Bhopal

Arrived in Bhopal on Friday from Orrcha which is an abandoned C17 town. These photos are of some of the ruins of Orrcha.

This photo was taken from the hotel terrace. The wall and ceiling paintings in the temple were really special and probably the best from the entire site which is spread over a large area.

And then on to Bhopal where I will be working as a volunteer until the end of January ..

Sambhavna is an oasis in this part of town. It's about 400 mtrs from the Union Carbide plant. The staff and volunteers are all just really great people. Shahnaz who is in charge of the library, is lovely and really enjoying our work together. Please have a look at http://www.bhopal.org/ to get an update on the tragedy of Bhopal and on the work of Sambhavna.

Sunday the clinic is closed so a few of we volunteers visited the Museum of Man which really is a fantastic setting recreating the history of tribes in India.

Nicole, another Australian volunteer, and I returned the next evening for an evening of Punjabi folk dancing, music and art and craft which was part of the Lohri festival.

There is a large eunuch population here in Bhopal and this troupe led the early dancing and music.