Oct 14-15-Udaipur-Leap Year Celebration at Main Temple and "bracelet" Girl
Things are overwhelming again experience wise but
this time in a beautiful nice way, not like Delhi.
There are just so many things happening every minute
that it is difficult to take it all in.
And I can't write while it is happening as we are
either riding in a rickshaw or walking...so I have
made some little notes and hope to be able to get
everything across slowly while I sit here.
Sunday nite...october 14th
After dinner we went out to stroll a little and as we
were walking around, we heard lots of music and
singing and cracks of fire which sounded like
fireworks but we didn't see any so I don't really know
if they were for sure. Then we got to the Main Temple
in town and there were scores of people going up and
coming down the stairs. So we decided to go in
and check and see what was going on in side.
We got to the top of the stairs and there were scores
of people there, mostly women and children, all
dressed in brightly colored clothing and either
crowding together to walk up to the second floor which
we never got up to check as it was simply too crowded
or sitting around in the lower courtyard, all crammed
in together sitting cross legged and in the center
were 5 or 6 men playing music and singing. It was
beautiful and festive and it was obvious that this was
some kind of celebration. We looked around for
someone to ask and eventually found some man who spoke
some English and after much questioning I understood
that this was a celebration of the leap year which
comes every 2-3 years and just like we sometimes
have Adar II, they also have an extra month every so
often. So it was like a New Moon celebration for a
very special month but it seemed more like Simchat
Torah with all the singing and gaity.
Children here are very friendly and sweet and smile
at you, say hello, want to shake hands and talk
English and look you straight in the eye...no false
shyness about them...really really cute...and when we
took out our camera to take pictures, even the
littlest ones look at you longingly to have their
picture taken. All in all it was quite exciting,
just as much as the festival we passed through in Shay
so long ago in Ladakh. Sooooooooo colorful it is hard
to describe and the music was so exciting and full of
rhythmic beats that I felt like dancing myself and had
a hard time to keep myself still. Very often I
clapped hands with the children and they were
delighted. It was a surprise we didn't expect and
really made our first day in Udaipur special.
Monday October 15th
Yesterday we walked around not too much. Shlomo wants
to take a rickshaw to site see!! We have a little
problem here but I told him walking to see the sites is
my thing. We ate... nothing great but passable and
tasty. Started to make arrangements for the rest of
our trip. Got all kinds of prices and finally found
a nice young guy who gave us not only a good price but
seems most reliable and jokingly we said we want him
to come with us to explain things to us and he said
yes, I can but I have to ask my MOTHER!! (In the end
we did not choose him for many reasons and it was
quite difficult to disappoint him but that's part of
life) Anyway, we decided to see him again today and
get it all squared away. We just have to decide which
type of car will be most suitable for Shlomo's size.
It is many hours to sit and he needs room. we will
see after checking out two kinds of local cars.
We went to sleep quite late but our fist nite in
/Udaipur was very quiet and we slept well, getting a
very late start in the morning.
Today we went to the City Palace which was fascinating
but soooooooooooooo big we quit after 2 hours. Neither
of us is crazy about all this walking around and
seeing things which works out very well.
Then while walking to look for a restaurent for lunch,
a little girl comes up to us and starts chattering
away. Where are you from, what is your name, my name
is, I am in the fifth grade, and on and on and I
realized that in the end we would have to give her
something but she was so cute we couldn't resist and
she said she would take us "siteseeing". So we
followed her, and she did not stop talking for one minute...
this is my mother's sister's house, this is my brothers house, this
is my school, this is my firend, my father works as a guard at city palace,
my family is very sad about what happend to America, Israel is very good
because you fight the muslims and you are very strong (this is a sentiment
we here over and over again many times a day here!) I will take you to see
a nice view and on and on and on...
she took us down to a very quiet corner on a ghat
which we probably would never have found alone, and then we
took pictures together and then I had just thought to
give her some money but she turned to me and pointed
at my rings and asked if I could give her. I said no
simply because I have alot of trouble finding rings to
fit me and I wasn't prepared to give them up but I had
a nice bracelet I had bought recently which cost
practically nothing and she was overjoyed when I
offered her that. You had to see her eyes and
smile...her whole face was aglow. Knowing the hard
life she has waiting for her, it was a very good
feeling to give her this moment of happiness. She
probably finds people all the time and has a whole
collection of jewelry, maybe is saving it all up with
the hope of opening a business one day, but who cares
! She ran through the streets proudly and happily
showing off her new bracelet and we both felt very
good and it was a pleasant interlude in a hot and
tiring afternoon.
this time in a beautiful nice way, not like Delhi.
There are just so many things happening every minute
that it is difficult to take it all in.
And I can't write while it is happening as we are
either riding in a rickshaw or walking...so I have
made some little notes and hope to be able to get
everything across slowly while I sit here.
Sunday nite...october 14th
After dinner we went out to stroll a little and as we
were walking around, we heard lots of music and
singing and cracks of fire which sounded like
fireworks but we didn't see any so I don't really know
if they were for sure. Then we got to the Main Temple
in town and there were scores of people going up and
coming down the stairs. So we decided to go in
and check and see what was going on in side.
We got to the top of the stairs and there were scores
of people there, mostly women and children, all
dressed in brightly colored clothing and either
crowding together to walk up to the second floor which
we never got up to check as it was simply too crowded
or sitting around in the lower courtyard, all crammed
in together sitting cross legged and in the center
were 5 or 6 men playing music and singing. It was
beautiful and festive and it was obvious that this was
some kind of celebration. We looked around for
someone to ask and eventually found some man who spoke
some English and after much questioning I understood
that this was a celebration of the leap year which
comes every 2-3 years and just like we sometimes
have Adar II, they also have an extra month every so
often. So it was like a New Moon celebration for a
very special month but it seemed more like Simchat
Torah with all the singing and gaity.
Children here are very friendly and sweet and smile
at you, say hello, want to shake hands and talk
English and look you straight in the eye...no false
shyness about them...really really cute...and when we
took out our camera to take pictures, even the
littlest ones look at you longingly to have their
picture taken. All in all it was quite exciting,
just as much as the festival we passed through in Shay
so long ago in Ladakh. Sooooooooo colorful it is hard
to describe and the music was so exciting and full of
rhythmic beats that I felt like dancing myself and had
a hard time to keep myself still. Very often I
clapped hands with the children and they were
delighted. It was a surprise we didn't expect and
really made our first day in Udaipur special.
Monday October 15th
Yesterday we walked around not too much. Shlomo wants
to take a rickshaw to site see!! We have a little
problem here but I told him walking to see the sites is
my thing. We ate... nothing great but passable and
tasty. Started to make arrangements for the rest of
our trip. Got all kinds of prices and finally found
a nice young guy who gave us not only a good price but
seems most reliable and jokingly we said we want him
to come with us to explain things to us and he said
yes, I can but I have to ask my MOTHER!! (In the end
we did not choose him for many reasons and it was
quite difficult to disappoint him but that's part of
life) Anyway, we decided to see him again today and
get it all squared away. We just have to decide which
type of car will be most suitable for Shlomo's size.
It is many hours to sit and he needs room. we will
see after checking out two kinds of local cars.
We went to sleep quite late but our fist nite in
/Udaipur was very quiet and we slept well, getting a
very late start in the morning.
Today we went to the City Palace which was fascinating
but soooooooooooooo big we quit after 2 hours. Neither
of us is crazy about all this walking around and
seeing things which works out very well.
Then while walking to look for a restaurent for lunch,
a little girl comes up to us and starts chattering
away. Where are you from, what is your name, my name
is, I am in the fifth grade, and on and on and I
realized that in the end we would have to give her
something but she was so cute we couldn't resist and
she said she would take us "siteseeing". So we
followed her, and she did not stop talking for one minute...
this is my mother's sister's house, this is my brothers house, this
is my school, this is my firend, my father works as a guard at city palace,
my family is very sad about what happend to America, Israel is very good
because you fight the muslims and you are very strong (this is a sentiment
we here over and over again many times a day here!) I will take you to see
a nice view and on and on and on...
she took us down to a very quiet corner on a ghat
which we probably would never have found alone, and then we
took pictures together and then I had just thought to
give her some money but she turned to me and pointed
at my rings and asked if I could give her. I said no
simply because I have alot of trouble finding rings to
fit me and I wasn't prepared to give them up but I had
a nice bracelet I had bought recently which cost
practically nothing and she was overjoyed when I
offered her that. You had to see her eyes and
smile...her whole face was aglow. Knowing the hard
life she has waiting for her, it was a very good
feeling to give her this moment of happiness. She
probably finds people all the time and has a whole
collection of jewelry, maybe is saving it all up with
the hope of opening a business one day, but who cares
! She ran through the streets proudly and happily
showing off her new bracelet and we both felt very
good and it was a pleasant interlude in a hot and
tiring afternoon.
posted by Jane @ 10:01 PM
<< Home