Jaipur
The beautiful capital of Rajasthan was beautiful once upon a time. It was founded in 1727 and 200 years later the deterioration must have began. Though it is called the PINK CITY, it is really orange, or tera cotta to be exact . The old part is surrpounded by a wall and mostly Muslim. It has a palace and many lovely, ornamental buildings. I found these 2 huge old doors which had a small door in the door, just a window really. If you want this sort of old Indian door made for your house now, you can simply order one. Check out this site:
http://www.artofrajasthan.com/doors.htm Beautiful wood carvings. Perhaps a bit airy for our Western climate, but can work like a room divider too.
Strong enough to keep out an elephant!
Must be 5 meters tall
Doors with Historic Memories
http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_fatehpursikri.asp for more info.
The man who tends the shoes you have to take off before going into this Muslim shrine
Entering a majestic place
Sufi Shrine, straight out of 1000 Arabian Nights, Indian style
Honey, Where Are the Keys?
All of us, door darlings or not, have faced the struggle of keeping the house, car, or safety deposit box KEYS in the same place every time. But life doesnt work like this. We misplace them , and nothing is worse than standing in front of your apartment door fumbling like Hudini and getting that goshdangit-feeling with a hysteric scream on one’s lips “HONEY, WHERE ARE THE KEYS?” (men usually scream “What have YOU done with the keys, honey?” ) And so the nightmare begins, a locksmith is called for a thousand bucks a visit, and you swear from now on you will get to know the neighbors and give all of them a spare one. Yeah, right. This old man here has heard all the stories and he is prepared to give you what you need: an extra key for your lover, or that special lock to keep the ex away.
Once upon a time in the very East
Hello friends, I am back in India, so let me start off with this derelict beauty I saw on an old Army post here in Delhi. Good to be back door hunting in this neck of the woods. Cheers for now. More to come as always.
Doors in Art Works
I found these two works of art pretty interesting and as a door darling I must include them in my collection. The painting is hanging in the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. The artist is Anil Kuranjai (1940-2001) and he was part of group of radicals calling themselves the Hungry Generation. The studio “Devil´s Workshop” in Benares (also known as Varanasi) was a meeting point for many artitis and they established a gallery which - funny enough- was called “Paradise Cafe” ; this was in the late 60s and a lot of American beatnicks (poets Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder)loved to hang out there, too.
The painting is called “Door of Kurma“. Kurma, in Hinduism, is the second of 10 avatars of the supreme god Vishnu, the god preserver (Shiva is the destroyer). Kurma came in form of a turtle. What this has to do with this door…. your guess is as good as mine.
In another art work, this time a zoomed-in lock image highly enlarged, we find the beauty in detail . The artist Sanjay Bhattacharya, born 1958, and like Anil a Bengali, took photos of “Found Objects” (name of the exhibition) and made them appear like abstract art. I found this quite brilliant and have been seeing things on the street quite in a new light since seeing his works. Even doing my own art from the streets photos now.
Sorry that this is a bit blury and of course the colors are much better in the real, but still it gives you an idea. His works are currently on exhibition in New Delhi in a privately run gallery. Hope they wont suit me for showing this stuff here.
Red Cross Door
Baptist Church with bucket for stuff from the market for the lady who lives upstairs
This church was located in a busy market area in East Delhi and just got torn down. More shops less spirit is what the bells are tolling. Too bad.
Knock, Knock! Who´s there?
Check out these lovely brass door knockers I saw in Paharganj, a part of Delhi where hippies like to hang out. They have lots of neat little shops with stuff we dont need. But to get a woodpecker door knocker would sure beat the sound of a chime, no?
Friday 13th
Mosques are always green and this entrance is even more colorful
Fridays are prayer days for Muslims. You can find all sorts of little mosques in Delhi streets when you keep your eyes open.
Beauty in doors
Gate Guards
To understand the gate culture in India you have to keep in mind the climate. With the intense heat, no one can bear closed doors. There is always an open metal gate in front of the actual door, sort of like the American screen door to keep the flies out. But that is not secure enough in this country if you want some draft to enter your house. But more than anything else, these open doors allow the sand, and dust and dirt to come into your house. In India, you cant be a clean-freak, or you go mad!
An elaborate gate for an open area entrance to a private home
Gate with Krishna window above and drying undies
the door of a gate to the door of a house and as always chili peppers to keep the ghosts away
Delhi Door Men
Rajasthan Classic
United Coffee Home on the Inner Circle: he looks more likea Soldier of Fortune coming of age, no?
This is not a really old door, but a made-to-look-old for a fancy shop in Khan Market where all the expats go shopping
Double the fun at Delhi´s old bakery "Wenger´s" in Connaught Place
This man is not a wimp, no sireebob!
When you come to Delhi, please say THANK YOU to these guys who are on their feet all day; their fellow countrymen never even give them a friendly glance.
Delhi Doors so far
One of the few wooden shop doors remaining in downtown New Delhi
Namaste, darlings! I told you that great doors are not as easy to find as in Berlin, unless you visit an old fort, castle or haveli (old mansion). But I try to keep my eyes open whenever I go out, which is not often. Between the heat and the rain, it is best to sweat safely behind closed doors. Right? Right!
Travel Office Entrance in downtown DelhiA rare wooden door, as glass and steel have taken over here too
Restaurant door in Connaught Place. Is it copper?
Wood and brass at the Delhi Fair Ground
Lock, Latch and Bolt Indian Style
Hey, darlings! Finally I arrived in New Delhi again. My fourth time here, but my first time I shall be posting doors from the Indian capitol. You have gotten to know some pretty nice doors from Berlin, but now it´s time for a drastic change. Like coming to India, that sure is a drastic change for a spoiled Westerner. But doors are global, so no reason to get teary eyed.
I start off with the doors in my new life: the apartment and the neighbors. Common doors are very plain wooden doors, with rather unusual locks. There is a key hole as well as a place to hang your extra lock, and from the inside there is a latch on the upper part of the door, too. And there is the fly door with a mesh to keep the bugs out, which is made of metal, sometimes in beautiful designs. Indians often hang trinkets for good luck above their doors, or paint the sun sign next to it. Anything to keep bad spirits out. Now we shall not be able to see the versatile doors here which we had in Berlin, but if I am able to travel a bit, too, then I am hoping for some special entrances from forts, castle, havelis and others. Let´s keep our fingers crossed that the harvest will be rich. Since it is still in the mid 30s here right now (Celsius) with no cooling and night and a high humidity, dont expect me to venture out too often until it gets bearable again in October. So long, my door darlings.
My new home doors, 2 entrances but using only 1 of them
the outer metal door lock for key and extra lock
more colorful grills of one of the neighbors in our block
Superstition trinkets bring good luck, if you believe it!
Bolt the outer door, lock and latch from inside and feel "safe"
Fort and Castle: Doors of India
I have also lived in North India for almost three years, and of course the best doors can be seen in the amazing forts and castles, many of them in Rajasthan. I give you a taste here with three I have stood in front, all of them in the old town of Bikaner in Western Rajasthan. Wait are you waiting for, darlings? Book your next flight, for a lot more than doors 
Bikaner has one fort and 2 castles and countless havelis in the old centre. Google it!
This is a door to an old Haveli, one of many amazing doors of Bikaner in Rajasthan
