RAJASTHAN - Current lives

In a distance the music blows sweetly and slowly in my ears, pounding my heart in an equally fervent manner…..

“Kesariya Balam, Padharon mare desh”

("O saffron-hued lover, step into my country")

Such is the motto of the desert state of India, Rajasthan. It is one of the most visited states in India, loved by tourists, and seeped in history and folklores. I first came to the state as a visitor, hearing much about the fantastic forts and the resplendent palaces, visiting it seemed like a time travel lost in a distant world. Never did I knew that first time meeting would turn into a life long affair.

Rajasthan is a land of desert, of sunbathed naked land and chivalry only heard of, that stuff of romance where the stage is set at turn of every street, and a setting that can only be dreamed by cinema directors. The desert region of Jaisalmer to the Shekawati region of Northern Rajasthan; the Mewar region of Udaipur and Haldigathi to the lush green region of Kotah has always charmed one and all.

And this has also been a folly for it I believe, for it is so widely mistaken in terms of commercial purpose and tourism that one do not realize there is much more to it besides travel and happy memories . I have been to Rajasthan many a times before and in fact was staying in the desert state of India for two years. During this period I had a chance to visit and stay at the deepest parts of the state, to villages and small towns where seeing a four wheeler is as much a scarcity as water is.

Today, my country, India, is on a growth path and signs of economic development can be seen in cities with four wheelers, well paved roads, the mobile phones and hoarding and so on. This has also brought about a change in the education patterns and thinking habits of people. But being as diverse as the country this cannot be believed and appreciated uniformly across the country and across Rajasthan for that matter. Modernism brings about a wave of optimism but then there are questions that need to be asked and realized.

Does the progress of state means the progress of everyone? Is the culture still existent and coping well with now? How are the people of village progressing? What lives do they live up to? How is the middle class rising?

The hardship faced by the steadfast villagers living on the desert is different from those at cities. While the cities have its own set of economic pressure that seeps hurriedly in daily lives of people desert has always been a misnomer and mistaken for a bunch of sand dunes and a hatful of huts. To get a true understanding one needs to go deep inside and experience the life itself to realize it. Be it the issue of water or extreme weather, or communication and so on.

Contrast indeed shall be one of the main stay in my course of project for such is the current state of the land and country it is quite visible and one can experience it.

From the open villages I will cover the walled cities of Chittor, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. Each of the cities has its own significance, for the state is divided into regions of Mewar, Marwar and so on based on its history. So while Udaipur is the capital of Mewar known for its lakes and grace, Jaipur with its geometry and buildings, has through out history been closer to Mughals. And is called the Pink city for it’s made out of red sandstone. Jodhpur on the other hand is called the blue city as one can see from top of Mehrangarh fort. It also goes to show that colour is and has been intrinsic to the people and the land. The women dress all decked up in brilliant red, yellows and greens, while the men sport at length whiskers, colourful turbans and tunic flares that only add to their demeanor. And so has been the case with Rajasthan’ fairs and festivals where everything is brought into light and spirit that escapes at times this barren land. Be it the Gangaur festival that celebrates Parvathi or the Pushkar mela near Ajmer and Nagaur festival that are meant for trading of livestock.

Rajasthan is also full in stereotypes, and I will look at the well-known. I want to introduce the suggested, India and probably‘s world's oldest man; the praised second longest wall of the world at the Kumbhalgarh Fort; the Sufis at Dargah Sharif;The singing Langas and the Mangiyars, the Bhils and the Garasias;

Rajasthan needs an honest description of itself, the contrast, the development and its people, their real motivations and their life for it might be an indicative of things there are, and the things that might occur in future. This project could allow for just that as it will be interesting to document as it will stand as a true indicator to today.

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Rajasthan is the desert state of India and lies on its western borders. It is also the largest state of India and as such is diverse in nature.