Jaipur Revisited

It is slightly late to be wishing a very Happy New Year, but then it is better late than never. At New Year I was away rewinding my bodily machinery on a holiday in Pink city jaipur. This was my second visit to the majestic place, the former abode of Maharjas, my first visit was about two years back. The place is royal in every aspect; studded with forts of the former rulers, Jaipur offers a beautiful glimpse in the History. . This time it was the ambience of the Hotel I stayed in that stole my heart. The taste of the Hotel Authorities in plants is really laudable. Last time when I stayed at the pink city, it was at Hotel Arya Niwas. But this time I couldn't get a booking there and was referred to another hotel under the same management, Tara Niwas. This one was an even better experience than the last one as it was in a quieter part of the city and was less crowded; just like a home away from home without the accompanying headache of preparing food and doing the dishes. The place was full of tray gardens and rows of pots neatly arranged in a lush green lawn. I had my camera clicking the moment we stepped in. On the very first day I found that I was not the only one in love with the ambience, this peacock had perched itself on the boundary wall to have a better view of the lawn. Forts and palaces, malls and supermarkets, traditional and modern, everything coexists in this wondrous city. At one of the palaces, I caught this representation of the old and mystic India, a snake charmer, trying to make the deadly reptile dance to his tunes. A sighting of the Great Indian Rope Trick would have completed the medieval mystic experience; sadly there was none to be seen. Next day we set out for the twin religious places of Ajmer and Pushkar, which are around two hour drive from jaipur. Ajmer is best known for the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti, who was a muslim saint, but his dargah is revered by people of all the faiths alike. From Ajmer is a 30 minute drive to Pushkar which is again a religious place, mainly for the followers of Hindu religion. The drive from Ajmer to Pushkar passes through the picturesque Aravali Hills, a very old rocky formation. According to the Hindu mythology, the holy Pushkar Lake was created by the lotus petals, which fell from the hands of Lord Brahma. The lake is considered as one of the most sacred spots.It is believed that no pilgrimage is complete without a holy dip in the sacred lake at Pushkar. With this my trip came to an end. Sometimes I feel blessed to be born and living in a country which is so diverse and big that it is almost a continent in itself. The climate, culture, language, religion etc., changes totally as we travel from north to south or east to west, yet it is one entity, one administration, one country.

Picture this!

Gardening is such a cool hobby that unless you are to step in the outer space, there always will be something interesting. Jaipur, besides presenting me with some breathtaking sceneries and palaces, had these lovely pots and plants. Certain things catch your attention for their beauty as much as their uniqueness. I saw this lovely blue pot planted with Syngonium podophyllum in the lobby of the hotel, where I was staying. Something as simple as a pot can actually go a long way in accentuating a beauty manifolds Beautiful Amaryllis blooming in the Hotel Garden. Adenium, a beauty par excellence! I have a few in my collection as well but this one is from the Hotel garden. I didn’t see many of this size in my local nursery and found myself wishing for a similar fate to the babies in my garden In the premises of Birla Mandir, was this captivating tree with its yellow flowers providing a perfect contrast to the blue sky! I still don’t know the name of this beauty, maybe my blogger friends can help me with this identity search! The Hotel outdoors had these tray gardens on display. Containing some lovely plants in an arrangement, they just stole my heart. I couldn’t help but capture a few of them in my camera. That gives me an idea of having one for my own collection

The break continues...

I guess that the trip has been so exciting for me that I can’t help but share more of it. There is something with these vacations that lingers on pleasantly in the memories long after the actual thing is over. I still am beseeched by the medieval charm of the palaces, scenically complimented by the ‘Birla Mandir’ made of pure white marble. The famous Taj Mahal in India was also made from marble specially imported from Jaipur! Although I am not a very religious person but definitely a spiritual one, the calm and peaceful environment around the temple, somehow invoked a feeling of respect and reverence to God. Situated adjacent to the temple was this pure marble construction of god Shiva’s idol. Surrounded by marble pillars, the God has an arm raised for blessing (a common feature in most Hindu idols). With the calm and serenity still pervading we made our way up towards the Amber fort. En-route we came across another temple, significant because the Rajas of Jaipur used to pay their obeisance here before setting out for war. By now Sun was almost relentless with its heat, undaunted we hired a guide to guide us through the complex yet beautiful intricacies of the palace architecture. Now we have to give something to the genius of the architects of that era, the structure here is the sheesh-mahal, loosely translated it means a palace of reflecting glass. Designed as a winter bedroom for the royal females, its indo-Persian architecture of reflecting silver ensured that the oil lamps fixed on either side of the room get uniformly reflected, lighting the room, besides keeping it cozily warm. That’s the roof of the sheesh-mahal, opulent! The structure here was the summer bedroom! We were told that the royal rooms, inside the structure, had a storage space for rain water on their roofs, keeping the rooms cool. These people certainly had an idea of rain water harvesting! Concepts believed to be so recent and in vogue, ante date almost a century Finally, we were taken to the museum, again a glorious edifice of indo-sarcenic architecture and housing remarkable remnants of an interesting era. The museum has been modelled on Victoria and Albert museum in London.Now with the trip over and having compulsively shared my excitement with you I am back to the routine, but it is no longer drab and monotonous.

The much needed break

My sincerest apologies for taking so long to write this post but finally after a long gap I was able to treat myself to a vacation, although a short one, to the pink city Jaipur. A stark contrast to my first love that is gardening and green, Jaipur is situated in the desert state of Rajasthan but Jaipur as an exception had some flora I hadn't come across before. Magnificent and opulent, the city of Jaipur was a feast to the eyes. I could not help but wonder at the kind of lavish lives led by the erstwhile rajas and maharajas. Huge palaces on the top of hills presented an awe inspiring view despite the blazing sun (It was 37 degree Celsius!). Entering Jaipur city, I was greeted with the sight of the huge yet beautiful gate, an apt reflection of the architectural megaliths, on its other side, awaiting my visual senses. My trip started at the so called ‘City Palace’ the abode of descendants of the Raja of Jaipur. The Peacock Gate took my breath away (can only dream of one at my entrance!).A 15 Km drive away from the hustle and bustle of Jaipur took us to ‘Amber Palace’ perched atop the Aravali mountains and a standing proof of the architectural abilities of people of those times. That’s the gate of Amber Palace, splendor in abundance intricately decorated with vegetable dyes! (Imagine the eco-sensitivity of those times) That’s the famous Hawa-Mahal, a façade, constructed for the royal females to watch the various processions passing by the city, without being seen themselves. I feel, despite the lavish and luxury, women got a raw deal in those times. To be pushed behind a façade for avoiding exposure to males is so demeaning.