Jantar Mantar

In the 1730s the Rajput king of Jaipur, a great fan of astronomy, had the Jantar Mantar complex built. It consists of almost 20 open air astrological and astronomical structures that are actually sophisticated and very accurate instruments measuring the passage of time, the seasons, the planets, and the stars and constellations. The result is a remarkable architecture and design. This sunken hemisphere measures the sun’s passage–along with a twin device for the southern hemisphere–through the heavens during the year.

Wild Lakefront

This is a lake in the Ranthambore Tiger and Game Preserve in India. The scene looks placid, but there’s tension in the air. To the right of the egret a crocodile waits in the reeds for a moment’s distraction. In the tree, an open-billed stork wisely hides high above in the branches. See posts below for more Ranthambore.

Not a Bore

But a boar, a wild boar at Ranthambore Gave Preserve, India, looking as if it has somewhere to go. See posts below.

Noor Number 1

In December I had the opportunity to go to the Ranthambore Tiger and Game Preserve in India (about 140 km south of Jaipur, in Rajastan). I was lucky enough to be able to see a young tigress, ten years old, named Noor (“Light”) as she lounged by a still pool in the forest. There are not many Bengal tigers left, and their very limited habitat is being encroached upon daily. The tigers don’t know where the borders of the part are, so water buffalo, goats, and sheep owned by people in nearby settlements often seem like easy meals. Farmers and herders can respond (the same thing happens in Africa with big cats) by poisoning the carcasses killed by the tigers, thus killing the tigers in return. In 1982 there were 44 tigers at Ranthambore, in 2005 there were 26. In fact, villagers, angry at having been relocated out of the park in its establishment in 1973, tried to kill the person responsible for the foundation of the park. Noor is probably the granddaughter of Ranthambore’s most famous tiger, Machli, or ‘The Lady of the Lake”, who lived to be 20 years old and died in 2016. Machli became famous not just for her longevity, but for a dramatic battle to the death that she had with a huge crocodile at the end of the lake she considered her territory.

Noor Number 2

Another picture of Noor, at Ranthambore Game Preserve, India.

Noor Number 3

Here’s my third picture of the young tigress, Noor, from Ranthambore Game Preserve, India. I think she liked me! …or just thought I might be tasty.

Amber Palace

The great palace at Amber, India–not far from Jaipur–is, as you can well see, spectacular. Hidden in its walls are a labyrinth of rooms and courts, hinting at the splendor of the past (see post below).

Amber Palace Court

Here’s a view of the great courtyard of the palace at Amber, near Jaipur (see post above).

Small School Bus

Many students in India have to take public transport to get to and from school. Many simply pile into a moto-rickshaw. The more students, the cheaper the cost. So at the end of the school day Indian cities are filled with over-stuffed school bus rickshaws. These friendly boys were happy to be going home and flashed me a peace sign along the way, their backpacks hooked on the back as an impromptu luggage compartment.

Marcian Wins!

The Spanish city of Merida has some spectacular Roman ruins, including one of the ancient world’s best preserved hippodromes for chariot races. In the archaeological museum are many chariot racing-related works of art, including this mosaic of a triumphant charioteer named Marcian. The text above says, simply, ‘Marcian Wins’! His lead horse’s name is also recorded (INUMINATOR), and the name of the stable he was from (GETULI). Very likely, the patron who had this huge floor mosaic in his villa was the owner of both Marcian–charioteers were almost always slaves–and the horses as well. His floor mosaic was a big billboard advertising his successes as much as Marcian’s.

Dionysus, Party Guy

You might not think it, but the Archaeological Museum in Madrid, Spain, is one of the great museums in a city known for great museums, such as the magnificent Prado. I took this picture of a red-figure Greek vase that shows the god of wine and revelry, Dionysus (Bacchus) sharing his wine with the Olympian gods and goddesses. The grapes overhead provide an appropriate bower for the festivities.

Harem, Harem

This is the famous Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal) in Jaipur, India, one of the world’s most impressive architectural facades. Built in 1799 as an addition to the royal palace complex of Jaipur, it was intended specifically for the women of the court and harem to be able to watch processions and other goings on on the main street below, without themselves being visible. The many windows have small perforations (known as mushrabiya) so they could peek out while remaining invisible to those outside.

Gandhi’s Legacy

The legacy of Mahatma Gandhi is being challenged in modern India (also, in Africa, where he lived when he was younger) by Hindu Nationalists and lower castes such as Dalits, but for the most part he is still much revered in the world’s second-most populous country (at this time, about 1.34 billion). I took this picture at the Gandhi Smriti, a place of pilgrimage for many. Here, in this garden, where the little gazebo is, Gandhi was assassinated. I was touched by the mother who wanted to take a picture of her young son at that spot, as if she hoped that he would grow up to espouse the non-violent philosophy of the founder of an independent India.

Delhi Traffic

If you want to know just how bad traffic can be, and how loud it can be. Spend some time in New Delhi, India. In India, trucks even have the words “HORN PLEASE” painted on the back. Horns are not honked in anger so much as to add to the general ambiance; a sort of horn symphony that lasts from dawn to dusk. Trucks have low honks, cars medium, and motor rickshaws high-pitched honks. I long for the old days in India when there weren’t many cars at all, and the cycle rickshaws glided silently.