Meet me halfway

Tuesday 8^th April 2014

Two months ago today, I left Europe for India, which means I’m now approaching the halfway point of my time here. Unfortunately, the last couple of weeks have been relatively uneventful, hence the lack of updates. Since today is a public holiday here in India (Ram Navami), I decided to sit down and write a new entry.

   Since returning from Udaipur, I conducted the last six of my interviews, which means that the data collection (or generation, depending on your view point, but let’s not get into that now) component of my research is now complete, and I am beginning my preliminary analyses. I’ve promised my supervisor my interim report by the 14^th April, we’ll see if that actually happens…

View from the site of my final interviews.

   On Sunday, I decided that I deserved (and needed) a break from work after finishing the interviews, especially considering that one of my participants – bear in mind that they all volunteer and know what the research is about beforehand – turned out to be particularly tedious and decidedly awkward in answering my questions. I met up with some new friends from the city, and travelled a few kilometres out of town to Adalaj, to visit the step-well, one of Gujarat’s most spectacular. You’re probably wondering what on earth a step-well is, and I must admit that I too had to do a little research prior to the visit in order to find out.

   Step-wells are usually deep constructions, with elaborately carved walls and broad flights of covered steps which lead to a main shaft. They are common in the west of India and particularly abound across northern Gujarat. Step-wells serve to collect rainwater during seasonal monsoons in semi-arid regions such as this one. While most are utilitarian in construction, they sometimes include stunning architectural features, something particularly evident at Adalaj.

Adalaj step-well.

   The step-well (or ‘Vav’ in Gujarati) was built in 1498 by Muslim king Mohammed Begda for Queen Rani Roopba, wife of Veer Singh, the Vaghela chieftain. Step-wells were once vital in fulfilling basic water needs of semi-arid regions for drinking, washing and bathing. They were also venues for festivals and sacred rituals.

Adalaj step-well.

   Adalaj Vav is five storeys deep (reaching to groundwater level), and built in the most radiant red sandstone. Its steps, through a series of platforms raised on intricately carved pillars, lead down to an octagonal well shaft (sadly not accessible during my visit). Despite being quite busy with visitors, there remained an atmosphere of cool calm, something refreshing, seeing as the weather here is heating up, with temperatures soaring above 40°C (104°F for the benefit of those poor folks still suffering without the metric system) on most days. The entire structure is brimming with fine sculptures, depicting dance, music, animals, plants, and erotica.

  Upon returning to the city (after stopping at an artists’ residency, which of course, I loved) we went for ice cream. Normally, chocolate ice cream is something I can safely say that I despise. However, Melt In – which is dangerously close to my house – offered a chocolate orange flavour that I decided to risk trying. Sometimes letting your inner YOLO make decisions is definitely a good thing: quite possibly one of the best ice creams (ok, technically it was gelato, but whatever) I’ve ever had. Apologies for using the term YOLO, but it seemed appropriate.

   Sunday evening saw the annual Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race. Thank goodness for Twitter, which kept me updated almost live, seeing as I lack a television or an internet connection fast enough to watch it. OXFORD WON. Sadly, my burst of joy was neither shared nor appreciated by the rest of my housemates (all Indian), who had just watched India lose to Sri Lanka in the final of the world Twenty20. Cricket is a really big deal here, they were not happy.  

    The next week or so will probably be taken up with report writing, so it’s doubtful that anything worth writing about will come up. But this is India, and if there’s a place one should expect the unexpected, it’s here. Also, the general election – the biggest the world has ever seen - started yesterday (Gujarat votes on 30^th April), and it will hopefully bring some exciting happenings.