Incredible India - Rajasthan Route - Delhi

Actually, Delhi was not first in our plan for this trip, we plan to fly from Udaipur to Delhi and then connect another flight back to Bangkok. Unfortunately, our flight from Delhi - Bangkok was rescheduled to be earlier than planned. Therefore, we could not arrive in Delhi in time to take the flight back home, we had to postpone our flight to tomorrow and stay one more night in Delhi.

So we decide to rent two small cars to visit the following places.




And that would be all for my trip.

Incredible India - Rajasthan Route : Udaipur Day 2

The breakfast area is decorated beautifully.

My bed corner in the morning.

Udaipur

is often called ‘Venice of the East’. It is also the ‘city of lakes’. The Lake Palace (Jag Niwas) located in the middle of Pichola Lake is the finest example of architectural and cultural marvel. The grand City Palace on the banks of the lake along with the Monsoon Palace (Sajjan Garh) on the hill above enhances the beauty of this magnificent city. Udaipur is also the centre for performing arts, crafts and its famed miniature paintings. The Shilpgram festival is a great crowd-puller on new year.

City Palace

towers over the Pichola Lake. Maharana Udai Singh initiated the construction of the palace but successive Maharanas added several palaces and structures to the complex but retained remarkable uniformity in the design. The entry to the Palace is from the Hati Pol, the Elephant Gate. The Bari Pol or the Big Gate brings you to the Tripolia, the Triple gate. It was a custom to weigh the Maharaja under this gate in gold and silver, which was distributed to the populace. It is also now the main ticket office. Balconies, cupolas and towers of the palace give a wonderful view of the lake. Suraj Gokhada (or the balcony of the sun) is where the Maharana would grant public audiences mainly to boost the morale of the people in trying times. The Mor Chowk is the Hindi name of peacock square and is named after a vivid blue decorative glass peacock on the wall.

We take a boat trip to Jag Mandir.
View from the boat.

The City Palace.

Jag Mandir

This is the other island palace on Lake Pichola, which was constructed by Maharana Jagat Singh I in the year 1620AD. It also served as a hideout for Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan), during his revolt against his father, Emperor Jehangir. The prince being the son of a Rajput mother received the royal favour. It is also said that Shah Jahan [Prince Khurram] derived some of the ideas for building the Taj Mahal from architectural beauty of this palace when he stayed here during 1623-24. The island has some striking carvings including a row of elephants that look like guarding the island. The exquisitely carved chhatri in grey and blue stone also attracts the visitors.

The Lake Palace

The Lake Palace is located on Jag Niwas Island and covers the whole area (1.5 hectares) of the island in the middle of the Pichola Lake. Built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1743, it was meant as a royal summer palace but now has been converted into a five star palace hotel. Its superb beauty and enduring charm and its reflection in the middle of the lake is like a leaf straight out of a fairy tale book. With intricate craftsmanship and ethnic themes using textiles and handicrafts all over, its beauty is beyond description. The surrounding lake murmurs pleasantly, with her rippling and lapping waves.

The Lake Palace.

Incredible India - Rajasthan Route : Udaipur Day 1

Breakfast in a very colorful dining room.

Painting on the wall at hostel.

That light yellow building is our hostel.

A Yogi?

We spent most of our morning in this beautiful decorating shop.

Lady..would you like to buy some rucksack?, or skirt? or bedspread??

Waiting for our lunch, we take some portrait pictures and try on our things we've just bought. 555 Probably just in case that we might want to go back and buy some more.

Incredible India - Rajasthan Route : Ranakpur

Today we visit Ranakpur before going to Udaipur.

Ranakpur

is a village located in Desuri tehsil near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan in western India. It is located between Jodhpur and Udaipur, in a valley on the western side of the Aravalli Range. Ranakpur is easily accessed by road from Udaipur.

A small temple built near the main temple.

Jain Temple

Light colored marble has been used for the construction of this grand temple which occupies an area of approximately 60 x 62 meters. The temple, with its distinctive domes, shikhara, turrets and cupolas rises majestically from the slope of a hill. Over 1444 marble pillars, carved in exquisite detail, support the temple. The pillars are all differently carved and no two pillars are the same. It is also said that it is impossible to count the pillars. Also all the statues face one or the other statue. There is one beautiful carving made out of a single marble rock where there 108 heads of snakes and numerous tails. One cannot find the end of the tails. The image faces all four cardinal directions. In the axis of the main entrance, on the western side, is the largest image.

The temple is designed as chaumukha—with four faces. The construction of the temple and quadrupled image symbolize the Tirthankara's conquest of the four cardinal directions and hence the cosmos.

Temple facade

Beautiful temple pillars

It has 1444 carved milk-white marble pillars - everyone is unique.

Ceiling Details

A marble rock where there are 108 heads of snakes.

We then drive further to Udaipur where the driver will leave us here and go back to Delhi.

Our room at Dream Heaven Hostel.

Udaipur View at night from our balcony.

Incredible India - Rajasthan Route : Jodhpur Day 2

View of the Mehrangarh Fort from the hotel rooftop.


We start our city tour by visiting the Mehrangarh Fort.



Blue houses on the way up to the Fort. It is said that the buildings are painted blue because the color blue absorbs very little of the sun’s heat and this keeps the houses cool (but just wonder why Jodhpur is the only city in this secret that no other cities around aren't).

Walking up to the Fort requires a lot of "fit and firm", so I decide that a sunset city view from the Fort on a postcard would be enough.

Painting on the gate wall.

When we reach the Fort, my curiosity picks up when we see these ladies lining up and are told that they are waiting for the Jodhpur Maharaja to visit and pray on his birthday. So we all wait to see him.

Mehrangarh Fort is situated on a 150 m high hill. It was founded by Rao Jodha in 1459. The Mehrangarh Fort can be reached from the city, 5 kms below, through a circular road. A part of the palace has now been converted into a hotel and a museum.

Seven gates have to be crossed to reach the fort. The gates still bear the marks of the various battles fought in the bygone era. Its second gate still stands witness to canon ball hits by attacking armies of Jaipur during wars. One of the gates is Jayapol, meaning victory. It was built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies. Another gate, Fattehpol, again meaning victory, was built by Maharaja Ajit Singh as a celebration for defeating the Mughals. Other attractions of Mehrangarh Fort, Rajasthan include several palaces inside the fort, with their sprawling and huge courtyards. One of the fort's palaces, The Moti Mahal or the Pearl Palace, has the royal throne of Jodhpur, the Sringar Chowki. The fort also has galleries, temples, etc.

Inside the Fort

View of the Blue city from the fort.

As always there are souvenir shops at the exit and always that we stop to shop, just one or two pieces. The silk scarf from this shop is very beautiful, not to say that the owner is kind enough to make the hat from my cotton scarf! (actually, this style hat is for man, not woman)

With a new style hat and a new scarf in the blue city.

After visiting the fort and having lunch, some of us take a very brief nap since the weather is so hot before taking an automatic rickshaw (Tuk-Tuk) to the Jaswant Thada.





JASWANT THADA

The graceful white marble cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. His son Maharaja Sardar Singh built this monument known as the Taj Mahal of Marwar in the memory of Maharaj Jaswant Singh II of Jodhpur. The main memorial has been built like a temple with intricately carved marble stone. A visit to this structure is through the rocky hills giving it a secluded and a mystic aura.

We go to the market in the evening, just to look around.

Wanna dye your clothe?

Very green Vaseline?

Any bangle?