Jaipur to Jodhpur

We were up early yesterday for breakfast and left Samode Haveli by 8.  A dust storm followed by rain had passed through Jaipur the night before, leaving broken limbs and debris all over Jaipur, but the rain was certainly welcome.  It was also Sunday morning, and people were buying breakfast at street markets.  The drive through Jaipur was a slow one.  

We drove on to Pushkar, an ancient temple town, about three hours southwest of Jaipur.  Pushkar is among the oldest existing cities in India.  “According to Hindu tradition, Lord Brahma, regarded as the creator of the universe, dropped a lotus flower on the ground, which led to the formation of a lake, and came to be known as Pushkar.  It is home to one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma, and is known as the king of pilgrimage sites.  No pilgrimage is complete without bathing in its sacred waters.  The lake is surrounded by 52 ghats (series of steps leading to water), and 400 temples.  

Most of the temples and ghats in Pushkar are from the 18th century and later, because many were destroyed during Muslim conquests in the area.  The temples were rebuilt, including the Brahma Temple.  Pushkar is famous for its annual Pushkar Camel Fair, a week long trading celebration in October each year, of cattle, horses, and camels. It attracts over 200,000 people each year.  About 1 million tourists go to Pushkar each year, 95% are Indian.”  

We were among very few international tourists yesterday.  We walked through the colorful street markets and then removed our shoes and walked through the Brahma Temple and to Pushkar Lake with its many ghats.  Dozens of camels were in and around the village, and cows are everywhere in India - roaming the streets and going wherever they please.  Our guide asked me not to take photos as it is a sacred place.  It was an unforgettable experience.

We passed another three hours driving through farmland, fenced into small plots, dotted with homes.  We saw people pumping water for inside use, at wells near their homes and at wells in small villages along the way.  We passed by a marriage ceremony, with the new groom leading his bride around a family burial site, surrounded by extended family.  Farmers were driving their tractors on the rough road we took, along with small motorbikes.  We stopped for a light local lunch along the way.  It was a lively drive.

We arrived in Jodhpur by 4 in the afternoon.  Jodhpur was founded in 1459, and today has a population of 1.6 million.  It is famous for its palace, hilltop Mehrangarh Fort, temples, and is known as the Blue City because of the color of so many buildings in the old city.  We are staying at Raas Hotel,  https://www.raashotels.com/jodhpur/, looking up at Mehrangarh Fort.  We took a short walk in the old city after we arrived, went to the hotel pool, then had supper on the rooftop of the restaurant as the sun went down.  

Monkey Temple, Albert Museum, Cenotaphs, and Home Dinner

We had another terrific breakfast under the banyon tree on the terrace of our hotel restaurant.  We left the hotel at 9 with Singh and Santosh to go to Galta Ji Temple, known as Monkey Temple.  It is a sacred complex a few kilometers east of Jaipur, set among hills and natural water pools, known for its peaceful setting and resident monkeys.  Just as we arrived, rain poured, so we ducked into one of the temples until the rain passed.  Monkey Temple is a very interesting place!

We drove back into the heart of Jaipur and visited Albert Hall Museum, the oldest museum in the state of Rajasthan, with local art, textiles, and history exhibitions.  Just as we arrived, a young Indian girl approached me, with her family, and asked us to have our photo taken with them.  This is not the first time this has happened.  The Albert Hall Museum opened in 1887 and is a beautiful example of Indo-Saracenic architecture.  

Our next stop was at Gaitore ki Bawdi, owned by the Royals, the site is filled with cenotaphs of only royals.  Its location is at the end of the road, in a quiet place, with beautifully detailed, elegant cenotaphs.  It was a hidden gem.  

This evening, we were invited to have dinner with family friends of our tour guide, Singh.  Our hosts were Dr. Meeta Singh and her husband, Dr. Ashok Singh.  Meeta is a doctor, humanitarian, and founder of Dignity of Girl Child Foundation.  Ashok is an Opthamologist.  We enjoyed conversation with them, about their lives and careers, what they are currently doing, and we had a typical Indian dinner together in their home.  It was a fascinating evening!

Jaipur

We had a wonderful breakfast under a banyan tree, on the terrace of our hotel restaurant.  Our guide and driver picked us up at 9, and we went to Amer Fort, located about 12 km from our hotel.  Amer Fort is a hilltop complex built by Raja Man Singh I in 1592, and named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2013.  It blends Hindu and Mughal architecture, featuring red sandstone and marble.  It is known for its Hall of Mirrors, its halls of Public and Private Audience, its courtyards and gardens.  It is impressive!

We stopped to take a photo of Jal Mahal, an 18th century, five story palace located in the middle of Jaipur’s Man Sagar Lake.  Built of red sandstone, the bottom three levels are submerged.  It was built as a hunting lodge for royal families.

Our next stop was at Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century, by Rajput King Sarai Jai Singh, and completed in 1734.  It includes a set of 20 main fixed instruments, designed for the observation of astronomical positions.  It features the world’s largest stone sundial.  It is the most significant, comprehensive, and best preserved of India’s historic observatories.  It was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2010.

We stopped to take a photo of Hawal Mahal, known as “Palace of Winds,” known for it’s unique five-story, honeycomb shaped facade featuring 953 small latticed windows, and made of pink sandstone.  Commissioned in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, it allowed royal women to observe street life while maintaining privacy, creating a cooling breeze through the structure.  

We walked to the City Palace, a royal residence today, and former administrative headquarters of the rulers of Jaipur.  Constructed of the palace began soon after establishment of the city of Jaipur, and was completed in 1732.  Jaipur remained the capital of the kingdom until 1949, when it became the capital of the present-day state of Rajasthan.  The City Palace continues to be the home of the Jaipur royal family, and the Maharajah Sawai Man Singh II Museum. 

After a local, typical lunch with our guide, Singh, we visited a weaving and fabric printing shop.  They were eager to show us their products, but we weren’t buying today.