Day 4 - Jaipur

India is a country of 1.25 billion people. That's many many many times the population of the UK and very nearly 1.25 billion more people than live in my Bulgarian village. It's an astoundingly large number of people. I think I've met most of them now, and most of them have asked for a selfie with me. Is that weird? It feels a bit weird. I mean I'm pretty ordinary I think. Not quite front cover of GQ material I'd say, but hardly elephant man either. Natural air of authority I guess. 

I popped an impressively bloated blister while doing a few running repairs in my hotel last night. I reckon the fluid arced a good three feet before hitting the tiles. Given my water rationing since I arrived, I wish I was able to piss as confidently. My urine has taken on the consistency of toothpaste. I spread less viscous honey onto my toast not two weeks ago. 

Jaipur, from what I have seen, barely qualifies as a quiet hamlet when compared to Delhi. It is nonetheless more manic and more noisy than any part of any city in the U.K. by several thousand degrees. It reminds me of Mandalay on a very busy day for those who are able to compare.

I'm going to post this a little early as connectivity is uncertain. I have managed to find a bank open and shamefully used 'foreigners privilege' and went to the front of the queue. Good job too really, it got a bit rioty amongst the locals. Well pushy and shovey and very shouty mostly, but India does appear to be mightily upset with its government at the mo. Still, I'm solvent for the moment having changed the maximum £50 into rupees. I think a lot of locals will find the banks closed before they reach the front of the queue. 

Sunset over Jaipur last night

The front bit of the bank queue 

HISTORICAL NOTE:

The forces that remained in Meerut under General Hewitt were paralysed by shock and fear. To the surprise of the mutineers who fully expected swift and violent retribution, they spent the day collecting bodies and agreeing to wait in situ. The Sepoys marched on to Delhi and the Murgal palace, the imposing Red Fort.

British interests at the palace were represented by the Commissioner of Delhi, Mr Fraser and palace guard Commandant Captain Douglas. Soldiery at the palace amounted to the 38th Native Infantry, already suspected to be disloyal. Suspicions became reality when the 38th opened the gates to the mutineers who then proceeded to kill anything resembling European authority. Fraser, Douglas, the chaplain, several women, children and civilians were slain. The residents of the European quarter suffered the same fate with no quarter being recorded. Not every member of every regiment rose up. There are instances of reluctant participants, and indeed saviours of civilians among the ranks but the significant majority served the rebellion enthusiastically enough. 

Relief from the two remaining regiments found locally proved short lived. The 54th Native Infantry shot their British officers and swelled the ranks of the rebels rather than fight them. The 74th Native Infantry, halted at the Kashmir Gate and waited it out. While they were doing so, the great Delhi magazine blew. The handful of British officers and men guarding the power, reconciled themselves to an explosive finale to the short Delhi siege, and sent themselves, plus hundreds of mutineers* to their graves. It provided the crescendo to the opening move of the rebellion and Delhi was firmly in the hands of rebels. 

*Mallenson is often short on statistics, long on British hyperbole.