Incredible India TV Shoot – Day 3, Drive to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri, India.
Posted on April 13th, 2011[nggallery id=439]We departed early in the morning from Agra, India and were on our way to Fatehpur Sikri to stop and film at the Deserted City. One of the things that catches your attention right away, every day in India is to commonly see a variety of animals in the middle of traffic. This happens everywhere; on the side-streets, on the city-streets and even on the highways!! You get used to it quickly though since all traffic is used to the animals and no one get’s hurt! On the way we saw thousands of people making a pilgrimage to religeous shrines along the road. We learned that the road-side vendors who sell various foods, water and refreshements give their items free to anyone on the pilgramage. When you consider that most of these people are basically poor, they still have a kind heard to help the people travelling to the shrines.
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As we neared the Deserted City we could see the expansive wall that was built to protect it. The Deserted City was inspired by a holy man called Sheikh Salim Chisthi. There are thre sections to the city; the Royal Palace, the Jami Masjid (tomb of Sheikh Salim constructed out of brililant white marble), and the centrpiece of this monument which is the Jewel House of Diwan I Khas. The city was eventually deserted because of a lack of water. On our way our of the City, we also had the pleaure of hearing and seeing our first snake-charmer….a real treat!
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From the Deserted City we made our way to west to Jaipur, India and stopped along the way to shoot a couple of interesting segments. One was how Indians make bricks from straw/clay/mud, and how they bake the bricks in special ovens along the roadways that can be easily spotted as you travel.
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When we reached Jaipur, where we checked-in to the Ashok Jaipur Hotel and than stopped to see the City Palace, Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), and Jantar Mantar – the observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1728.
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After visiting the above monuments we drove down-town and shot several TV segments showing market life, animals, and Indian bread-making (Nan).
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From the Jaipur market, we headed to the Rajasthan Textile and Carpet to see how some of the best hand-made carpets and textiles are created. Here they use traditional techniques that are passsed down from generation to generation to hand-weave carpets and hand-stand and dye textiles that are works of art, and sold world-wide.
