Jodhpur

Known as The Blue City for its many homes painted to denote them as Brahmin residences, Jodhpur is a chaotic hodgepodge of blue blocks at the foot of mighty Mehrangarh Fort. Interspersed with the sacred color associated with Lord Shiva, the city projects a galaxy of shades ranging from the jewel-toned saris of traditional Rajasthani women to muted tones of the 16th-century wall that protected Jodhpur in medieval times. Long before Mark Zuckerberg used blue for its soothing effect on Facebook users, Jodhpur’s citizens apparently knew of its psychological impact on a city.

In India, the family car is usually a motorcycle. It’s not unusual to see two, three, four people crowded onto a motorcycle. A family of six, however, scores high on a photographer’s hit list.

Blue City is a neighborhood in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where the buildings are all painted blue. It is an extremely picturesque part of town. As I was walking around the Blue City, I came across this door. I was taking a picture of it when this man stepped in the frame and a second later he was gone.

Jodhpur’s colorful cityscape has never been referred to as dull! From bold, fiery spice stalls to decadent fabric shops, the streets are practically besieged with bright colors. Local ladies adorn saris in every color of the rainbow too: saffron, crimson, lime, aqua, magenta, salmon, and my personal favorite, multi-colored. It’s a colorful sight indeed!

I saw these colorful sari’s hung out to dry in a home in the Blue City in Jodhpur. The Blue City neighborhood is a must see when visiting Jodhpur.

I like taking pictures of old doors and windows and as I was taking a picture of this door in Jodhpur, this girl walked by.

While traveling through Rajasthan, my driver took me to meet a Bishnoi family in a village outside of Jodhpur. This is the matriarch of the family whose beautiful silver bangles on her arms and ankles and gold nose and earrings identify her as a member of the Bishnoi tribe and are her only monetary wealth. She gave me a tour of her sparse but spotless home and showed me how to grind millet flour on her stone mill. She was especially proud to show me her family photos. I marveled at the sparrows nest hung from the rafters of her living room. Outside in the courtyard her son showed me how they prepared their tribe’s traditional drink - opium tea and offered for me to sip some out of his cupped hand. He then took me to the grasslands outside the village to look for black buck, beautiful antelope with horns that curl into graceful upward spirals. Well camouflaged, the deer were like fuzzy mirages in the brown landscape until you looked at them for a while. We saw several that day, but only because I was fortunate to have a good guide. Bishnoi have a long history conserving wildlife in the harsh deserts of Rajathan and are considered the protectors of black buck and all trees.

Get ready for enjoyable trip to the royal trains of India. The luxury train journey will be a complete treat for the passengers as they have remarkable experience of a lifetime.Here is the list of some of the popular luxury trains in India. • Palace on Wheels The enjoyable royal voyage will be for 7 nights and 8 days with covering some of the most popular tourist destinations such as Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra. From the months of September to April, the departures take place on every Wednesday! • Royal Rajasthan on Wheels The magnificent royal wheel will run for 7 nights and 8 days and will cover some of the popular tourist destinations of Delhi,Jodhpur, Udaipur,Ranthambore,Jaipur,Khajuraho, Varanasi, Agra and Delhi. From the month of October to March, the royal voyage takes places with departures on Sundays. • Indian Maharajah The luxury royal voyage will run for 7 nights and 8 days and covers some of the most popular tourist destinations of Delhi,Agra, Jaipur,Ranthambore,Udaipur,Aurangabad and Mumbai. From the months of October to Agra, the royal voyages takes place with departures on alternate Sundays. • Indian Maharajah The magnificent royal and luxurious voyage will be for 7 nights and 8 days. The destinations to be covered during the trip will be Mumbai,Aurangabad,Udaipur, Ranthambore,Jaipur,Agra & Delhi. From the months of October to April, the voyage takes place & departure on alternate Wednesday.

I was so lucky to have this woman run through my shot of the Jain Temple. It’s ornate carvings were amazing and unbelievable to see!

I never tired of eating the delicious Indian food through my two week trek. So colorful and delectable!