This cow shares my new lodgings!

"Shifted" lodgings today - only a little round the corner but now I and this cow have full view of the lake, the City Palace above and the Lake Palace in the middle. It is the original unfinished hotel - bare electric wires stick out where lights are intended, mirrors and bathroom fittings still retain their advisory stickers, the second floor is one large hall which will be divided up into rooms at some future date, the roof top has a man working on it making concrete window frames (pics another time), but one end of the terrace has been set aside for guest's use, beautiful wide marble steps go down to the garden which is almost full of a large number of rocks awaiting re-distribution around an intended swimming pool, a man is there cutting up marble slabs with a grinding machine, but inside there is white marble everywhere underfoot and beautiful window seats filled with a mattress and cushions for reclining. 5 cows and 4 calves live under my room and a small pick-up arrived today overloaded with dried 'grass' for them which was carried in by very ancient man. The family are Moslem and right next door is a Mosque - I shall be woken at dawn but shan't have to get up and can just appreciate my bed!

I am the only guest at present - the place is run by the owner's retired lawyer father - another son comes in to milk the cows - it is all rather simple and gentle, with only 4 rooms, so the marble staircases seem perhaps a bit over the top gracious in its current state.

Late this afternoon I heard drumming and 'music' and found people milling around awaiting a marriage procession. The generator was there along with musicians and a skewbald mare (very auspicious) and I hung around to see the groom and his family appear. The musicians played what each felt appropriate - didn't necessarily blend in with anything else. There was a hand held microphone which was used for some singing but then it was stuffed into the end of an instrument so the sound was incredibly loud and my ears still ring (what one does for love!). The groom was very tense and was 'dressed' by his uncles in their shop which had their living accommodation above. Everyone looked very serious - once the groom had mounted the mare she was given blessed foods to eat from a small steel dish and then mother mounted a stool to reach up and bless her son and waved her hands about him. Then his sister climbed the stool and gave him some rupee notes for good fortune and they had a relaxed and smiling encounter before she became all serious and gave him a tika blessing on his forehead. All the while the small street had passing traffic and people so it was quite difficult to get a clear photo or two. Even though it was a Sunday and some shops were closed there was little room and rickshaws and motorbikes hooted their horns impatiently. It was a small wedding compared to some and not very jolly. The women danced for all of a couple of minutes to start the procession off. The photos are here