Udaipur aka Octopussy town

For those of you who are not James Bond fans, the title of this blog may seem a tad lewd. Udaipur, the Paris of the East, famed for its floating palace in the middle of scenic Lake Pichola (when there aren't algae blooms abound), was where the movie Octopussy was shot back in the early 80s. Every restaurant here shows it at 7:30pm sharp. I still haven't seen it.

So what exactly am I doing here? This town is famous for its miniature paintings, specifically in the Mewar style. I remember seeing these in books and enjoying the color, but not so impressed with their execution. But figured I should check out this epicenter of painting anyway. My opinion regarding the execution, however, has changed drastically. The amount of labor and technically skill to use a brush that is only one squirrel hair (local squirrels, not imported) thick for an entire painting is absurd. Intense focus and concentration (and plenty of chai and booming bollywood beats) are necessary. In January, I was fortunate enough to meet Rajesh Soni - a painter from Udaipur - in Goa (Thanks Santosh!). I kept his business card and contacted him in February to see if I could come out here and see his studio and meet his friends who are painters - he agreed. To make a long story shorter - he followed through with his word. I am going to live here for a month studying the miniature painting styles with Mr. Singh. Rajesh introduced me to Mr. Singh and his two sons and immediately I felt a powerful connection to them. Their family has been painting for generations - and they are of the Rajput (warrior) lineage. All very strong characters. And Mr. Singh, who is about 60, has survived two strokes and although his right arm and leg were paralysed - he regained full control of both. It's his good karma, I'm told. I've been sitting with him and his other artists for about 4 hours a day in his studio practicing copying figures. It's way more frustrating than I thought to copy simple designs - but this is a tradition - and there are rules. But it is rewarding and I can feel my observational skills improving.

I'm living in a guesthouse that has a kitchen - so I'll be cooking often. It's in the middle of a Muslim/Hindu area, away from the very touristy part of town. It has an incredible view of the sunset over the mountains and the monsoon palace. I'll take a picture when I find a camera. Last night I was invited to dinner at Mussin's house (I met him once at the painting studio, he's 17, and Muslim ) for a delicious chicken subjee and chapati. He told me to come at 8 - I arrived on time to learn that everyone had eaten already at 7. Whoops. The generosity just keeps going and going. Despite the fact that the town is mostly directed towards tourists - there is still such a genuine vibe from everyone I meet. I think that fact, in addition to the chance to learn a different style of painting, was my main impetus for staying.