Today is a free day. Nothing planned for us at all. We breakfasted on the roof where, as a group, we decided to explore the nearby Jain Temples, located within the walls of the fort. These seven temples, all adjacent to each other, were constructed by members of the Jain faith between the 12th and 16th centuries. Like the havelis we saw yesterday they feature intricate carvings in the yellow sand stone. They are considered to be architectural wonders of the world.
Jainism is one of the world's oldest religions still practiced today with between four and five million followers, mostly in India. Followers of the Jain religion subscribe to five main principles – non-violence, many-sided reality (that is, truth and reality are complex and always have multiple aspects – just like Don Henley said, “There’s three sides to every story – yours, mine and the cold, hard truth”), non-attachment to worldly possessions, not stealing from others and celibacy. The practice of non-violence towards all living beings has led to Jains being vegetarian. They even avoid eating root vegetables because of the possible harm done to the critters that live in the ground when said vegetable is extracted. We were not permitted to enter the temple with anything made of leather because of the possible suffering of the animal that provided it.
Our self-guided tour of the temple complex done, we found a cafe with a view to the west and enjoyed a coffee and some good conversation. Then we went our separate ways until dinner. Kerry and I wandered the lanes looking for a cool little water bottle holder made of leather. It’ll be perfect for our daily walk with the dogs when we return home. Before we got there Kerry found some ear-rings and some comfortable, baggy pants to wear. She also spied a couple of shawls at another shop that she really liked. Along the way we came across some young lads playing cricket in the narrowest of lane-ways. Kerry called out "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!" to which one lad responed "Yeah! Aussie!" follwed quickly by the retraction "No! No! India!". The batsman at the other end proclaimed to be "King Kohli". Eventually we found the store we’d seen yesterday and purchased the water bottle holder for the grand sum of 200 rupees (AUD$4.00). The proprietor was like putty in my hands when we came to agree on the price!!
Back to the hotel we went for a rest and to catch-up on this diary.
Tonight we all met in the hotel lobby and went to the Jaisalmer Oasis restaurant for dinner. It was all of 10 metres from the Deepak Hotel! We climbed four flights of very steep stairs to the rooftop and a lovely view of Jaisalmer on one side and the Jain temples on the other. In the warm evening air we enjoyed our meal, sharing bits and pieces as they arrived at the table. The second round of drinks came and the conversation got around to movies and, logically therefore, “celebrity”. As conversations on that subject are bound to do in 2023 we found ourselves talking about Harry and Meghan. Opinions on that divisive subject were tabled and then we heard a “tweet” from behind. Vicky and Leo from London on the next table chimed in with their view on the subject, as they are entitled to do given they are “subjects of the realm”. We heard their views and then the conversation broadened into travels in India, travels in other places, reef diving, hotel accommodation and so on. It was wonderful to engage with strangers, learn from their experiences and share ours with them. This is exactly why we love to travel. It was a great evening on the rooftop, made all the better for the spontaneity of Vicky and Leo’s interjection into our conversation. I wish them all the best in their further travels around India.
I bet the water bottle holder wasn't sold to you by a Jain!
ReplyDeleteAmazing carvings - I loved seeing the workmanship on almost every notable building in Rajasthan. Glad you're shopping Kerry - it's a great way to invoke memories of your trip.