Mandawa and Bikaner

I (cath) am now recovered from a 24hr blip spent mostly asleep.

we arrived in the Shekhawati region of eastern Rajasthan after the usual bumpy ride in the bus...we are learning to adopt the brace position especially if sitting at the back !!

This region became rich on the back of the Silk Route trade in opium and Mandawa has many painted havelis (merchant's house) now in a state of neglect. The owners now live in Kolkata or Mumbai making their money in other business. The houses are amazing ...painted all over inside and out with scenes from Hindu stotries or from the lives of the merchants and their families, beautiful miniature friezes. Most were at their peak in the late 19th century.
The next day we visited Nawalgarh with more examples of the same. The locals are trying to keep the buildings going but wish the owners would send some money back to maintain them before they are beyond restoration. A few have been turned into hotels as tourism is becoming more prevalent in this area.
we then drove to Bikaner, an old trading centre situated on the camelcaraven route between Africa and West Asia with great bazaars etc. The town now makes its wealth from the wool trade and some tourism.
We visited the Junagarh fort, built in 1571 of red sandstone with various palaces added on over the years up to the early 20th century. The rooms inside the fort are beautifully painted and with mirrored walls and gold leaf ceilings for the Maharajahs accomodation.
we then visited a Jain temple and then some of the more adventurous of us visited the Karni Mata temple which must be the craziest place we have been to. Otherwise known as the Rat temple for reasons evident as soon as you pass the threshold....the little creatures are scampering all over the place !! Apparently the locals believe when someone dies they come back as a rat at te temple so they go in and feed them ! It was a bit disconcerting to start with but they were nice little rats and more interested in getting to the piles of food and having a scrap with each other than bothering the people. It was just so mad ...full of families on a day out as if it was quite normal. I think we are begining to fall in with the craziness as we now no longer worry about the animals on the streets and just walk around them...this now includes camels. It all seems to work and no-one gets road rage!!
We are now in Jaisalmer after a long drive through the semi-arid landscape. We have been for a lovely evening thali on a rooftop on the fort walls. It is lovely here full of little alleyways and shops. We are to do a tour of the fort area tomorrow and then on to the camel safari for two days into the Thar desert the day after.