Things of the Spirit

This is not the place to go into great detail about religion and spirituality.

These are merely holiday snapshots.

India is complex and fascinating and makes the visitor think a great deal - about all sorts of things.

A thick trunked tree at the Jain Temple near Ranakpur.

We gave Ramesh our bags and shoes to hold and went in barefoot and devoid of possessions --except my camera....

A carving at the same place. Reminds me a little of a gargoyle from a Gothic cathedral.

The complexity and richness of the carved stone is astounding. (Ranakpur).

The exterior of the Hindu Temple at Udaipur.

A little shrine tended by a member of the 24th generation of a family on a hill in Udaipur.

Fresh flowers, oil and candles are placed there daily.

Serenity at the Jain Temple in Jaiselmer.

More of the same.

The dome in the temple above.

The tombs of important people outside Jaiselmer. The picnickers on the right were two families with newly weds. It is the wedding season. Note the attendant dogs waiting patiently. Close by the mausoleum there are wind turbines. In the mornings fighter jets fly above. This is about 40 km. from the border with Pakistan.

This last picture is from the first Hindu temple I ever went in in Mandawa. 

Raj, who was showing us round, rang a loud bell to let God know we were visiting.