Out of Norm Travels

Laghu Samrat Yantra, the Small Equatorial Sundial, Jaipur Observatory (Jantar Mantar), Jaipur Rajasthan, India (all rights reserved) The  Jantar Mantar  monument of  Jaipur, Rajasthan  is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh, in the early 18th century.  Combining religion, science and art, the Jantar Mantar is the name given to a series of five, magnificent structures built in Jaipur, New Delhi, Ujjan, Varanasi and Mathura. It features the world's largest stone sundial and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, they embody several architectural and instrumental innovations.  I must confess that I did not really appreciate the importance of the visit to this location but upon my return and having gone through my photos, I now understand that this is the MOST significant, comprehensive, and best preserved of India's ...

I was reminded of my long outstanding India blog entry when I was recently faced with the question of "What would be the personality of India through my lens?" That got me thinking....  Out of the thousands of photos taken during that trip, I vividly recalled the spectacular colors of Rajasthan as I traversed her lands from Jaipur  (Pink City of India) ,  Junagarh Fort at Jaisalmer  (built with distinctive Yellowstone of that area),  Jodhpur (The Blue City) with its  impressive Mehrangarh fort,  and its special places like Karni Mata temple (aka Rat Temple where I had my personal up and  close encounter with the small creatures),  Jaisalmer Fort (with its  intricate hand-carved sand stone latticed balconies and archways)  and last but not least, the  Pushkar Camel Fair (one of India’s unique spectacle that  attracts some 300,000 people and up to 20,000 camels, cattle and horses) .  I also had my first taste...

Let's put it out there.....I am TERRIFIED of Rats. The mere squeak can drive me far away in another direction. yet I put my fears aside when I was told that we will be visiting a rat temple in India. why? Well, simply for the sake of photography.  The temple is none other than the Hindu temple more commonly known as the Temple of the Rats (aka Karni Mata Hari Temple) in the region of Rajasthan, just outside Bikarner.  It is interesting to find out facts like some 20,000 rats live in this temple. The rats are believed to be holy and allowed to free roam. I was told that if you don't disturb them, they won't disturb you. So I went along with some other brave souls and bared our feet to walk the grounds. I was also trying my best to spot a white rat, believed to be the most holy out of all the thousands of black/ grey rats scurrying around. And I am glad to say that not only I survived the little walk around but also saw some 3 white rats (most auspicious indeed as guide ...