Jauntful Memories: November 2018

Rajasthan – A place you cannot have enough of.

Rajasthan, the land of kings, is truly a perfect blend of colors, heritage, culture, and history. Any amount of time spent here is insufficient as you will have to come back for more. Similarly, you will have to come back for Part 2 of the blog, as one article won’t do justice. After all, Rajasthan is the most popular tourist destination amongst both domestic and international tourists.

We planned a trip Rajasthan as we had never been there before, but had heard a lot about it. We had a tough time choosing the city to visit, as the state has a lot to offer, and everything looks equally appealing. Finally, we decided to travel to Jaipur, the Pink City.

Jaipur has a lot of beautiful boutique and heritage hotels and it was difficult to choose. After a fair amount of research, we zeroed in on Umaid Mahal.

Day 1

Umaid Mahal- A heritage Castle.

We arrived at Jaipur Railway Junction on October 25 afternoon and checked into Umaid Mahal, a heritage castle. The entrance of the hotel is enchanting and looks like the one of a haveli. The artistically furnished rooms, royal décor and great hospitality made our stay memorable.

Lunch at Roop Basant

In some time, we headed out for some authentic lunch. Google maps led us to Roop Basant Pavitra Bhojnalay, located near the station. It is a small local restaurant. The gatte ki sabjiand sev tamatar that we ordered was a treat for our palates. It was full of authentic flavours, soaked in ghee.

E-Autos in Jaipur

We planned a visit to Choki Dhani the same evening. Choki Dhani is a mock Rajasthani village in the outskirts of Jaipur.

It gives you a village experience with its ethnic architecture, dancers, acrobats, food stalls and much more. They serve Rajasthani thali, which is a belly buster. There are also local women who serve traditional bakhri roti along with ghee, jaggery, and chutney inside their small village-like homes. You can also indulge in games, shopping, talk to an astrologer, apply mehendi and enjoy the camel, elephant and horse rides. It is a very happening place to spend time with your family and get to know the local culture

Local women serving bakri roti

Grand Thali at Choki Dhani

Shopping at Chokidhani

Day 2

Jal Mahal

Our itinerary for Day 2 was to visit the three forts situated in the Aravalli ranges. - Nahargarh, Jaigarh, and Amer. On our way, we came across Jal Mahal, a palace in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. It is one of the most serene sights and was once a shooting lodge for the Kings. Though the actual palace is off limits, it a great photography site.

Nahargarh Fort doesn’t appeal much when you enter, but as you go inside, it keeps getting prettier. The fort has a Sheesh Mahal and a Wax Museum which were recently constructed for tourists. Both of them will leave you in awe and are beyond your expectations.

View from Nahargarh Fort

Wonderful architecture at Nahargarh

The wax museum is surprisingly accurately made and the Sheesh Mahal is just out of the world. It shows how hand-cut glass of different colors and mirror work were done on walls and ceilings of palaces. It is a MUST MUST visit.

Stepwell at Nahargarh

Then we headed off to Jaigarh Fort, which once was a victory fort and used for defending oneself from enemies. Inside the fort resides the Jaivana Canon, the world’s largest cannon on wheels. It weighs 50 tons.

Jaigarh fort

The fort is huge. You can drive through in your car too. It gives a great view of the city. The fort is massive, but I feel better maintenance is required.

Lunch at Khandelwal

After visiting Jaigarh, we stopped for lunch at Khandelwal Pavitra Bhojnalay. Many restaurants have “Pavitra” in their names, which simply means `pure vegetarian`. We again had a lip-smacking traditional meal and headed to the majestic Amer Fort.

Amer Fort - this place has all my heart. Words cannot describe the beauty of this palace. Also known as Amber Fort, it is popular as the fort of Princess Jodha, who later married the Mughal ruler Akbar. Their love story is still very popular.

Amer fort entrance

This magnificent fort, built of pink and pale yellow sandstone and white marble, is home to the original Sheesh Mahal(mirror palace), beautiful courtyards and some stunning photogenic spots. The fort is also a popular shooting location. Certain portions of the movie Jodha Akbar were shot here. Post-Sunset, the fort gets beautifully lit. One can also experience the sound and light show in the evening.

View from Amer fort

Amer Fort still has settlement around it. People here are into traditional handicrafts, block printings, gem cutting, etc. It has several government emporiums for shopping.