Pictures of Mandawa

Before an incident in Jodhpur, I planned to leave Bikaner for Amritsar, but after spending a month in India and witnessing first handedly the attitude of Indian men and dangers that traveling alone presented, I decided not to part with Sunil and my car and have him drive me back to Delhi, where I could spend the rest of my trip in the company of my Oxonian friends.

After I finished a delicious breakfast at Hotel Harasar Haveli and said sad goodbyes to my travel partner Shu and the owner of the Haveli Mr. Bubbles (Mr. Vishwajit Singh Harasar) Sunil and I left for yet another leg of our journey. Sunil told me that his wife was very sick but he couldn’t drive all the way to Delhi on the same day so when we left Bikaner around noon, we proceeded to Mandawa village, located half way between Bikaner and Delhi. Somebody call it “the diamond in the dust”, some “town of living art” and perhaps it is indeed so, however, by the time we got there, I had very little time to explore its famous frescoed havelis.

A remote principality in the center of Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, Mandawa was a trading outpost for the ancient caravan routes that stopped there on the way from China to the Middle East. The origin of the city goes back to the time of Mandu Jat, who founded Mandawa village by establishing a dhani (hamlet) and digging a well.  The city was made a thikana in the mid of 18th century by the Bhojraj Ji Ka Subsub clan of Shekhawat Rajput. Thakur Nawal Singh, the Rajput ruler of Nawalgarh and Mandawa, built a fort in 1755 to protect this outpost. The township that grew around the fort soon attracted a large community of traders, who settled there permanently. Wealthy merchants built beautiful havelis for themselves and their families which are considered to be the most elaborate and beautifully decorated havelis in India.

Presently, a small village of 20,000 people is a popular stop for many Rajasthan-bound tours, however, I haven’t seen a single tourist during my 5 hour exploration around Mandawa. After checking into Hotel Shekhawati, I was offered to take a guided tour around the town for Rs.200. It was already late afternoon and I figured it would be wise to be accompanied by somebody who could not only be my guard but also a story-teller. A young well-dressed man, whose name sadly escaped me, escorted me to the streets of Mandawa.

He briefly told me about the history of the town and then led me to a large elevated site with a water well and some religious constructions. My guide explained the purpose of each well and how they used to serve the citizen of Mandawa. Obviously, they are no longer in use, however, they proudly stand and wait for their time to be in use again.

From the well platform, I could see the beautiful havelis and houses resembling old palaces with people going about their lives. Across from the well, a lavish palace that once, perhaps, was the jewel of Mandawa appeared to be in a pitiful state, dilapidating and crumbling before my eyes. Nevertheless, it was still a palace and people still lived inside. Sadly, many houses and old havelis in Mandawa were in terrible state of preservation, but maybe it added charm to this small village.

Even though, I am very curious and like to look into every nook and cranny, the evening was setting in and we had to rush to see at least one haveli in details. We stopped by a few houses on the way and my guide pointed at the few interesting details of one or another house, and in a few minutes, we arrived to Mohan Lal Sarraf Haveli.

After paying Rs.100 entry fee, my guide invited me in. Obligatory, the entrance was a doubled door, serving both as an elephant gate and a people’s entrance door. However, both doors were open for us. The outer courtyard was a man’s domain where the men of the family met and entertained their guests, did business transactions and slept. For those reasons, it was the most lavishly decorated part of the haveli with incredible carved arches and delicate paintings of elephants, dancing women, galloping horses etc. Guards, occupying one of the former sleeping loggias of the merchant didn’t pay any attention to us and continued to play cards.

The smaller entrance to the heart of the haveli – its women quarter – was inevitably decorated with a string of green peppers and lime, to protect from evil spirits. It felt odd since no one lived in the haveli for a very long time. The inner part of the haveli represented a large courtyard and staircase leading to the second floor living quarters and a rooftop. The floor was almost non existing, some wall parts were replaced and patched up, however, the paintings did remain just as vivid and colorful as they were in mid 18th century. Some rooms were women’s bedrooms with wonderful walk-in closets and built-in wall-shelves, some served as cooking and storing rooms. Balconies were decorated with stunning latticework and the rooftop presented an amazing views of the sun setting over the village.

Indeed, the haveli required some work to make it livable again but according to my guide, it was up for grabs for only $40,000.

It was getting dark and cold very fast, I wish we had time to see more of Mandawa but my guide decided to make a stop at his “friend” art shop where they tried to sell me Indian miniatures. The paintings were indeed beautiful and skillfully painted, but I neither had spare money nor expertise to make an educated purchase. After telling me 1001 stories about everything, including how in 1979 he got a iron from USSR which worked till present day, the owner of the shop let us go.

By the time we got back to the hotel, my dinner was already served. I can’t be sure whether I was the only guest at the hotel but I was definitely the only person in the restaurant. I ordered a typical Rajasthani dinner with soup, gatta vegetables, dal, rice, chapati and papad, all for Rs.225. Despite cold, my guide didn’t put anything on and stayed in his sweater. Later, talking to him I found out that he just got married and his wife and a newly born son (which he was very proud of) are staying in another state with his parents, while he is working in Mandawa. Simply, he didn’t have a jacket because he sent all the money to his family and didn’t have another set of presentable clothes to work with tourists. Sad, because his friend art-dealer was trying to sell me a painting for $180 while my guide was penny pinching so he could send all the money to his father so that his father could take care of his young wife. The deal was Rs.5000 a month, otherwise, she must go. This is Indian life. In the end, I invited him for dinner, paid his fees and tipped him well.

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Pictures from Bikaner

Having been told a day prior that Bikaner, a city about 330 kms away from Jaisalmer, was having a yearly Bikaner Camel Festival, Shu and I decided to drive there as soon as possible. Against Sunil’s pleas to leave at the later hour, we embarked on the trip at 6.30 am and witnessed another beautiful sunrise in Thar desert. Along the way we stopped at the restaurant/gift-shop road-stop so that I could in n-th time be ripped off. My advice – never stop at the road stop even if it is recommended by your driver. I ended up buying a box of cookies that turned out to be half eaten.

We reached Bikaner around noon and went straight to the hotel Sunil recommended – Hotel Harasar Haveli. It might not be the best hotel in the area but it is definitely the most authentic one with an incredible stuff and a very charismatic owner, Mr. Bubbles. I would consider an encounter with Mr. Bubbles to be a blessing of traveling in India, he was very knowledgeable, entertaining, kind, generous and very funny. Mr. Bubbles owns a horse ranch not far from Bikaner that is why most of the walls in the Haveli are decorated with the pictures of beautiful horses. He inherited a haveli from his father who, according to Mr. Bubbles, was very disappointed with his son’s weak school performance and desire to have a fun life. However, Mr. Bubbles had an entrepreneurial gene in him and after restoring an old haveli, he started to rent rooms to tourists until he had enough money to convert the entire haveli into a hotel. Presently, Haveli had two adjacent buildings and from what I learnt from Mr. Bubbles, he was about to open another hotel very soon.

We were shown a few rooms and after settling in one and Shu in another, and running a few bureaucratic formalities related to the criminal charges I filed in Jodhpur, we went to the rooftop restaurant to have breakfast/lunch. The restaurant and the hotel were full of people from all over the world who came to see the Camel Safari. Haveli is located outside the old city, next to the Dr. Karni Singh Stadium and this is where the main events of the day took place, so we just needed to cross the street to be in the center of action. Bilal, Haveli’s manager, was kind enough to provide us with the schedule of the Festival. We added +2-3 hours to the posted times, knowing that nothing starts in India on time, and followed the schedule.

A three day Bikaner Camel Festival usually takes place in January during the full moon but please don’t confuse it with the Pushkar Camel Fair which is a real trade fair of Rajasthan, while Bikaner Camel Festival is an opportunity to present the “ships of the desert” at their best. Besides an incredible camel race, it also hosts multiple competitions e.g. Camel Milking Competition, Camel Fur Cutting Competition, Camel Dance Competition etc. and attracts not only foreigners but a large number of locals from the Bikaner District.

Before mid 15th century, the region that we were now visiting was a barren wilderness called Jangladesh. In 1488 Rao Bika, second son of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur, established the city of Bikaner. According to James Tod, the place which Bika selected as his capital was the birthright of a Nehra Jat, who agreed to have a city built only under the condition that their name would be linked with it perpetually. By adding Naira, or Nera to his own name, Rao Bika named his new capital, and the region Bikaner. Though it was in the Thar desert, Bikaner was considered an oasis on the trade route between Central Asia and the Gujarat coast as it had plenty of spring water to sustain the entire city. Bika built a fort in 1478, which is now in ruins and a hundred years later, under the successful reign of the sixth Raja Rai Singhji (1571-1611) a new fort was built about 1.5 km from the city center, known as Junagarh Fort.

Under the Mughal Empire, Raj Singh accepted the suzerainty of the Mughals and became a high ranking army general at the court of the Emperor Akbar and his son Jahangir. Rai Singh’s successful military campaigns which includes gaining half of Mewar kingdom for the Empire, won him accolades and rewards from the Mughal kings. He was given the jagirs (lands) of Gujarat and Burhanpur and with large revenues earned from those jagirs, the state’s fortunes flourished and he built a monumental Junagarh fort. However, the decline of Mughals in the 18th century brought the decline of Bikaner as well.

During the 18th century, there was internecine war with another Rathore ruling house, Jodhpur and other thakurs over who had the right to keep the family heirlooms, which was put down by British troops. Bikaner signed a treaty with British Raj in 1818 and after that the area was markedly backward, but managed to benefit from British-Afghan war by hiring out camels to the Brits. Currently, Bikaner is a small vibrant town with very few tourists but some interesting sights to see and Camel Festival is one of them.

Equipped with cameras, scarfs and plenty of sunblock, we crossed the road to the Dr. Karni Singh Stadium. The Festival was in full swing with about 1,000 spectators and many more participants, both local and foreign. When we arrived, the women water pot breaking competition just started. The idea of the competition is to cover the women’s eyes, give them a stick and guide them to run about 50 m straight with their eyes closed to the pot trying to break it with one swing of a stick. After observing a few legs of the competition, I realized that either some of them cheated and could see exactly what they were doing, or each victory was a pure luck. As foreign guests we were able to sit down in the first row and enjoy the action at close distance. After a few preliminary legs, the finalists were named, including one foreign girl, for the final run. When the winner was announced and the Festival went into a short remission, Shu and I went to explore the grounds.

Around the main stage, there were multiple stands with beautifully decorated camels and very chatty camel-owners. Not only did camels have specially designed seats and bling-bling adornments, but also they were tattooed with some beautiful ornaments around their necks and bodies. Camel-owners happily allowed us to take pictures of their animals and in return, asked for the pictures with us.

By the time we checked out 10-12 camels, a huge crowd gathered around Shu and I and it was getting very uncomfortable and dangerous. By crowd, of course, I mean young men and all of them tried to take pictures, grope or brash their hands or bodies against me. We have told them to disperse and remembering my experience in Jodhpur a few days earlier, I was getting claustrophobic and scared surrounded by a herd of 40-50 men. We were saved by Rounak, a reporter and photographer from local network who told us that the Festival would commence in the evening, at 7 or 8 pm and we were free to leave and explore some other parts of the town, and so we did.

Sunil was waiting for us at the Stadium’s parking lot, so we asked him to drive us to the Junagarh and perhaps meet us someplace in the city later. We reached the Karan Prol Gate just before its closing time but managed to get the tickets (Rs.200 + Rs.100 for camera + Rs.100 entry to the Prachina Bikaner Cultural Centre & Museum). The admission includes a group tour in Hindi/English or an audio guide. I wish we have optioned to take an audio guide instead because the Hindi/English group didn’t have any English speakers and no other tourists but us, so everyone regarded us as a spectacle on its own and paid attention to us more than to the fort and its history. Also, we were incredibly rushed from one room to another, from one floor to another. I guess if we came earlier, we would have plenty of time to see everything in a leisurely manner, but we just had to go with the group.

Foundation of Junagarh was laid on 30th January 1589 by Raja Rai Singhji, the sixth ruler of Rathore dynasty of Bikaner. Its construction was completed in 1593 and it remained the strong hold of Rathore rulers until the state merged into the Union with India in 1949. Karan Singh, who ruled from 1631 to 1639, under the suzerainty of Mughals, built the Karan Mahal palace. Later rulers added more floors and decorations. Anup Singh (1669-1698) made substantial additions to the fort complex, with new palaces and the Zenana quarter, a royal dwelling for women and children. He refurbished the Karan Mahal with a Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) and built the Anup Mahal – Hall of Private Audience with walls lacquered in red and gold. Gaj Singh (1745-1787) refurbished the original Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace) and built Gaj Mandir – gold painted and decorated with colorful murals, sandalwood, ivory, mirrors, niches and stained glass suite for him and his two favorite wives. Following Gaj Singh, Surat Singh (1787-1828) lavishly decorated the audience hall with glass and lively paintwork and after the kingdom became a suzerain of British Raj in 1818, the Maharajas of Bikaner invested heavily in rebuilding and redecorating the old Junagarh fort. Dungar Singh (1872-1887) built the Badal Mahal (Weather palace) named after the painting of clouds and falling rain, a rare event in Bikaner, decorating the palace. General Muharaja Ganga Singh (1887-1943) was the best known of the Rajasthan princes and was a favorite of the British Viceroy of India. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India, served as a member of the Imperial War Cabinet, represented India at the Imperial Conferences during the WWI and the British Empire at the Versailles Peace Conference. His contribution to the building activity in Junagarh involved separate halls of public and private audiences in the Ganga Mahal and a Durbar Hall of 1896 with its pink stone walls covered in beautiful and intricate relief carvings which served as a hall for formal functions. Junagarh also hosts Maharaja Ganga Singh’s office and the Vikram Vilas Durbar Hall, a hangar with an incredible exhibit of carriages, howdahs and a WWI De Havilland DH-9 biplane bomber.

After visiting a small but interesting museum located in the back of the Junagarh and a photo exhibition, we were asked to leave the fort because it was already closing for the day. Shu and I figured that before going back to the Stadium for the evening festivities, we should take advantage of a few free hours and explore the old city. For Rs.300 we hired a tuk-tuk (which came with a very annoying “guide” who wouldn’t shut up about his Barcelona girlfriend who spends all her money on him) to take us to Bikaner old town and show us 300 years old havelis (Rampuria Haveli, Poonam Chand Kothari Haveli) as well as Jain and Hindu temples. However, by the time we reached the town, it was already too dark to see anything in details yet to ask for a tour. Instead, we spent an evening browsing the Bada Bazar with its fruit and spice stalls, silver and copper shops.

The tuk-tuk driver and his friend took us back to the Stadium and by the time we arrived, it was already the closing part of the today’s festivities – performances and a famous Fire Dance. There were many more people, including children and women, so it indeed felt as a festival. Shu and I were interviewed by the local TV station, our pictures were taken by at least half of dozen newspaper reporters and a thousand of onlookers. A young girl came by to introduce herself and invite me and Shu to have dinner at their house the next day but we politely declined. When the Fire dance started, everybody ran towards the stage and indeed, it looked very impressive. The shaman-looking people ignited the big bonfire and then spread the burning coal all over the platform before starting to dance on it and throw/eat/play with it. It looked very painful, but they seemed to enjoy themselves and I hope they did.

After the dance was over, we tried to get out as quickly as possible but to no avail; once again we were surrounded by mad crowd of crazy and horny men. By then, I ran out of patience and snapped at every one who groped or touched me. We literally took off and ran to the police stand at the front gate where we asked for the security guard assistance. Once everything calmed down, we hurried back to the hotel.

January 17, 2014

After breakfast, Sunil drove us to Ladera Sand Dunes near Ladera Village (45 kms) to see the most interesting part of Camel Festival – Camel race. We got lost on the way so by the time we got there, the festivities were going in full throttle. The moment we got off at the “parking lot”, I realized what a wonderful idea it was to take Shu with me. There were over 20,000 men in the Dunes, not kind and generous men but scary men. People you would prefer to stay away from. Of course, a tall Asian man with a blonde European women were their first point of interest. From the car to the actual place of competition and festival, we had to walk about 1 km and while we walked, we had about 100 followers stalking us and shouting obscenities from time to time.

We were lucky to reach the main location before the Villagers Wrestling Competition started; everybody started to run towards the sparing area and security pulled us inside the wrestling circle to avoid being hurt by the mob. As much as I hoped to believe that Indian men were good natured and friendly, this was all non-sense, they were perverted, freaky and dangerous, especially in masses.

Wrestling was an interesting competition, following the main rules of free-style wrestling and weight categories, but performed in the dunes with sand and dust getting into your ears, nose, eyes and mouth. I guess, if you survive and win the fight in the Ladera Sand Dunes, you might as well qualify for the Olympic Games. I was really impressed by the performance and competitive spirit of the participants except for a few who intentionally pulled out a comedy act to entertained the viewers.

At some point, almost entire crowd got up and started to run up the dune away from the wrestling field. Indian men follow the rule of an animal herd – one runs all run. Apparently, a previously featured but currently banned Bike Dunes race started in the nearby Dunes so all the spectators took off and ran to see what was going on. Obviously, it was immediately stopped by the police and army forces so 15 minutes later, they all returned to the wrestling circle.

After the wrestling was over, everybody went to the racing track to see the main competition of the Bikaner Camel Festival – the camel racing. It was by far the most interesting part of the entire Festival. Shu and I were standing in the first row near the finish line and had unobstructed views of the race. The best part was to feel adrenaline and hear everybody cheering for his favorite camel or camel rider and actually witness the race, but the worst part was to realize that there was no barrier, except for human, to separate the crowd from the camel thus on a few occasions racing beasts ran straight into the dense layer of people hitting and injuring many of them. Otherwise, it was definitely an exciting experience I wish to repeat.

After the camel race, we got introduced to the Mr. Bikaner 2014 and some other local celebrities, took a few pictures with them and for them and headed to the main stage to see the evening performance which promised to be interesting. Foreigners were given a special VIP sitting right in front of the stage and no locals were allowed to enter to our section. I could finally relax and enjoy a company of other follow-travelers. A commotion just outside of the VIP area attracted everybody’s attention however, it was hart to see what was happening. The concert hasn’t started yet but we saw a huge group of police/military people ran and brought to the stage a blood covered body of a man. As I later found out, the man was one of the unsuccessful bikers who got under the hot hand of the police and got severely beat up. Instead of taking him to the hospital, trying to avoid the mob rage, the police brought and placed him in the middle of the stage. I can’t tell whose stupid idea it was because the moment it happened, the mob started to run towards the stage in hope to “liberate” their comrade while sweeping everything and everybody on their way, including us, as we were sitting the closest to the stage. Luckily, the police figured their mistake and rushed to calm the crowd, and by “calming” I mean “beating the hell out of them”.  Up until this point, I was nothing but alert, but after, I became completely paranoid because I knew that if something happens, help wouldn’t come from neither side.

Nevertheless, the concert started and it was a combination of poor, good and interesting performances. The 2 hour long show ended with the grand finale of Fire Dance, this time on a much larger scale than the day before. I happened to be right by the stage when they started to prepare for the dance and managed to record it at a close range. I also figured out their secret of dancing on the fire when one of the dancers threw a bunch of burning coals into me and my camera (I didn’t expect anything less). Apparently, the coals were cold! COLD! It was the moment when I should have run through the crowd shouting “Le Roi est nu” and their Fire Dance was all nothing but the big fat farce.

Video of the Fire Dance.

The moment the dance was over, Shu and I ran towards our car. It was already dark and with no lights in the desert, but random tracks and camel carriages, we were a direct target for the mob. Luckily, we got to the lot before anybody could harm us. After another 2 hours on the road we finally got back to the Haveli. Mr. Bubbles was in the best state of mood, treating everyone with free drinks, inviting all the guests to join the music performance and a complementary dinner at the restaurant. It was one of the best evenings I spent in Rajasthan. Thank you, Mr. Bubbles.

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Pictures of Sam Sands Dunes and Jaisalmer. 

Sunil and I left Jodhpur at 6 am because I have booked an overnight camel safari out of Jaisalmer (280 kms away) and had to be there by 1 pm to register and check-in. Nico has decided to come with me on the safari, since he was planning to do it anyway, but he left Jodhpur by bus a day before. Jodhpur stands on the border of Thar Desert and we were about to enter one of the deadliest places in India. Jaisalmer, the India’s most western outpost is located in the middle of Thar desert and offers one of the most authentic desert safaris in the region, or so they say. I figured to give it a try and spend at least one night in a desert.

Almost immediately after leaving Jodhpur I could see the difference in scenery, the trees were becoming more scarce, while white sand and desert-like plants were getting more predominant. It is a wonderful and serene feeling to witness sunset when driving in the desert. When we finally approached Jaisalmer around noon, a car accident on the main road prevented us from driving through to the city (because apparently, there were no other roads and traffic started to pile up at the scary speed), so Sunil recommended me to have somebody from the agency come and pick me up by a motorbike. Luckily, they were willing to do so, but when a guy came to get me, we figured out a better, dirt-road option to the city.

I used a highly regarded agency, Sahara Travels for my two days/one night safari (Rs.1350), originating right outside Jaisalmer fort. When I arrived, Nico was already there and so were 4 other European students doing an exchange program in Ahmedabad, but exploring India on the weekends.  Because our overnight camp was located in Sam Sand Dunes, about 42 kms away from Jaisalmer, we started our trip in a jeep at 2 pm. About 15 kms to the west from Jaisalmer, we stopped to explore a long abandoned village, which to my knowledge didn’t present any historical value. After browsing for 10-15 minutes, I returned to the car and asked the driver/guide what was so special about this place and what was it called? Apparently, it was a famous cursed village Kuldhara and the story of this place is next.

Established in 1291 by Paliwal Brahmins, Kuldhara was the main village in a group of 84. Despite arid desert and scorching summers, Brahmin community was successful in growing crops and became prosperous. However, one night in 1825 all the people of Kuldhara and other 83 villages disappeared, simply vanishing in the dark. What would force them to leave their settlement after 7 centuries? Legend says that the king (or minister) of ruling kingdom, on the way to somewhere passed Kuldhara. By some chance, he saw the young daughter of the village ruler and fell in love. He asked for her hand but was denied because he wasn’t of the same caste as Brahmins. So, in order to force his way, the king gave all citizens of 84 villages a notice that if they don’t give up the young girl, he would punish all of them. The leaders of the villages got together and in order to preserve their honor and purity of Brahmin caste gathered all the citizens and left their settlement forever. Until today, nobody knows what happened to them and where they settled after, however, there are rumors that they founded another city near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Despite the abandonment, the villages weren’t re-occupied and the houses weren’t stripped for materials, because, before leaving, the Brahmins sent a curse that anyone who would occupy their land would die. Until now, all the villages stand there alone, cursed and with all their inhabitants long gone. In different state of dissolution, some houses look nothing more than a pile of rubbles, while others still preserved their walls and indoor planning.

After about 20 minutes in Kuldhara Village, we continued further into the desert. At some point, we stopped to switch the vehicles and instead of the jeep, we all climbed to our own personal camels to proceed to an overnight camp. I have ridden camels before, in Egypt and I really enjoyed it. At first, it seems scary and the height of the animal doesn’t make it any better, however, feeling the slow pace and good nature of your ride, makes it an enjoyable adventure. After about 15 minutes of photo-craze, I finally relaxed and enjoy the beautiful ride in the dunes. Later, speaking with a friend who did an overnight safari as well, I learnt that they went to a place that felt as remote as NYC in the afternoon, so I was very lucky to have no one but our caravan of camels mounting the dunes of Sam Sands.

After about 1.5 hours of riding, we reached the camp where our driver/guide was joined by other 3-4 men, excluding the camel boys who accompanied us throughout the ride. While our group was happily and freely running up and down the dunes like children, the camp attendants prepared our beds (6 double mattresses next to each other with 6 heavy blankets on top) and were in the process of cooking dinner on the camp fire. A bedouin came to our camp and offered us to buy beer, apparently, we weren’t that far from the civilization, as i hoped, and here I found out that my wallet was stolen. Whatever bad could happen to me, happened. After the rape attack in Jodhpur, theft of $1,000 in Agra, that was just another thing missing from my list of misadventures in India.

Despite all, we had a very delicious and quiet dinner by the fire; conversations, exchange of experiences and just blank star-staring filled the evening way past 10 pm. I went to sleep and even though, I am not big on camping and always have hard time sleeping outside (especially in +0C and wrapped in a dirty blanket), the night was cold but comfortable. Nico was the first to get up even before the sunset to capture some pretty good shots.

January 14, 2014

After the breakfast, we mounted our rides and proceeded back to the pit stop about 1- 1.5 hours away. On the second day, every one felt as a professional camel rider with many years of practice. It is definitely the kind of experience you want to repeat over and over again. I wish I had time to do a multi-day safari.

Upon reaching Jaisalmer around noon, i spent a few hours dealing with the police in regard to my lost wallet and by the time I got to my hotel, I had neither desire, nor mental strength to explore the city. I stayed at the wonderful hotel located just outside the Fort, Shahi Palace Hotel. The owner and personnel at the hotel were friendly and very accommodating to my needs – the usual extra blanket and a heater as well as plenty of hot water to shower. The front desk also arranged a masseuse to come to my room (Rs 900), but I had to cut our session short because it was still too cold in the room and because she was old enough to be my grandma and I felt bad for her. After one month of non-stop traveling around India, I thought Jaisalmer was a perfect spot to take a moment off and breath the desert air without rushing to see other places. That was exactly what I did. I occupied a beautiful balcony-table at the rooftop of my hotel overlooking the entire Jaisalmer Fort, ordered dinner and some beer and enjoyed the great views and chats with other travelers staying at the hotel.

January 15, 2014

Jaisalmer, lying in the heart of the Thar desert, was established in 1156 by a renowned warrior of Bhati Rajput clan – Maharawal Jaisal Singh, hence the name Jaisalmer means “Hill Fort of Jaisal” and it took him 7 years to build the original fort. The ruling family of Jaisalmer belongs to Bhati clan of Yadu Rajputs of Chandravanshi (Lunar dynasty) race who claim to be descendants from Lord Krishna, the defied hero who ruled at Dwarka. The city’s early history was tumultuous, partly because its rulers relied on looting as a source of income. In 1293, the Bhatis raided a caravan filled with treasure which headed for Delhi, thus enraging the then Delhi ruler, Ala-ud-Din Khilji. Bhatis defended the fort for seven years until Ala-ud-Din managed to breach the ramparts and enter the fort, sacking everyone and forcing all Jaisalmer citizens to commit jauhar (self-immolation). Ala-ud-Din managed to hold the fort for 9 years, before loosing it to Bhatis. Later in the 14th century, Sultan Feroz Shah also besieged Jaisalmer, after the Bhatis once again raided his camp near Ajmer. This siege led to yet another jauhar. After just two centuries from its foundation, the city became deserted again.

However, from the 16th century onward Jaisalmer started to prosper due to its strategic location along the traditional trade route traversed by the camel caravans of Indian and Asian merchants. The route linked India to Central Asia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Africa and the West. The reign of Rawal Sahal Singh marked a prosperous epoch in the history of Jaisalmer, as well as great relationships with Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (gained by a nobleman called Sabala Simha for his services in Shah Jahan’s Peshawar campaign). In the mid-17th century, Maharwal Sabal Singh expanded the Jaisalmer kingdom to its greatest extend annexing areas that belong to the administrative districts of Bikaner and Jodhpur. However, with the accession of Rawal Mulraj in 1762, the fortunes of the state rapidly declined and most of its outlying provinces were lost. Political alliance with British Raj in 1818, along with the development of ports, particularly in Mumbai, and railroads, brought the end to a caravan industry of the region, thus rendering Jaisalmer a drought-prone desert backwater. Sadly, only the wars between India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 put Jaisalmer back on the map due to its strategic boarder location, but luckily for us, the city was redefined as a tourist destination because it indeed has much to offer. The Golden city once again rose from the sand.

Unlike most forts in India, Jaisalmer fort is a living one. This breathtaking, mysterious, massive, mirage-like citadel is inhabited; it contains living streets, temples, a royal palace, restaurants,  guesthouses (however, I wasn’t recommended to stay at one) and 3,000 people (mostly Brahmin or Daroga communities) who actually live there. Huge walls encircle the fort that came back from the dead in the past half-century. It is a remote, hard to reach place, but it is definitely worth a visit.

After a great night sleep and hearty breakfast, I left the hotel to see the city. The fort itself, contains 3 layers of walls, 5 kms in circumference. The outer or the lower layer is made of solid stone blocks and it reinforces the loose rubble of Trikuta hill, on top of which the fort was originally built. The second, or middle, wall snaked around the fort. There is a gap of 2-4 meters in between the second and third walls, known as Moti and used to move the guards around the fort. The uppermost part of the fortification consists of merlons (kanguras), gun holes and balconies (jharokhas) From the innermost, or third, wall the Rajput warriors once poured boiling oil and water as well as massive blocks of rock at their enemies, who would become entrapped between the second and third walls. The defenses of the for include 99 bastions, of which 92 were built between the period of 1633-1647.

I entered Sonar Quila (another name for Jaisalmer fort) from its east side, near Gopa Chowk, passed through 4 massive gates along the zigzagging route to the upper part. Truly a living fort, its winding lanes looked alive and animated already at 8 am. Since Jain Temples are open only from 8 am till noon, I thought it would be a smart idea to head there first. Along the way, while taking photos of a beautiful craft shop, I met a Japanese guy, Shuhei who became my travel partner for the next few days. Apparently, after quitting his job in Japan, Shu decided to take time off and travel the world. India was his first stop and he was really enjoying his time there.

We both headed to Jain Temples, after paying Rs.200 admission and camera fees, removing our shoes and leather objects, we collected our audio guides and went inside. Jain Temple complex consists of 7 carved temples built between the 12th and 15th centuries. They all are connected by walkways, staircases and corridors, making it an adventurous place to discover. Resembling to a large extent the Jain Temple of Ranakpur, yet, they were very different; built of soft yellow stone, they beautifully blended in with the rest of the Golden city. I wish the audio guides worked, but they kept automatically switching from one language to another thus serving no use to us.

The first Jain temple we entered was Chandraprabhu temple, built in 1509 it is dedicated to the eighth tirthankar, whose symbol is a moon. The fine mandapa and intensely sculpted pillars, forming a series of toranas were beautifully and intricately carved, however, they look very similar to the lavish Jain temples I have visited before in Udaipur and Ranakpur.

To the right of Chandraprabhu is the quiet Rokhabdev temple, with the traditional Jain sculptures placed around the walls and pillars skillfully carved and decorated with gods and apsaras.

We visited the Parasnath, located behind Chandraprabhu temple and exited through a door to the south, which led to small Sheetalnath, dedicated to the tenth tirthankar, whose image in the temple is composed of eight precious metals.

Browsing around and trying to follow the guidance of our broken audio guide, we stumbled on Sambhavnanth – the courtyard where Jain priests grind sandalwood in mortals and where many locals come to pay their tribute. We were lucky to witness not one but two different ceremonies at the Temple, both were, what it seemed to me, family affairs.

There were a few more places to check out at the Jain Temple Complex and first of all the Gyan Bhandar (underground library), Shantinath and Kunthunath Temples. After about 1.5 hours spent there, both, Shu and myself were overwhelmed by all the carvings and endless passages. When we finally left the Jain Temples, we collected our shoes and headed straight to the Royal Palace. Even though, the fort’s palace looked magnificent and surreal rising above the mega fort, many people I spoke with, neither ever visited it nor advised me to do it, claiming that there was nothing there to see, especially after all other Rajasthani palaces that I’ve been to. However, with plenty of free time to walk and explore the fort, Shu and I decided to give the Palace a try and it was a wonderful 2 hour tour around the Raj Mahal.

Rs.300 admission fee and Rs.100 per camera allowed us to start the tour. There were no guides on the premisses, so we had to use the audio guides which were useful but a bit boring. The elegant seven-storey Raj Mahal, built on top of the 4th gate Hawa Pol, towers the main square of the fort. Guiding us from room to room, the audio recording filled in the knowledge gaps about the Jaisalmer history and kings, introducing us to their armory, coronation process, genealogy and showing a few rooms that preserved their appearance since the time of ruling kings – Rang Mahal, the bedroom of the 18th century ruler Mulraj II, a gallery of finely wrought 15th-century sculptures donated to the rulers by the builders of the fort’s temples and absolutely spectacular views of the fort from the rooftop. Given that we weren’t constrained by time and that Raj Mahal was nearly free of visitors, Shu and I took our time to leisurely explore every room and corner of this incredible palace.

Before exiting the Raj Mahal, we checked out a fascinating jewelry shop recommended in every travel guide – Hari Om Jewellers. The owner, and second generation of jewel master showed us some incredible rings with the finest carvings of pretty much everything, from India’s top 10 gods to all sights of Jaisalmer or ever Rajasthan. I wish I had enough cash at that moment to buy a souvenir but after I have been robbed, I had very little spare money.

From the top of the Raj Mahal, Shu and I spotted a rooftop restaurant so we headed there to have lunch. It was a lovely place to sit on the sun, enjoy the fantastic views of the fort and the city below, converse and get to know each other better. Shu was a true Japanese gentleman – shy, thoughtful and intelligent, and at the same time, courteous and funny. I really enjoyed his company and felt really lucky to have met him. After traveling in India, I realized that a company of a man is mandatory in order to stay safe and sane, in addition, Shu was a very interesting and nice person to travel with and share observations.

Having spent half day in the fort, we decided to go down to the city and check out the restored part with the bazaar and famous fairy-tale like Jaisalmer Havelis. Old Jaisalmer town is a complicated labyrinth of tangled streets, so we had to use map.google and people’s directions in order to find Patwa Haveli. Located on the narrow street, Haveli is a complex of five buildings built by 5 merchant brothers between 1800 and 1860. The history of the Patwa Haveli dates back to early 18th century, when the patwas were struggling to set up their trade and business. On the advice of a priest at the Jain Temple, the patwas brothers left Jaisalmer with the intention of never returning (they were told by the priest that their business would never succeed in Jaisalmer). The legend has it that the patwas were immensely successful thereafter and their business spanned across banking and finance, silver, brocade and opium trade.

Eventually patwas rose to such heights that they were called upon to finance the state deficit. This brought the clan back to their old city. The then head of the family, Ghuman Chand Patwa, decided to give each of his five sons a separate and elaborate mansion, ignoring the advice of the priest. Thus came up the five grandiose havelis facing the Jaisalmer Fort.

Unfortunately, the lives of the patwas took a different turn upon their return to Jaisalmer and their fortunes started dwindling. Consequently, they had to abandon the city-state again, leaving the havelis at the mercy of care takers. The care takers became the owners in the course of time and decided to put the havelis up for sale.  Mr. Jeevanlalji Kothari, native of Jaisalmer, purchased the first haveli, hence it was renamed after him Kothari’s Patwa Haveli. One the first haveli is open for public and presents its visitors the glimpse into the life of the rich Jain merchants.

Shu and I, paid the admission fees (Rs. 150 entry and Rs. 70 per camera) and hired a guide (Rs.100) to personally introduce us to the lifestyle of rich and famous of the 19th century’s Jaisalmer. A wonderful haveli was delicately built from sandstone by the best masons of the time. It indeed represents a state of art, both inside and out. Gorgeously carved stone doorways, jalis, screens, balconies and turrets along with a sophisticated and adequate museum inside, made 2 hours to fly by. Our guide was an interesting character, whose name I wish I recorded; he was also a landowner and a farmer from a place on the boarder with Pakistan. Good natured and intelligent, he shared his great sense of humor and well as his opium recipes with us. I highly recommend hiring a guide for a tour around the haveli, since every room had its secrets and interesting story attached to it and many, even simple objects, displayed in the Haveli, take on very different meanings once they story is told. My favorite was an opium trade room, for obvious reasons.

It started to get dark and our guide escorted us to another Haveli – Nathmal-ki-Haveli, located just a few blocks away. Built in late 19th century, this haveli used to be a prime minister’s house and until now is partially inhabited. The part shown to us was mostly a craft shop with some very interesting souvenirs, however, our guide told us to pay attention t the room itself. Apparently, it was built by two brothers who couldn’t settle on one design for the house, so they split the house and built each side the way they wanted, except for this particular room because it was a shared one. They found a solution by dividing the room in the middle and decorating each half the way they pleased, thus creating this interesting hall with two sides looking nothing alike.

It was already dark when we thanked our guide for such an interesting tour and headed back to Shahi Palace hotel. Shu stayed in the hotel in the Fort, but I invited him to come and have a dinner with me at the roof-top restaurant in my hotel. It was a cold evening but the full moon reflecting off the Golden city made it an idillic setting to enjoy the night.

The post Jaisalmer, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

Pictures from Jodhpur.

After spending 5 days in the old Mewar kingdom (Chittorgarh, Udaipur and Kumbhalgarh), it was time to move on and get acquainted with Mewar’s arch-enemy – the Marwar dynasty and its capital Jodhpur. Second largest city in Rajasthan, Jodhpur has a few names and all of them are correct. It is called the “Gateway to Thar”, implying city’s strategic location on the border with the Thar desert; it is referred to as “Sun City” for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year around. But the most obvious name, which I could witness with my own eyes, is “Blue City”, a name given because most houses in the city are painted in all shades of blue, honoring Jodhpur’s large population of Brahmins (whose color is, apparently, blue).

Sunil and I arrived to Jodhpur around 8 pm and since no vehicles are allowed to the old town (really, again?!), I had to call the owner of the Haveli to come and pick me up by the Clock Tower. He speedily sent a tuk-tuk for me and in less than ten minutes, I was checking into my new home – Shahi guest house, located in the middle of the rustic, vibrant, always- moving old town. Shahi, the owner of the Haveli, has done a great job converting this old house with large courtyard into a wonderful, romantic and very traditional home-stay. I paid $50 per night and got to stay in, perhaps, the largest room in the Haveli, with huge king-size bed, balcony overlooking the temple across the street, an ottoman corner with thick carpets and thousands of pillows and the bathtub! A bathtub is a rarity in India, and even though it lacked a plug and could have caused the shortage of hot water for all other guests, if i decided to fill in the bath, the fact that I had my own bathtub was super exciting. But the most remarkable feature of the room was its wonderful mosaic floor, a floor you wish you had in your own house, if you had a house and the beautiful hand-carved head-board for the bed. I am not an expert, but I could guess it was made a few centuries ago. And the perk of the haveli was the roof-top restaurant, offering the views of the dramatically lit Mehrangarh perched on top of a rocky hill. As the only late-night client in the restaurant, I enjoyed my dinner and thought that my visit to Jodhpur started successfully. Sadly, I was wrong.

January 12, 2014

According to the Hindu epic Ramayana (composed in the 4th century A.D.) Abhiras (or Ahirs) were the first inhabitants of Jodhpur before they got succumbed by Aryans. Later, the region was part of the Gujarat-Pratihara empire and until 1100 A.D. was ruled by a powerful Bargujar king. In 1200 A.D., the Rathore Rajputs, long before founding Jodhpur and a new dynasty, were driven from their land in east of Agra (Kannauj) by Afghans, serving Mohammed of Ghori, to the region around Pali, 70 kms southwest of Jodhpur. They grew and prospered, conquering surrounding territories and eventually succeeding to oust the Pratiharas of Mandore (9 kms from Jodhpur) in 1381, making the city its new capital. In 1459 the fifteenth Rathore ruler, Rao Jodha, one year after his accession to the throne decided to move his capital to the safer location, as the one thousand years old Mandore fort no longer provided sufficient security. He founded Jodhpur as the new capital of the Marwar kingdom (which cheerfully translates as “The Land of Death”).

The city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat, thus it enabled the Marwar dynasty to profit from a flourishing trade in opium, copper, silk, sandalwood and date palms. The harsh topography and rugged terrain allowed them to extend their borders from modern Pakistan to Jaipur, and from Jaisalmer to Bikaner. Early in its history, the kingdom became a fief under the Mughal Empire, owing fealty to them while enjoying some internal autonomy. Jodhpur and its population benefited from this relationship, because new styles of art and architecture were introduced to Marwar’s court and opportunities opened up for local tradesmen to make their mark across northern India.

However, after the decline of the Mughal empire in 1707, instead of benefitting from the circumstances, Jodhpur drowned in court intrigues and Marwar descended into strife, inviting on their poor heads an intervention from the Marathas, who soon enough replaced Mughals as new lords of the region. By the time Marwar kingdom entered into subsidiary alliance with the British in 1818, its wealth was long gone and its land was torn by continuously raging wars.

At the Shahi guest house, I had to deal with January weather. The disadvantage of having a large and beautiful room in winter is that it’s impossible to warm it up, no matter how many space heaters you ask for. And even though, I was comfortably warm under 3 extra blankets, a very close proximity to the Hindu temple kept me awake and alert all night long, and the following night too. Until that day I didn’t know any religion in the world that would go on celebrating something and nothing for 24 hours a day. To my sad amusement, I found it and unfortunately, the temple of that religion was located right by my balcony. Listening to the wildest …hmmmm religious songs (??!!), slipping in and out of nightmares, I was acoustically present throughout the entire Hindu feast.  The church bells of Rome, the impressive appeals to Allah from the mosques of Beirut have never bothered me before, au contraire, they were always the authentic part of the experience I craved. However, the teeth-pulling, soul-annihilating , nerve-destroying suicidal sounds coming out of that temple were more than my non-schizophrenic mind could handle. Despite all, I was in a bright state of readiness to leave the haveli and spend a day exploring Jodhpur.

Shahi, the owner of the haveli, provided me with a map and explained how to get to the main site – Mehrangarh fort and more importantly, back to the haveli, because the tangled streets of old town were unforgiving to newbies. Shahi mentioned a few times the route I should take to the fort, stressing that the goat path, I saw from the roof-top, led straight from the old city to the fort but wasn’t a safe option even at 9 in the morning, since it was rarely used even by locals. After packing my backpack with everything I might need for a full day in town, I went to discover Jodhpur.

Obviously, I never found the main road because all roads, narrow and narrower didn’t seem like “the main” to me, so shortly after and with help of few locals, I ended up at the beginning of the path that Shahi warned me not to take. Evaluating my chances and considering the lack of other options, I decided to climb up the path. It was 9.30 am, barely any people on the streets and sun brightly shining over the blue city, made me forget about an awful sleepless night. Along the path, ascending the steep rocky walls of the hill, Jodhpur presented itself in its full morning glory – quiet and dignified.

On the path, I met a man, perhaps Indian-American, since he had no accent, who told me to be careful because some parts of the path lay among the trees and if one of the trees fell over the path, I might have to come back and take another route. I took my chances and proceeded. They say, everything happens for a reason, there are moments in life when we are tested, there are moments when we are given a second chance and there are moments when we have to stand up and act. Sadly, destiny was about to test me.

Half-way up the hill, I glanced back and saw a few men quickly approaching me from behind and I knew, they weren’t going to the fort, they were going after me. Later, analyzing the situation, I was surprised to realize how quickly our brains process the information. Those men didn’t waste their time and surrounded my from all sides, but the few seconds of advantage I had from the moment I spotted them were enough for me to compose myself and try to look for a way out. The older guy, perhaps 40 y.o., jumped ahead of me on the path (which none of us could abandon, since it was the only way on the cliffy surface of the hill) and took his pants down. I looked around to see that other men were closing up on me from behind, trying to grab my shoulders to keep me still and perhaps pin me down. By then, the guy who took his pants down, got his pathetic “member” out jerking it off and trying to get it up. Have you ever been scared to the extend that the palms of your hands involuntarily start to sweat? That is how i felt, trapped and scared! I knew it was the end, if not the end of my life, but definitely, if those men succeed, some part of my soul would die and nothing will ever be the same. I looked into his eyes and I saw a sign of victory. He hasn’t insert his d**k inside me but he was already celebrating. He was already glorifying himself for something that I consider the most heinous crime against human being – rape! And something clicked in my head when I saw his eyes – I was ready to fight and if I had to, I was ready to kill him, but never allow him to touch an inch of my skin, yet rape me. All the kindness and continuos petty I felt towards Indian people throughout my trip turned into the strongest bout of anger I have ever experienced. I was so terrified but I swang my very old and heavy Nikon D70 off my shoulder and with full force landed it in the head of one of the rapists. They didn’t expect such move from me and retreated back by 1-2 meters, releasing my hands. A man who was blocking my way, made a move to seize me but because he had his pants down, he couldn’t move freely, so he bent over to pull his pants while I grabbed a rock and started hitting him with it on the back of his head. He was strong enough to easily overpower me, but I was ready to kill and that sealed my destiny. Blood started to pour from a gash on his head and he slowly slid off the path. Without waiting for the events to unfold further and not looking back at his friends-rapists, I ran… and ran.. and ran… and I never run, but those ten minutes to the front gate of the fort seemed like an eternity to me.

I spare you the details of my trials and tribulations with Indian police when i showed up by the Mehrangarh with a bloody camera in my hand screaming that somebody attempted to rape me just 400 meters away from the entrance. No one cared! Indians think that Western or European women are whores so by raping them, they are doing them a favor. I am 100% serious! They are sure, that even if a foreign woman doesn’t enjoy forceful sex with them, she won’t go to the police but simply take a shower and forget about it. And if something goes so wrong that a woman does go to the police, no one would assist her there, because either policemen are just like other Indian men or because police is a big Indian joke, but likely a combination of two. To wrap up my story, police refused to open a case on the ground that they didn’t speak English and apparently, couldn’t record my story without a translator (who probably doesn’t exist). But, I couldn’t let this situation slide, how could I? I am immensely grateful to the US Embassy in Delhi who helped me to open the case and supported me all the way throughout this situation.

But let’s back to Mehrangarh…. Shaken, scared but alive and unharmed, I reached the front gate of this fort. A British father-son duo witnessing my conversation with the Tourist police, volunteered to accompany me to the fort if I wished to continue. I could have called Sunil to come and pick me up, but I knew that being alone, scared and frustrated in my hotel room, wouldn’t be the best option. So, I decided to stay with the British couple and at least walk around the fort.

Rao Jodha laid the foundation of the fort on May 12, 1459 on the rocky hill 9 kms to the south of old capital Mandore. The hill was known as Bhaurcheeria – the mountain of birds. According to legend, in order to build his fort, Rao Jodha had to displace the only human inhabitant of the hill, a hermit called Cheeria Nathji – lord of birds. Angry at Rao Jodha, hermit cursed the place with scarcity of water and until today, the area is plagued by a drought every 3-4 years. In order to ensure that Mehrangarh will be populous and prosperous, following an old tradition, Rao Jadha buried a man, named Raja Ram Meghwal, alive in the foundation of the fort. In return for his favor, Rao Jodha promised the man’s family to be looked after by the Rathore kings and up to this day, his descendants still live in the Raj Bagh, an estate bequeathed them by Jodha.

Construction of Mehrangarh (Sun-fort) started in 1459 by Rao Jodha, however, most of the fort which stands today dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-1678). The fort is located in the center of the city, spreading over 5 kms atop of 122 m high hill. Its walls, which are up to 36m high and 21m wide, protect one of the jewels of Rajasthan and despite multiple sieges and attacks, Mehrangarh has never been conquered. Still run by the Jodhpur’s royal family, Mehrangarh is full of history and legends. The complex houses the Maharaja’s palace, several temples and, tucked away in the back, an extensive garden still farmed to this day. After paying Rs.300 entry fee, Rs.100 per camera, I picked up my audio guide and joined the British couple. Unfortunately, I was still deeply distraught and didn’t want to come across as a ungrateful friend, so shortly after, I excused myself and left to walk around the fort by myself.

I entered the fort via Jai Pol “Victory Gates” built by Maharaja Man Singh in 1806 to celebrate his victory in a war with Jaipur and Bikaner. Walking all the way up the ramp, I got to Dedh Kangra Pol, built in the 16th century, it was the original external gate to the palace and still bears the scars of bombardment by cannonballs from 1808.

I had to pass trough two more 16th century gates – Imritia Pol and Loha Pol (Palace’s original gate) before entering the Palace grounds. Immediately to the left of Loha Pol there are handprints (sati marks) of the ranis who in 1843 immolated themselves on the funeral pyre of their husband, Maharaja Man Singh.

Within the fort, there are multiple fantastically designed and decorated palaces, some of which were turned into interesting museums, exhibiting palanquins, howdahs, miniature paintings, costumes and so on. And despite the fact that I have visited uncountable palaces in India alone, Mehrangarh palaces made the biggest impression on me. Not only were they beautifully and craftily built, but also they had a sense of belonging in them, as if the king just stepped out and would return soon. There were no long abandoned female quarters or dilapidating king’s bedrooms, it felt as if the palaces froze in time in their best state of affair and because excess to pretty much every room was allowed without constrains, I felt as if I were touring somebody’s very …very beautiful home.

The first palace everyone enters is Shringar Chowk or Anointment Courtyard, superbly decorated with finely carved jalis that look more like sandalwood than sandstone. The facade of the upper stories form a continuous perforated screen through which the women could watch proceedings in Shringar Chowk. The proceedings included the anointment of a new ruler, for which the marble throne in the chowk was employed.

The galleries around Shringar Chowk display India’s best collection of elephant howdahs and Jodhpur’s royal palanquin collection. Howdahs were a kind of two-compartment wooden seat (mostly covered with gold and silver), which were fastened on the elephant’s back. The front compartment, with more leg space and a raised protective metal sheet, was meant for kings or royalty, and the rear smaller one for a reliable bodyguard disguised as a fly-whisk attendant. Palanquins were a popular mode of travel and circumambulation for the noble ladies up to the second half of the 20th century, but they were also used by male nobles and royals on special occasions.

After, I proceeded to Daulat Khana Chowk, housing a gallery displaying textiles, paintings, manuscripts and headgear. This gallery hosts the most important and best preserved collections of fine and applied arts of the Mughal period of Indian history, during which the Rathore kings of Jodhpur maintained close links with the Mughal emperors. The armory is displayed in the adjacent gallery and represents a rare collection of weapons from every period of Jodhpur. On display are sword-hilts made of jade, silver, rhino horn, ivory, shields studded with rubies, emeralds, pearls etc.  Exhibit contains the personal swords of many emperors, among them outstanding historical Khanda of Rao Jodha, weighing over 7 lbs, the curved sword of Akbar the Great and the sword of Timur.

Upstairs is a gallery of miniature paintings from Marwar school and the beautiful 18th-century Phool Mahal (Flower Palace) built by Maharaja Abhaya Singh (1724-1749). It is perhaps Mehrangarh’s grandest room, decorated with the 19th-century wall paintings depicting 36 moods of classical ragas as well as royal portraits; they say that the artist took 10 years to create them using a curious concoction of gold leaf, glue and cow’s urine. It served as the Maharah’s pleasure chamber to accommodate dancing girls and revelries.

And of course, there is no palace in India what doesn’t have its own Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Hall). The mirror-work includes large, rectangular pieces, rather than an intricate mosaic of tiny fragments; another things is the superimposition over the mirror-work of brightly painted religious figures make in plaster.

A leisurely and fascinating walk around the second floor of the palace brought me to Takht Vilas, which used to serve as a bed chamber of Maharaja Takht Singh (1843-1873), which had just 30 maharanis and numerous concubines. The last ruler to reside in the Merhangarh, his room is an interesting blend of styles, most traditional, but some, like the christmas balls on the ceiling, testifying to the modern age which arrived with the British. The bed chamber is decorated from ceiling to floor with paintings on a variety of subjects; from Hindu gods and goddesses to European ladies. Even the ‘carpet’ on the floor is painted.

I then entered an extensive zenana (women’s quarter), the inner sanctum of the palace once guarded by eunuchs, this is where the Maharaja’s multiple wives whiled away their days. The zenana’s beautiful lattice windows (from which the women could watch the goings-on in the courtyards) are said to feature over 250 different designs. An audio guide had an interesting self-narrated story of a living rani who entered the zenana many years ago as a young girl and a new wife of the last king of Jodhpur.

Moti Mahal (Pearl Hall) was the last to visit on this tour. Built by Raja Sur Singh (1595-1619) it is the largest palace in Mehrangarh. Pearl-colored inside and decorated with colored glass windows, the palace served as Maharaja’s audience hall. It is equipped with five alcoves leading into hidden balconies, believed to be built for his five queens to listen in on court proceedings.

Before exiting the Mehrangarh fort, I called Sunil to come and pick me up by the gates of the fort because I was still afraid to walk alone back to the city. Coming down towards the Jai Pol, I ran into Nicco and his Argentinian friend, whom I met in Udaipur a few days before. They were coming back to the palace with no particular reason, so I suggested, since I had a car, to go and check out some other places. They agreed and when Sunil arrived, I asked him to take us to the palace which faint but beautiful silhouette was rising above the city –  Umaid Bhawan Palace.

Umaid Bhawan Palace is the last grand palace built in India. Divided into three functional parts, it houses a Museum, the current royal incumbent’s, Gaj Singh II, residency and a luxurious Taj Palace hotel. Built in 1929, the 347-room edifice was designed by the Brit Henry Lanchester for Maharaja Umaid Singh. It took 15,000 workers, 15 years and a whooping amount of money to complete. The building is mortarless and incorporates 100 wagon loads of Makrana marble and Burmese teak in interior. Apparently its construction began as a royal job-creation program during the time of severe drought. Currently, only the museum part of the palace is open for public, while access to the rest of the Palace is reserved for those, who stay or dine (another way to get into the palace as I found out) at Taj hotel or King’s court.

Rs.60 would get you a ticket to the Museum, which displays photos of the palace’s interior as well as its past and current kings, a collection of european and Chinese clocks and table wear. Across from the museum is a Maharaja’s large collection of highly polished classic cars.

After checking out a small museum and cars, Sunil drove back to the city and dropped us off by the Clock Tower in the center of Sardar Bazar. It was packed with people and Nicco worried whether I would safe being there alone. There were two things (besides visiting a police office again) that I wanted to do. Primarily, I wanted to order a custom-made set of 3 feet tall gangaurs for my apartment in New York, which I successfully did from J.G. Art & Crafts shop, whose owner took my order and promptly one week later delivered the gangaurs to my friend’s house in Delhi. And the second thing was to buy the world famous teas and spices from M.V. Spices (shop number 209-B, inside the vegetable market near the Clock Tower).  Run by 3 sisters, this place is famous to have the best teas in all of India. The shop attendant made me a few different teas to try and 30 minutes later, I left the shop with a bag full of teas, vanilla and saffron. Be aware that many shops in Jodhpur try to imitate M.V. Spices because of their stellar reputation and multiple mentioning in different travel guides; pay attention to the name of the shop you enter, it is not M.M.V. Spices and not V.M. Spices or any other derivation of those or any other letters. On the way to my hotel, I have also purchased a dozen of bangles from a master himself which pleased him and his clients who helped me to pick the right ones, since, apparently, I have very big hands and not all Indian bangles fit me.

Despite having the Haveli’s card with a map printed with me, I still couldn’t find it in the network of complicated streets, so I asked a few people to show me a direction. Every Hindu person told me that Shahi guest house didn’t exist, as if I never spent a night there, but one Muslim boy came to me and told me that he would escort me there because Durgah where he was going to attend his evening prayer, was a block away from the Haveli. And indeed, he took me straight to the hotel.

I was told to inform the owner of the hotel about the rape accident, but Shahi was at the wedding when I arrived and since I was leaving the town at 6 am next morning, I knew I couldn’t seek help from him. I had a quiet dinner at the restaurant overlooking the exact hill where I was attacked 10 hours earlier, and then went to bed. Needless to say that it was a sleepless night, events that took place that day compounded by the crazy music coming from the Hindu temple across the street kept me awake all night.

The post Jodhpur, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

Pictures.

The great advantage of having a chauffeured car in India is freedom – freedom to drive anywhere, stop for as long as you wish and more importantly, flexibility to come up with a new destination a few days or hours prior, pointed it to your driver and have him get you there.

After spending two full days in Udaipur, Sunil and I left for Jodhpur, however, on the way, I had instructed him to stop by two places that were recommended by every travel guide: romantic fort Kumbhalgarh and the largest Jain temple in India – Ranakpur.

We left at 7 am and 2 hours later reached Kumbhalgarh, which is located 82 kms north-west from Udaipur. The zig-zagging road to the top of the 1,100 m Aravalli Hill is hands down one of the most picturesque drives in Rajasthan.

Kumbhalgarh played an important role in the history of Mewar dynasty, particularly from the time of Maharana Kumbha to Maharana Pratap (1433-1597). Second only to the Chittorgarh fort, the rulers wisely used to retreat there in times of danger. Not surprisingly, Kumbhalgarh was taken once and only for two days by the combined forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Raja Man Singh of Amber, Raja Udai Singh of Marwar and the Sultan of Gujarat. It is said that 3 women of Mali caste showed the secret entrance to the enemies and as punishment, they were bricked alive in the wall of the fort and stone heads of three women were put on demonstration on the exterior of fort wall on the right of Ram Pol.

The earlier history of the fort is somewhat obscure in the absence of adequate archeological and literary evidences; however, legendary tradition says that in ancient times Kumbhalgarh was known as Machchindrapur and was associated with King Samprati of Maurya dynasty who built the original fort. There is no archeological or historical evidence that links Samprati to the construction of the fort, although the remains of an old wall, few structures and a small fortress (around the 2nd century B.C.), near Juna Bhilwara village and Pitaliya Shah Jain Temple appear to belong to pre-Kumbha times.  

The traditional version of the history of Kumbhalgarh says that the fort was built by Mewar’s Maharana Kumbha of Sisodia dynasty. Out of 84 forts in his dominion, Rana Kumbha is said to have designed 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate. According to legend, in 1443, Rana Kumbha attempted to build a fort on the top of the Aravalli hill, however, despite all his efforts, every morning he woke up to see the constructions of the previous day to crumble. As a religious person, he consulted a spiritual preceptor who advised the ruler to find a volunteer to serve as a human sacrifice. The king sent out word, but no one volunteered, until one day a pilgrim (another version – a solder) came about with his desire to be decapitated, so the Rana could build his fort. According to the prediction, the sacrifice was necessary to ensure that the battle walls of the fort would be strong enough to withhold the sieges. 

Today, the winding 15 feet wide walls of Kumbhalgarh, second only to the Great Wall of China, stretch for more than 36 kms, allowing 8 horses to ride abreast. There are 7 fortified gateways to the fort, including Ram Pol through which I entered and Hanuman Pol containing a shrine and a temple commemorating a person who sacrificed his life for the fort to be built. 

After purchasing a ticket (Rs.100) and a guide book about Kumbhalgarh (Rs.50), I went inside. It was still very early and cold, and no guides were available for hire, so relying on my sight and a moment-ago purchased book, I went on what it turned out to be a 6 hours tour around the fort but more importantly around 360 intact and ruined temples, some of them dating back to the 2nd century B.C.

Right of the Ram Pol, there is Vedi-Temple complex, built on raised platform enclosed on three sides by high walls. It comprises of Yajna Vedi, square chhatri and triple shrines. This complex is one of the most imposing structures in Kumbhalgarh for performing yajnas on completion of the construction of the fort by Rana Kumbha in 1457 A.D. An image of six-armed Vishnu seated in lalitasana on Garuda is enshrined in the sanctum of the shrine on the right. A square-pillared chhatri, probably meant for offering sacrifice during the time of yajna, is in the center between the triple shrines and the Yajna Vedi.

I continued walking away from the fort towards the rising spires of ancient temples. I can’t name all of them, but I will try to mention and describe a few I remember. Neelkanth Mahdev Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, built in 1458, faces west. It is rectangular in plan with seven domed roof, supported by 26 gigantic stone pillars with lotus finials at the top of central dome. The huge 6 foot high Shiva-linga of black stone with yoni pitha is the only deity in the area still being worshipped and maintained by the locals. A legend says that Rana Kumbha was so tall that when he sat for his prayers on the floor of this temple, his eyes were on level with the deity. He never began a day without performing prayers himself and what an irony that he was beheaded by his own son, as he prayed.

I passed by Parsvanatha Temple, Mataji or Kheda Devi Temple, Jain temples near Vijay Pol, towards Bawan Deori, an imposing group of 52 temples built in 1464, of which fifty are equal in size and arranged all around the outer wall with their entrance towards courtyard. Two main shrines – one in the center of back wall and the other in the middle of the court, are larger in size. The main shrine has pancharatha sanctum with curvilinear sikhara, an antarala and an open mandapa with square interior and dome ceiling. The facade of the sanctum is lavishly carved with floral designs and human figurines. Mukhamandapa (frontal pavilion) is decorated with apsaras in different postures playing with balls, vina, holding mirror, necklaces, chauri bearer etc.

Further up the hill, I entered Golera group of temples, containing nine shrines, of which 4 are dedicated to Jain pantheon, while the remaining 5 are brahman shrines. Built on elevated rocky surface, Temples stand majestically and attractively on the highest point on the western part of the hillock, approached by the flight of steps from east. There is a chamber below the western mandapa with a narrow entrance from the west, where 24 headless stone sculptures were found, now kept in the museum.

Every temple I encountered was a little discovery in itself, standing on circular terraces or patterned platforms, they all were beautifully carved and despite their visible hollowness, had a story to tell. By then, I spent 4 hours browsing the empty temples while walking away from Kumbhalgarh, so I turned around and after shedding a few layers of clothes, since it finally got warmer, proceeded towards the fort.

To the left of Ram Pol is Ganesha and Charbhuja Temples. Ganesha temple was built by Rana Kumbha and the image of Ganesha is enshrined in the sanctum. Standing on the high platform, it can be entered via the flight of steps from south, it has a garbhagriha, an antarala, a mandapa with pillared kakshasana followed by mukhamandapa. Charbhuja Temple is dedicated to four-armed goddess, it is raised over a high platform and enclosed by a prakaram walls.

The Palace-Complex comprising of three magnificent structures – Badal Mahal (Fateh Prakash), Kumbha Mahal and the birth place of Maharana Pratap located on the top of the ridge. After climbing a pretty steep ramp, I entered the palace grounds near the ancient baoli which was used to collect rain water. The largest rectangular tank is located near the birth place of Maharana Pratap, however, there are over ten dams and more than twenty stepwells within or outside the fort. The dams were built at a narrow valley by providing huge stone masonry walls at regular intervals. Walls are longer on the top and gradually become shorter while extending down towards slope. Similarly, walls are the thickest at the base, but slowly thinning at the top while maintaining the height of the dams. Provisions have also been made to release excess water by outlet at the corner of the top. Stepped landings have been built from top to bottom with arch-shaped structures in the center to lift water through Persian wheel system. Series of niches were also built on the inner face of the walls for fixing some images, but now they stand empty.

Next to the water tank was a place where Maharana Pratap was born, however, the staircase, leading towards the room or group of rooms was closed, so I wasn’t able to get inside to check it out.

There was no route around the palace complex, but I continued going straight to see the palace from the other side and take wonderful pictures of it and views from the Aravalli hills. By then, I could hear dozen of voices from the palace’s roof, however, it felt as if there was no one around.

After returning to the palace gate, I first proceeded to the lower terrace of Kumbha Mahal. This double storied edifice standing the vagaries of time speaks of the Rana’s greatness and love for architecture. Not comparable by size to the one in Chittorgarh, Kumbha Mahal most definitely was the most luxurious of two. The ground floor consists of a rectangular hall with small chambers and open courtyard. Between Kumbha Mahal and Badal Mahal is another two storied building with an open courtyard, the ground floor of which was used as a shrine dedicated to Nava Durga. In front is royal kitchen built probably by Rana Prakash. The network of passages, hidden rooms, lower and upper levels connected by hard-to-find staircases, make Kumbha Mahal a wonderful labyrinth of history. I was curious enough to climbed up and down, explore all, even crumbling rooms and by chance, return to the 15 century.

The newest palace, Badal Mahal was built by Rana Fateh Singh (1884-1930). Standing on the highest point of Kumbhalgarh and facing east, this two storied palace is constructed in two parts, Zenana mahal and Mardana mahal, with several sets of large and small rooms. The walls and the ceiling of the rooms of upper floor are painted with floral designs in various colors, whereas the lower half of the walls of the ground floor depicts the fighting scenes. Zenana Mahal has stone jalis which facilitated the queens to see the court proceedings and other events in privacy. Many rooms are under restoration, but the views from the roof of the palace to the jungle covered hillsides and across the deserts of Mewar towards Jodhpur, are simply stunning. 

It is easy to get lost in time as you stand on the walls of the fort or browse through its multiple palaces or temples, listening to the stories of the legendary king Rana Kumbha – the king who gave his name to the area, and who lives on through his deeds long after his tragic demise.

After 6 or 7 hours spent in Kumbhalgarh, to the immense joy of bored Sunil, I finally re-emerged from the fort. We planned to visit another site, on the way to Jodhpur – Ranakpur, India’s most important and largest Jain temple. 23 kms west of Kumbhalgarh (by air), it is a 50 kms  drive via Saira. 

The construction of Ranakpur is well documented on a 1437 copper-plate located in the temple and in Sanskrit text Soma-Saubhagya Kavya. Inspired by a dream of a celestial vehicle, Dhanna Shah, a Porwal, commenced its constructions under the patronage of Rana Kumbha. The architect overseeing the project was Deepaka and there is an inscription on a pillar near the main shrine, stating that in 1439 Deepaka constructed the temple at the directions of Dharanka, a devote Jain. When the ground floor was completed, Acharya Soma Sundar Suri of Tapa Gaccha supervised the ceremonies, which are described in Soma-Saubhagya Kavya.

Built in white marble and occupying an area 60 by 62 meters, the temple with its distinctive domes, shikhara, turrets and cupolas rises mafnificently from the slope of the hill like a wedding cake. After paying Rs.200 entry fee (comes with a free audio guide which is a MUST to understand the history and hundreds of little but important details about Ranakpur),  two Rs.100 tickets for each of my cameras (I left the phone in the car otherwise, they would have charged me another Rs.100 for the phone camera) and the most thorough body/bag search, I was finally allowed to come in.  Note: shoes, cigarettes, leather articles including leather bags and belts are not allowed and should be removed before entering the temple, menstruating women are asked not to enter either; appropriate attire required.

The main temple, the Chaumukha Mandir (Four-Faced Temple) is dedicated to Adinath, the first of Jain tirthankara (depicted in many Buddha-like images throughout the temple). The construction of the temple and quadrupled image symbolize the tirthankara’s conquest of the four cardinal directions and hence the cosmos. An incredible construction consists of complicated series of 30 halls, 80 domes and 1444 individually carved pillars none of which is the same. I wish I could prove them wrong, but after an hour of meticulous examination of every pillar, each of which was indeed like none other, I couldn’t see beyond the large picture of the hall. Foreigners weren’t allow to enter the main platform in the middle of the temple, but I definitely had enough time to browse around, admiring the interior covered in knotted, wrought carvings, multiple Jain statues and a beautiful carving made out of a single marble rock depicting 108 heads of snakes and numerous tales.

I surely benefited from listening to the audio guide, it provided me not only with the history of Ranakpur, but also Jainism, specific details about the design of the temple, its architect, results of invasions and the story of re-discovering Ranakpur and re-claiming it back from the jungles. A place with so many delicate and intricate details, should be explored extensively and for a long period of time. I spent about 2 hours in Ranakpur and could have spent even more if we didn’t have to continue to Jodhpur.

The post Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

January 9, 2014

After a good and warm night of rest, delicious home-cooked breakfast and a thoughtful present from an affectionate and beautiful Parvati’s daughter, it was time to say goodbyes to the magnificent Chittorgarh fort and follow the steps of Maharana Udai Singh II, who in 1568 abandoned the fort for good and moved the Mewar dynasty capital 118 kms west to a place he called Udaipur.

Legend has it that Udai Singh II came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on that spot, assuring him that it would be well protected (you don’t have to be a fakir to understand that the Aravilli mountain range is a great natural protection by itself). Udai Singh followed the advice and built his residency on the site and when Mughal king Akbar the Great conquered Chittorgarh, Udai Singh promptly moved his court to Udaipur. After Udai’s death in 1572, his son Maharana Pratap took the reins of power, he defeated Akbar at the battle of Haldighati in 1576 and re-conquered lost Mewar territories (except for Chittorgarh). Peace and prosperity descended on Udaipur, palaces were built on the lake shores and art, particularly miniature paintings, flourished.

In 1736, the marauding Marathas attacked Udaipur and by the end of the century, the Mewar state was in dire straits and ruins. However, the State of Mewar was re-established with the help of British, who took the city under their protection till 1947 when India gained independence.

Udaipur is referred to as the “Venice of the East” and in my opinion, it is one of the most picturesque cities in Rajasthan and India too. The city, which represents an attractive mix of modern and old, is located on three interconnected lakes within the town – Fateh Sagar, Pichola and Swaroop Sagar Lakes. Multiple forts, palaces, temples, havelis, gardens, mountains, narrow ancient shopping streets, along with fabulous Taj hotels occupying the former Maharana palaces, followed by the all-time high cult of the current symbolic ruler of the Suryavanshi (Sun) dynasty – Maharana Mahendra Singh Mewar – made it a perfect two-day destination.

Sunil dropped me and my luggage outside the city, since there are no out-of-town cars are allowed in (or so he said), so I hired an-always-super-overprices tuk-tuk to get me to my hotel – Jagat Niwas Palace. It is, no doubt, one of the best places to stay in Udaipur, unless you prefer the quaint old-world feel and luxury of the Taj Palaces hotels, which also comes with a few thousand dollars per night price tag.

Jagat Niwas Palace is a beautiful historic haveli located on the Pichola lake, overlooking the Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir, two lake palaces. After I settled in my room on the ground floor with, unfortunately, no lake views, I asked concierge for a map and directions to the City Palace and embarked on a 9 hour tour around the palaces, lakes and temples.

The City Palace was only 5 minutes walk via the narrow alleyways, and because of the well-charted map, it was easy to find. After buying the City Palace Complex Ticket (Rs.30),  the City Palace Museum Entrance ticket (Rs. 115) and one Camera permit (Rs.225), I was surrounded by the tour guides offering their services. I love hiring guides because they “usually” know more than I do and often things that aren’t commonly known, it is definitely a great money-time investment in India. After picking one, very calm and self-assured young guide (Rs 200 + Rs.50 tip), we went in for am amazing 2.5 hours exploration tour around immense Palace premisses. (Guide’s name was Nitin Sharma, his phone is +91-98292-96494, e-mail: magguidr@yahoo.com)

The City Palace was built concurrently by Udai Singh II in 1559 and his 76 successors Maharanas over the period of 300 years. 224 m long and 30 m high, it is the largest palace in India, and despite its enormous size, this conglomeration of eleven separate palaces and gardens, built and extended by various Maharanas, still remains incredibly uniform in architectural design and style. A rich blend of Rajasthani, Mughal, Medieval, European and Chinese architecture is distinctly homogeneous and eye catching. The palace complex was built entirely in granite and marble. The interiors of the palace with its balconies, towers and cupolas exhibit delicate mirror-work, murals, wall paintings , silver-work, inlay-work and colored glass.

Nitin and I entered the front courtyard via Tripolia Pol (built in 1725), in front of the palace facade is an arena where elephant fights were staged in the past to test their prowess before starting on war campaigns.

After giving me a brief history lesson about Udaipur and its maharanas, Nitin mentioned that luckily I came in the right time, because the current Maharana’s only son was getting married in two weeks time, so the palace has been cleaned, re-decorated to look its best for the festivities. We approached the main block of the City Palace through a modest door from the Ganesha Deodhi Terrace. The door was flanked by whitewashed walls vibrantly painted with martial animals in the traditional Rajput style.

Via Toran Pol, named after a traditional wedding ritual, where the groom getting married to the Mewar princess would touch the toran – a temporary crown tied on the entrance gate, we entered the City Palace Museum. Do not get confused, the main entrance ticket to the Palace allows you to enter only the front arena since the rest of the palace operates as a City Palace Museum and requires a separate ticket.  First courtyard, Moti Chowk, was built during the reign of Rana Karan Singh Ji (1620-1628) and served as the arrival and departure hall for the royal family, as well as a place where elephants and horses were prepared for the royal processions.  Adjacent, there are sites of Khasa Rasodia, original structure was known as Kanwarpada ki Ovari (living room for the prince), converted in the 19th century by Maharana Swarup Singh Ji into the special kitchen and Satanavari Paiga that literally means ‘seven and nine bay horse stable” built by Rana Karan Singh Ji in the 17th century, with five bays of the north block still functioning as horse stable.

The City Palace Museum begins with the Rai Angan (Royal Courtyard), the very spot where hermit Goswami Prem Giri blessed Udai Singh and instructed him to build a new city. Rooms along the sides contain paintings (including the one of the Battle of Haldighati in 1576), armory, historical documents and the fire-pit dedicated to the hermit.

We moved on to Baadi Mahal (Great Palace), the exotic central garden palace situated on a 27 m high natural rock formation vis–à–vis the rest of the palace, where the rooms on the ground floor appear to be at the level on the fourth floor. The swimming pool in the middle was used for Holi festival celebration.

In adjoining hall, miniature paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries depict Jag Mandir, Jagdish Temple, the very courtyard and an elephant fight organized by the Maharanas. Because elephants are naturally very calm animals, they were fed hashish before arranging the flights. The fight looked like the two elephants pulling each other by the trunks. It might have seemed innocent, but on most occasions caused elephants deep tusk-inflicted wounds.

Kishan (Krishna) Villa is another chamber in the Palace with rich collection of miniature paintings that portrays royal processions, festivals and games of the Maharanas. However, there is a tragic story linked to this wing of the City Palace – Bhim Singh’s daughter Krishna Kumari drank a fatal cup of poison here to solve the dilemma of two rival princely suitors from Jaipur and Jodhpur, who were both threatening to invade Mewar, if she didn’t marry them.

Approached from the Manak Chowk, Manak Mahal is an enclosure for rulers’ formal audiences and has a raised alcove inlaid completely in mirrored glass. Sun-faced emblems, in gleaming brass, religious insignia of the Sisodia dynasty are a recurring display at several locations in the City Palace; one of these prominent emblems is depicted on the facade of the Manak Chowk, which can also be seen from the outermost court below. The largest emblem is also seen on the wall of the Surya Chopra , a reception area at the lower level. Surya or Sun emblem of the Mewar dynasty depicts a Bhil, the Sun, Chittorgarh and a Rajput with an inscription in Sanskrit of a quotation from the Bhagavat Gita “God helps those who do their duty”. It was and still is customary for the Maharanas to offer obeisance to the Sun facing east, every morning before breakfast.

Many chambers are former living quarters of the Maharanas, each representing a particular king’s style, needs and hobbies. One of the rooms belonged to Bhopal Singh (1930-1955) paralyzed from waist down since the age of 16, his room was equipped with an elevator and made fully accessible for a person in a wheel-chair.

Surya Chopra opens into Mor Chowk (Peacock Courtyard) – a pillared hall with glass and mirror mosaic decorations which are integral to the inner courts’ style. The elaborate design of this chamber consists of three peacocks (representing the three seasons of summer, winter and monsoon) modeled in high relief and faced with 5,000 peaces of colored glass, built into successive niches in the wall area. The Mor Chowk was built by Maharana Sajjan Singh, 200 years after the construction of the palace. The all-mirrored Chitram-ki-Burj and Badi Chorur Chowk are great places to check out too.

The south end of the Palace comprises of Zenana Mahal, the royal ladies quarters built in the 17th century. In 1974, it has been converted into a gallery and now contains lots of paintings depicting royal hunting scenes. Next to Zenana Mahal is Amar Mahal or the Treasure Hall built in the early 17th century by Rana Amar Singh I. Adjacent rooms contain the exhibit of old horse baggies and precious silver objects.

It was almost 13.45 when Nitin finished the tour and rushed me to the Chandra Chowk Gate to get a ticket for a Pichola Lake boat ride. Apparently, tickets sold between 10.00 and 14.00 were Rs.340, while from 14.00 till 17.00 Rs.600. Since I already had the City Palace Entrance ticket, I didn’t have to buy another one, and after getting a boat pass, I said goodbyes to Nitin and ran to the Rameshwar Ghat to catch the last boat (which usually leaves every hour). The Ghat was about 15 minutes walk and I was lucky to make it on time.

Pichola Lake was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II after he moved his capital to Udaipur. Now, it is 4 kms long and 3 kms wide and offers a fantastic way to see the city from a boat. There are two natural islands in the Lake, Jig Niwas Island – home to the royal summer palace converted into the world-famous Taj Group-run luxurious Lake Palace hotel (which I didn’t visit) and Jag Mandir Island, where I took a boat trip.

The city looked stunning from the water, built in different, yet coordinated styles, Udaipur looked nothing less than a postcard during the 40 minutes journey to Jag Mandir.

Construction of Jag Mandir, also known as Lake Garden Palace, started in 1551 by Maharana Amar Singh, continued by Karan Singh (1620-1628) and finally completed by Jagat Singh I (1628- 1652). The palace’s history is closely related to the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, when he was still young prince known as Prince Khurram. In 1623, he rebelled against his father Emperor Jahangir claiming the throne of the Mughal empire. Faced with danger of getting thwarted in his campaign, he sought refuge in Mewar kingdom at Udaipur where he was given a refuge by Maharana Karan Singh (they say that the courtesy was extended because Khurram’s mother was a Rajput lady). Initially, Khurram, his wife Mumtaz Mahal and two sons, Prince Dara and Prince Aurangzeb, stayed at the City Palace, but later they were moved to Gul Mahal, a palace especially built for Khurram by his host in the middle of the Jag Mandir island, where Khurram remained under Mewar’s protection in 1623-1624.

The irony of this act of hospitality is that Karan Singh’s father was defeated by Khurram in the war in 1614, and his son, Karan, had acted an envoy to the Mughal court where the cordial amity developed between the Mewar and Mughal kingdoms. Following the death of Jahangir in 1627, Khurram bestowed the title of Shah Jahan at the Badal Mahal in Udaipur, before he left for his coronation as the Mughal Emperor. As the reward, Shah Jahan not only restored six, previously annexed by Mughals, districts to the Mewar kingdom, but also presented a unique ruby jewel to Jagat Niwas, son of Rana Karan Singh.

During the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the island became a refuge for the second time, when Maharana Swroop Singh saved a number of European families, mostly women and children, from imminent death from the Indians, by hiding them in the Jag Mandir palace.

You can’t deny that Jag Mandir is impeccably beautiful and manicured island with two separate palaces, Gul Mahal and Jag Mandir, a garden and a pavilion; it is home to an amazing restaurant and a seven-room boutique hotel.

We docked the boat at the Pavilion, an impressive white colonnade of cusped arches, decorated with large elephants carved in stone, four on each side of the entry steps.

The first structure I visited getting off the boat was Gul Mahal. Initially built as a small sandstone palace in 1551, during the reign of Maharana Amar Singh, it was further developed to host Prince Khurram. The Gul Mahal has three circular domed chambers, one above the other, with a crescent of Islam fixed on top of the dome. The columned hall lead to the living chambers where the massive marble slabs affixed to the interior walls were inlaid with colored rubies, onyx, jasper, cornelian and jade. This type of decoration is reported to have been replicated by the Mughals in their Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah at Agra, in 1626. The palace is also said to have housed a throne carved from a single block of serpentine, which is presently not traceable. The Mahal is surrounded by a roomy circular apartment built in white and black marble with murals and paintings considered an uncommon feature in Rajput architecture. On the western wing of the palace, this type of design has been repeated in three other pavilions.

Jag Mandir is the main palace which incorporates the Gul Mahal. It has octagonal towers topped with cupolas and houses a labyrinth of reception halls, residential apartments and internal courts, all built in Rajput and Mughal style. The Zenana and Kunwar Pada ka Mahal (The Palace of the Crown Prince) adjoint the palace. Access to the second floor was prohibited, but the main hall represented a very interesting and well assembled historical museum of the Palace and island. A group of Russian tourists was on the boat with me, and because they didn’t speak English, for 30 minutes I had to play a guide and translate every plaque posted in the museum.

Gardens and Palace of the Twelve Stones are other two things to explore on this small island, but I preferred to order a glass of wine and enjoy the views of the lake and the city, as well as the fabulous dining pavilion.

Once you are on Jag Mandir Island, you can stay as long as you want and take any boat heading back to Udaipur. I stayed for over an hour and met two interesting Argentine guys, Nico and his friend,  who I ran into a few more times on my trip around Rajasthan, since we were visiting the same cities at the same pace.

After getting back to Udaipur, I stopped by Fateh Prakash palace, which is now a luxury heritage hotel hosting two very interesting sites – Durbar Hall and Crystal Gallery. After paying Rs. 525 for a combined ticket (Crystal Gallery and a tea/coffee ceremony) and leaving my driver’s license as a deposit, I went on exploring the hotel’s premises. Durbar Hall, built in 1909 within the Fateh Prakash Palace is one of India’s largest and most extravagant royal reception halls, lit by some of the country’s biggest chandeliers. The luxuriant interior is decorated with weapons of the Maharanas and some of their unique portraits. The gallery above the the hall was used by the royal ladies to observe the court proceedings. I was the only person in the hall and judging by the busy staff running back and forth, they were getting ready for some important function. I have heard from my guide that the rent of this room starts at $40,000 per day.

Before I entered the Crystal Gallery, I deposited all my cameras and a phone, since no pictures were allowed in the Gallery. Maybe because of its hefty, by Indian standards, entry price the Gallery was empty, only the voices of two guards at the door, continually bickering with each other, were heard throughout the entire hall. The audio guide was very useful in telling the story of the gallery and origins of some of the peaces. The gallery houses a rare collection of crystal that Maharana Sajjad Singh ordered from F&C Osler & Co in London in 1877 but died before it arrived. It is said that all the packages and boxes containing the crystals remained unopened for 110 years and when they were finally re-discovered, the current Maharana didn’t want to use the objects but built a permanent exhibition showing the best of the items. Now, the gallery consists of crystal chairs, dressing tables, sofas, beds, thousands of pieces of crockery and table fountains none of which was every used.

After finishing the tour, I was escorted to the Gallery Restaurant where I sat by the window, imagining a life of a Mewar princess while waiters served me coffee with cookies.

After exiting through the City Palace’s Badi Pol, I visited Jagdish Temple, a large Hindu temple built by Jagat Singh I in 1651. After climbing elephant-flanked flight of 150 steps and fighting off the herds of men pretending to be the apprentices of the school of miniature painting across the street (a very common trick in Udaipur), I got to enjoy a few moments admiring wonderfully carved double-storied mandapa enshrining a black stone image of Vishnu as Jagannath, lord of the Universe and his man-bird vehicle Garuda.

It was starting to get dark and I was quite exhausted, but there was one thing I wanted to do before calling it a night. I phoned Sunil to come and pick me up by the Temple and after about 15 minutes, we were already on the way to Sajjan garh or Mansoon Palace. Located 9 kms by the winding road, on top of Aravalli hills overlooking Pichola Lake, this melancholy and neglected white marbled palace was built by Sajjan Singh in 1884. It was originally planned to be a nine-storied astronomical center, but after Sajjan Singh prematurely died at the age of 26, the partially built palace was subsequently completed by his successor Fateh Singh who used it as a monsoon palace and a hunting lodge.

The white marble palace (Rs. 160 + Rs 130 for a car) has high turrets and guards regulating each of the towers. The palace has a grand central court with a staircase that leads to many rooms and living quarters. It has been built on marble pillars, which have been carved with exquisite motifs of leaves and flowers. The Mansoon Palace has a unique rain water harvesting structure with storage capacity of 195,500 litres, however, it wasn’t adequate to sustain the palace and it was therefore abandoned. In 1956 Maharana Shri Bhagawat Singh gave Mansoon palace to people of Mewar, perhaps it explains the neglected state of the Palace and its weird Wildlife Sanctuary exhibit inside the main hall.

I did come to check out the palace, but more importantly, I came to witness the glorious end of the day with the sun setting behind the Aravalli range.

After a delicious dinner at the restaurant located in my hotel, with a wonderful views of the lake and a bunch of noisy patrons, I finally went to sleep.

January 10, 2014

I spent the entire previous day checking out the sites of Udaipur and with relative success, taking my time, I succeeded to see most of them. Today, I asked Sunil to take me to a few other sites that are located within 20-30 kms from Udaipur, namely Sas-Bahu Temple and Eklingji Temple.

I met Sunil outside the city walls at 9 am and we headed to Nagda, the old capital of Mewar kingdom, even before it moved to Chittorgarh in 734 A.D. In ancient times, Nagda was known as Nagahrada founded by Nagaditya, the fourth Mewar king, who ruled in 646 A.D. It was a flourishing town studded with Shiva, Vaishnava and Jain temples. In the 15 century, the Guhila king Mokala, constructed a large lake naming it after his brother Bagela Singh. There are several temples around the lake, but the most famous one is Sas-Baku Temple.

The temples were built in the 10th century and Sas-Bahu means “Mother-in-law” and “daughter-in-law” respectively. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and consists of two structures – one by mother-in-law large structure and one by daughter-in-law smaller structure. Both temples are similar in construction, have an altar, a mandapa (columned prayer hall) with projections and a porch.

The larger Sas Temple has a torana (archway) in its front and it is believed that on ceremonial occasions the image of the Lord Vishnu was swung from the torana accompanied by hymns in the praise of lord. The smaller Bahu Temple has an octagonal ceiling which is adorned with beautifully carved eight intricate female figures.

Both temples are built on the high platform facing east and each of the temples is surrounded by subsidiary smaller shrines – ten around Sas Temple and five around Bahu Temple, all decorated with astonishing carvings.  The walls of the shrine are bare and not engrossed with much decor, but the projections with their exquisite sculptures are mind blowing. The sculptures are made in two steps, first, the images of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma were carved and then, images of Rama, Balarama and Parashurama were added. The detailed relief figures include male and female deities, regents, amorous panels and scenes from Ramayana. Some temples were better preserved than others, but the entire Sas-Bahu Temple complex was something to explore, especially because there was no one around that early in the morning, not even a guard.

On the other side of the lake, Sunil dropped me off by the Jain temple Adbhut ji Ka Mandir dedicated to Saint Shanti Nath, built during the reign of Rana Kumbha. “Adbhut” means “strange” and it refers to a strange 9 feet idol located inside the temple. When I arrived, the temple was under a full-throttled construction and unless the black ordinary looking sculpture I found inside was the “strange idol” people were talking about, I didn’t find anything interesting to see there. However, on the way out, the construction workers showed me the other, smaller temple which surely served as a substitute to the one under construction. The attendant showed me around what looked like a regular Jain temple with statues of naked saints sitting in the lotus position, except for one thing – in the middle of the room hung a huge bell with Russian inscription “Трудовая Слава 1965” which means “Glory to the Workers” made it 1965. I could have never imagined a Soviet factory or farm’s bell in the India’s Jain Temple. Soviet leaders would have flipped in their caskets had they known that the “no religion” trick didn’t work out. What an irony.

Both places took me about an hour to see, and now we were going to Eklingji – a Hindu complex of 108 temples. The temple complex was built by the Guhila (later called Sesodia) dynasty of Mewar in 934 A.D., in honor of their presiding deity Eklingji (which believed to be the ruling deity of Mewar), in a form of Lord Shiva. The beautifully sculpted temple complex is surrounded by high fort-like walls. The main temple, which dates to the 15th century, was rebuilt from the ruins of an earlier destroyed temple. The walled complex is made of marble and granite and has an enormous double-storied, elaborately pillared hall (mandapa) under a vast pyramidal roof, with a four-faced image of Lord Shiva in black marble. Another temple in the complex is the Lakulish Temple; built in 971, it is the only temple of the Lakulish sect in the whole of India.

I deposited my cameras, shoes and SOCKS in the locker and went inside. It was very cold, about 0C, but the marble floor of the complex was covered with red carpet making it more or less comfortable to walk and explore this very densely built complex. I didn’t count whether there were indeed 108 temples, but there were a lot of them, tightly packed into one city block.  I wish I have hired a guide because after about 10 minutes, all temples blended in together. Nevertheless, it was a stunning place to explore.

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* Photo was taken from the Internet.

By noon, we were already on the way back to Udaipur. Sunil suggested to visit Saheliyon-ki-Bari, a so-called “Garden of Maidens”. I am not a big garden person, unless I am in Japan or China where each garden is a piece of art, but since I had plenty of time, i decided to give it a try. Designed and built by Maharana Bhopal Singh in the 18th century, the garden served as a leisure and relaxing spot for the Rani and her 48 young female attendant who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. There are four water pools decorated with multiple fountains each of which “sings” in its own way; marble elephants and birds, along with the lotus pond apparently were very popular with locals too. There was a small hideous museum in the center of the garden, designed after Ripley’s “Believe it or Not Museum That Went Terribly Wrong”.

My attention attracted a young, 5-6 y.o. girl, playing on the steps of the museum with a dirty piece of clothes. It wasn’t a doll, it was a thread of fabric. She looked very pre-occupied trying to put her rag to sleep, then cuddling it etc. I didn’t expect her to speak English but I asked an Indian couple to check with a girl if she was there with somebody or if she was homeless, because she did look like one but in India, many children look like homeless. They asked her and she said that her mom was a gardner at the Saheliyon-ki-Bari. I guess she brought her daughter to work but didn’t keep an eye on her because she was nowhere to be seen. I never found out her name, but I asked her whether she wanted to walk in the park with me and take pictures of the fountains and flowers, and she happily grabbed my hand and led me to the lotus pond.

This little pure soul was a true delight to be with and a real model when it came to taking pictures, since she wanted to be in the every single one. We spent over an hour walking together, holding hands and inevitably attracted attention of other garden visitors, who would stop and stare. When I finally explained to her that I had to leave, she found the most beautiful flower in the garden and brought it to me. I was touched and hurt to leave. I looked into my backpack, trying to see if there was something I could leave with her, but all I had was a Lonely Planet travel guide and an apple. So, I gave her an apple and she gave me a huge hug in return.

When I left the garden, I found my car surrounded by homeless children, many were barely 5-6 y.o. There was a girl, perhaps 4 y.o or younger, a toddler herself, carrying a wrapped new born baby. I gave all of them some little money, which I usually avoid doing since it stimulates the beggars’ ‘industry’, and even more children started to run from all over the place. I jumped in a car, closed the door and was about to drive away, but then I remembered that I had a pretty pink hair pin in my make up bag which I kept in a car. I asked Sunil to stop, found the pin and gave it to that little girl with a baby in her hands. Money did make her happy, but this little gesture of kindness, made her shine! I could see her waiving us goodbye till the car turned around the corner.

It was still afternoon, so after Sunil left me by the city gate, I walked along the lake ghats, taking pictures of the phenomenally beautiful views of the lake and surrounding buildings, bridges, shops and daily life of Udaipur citizens. Without looking at the map, I simply browsed around the old town, checking out jewelry and souvenir shops, as well as buying famous Indian body oils. Next to the City’s Clock Tower, I spotted a very interesting looking temple, which turned out to be Vasupoojyaji Temple. The attendant sitting outside on his chair not only allowed me to go inside, but also accompanied me with the stories of the paintings depicted on the temple’s walls, and there were a lot of things to talk about. It was decorated with colorful glass and mirrors from top to bottom, making it look surreal and rich. Multiple paintings in the front hall depicted stories from famous Indian legends and I wish I wrote them down, because I can’t recall any one of them. I tipped the attendant Rs.200 for being super nice and friendly and for spending a good 30 minutes showing me every corner of the Temple.

After finishing shopping, I returned to the hotel to pack my suitcase and get ready for an early-morning departure. For the last time, I climbed the stairs to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant that offered, in my opinion, the best food in Udaipur and the best views of the lake too. Even though, the restaurant’s service was mediocre, I let it slide this time.

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