya town and built a mosque in its place. In Hindu mythology, Ayodhya is one of the seven holy cities and it is said to be the god Rama's birthplace.


1949  God Rama's idol was showed inside the mosque and the site became to be the subject of dispute between Hindus and Muslims.


1950 left the matter to the court for the first time in 2002 and commence the trial of ownership

Questions to deal with:

whether it really were god Rama's birthplace

whether it were a mosque, when it was built and if so, by whom,

whether the mosque in this case were built after the temple demolished,

whether God Rama Images placed in the mosque during the night between 22 to 23 December 1949, the passing of time makes the land can be considered as time-barred (for whose benefit?)

how the site  now should be considered

The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, it was held in India some weeks ago.
Months before the games it was news about that the villages for the athletes was in bad condition and was not going to be ready in time. Only days before opening a bridge collapsed that was going to be used by audience. In the last minute everything was ready for the game. The put up big signs to hide the slum areas!

During the games the government had lot's of shop owners closing their shops and poor people were removed far away from Dehli. Many of the expats went away for holiday, lot's of school closed because it would not be any traffic jam. One traffic file was opened just for the athletes.

After all,CWG was a huge success particular in the view of the sport results for India. "We" came second  place and that was what we aimed for . Australia came first place and I think England third place. 

 

The Maldives

We lived in a water villa and could see the horizon from our bed. 

Snorkling, diving, massage, good food, drinks, ocean and sunsets! What more can you ask for?