You say oo-day poor, I say oo-diaper

Breakfast and bathing at the Taj Palace in Udaipru are very different from breakfast and bathing across the water:

But the Maharana still has the best seat in the house. 

 A Rajah is a king, a Maharajah is an uber-king, and a Maharana is an uber-general.  He was really a Maharajah who called himself General in the hope his Generals would be less likely to overthrow him if they thought he was one of them.  Judging from his uber-opulent palace, it worked.  At least for a while.

We learn the formula for a successful Bollywood film:  a fast song, a slow song, a fight scene, a wet sari song.  We have wet t-shirts, they have wet saris.  

You can tell whether a couple is married or not by where the woman sits.  Before marriage she sits on the man's right.  After marriage she sits on the left, and our guide says that's because most Indian men keep their wallet in the right pocket.  

At our palace we have a concert of traditional music (think out-of-tune accordian meets treadle sewing machine and you'll get the idea) 

And traditional dancing:

And a fabulous roof-top dinner, the stairs to the roof strewn with rose and marigold petals.

Morning departure.  How many check-outs require a life vest?  A second mortgage maybe...but rarely a life vest.  And check out the umbrella.

There is a festival going on this month where the single women pray for a good husband, like Lord Shiva, and the married women pray for a good husband like Lord Shiva - in the next life.  

Most marriages are still arranged, and most marry within their community.  I think that means caste, even tho the caste system is officially outlawed.  But so is corruption and ninety cents of every dollar goes into someone's pocket.