#10) Roaming through Rajasthan

After spending a few days in Bangalore I boarded a plane bound for the desert state of Rajasthan in the northwest of the country on the border with Pakistan. I had originally made a pact with myself not to take any flights except for when traveling between countries, however I decided it was more efficient with the clock ticking on my tourist visa to take a two hour flight rather than a two day train ride. In my experience it's been much more fun and worthwhile to take local trains and buses because I've been able to see everything in between destinations and had the opportunity to interact with more people along the way. But in this case I wanted to maximize the remainder of my time in India and flight was really cheap so Time is Money > It's the Journey, not the Destination. 

At any rate I ended up in the "Pink City" of Jaipur. The city receives it's nickname from the color of the buildings in the old portion of the city which have all been painted a pinkish/orange color. People had been telling me how different northern and southern India were culturally and when I arrived in Jaipur I immediately perceived the contrast. This is the India that people typically imagine - men with giant mustaches and bright turbans, women with elaborate piercings and colorful saris, camels pulling carts full of wares down the street, and magnificent palaces built by the maharajahs of legend. It is a land of very rich culture and tradition to explore - and I did for the better part of a month. Below you will find all the pictures from Part 2 in India! I had too many pictures to try and fit into one post - so check back in a few days for Part 2.5 and my final reflections on my time in India. 

Check out my handy travel map to see where I've been and where I am now!

(PS - I apologize for the quality of some of these photos. The first few have some black spots from dust that got into the lens which I didn't notice until after I uploaded the pictures.)

One of the entrance gates to the Old City of Jaipur where the streets were lined with shops and markets selling everything you could imagine. There were a few gates on each side of the walled portion of the city and from the color you can clearly see why it is known as the "Pink City". It was founded  in 1727 by (and named after) Jai Singh II when he shifted the capital of his kingdom from Amer to the present location of Jaipur.

Jai Singh II had a keen interest in astronomy and he built a huge complex of scientific instruments known as Jantar Mantar (Meaning "Calculation Instrument"). This is the giant sundial (or Samrat Yantra) measures 27 meters high and can accurately tell the local time within 2 seconds.

The complex was sprawling like a maze and had so many different types of instruments that I had no idea of their actual purpose. You can bet it was something scientific though.

More instruments - these ones look like gongs. Can you tell I didn't hire a guide?

This is the City palace where the royal family actually lived. Only parts of it were accessible and most of it was off limits to photography unfortunately so I only got a few pictures. It was also possible to take a VIP grand tour of the more sumptuous, private interior where the royal family is still living - but the cost was just a bit out of my budget.

The interior courtyard of the royal palace. The pavilion hosted a little museum with various textiles and artifacts from the royal family's history.

A door in the interior courtyard decorated with peacocks - really beautiful and elaborate work. The sun was intense that day (as you can tell from the picture) so I wasn't able to get a great picture, but I have a thing for peacocks so I decided to include it anyway.

Another beautifully decorated doorway in the same courtyard. Each of the four doorways was decorated to represent the four seasons. Even the door itself is designed stunningly.

Last door, I promise.

This is a baby goat in a sweater - you're welcome. Even though most of  Rajasthan is made up of the Thar Desert it is still winter in January and it gets really cold at night - this little guy needs the sweater as much as we do.

This goat must've been drunk cause he was trying to climb this tree - bonus baby goat number two in the teal sweater.

Go Blue! This guy didn't even actually know what was on the sweater he was wearing and he definitely didn't go to U of M, but still - represent. I've actually come across a few people wearing OSU gear on my travels too and you best believe I give them some serious stink eye.

The Hawa Mahal (or "Wind Palace") is the most instantly recognizable landmark in Jaipur. This exterior facade is just that really - a facade. The inside is much less ornate, but still interesting non-the-less. It was built with the many windows and lattice work so that the women of the royal family could look out onto the festivities of the streets below without being seen themselves.

This is the flip-side of the facade from the interior courtyard. 

A tower within the Hawa Mahal complex.

The inside of a tower/box overlooking the streets below. Notice the intricate lattice work of the windows.

The hustle and bustle of city visible in the streets below seems worlds away from the (relative) quiet of the interior. 

A doorway with arches and stained glass work - I thought this was a cool shot. 

From Jaipur it was just a quick bus ride for a day trip to Amer (Amber) - the formal capital of  the same kingdom. This is the massive Amer fort perched up on the hillside. 

Walking up the ramparts of the fort. This entrance is the main entrance that would be used to receive other important visitors because it is more elaborately decorated to impart a sense of grandeur on the guest. A second, smaller gate on the other side would be used to receive the common folk.

After a few more gates and courtyards I arrived at the gate which leads to the private quarters of the royal family. It is known as the Ganesh Pol (Gate) - because there is a depiction of the Hindu deity Ganesha painted above the gate. He is known as the "remover of obstacles" in the Hindu religion and every palace I've been in had such a gate.

This pavilion is in the same courtyard as the aforementioned gate and was used to receive important guests and dignitaries. 

Here is that same pavilion - the doors in the back supposedly lead to an elaborately decorated room, but it was closed off to visitors. The sign said that one of the Raja's had converted it into a billiards room at one point.

A floating garden in the lake below the fort. I would have loved to walk through it, but it was also closed to visitors.

Remember that gate? This is the view through the lattice work above the gate - again used so that the women of the court could look down on processions in the courtyard without being seen themselves.

This is the pavilion and garden combo that you come upon once you make your way through the gate. 

A better view of the garden - I thought that the geometric patterns were really cool.

The "mirror palace" inside the pavilion in the previous picture.  Beautifully decorated.

Such intricate and breathtaking work.

This is an ingenious early form of air conditioning - water would be run down this slope which featured grooves to slow the water down as much as possible on it's way down. The breeze would catch the trickling water and would therefore cool the room. In addition they would hang giant woven "curtains" made of reed sticks soaked in water over the openings of the pavilions to catch the breezes as well. Must've been really nice to be royal at that time.

This is the oldest section of the fort and you can definitely tell from the mildew on the exterior walls. This pavilion used to be used by the royal family for meetings.

These sneaky little parrots lived in a little hole on the exterior wall of the fort. Such pretty colors.

I stayed long enough in Jaipur to go to the big kite festival which from what I gathered is held every year. The sky was literally filled with kites and everyone took a turn at flying them. The goal was actually less to actually fly the kite, but more to cut the strings of other people's kites with your own as they were flying. Each time you took down an enemy kite it was met with cheers and big smiles. Lots of fun!

The guy in white flying the kite is Suraj - he took me to his neighborhood and taught me how to fly a kite. I met him randomly on the streets of Jaipur when he flagged me down for a chat over some chai from a local street stall. He is a traditional Rajasthani musician  and also drives a rickshaw - he is probably the most sincere person I've ever met.

Usually when a kite goes down it is still good to fly again - you just tie on a new piece of string and patch any little holes in the paper. These kites were not so lucky - it's like the kite-eating tree from the Peanuts. 

The houses in Suraj's neighborhood were all one room shacks made of bricks, plaster, or cement with roofs made of metal sheets - essentially what we would think of as a slum in the West. It was a really humbling experience to be taken there and I had an amazing time with Suraj and his family and friends. When I pulled out my camera to get some shots all of the little kids who were living there really wanted me to take their picture for them. They would make silly poses and try to get my attention. 

The guy in the white checkered shirt was Suraj's little brother and the other two are just friends. By the number of kites he's holding you can see how many you actually go through throughout the day. They are made out of a simple wooden frame and tissue paper and cost next to nothing. 

Some of the young men in the neighborhood were blasting Indian music and dancing on top of the nearby roof - it was a real party. The one in the blue jacket taught me a few moves while I was there. 

The little boy in red is Suraj's son and the little girl in mustard yellow was obsessed with my camera - she wanted to be in every shot with multiple different poses. I finally had to tell her no otherwise I would never have gotten any pictures of the kites.

After spending a few hours at Suraj's place we took his rickshaw to another part of town where we flew more kites with some friends of his atop a partially constructed building. The area had taller buildings than his neighborhood and the rooftops were all filled with people flying kites.

The sky was equally as filled with kites.

From the roof of the building we could see the Jal Mahal - the water palace of Jaipur. I was told this one was not open to visitors - but I would have loved to have taken a boat out to see it.

Suraj flying his kite with expertise - he's been flying kites like this since he was a little boy.

After Jaipur I took an overnight train to Jaisalmer which is on the opposite end of the Rajasthan from Jaipur. It ended up being a very cold and somewhat sleepless night because I didn't have a proper blanket on the train. If you pay for upper classes you get free bedding for the trip - but since I was in one of the lower classes I had to make do with just my silk sleeping bag liner. Definitely not enough warmth for a Rajasthan winter, but I survived and learned my lesson about being under-prepared.  Now that I've gone on a long rant without actually telling you anything about this picture - Jaisalmer is known as the "Golden City" because of its buildings made of yellowish sandstone and it is famous for it's hilltop fort.  This is the main gate to enter the said fort.

Dodging cows in the street is a way of life in India. I thought this one was a particularly cute specimen - something about the floppy ears and those eyes.

A lot of the windows of the buildings have beautifully carved lattice work similar to that of the palaces. Like the palaces these houses were obviously inhabited by people of considerable wealth. In Rajasthan there are many heritage Havelis - or private mansions - that were built by wealthy merchant families for them and their posterity to live in. Some have been converted into museums while others were made into posh hotels.

A street inside the Jaisalmer Fort - what is unique about this fort in particular is that it is actually a livable fort where many homes, businesses and restaurants are set up within the fortifications. about 2,000 people still live within the wall while most other Rajasthani forts were simply meant for the royal family and defense purposes.

A home located within the fort. Not a famous Haveli, but still a cool little house.

Another, much larger home located within the fort. Also not a famous Haveli - I didn't actually go inside any of the famous ones.

Inside the fort is an elaborately decorated Jain temple complex. I don't know much about Jainism as a religion, but it was interesting and beautiful nonetheless. This is an exterior wall if I remember correctly. The rules for entering a Jain temple (or at least this one) are different than entering a Hindu temple. In particular you were not permitted to take any leather into the temple - which means I left my belt and (empty) wallet with my shoes outside of the temple entrance. Women who were on their cycle were also not permitted inside the temple.

Inside one of the courtyards of the temple complex - it was carved out of the same color sandstone as the rest of the buildings inside the fort.

An entry to one of the temples.

Inside said temple. Each column was intricately carved with figures and designs.

A beautifully carved archway leading into a circular chamber. Notice how the archway is made of sandstone but the decorations inside the rotunda are all colorfully designed.

Inside another rotunda in the temple. So amazing.

Some dragon/lizard carvings along the wall.

The figures were so intricately carved - I can't even begin to imagine how long it took for the artisans to make them.

Apparently too long because someone got lazy on this one. I had a good laugh over this.

But this one - this one is REALLY well carved...if you know what I mean.

Most of the interior was the same yellow sandstone color - but this area had lots of (faded) colors in addition to the statues.

I'm not sure what these statues were made out of but there were hundreds and hundreds of them in rows and lines throughout the temple complex. I believe that they are deities of some sort in the Jain philosophy according to what one of the temple priests told me.

They all had been carved out of one piece of stone and then the bejeweled lips, eyes and brows were affixed later.

After the temple I headed to the little lake/reservoir to catch some of the last rays of sun for the day.  You could take a little tour around the lake in a boat from the jetty on the left but it was really more of a small pond and didn't seem worth it to me. Either way it was serene - until a roaming pack of stray dogs began barking loudly at a rival gang and disturbed the peace.

A duck of some sort gliding peacefully through the water.

Its mate not far behind.

Overlooking the lake. This would be romantic if I weren't alone.

From the lake I quick caught a rickshaw in order to see the sunset from a cafe overlooking the Jaisalmer fort - the best view in the city in my opinion.

The sunset was spectacular.

Camels! Jaisalmer is really far out into the Thar desert and camels are obviously a way of life. One of the most popular things to do here is go on a camel trek into the desert. I decided to go on an overnight trek and sleep under the stars. 

Yours truly on my camel - his name was Peacock. Can you tell how cold it was by how puffy my jacket is? (Also - note the guy with the killer 'stache and red turban)

Before we made our journey out into the desert the camels had to drink some water for the trip. Although camels are notorious for being able to go without water for days at a time - it's not nice to deprive them of it just for the sake of it.

These weren't the camels that we rode, but I really liked the black spots on the necks of these ones. It's some sort of artificial decoration, but I'm not sure how they do it.

The camels kind of made a slurping noise when they drank like they were inhaling the water through a straw or funnel.

While the camels were drinking these village women were also collecting water nearby for their daily usage - cooking, cleaning, drinking, etc. T

Peacock! He and I didn't have the special bond that my horse Zach and I had in Lesotho. In all honesty camels are kind of gross creatures -they smell, they spit, they chew cud, groan, gurgle and yell. And they are less comfortable to ride than a horse. But they certainly have a mystique around them and they are definitely built for survival.

The untouched sand of the Thar Desert.

Believe it or not it was actually quite difficult to find a patch of sand that was untouched by human action. At the place we stopped to camp for the night there was trash and littler behind nearly every bush  and there were resorts nearby which offered dune buggy rides for the local Indian tourists. From the screams and cheers I could tell it was a popular activity.

Sunset from our base camp - gorgeous. (Notice the footprints and dune buggy tracks)

The colors were amazing.

And just like that the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon. The stars and constellations at night were breathtaking - but unfortunately my camera was not taking. I couldn't get any good shots of them because I think I needed a special lens and a tripod to prevent shaking.

Sunrise in the desert.

Still rising.

When the sun finally arose we had a special visitor. It seems some stray dogs had found our little campsite and decided to avail themselves of our blankets for the  night. I had piled on so many blankets that I hadn't even felt them during the night. It was cute, but this one smelled quite badly however.

After Jaisalmer it was off to Jodhpur - it doesn't have an official nickname like the others but it might as well be called the "Blue City" for the colors of many of the houses. Originally only the Brahmin class were allowed to paint their houses the bright blue color but now the restriction has been lifted and anyone can paint their house blue.

Jodhpur is also very famous for it's hilltop fort named Mehrangarh Fort (Meaning "Citadel of the Sun") from which the kingdom of Marwar was ruled. It was built in 1459 by Rao Jodha

The fort is legendary in that is has never been taken by enemy forces even though it has been attacked multiple times my rival clans and kingdoms. Here you can see the lingering effects of enemy cannon fire from one such unsuccessful attack.

A lone cannon carved in the shape of a lion overlooks the famed blue houses.

The main gate of the fort at the top of the ramparts. Notice the spikes on the doors - they were meant to injure enemy elephants who would be used as battering rams to get into the fort. The rampart was also curved around a tight corner to prevent the enemy elephants from gaining enough speed to ram down the doors.

These palm prints to the left of the gate are to commemorate the spot where the widows of Maharaja Man Singh all touched the fort for the last time before they performed "sati" or ritual sacrifice on their husband's funeral pyre. It was the last sati performed within the royal family.

A throne in the courtyard which was used during coronation ceremonies. The last ruler to be crowned here was Maharaja Gajsingh II in 1952 at the age of 4 after his father died suddenly in a plane crash. The Maharaja no longer has any official governing power since India is a democracy - but he is highly respected and maintains the fort through a charitable trust.

The windows overlooking the courtyards were so elaborately decorated - the lattice work on the windows was so impressive.

The charitable trust created by the Maharaja did a really nice job preserving and restoring the fort to its full glory. 

The interior of another courtyard - can you tell I was impressed?

In addition to being able to walk through the fort and private quarters - it also housed impressive collections of artifacts from the royal family. This is an elephant "howdah" - or a seat affixed to the back of an elephant for riding in special processions or into warfare. This one is made of silver and was a gift from one of the  Mughal Emperors to the Maharaja of Marwar.

This is a palanquin - used for carrying members of the royal family (usually women) without being seen. This particular example was used by the grandmother of the current Maharaja on her trip to London. There was such pomp and circumstance in London at the time at her not wanting to be seen in public that of course all the town was interested in catching a glimpse. One photographer in particular was able to catch a shot of her ankle and foot as she was stepping out of the palanquin into some building and he brought it to the newspapers to get it published. When the royal family of Marwar found out they were furious and bought every single copy of the newspaper before they were able to go to distribution. 

This is the famous Mahadol palanquin which is domed with a guilded exterior that was won by the Marwars as a spoil of war from a battle with the Governor of Gujarat in 1730.  It is used for very special ceremonial purposes.

I don't know what this room was used for but it is beautifully decorated with mirrors, gemstones and paintings.

One of the doorways of that same room - the painting is of some religious significance but I'm not sure who or what in particular.

Another doorway and painting.

This is the Phool Mahal - or "flower palace". It was used as a meeting space if I remember correctly. The only word I can think of here is "opulent" - the stained glass, the gilded arches and paintings.

Again this room was decorated with paintings of religious significance - this one is a depiction of Krishna. You can also see why it is called the flower palace from the flowery decorations over all the walls.

Even the ceiling was golden! Really impressive.

The private quarters of the former Maharaja Takhat Singh - equally as opulent. The thing hanging above the bed is a fan that was operated by a servant pulling on a rope. I couldn't think of a more boring and tedious job.

A close up of some of the decoration in the room. This Maharaja ruled during the time of the British Raj so there are some clear European influences in the decorations of this room.

One of the older meeting rooms in the palace known as the Moti Mahal or "mirror palace" - the mirrors are on the ceiling. From here the Maharaja and his various advisers and vassals would make decisions on the administration of the kingdom.

The little nooks in the sides of the walls would be filled with candles to reflect the light off the mirrors and inside the room. Also built into the walls were these little window which look only decorative - but were actually used by the wives of the Maharaja to secretly listen in to the meetings and catch wind of any plots that the advisers might secretly be hatching against his rule.

These little ground squirrels were scurrying all over the grounds of the fort and could even scale the walls with their little claws. This one was making some sort of strange chirping noise - I think maybe a warning signal to the others about the hawks and falcons flying above the ramparts.

The cannons of Mehrangarh fort! There were dozens of them of all makes and models lined along the fortifications.

They were trained to repel enemy invasions into the town. I imagine they were pretty good at their job seeing as how the fort never fell in battle.in the distance on the left you can see the Umaid Bhavan Palace - the large building sitting alone on the horizon. It was built by the royal family of Marwar and now serves as a very posh heritage hotel as well as the residence of the current Maharaja.

A small temple built within the walls of the fortress.

The clocktower of Jodhpur is a famous landmark which is right in the center of town - it is surrounded by lots of restaurants and shops which you can see all along the streets here.

After exploring the fort I went to check out the market myself and even at night there was a bustle and lots of people hawking their wares.

The shops sold everything from fruits and vegetables to cookware and textiles. I didn't buy anything but it is still always fun to walk through and feel the energy.

After Jodhpur I made my way to Udaipur - what is claimed to be the most romantic city in India. You'll see why next - this is just the view of the city from, you guessed it, the palace! It's a pretty consistent theme in Rajasthan and this city has three that it's famous for!

Udaipur is most famous for the Lake Palace built atop an island in Lake Pichola. Today it's a heritage hotel managed by the same company as the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. Obviously it's obscenely expensive but I imagine the stay is spectacular and romantic. This is the view from a balcony of the city palace located on one shore of the lake. (If you're a movie buff you might recognize the palace from the James Bond film Octopussy)

The main entrance to the city palace from where the Maharana ruled the kingdom of Mewar. 

So shiny!

I'm not sure what this room was used for in the practical - but it was very shiny, colorful and mirrored.

Another very bright and colorful room - this one was affixed with an overhead hand-powered fan above the seat which would be used to pamper the royal family during the hot season.

This is the room where the Maharana of Udaipur ate dinner in private. Maybe a bit excessive?

I just liked this picture because I like the near symmetry of the windows and the colors. The guy in the window is one of the guards of the palace.

The decorations on one of the balconies in an interior courtyard of the city palace - really cool murals.

The royal family of Udaipur worshiped the sun in addition to the Hindu pantheon - this is a representation of the sun that they would utilize for worship purposes during the monsoon season when the sun wouldn't be visible for days.

While we were touring the palace they were setting up for an Indian wedding in one of the courtyards. If you didn't know - Indian weddings are very festive and last for multiple days - and they tend to be very lavish (if you can afford it). I can't even begin to imagine how much money it cost to rent out this space for your wedding. (As a side note - I sadly didn't get the chance to attend an Indian wedding while I was in India. I had gotten an invite to my friend Punit's wedding in Bangalore, but timing just didn't work out with my travel schedule.)

This is the third famous palace in Udaipur - the Jag Mandir or "Pleasure Palace". This one could also be rented out for weddings and special events for a pretty penny. 

This is the city palace complex as photographed from the balcony of my guesthouse - it is reportedly the second largest palace complex in all of India behind the Mysore Palace in Karnataka. 

Dusk over Udaipur - I just loved the colors and light in this picture. 

That does it for this update - check back within a week for part 2.5 of India!