Jodhpur is the way I envisioned India to be. It was chaotic and filthy. Conversely, there was an exotic beauty that made me feel like I was Indiana Jones. Jodhpur is known as the “Blue City” and from atop Meherangargh Fort, above, it was not hard to see why.
A trip to Jodhpur is not complete without a visit to Sadar Bazaar, the historical city center. It has a lovely clock tower and many vendors. I’m sorry, Seattle, but Pike’s Place Market is not in the same league as Sadar Bazaar.
I capped off the day at Mandore Gardens, below, where I was serenaded by people playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Frère Jacques” on a small, stringed instrument that I’d never seen. (Considering the name of the park, I later confirmed that it was a mandore).
In Jodhpur, I realized that I felt smaller and less significant than I’d ever felt before. The chaos and filthiness of India had somehow blurred the lines between me and others. Not only was I smaller and less significant than I’d imagined, but I realized that I was just a piece of the puzzle, a miniscule part of the collective whole: no better or worse than anyone else.
Hierarchies are human-made. We are all equal.
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