Temple Freak Show in Bikaner, Rajasthan
Reverence for all things living is a special trait of Hinduism. But nothing prepares you for the freak show at this temple in Rajasthan overrun by thousands of overfed rats. There are over 20,000 of them living within the temple precincts and people come from far and wide to pay them obeisance
Dance of the Demoiselle Crane
In a dusty, nondescript village in west Rajasthan- an Indian state with an extraordinary respect for flora and fauna-villagers have established a tradition of feeding migratory birds who fly here all the way from Mongolia and China. These birds- the Demoiselle Cranes, descend on this village in thousands every morning to feed. The village- Khichan- is now on the world map and known as the Demoiselle Crane village. The villagers revere the birds and call them ‘Khujar’ feeding them tons of bird-feed every year.
Twisted Philanthropy of the Maharaja of Jodhpur.
It is touted that the Umaid Bhawan Palace was built as a drought relief measure by Maharaja of Jodhpur Umaid Singh. The idea was to make a luxurious private residence for the Maharaha in order to create employment for the starving people of Jodhpur. I find it ironic. Imagine a man thinking of making a 347 room luxurious villa for himself out of the misery of the people is he supposed to serve. Surprisingly the Maharaja is glorified till this day as a philanthropist for his `noble gesture’. The moment you enter the Umaid Bhawan a large plaque informs you about this `generosity’.