There's something about being sick that makes exploring all the more cinemagraphic. The colors seem more vibrant, the smells more intense, the noise ringing through your ears. Such is the day we had exploring Jaisalmer yesterday.
I never expected to be in a constant state of freezing -- in India of all places! And not that it's even all that cold -- about 55-65 degrees... but when there are zero heaters and the entire city is designed to keep cool in the intense desert heat of the summer, it's really that cold! (or maybe we've both just turned Indian?) For the last two nights, we've been sleeping with our winter hats on!
We explore the fort and its grounds, learning that Jaisalmer was founded in 1156. The city underwent "jauhar" 2 1/2 times. Jaihar is the ancient Indian tradition of honorary self-immolation of women and children, followed by the men going out to die in battle, to avoid capture and dishonor. We learn that this happened twice -- once after defending the city for 12 years, and another only twenty years later. Then there's the "half", where they essentially were too rushed to make the proper holy arrangements for self-immolation, or self-burning. Therefore, before going into the battlefield, the men slit the throats of their wives and children themselves to prevent dishonor by the enemy. Wow.
We learn a lot from our hotel-keeper, Lois, an Australian woman who has lived in Rajasthan for the past 11 years. She married Chanesar, a local Rajasthani from a 300-person village located 30 kilometers from the Pakistani border. Even as a resident, she cannot go there without getting the magistrate's permission, due to its proximity with Pakistan. The residents have stone houses, many without roofs, as it hardly rains here (our audio tour said that a child can reach its 7th birthday before seeing its first rain!) The main source of income is livestock, primarily goat and sheep.
Some scenes from the fort:
