TRAVEL THE WORLD - JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

These photos were taken in Jodhpur in 2007. Mehrangarh Fort is in the first photo, while the second was taken from the fortress and shows why Jodhpur has been called the Blue City. The foundation of the fort was laid in 1459.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

This little girl was dancing in a restaurant in Jodhpur where we had lunch. She was very confident and graceful, and just one of the many children in India who are forced by economic circumstances to take employment.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

These photos were taken in 2007 from an auto-rickshaw as we drove in the rain through Jodhpur's Old City. These small merchants with their tiny shops are the mainstay of India's retail sector. They are threatened by the emergence of large western retail chains which so far the government has not allowed in any substantial numbers. Small retailers are a drag on the efficiency of India's economy, so perhaps it's only a matter of time...

TRAVEL THE WORLD - JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

These attractive young people happily agreed to be photographed in the museum of Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur. They are an example of the many friendly, approachable people we encountered in India. And don't you admire how beautifully dressed and poised the women are? I love the shimmering brightly coloured silk and the jeweled sandals. Even the baby girl is all dressed up!

INDIA VACATION 2007

INDIAN PALACES

India has many beautiful palaces. The one pictured in the first photo above is in Mehranghar Fort at Jodhpur and was built in the 17th Century. It is now a museum with many interesting things to see from the original palace furnishings.

The City Palace complex in Jaipur, part of which is pictured in the second photo, covers a very large area, and consists of gardens, courtyards and buildings. The Jaipur royal family continues to live in part of the palace.

The Jahangir Mahal in Orchha, seen in the third photo, is a fine example of Mughal architecture featuring typical stone latticework. Construction by the Orchha ruler, Vir Singh, began early in the 16th Century in honour of the Mughal emperor, Jehangir.

INDIA VACATION 2007

MORE INDIAN OCCUPATIONS

India likely has millions of small merchants, one reason for the government's resistance to the incursion of western retail chains. The man in the first photo above, a retailer of knives, is a typical proprietor of a small family-run business. His shop, tiny by western standards but adequate for his needs, is located on the main shopping street in the old city of Jodhpur. He was welcoming, not objecting in the slightest to having his children photographed.

The second photo above is of our tour guide at the Ellora caves near Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat. This man was the perfect guide, very knowledgeable and intelligent, but approachable, agreeable and patient. He took us by bus to the Ellora caves, the Baby Taj in Ahmedabad and two or three minor sites. The entire time with him was a pleasure.

INDIA VACATION 2007

MORE FORTRESSES OF INDIA

Golden Fort, so-named for its resemblance to a golden flame in the desert sun, includes Jain temples, a palace, a museum, and one-quarter of the houses in the Old City of Jaisalmer. It was built in the 12th Century and has now been placed upon the World Monuments Watch List of 100 endangered sites. Located in an area of meagre rainfall, the fort was built with a complex system designed to collect rainwater. However, it was not designed to handle the volume of water now necessary to accommodate tourists and has become unstable. It is unclear if anything is being done to contain or reduce the damage. The fort is shown in the first photo above.

Junagarh Fort, located at Bikaner, was built in 1593 and has a very well-preserved interior. Hand-prints, shown in the middle photo above and preserved near the fort entrance, are those of women about to commit suttee after their husbands had died in battle.

Construction of Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur began in 1459 and was completed in the 17th Century. The fort, never captured, sits atop a 125-metre hill. The last photo above shows the blue houses of Jodhpur, the Blue City.