BECA in India: The Journey Continues
Production continues to go well as we are nearing the end of our shooting. We have two important interviews next week - close to our departure from Delhi, but right now, we are capturing, logging, transcribing, and getting as much B-roll as we think will be useful. Since Delhi is a photogenic place, it is tempting to shoot everything - but the students, well trained as they are, are sticking to their shot lists and doing a great job.
Last weekend, we traveled to Jaipur, otherwise known as the "Pink City," because many of the buildings have either been painted that color or are made from a sandstone that is a light terracotta. Arrangements were made for us to have an air-conditioned bus for the trip, but the AC broke down halfway there! And, since the bus is designed to be air conditioned, the windows do not open. So . . . imagine sitting in a large, sealed tin can with the temperature outside well over 100 degress F! We all arrived in Jaipur safely, though drenched in sweat, and we were grateful when the bus company replaced our bus for the trip back to Delhi.
In Jaipur, we wandered around a market selling fabric for saris and "suits" (women's clothes that are less formal than saris). It was delightful to see the "tie and dye" fabric that puts our Sixties styles to shame. Here, it's an art that has gone on for centuries. Women tie tiny bits of cloth (about 1 cm. in diameter) into "puffs," in a regular design, so that a cloth that begins as five meters in length becomes a piece about a yard long. Then it is dyed in the respective color or colors. When the threads are removed, it leaves a gorgeous, dotted pattern - intricate and delicate. Jaipur also has a long tradition of block-printed fabric, and the work - centuries old - is beautiful!
We toured the Amber Fort, a huge construction built across 200 years. It is surrounded by walls that look like the Great Wall in China. The fort has room after room, and secret passages so the king could visit one of his 12 wives without the other 11 knowing whom he was visiting. Some of the students took elephant rides up to the entrance to the fort. We also visited the City Palace, built by one of the kings when he "tired" of the fort. In it, there was a lovely textile museum, a less lovely museum of armaments, and two 900 gallon silver urns that one king filled with water from the Ganges and took with him to England, so that he could immerse himself, as was the custom, after he touched the hands of those who were not Hindu!
We traveled back to Delhi in air-conditioned splendor. Actually, the AC was a bit high, but we were afraid to complain after our AC-less trip the day before. Sunday traffic in India is grueling, so the 100 mile or so trip took about five hours. The next trip is to Mumbai, by train, so stay tuned!
Last weekend, we traveled to Jaipur, otherwise known as the "Pink City," because many of the buildings have either been painted that color or are made from a sandstone that is a light terracotta. Arrangements were made for us to have an air-conditioned bus for the trip, but the AC broke down halfway there! And, since the bus is designed to be air conditioned, the windows do not open. So . . . imagine sitting in a large, sealed tin can with the temperature outside well over 100 degress F! We all arrived in Jaipur safely, though drenched in sweat, and we were grateful when the bus company replaced our bus for the trip back to Delhi.
In Jaipur, we wandered around a market selling fabric for saris and "suits" (women's clothes that are less formal than saris). It was delightful to see the "tie and dye" fabric that puts our Sixties styles to shame. Here, it's an art that has gone on for centuries. Women tie tiny bits of cloth (about 1 cm. in diameter) into "puffs," in a regular design, so that a cloth that begins as five meters in length becomes a piece about a yard long. Then it is dyed in the respective color or colors. When the threads are removed, it leaves a gorgeous, dotted pattern - intricate and delicate. Jaipur also has a long tradition of block-printed fabric, and the work - centuries old - is beautiful!
We toured the Amber Fort, a huge construction built across 200 years. It is surrounded by walls that look like the Great Wall in China. The fort has room after room, and secret passages so the king could visit one of his 12 wives without the other 11 knowing whom he was visiting. Some of the students took elephant rides up to the entrance to the fort. We also visited the City Palace, built by one of the kings when he "tired" of the fort. In it, there was a lovely textile museum, a less lovely museum of armaments, and two 900 gallon silver urns that one king filled with water from the Ganges and took with him to England, so that he could immerse himself, as was the custom, after he touched the hands of those who were not Hindu!
We traveled back to Delhi in air-conditioned splendor. Actually, the AC was a bit high, but we were afraid to complain after our AC-less trip the day before. Sunday traffic in India is grueling, so the 100 mile or so trip took about five hours. The next trip is to Mumbai, by train, so stay tuned!
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posted by Betsy J. Blosser at
7/01/2009 09:34:00 PM
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