A return to Rajasthan 12

En route to the desert

The hotel had arranged for a car to be driven by yet another of the ubiquitous waiters, this one I think the seniormost, called Jaishu. First we went to the Amar Sagar lake, which did not however have much water in it now. Next to it was an old Jain temple, which was being restored, beautifully so for it had the intricate ceiling I recalled from the temples in the fort, and wonderful carvings over its many internal arches.

After the Jain temple on the Amar Sagar lake we went to one of the most unusual and delightul sights in an unusual and delightful place. This was at Badi Bagh,where there were a host of royal cenotaphs with fabulous carved ceilings. Many of them had statues of the rulers on horseback, and the domed roofs over these, supported on elegant pillars, were a highlight of the place, seen individually or in serried ranks.

They were situated above an artificial lake, which was still full of water, built to irrigate the area which was supposed to be the main source of fruit and vegetables for the city.  I spent ages there, clambering up and down the cenotaphs, for the views from each of the others, and of the lake, were all very different.

Then it was to Lodhruva which had been the capital of the area before Jaisalmer. Again the Jain temple there had been rebuilt, but again it had been skilfully done. Unusual here was an ornate carved arch at the entrance, and there was also what was supposed to be a divine tree, but it was meshed all round so I could not be sure if it was a living tree or made of metal. The guide who took me round, and showed me the place from which the resident snake emerges to be given its milk, did not have enough English for me to inquire.

I have been carried away by the beauty of the sites, not least because they are very much off the beaten track. The first six pictures are of the temple at Amar Sagar, including the splendid ceiling and the view downward from the gallery and then the dry landscape. Then there are six of the Badi Bagh cenotaphs, ending with one of Jaishu, preceded by the delightful carvings and a view down to the lake. Finally there are six of Lodhruva, with the fantastic archway and the Tree of Life to end with.

A return to Rajasthan 11

I was up for the dawn next morning, and had my coffee as the sun came up, the old man arriving there too. And after working on the internet I had breakfast there, served by yet another waiter, who turned out to be the brother of the one who had done much for me on my earlier visit. But I had failed to identify him to the management by name, so it was only the following day that I was told this, and by then it was too late to establish contact again with Gaji Khan.

After breakfast I walked down the hill and into the town, for shopping as well as to see again the haveli I had loved on the previous visit. But the best of them, the Salim Singh Haveli, was now closed to visitors. I had thought it magnificent back in 2015 but this time I could only take a picture of its imposing façade.

I consoled myself with the Patwon ki Haveli which I had been to on the last visit too, but I could not recall much of it. It was in a set of several, of which the first had been bought by the state and maintained by a museum. The rooms were richly decorated, with lovely frescoes and there were grand beds and drawing room suites and also a splendid display of brass, animals and weapons. And as was usual in this magical city, the terrace on top commanded great views, including now to the battlements of the fort.

I went on then to the Nathmal ki Haveli, but that was in private hands and, as seven years earlier, I only saw its central courtyard. But I loved its façade, and also the grand sandstone elephants outside.  

I was lazy to walk back so took an auto up the sleep slope and through the several gates, and then read in bed after another warm bath for which once again water was brought. After finishing an early Galsworthy novel I had soup for lunch, and then packed though they had said the room could be kept for me at no charge. I had the previous day arranged a desert package, and this morning I had extended it at not very much more to cover some sights en route.

So in the early afternoon I walked down the hill to the car to set out for the desert.

The pictures are of sunrise and the old man admiring it, breakfast and the city gate and the facade of the Salim Singh Haveli, and then interiors of the Patwon ki Haveli.

A return to Rajasthan 10

Near the entrance to the fort in Jaisalmer is the Maharaja’s palace, now a museum, which I had not gone into on the previous visit, so I spent a happy hour in it, including on its upper terrace which provided views all round the fort, including of the terrace of my hotel. And then, after a sandwich back at the hotel, I lay in bed reading and then fell blissfully asleep for a couple of hours.

Another of the multiple waiters brought me coffee to rouse myself, and then as the light began to fade I went up to the terrace for a beer. A group of youngsters, I think from town rather than holiday makers, also arrived for a drink at the edge of the terrace, and after the lights came on and they left I had my dinner up there.

I fill this post with pictures of that palace, the first three showing its fantastic decorations. A view of the city walls follows, and then three items in the museum, with a state bedroom after those. After that there are four pictures from the roof terrace, including of my hotel which was once also a palace of the majaraja. And then I show the terrace as the sun set, the youngsters on the roof, and the lights coming on against the walls of the fort below.

A return to Rajasthan 9

And in Jaisalmer I went back to a hotel where I had much enjoyed myself seven years earlier. Though it was not quite first light when I disembarked from the overnight train from Jaipur at Jaisalmer, I got an auto which took me up into the fort where I identified almost immediately the hotel in which I had had a delightful time seven years earlier. The auto driver as usual offered me tours, including to the desert which I had thought I would like to venture into again, but sensibly I made no commitment since it seemed better to give my custom to the hotel. My train to Delhi was in the very early hours, nearly three days later, and I needed to keep them happy so that I could be taken to the station at 1 am.

Fortunately the manager was awake so the massive door was opened when I knocked and he and his assistant seemed delighted to welcome someone who had stayed there before, though they obviously could not recognize me. But they were patient as I inspected the rooms and found the one I had stayed in, which had a window in an extension upward of the city wall. The door opened from a corridor which formed a balcony above an open space below, and ended in two sides of a square that provided quarters for the waiters.

But they were all asleep, and it was the assistant manager who brought me my coffee to the upper terrace with its fantastic views, of the battlements of the building as well as the city wall and the area beyond the fort. The sun was rising as I sat there, with across the way an old man also enjoying the morning ambience, though his back was turned to the sunrise.

There was an inner terrace there too, with bodies wrapped in blankets, from which slowly heads emerged. But it took time for the waiters to become functional so I used the internet, much better than it had been the last time for there were no problems on the upper terrace, or in the room, and then one of them brought me breakfast.

I had thought to collapse then, but after a bath, for which they obligingly provided a bucket of hot water, I had what became a favourite, their lemon ginger tea, and then I went exploring. The Jain temples I had much admired the last time were now charging an unconscionable rate for I had said I was from Sri Lanka, so I skipped those and then walked to the entrance gate to the fort – the last of several from the bottom of the path up the hill on which the fort is set.

The pictures are of my first glimpse of that upper terrace of the Paradise Hotel, the sunrise, followed by a view behind, the sleeping waiters on the next terrace and the battlements behind, and finally in the left corner the old gentleman who was my silent companion that day and the next, another aficionado of dawn over Jaisalmer.

A return to Rajasthan 8

From Deeg I went to Bharatpur, a short journey so I was there before the Fort opened. But there was enough to see round about, including a bastion to the right of the Fort entrance where there was an elegant pavilion and from which you could see into the gardens of the Fort, verdant greenery against its massive structures. I went then to have a look at the gates into the town which was on an island, and on the way back I found on the other side of the Fort a grand gateway that opened into a deserted garden which had elegant buildings on two sides. One was an office, part I think of the Fort buildings, and its occupants, though bemused by a visitor, were quite happy for me to look in and wander in the garden.

The Fort housed a museum, the highlight of which was a sculpture gallery on the ground floor on either side. You could also go up to the first floor, which had other stuff which was not particularly interesting, but the rooms and the views from them were worth seeing.  

But then it was a return to Jaipur, to catch my train, which I did with hours to spare, so much had the driver exaggerated the distances we had had to travel on this day. But at the station the chap in the tourist office on the platform was hospitable enough to let me stay in his cool room, but after that I had a long wait on the platform since the train, though said to be on time till the last minute, was late. It left too from a different track than initially announced, but that was on the other side of the platform, which was a relief for, light though my bag was, I did not feel up to lugging it up the stairs.

As with the shorter trip to Jaipur from Delhi, AeA had booked me a most comfortable seat, a corner, and the carriage was not full. So I could enjoy the tray of dinner I bought on the train, and stretch out and sleep quite well, so that I had to be woken when the train reached Jaisalmer 12 hours later.

As before this page will not upload pictures, so I shall have to also put this post up on the literary blog, which does. All very strange.

A return to Rajasthan 7

I was off after my early breakfast in Alwar to Deeg, though the driver had tried to convince me there was nothing there worth seeing. He suggested we go straight to Bharatpur, but the guidebook said Deeg was far more interesting, and Christine too recommended it strongly. She referred me too to a description of the place in a book called Chasing the Monsoon by a journalist called Alexander Frater and, though I had not been able to finish it on the day I was with her, apart from the opening chapters I read the one on Deeg and thought it well worth a visit.

And indeed Deeg, reached on a lovely little road, was glorious, on the lines of other jewels I had seen, Mandu and Orchcha, architectural labours of love of minor princes. Deeg had just the one complex to see, but it was full of wonderful sights, a palace plus several halls, including one for wrestling, and pavilions over lakes. They were set around beautiful and beautifully kept lawns, in one section of which a large group of Indian tourists were picnicking when I got there.

The place was essentially the creation of Maharaja Suraj Mal in the 18^th century, but the palace had been lived in until half a century. It now housed a museum, which was not particular interesting, but the decorations and furniture in the rooms were well worth seeing, very different from those of the many buildings in disrepair I had seen in the preceding days.

Since the blog continues to refuse to uphold any pictures, I shall reproduce this post now on my literary blog https://wordpress.com/home/rajiva2lakmahalcolombo.wordpress.com and add the pictures there.

A return to Rajasthan 6

This somehow appeared on the literary blog but I thought for ease of reference it should be here too. However this site will not allow me today to upload pictures so perhaps that was just as well.

Those havelis, in Nawalgarh were the last I saw, for from there I went to the Dundlod Fort, which is supposed to be a masterpiece of Rajput architecture. But it was closed and there was no one about who knew anything about getting it open. So I set off then for Alwar, a drive of well over three hours. But the scenery was delightful, the Aravalli hills in the distance drawing closer, and a lovely light in the Eastern sky.

I was struck as we entered Alwar by a handsome red building which looked like a palace, but though I can discern the word Raja in my notes I cannot read the rest, so I will never know what it was.

I was in a hurry though when I got to Alwar, so as to see at least one site before darkness fell. This was the cenotaph of Moosi Maharani, a courtesan who immolated herself on the pyre of an early 19^th century Maharaja, and was then treated as his wife.

Finding the place was not easy, not least because my driver who did not know the place used google which took him along impossibly narrow streets. But we finally came as dusk was falling to a most magnificent building, with turrets and ornate balconies. It was part of a complex and there were other impressive buildings around, but whether it was the cenotaph I saw or the palace I cannot be sure. I suspect not the latter, which is supposed to have government offices now, for the place was deserted, wonderfully atmospheric in the fading light

The hotel the driver recommended was closed, and I settled for a place called the Lemonade hotel, which gave me a heavily discounted room and provided excellent service. The only drawback was that I had to come into the lobby for internet, a pity since they had given me a room high up which commanded a view of Alwar Fort. They also provided an excellent dinner and an early breakfast.

I had got up horrendously early for the driver told me there would not be much time to see something of Alwar and then Deeg and Bharatpur, before getting to Delhi in time for a train a little before 6 pm. So I was up at 4.30 to have coffee in my room, seeing only an outline of the fort or perhaps just the hill on which it was built in the darkness, before going down to the lobby for connectivity. I had asked the driver to be ready at first light, and he was only a little bit late, so I was able to drive round the fort, entertained by running soldiers for this was supposed to be a military training centre. And there were others exercising on top of the Fort, which I could only drive around, since it seemed special permission was required to enter. But apart from the fact that I had little time, that was enough, to appreciate its grandeur.

A return to Rajasthan 5

I went on in Nawalgarh to the main haveli in town, the Anand Lal Poddar Haveli, which had been turned into a very interesting museum. The courtyards with their decorations were delightful, but I also enjoyed the varied exhibits, ranging from turbans to toy carts. 

I looked then for the Aarth Haveli, which very few people in town seemed to know. When I finally found it, it turned out to be part of a complex, several havelis of which one was being restored. The workmen did not mind my checking out what was happening, but I also found interesting the structure of the whole complex, with the different houses barely separated from each other.

I have here first a host of pictures of the Poddar Haveli and of its delightful museum, four altogether, and then as a contrast one of the decaying Aarth Haveli, followed by a fresco from the Jaipuria. I have cut short this post, because for some reason the blog will take only a few pictures, so both the description of what I went on to, and a host of pictures, will have to wait.

A return to Rajasthan 4

I had when I saw it been delighted at the beautifully decorated room I had been shown at the Radhika haveli in Mandawa, so went back there as I had indicated I almost certainly would, and then the former serviceman who owned the place gave me a suite for the same price. The hotel was deserted, and I gathered that tourism had still not recovered here after coronavirus, but I do not think that was the only reason I was treated so well. There seems to be a fondness amongst many Indians for Sri Lankans, and when I left next morning I was presented with a delightful present, a string of elephants which now hangs in front of my bathroom door.

It was at the front of the building, with a large bedroom to the right and a bathroom on the other side. Beyond the central entrance and hallway was an elevated sitting space where internet worked admirably. I had a beer there as the sun set, and then dinner. That was vegetarian, but I had a mushroom curry which was delicious. And the service was excellent, with a hesitant waiter who managed to understand me and brought someone when he couldn’t, so that coffee came with the dawn as I had wanted.

August 1^st I knew would also be a very busy day, so immediately after breakfast I left Mandawa to get to Jhunjhunu which is the Shekhawati district headquarters. I went first to the Modi Haveli in the centre of town, and then the Sri Biharji temple which also had decorative frescoes, juxtaposed with devout ritual. Then I visited the highlight of the town, the 18^th century Khetri Mahal, which was a magnificient building, in a state of negect.

Or not quite, because when I finally managed to find the entrance, around the main courtyard were little rooms from which sleepy young men emerged. That had been turned into a student hostel, I suppose the best use possible now of the grand building with its multiple discrete rooms on the ground floor. Above little corridors led from audience halls to what might have been bedrooms, and then to narrow stairways that took one up a couple of floors to an expansive terrace with great views.

From Jhunjhunu I went to Nawalgarh, but found the Kulwal haveli I visited first was closed. But opposite it was a hotel of the same name, a grander house in fact but it seemed of a later date, and the chaps in charge were happy to let me look around. It too had suffered because of coronavirus, but was now trying to revive.

I show first the hall of my hotel in Mandawa and then my decorated suite, followed by the Modi haveli in Jhunjhunu and then religion at the temple and its splendid ceiling. Then there is the glorious Khetri Mahal with the view from its rooftop, and two students in the courtyard down below against the grandeur of the decaying building. The next few pictures are of Nawalgarh, the magnificent Kulwal hotel and its garden and the central hallway, followed by the neglected haveli opposite.