Rajasthan-Jaipur

There is so much to see, so much to know, so much to take from India. Rajasthan is a classic example. 

Month: September
Year: 2014
Weather: Warm to hot
Itenerary: Bangalore-Delhi-Pilani-Jaipur-Jodhpur-Udaipur-Bangalore
# days : 9

My earlier impression of Rajasthan was (having studied there for 4 years) dry, arid, sandy , dusty and really bad roads. But I have to say, I was taken by surprise - great roads, really green and quite developed now.


After stopping in Pilani and spending a very nostalgic evening, we left for Jaipur. It is a good 3 hour ride from Pilani to Jaipur. We took the Chirawa-Jhunjunu-Sikkar road. Good roads maintained by the state. There are not a lot of well bred hotels, so if you are ok with dhabhas, then you should be good. Otherwise, finish breakfast and leave and you should reach for lunch.

JAIPUR

Stay: Pearl palace Boutique
website: http://www.pearlpalaceheritage.com/
phone: 0141-2375242

Jaipur is a city like any other city. Main roads, flyovers and what not. But the history of the city is quite fascinating.

(1) City palace
This is where Jai singh lived and conducted his court after moving from Amer fort. The royal family still lives here. The four gates signifying - spring, summer, autumn and winter really stands out.


This is moderately good. Nothing wow about it except for Raja Madhao singh's huge silver container which was used to take ganga water to london [Makes you want to yell - WHAT!]

(2) Jal Mahal
A nice beautiful monument in the middle of a serene lake. Looks beautiful and wish we could have rowed over to it. But the banks of the lake are filthy. Despite a board saying "No feeding the fishes and ducks", our very generous folks continue to litter. A bread crumb for the fish, a popcorn for self and 2 for the filth.


 (3) Amber fort
This is truly a wonder and the best of the lot. The sight of the palace and the fort looming on the skyline when you drive is beautiful. You can take the old fashioned elephant ride to the top, walk or go through the roads - each is good in its own way. The fort has been very well preserved and the spots are great - the sanganeri paintings, the turkish bath, the diwan-e-khas and diwan-e-aam, and most importantly the sheesh mahal.






The view from the fort is lovely. the river beneath with the curated gardens - takes you to another world altogether.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amer_Fort

(4) Jaigarh and Nahargarh
If you have time, do not forget to explore Jaigarh and nahargarh forts. Off the beaten track - Jaigarh has the biggest cannon in the world - weighs 150 tons

Nahargarh looked like a stealthy hangout for local love birds who have unashamedly tarnished the walls of the 300 year old beautiful fort. The government has restored it to a certain extent. So, you will still get a glimpse of Raj singh, madhao singh and man singh amidst "Nikhil hearts sonam"


(4) Hawa Mahal
Beautiful red and pinksandstone facade, wonderful sight. People say - its nothing, just a structure with nothing behind.. but then why should it have something behind? It was built for a purpose - for the women to see the royal festivities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawa_Mahal

(5) Chokhi Dhani
When somebody suggested this, I thought it will be a cliched, childish recreation half heartedly done. But I was mistaken - a nice retreat where the village atmosphere has been rightly captured. The puppeteers, mehandi ladies, the dancers, wrestlers, chat stalls, camel rides, bullock cart rides, elephant rides, boating - well conceived and executed

The artisans village is a nice place - not very expensive and good quality. Do not forget to buy the colorful puppets, beautiful.

And of the course the FOOD- awesome!

(6) Lassiwala (since 19--) opposite niro's in MI Road
Please please please do not forget to have lassi here.. lives up to all the hype. The shop has only 3 items
- lassi small
- lassi big
- curd
Selection is NOT always necessary :)
http://www.tripadvisor.in/Travel-g304555-c174347/Jaipur:India:Lassiwala.Jaipur.html

Explore johari bazaar and hawa mahal bazaar.
Eat outs: 

(1) Peacock roof top restaurant - paratha dal makhni combo was amazing
(2) Laxmi mishtaan bandaar - kachoris to die for and of course the thali
(3) ITC Rajputana - Thali

Blessed Generation, dont you think?

Can you imagine that 15 years ago, there were no mobile phones? Land lines were the Pulse and Tone of our lives. If one wasnt at home, we left messages and waited. We had cameras that took photographs that needed to be developed. We used to wait for 32 photos to be taken on a kodak or a konica roll. Then we would wait for a whole day or two to develop them. That excitement of the wait used to be so good.  One vacation was just 32 snaps. There was beauty in minimalism. And then there were tape players where we rewound and moved forward with immense patience. 10 songs in a rectangular device with spools. 

There used to be constant power cuts and no inverters. We would just step out or take a hand fan or go to the terrace if it was night time. Make shadow figures over a candle light on the ceiling, watch the wax melt and form shapes on the  candle stand, sit with your grandparents and listen to old village tales, and of course sweat like a pig. When we went to restaurants, we wanted anything that is not south indian and it most probably was panner butter masala or gobi manchurian. We did not know any other cuisine. We were glued to chitrahaar, top 10 countdowns. 

We were there and witnessed and experienced all this. 

And then we experienced mobile phones, digital cameras, pizzas, pastas, 100+ channels, YOUTUBE, orkut, facebook and what not...

We are a blessed generation, arent we... a bit of both , each enriching our lives in its own way!

Green Bangles

She had always loved the color green. It reminded her of the lush fields in her village, of her ribbon knotted in school, of the fountain pen that her grandfather gifted her when she stood first in college, of her first moped, of the t-shirt she got her husband for their first anniversary.

The green bangles on display looked good. Her favorite color too. Nothing has changed, she consoled herself. 

"Here you go", said the man, opening his paan box and handing over a wad of cash. "Take two if you want, bare hands don't look good. Don't wear them and sleep like your old ones. These will break".

She couldn't stop the tears welling up. The old ones were her mother's gift to her. She rushed out of the shop. The neon board was still flashing - 'C.S.Motilal & Sons Pawn Brokers - since 1935'

Life is Such....

I called my friend over for a cup of tea today over chat. We have been in touch on and off, but with school and college friends, it really doesn't matter, does it -  they know us quite well to understand the long silences between. We used to bunk classes together, sleep in huddles in a small room, share every tiny little event of the day and so on.. but now, she is married, has a kid and all that. We chatted up on the gmail. The urge to meet a friend is always manifold..but then comes a series of thoughts and actions and repercussions that you need to evaluate.. and that is exactly what she was doing.

She works in a MNC, she is already away from her kid for 7-8 hours a day, people at home are taking care and so, she is burdened with the guilt of it. Between the seconds that she is tormented to type in a yes or a no, she has to evaluate the feelings of her mother / mother in law, who is already pretty tired, her father/father in law whose indifferent glances she needs to ignore or bear, the looks of the neighbors which bore into her heart the feeling of "what kind of a mother is she" and then the complete guilt by which she is already overwhelmed.

And so she types in a NO....

Midnight Kiss

Oh, the routine. Morning begins, tea, cooking, washing , waking the  little one up, getting her up and ready-brushing, bathing, feeding, drop and pick up from school, making her sleep, taking her down for the evening play,  dinner, clean up, making her sleep again.....Phew!

And then a kiss. The little one hugs you in the sleep and kisses you as though it is the most natural thing to do in the world... And thank god for the routine, it is worth every minute of it :)

Power of the Senses

Years pass by, but a tiny note from a known song, the scent of an unknown flower, the sight of a patterned dress evokes memories that have been deeply buried in the folds of incidents and events. We underweigh the strength of our memories. They are unimaginable.

And blessed are those people who are still able to connect to them. If you still feel the same as what you felt then, then you have remained untouched by the years. You travel through time to live that moment again.

The pang of nostalgia is divine. It makes you feel alive. Words do little justice to those feelings evoked but still, something is better than nothing.

Saar Post!

I was playing with my daughter the other day with a set of cards called "People and Professions" . There was the usual doctor, carpenter, pilot... and suddenly flashed a card of a "Postman". Remember, the diligent human who used to deliver blue color inland letters, brown cards to our doorsteps. I am from the "eternal summer" land of Chennai and every postman would always ask for "thanni". My granny very meticulously would fill water from the tap and not from the vessel which contained the boiled water..:)

I do not see many postmen now. I see courier boys flipping karts or delivering the innumerable airtel bills. But no classic postman. Why? Because nobody is writing letters anymore and hence the absence of post boxes as well. My daughter associated the post box to the small box that is outside all houses either to collect milk packets or pizza hut fliers or worse "No parking" boards.

I really miss those days of postmen, circular dial telephones, 'boom-boom maatukaaran', night time kulfi man, vaerkadalai kaaran (thankfully this is still there, "kadalai" never stops ;) ) For all the non-tamil readers these were a bunch of people of the nineties who added color to my life.

Please do not condemn this post saying that "Our economy grew, we progressed and all that..". I completely understand. Its just that I miss them like we miss our grandparents who passed on....