A peak into the pink city: Beautiful Jaipur

 

 

Every time, I sit down to write an article on Rajasthan, I am extremely biased because my mind completely shuts down and my heart takes over. I can travel to Rajasthan in the summer and not complain but I will try and not mislead anybody through these beautiful pictures and my biased mindset. India and particularly Rajasthan has been a popular travel destination for many people, if you know exactly what you would be experiencing, you would come back with good memories. I still find it strange when I hear people complaining that India is crowded and dirty. India is incredibly beautiful but you better be prepared to see pollution, dirt and poverty.

 

The new age instagram pictures of Jaipur are breathtaking and I personally feel that it is a city which has a deep and beautiful historic soul for all those who are willing to see beyond the dust and pollution. Jaipur is a crowded metropolis which is extremely polluted and dusty but I want to focus on the beauty of this city, I want to tell you about the charming and historic architecture and the stunning opulence which is well preserved. Jaipur is the majestic home to erstwhile royals and it is filled with old-world charm surrounded by colourful markets and chaotic streets. Are you ready for a slice of Incredible India?

 

I travelled to Jaipur for the first time in my late twenties and completely fell in love with the city. I was amazed that one city has so many forts and palaces, the level of grandeur and the ability to glimpse into a bygone era really caught my attention. I love any city which has history, art, architecture. I enjoy spending my holidays in museums, forts and palaces where the walls have so many stories. The Walled City of Jaipur, known for its iconic architectural legacy and vibrant culture, recently made its entry into the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The historic walled city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, was founded in 1727AD under the patronage of Sawai Jai Singh II. It serves as the capital city of the culturally-rich state of Rajasthan. The city was chosen for its exemplary development in town planning and architecture. It takes you into a bygone era and the details of the architecture is astonishing. There is an interchange of ancient Hindu, Mughal and contemporary Western architecture and this amalgamation makes the walled city in Jaipur extremely unique.

 

There is one direct flight from Bangkok to Jaipur, it arrives in Jaipur late night. I checked into the hotel by midnight but I was up at 5am the next morning to catch the beautiful sunrise from Nahargarh Fort, I was not surprised to see it overcrowded at 5.30am. I personally don’t like overcrowded spaces, I found another place opposite Amer Fort which was much less crowded because the hike up requires a basic level of fitness. The views were stunning and I enjoyed my morning hike, it is the perfect place to go sit to read a book, relax and enjoy the view of the city. It was so windy, I completely forgot that it was July and enjoyed the quietness and the wind. It was such a beautiful secluded spot to meditate, Jaipur can be overwhelmingly crowded so finding such spaces in a crazy metropolis makes me really happy.

 

It was a perfect balance of fort architecture, nature and views of Amer Fort. I have never seen this in typical tour group agenda but I would strongly recommend starting the day early to experience the sunrise and the hike. As an added bonus, you can get family pictures clicked inside the fort architecture, I was as usual monkeying around and I had a photographer with me who clicked a few fun pictures. On the topic of monkeys, there are many monkeys in this area but they add to the experience. Fortunately for me, I have never been attacked by them but I am always wary of saying never. Most visitors and residents of Jaipur have learnt to coexist with the monkeys. The Pink City has way too many of them and they can be found just about everywhere. The monkeys, I learned from my friend, came in two types. The aggressive red bottomed common monkeys, and the graceful silver langurs which are more peaceful. Apparently, these two do not get along with each other and I was honestly petrified of being attacked by them but they don’t typically bother you unless you are carrying food.

 

After the hike, I came down and visited Amer Fort which is a scenic marvel. It is built using red sandstone and white marble. The fort’s majestic appearance and its geographical advantages make it a special place to visit. The fort presents a fascinating blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture. This fort is located 10 kilometres from the main city, it is built on top of a hill. You have the option to go up in an elephant but my daughter is completely against riding on animals, she is a mini animal rights activist so I chose to drive up to the top. I enjoyed the views of the Maota Lake and the Aravalli Hills on my way up. I love the architecture at the entrance to the fort and I particularly like the area with Jali Lattice architecture, I love the way the shadows fall when the sun rises. Latticework is an openwork framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, typically, marble, wood or metal.

 

The design is created by crossing the strips to form a grid or weave. There are local guides outside the fort and you can hire them to show you around the fort. They will explain the history of the fort and tell you tales of Rajputana royalty. I am always amazed by the clothes and jewellery worn by the queens but I can’t help wondering how isolated it would have been for these women to spend all their time inside. After I finished visiting Amer, I drove past Jal Mahal. It is a beautiful palace in the middle of a lake, you can’t go into the palace. It is built on Mansagar Lake and flanked by the Aravalli Hills, this man made lake was created in the 16th Century. This palace was built by the founder of Jaipur as a pleasure pavilion. This low rise symmetrical palace appears to float in the middle of the lake. The light sand coloured stone walls are a stark contrast to the blue water. The Jal Mahal is located on the main Amer-Jaipur road so its logistically better to combine visiting this palace on the way to Amer Fort.

 

I ate breakfast/brunch at Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar. I always love trying the local cuisine and this is the best place for an authentic Rajasthani dining experience. This restaurant is always buzzing with customers, the food is vegetarian and there are a variety of local dishes on the menu. Whenever I think about Jaipur, the very first thing that comes to my mind is the very famous ‘Pyaaz ki Kachori’. This is a kind of Rajasthani snack, a fried pastry filled with a spicy onion filling. This glorious delicacy is not to be missed. It is one of the most famous spicy snacks from Jaipur and it is served with green chilli and tamarind chutney.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/travel-and-leisure/a-peak-into-the-pink-city-beautiful-jaipur/

 

 

-- © Copyright Expat Life in Thailand

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

Oh it's not just Jaipur that's beautiful. So many other cities in this Indian state of Rajasthan are - Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer. It's my favourite tourist destination in India, especially in winter. Summers are a bit too hot for me. Full of forts, palaces and other princely residences, many of them converted into hotels. In fact, flying into India from Europe, I always met people who were into their second-third trip just to Rajasthan. And not to forget tiger parks like Ranthambore and bird sanctuaries.

" Jaipur is a crowded metropolis which is extremely polluted and dusty but I want to focus on the beauty of this city, "

While there though it is impossible to ignore the dust, dirt and poverty.

I enjoyed Pushkar more than Jaipur

More photos, less words. 

Bit of a dreamy long winded write up there.
 

I like Jaipur but if architecture is an interest give Mandawa 170kms north a look. Absolutely stunning and some of the Havelis are used as hotels ad very affordable.

I have been staying in Jaipur for several months in the last year or so working on a project in more than 40 towns, of which I have visited 20 or so, as well as many of the bigger cities. For a tourist Rajasthan has a lot to offer and Mandawa is a popular place for those who know it.

 

Pollution is 'nearly' everywhere in urban areas in  

Continued

 

India, but it should not deter people. I say that having worked in Bengaluru, Delhi, West Bengal and other places in recent years. 'Uncontrolled' development in some areas is partly the reason as can be seen in peripheral areas of Bengaluru. 

 

For those who have time and want to visit Rajasthan my advice is take time, have a guide part of the time, if at all and when it is hot don't try to do too much. Locals don't.

Just checking out of Chobdar Haveli, Mandawa and superb room and breakfast for not much more than 1,000baht. Town is looking a bit more jaded than I recall but good to see more havelis have been converted to hotels thereby given them a chance to survive. Numerous other in town are in a sad state but town is worth a look still if havelis are an interest. 
 

If anyone is coming this way from Jaipur stop off at Nawalgarh and visit the haveli that is now a museum. Decent for 100 rupee entrance fee.