Bhgesri and Rajni Bishnoi

"'My name is Bhagesri and she is my sister Rajni.'But please please do not write our name on the post. Only his(husbands)name and babajee's(father) name.
We were on our way to Balotra from Jodhpur when we saw a small suzuki van full of school kids.There must be at least 20 of them propped in the van,most of them looking outside and happily enjoying their way to the school.We decided to follow this van and ended up in this village called 'dhava'. People were curious to see us and I was more curious to know how the houses are from inside.





"Can I look inside?"Within no time we were surrounded by almost half the village."Who lives here?"was answered by a young smiling energetic woman. 'We', was the answer. 'This is my sister and this is my mother and this is her mother and here are our boys ', and this.......and it went on.
They were Bishnois people.Pure vegetarian.Worship all living creatures and trees or living nature is their God.





Someone came with tea, as we were their guests.My request if I could make their pictures was greeted with a beautiful positive smile.
I took some pctures but I could feel that the sisters were not very satisfied as something was missing.One by one they went inside.First came the eldest, modestly covered with colourful golden jewellery.'Now I feel like a woman.'And afterwords the younger one with the same jewellery.'If we knew before that you were coming we would have covered us fully with gold from top to bottom.'














'Only His name and the name of the post-office.We will get the post.


Subash Taneja,Rajasthan, Jan.15, 2008

Motor cycle Mandir (shrine)

Travelling from Jodhpur towards Rohet Garh suddenly our driver pulled over and stopped near a large tree.This tree was decorated with thousands of colourfull 'wishing threads'. 'eek minute sir, I just come."Sir,would you also like to see the motor cycle wallah mandir?'







Behind the tree was a sort of samadhi, a square platform,about 4x4 meters and 50 centimeters high, with a kind of grave in the middle. All decorated with flowers and a colourful sheet. A kind of road side shrine.On side of the shrine stood a motor cycle, covered with flowers.The flowers were fresh and fragrant. People kept coming with flowers to offer to this shrine. Most of them were drivers, taxi drivers, rikshaw drivers, truck drivers motor cycle drivers.
'The story of this place is like this, sir: that the raja of the nearby state had only one son, and this son was crazy about motor cycles, specially powerful and fast ones, the ones you have in Europe' and he went further in his half hindi half rajasthani, 'long ago he met with an accident at this very spot, and got injured very badly that he knew that he won't survive this. He lied there bleeding heavily and begged the people gathered around him not to move him and when he dies he be burried at the very spot. The body was
taken to his town by the Raja and his people to be burried / cremated at the family burial grounds.












'And after that day there were daily accidents at this place.Even when people were careful accidents were taking place as if some mysterious power took over.'

'Some day a passing by holy man made a small shrine there and egged the Raja to re-burry his son at that place and make a shrine.Ever since all the passing drivers stop at this place to pay respect to the 'spirit 'of the lost one.

'And sir, as long as I come on this road, I have not heard of any accident on this place.' He said his prayers, so did I and we drove further towards Rohit Garh.

Jan.12.2008

Rajasthan Woman

Jodhpur. January 2008

I told the story of Narinder singh's daughter to Jabber Singh "Just call me JBS". JBS works at the hotel. He is big and tough.

"It is all due to Mobile Phone. The phone shoud be blamed ". "Well sir, the village girls feel free when the join the college far away from their home, in some big city. They make new friends and sometimes fall in love.It all happens in hiding and secret. But sir when it comes to Shadi(wedding),there is so much pressure from the family that the girl cannot resist and marries the boy chosen by her parents.But promises the college friend to keep the relation even after the wedding".

"Would you like some chai sir?. With adrakh(ginger). It is good in the winter".

"And sir after the wedding the circus starts again. The boy's family gets suspicious and spy the girl. They even hire the detectives."

"The old love has many consequences and mostly they find out."The life of the girl is not safe anymore.This is the question of family's IZZAT(respect in the society)".

"Many times the girl disappears or gets involved in an accident and gets killed. Every one knows but no one does any thing"

"It is the mobile phone which should be blamed.No phone, no friend, no after wedding calls and no secrets."

"Sir, may I invite you next year January to come to my village"

"My daughter's is getting married.Would you please come."

The phone rings........

"just a minute sir, it is from my village"...................