2/10/06: Here He Comes, Mr. Jaisalmer

Prabha had timed our trip-ending western de-tour to coincide with the Jaisalmer Desert Festival. We expected a celebration with deep Hindu roots, but we learned that the festival was developed by the local government as a tourist magnet. Based on the crowds and no vacancy signs, the tourist bureau pulled off a Hallmark achievement. From the hotel, we hit pay-dirt at the first ATM we passed, and no longer had to borrow rupees from Sunny to photograph local women and children☺.

The Jaisalmer “fort” resembled a sprawling, elaborate sandcastle, perched on the only hill for kilometers in the desert. We wandered around the narrow alleys, visited a beautifully carved Jain temple, and stopped in a silver shop, where the proprietor emptied seven duffels of estate jewelry and statues. A treasure hunt ensued, as the Sinha Six crawled around on the carpet, emerging from the piles with new earrings, a Ganesh box, a holy cow teapot, and an antique window-door.

We then proceeded to a haveli (old mansion turned family inn), owned by, who else, one of Sunny’s 500 cousins, for a bird’s eye view of the noon festival parade. We weren’t disappointed—scores of decorated camels, with Mr. Desert contestants and brass bands atop were interspersed with groups of colorfully-faced, flag-waving sadhus. Two of the camels proudly promoted the official sponsors of the Jaisalmer festival, Visa and Camel Bank (that’s NOT a joke).

Following a quick lunch at the haveli, we carried on to the festival, where Sunny secured our spot in the VIP section, passing hundreds of very colorful and happy Rajasthanis (along with a few tourists), who sat patiently to watch the festivities. However, once the Best Turban contest unwound on stage, Rick quickly stormed the barricade to move closer to the action. Following a quick musical performance by a local band with dancing eunuch, a score of adorable young (10 year-old) couples, in traditional dress, replete with fake mustaches, took the stage, vying for a prize for the best depiction of the Indian equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. While these youngsters pranced on stage, Rick was busy photographing the side-show, where aspiring Mr. Mustache, Mr. Desert (beard, mustache, sword, and turban), and Miss Desert primped and preened. A highlight of the ceremonies was Sunny grabbing Paul’s camera to snap 20 pictures of the Miss Desert candidates. Later that evening, he was delighted to find out that his choice had indeed won, and Paul had more than ample evidence of her beauty.

Exhausted by the 35° heat in the desert sun, we returned to our hotel for a quick swim (water was a chilly 18°), some blogging, and post-card catch-up. During our bittersweet farewell dinner, Susie entertained us with Indian-music-enhanced slide shows from Laura, Paul and Rick, before Ronna and Paul handed out clever awards to Anne, Laura, Rick, and Sunny. We all presented Sunny with a card and a token of our appreciation, a mere pittance compared to the joys and memories he had provided, and Sunny returned the favor with high praise of the Sinha Six. India had exceeded our wildest dreams, and we cannot imagine experiencing Highlights of Northern India without our precious Suryaveer. Only one thing could have made this trip any better—the company of our loving hosts, Anita and Prabha, whose spirits (and camera) were with us every step of the way.