March 6, Tuesday
From Jodhpur to Ranakpur. Left Jodhpur at 9 am for our drive to Ranakpur but since we are taking back roads through villages and are only averaging between 40 to 60 km/hour it took us 3 hours to get there. Driving partway on State Highway 61, the 67 and some other minor roads through of the larger towns: Pali, Sadri
Just outside Johdpur was an area where they sold antique carvings (and some obvious new ones).
Antique elephant carving
Antique elephant, and maybe not so antique camel and elephant.
Dhurrie rugs on display
This area is also known for its “dhurrie” carpets/rugs
I finally managed to get a few pictures of the “shower area” for the truckers. At most large gas stations that cater to truckers, not only are there “cafes” for them to eat in but there is also an area for them to wash up. No privacy however. Most are still partially clothed, either in their underwear or with a towel around their middle. Not sure how clean the water is either. I saw one guy stretch the top of his underwear open and just pour a dipper of water onto his privates. Another had a towel that opened at the front so that he could pour the dipper between the folds. I guess you cope with what you’ve got, but they definitely pride themselves in their cleanliness. They even wash their clothes and hang it up to dry.
Just a big water vat beside the station for truckers to use to wash themselves....
... or their laundry
Wide load of hay on his wagon
And yes, they do have roadside motels
Along country roads
As well as roadside cafés
Another big load to haul
Some towns have elaborate gates
And if people leave their own gates open, the "sacred" cows will enter ! There goes the garden.
And some of these cows are huge !
A herd of goats in the fields.
And we reach some of the mountain region
Another gate into a village. This one has a beautiful temple
Talk about a colourful entrance
With Disney like painted elephants
Main gate into the temple complex
The outside of this temple was quite colourful, but the inside was pure white marble and obviously not very old since there was no black grime on the domes.
Inner courtyard, first structure, all white 
Passing to the second level of the temple and beautiful sculptures
Very elaborately carved colums and domes
Inside this dome is a bit of a surprise, check out the colours.
And in the deepest part of the temple, some wall murals.
The sikh guard ensuring that visitors remove their shoes. Check out his colourful turban.
One of the other domes in the inner courtyard
Looks just like a wedding cake
I have realized that Neema only has “Small English” to use one of the terms from Tanzania, meaning his English is limited and he may not always use the correct words. Example: He keeps referring to beet fields, but they aren’t beets at all, it is wheat. Today he referred to an “ancient” temple and yet I could tell that it was only a few years old since there was no black grime accumulated on top.
"Holy Cow” would seem to be such an appropriate expression to use while travelling through India, but somehow I feel it would be incredibly culturally impolite. So many cows (and they use this expression where it is a male or a female) everywhere, along highways, side roads, towns, cities and fields, where I think they should all be kept ! Walking down any road or street means watching every step so that you don’t step into their SHIT ! And the smell of the deposits and urine really don’t help the situation.
Nearing the area of Ranakpur
An elderly man in a traditional costume walking along the road
Selling flowers to bring to the temple
A herd of goats and their shepherd, in traditional dress.
A lot of Dhurrie carpets on display along the road.
Almost at the hotel in Ranakpur
Ranakpur Temple = Sheth Anandji Kalyanji. "This is a Jain Temple, one of the five holiest places of the Jain community." Wait till you see the size of it.
This is the main temple at Ranakpur
Once you climb up the stairs, after having removed your shoes of course, you reach this elaborate doorway. Check out the thresh-hold
Inside the temple is filled with carved columns.
and some elaborately carved elephants
This is a good shot for perspective. See the people in the background? And check out the carvings on the columns, each section carved in different patterns.
The inside of one of the domes. Not one inch is left uncarved.
Some of the ceiling areas are square, but just as elaborately carved.
At the Ranakpur temple among the columns
A women meditating in one of the spaces, facing an inner temple room, which we were not allowed to photograph.
Another nice perspective, this is looking down half of the length of the temple.
Another beautifully carved elephant
From the stairs of the temple, looking out onto the grounds of Ranakpur.
Another temple on the grounds
From the smaller temple, looking out at the bigger one.
Detail of the smaller temple, as viewed from the back
Zooming into the detail of the bottom of the temple
Funny monkeys playing on the dam. I filmed them playing and trying to run up the wall from the bottom.
Looking at the second wall dam and a different view of the lake.
Beautiful field of wheat in what used to be the river bed.
Women wearing saris, reaping the harvest
Sheaves of wheat in the field
A green parrot sitting on the wire, preening itself
On the way back to the road, where we had parked the car, we stopped at a house where the owners weave dhurrie carpets. These are woven on a loom rather than hooked, are made of cotton, jute, silk or wool and are beautifully made. Smaller ones can be used as table cover under flower vases. A 24” x 24” can be used as a prayer rug. The larger 20’ x 20’ are often used at social gatherings since they are lightweight (compared to a hooked rug). The artisans are family members in this case and export extensively.
one of the Dhurrie rugs on the loom, only partially completed.
The artist at work
An almost completed carpet runner
And they make day beds as well. Check out the elaborate patterns they create.
Yvette: Food for thought ?
And yes, although I had told myself I was only purchasing small, tiny souvenirs which could fit in my luggage, I ended up purchasing a rug woven of silk threads.
{ Gilles B, you can expect a package in the post. If you could open it up please because I think they folded it, and roll it up instead for me. Thank you beaucoup ! } Never thought to take a picture of it though. DUH !
My room at the hotel
And it's another very different locking system
The dining room of the hotel
A huge tree at the hotel entrance. Do you see that brown lump at the top of the tree?
It is a bees nest ! Check out the zoom.... it was a moving mass of bees.
From Jodhpur to Ranakpur. Left Jodhpur at 9 am for our drive to Ranakpur but since we are taking back roads through villages and are only averaging between 40 to 60 km/hour it took us 3 hours to get there. Driving partway on State Highway 61, the 67 and some other minor roads through of the larger towns: Pali, Sadri
Just outside Johdpur was an area where they sold antique carvings (and some obvious new ones).
Antique elephant carving Antique elephant, and maybe not so antique camel and elephant.
Dhurrie rugs on display
This area is also known for its “dhurrie” carpets/rugsI finally managed to get a few pictures of the “shower area” for the truckers. At most large gas stations that cater to truckers, not only are there “cafes” for them to eat in but there is also an area for them to wash up. No privacy however. Most are still partially clothed, either in their underwear or with a towel around their middle. Not sure how clean the water is either. I saw one guy stretch the top of his underwear open and just pour a dipper of water onto his privates. Another had a towel that opened at the front so that he could pour the dipper between the folds. I guess you cope with what you’ve got, but they definitely pride themselves in their cleanliness. They even wash their clothes and hang it up to dry.
Just a big water vat beside the station for truckers to use to wash themselves.... ... or their laundry
Wide load of hay on his wagon
And yes, they do have roadside motels
Along country roads
As well as roadside cafés
Another big load to haul
Some towns have elaborate gates
And if people leave their own gates open, the "sacred" cows will enter ! There goes the garden. And some of these cows are huge !
A herd of goats in the fields.
And we reach some of the mountain region
Another gate into a village. This one has a beautiful temple
Talk about a colourful entrance
With Disney like painted elephants
Main gate into the temple complexThe outside of this temple was quite colourful, but the inside was pure white marble and obviously not very old since there was no black grime on the domes.
Inner courtyard, first structure, all white
Passing to the second level of the temple and beautiful sculptures
Very elaborately carved colums and domes
Inside this dome is a bit of a surprise, check out the colours.
And in the deepest part of the temple, some wall murals.
The sikh guard ensuring that visitors remove their shoes. Check out his colourful turban.
One of the other domes in the inner courtyard
Looks just like a wedding cakeI have realized that Neema only has “Small English” to use one of the terms from Tanzania, meaning his English is limited and he may not always use the correct words. Example: He keeps referring to beet fields, but they aren’t beets at all, it is wheat. Today he referred to an “ancient” temple and yet I could tell that it was only a few years old since there was no black grime accumulated on top.
"Holy Cow” would seem to be such an appropriate expression to use while travelling through India, but somehow I feel it would be incredibly culturally impolite. So many cows (and they use this expression where it is a male or a female) everywhere, along highways, side roads, towns, cities and fields, where I think they should all be kept ! Walking down any road or street means watching every step so that you don’t step into their SHIT ! And the smell of the deposits and urine really don’t help the situation.
Nearing the area of Ranakpur
An elderly man in a traditional costume walking along the road
Selling flowers to bring to the temple
A herd of goats and their shepherd, in traditional dress.
A lot of Dhurrie carpets on display along the road.
Almost at the hotel in Ranakpur
This is the main temple at Ranakpur 
Once you climb up the stairs, after having removed your shoes of course, you reach this elaborate doorway. Check out the thresh-hold
Inside the temple is filled with carved columns. "1444 marble pillars, each from one piece and all richly decorated with most elaborately carved sculptures and filigrees, including the domes. built under the reign of monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century" .
and some elaborately carved elephants
This is a good shot for perspective. See the people in the background? And check out the carvings on the columns, each section carved in different patterns.
The inside of one of the domes. Not one inch is left uncarved.
Some of the ceiling areas are square, but just as elaborately carved.
At the Ranakpur temple among the columns
A women meditating in one of the spaces, facing an inner temple room, which we were not allowed to photograph.
Another nice perspective, this is looking down half of the length of the temple.
Another beautifully carved elephant
From the stairs of the temple, looking out onto the grounds of Ranakpur.
Another temple on the grounds 
From the smaller temple, looking out at the bigger one.
Detail of the smaller temple, as viewed from the back
Zooming into the detail of the bottom of the templeFrom the temple we rode a short distance back towards the hotel, but stopped along the way for a little hike in the hills. Two dams have been built to create a lake, which supplies “clean” water to the area.
The lake reservoir and one of the two dams holding the water.
The lake reservoir and one of the two dams holding the water.
Funny monkeys playing on the dam. I filmed them playing and trying to run up the wall from the bottom.
Looking at the second wall dam and a different view of the lake.
Beautiful field of wheat in what used to be the river bed.
Women wearing saris, reaping the harvest
Sheaves of wheat in the field A green parrot sitting on the wire, preening itselfOn the way back to the road, where we had parked the car, we stopped at a house where the owners weave dhurrie carpets. These are woven on a loom rather than hooked, are made of cotton, jute, silk or wool and are beautifully made. Smaller ones can be used as table cover under flower vases. A 24” x 24” can be used as a prayer rug. The larger 20’ x 20’ are often used at social gatherings since they are lightweight (compared to a hooked rug). The artisans are family members in this case and export extensively.
one of the Dhurrie rugs on the loom, only partially completed.
The artist at work
An almost completed carpet runner
And they make day beds as well. Check out the elaborate patterns they create. 
Yvette: Food for thought ?And yes, although I had told myself I was only purchasing small, tiny souvenirs which could fit in my luggage, I ended up purchasing a rug woven of silk threads.
{ Gilles B, you can expect a package in the post. If you could open it up please because I think they folded it, and roll it up instead for me. Thank you beaucoup ! } Never thought to take a picture of it though. DUH !
I'm staying at the Ranakpur Hill Resort Hotel
The grounds at the back of the hotel, and the pool area
The grounds at the back of the hotel, and the pool area
My room at the hotel
And it's another very different locking system
The dining room of the hotel
A huge tree at the hotel entrance. Do you see that brown lump at the top of the tree? It is a bees nest ! Check out the zoom.... it was a moving mass of bees.Long day. Thankfully the hotel was close by and I had a restful evening.
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