color theory

well we’ve arrived in rajasthan. we had heard that this state was known for being very colorful and early on this proved to be true. even on the train approaching udaipur we could see bright colors dotting the fields and rows of vegetation. women everywhere, it seems, wear bright oranges, pinks and yellows, and men’s turbans are often swirls of orange or red. one of our first experiences of the local color was in a brief visit to the local vegetable market. women in green and orange saris seemed to match their produce, sitting before their orange tomatoes and gourds and light green guava and legumes. the mix of colors, along with the various other sounds and smells, made for a stimulating introduction to rajasthan.

we continued to encounter color everywhere we went. at one of the local memorial sites a group of women in their variegated saris and dupattas gathered for a ritual cleansing after a recent death. again on worship day at a shiva temple we witnessed groups of men and women seated chanting, their head coverings bright even in the dim, womb-like interior of the temple. as we entered jodhpur it was clear this city was to be no exception. upon entering the main market area (central for both locals and tourists, what few there are), we were immediately confronted with rows of fabrics - meter upon meter of bright fuchsias and marigolds bundled in neat stacks. further on, nearer the landmark clock tower, we saw carts full of bangles, bound together with shoelaces, their glass and gold embellishment glittering in the setting sun. then as night approached and we ascended to a rooftop restaurant we caught a glimpse at the counterpart to all these warm rich colors: the beautiful blues of the houses of jodhpur. the view from the fort the following day was even more stunning. as we walked down the hill entering the small residential streets we got a closer look at the blues, greens, and indigo that color the doors and walls of the town below.

more and more i’ve begun to notice here that color, like religion, is almost a way of life. even garbage trucks and city buses are decorated not only with deities but with bright splashes of color. women wear their brightest scarves, not only for religious rituals, but for working in the field or gathering water (which they really do carry on their heads). the whole notion reminds me of what i’ve heard about rangoli, chalk art decoration that adorns the entryways in many houses in the south. each morning women will diligently create elaborate abstract designs in colored chalk or powder on the ground, knowing that they will only be trampled and scattered by careless feet, to be recreated again the next day. there’s no special occasion required for such use of color; the beauty of the color is just a part of daily life. not a bad concept, i have to say.