Rajshtan Diaries

 https://sujathastravelblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/jaipur.html

Jaipur

I had visited Jaipur during the last week of September in 2014. It was an official visit for me. I had gone to an engineering college as part of the Campus Placement Team. My flight and hotel expenses were covered by the company. It was our first time to Rajasthan. I completed my two days work in the college and then extended the stay to explore the city and to visit Taj Mahal. Sathya and Tan accompanied me.
  

We stayed at Hotel Amer View. The host was very friendly and treated each guest like family.

The only negative thing was the complimentary breakfast. One week of eating aloo parathas and bread-butter drove us nuts.

There was just no other option. When we requested for a change in the menu, we would be generously served omelette!

It took several months for us after we returned to Bangalore to be able to even look at parathas again without being disgusted.

It was reasonably priced, and had comfortable, spacious rooms with beautiful wall decors and traditional paintings featuring kings and queens adorning the corridors.

The first morning I went to the hotel terrace and witnessed this beautiful sunrise.

And just as I stood there soaking in the atmosphere and savoring the slow break of dawn, I noticed something in the sky.  I was shocked to see, in the distance, a hot air balloon in flight. When I inquired around and realized hot air ballooning is held in the city, the first thing I did was arrange money (Rs 10,000 for a one hour ride). But the office that handles the bookings was located somewhere else and even though I tried very hard to contact them and make the payment and go on the ride, I couldn't.

The hotel was walking distance from the take-off site of the balloon ride. As a last resort, I thought Chalo, let me request them and pay at the spot of the take-off. Early next morning, I woke up, (what I thought was in the middle of the night), got ready and literally ran the whole distance to the site. But the staff refused to take me on saying the ride had to be booked through their office. I remember begging them. I remember crying the whole way back to the hotel. I was so sad that morning. I missed going on such a unique adventure.

From our room, we could see the famous Amer Fort. That's why the name Hotel Amer View. It was a mere stone's throw away.

The palace and Jaigarh Fort are one complex connected by a passage. The passage was used as an escape route during war to help the royal family and others in the Fort to move to the Jaigarh Fort. 

The Amer Fort is a must visit.The fort overlooks the Maota Lake, the main source of water for the Palace. 

It was built from red sandstone and marble by Raja Man Singh during 967 CE. Imagine that! So long long back! It is laid out on four levels. Each level has its own courtyard.  

The Fort is known for its beautiful Hindu style elements. It gets its name from Amba, the Mother Goddess Durga. It houses the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is created artificially. The winds blow over a water cascade inside the palace. It was the residence of the Rajput Maharajas.

Nearly 5000 people visit the Fort in a single day. 1.4 million visitors were reported during 2007.  In 2013, the Fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with 5 other forts of Rajasthan.

Across our hotel, was the site of the cremation ground of the Kachwaha Kings.  From 1733 onwards the final rites of every Kachwaha king were done here. It is now used for morning walks.

Jaipur is a historical city founded by Sawai Jai Singh in the 17th century. The Kachwaha rules built many wonderful monuments dotting the length and breadth of the city. Indulge in a casual stroll through the streets and you are most likely to bump into some monument or the other. The city throws back history at you at every corner. A must visit for all lovers of Indian history. Truly, the land of the Rajas and Maharajas. 

Chokhi Daani - Jaipur

Welcome to Chokhi Daani - the Kala Gram or Craftsmen's Village.

While at Jaipur, don't miss this crafts resort.  You will hear it from the locals too as a must visit place in the city.

Try the lavish dinner spread on environmental friendly dried leaf plates being served in an open area. It is a sit-down dinner. The food is arranged and served neatly on small cups placed on a small, wooden table. The 'lassi' or buttermilk is served in an earthen pot.


One thing I really like about traditional Indian food is the recyclable plate on which it is served. In the coastal belt of Karnataka (where I come from), we still use plantain leaves.


It is a pleasure to eat on fresh banana leaves or as in most Soutn Indian temples on dried plants leaves strewn together. They are easy to dispose off too. What the world woke up to in the 21st century India has been doing since centuries.

The meal though was totally and boringly
vegetarian. The famous 'daal-baati' was so hard we couldn't break it.

90% of Rajasthanis are vegetarian. The locals told us not to eat non-vegetarian dishes because it is usually not fresh.


The funny part was the circulation of the Rajasthani petas! Everyone got to wear it and got their 'look like locals' moment.



The resort has all kinds of entertainment.
Camel rides, elephant rides, bullock cart rides,

There is tight-rope walking too and a live dance performance of Rajasthani folk dance.

You can join the dancers swirling around in their long, round skirts full of bead and mirror work, the 'ghunghat' nicely placed on their heads.

There are lots of places to shop and eat

But one thing you will realize is almost everyone is prompting you to tip them generously - whether it is the waiter at the open meal counters or the dancers or any of the other entertainers.

The ethnic atmosphere of the village - whether it is in the buildings or the costumes of the different staff or the overall ambiance makes you feel like you are right in the middle of a typical Rajasthani village.





The beautiful model houses dotting the entire property of the Kala Gram is a visual treat to the eyes. You can spend the whole day here - clicking pics, eating, shopping or just relaxing watching others.

And while you are there, don't forget to have a shot of hookah with this wise, old man.

The Nahar Garh Fort - Jaipur

Manaharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur built the fort in 1734. 

Among the three forts in Jaipur, the Nahargarh Fort is said to be the smallest. And yet it took us a good half day to explore it! 

It gives you a wonderful view of the Man Sagar Lake in the distance. And that is the famed Jal Mahal in the center of the lake. 

From the fort, you can also catch a sight of the vibrant city of Jaipur and its pastel buildings. 

Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh provided a good defense for the city. Luckily the fort was not attacked during the course of its history.

Below are the pictures of the insides of the fort. 

Every 5 steps there is a door that opens into a room.  

The rooms are all linked by corridors and still have some beautiful frescoes on its walls.

All rooms are connected and lead to the other.

The fort was first named Sudarshangarh.

Later it came to be known as Nahar Garh which means home of tigers.

Movies such as Rang De Basanti and Shuddh Desi Romance have been shot here.












The large terrace of the fort with the domes. 

Below is the water reservoir with the steps leading down to it.

The planning that went into the construction of the fort, the years it took to complete it, the immense labour involved and the end result so majestic, and all this some three hundred years ago - it fills you with awe and admiration for the Kings who built it. As you walk around the fort, you know you are taking a little bit of history with you.

The Jal Mahal Palace, also called the Pleasure Palace. Jal means water in Hindi and Mahal is Palace.

Palace and the lake surrounding it were renovated in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh. It is built in red sandstone as is common in Rajasthan. It is actually five storied but four floors remain under water when the lake is full. Only the top floor is exposed. 

Tourists can only see this pleasure palace only from far. We are not allowed to go in. It is belieevd to have two structures in the front of the mahal, in the lake, for security guards to keep watch!

The road connectivity is excellent between the various tourist attractions in Jaipur and because of the ease of access and proximity, you can cover many spots in a single day; provided you can tolerate the heat. The city is very "hot".

Jaipur - The Conclusion

On the flight back home, none of us felt the sadness that we usually feel when our holiday ends - neither me nor Tanvi nor Sathya. We all felt this just once before after the Chennai trip. We had been through this rare feeling of not missing the place or the holiday when we had returned from Chennai.  And now it happened after the Jaipur trip. 

Did it have to do with the hot weather of Jaipur? Well, Hyderabad was hot, hot, hot too. But when our Hyderabad vacation ended, we were in tears. We literally dragged our bodies back home. We loved Hyderabad.

So what was it with Jaipur and Chennai? Why didn’t we cry hoarse that now we had to return to normal life, the daily grind and routine? That our short, 5-day vacation, sudden and unplanned had ended? 

Food? It could be the reason. I actually got fed up with roti, hundreds of varieties of it - hard, not easily digestible. And the aloo in everything! A simple South Indian meal was such a rarity and such a luxury here. Rs 140 per plate - just papad, rasam, rice, palya.

The weather was definitely another. 

Most importantly though was the noise in Jaipur. The men seem to place their hands on the horn as soon as they exit the gates of their houses in the morning and do not, mind you, do not remove it until they reach the gates of their houses in the evening. Those darned fingers are pressed tight to their horns. The honking does not stop. No sir! This crazy city is far from romantic. Itna zyada honking - unbelievable sound levels. 

And all this while, we used to be annoyed by the honking in Bangalore. Compared to Jaipur and Agra, Bangalore is still taking baby steps in the race for "The City with the Maximum Noise".

I remember reading the travel account of a foreigner on Quora. He had said India is high on decibel levels so much so that when he returned to his country, he wondered if the city had any living people on it anymore! It seemed so eerily quiet! The loudspeakers blaring devotional songs, the processions, and the honking - he immediately felt the vacuum.

Nevertheless, here are a few things that will stay with me when I think of the city of Jaipur. 

The row of shops with their names written on the walls. I had never seen this method of naming in any other city yet. And I  found it quite unique.

The flavors of Rajasthan at just rupees fifty for 300 grams!

The street outside Sisodia Rani Bagh - the Jaipur Bikaner Road

The Monster Paapad. Can't remember if it was priced at Rs 5 or Rs 10 only that it was really cheap.

The block printing work on the fabric in progress right outside the Gram Udyog premises

We bought two skirts here - one for me and one for Tanvi. The treatment the customer gets here is something you have to see for yourself. It's really hard to say 'no' to the persistent staff. When you use the last resort and say, "Not enough money", they immediately say, "No problem. Pay whatever little you can now, write your address and we will mail the product to you. You can pay later." We used that option just to see how the whole thing works and true to word, the delivery arrived right on time.

Below is the place where numerous movies have been shot showing the hero and heroine runring across the street, with the pigeons leaping into the sky. I wanted a shot of the pigeons in flight but they were all too busy eating. This is right in front of the Albert Hall Museum. 

You must visit Albert Hall if you are interested in history. It is the oldest museum of the state (was opened in 1887) and houses a wonderful collection of paintings, artifacts, monuments, ivory carvings, crystal works, metal sculptures and all things used and sourced by the kings back in the days. 

We didn't use any tour package to explore Jaipur. Like all our family trips, it was a self-exploration. We had made a list of places not to be missed and added a few after we went there. Sisodia Rani Bagh was one such last minute addition. We are glad we saw this beautiful residence of the Queen.

It is very well maintained and has few visitors. So it's a welcome patch of green, of peace and quiet in  an otherwise noisy city. 

Birla Mandir is another tranquil spot. The pure white, marble structure is beautiful in its simplicity. The Birla Mandir is present in many other cities as well like Delhi, Bhopal and Hyderabad, all of them built by the Birla business family. So if you have been to any of the other places, and don't have enough time, you can skip this one. 

The iconic Hawa Mahal. The stretch of road on which it stands is a very busy, crowded one today. Built in 1799 in red stone, it was meant for the queens and other ladies to watch the street processions and to escape the prying eyes of the public. It is supposed to have 950 windows!

I loved the forts, the palaces, the gardens, and the roads. The infrastructure is really good. So strange that a city with such good infrastructure has very few companies and people have to migrate to other cities/states in search of employment.