Taj Mahal 30 July 1971

I was looking through an old scrap book when my family did a tour of India (July 1971 only 42 years ago!) and came across this colour photo of my parents, sister and I sitting on the famous bench on the viewing platform on the approach to the Taj Mahal.

My youngest daughter is actually on holiday in India at this very moment and was visiting the 'Taj' yesterday and it looked very crowded by comparison.  I assume we asked another visitor to take our photograph?

Buying Masks in Nepal 1971

I have just been looking through an old journal I kept in 1971 when the family did a big tour of India and I have found a photograph of my father buying some carved wooden masks in Nepal. 

While gardening the other day I noticed one of the masks hanging from our apple tree.  It has been hanging on the tree as we had noticed in an attack of wood worm.  It was therefore taken out of the house as we did not want the wood worm to spread.  It has been there for around 15 years and in that time it has been covered by lichen and other forms of slow growing organisms and looks even more frighteneing than it did in 1971.

We have now moved it from the apple tree to our back gate, I think it is the lower left mask in the first photo.  Another Indian Influence!!!!

The Shaking Towers Ahmedabad - 1971

I was viewing some old cine films taken in India when I was a boy and I came across a scene where my sister and I were visiting Ahmedabad (might have been around 1971 and we were taken to what is known as the shaking towers by our guide. The towers were not too tall but it was very scary when you reached the top and went out onto the platform as there was no hand rail of any kind.  I have managed to capture a couple of stills but they are very low quality as the cine film was only 8mm film.  The first photo shows the pair of towers.

I was at the top of the left hand tower.  My parents did not go up one of them was taking the cine film.  I will try and add a small cine clip later.  I understand that the towers were damaged recently in and earthquake and one is missing some of the upper floors. Is this correct the information on the internet seems to be a bit muddled? I do not know if they are to be restored or not?