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Well, off we went to Jaipur. Going to Jaipur from Delhi by road is fun. The roads are good and you can see the typical Indian countryside, especially in winter when the fields are ablaze with flowering mustard plants. You can also see the majesty of the Aravalli ranges, which accompany us all the way to Jaipur. From Delhi, Jaipur is almost a five-hour drive. On the way you can find some clean eateries providing Indian and continental delicacies. When I am traveling within India I almost always take Chinese food, which is very Indian in taste!! The entrance to the old part of Jaipur City is very impressive. There are those tall impressive doorways or Gates of the Palaces. Every building or shop - private or otherwise - dons an earthy color. I don’t know why its called Pink City but the color is certainly not pink… for instance the HAWA MAHAL. We had our bookings at The Rajputana hotel. It’s a 5* deluxe hotel. We took a room and shared the double bed. My nieces were all gaga over the fact that India can boast of such luxury as a bathtub and hot water. Instead of wasting time at the hotel we dumped our luggage and went out shopping. Shopping should always be done from standard shops rather than wayside stalls. The prices in Jaipur are almost half from Delhi. What you buy for 2200 Rs. in Delhi you may get for as little as 650Rs. in Jaipur. The stuff to buy there are the local bandhej work on skirts, lehengas and saris. Jaipur is very famous for its mirror work, Kurtis and Lehengas. This true and authentic stuff can be bought at Rajasthali the Govt. handicrafts store or emporium. There are rows of shops that have ethnic wear, artificial jewelry or jewelry made of semi-precious stones. The girls were
so excited with their visit to the bazaar that they just wouldn’t leave.
But we had to eat too. At the hotel Reception it was suggested that we
visit a place called CHOKHI DHANI. No trip to Jaipur can ever be complete
without a visit to this place. It’s a typical rural Indian setting with
a distinct Rajasthani flavor. You have it all: fire–breathers, dancers
in colorful attire, artificial village, camel rides or rides in horse drawn
carriages. A traditional Indian cuisine is also included but it is advisable
to eat at the hotel instead.
Due to time constraints we had to tour the palaces within and around Jaipur in one day. So we had a heavy breakfast and started out around 10 in the morning. The first stop was Amber Fort. It is nearly 300 years old; the view from within Amber Fort is breathtaking. The flooring is so smooth almost like marble with exquisite patterns etched out on the floor and walls (murals). The ladies apartments overlooked the huge courtyard. The King’s living quarters were separate from those of his queens. You can almost imagine the ladies peeping from exquisitely carved Jharokas (windows) onto the courtyard. Next stop was the Nahargarh Fort built by Jai Singh II. It is famous for its armory and its battlements. The largest canon ever built is also here. Legend has it that the canon was fired only once and all the soldiers near it died. The fort displays the military hardware and the expertise of that era(1693-1743). To round out the tour the last visit was the City Place, which houses a museum, and living quarters of the present-day Maharaja Capt. Bhawani Singh. The famous and the most beautiful Queen of modern day India Maharani Gayatri Devi also resides here. Her biography A Princess Remembers gives an insight into the life and times of Indian monarchies. So with all our memories and imagination about the life and times of the royalty of Jaipur we left for Delhi early the next morning. A tour to Rajasthan cannot be completed in a day you need at least a fortnight. The places worth visiting are Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Jodhpur. The Royalty in Rajasthan is still adored by its people. A trip to India
can never be complete without a visit to Rajasthan a place which is so
vibrant, colorful, like living history.
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Life
In India Without The Trappings Of Power ~ 
