Udaipur is thought to be one of the most beautiful places in the world...a city set on Lake Pichola. There's still a Maharana (Maha means great, rana means warrier) that lives in the city palace with his family...he's revered by the city but has no political control. Udaipur was our entry into Rajasthan. Rajastani people are thought to have come from the sun, moon and fire. The Rajputs as they are called, were warrior clans who fought off all invaders and kept their independence. Still today, you can see their pride, especially in their traditional clothes.
The next day we went to Benshwara, stopping in a Jain temple on our way. Jainism came about because people were unhappy with Hinduism. Jainism is a non-violent religion. They are vegetarian and don't even any any vegetables that come from underground, in the fear of killing ants or other animals while pulling them out.
Their temples are all in marble and are amazingly decorated with carvings. We had lunch at the local canteen with the men who work in the temple. It was unlimited vegetarian food for 17Rs (about 35 cents US). The men thought it was really funny to see us eating with our hands, as they don't have any utensils.
We're off to desert city of Jaisalmer, named the Golden City...as it's fort stands out like gold in the middle of the desert about 50 miles from the Pakistan border.
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