DAILY PHOTO: Mata Ganga Ji Niwas

Taken on April 10, 2016 in Amritsar

Taken on April 10, 2016 in Amritsar

DAILY PHOTO: Sun Setting Over Ganta Ghar

Taken on April 8, 2016 in Amritsar

Taken on April 8, 2016 in Amritsar

DAILY PHOTO: Caves at Ajanta

Taken in November of 2014 at Ajanta

Taken in November of 2014 at Ajanta

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DAILY PHOTO: On the Streets of Amritsar

Taken on April 10, 2016 in Amritsar

Taken on April 10, 2016 in Amritsar

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DAILY PHOTO: Just What Makes that Little, Old Chipmunk…

Taken on April 10, 2016 in Amritsar

Taken on April 10, 2016 in Amritsar

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We watched a chipmunk tug a blanket up a tree in the garden of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama in Amritsar. It was neither a small cloth nor a small tree. (But the heart of that rodent was huge.) It’s a beautiful garden, and the museum is highly undervalued by the “must-visit” lists–e.g. as TripAdvisor.  If you’re in Amritsar, give it a try.

This is the tree in question.

This is the tree in question.

 

And here are some flower photos from the garden.

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This is the tree in question.

DAILY PHOTO: Elephants at the Amber Fort

Taken in November 2015 in Jaipur

Taken in November 2015 in Jaipur

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DAILY PHOTO: Dance off, Pakistan. Me & You

Taken on April 9, 2016 at the Wagah border crossing retreat ceremony

Taken on April 9, 2016 at the Wagah border crossing retreat ceremony

The universal gesture for "Come on, get up and dance, already!"

The universal gesture for “Come on, get up and dance, already!”


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Before the retreat ceremony at the Wagah crossing, there are patriotic festivities including a women-only session of dancing in the street. Why women only? I’d like to say that it’s just so that the message that Indian women are liberated is loud and clear–so that Pakistan will take note of it. However, I suspect that it also has to do with the large number of young Indian men who are… [how can I put this delicately] too horny to be trusted amid a crowd of gyrating females. [Of course, arguably, there’s probably a circularity problem. Being segregated perpetuates the issue.]

At any rate, like Kevin Bacon, they are attempting to dislodge the stick of ignorance. [See what I did there.]

DAILY PHOTO: Rocky Keralan Coastline

Taken on April 2, 2016 near Varkala

Taken on April 2, 2016 near Varkala

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Someone may have been knocked out of their crocs by the waves.

Someone may, or may not,  have been knocked out of their crocs by the waves.

DAILY PHOTO: Golden Temple by Night and Day

Taken on April 10th of 2016 in Amritsar

Taken on April 10th of 2016 in Amritsar

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DAILY PHOTO: Chimp in a Cage Reading a Book at the Amritsar “Zoo”

Taken in Amritsar on April 10, 2016

Taken in Amritsar on April 10, 2016

 

So many questions:

1.) As it’s clearly not a real ape, why the need for the cage?

2.) Why did they anthropomorphize this particular primate? (i.e. Is it just whimsicality, or is it a statement of some sort?) [Most of the creatures are in animalistic poses–though often not to scale.]

3.) Did the chimp start off reading huge (Tolstoy / Dickens / Ayn Rand style) books, or did it have to work up to them?