Sunday, October 23, 2011

Jodhpur

I had the privilege to take a trip to the state of Rajasthan with six other Navdanya interns this past week. Rajasthan is just south and west of Uttarakhand. The journey started with a 22-hour train ride in the infamous sleeper class from Haridwar to Jodhpur. My first experience in sleeper class included jail-bar covered windows; families constantly stopping to take our picture, chat, and introduce us to their extended family; eating samosas and bananas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and a hole in the floor of the train acting as a toilet. In the end this all made for a journey I quite enjoyed. And it all cost me only $5!

The adventure to Jodhpur was for both work and pleasure. The plan was to attend a music festival in Jodhpur before heading to Kishangarh to interview a few Navdanya trained farmers to learn more about Navdanya's work. However, after making it to Jodhpur we found out the farmer had to leave town and would not be able to meet with us until next week. After saying, “Oh well, It's India” we decided to just enjoy the music festival for a few days and forgo the farmer meeting. The RIFF Folk Festival in the Mehrangarh Fort was the absolute jewel of the trip, and Jodhpur itself was absolutely fascinating. The little alleyways made a maze through the city, with a treasure at the end of each one. Textile shops, spice racks, lassi stands, and way too fancy jewelry stores could be found around each corner. The historic English-style buildings and monuments also revealed a hint of charm in an otherwise typically chaotic and crowded Indian city.

We spent almost the entire first day touring the many passages of the Mehrangarh Fort and eventually took a surprisingly-good audio tour of the place. After the fort we all decided to eat at the first  restaurant we could all decide on. It was at this restaurant on top of the Blue House that we discovered the famed Makhania Lassis of Jodhpur. None of us could tell you what a Makhania Lassi actually is, but, we could not stop gloating and reminiscing about them for the entire trip. I can tell you that lassis are a cool and refreshing drink made of curd (like yogurt) and come in many different flavors. After trying a few other spots throughout the trip, we decided the Makhania Lassis probably contained some form of butter, a really sweet syrup (maybe saffron), cardamom, and sometimes cashews. Another favorite of mine during the trip also included just a plain old saffron lassi near the Clock Tower. We also enjoyed a variety of curries and traditional Rajasthani dishes in a select few of the many rooftop restaurants all over Jodhpur.

The RIFF Festival was somewhat expensive and also quite fancy, so we only bought tickets to one show on the main stage. There were a few free shows we enjoyed such as the 5:30am sunrise devotions and the opening evening show including the story of Krishna and another involving transvestite dancers. The show we did buy tickets for proved that the festival was more a fancy concert, but quite enjoyable nonetheless. We started the night with delicious appetizers and a glass or two of wine and ended the night getting up with most of the crowd and dancing with the last band. The show started with a family of traditional Rajasthani musicians, then added the Band of Brothers from Australia, and ended with a group of musicians from Reunion Island. All in all, having the opportunity to see camels, lots of sand, and a completely different setting than what I am used to here in Northern India, I am definitely looking forward to my next train trip and all the adventures awaiting me here in India :)

Excited for the journey with our early-to-bed berth mates!

Offering our autographs on the train.

Arrival in Jodhpur to view the fort with a beer.


Fort from above and 'Blue City' below.


Makhania Lassis!

Everyone in Jodhpur must visit the Omelette Shop near the Clock Tower. A cheese masala omelette in between four pieces of toast for less than $1! The contender across the street is worth a visit, as well :)

Show with Rajasthani musicians at Mehrangarh Fort.


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