Saturday, December 1, 2012

BBA Gratitude Challenge :: Indian Carnelian

The month of November is a month for giving thanks, and the BBA team challenged us to stop, give thanks and create something inspired by our gratitude. Yes I am aware that today is actually December, but I just have not had a chance to get to this blog post until now!

Ok, so on with the show. As those of you who follow me regularly know, I have been doing an on-going series on things to be thankful for while traveling in India. 

I recently gave you my top 10 reasons to be thankful while in India, with my top reason being traveling with my mother-in-law. 


Yep, you read that correctly. I really love spending time with my mother-in-law. She and I haggled with a guy for some strings of carnelian who was sitting right on the front steps of a place called Fatehpur Sikri

This is one of the best preserved collection of Mughal architecture in India. It was built in the 1500s by one of the Rajput Rajas, and served as the capital between 1571 and 1585 - a very short time. What is so interesting about the city is that it rather perfectly preserved since it was abandoned in 1585, they say mostly due to it's lack of a water supply. In its hay day it included royal palaces, harem, courts, a mosque, private quarters for the Raj. Akbar, the ruling Raj of the time, was seeking to revive the splendors of Persian court, and planned the complex on Persian principles. It is gorgeous architecture. The complex has independent pavilions on the ground level in patterns derived from Arab and central Asian tent encampments. And there is a large open air market with stunning columns and roof ... still standing. The city spreads out over nearly two miles long and one mile wide, and today is India's version of a ghost town. What is left are red sandstone structures to a time past. 

So my piece that I've created for giving thanks is from the carnelian I purchased for 100 Rupee (roughly $2.50). I wanted it to be a bit rustic, so I used knotted hemp cord with the strings of carnelian chips. It reminds me of my time in India, learning about the culture of the country where my mother-in-law grew up. 

14 comments:

  1. What a fascinating ghost town~could you feel the hustle and bustle it once was? That pix on the far right is so cool. Your bracelet is stunningly beautiful in its seeming simplicity (nothing simple about little knots!)~perfect blend of rustic chips and hemp!

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  2. You have shown me a lovely alternative for stringing gemstones, Cynthia! All your India posts are so warm and infused with the love you obviously feel for your husband's ancestral home.

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  3. Lovely bracelet, lovely gemstones, lovely story -- how nice that you can wrap all of that into something to wear and keep close all the time!

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  4. Oh I love Carnelian, you have captured the essence of this challenge, Carnelian is an energy booster. It helps a person to find strength. This is a beautiful story!

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  5. What a great way to remember your trip!

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  6. I love your stories! What a special way to remember your trip with your mother-in-law!

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  7. Lovely post all around; I have really enjoyed you sharing your experiences in India.

    And I think it's wonderful that you have such a great relationship with your mother-in-law.

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  8. You are so lucky! I did get along with my MIL, but unfortunately, she is my ex-MIL, I miss her more than her son, lol ;)

    I really like your bracelet! It totally reflects the colors of Fatehpur Sikri! And now I need to go check out what this BBA team is. Are you going to do anything special with the bracelet? WOuld have been a tough challenge for me, am grateful for a lot of things, but not sure what would inspire me!

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  9. absolutely stunning... I have always wanted to visit India...it is just the long flight that stops me. The bracelet is stunning... I love the colors on it, I am going through this earthy mood for clothes and jewelry.

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  10. Wow! Fatehpur Sikri looks amazing! I just clicked on the Wikipedia links to check out more photos. It is so wild how well preserved the ghost town is! What a great souvenir to bring home. The chips looks so pretty the way you beaded them!

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  11. This is such a unique piece! I enjoyed hearing the story behind it, too.

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  12. Hi, I'm Cynthia's husband, and I was born and raised in Rochester, NY. My mom grew up in India as the child of baptist missionaries. Traveling to India was an experience that you have to live through to understand. I am very lucky to have gone there with my mom and Cynthia. :)

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  13. What fabulous architecture! And your haggled for carnelian made a lovely bracelet!

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  14. Ghost town looks like inspiration for writing, a real gem, no pun intended.

    I must give carnelian another chance, for some unknown reason it doesn't appeal to me, and a friend has given it to me several times, uh oh. I do agree it looks gorgeous on the buildings! Your bracelet using hemp is perfectly suited ♥

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