What remains of a trip to Rajasthan is an everlasting feeling of harmony: harmony between man and this harsh land where he has managed to survive, harmony of a simple life hidden in the fresh intimacy of the shaded courtyards. The red-turbaned shepherds, with a straight and the clear gaze, and with bold mustaches, follow their herds while women carrying buckets of water on their heads have a princely dignity of their own.
When the traveler finally reaches the magnificent Jaisalmer fortress, which haunts the desert for miles, he is instantly overwhelmed by the refinement of the facades and the grace of the sandstones-laced balconies. In Rajasthan, stones speak to the imagination: they tell glorious stories of fearless warriors following demanding codes of honor. Even the white flowery Udaipur , gently shimmering in the sleeping lakes, was once the capital of a dreaded and unruly kingdom.
And the temples ! One could stay days in Ranakpur contemplating the exuberance of its endless curls, of dancing deities, round and full, in polished white marble. Such is India , a constant paradox where the highest spiritual center of non-violence can survive in the most fearful land of the Rajputs.
Because Rajasthan is definitely, deeply India with the moving beauty of daily life but it also has its own unique personality, which deserves to be discovered for its own sake. |
