Royal Rajasthan

December 2010

Let me begin this post by saying that if there is one place in India where you would get a chance to appreciate the rich history of this very old land, then that place wouldn`t be too far away from Rajasthan. This is the state where every alley, every street, every fort has a story to tell ,dating well over a 500 years. Where the  ruins of Chittorgarh narrate a story of defiance and sacrifice, the majestic Mehrangarh leaves the curious traveller spellbound. Welcome to Rajasthan, the land of the Kings!

Our trip started off from Jaipur (named after Raja Jai Singh), also known as the famous 'Pink City'. The Amer fort (also known as Amber Fort) is a must see. There is also a light and sound show at Amer Fort in the evening and it is one of the best in India. We did a city tour which covered the usual places like the City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal. Of all these places, the beautiful Amer Fort deserves atleast one full day because there is a lot to see and learn about the history of this fort.

After a 2 day stopover in Jaipur, Udaipur was our next stop. I remember that the bus ride from Jaipur to Udaipur wasn`t one of the best; it was either too cold or hot like crazy inside the bus . Udaipur is beautiful and the lake forms an integral part of this historic city. The Lake Palace hotel is the place to be for a luxurious stay. The city palace definitely deserves a day from your schedule and the surrounding markets are well worth exploring.
The city palace also hosts an interesting light and sound show which is worth the penny (we missed it!)

From Udaipur, we ventured out to two very interesting places that were not a part of our original plan. They were Chittorgarh and Mount Abu. Let me talk about Chittorgarh first. The average human being who claims a significant bit of his descendancy from Chittorgarh is generally defiant and unnecessarily brave! Blame it on the bloody past of this place which has witnessed braves like Rana Pratap Singh defying Akbar, Chittorgarh is a story about its glorious past. You will not see anything beuatiful but you will not miss the fort which beholds many legends.

Now about Mount Abu. The Dilwara temples at Mount Abu deserve a mention in the list architectural beauties around the world. From outside, these group of temples give an impression of utter mediocracy and waste of time but transforms a casual observer into a gaping admirer once inside them. It is humanly impossible to carve such intricate stone designs not just in one temple or on one wall but on every inch of stone. Dating back to 1200 AD, Dilwara temples were probably one of the best kept secrets in the world and they continue to do so even to this day. Photography is not allowed and rightly so. You have to be there to experience them.

Next up from Udaipur was Jodhpur. We had a rough bus ride again. The Mehrangarh fort at Jodhpur is one of the biggest and one the most well maintained forts in India. This beautiful architecture in red sand stone is a  must see. Historically, this is an important fort and a good place to imbibe a little bit of history. Interestingly, a trip across Rajasthan reveals different styles of turban and male ear piercings which symolize vastly different cultures.

Our last stop from Jodhpur was the desert city of Jaiselmer, bordering Pakistan. This city, among other things, is generally known for two things. The first being the Thar Desert itself and the second being the Jaiselmer Fort. Let me start with the fort first. This is another beautiful fort no doubt and it is made out of yellow stand stone. Infact whole of Jaiselmer is made out of yellow sand stone which gives the city a very homogenous look. This fort unfortunately is in a very bad state and several NGOs have taken up the responsibility for its restoration. Staying inside the fort should be avoided as it has a very hazardous impact on the already deteriorating drainage system of the fort. All said, this fort is a beauty.

Finally about Thar. Miles of sand stretch out in all imaginable directions and at sunset, a camel ride into the Thar is generally beautiful unless it is too cold.We spent the night at a desert camp and four blankets weren`t enough to keep us warm. But this is India`s only desert and if you are in Rajasthan, Thar should be in your list. This camel in the right was the one which carried us and I remember its name: Lalu Bhai.The desert camp generally has several local artists performing and no defnitely its not going to be belly dancing (atleast not in my lifetime!)

That was it. We took a train (1st class), hoping to reach Jaipur but as luck would have it, we had to get down in Jodhpur again and drive our way to Jaipur the next morning. That night in Jodhpur, the owner of the guest house made his wife cook for us in the middle of the night! At Jaipur, we had enough time to go for the light and sound show at Amer fort, which was just too good. Next morning, we flew back to Bangalore, only to realize (in a few months time) that we were going to be dining by the pacific ocean every night...soon.