Adventures in International Education

I forget that someone reading this blog might not know exactly where I am. So, on Saturday, 20 July 2019, I find myself in and around Bikaner in the state of Rajasthan, India. 

Bikaner is about 500 kilometers (311 miles) from New Delhi. The train takes about eight hours to make the journey; driving takes about nine hours.

As I write, it is 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). A water bottle is my constant companion. I’ve found that showers are a most pleasant way to cool down, and I’m thankful I chose an air-conditioned room.

There Are Never Enough Camels

Around 10:00 this morning, I returned from the camel trek. After a shower, I wrote up that post. I also checked on my flight to London next week (7/25/19) and to Philadelphia (8/1/19). One advantage of this trip for me is that I’ve become more adept (but by no means proficient) at planning my journey and using technology. I now have two cell phones and I’ve come a long way in using my iPad for blogging and email. Thank you Drew Blanchard for putting me on this path! And to Gerald Smith for giving me so many technology tips and tricks!

I visited the National Research Center on Camel (aka the Camel Farm) today. This government-sponsored research facility presently contains 345 camels, including pregnant females, bulls for stud service, yearlings, and babies. A museum offers a summary of the camel’s importance to mankind, including products made from camel fur, skin, and bone and artifacts such as saddles and samples of the food camels eat.

Camels can carry loads of up to two tons, can travel further than other beasts of burden, and can survive dry conditions with minimal water because of their unique metabolism. I find them distinctive, valuable to mankind, and a joy to be around. Camels work, and work hard. I admire them, and want to learn more about them.

Most of the camels at the Centre are dromedaries, or one-humped camels, although some research is conducted on the Bactrian, or double-humped, camel. With three eyelids, two rows of eyelashes, and furry ears, the camel protects itself from blowing sand. Their nostrils close between breaths to further protect them. Their two-toed feet prevent the animal from sinking into the sand (www.softschools.com).

My guide Vlassa told me that the Centre contains four types of camels: Bikaneri, Kachchhi, Jaisalmeri, and Mewarti.

• Bikaneri camels look like nobility with a heavy body type and coats ranging from brown to black. They originate around Bikaner, where I’m staying. It’s not unusual to see a camel hitched to a cart and standing patiently in the street.

• Kachchhi camels have brown to dark brown coloration, with little hair on eyelids and ears. They appear heavy and have adapted to the humidity and marshy areas around Kkachchh in western India, south of Hyderabad.
• Jaisalmeri camels appear more active and adapted for racing, with a light brown fur and a medium-shaped body. The Jaisalmer Desert Festival (with camel racing) takes place in February.
• Mewari camels appear stouter and shorter than Bikaneri, with light to dark brown coloration and thick body hairs that protect them from the stings of wild honeybees and other insects. (These comments based on the National Research Center on Camel website.)

Man has trained camels for thousands of years, especially in desert areas. In ancient times, camel caravans brought goods between the East and the West, traveling up to 25 miles a day and carrying huge loads.

The Rat Temple in Deshnok

After the Camel Farm, my host Hiteshwar took me to the Karni Mata Rat Temple, a sacred place for him and his family. The people in Deshnok believe they will come back in the afterlife as rats, so they respect the rats in the temple as sacred. Anyone seeing a white rat is particularly blessed.

Goddess Karna Mata was a part of the Charin clan and returned as a rat after a long life. Members of the Charin clan believe in reincarnation as rats and the temple is an important stop when visiting Rajasthan. It is the only rat temple in the world, according to my guide.

The temple entrance contains elaborate marble carvings of rats and elephants, and rats are everywhere. Like many temples in India, visitors must remove their shoes outside and leave any leather items on a special tray. I admit to a dislike for rats, which my bare feet made even more acute. But I paid my respects to the temple gods and goddesses, had a tika placed on my forehead, and rang the bell when leaving and entering. The rats seemed more interested in the heaps of food that visitors had brought than in creating any disturbance. Having a rat run over your feet apparently brings good luck. None did for me, which was lucky. I would have freaked out.

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I remain intimidated by the thought of rats running over my feet, even if they were honored ancestors.

For another perspective, Dave and Deb, two other travelers, posted their take on the Karni Mata Rat Temple here.