Goodbye Agra hello Rugs

 February 13th catching up on trip to India

We left the city of Agra and the beautiful Taj Mahal behind us. We were barely 15 minutes from our last hotel when we made a stop at the "Rug Factory!" Here they sell handmade rugs that are commissioned out to women in the villages where they work at home making the rugs. All necessary supplies are provided and the government gives the women a monthly stipend to do the work. It is a dying art as not many young women are interested in this tedious manual labor that can take many months to complete. When a rug is finished  the weaver gets a final  payment based on the size and complexity of the rug.


Women in India now have better educational opportunities and value that option to better themselves.  However, many still opt to stay home and raise children and care for the home after marriage.  Traditionally, even highly educated brides move into their grooms home and the family bonds together to cook, raise children, and care for the home. We met one such family one night for dinner at their home when we visited Jaipur. 




         Yes...this one blue border (here it looks black)





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