I had planned to visit Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh with a dash into Uttar Pradesh to see the Taj Mahal and visit the city built by the Great King Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri itself. A planned two weeks which was split even steven between Rajasthan and UP/MP.
Except for my journey from Bangalore to Jaipur which was by flight, I had managed to plan the entire journey by train (leaving out a few places which I shall come to later). I must admit that IRCTC has done a wonderful job and their online booking service is very user friendly and intuitive.
It was in the true sense of a back packing tour with one bag of my belongings and a small sling to carry my wallet and water. A budget tour which was to allow me to see the sites, immerse in the culture and taste the exquisite bites of the local flavours.
The Destinations:
In Rajasthan – Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Mount Abu, Udaipur, Ajmer
In UP – Agra, Fatehpur Sikri
In MP – Gwalior, Kajuraho, Bhopal, Sanchi
What you’ll get here –
Details of what to see, what you can miss, how much to spend, where to stay, which trains/ buses/ autorickshaws to catch and how to fit everything into your budget.
The Journey begins:
March 8, 2009 – Jaipur
Well what can I say, the least expected happens and my flight made me reach Jaipur 4 hours late. The 9:30 flight from Bangalore which was to reach by 13:30 landed into Jaipur only at 17:30. I had planned to catch the 14:30 city tour bus and see all of Jaipur on that day with my train to Bikaner for the night that same day. I decided to stay over in Jaipur the next day and cancel Bikaner all together so as to enjoy the places I visited instead of rush through it all.
Jaipur airport is 12km from the city and you will get an auto for Rs 70-80 if you bargain though the autorickshaw drivers start with a price of Rs.250 with you. I paid a Rs.150 (I didn’t know the distance then!) however to reach the Railway station where the tourism office is located (yes! In the railway station on Platform 1, Room no 13). I quickly discussed the city tour plan and found there were 3 slots (Morning half – Rs. 150, Night tour – Rs. 250, Full day tour –Rs.200). I had the whole of the next day and it took me to a few more places that the half day tours didn’t so I took the full day tour which was from 9:00 to 18:00. Next I went to Hotel Swagatham, the Rajasthan Tourism Development Center (RTDC) approved hotel. Its exactly opposite the railway station and has dormitory rooms with 8 beds in a room for Rs. 100 a bed. I expected a run down place with bad facilities but was pleasantly surprised to find a decent dorm with clean bathrooms (cold water only but the weather was pleasant and a cold shower did me good). It also turned out that I had the whole room to myself as there were no other occupants that night. There was still daylight and I quickly headed out to see the main attraction of Jaipur, The Amer Fort. Little did I know that it was a little distance away and not as far as the autowala told me so I thought I had made a good bargain for Rs.200 since he had started at Rs.500 for a return journey.
I however think the money was worth the trip as I got a personal tour of the roads o
f Jaipur and some time at the Hawa Mahal and Albert Hall where I was eagerly trying out some camera shots to the amusement of the autowalla. Then came Amer Fort and its size took me by surprise, there it stood in the evening sun shining golden in colour and inviting me right in.I have to warn you that every autowalla, guide, shopkeeper is out to con you; they’ve done it so many times that its become an art at which they are experts. I bargained and bargained but realised that I had still fallen for it, I had paid too much at various places, I spent more than I ought to have but soon realised to put a proper value on everything around me. All this took time so in the beginning I fell again and again to the great amusement and delight of all I interacted with. I am 6’3’’ with a fair complexion and all the locals considered me a gora (foreigner). They would talk to me eloquently in an American English accent till I told them I was their bhai from Bangalore and talk to them in Hindi.
From the main road, locals have arranged for jeeps to take one up to the fort for Rs.25 per seat one way. All along the way you will be sweet talked into hiring a guide but you really don’t need one in the fort or in all the other places I explored in the two weeks to come. But like I said, I was still new to the experience, excited about reaching Jaipur and had wax behind my ears so I hired a guide for Rs.100. The fort itself is beautiful, very well maintained and the view from the top is priceless. What made it even more enchanting was the evening sky and the setting sun. I could see the outer wall running across till the eyes could see on all four sides and its said to be 12km long (another person I spoke to later told me it was 18km but then the length isnt important). Standing at the top of Amer Fort, you can see the ruins of the old palace, a handful of beautiful temples and cenotaphs of the kings around the fort itself.
Raja Man Singh built Amer Palace in 16th century. It is a mesmerizing blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. Jai Mandir, Sheesh Mahal, Sukh Niwas and Ganesh Pole are the main areas of interest in the palace. Exquisite glass work decorates all the walls and ceiling of Sheesh Mahal, it was made up into summer, winter and monsoon quarters with ingenius techiques of keeping warm in winter and cool in the summers. The story goes that huge wollen curtains were hung during winter to keep the whole area warm fro mthe hardh desert co
ld and thin cotton curtains were let down during summer. Water was passed along on these thin curtains so that the hot winds which blow in summer would cool as they blew into the living quarters of the royals. The mirror work itself is amazing and the architecture with which the whole Sheesh mahal is built is a marvel itself with water ducts and wind passages all around. The Sheesh Mahal is decorated with glass and mirror work all all sides and is something you can go again and again to see.There was a fresh wall being built when I visited Amer Fort, it had fallen over during the shooting of a new Hindi movie (called Veer which starts Salman Khan) and the guide gave me the full story of the legal proceedings as though he had close relations with the lawyer who was fighting the case and had insights that noone else had about it. You cannot but be taken aback by the craftmanship and work of the artists who painted the entrances, beautiful floral work with vibrant colours to match the high elegant buildings give you a glimpse of the olden days taking you back to the land of the kings and their maidens. Quarters for their numerous wives and even more concubines, stables of the horses and elephants, you take it all in as you roam the fort absorbing all that is around you and admiring the builders who constructed such a huge fort when there were no machines and earth movers.
While coming down from the fort, I went over to the Government run emporium to see the handicrafts, block print and Bhandhani print work for which Rajasthan is famous for. Little did gullible little me know that the government was out to steal my money – the cost of the materials, the little marble knick knacks, key chains and handmade pouches are exorbitant. Well priced for the foreigners and tourists, its beyond me how people can afford to spend that much even if the exchange rate is favourable to them. So after buying a sari for my mother and a couple of bedsheets I escaped before anymore damage could be done to my wallet. Having experienced the sunset from atop the fort, I made my way back to the hotel to drop off my luggage.
A quick stop over to freshen up, I got out determined to explore Jaipur nightlife and see the pink city under lights. A walk around the place and towards the markets brought me to whats happening everywhere in India. The cities are growing, the infrastructure is slowly but surely getting better, the flyovers are cropping up at every corner; but along with it, the filth is accummulating, the vehicles on the road are doubling and pollution is getting to us. After a couple of kilometers of walking around I sighted a nicely lit shop called ‘Rawat’ selling Rajasthani food. Making sure I get my first bite of the local flavour, I dashed in to have the best Kachori’s, somasa’s and malai lassi I’ve ever tasted (the lassi was a little too sweet for me but it was so thick and rich that I actually had to eat it with a spoon!). I’m known for a huge appetite but noone can eat anything after the ‘snacks’ I had. Filled to the brim and very happy, I headed back to my hotel and my bed.
March 9, 2009 – Jaipur
I was thinking of taking the morning tour (half day starting at 7:30) since I had seen a few spots the previous day but there werent enough people for it to run and so I took the full day tour (9:00 – 18:00) instead. I was to report half an hour earlier so it was still about 7:00 when I had gone to the tourist desk and made to return back; I decided to go back to ‘Rawat restaurant’ to try some breakfast. After a filling breakfast of Poha, kachori and Jalebi (yep, sweets in the morning also was a first for me but like they say, when in Rome, be a Roman).
The tour bus was a nice push back seat luxury bus (with a large chunk of revenues coming in from tourism, the Rajasthan government sure has recognised the importance of good amenities) and off we went of my first ‘guided’ tour (one of many to follow). The guide was absolutely hilarious who went about with an air of authority, showing us the sights of Jaipur. “Look left, there is a park… children play in the park. Look to your left, you wi
ll see government building; in front is high court, there people are sent to jail…. When I am talking, no one else is talking, be quiet!”. There I was laughing my head off and following me were a bunch of guys from college who had come to Jaipur on their week long break. Pleasantries were exchanged and from then on it was a laughing spree at the poor expense of the guide. I know I must sound rude but it was all in good humour. A huge family had come from Palestine and they really had no idea why these 4 guys were laughing their heads off when ever the guide said something.We passed Albert Hall and Hawa Mahal with promises to stop on the return trip back and the first destination was the city palace. Jaipur itself had been built like a fort with 8 gates, of course now it has expanded beyond the walls and expanded but you still see the huge gateways and roads carry cards and buses right through the gates. The City palace is a beautiful building, painted pink like the whole of Jaipur and is mai
ntained very well. When we had entered, there were a group of dancers dancing to some traditional music inside on of the halls. The palace is now divided into 3 areas, one section is the museum, filled with old armour and swords and the rich dwellings of the kings, the second section is an open house with beautifully carved work while another section houses world famous artists who showcase their artwork and handicrafts.From the palace, we headed to the Birla Mandir next to which lies Moti Doongri (small palace built for the queen; some generation of the royal dynasty still lives in it seems – so the guide informed us). The Birla temple is carved out of marble and the inside ot was cool and pleasant. A 10 minute stop and after being huddled back into the bus,
we headed to Jaigarh fort which is on top of a hill and is the home to the second largest cannon in Asia. The story goes that the cannon was fired only once for a test; the cannon firing was so loud that it deafened the soldiers present. The king ordered it never to be fired again. From the top of the fort, you get a very nice view of the pink city in all its splendour. Desolute and standing by itself, the vastness of the fort gives one a very secure feeling; to imagine that one even tried to attack and capture these forts in itself is unbelievable. Another fort close by is the Nahargarh Fort which is equally mezmerising. Anyway atop the fort is a restaurant and being miles away from civilization, we have no other choice but to have lunch at the place. A normal thali for Rs.100 (highly over priced) was too much but I was equally famished.After lunch we headed back to the city and to Jantar mantar, a place I had read so much about and was waiting to explore. It did not fail to disappoint and I was astonished by the astronomical genius th
at lay before my eyes. The solar calendar, the zodiac signs, time calculated to the second; built across a vast expanse, this amazing astronomical three-storey-high observatory was built between 1728 and 1734 based on the drafts of Maharaja Jai Singh II. Jantar Mantar in sanskrit means ‘magical device’ and it is indeed magical to have been built so precisly more than 200 years back.Our next destination was the Jal Mahal, an intricately designed palace built in the middle of Mansagar lake but which we cannot enter. Next stop was to an old temple close to which is a famous shop for leather goods (of course at this point you must be informed that the guide does get a commission of everything that you buy from any place he takes you, it’ll be a prearranged agreement so now that you are informed, feel free to shop).
The guided tour was coming to a close and we were heading back so I got off at the Hawa Mahal to have a closer look (and to do some shopping in the markets which surround the place). The Hawa Mahal must have been very beautiful to look at once upon a time; today however only the front portion with its latticed windows and stone screens are seen, the rest of the building no more exists. It stands as a testimony of the exquisite craftsmanship of the times.
All around the Hawa Mahal is a shopping paradise, this is the place for you to shop in Jaipur – you gets bargains galore, you get everything you’ll want and the starting price will be half the price at the governmen t museum stores. Of course you have to bargain and of course you have to check the quality of the materials you are buying but then that is all part of the whole experience. You lose face if you don’t bargain and haggle! My recently acquired friends who had joined me for the shopping and I quickly stated off, trying turbans and kurtas, checking out a sword makers store and even checking out an old camera whose proud owner told us it was made in the 1940’s. Everywhere you looked up at the sky, you saw droves of pigeons flying about and now that the sun was setting, they were all returning to their homes, the sky was filled with them and it sure must have made a wonder shot for someones high powered camera.
Dinner was an experience I wont forget soon, one of them had heard of special roti’s that were available and the next one hour was a hunt for those special roti’s which sadly we never found! We had a filling dinner of jowar ki roti’s
however at a road side stall and caught a local bus back to the railway station (they also had taken up a room close by it seems). Over all a very good day and I had to catch my train that night to Jaisalmer. After washing up and a quick dinner I headed out to the Railway station and voila, I see a small palace like structure bathed in purple light and that was the railway station, it was completely transformed into a sight which can never be explained but only experienced!!Seeing that this travelogue is going to take longer in terms of time and matter, I’m going to post this city wise. It makes it easy for me to write and easier for you to read.
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