January 2007
a walking tour of Ahmedabad
We started our walking tour in the complex of the colourful Swaminarayan mandir.
morning monkey parade
Our guide weaved us through the alleyways of the old town, full of details, contrasts and surprises.
woman grinding sandalwood into a fine paste for temple ceremonies
we arrived just after the kite festival, casualties of which still fluttered in all sorts of places
children in the town
cow in front of a temple, and a statue of the poet Dalpatram
an ancient immense baoli - reservoir built for common water supplies, with Sachin on the right for scale.
(So nice having something loom over him for a change...)
One aspect of the fun film Swades which irritated me -
the idea that rural India needs NASA-trained engineers to carry out a communal water projects!
a more colourful baoli in the same area
I love the mixed and contrasting architectural styles of Ahmedabad - Hindu, Jain and Muslim
A tiny child pushing a rickety cart and family member, while a woman carries fodder.
Many Gujaratis still live in the desperate poverty which partly led to our diaspora.
I remember that poverty whenever I hear complacent boasts about new toll roads and broadband internet access.
There is still a long way to go for those less who are less fortunate.
