Part of the Meherangarh Fort is now given over to a museum with a collection of palanquins (sedan chairs). I’ve never ridden in a sedan chair, although always fancied being borne aloft! These were a real mixed bunch, some ornate, some were works of art, some were open, some enclosed, some looked comfortable, others did not!
It also house a surprisingly interesting collection of daggers and other sharp weaponry. I loved the filigree inlays of these, echoing the jali and the symmetrical patterns found in the buildings.
On down the road a little distance form the fort lies the Jaswant Thanda, a marbled mausoleum of a memorial to a Maharajas (what is it about Indian building that make them seem to resemble multi-tiered wedding cakes!) surrounded by cenotaphs to other royals, formal gardens, with a local water supply capable of attracting what I think were like some sort of cormorant – Ken, identification appreciated if you are around, and NB more birds to come!
The new part of the town was interesting in its own way, clearly Jodhpur folks are quite affluent and don’t want to stay living within the old city and so the equivalent of new housing estates are springing up along with some up market hotels. All very different from where I am in Orissa – worlds apart!.
Identification: the larger more colourful birds are Great Cormorant (definitely), the smaller darker bird (I reckon) is a Little Cormorant.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you Sheila.
We had a great time away with No2 son and his partner in Bantry but I brought back probably the worst head cold I have ever had - one week on just rejoining the human race.
Glad I'm not in Queensland.
Ain't Rajasthan just wonderful.
All the best
Ken xxx
Thanks to Ken our resident bird watcher for the identification!
ReplyDeleteGlad you all had a great time, sorry to hear about the head cold. I think head colds whilst not life threatening are one of the nastiest things to go down with, you just feel miserable and all you want to do is cuddle up with a pillow and wish it would go away so you could actually breathe and get some sleep.
Yes Rajasthan was great. Re Brisbane.....my colleague from Delhi, Brooke, is home there on vacation!
So Ken, watch out for the Birds of Bikaner, coming soon to a blog near you! If you ever get back you MUST go there!