textile mill & sugar cane mill outside of Jodhpur

Outside of Bundi we visited several small sugarcane fields with many workers harvesting the sugar cane, grinding it in large machines, pressing it, cooking, straining , and cooling it. I grew to love sugarcane juice when I lived in Africa. We often bought it roadside freshly pressed with a little lime and ginger. Upon visiting the fields the workers generously offered us some fresh to drink and I could not resist. The workers showed us around as I tried to understand the whole process. The smoke and heat was overwhelming where they were boiling the sugar cane.

One morning I visited a textile mill just outside of Jodhpur. The workers were hand dying fabric for sale all over the world. The region of Rajasthan has been a center for trade and commerce for many centuries and there are over 700 textile mills in Jodhpur alone. The men we spoke with showed us round, explained the process, and shared that their salary is about 300-400 rupees a day (about 5 US dollars a day). India is one of the biggest exporter of textiles world wide but her workers are some of the lowest paid. The work is difficult and mostly done by hand (or feet as you can see below) with the help of some machinery and the hours are long. The men work in teams and were happy to show us around and very proud of their work. As I wandered around and they explained their day to me I grew to deeply respect these men and was blessed they shared some of their time and work with us. I also enjoyed making images in the challenging but very interesting lightening conditions. Here are some images of the men at work.

One worker hurried me to a small room used for breaks and prayers (there was a small shrine in the corner) to show off their pet white rat which he explained was a good luck charm and thus invited to stay.