The Mystical Rajasthan

King-size forts and palaces, vast deserts, lakes and gardens, wildlife, pilgrimage, and a vibrant and colorful culture; Nothing else describes Rajasthan better. Of course, it is much more than that. Every year, between October to March, Rajasthan plays host to tourists from all over the world. I too had my opportunity when shortly after my marriage, my wife and I decided to discover the desert land. Both of us share a fascination for hills and therefore all our previous sojourns took us there (more on those travel experiences some other time). This time, it had to be different.

The 10 hour long journey between Chandigarh (a neatly planned city in Northern India and place I grew up in) and Jaipur (the capital city of Rajasthan) is tiring, to say the least. And since we travelled through the night, lack of sleep made it even more painful. I am the kind who cannot sleep in buses or trains no matter how comfortable or luxurious they may be.

Day 1
Upon reaching our hotel in Jaipur, we retired to our comfortable rooms. Hotel Maurya Palace is right in the heart of the city and next to the famous Raj Mandir theatre. With its Rajasthani decor, neat and clean rooms, nice food (although I do not understand why most of the hotels in Rajasthan hesitate in including the local cuisine in their menus), hospitable, and polite staff, the hotel exceeds in terms of expectations.

After lunch, with our transportation arranged, we set out to explore the city. Pink City as it is popularly called (In 1876, Jaipur colored itself pink to welcome Prince Albert and Queen Elizabeth II and thus the name) is bustling with activity for most part of the year. The place is a hub of typical Pajasthani dresses, bandhani sarees being the most sought after and then kurtas and pyjamas with fine embroidery, handicrafts, rajasthani shoes (those peculiar ones with a bend you will find only in Rajathan), and God only knows what else. Our first stop was the famous Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Wind). Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, its spectacular design enabled the ladies of the royal household to view the city, its bazaars and processions without being watched by the city folk. A five story structure built entirely of red and pink stone, it is known as Hawa Mahal because cool air constantly circulates through the 953 small casements or windows even in the hottest months when temperature exceeds 45 degrees. You can feel the air breezing through these windows if you try to cover them with your hands.

Next, we drove to the Jantar Mantar. Built between 1728 to 1734 by Maharaj Jai Singh, it is an observatory lined up with various instruments to view the position and movement of the heavenly bodies. Different instruments perform host of different functions like predicting the length and heaviness of the monsoon for the local area, longitude and latitude of the celestial bodies etc. Although, I had immense trouble in understanding the scientific logics behind the instruments (being the geek that I am), the sheer scale of ideas, readings and calculations undertaken left me humbled. We were told that since we started late, there was only one other place that we could visit before winding up for the day and this was Jal Mahal. Jal Mahal is a picturesque fort right in the middle of the Man Sagar lake. Built in 1799 A.D by Sawai Pratap Singh, it was majorly used for the king’s parties. During winters, thousands of migratory birds flock the lake. Although the view is quite scenic with the Amber Fort on the hills in the background, the maintenance of the lake and the palace leave much to be desired. You cannot venture near the lake as the water stinks and the palace itself presents a sorry picture with the plasters coming off its walls.

Finished with our excursion, we returned to our hotel. With ample time at our disposal and sleep elusive (we had a fair share of it during the first half the day, we decided to watch Rang De Basanti (a hindi movie) at Raj Mandir. Just in case you are wondering what’s so special about it, consider wall to wall carpeting, cushioned seats, colorful lighting, Rajasthani paintings and carvings on the walls and a thin sheet of curtain that goes up and comes down before and after the show in a movie theatre. All this combined makes a simple movie show, an out of the world experience. Although I thought the movie was crap, the magical experience inside the hall compensated more than enough for the lost time and money.

Day 2
We headed straight to the City Palace. An amazing blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture, City palace is a huge walled structure encompassing within it series of courtyards, beautiful gardens and mahals (palaces). These palaces give enough evidence of the rich and luxurious life its inhabitants led once. Paintings, floral decorations, mirror walls and ceilings in the traditional style adorn the palace. Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum has an extensive collection of art, carpets, enamelware and 15th century weapons. The paintings include miniatures of Rajasthani, Persian and Mughal schools. A section of museum also contains dresses and costumes of the former Maharajas and Maharanis of Jaipur. Out of the City Palace completely awestruck, I had more of it coming. Situated on the hills just 11 kms. from Jaipur is the Amber fort. Primarily a military establishment at one time, the fort was built by Raja Man Singh, army commander of Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1600 AD, continued by Raja Jai Singh and then completed to its present form by Sawai Jai Singh in the eighteenth century. Although, it resembles the City Palace in many respects with its series of buildings, pavilions, and courtyards, its noteworthy architectural marvels are the 'Diwan-E-Khas', the 'Sheesh Mahal' and the 'Jai Mandir' with exquisite mirror work, the 'Diwan-E-Aam', the 'Sukh Niwas', the Shila Mata Temple, Kali temple and the well laid out garden known as the 'Kesar Kyari'.

Day 3
We dedicated day 3 to pilgrimage. Some 130 Kms to the west of Jaipur is the City of Ajmer. With an eventful history and affinity to the neighbouring village of Pushkar, Ajmer is a travellers delight. Home to the Dargah of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Ajmer is thronged by muslim pilgrims from all over the world. On way to the Durgah through several narrow lanes, you will be constantly haunted by more than friendly and persistent guides. As is true for every religious center, Ajmer Sharif is also crowded with people almost all through the year. Amidst the sufi music and qawallis, we offered Chadar, Ghilaph, and Neema which are traditional offerings for the sacred tomb (where the mortal remains of the saint are buried).
From Ajmer, we made the half hour journey up Nag Pahar to the town of Pushkar. Famous for its annual Pushkar fair during which camels from all over India are traded, raced and a beauty contest held showcasing the most gorgeous ones, Pushkar also boasts of the only Brahma Temple in India. A small town set amidst a natural and sacred lake, a dip into which promises to free you of all sins, is highly recommended. At the very least, its cool waters will invigorate a new energy in you after you have been through the hustle and bustle of the two religious townships. The temple houses a four-headed idol of Brahma and is decorated with silver coins and a silver turtle on its black and white floor. Legend has it that Lord Brahma, together with all the gods and goddesses had performed a Yagna (Religious ritual) here. After paying obeisance at the temple and performing a small puja, we headed back to the capital city with fond memories of these twin towns where both Hindus and Muslims cut across religious divides to revere their holy land.

The Rajasthani magic was only beginning to unfold on me.

To be continued…