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| Hawa Mahal |
The
rich cultural heritage, the blue bloodlines, the busy markets under the Hawa
Mahal, the lac bangles and earrings, the whole 9 yards of Bandhej and Leheriya
saris, and stimulating aroma of sweetmeats are the things that you will notice
about Rajasthan’s capital royale; Jaipur. These are definitely the clichés but
who cares as long as these same clichés make the pink city vibrant and cheery.
Laudable architecture and brilliant craftsmanship topped with the hospitality
received is something to sing home about.
A
short trip to the city last fall made me fall in love with the sheer beauty of
its heritage. Well maintained and looked after, the beautiful palaces stand
proud and tall even today without a hint of change but at the same time having
beautifully blended with the progress Jaipur is seeing today. A weekend trip
meant much to do and see with very little time in hand, but I was determined to
make the most of it.
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| Peacock Door at City Palace |
The
best way to get around in Jaipur is but of course by an air conditioned car,
take my word on this. With that at my disposal I ventured out to seek my first
stop, The City Palace as any clichéd tourist would. Do I hear some disapproving
nods? Let me ask you a question, would you go to Germany and avoid the cliché
aka the beer? I think not, because sometimes it’s the clichés that actually
make the place, and Jaipur is akin to palaces and all things royal.
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| City Palace |
The City
Palace is serves as a part residence to the king of Jaipur and part of it is
open to tourists and visitors, but lets not get into these boring details now,
you have Wikipedia for that anyway.
The palace is actually a museum of sorts
housing relics and other pieces of Rajasthan royalty over the years. One of the
best and interesting displays there was the huge carriage collection. The
beautiful peacock door in the courtyard serves as a resplendent backdrop for
that must have photo, and if you are wondering then yes I gave into another
cliché here but what the heck I got a hell of a picture!
It is advisable to not
spend a lot of time here especially if you are on a time crunch like me. a
quick walk through the various displays, a few pictures here and there and you
are more than done to move on to the really good stuff now.
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| Amer Palace |
Take the ride to
Amer palace, which looks like a picture perfect set from a Sanjay Leela
Bhansali film. Located a little outside the bustling city, this labyrinth of a
palace also houses the enchanting Sheesh Mahal or The palace of mirrors.
Beautiful mirror work embedded on the walls and ceiling, sparkling in the
sunlight is a sight you will rarely see in your lifetime, a glistening jewel if I may call it. Another
spectacular structure is the beautiful and well manicured lawn placed in the
middle of the lake that surrounds the palace.
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| Floating Lawns at Amer Palace |
Walk around the palace, go trigger happy and avoid the so called tour
guides. Thirsty from all that walking? The palace also has a coffee shop and a
souvenir shop where you can grab a quick coffee and pick up a few souvenirs to remember
your trip.
Who can
come to Jaipur and not take a view of the beautiful Jal Mahal. Located in the
middle of the Man Sagar lake. The mahal actually appears as if its simply
floating on the serene waters.
Sadly they have stopped tours of the palace a few years back.
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| Jal Mahal |
Next
up; thanks to Rang De Basanti, Nahagarh fort has become the photostop for every
Bollywood buff, who can try and avoid taking a picture here! Overlooking the city
the fort captures the essence of Jaipur in a blink. Go here at night to see a
beautifully lit Jaipur. Once you have taken in all of the beauty and had your
fill of city gazing, grab a table at the café which rests at the top of the
fort with some really great views. Order your drink (yes you can drink here!) and
some basic fare (read oily French fries and Maggie). Do not expect great
service or mouthwatering food, anyway this isn’t about dinner but more about
the experience. A great place to just simply unwind with friends and a perfect
end to a day of sightseeing.
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| View from Nahargarh Fort |
Shopping
in Jaipur:
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| Local Finds |
Jaipur
is a treasure trove for shoppers, from sarees to jewellery and beautiful handicraft
items, you will find them all here. A few famous spots to shop are Johari Bazar
fro your tye & dye sarees, Bapu Bazaar fro perfumes and Mojris (leather
shoes), M.I. road for handicrafts.
Where
to eat:
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| Chokhi Dhani |
Head
to Anokhi Café for breakfast. Serving vegetarian fare this Café is very popular
with the foreign tourists. Situated in the Anokhi showroom, this small café serves
some fine food and is peaceful.
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| Breakfast at Anokhi |
Looking for a place to have some Dall Baati
Churma? Then Santosh Bhojanalaya is the place to go to get your fix. Do something
different for lunch, head to Rawat’s to
grab a few of their delicious kachoris and ghewars.
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| Thali at Chokhi Dhani |
Grab an enormous and never ending
thali with an experience at Chokhi Dhani for dinner. For meat eaters, head straight
to Handi on M.I. road where you can grab the famous ‘Lal Maas’ aka spicy mutton
curry with wafer thin rotis.
·
Carry lots of sunscreen
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Wear light cotton clothing
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Don’t forget your sunglasses and your camera!
