Bundi, Rajasthan (Mar 9-11). Happy Holi!!

Bundi, 45 min north by bus from Kota....during full moon and the Hindu festival they call "Holi". Everyone is going through the streets saying "Happy Holi" and each little neighbourhood in town has their own (dead) tree installed in a hole in the pavement somewhere...'decorated' so to speak which is lit into flames later in the evening.

Everywhere there are vendors selling dyed powder of many vibrant colours and starting the next morning (until 2 in the afternoon) there is hooting and hollering in the streets and everyone is throwing this coloured powder at each other. By 2pm people are looking a might bit off-colour so to speak. A considerable presence of alcohol also lends to the craziness of the occasion. What we have been able to discern of this celebration is that the tree burning the evening before Holi day represents the defeat of the evil demoness Holika and that Holi day (a.k.a. festival of colours) is meant take sorrow away and make life more colorful. From the photos below you can see that we did not escape untouched either! We are told it will eventually wash out!!

Of course none of these festivities were known prior to our arrival. The reason for visiting this place of 100,000 people was that it used to be the capital city in this district area and there is a fort on the nearby hill, 100m high dating from the time of 1354 and within the fort walls, a Maharajah's palace was built in 1607. The fort (called the Star Fort for its shape) is then surrounded by a wall that must have a circumference of 5-8 km or so which includes the 'old city'.

We are in a very nicely restored "havelli' inside these walls at the base of the hill. From the hilltop, you have a spectacular view over this old city with a large number of the buildings painted blue. We spent the first sunset up there watching and listening to the sounds of India wafting upwards... horns, Muslim call to prayer, Hindu music blaring from loudspeakers, dogs barking....

The fort of course is in a fairly deteriorated condition but still very impressive in size. The center of the fort is inside a series of smaller walls which leads one to thinking how could anyone ever have captured such a place?

The palace was lived in by descendants of Maharajahs until 50 yrs ago...since then it was significantly looted but must have been magnificent at one time. There still remains many rooms with the walls painted with impressive murals that are in decent condition. The palace is built part way up the hillside with many balconies with stunning views over the city and down the valley. An unexpected addition to the scenery in the fort and palace grounds is the numerous monkeys - during our visit, they were napping, grooming each other, babies were swinging in the trees by there tails - they seemed quite used to the human presence. These same monkeys leave the fort for the city in the evening and early morning hours. It is something to see them jumping from roof top to roof top, jumping on awnings like trampolines and taunting the neighbourhood dogs.

Perhaps most surprising about being here in Bundi has been the people. Maybe the festival atmosphere has something to do with it, other theories are that it's still new on the tourist route and therefore friendlier. But we encountered very little hassle and not much begging. Everywhere we are beset by children "what's your name?" "where you from?", "photo, photo". On the Holi day eve, we decided to go for the photo thing expecting to be asked for money but in fact they were just excited to pose with us and see their pictures. Before long there is a whole throng of excited kids and we are almost being dragged down an alley to see their "Holi tree" and then we are told to come into their home "come, please come". After tea and sweets are served and we are peppered with questions, music is played and they dance around asking us to dance too. It was a rather overwhelming experience. They seem so genuinely happy and excitable .... I guess they don't have foreigners like us in their homes every day. From what we could see they were small 2 or 3 rooms (maybe 7ft by 10ft), very clean and tidy, with a TV, tiny kitchen with fridge and the families seem to run between 2 and 4 children. Maybe there is another room and a toilet somewhere but we didn't see such....

Actually, walking around again on Holi day, the exact same thing repeated down some other side alley. In this case, the mother insisted on giving Lori a bracelet. When at first she resisted they all turned to John as if he should decide. It almost seemed like perhaps they were starting to seem sad that we were not accepting so John said ok and then they all turned to Lori saying she had to take it because he said so (man the guys over here sure call the shots!)

It is truly overwhelming to experience such genuine hospitality, innocence and sweetness in all genders and generations here. There is no hesitation with a friendly hello or help even before you get the chance to ask for it. Beautiful!