A few days after Amritsar we went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, and Shah Jahan's Agra fort. We then took a train Southwest to the state of Gujarat and stayed in a small village near the coast of the Arabian sea. For seven days we were in a Gandhian school called Babapur Ashram, adjusting to village life.
We made excursions to a number of religious sites including the Hindu pilgrimage site called Somnath and the Jain pilgrimage site of Palitana. The temple at Palitana was absolutely breathtaking.
After Babapur, a few days were spent in the Gujarat capital of Ahmedabad and we stayed in another Gandhian Ashram, this being the first one that Gandhi established and it was used for his headquarters until approximately 1930, called Vidyapeeth.
Another train ride was due, the next one being to the desert state of Rajasthan where I stayed in Jodhpur, the blue city, with a few friends for a four day break.
Afterwards we went to Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan, a city that is pulsing with life (one of the densest cities in India).
I've been living with my host family in Jaipur for a month now, continuing Hindi lessons, fieldwork, and lectures at the University of Rajasthan in earnest. This leg of the trip has been the most profound as living with my host family has drawn me into Indian culture more deeply than before. My family is a joint family: mother and father, two sisters, grand parents, uncle and aunt, and a German shephard.
Last night we celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, with fireworks and pooja. This is the biggest Hindu holiday, which commemorates the end of Lord Ram's exile in the forest (hence the lights, to the light the way for his return).
In 36 hours, however, we leave Jaipur for Varanasi, the last substantial leg of my trip. Varanasi is arguably the holiest city in India and the oldest continually living city in the world.
Following are photos that roughly encompass the last 1.5 months.
Akbar the Great's Fatehpur Sikri
Taj Mahal during sunrise.
Inside the mosque adjacent to the Taj.
Temple at Somnath.
Students waving goodbye as we leave Babapur Ashram.
View of Jodhpur.
Dudwalla (milkman) in Jaipur. In villages (and in Mussoorie), they usually carry these canisters strapped to their backs.
Overlooking Raja Man Singh's Amber Fort.
Low-fiving a monkey at Galta.
Galta, temple of the Sun God.
Celebrating Diwali with my homestay mother, Shobha, and sisters, Anahita and Shambouvi.
