We spent a week in Jaipur during Diwali. Diwali is the festival of lights, or as Wikipedia explains it: "Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance." It is a nice time to be in Jaipur because the downtown area is very festive and the decorations and people are photogenic.

During Diwali one of the many customs is to set off fireworks, or "crackers" as they say. The custom is unlike our 4th of July with an organized fireworks display. Instead, everyone in the city of 3.1 million people buys an arsenal of fireworks, each sufficient for a small town Independence Day celebration. After dark, the fireworks are set off with gusto. We started watching from the rooftop of the Hilton hotel which gives a great panorama view. Photos are difficult because the fireworks are random in time and place. But worse is that as the night progresses the air quality deteriorates rapidly. It was so bad that we had to abandon the rooftop and seek cover indoors. Even then the air was so bad we could taste the fireworks which continued exploding through the night. The display started out spectacularly but concluded in a post-apocalyptic disaster area. The next day we ventured out only briefly, wearing surgical masks which is not weird but is now a custom in Asian cities.

The main tourist attractions that are photogenic include the Hawa Mahal, the City Palace, the Amber Fort, the step well, various temples, and the street scenes downtown.

As everywhere in India, the people were wonderful and the food delicious. 

This is a link to my photos from Jaipur, India:  https://jamieharter.zenfolio.com/p1017691985?customize=1