My summer in Jaipur was really incredible--great fellow students, encouraging faculty, and delightful (though sometimes overwhelming) exposure to Hindi and Rajasthani culture. The American Institute of Indian Studies has developed a truly fantastic program, and while I'm glad for the break until September, I look forward to continuing my journey into Hindi language and culture during the academic year.
I met a number of farmers this summer, and observed various farming practices and landscapes all across Rajasthan--a predominantly arid and semi-arid state in Western-most India. In these few but valuable discussions, water topped the list of important issues these farmers face. This wasn't surprising, but as I've stated before, putting faces and names to these regions which are impacted by drought and volatile weather has been important and motivating for my research. Several of these farmers planted fewer crops and utilized less area (sometimes up to half-as-much less) this year due to a delayed monsoon. The smaller farmers didn't seem to have many options to make up for these losses aside from relying on family to get by this year. One farmer (with more land than the others I spoke with) was able to obtain a state government loan to get through this year. When asked what would happen if drought or delayed monsoon persisted one or two more years, he looked at the ground and said he would lose everything and be incapable of repaying the loan. While these conversations aren't enough to build a thesis on, or publish anything in an academic journal, they are enough to keep me thinking about climate change as it applies to Indian farmers and agriculture. These are the people who shape my questions about the impacts of climate change and changing weather patterns.
Highlights from summer excursions:
- Pushkar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma_Temple,_Pushkar)--A city situated a few hours from Jaipur and a pilgrimage site for many. Brahma's most famous temple dating to the 14th century sits by a beautiful lake. We wandered the streets, visited the temple, and rested on the Ghats as mantras were chanted to drum rhythms at sunset.
- On the way back to Jaipur from Pushkar, we stopped at the Tilonia Barefoot College (http://www.tilonia.com/). There, we had a tour of their solar panel workshop, solar cookers, textiles work, and efficient irrigation systems.
- Jaisalmer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaisalmer)--A famous desert city in far West Rajasthan. We visited a famous Jain Temple, wherein there were seven chambers with elaborate sandstone carvings and sculptures. We also rode camels and spent a night in the Thar Desert National Park. Though quite an uncomfortable night sleeping in the sand, the stars were vibrant and enumerable.
- Sawai Madhopur & Ranthambore National Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranthambore_National_Park)--I took a trip with an Indian friend to Sawai Madhopur on the border of Madhya Pradesh State. We visited a famous Ganesh temple and went on a 15 km hike through the jungle. About half way, we reached some cliffs where the Suleshvar Shiva temple resides. We climbed up, bathed in the holy water, and watched pilgrims make "puja" (worship) and perform "arthi" (chanting mantras in Sanskrit). While we spotted no tigers, in the last leg of our hike, we saw a Nilgai, which may be one of the more fascinating animals I've ever seen. The body was akin to that of a moose, the head that of a small deer with pronghorn antlers, and the color blue-grey. I wasn't able to capture it in a photo but it was an amazing sight.
Below are pictures from these various outings:
Ranthambore National Park
Ganesh Temple
Suleshvar Shiva Temple
Jaisalmer
Thar Desert National Park
Tilonia Barefoot College
Gardisar Lake-Jaisalmer
Tilonia--Solar Panel Workshop
Pushkar
Flower farmer with a few dairy cows
Jaipur Streets
