A revisit to the country of kings…
The day started early as I did not want to miss my train. I could have had a sleep-in though as the train was running with a 2 3/4 hour of delay by the time it arrived in Delhi.
This day also marked the beginning of my trip to Rajasthan, the crown jewel of India.
Seven and a half hours after we departed I arrived in Jaipur, a labyrinth of bazaars, opulent palaces and historic sights. It is also known as the pink city. A great place to start my exploration of Rajasthan.
A short rickshaw ride brought me to my hotel, which without doubt ensured I was in Rajasthan, such a beautiful and charming place.
After check-in I had drink and a call with Vladi, another day had finished.So much looking forward to discovering Rajasthan again.
With so many sights to see in Jaipur you would have thought I would start right there, well not exactly. Instead I opted to visit the Chand Baori step well which required a 200km return trip.
The Chand Baori is a step-well built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan, not an easy landmark to find, thus it is one of the hidden secrets of India!
It is one of the largest step-wells in the world and also one of the most beautiful ones, also it has been used as a film location for Batman, The Dark Knight.
Next to the step-well was a small but interesting temple, called the Harshad Mata Temple.
Two collections of brick to some perhaps but for me it was worth the four hour journey. Back at my hotel I went for a swim and relaxed for the remainder of the day.
Next morning was the beginning of my sightseeing in Jaipur. I had agreed with Rahul, the rickshaw driver who picked me up at the station two days earlier, for a full day tour of Jaipur and it’s surroundings.
Our first stop was Gatore Ki Chhatriyan, a beautiful Mausoleum which is located in the heart of the City. It contains the stately marble mausoleums (chhatris) of Jaipur’s ruling family. The compound consists of two main courtyards, each crammed full of imposing memorials.
Our next stop was just outside Jaipur and located in the Aravalli Hills. Amber Fort was a monument to the power of the Kachwaha Rajputs and was home to the maharajas and their families. The complex is spectacularly opulent, with splendid mosaics and frescoes, halls decorated with inlaid mirrors, and a particularly glorious set of moulded silver doors.
It was a steep climb up to the fort and although elephants were available for the ride I decided not to as I was aware of the way these gentle creatures are treated. I spent over 2 hours at this magnificent fort whilst Rahul was patiently waiting for me.
As I was getting hungry I requested for a break at a restaurant so I could have a bite to eat and a rest.
Next was an inevitable craftsman shop. Over there it was the usual painful show of the salesman showing his carpets and pashminas and a potential buyer who loved what he saw but was clearly not interested in buying. Once I addressed that the salesman rapidly lost interest.
There was supposed to be an extraordinary jeweller in the area but in order to avoid a similar scene I rejected that and requested to go to the window palace.
Once we arrived over there I had issues with my vision again and felt extremely dizzy, a sign I had enough for the day. I asked to return to the hotel where I slept over two full hours. It had been an exciting day!!!
A quiet evening and a good night of rest did the trick and I was ready for another day of exploring. There were a couple of things in the pink city I wanted to revisit so I took a rickshaw to Jantar Mantar.
A strange collection of circles, walls and stairs, Jantar Mantar is an early observatory. It was built by Sawai Jai Singh II in the early 18th century in order to predict the movements of the sun, moon and planets with the human eye. I did love to stroll around for a while and see with my own eyes this miracle of ancient technology.
Next to it was the entrance gate of the City Palace Museum, which occupies Jaipur’s City Palace. Built between 1729 and 1732 during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the palace lies at the heart of the city and has been home to the rulers of Jaipur since the 19th century. There were some interesting galleries of all sorts but I must admit I was more interested by the architecture of the place.
Just a short stroll away was Hawa Mahal, better known as the Palace of Winds. The pink façade of the fanciful Hawa Mahal has become the icon of Jaipur. Erected in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, the five-storey-high structure is only one room deep with walls not more than 20 cm thick, designed to enable the ladies of the harem to watch the lively streets below while remaining unseen.
By the time I finished looking around I noticed my back got a bit tense, the price of paying an seven kilo photo-bag in temperatures over 30 degrees. I returned to my hotel for lunch, had a swim and treated myself on a massage, then I went to my room and relaxed. There’s still one more day in Jaipur and I have not figured out yet what I want to do.
With Amber fort being one of the tourist magnets around Jaipur one might forget there are still two other forts which are widely neglected, a good excuse to go and visit them.
I booked an Uber for 5 hours and not much later we were on the road.
The forbidding hill-top fort of Nahargarh (“Tiger Fort”) stands in what was once a densely forested area near Ranthambhore National Park. Within the looming walls are multiple palaces and courtyards, added by successive rulers. The lavish and ornate Madhavendra Bhavan palace was added by Madho Singh II for his nine queens. I truly enjoyed walking through the labyrinth of countless alleyways. The best however were the breathtaking views over Jaipur.
The legendary “Victory Fort”, Jaigarh, watches over the old capital of Amber from a nearby hill. Connected to Amber Fort, this was a defensive structure that once housed the capital’s treasury. It contains the monumental 50-tonne Jai Van, said to be the world’s largest cannon on wheels. Not much was to be seen besides the cannon but the view over Amber Fort was one I will never forget. It was simply stunning!!!!
We then returned to the outskirts of Jaipur where my driver dropped me at Khole ke Hanuman Ji Temple, a highly religious and at the time I visited peaceful and quiet place. I admired some of the relics and witnessed the devotees pray.
As the next temple I wanted to visit was closed until 5pm I asked to be dropped in the pink city instead so I could stroll through some of the alleyways and watch every day life at the plentiful bazaars. It was indeed one of the highlights of the day.
Finally I took a rickshaw for a short drive to the Albert Museum. The most imposing treasure at this grand museum is one of the world’s largest Persian garden carpets (dating from 1632). The museum also has an extensive collection of paintings dating back to the 1500s. I was extremely surprised though to find an exhibition area of some ancient Egyptian treasures. Unfortunately it was not explained how they ended up over here.
The museum was a perfect way to finish my stay in Jaipur. I really enjoyed revisiting places I had seen before but also to discover new areas. Time to relax and then new adventures were laying ahead.
Next morning I arrived in plenty of time at the railway station and once at the platform I still could sort out the location of my couch.
With the train having no less than 24 couches it was important to stand at the right position of the platform. With the help of a handy train app and signs on the platform that was a piece of cake. Roughly two hours later I arrived in Ajmer, my next stop.
Ajmer is a Muslim dominant area and this was immediately noticeable when I entered the labyrinth. My hotel was in the centre of it so the chaos started right at my doorstep.
Ajmer is famous for the holy Muslim shrine of Dargah Sharif, the tomb of the great Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. I wasn’t sure whether I was allowed in so I continued my stroll through the narrow alleyways. I loved it.
I made a short stop to a food mall for a bite to eat after which I continued to the Nasiyan Jain Temple. That contained a large selection of curious art objects. Unfortunately I was not allowed to go into the main and more sacred part of the temple, which I had to respect.
Then I took a rickshaw out of town to the Nareli Jain Temple. It was located in a nice park and there was hardly anyone there. A nice contrast to the rest of the city.
That completed my day and I decided to enjoy a quiet afternoon. Later I went out again for a short stroll and enjoy the evening atmosphere in the hectic bazar before going to sleep.
A short rickshaw ride in the morning brought me to the neighbouring town of Pushkar, a holy town of temples, ghats and whitewashed homes. Pushkar is arrayed around the banks of Lake Pushkar, which is said to have formed when the god Brahma threw a lotus flower to the ground. From bells chiming at dawn to the colourful bazaars, it is a vibrant place to visit; pilgrims are drawn by the town’s Brahma Temple, considered the auspicious to visit.
My hotel was a 10 minute walk outside the center in a very quiet area. The welcome was heartfelt and although being far to early my room was ready for me. As I did not have breakfast yet I decided to enjoy in over here in the garden next to the pool.
Then I headed towards the centre for a stroll around the lake. No fixed plans, I just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere. The difference with Ajmer could not have been bigger. It was colourful, it was vibrant and also very cheerful. Besides attracting pilgrims Pushkar also acts like a magnet for loads of hippies who happily shared a joint or two with the sadhus to start their happy clappy day. Dressed like Indians, acting like Indians, they certainly made a strange and bewildered impression, especially after having enjoyed their joint for breakfast.
The atmosphere was breathtaking though. I enjoyed a fresh fruit juice at one of the rooftop cafe’s overlooking the lake. During my walk I did not know where to look, flamboyantly couloirs people everywhere, it was truly a dream.
After enjoying some street food I returned to my hotel. After a refreshing swim I headed back to the centre of Pushkar for sunset by the lake. It was magical, some people were playing drums and at the other side of the lake an arti ceremony started after the sun had set
I then went back to the rooftop cafe where I was earlier to have an oven baked pizza (which was amazingly good) and… a beer. Although Pushkar is officially a dry town ( it is the holy city of God after all) there is a solution for everything.
At the end of the evening there was a power cut in Pushkar so I had to return to my hotel in pitch dark. It’s one of those moments google maps and the torch on my telephone were my best friends…
No better way to see what a city is like than seeing it from a bird eye perspective. On one of the hills overlooking Pushkar the Savatri Mata Temple was built. A long and steep path was leading to it, but next to it was also a ropeway, a much better way to “conquer” the ascend. Whilst in one of the cars my fellow passengers started to sing which surely made it a heavenly ascend.
There were a lot of monkeys around the temple and after having left my shoes behind I was allowed in to witness some ceremonies and a breathtaking view!
Once I returned in the valley I slowly made my way to the bustling town and enjoyed the vibe both in the narrow alleys and at the lakeside. Once again I ended up at a rooftop cafe where I had some refreshing drinks whilst chilling out. It truly was a wonderful afternoon which I enjoyed a lot.
Continue to Rajasthan (2) – A revisit to the country of kings