Traveller Lesson #42
Always set up multiple back-up Alarms! On the morning of the 24 July we were scheduled to wake up at 4:45am, for a Rickshaw to pick us up at 5:15 and take us to the station in Jaipur.
Instead of setting a new alarm, I "recycled" one of the ones already on my phone, and set it for 4:45am. What I didn't notice at the time was that the alarm was set to go off on *WEEKDAYS*. As you can imagine, we didn't wake up in time, and our hotel receptionist only saw it fit to come and wake us up to let us know that our Rickshaw driver had grown tired of waiting and left!
So, here we are, standing in the pouring monsoon rain at 5:20am with not an autorickshaw or taxi in sight, and the hotel staff telling us it will take at least 45 minutes to arrange a taxi pickup. Our train departs at 6:20am!
With nothing to lose we set off into the rain, running blindly in the direction of the train station. A taxi parked at the side of the road, but its driver nowhere to be seen. A couple of Indians squatting under an awning, telling us to get out of the rain and sit down. More running in the rain (and with the water about ankle deep). A rickshaw flashes past... it slows down, and we're allowed to squeeze in with some locals! Phew!
We're soaking wet, but we're at the station before our train even rolls into the station. Minor catastrophe averted, and hey, we're riding first class to Agra!
Agra: The Fort
The Mughal fort in Agra was started by Emperor Akbar in 1565, but it was Akbar's grandson Shah Jahan (the one who built the Taj) who made the most additions and turned the fort into the opulent palace that we see today. Good thing he dressed it up as he did too, as Aurangzeb, his son and heir, imprisoned him inside the fort for the last eight years of his life! Aurangzeb was considerate enough to give his father a room with a view of the Taj, so he could gaze upon the monument to his wife.
The fort's perimeter walls and much of the internal structure are made of finely carved red sandstone, but Shah Jahan's additions are in white marble, similar to the material used for the Taj. The fort is very impressive, its location on the banks of the Yamuna, with excellent views of the Taj Mahal, coupled with the overcast (read slightly cooler) weather made for an enjoyable visit. A special mention goes to the creative use of the English language that is used in the informative signs - the English isn't always crystal clear, but it is great fun trying to decipher the messages! The fort provides for plenty of photo opportunities and a bit of an adrenaline rush - many areas have sheer drops that kind of creep up on you as you try to get just the right angle for a photo, and not a single safety cordon to be seen.
Our Rickshaw Wallah was right when he suggested we wouldn't need a guide: armed with a good guidebook and the signage in the fort you can get a pretty decent idea of what it is you're looking at (and good luck trying to find a guide who can make themselves understood in English!).
Agra: City of Tombs
Onwards and upwards, Khan, our Rickshaw Wallah, took us to visit some other attractions in Agra, amongst them the Itimad-Ud-Daulah, also known as the Baby Taj. This mausoleum houses Mizra Ghiyas Beg, grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal (she who is buried in the Taj) and the emperor Jehangir's Wazir (cheif minister). Also sitting on the Yamuna river, it provides a taster for what the Taj has to offer - white marble, finely carved screens and inlaid pietra dura.
Moving on from the Baby Taj Khan took us to visit some other mausoleums, all nicely perched on the banks of the river and tucked away in shady areas. These made for a nice break from the hectic and smoggy chaos that reigned on the streets of Agra City.
Our last stop for the evening was the Mehtab Bagh, or just outside it actually. This park, built just across the water from the Taj Mahal, is the perfect spot to view the sun setting on the Taj Mahal, however everyone knows that you can save yourself Rs100 and walk down to the riverbank, where you'll have an identical view as the one afforded by the garden! A pity we visited India during the monsoon, as the overcast weather we had been so happy with earlier in the day made for a muddy sunset and no amazing colour changes. Ah well, one more reason to visit India again!
The Taj Mahal: Too great for words
The Taj Mahal. You'll have seen hundreds of pictures of it. The forecourt is always thronging with people. A mass of sari-wrapped women and men in kurtas and turbans, lots of camera clicking tourists and the inevitable touts and "guides".
Wake up early, and you'll see none of that! Aaron and I were at the West Gate at about 5:45am, so we were the first inside the complex. WOW! As you can see from the photos - not a soul in sight, except for a tag-along Indian who took us to all the "postcard photo" spots in exchange for a handful of rupees.
I'm finding it hard to put into words the feeling of walking through the outer gate, through the Mughal gardens with their symmetrical fountains and flower beds, with the white marble domes and minarets rising above you, looking a hell of a lot bigger than any picture might have suggested.
With lens barrels smoking from all the photos we'd taken we slowly approached the central building - Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan's mausoleum. Sitting on a raised platform with its four minarets standing guard, the Taj seems to float above you, reaching to the sky.
Shoes off, and onto the cool white marble. Up close and personal, one really appreciated the skill that goes into the pietra dura work. The craftsmen first carve a slot into the marble (say in the shape of a petal), into which they snugly slot a piece of coloured semi-precious stone. This is then polished till it becomes one with the marble - running your fingers over the patterns you cannot detect any joins or grooves. 20,000 Indians and craftsmen from Central Asia, 22 years, all for a monument in the name of love. Worth every drop of sweat that was shed.
Having had our fill of the Taj (we spent a good hour sitting in the gardens, observing from different angles) we decided to brave the streets of Taj Ganj once more. Our first stop was the burning Ghat situated close to the Taj. Ghats are platforms on the river banks, and burning Ghats are the pontoons that are used for Hindu burials and cremations. I don't think many people visit the burning Ghat in Agra, as Aaron and I attracted a lot of sideways glances (and many friendly nods too). The Ghat was not very busy when we visited, it looked as if a cremation had just been completed as a pile of ash was being gathered and thrown into the river.
Not wanting to impose our presence on mourners, we beat a hasty retreat back to the city, where we spent a couple of hours wandering the squalid lanes with their open sewers, meandering cows, occasional monkeys and mad motorists, before heading back to our guest house for a quick nap before taking our night train to Varanasi.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Jaipur City
On the eve of my birthday our Indian culinary adventures finally caught up with us, so we had to spend our first day in the Rajasthani state capital recovering in bed at our hotel - luckily we had WiFi access to keep us entertained, as the room was dull and dreary, and the rooftop terrace didn't hold much promise (overcast, hazy weather and lots of pollution).
A birthday fit for a Traveller
Duly rested and reenergised we woke up on the 23rd of July ready for a day of sightseeing and monkey madness. The monsoon rains didn't dampen our spirits, and with waterproof linings firmly on our backpacks we set out towards our first stop: Galta, the monkey temple that lies on the outskirts of the city. This temple was made famous by the National Geographic series Monkey Thieves (link to wikipedia page above).
Our rickshaw wallah told us that half an hour would be enough time for us to climb the steep hill, look around, and head back down for him to take us into town... what a load of tosh! It took Aaron and I a good 15 minutes just to climb the first hill, at which point we realised that our driver had dropped us off on the *OPPOSITE* side of the hill to the monkey temple! We would have to trek downhill to get to the temple complex and baths. So much for his "half an hour and you are back here". On our way up we were met by dozens of monkeys being fed cucumbers and bananas by worshipers of the Hindu deity Hanuman, as well as the odd pig or two (being chased away from the offerings to the Monkey Gods by the worshippers!) and a few stray cows.
At the top of the hill we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Jaipur, the Pink City, with its many fortified walls and minarets behind us, and some lush rainforest and hills in front of us. Down below us we could see the proper temple complex, so we quickly hurried away from the fortune tellers that were trying to draw us into their lairs and on towards the Monkey Madness. The temple complex is nestled between ridges, and features a series of vast bathing pools (segregated by sex, obviously) where Hindu worshippers take a dip in the water issuing from underground springs. The stairs leading down to the bathing pools and the main entrance to the temple are the monkey's playground. We had to tread carefully, as those macaques have big teeth, and the nursing mothers were especially aggressive towards us.
Having made it through the monkey gauntlet we explored the temples for a short while (lots of murals depicting Hindu scenes and plenty of worshippers willing to pose for photos). Once we'd had our fill of monkeys and monsoon rains we started our slog back up (and then down) to our waiting Rickshaw Wallah, who knew very well that we would need more than half an hour to explore the temple. That was just a ruse to be able to squeeze us for more money (he asked for an extra Rs100 but only got Rs20).
City Palace
We were dropped off at the heart of Jaipur's old city and throbbing heart. We ascended the Iswari Minar Warga Sal (Heaven Piercing Minaret) for 360 degree views of the old town to help us get our bearings and plan our route towards the City Palace. Noteworthy attractions in the City Palace are the giant silver urns (supposedly the largest silver objects in the world) that Maharaja Madho Singh II used to carry the waters of the Ganges with him to England, as well as the impressive Pitam Niwas Chowk courtyard, with its gates representing the four seasons. The palace of Jaipur was somewhat different to the other palaces we had visited in Rajasthan as it housed a Hindu monarch, however that is where the differences ended, and the boredom began to set it... There are only so many Maharaja palaces you can visit in a week and still show keen interest in the exhibits!
Once we had broken free of the City Palace we resumed our walking tour of Jaipur by visiting the Jantar Mantar, an observatory that was founded in the 18th Century (but has been recently restored). The complex looks more like an eccentric architect's back yard with its angular sculptures and structures. We opted not to hire a guide, thinking the signage would be enough, however the explanations left a lot to be desired, so the impressive abilities of these monoliths were quite lost on us. Ah well, next time we know to hire a guide!
Moving on through the old city we came to Sideroi Bazaar, a busy lane chocker with shops selling Rajasthani fabrics, instruments, handbags, Ali Baba pants, bangles, bracelets... anything a tourist could (or wouldn't) want as a reminder of their visit to the Pink CIty. On Sideroi Bazaar we caught a glimpse of the Hawa Mahal, an impressive five-story palace of sorts whose front is entirely covered in Purda Screens (yes, more Purda Screens!) so that the ladies of the rpyal court could observe the life and times of ordinary Rajasthanis. Sadly by the time we got to the Hawa Mahal it was closed for the evening, so we had to make due with a few photos from the outside. I will forever wonder what it must have felt like to be a lady of the Royal Court of Jaipur, looking down onto the commoners from behind my intricately carved Purda screens.
A birthday fit for a Traveller
Duly rested and reenergised we woke up on the 23rd of July ready for a day of sightseeing and monkey madness. The monsoon rains didn't dampen our spirits, and with waterproof linings firmly on our backpacks we set out towards our first stop: Galta, the monkey temple that lies on the outskirts of the city. This temple was made famous by the National Geographic series Monkey Thieves (link to wikipedia page above).
Our rickshaw wallah told us that half an hour would be enough time for us to climb the steep hill, look around, and head back down for him to take us into town... what a load of tosh! It took Aaron and I a good 15 minutes just to climb the first hill, at which point we realised that our driver had dropped us off on the *OPPOSITE* side of the hill to the monkey temple! We would have to trek downhill to get to the temple complex and baths. So much for his "half an hour and you are back here". On our way up we were met by dozens of monkeys being fed cucumbers and bananas by worshipers of the Hindu deity Hanuman, as well as the odd pig or two (being chased away from the offerings to the Monkey Gods by the worshippers!) and a few stray cows.
At the top of the hill we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Jaipur, the Pink City, with its many fortified walls and minarets behind us, and some lush rainforest and hills in front of us. Down below us we could see the proper temple complex, so we quickly hurried away from the fortune tellers that were trying to draw us into their lairs and on towards the Monkey Madness. The temple complex is nestled between ridges, and features a series of vast bathing pools (segregated by sex, obviously) where Hindu worshippers take a dip in the water issuing from underground springs. The stairs leading down to the bathing pools and the main entrance to the temple are the monkey's playground. We had to tread carefully, as those macaques have big teeth, and the nursing mothers were especially aggressive towards us.
Having made it through the monkey gauntlet we explored the temples for a short while (lots of murals depicting Hindu scenes and plenty of worshippers willing to pose for photos). Once we'd had our fill of monkeys and monsoon rains we started our slog back up (and then down) to our waiting Rickshaw Wallah, who knew very well that we would need more than half an hour to explore the temple. That was just a ruse to be able to squeeze us for more money (he asked for an extra Rs100 but only got Rs20).
City Palace
We were dropped off at the heart of Jaipur's old city and throbbing heart. We ascended the Iswari Minar Warga Sal (Heaven Piercing Minaret) for 360 degree views of the old town to help us get our bearings and plan our route towards the City Palace. Noteworthy attractions in the City Palace are the giant silver urns (supposedly the largest silver objects in the world) that Maharaja Madho Singh II used to carry the waters of the Ganges with him to England, as well as the impressive Pitam Niwas Chowk courtyard, with its gates representing the four seasons. The palace of Jaipur was somewhat different to the other palaces we had visited in Rajasthan as it housed a Hindu monarch, however that is where the differences ended, and the boredom began to set it... There are only so many Maharaja palaces you can visit in a week and still show keen interest in the exhibits!
Once we had broken free of the City Palace we resumed our walking tour of Jaipur by visiting the Jantar Mantar, an observatory that was founded in the 18th Century (but has been recently restored). The complex looks more like an eccentric architect's back yard with its angular sculptures and structures. We opted not to hire a guide, thinking the signage would be enough, however the explanations left a lot to be desired, so the impressive abilities of these monoliths were quite lost on us. Ah well, next time we know to hire a guide!
Moving on through the old city we came to Sideroi Bazaar, a busy lane chocker with shops selling Rajasthani fabrics, instruments, handbags, Ali Baba pants, bangles, bracelets... anything a tourist could (or wouldn't) want as a reminder of their visit to the Pink CIty. On Sideroi Bazaar we caught a glimpse of the Hawa Mahal, an impressive five-story palace of sorts whose front is entirely covered in Purda Screens (yes, more Purda Screens!) so that the ladies of the rpyal court could observe the life and times of ordinary Rajasthanis. Sadly by the time we got to the Hawa Mahal it was closed for the evening, so we had to make due with a few photos from the outside. I will forever wonder what it must have felt like to be a lady of the Royal Court of Jaipur, looking down onto the commoners from behind my intricately carved Purda screens.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Trail blazing in Rajasthan
UPDATE - photos of Jodhpur can be found on Picasa
Night(mare) bus
A year ago while travelling in Vietnam I wrote all about SEA night buses, and I'm pretty sure I promised myself never to undertake another journey by sleeper bus in Asia. Well, I have a habit of breaking promises I make to myself...
In India, cancelling a train ticket costs only Rs40 (€0.60), so plenty of people book tickets several days in a row, and cancel at the last minute. This makes it handy for travellers who book train tickets only a day or two in advance - your ticket will initially be wait-listed but a few hours before the train leaves you're guaranteed a place. Or so the guidebook says! Unfortunately our wait-listed train ticket between Bikaner and Jodphur didn't benefit from a cancellation, so we had to book a last minute sleeper bus to be on our way!
Well, when we stepped up into the bus I was pining for Vietnam's short-bunked buses. The Indian equivalent of a sleeper bus has glass panelled sleeping compartments and no air-conditioning. The compartments look just like a giant vivarium for humans, right down to the (broken) lightbulb and hard sleeping surface. Aaron and I were under the impression that we would have one cubicle each, but it turns out that the wider cubicles are actually made for two persons. The result: two adults, two backpacks, and two day bags squeezed into a glass cubicle as wide as a small single bed, with a window about 60cmx45cm for air. Not the best night's sleep I have had in a long time, but at least the driver wasn't listening to Hindi-pop at full volume all through the night.
Jodphur, the Blue City
Our night bus rattled us 300km all the way from Bikaner to Jodphur, so at around 5am we were to be found in a rickety Rickshaw put-putting our way to Discovery Guest House, a place we booked into on the recommendation of some Spanish backpackers we met in Bikaner. Our first order of business in the guest house was to arrange for a doctor's visit - Aaron was having trouble breathing and hadn't slept a wink all night. It took the doctor all of six hours to make his way to the guest house, by which time we had breakfasted, napped, and showered.
The doctor told Aaron he had a swollen oesophagus, gave him a couple of injections and about 600 different pills to be taken three times a day, and bade him stay away from beers, cola and spicy food for three days. With Aaron partially mended we could explore our surroundings, and our first port of call was the guest house terrace for a look at the city.
On the way up we couldn't help noticing the nicely decorated interior - all the surfaces featured paintings of Rajasthani scenes - camels, harems, palms and oases, and the odd maharaja here and there. Up the three floors, through the kitchen (very clean) and onto the roof, for a breathtaking view of Mehrangarh, Jodphur's hilltop fortress. This seemingly impregnable fort stands at the top of a steep hill, around which sprawls downtown Jodphur. The city is famous for its Brahmin blue houses - painted so because a) Blue is the colour of Brahma, the favoured Hindu deity of most of the locals, and b) this particular shade of blue apparently doesn't absorb so much of the sun's heat! Whatever, it makes for a beautiful scene!
The Blue city, with its busy narrow lanes, open sewers and minarets was another strong reminder of our proximity to Pakistan. The city streets are lined with merchants - it seemed to me that at least every other opening was carrying out a commercial activity of some sort or other, and just a couple of streets away from our guesthouse we found the throbbing heart of downtown Jodhpur - the market that radiates around the clocktower (not open for visitors :/ ).
Mehranghar, the impregnable fortress
Impregnable, or so it would seem, to a tired westerner approaching in a Piaggio Ape rickshaw from the narrow lanes of Jodphur, wondering whether or not the Vespa's big, three-wheeled brother can make it up the hill without hitting any cows, dogs, people, and random rocks adorning the road. But as it turns out, this mighty 15th century fortress changed ownership a few times over its long history. Most of the fort that stands today was built in the 17th century. Entry to the fort includes a very detailed audio guide that outlines much of the history and many interesting facts about the fort, and handily Wikipedia explains many of these, saving me plenty of typing!
I can't help but mention that the fort housed many more intricate purda screens, each one carved with an original design. There are even secret chambers in the hall of private audiences, where the leader's women could listen in on the proceedings and whisper subtle hints to their men!
After a good hour of informative rambling in the fort, courtesy of the audio tour, we were shepherded through the obligatory gift museum (very expensive!), and allowed to wander on the bastions to our heart's content. The views from Mehranghar are amazing, I don't blame the Rathore princes for putting their fort here... the view stretches for kilometers and kilometers, unobstructed by hills and trees (we were, after all, on the fringes of the Great Thar desert).
After we'd had our fill of fortifications we rolled downhill in a rickshaw and into the market, where we carried out a short recce of the neighbourhood, where we were promptly harassed by people selling everything from camera memory cards to silk scarves, from fruits to illegal drugs and prescription medication!
Needless to say we beat a hasty retreat to the rooftop restaurant at our guest house, where we enjoyed the cool breeze and a sky dotted with kites, both the feathered and the plastic variety. With the setting sun came a very slow meal ("Our food is made from the heart, and is all cooked fresh, that is why you have to wait almost an hour for your curry and chapati") and a few beers in the company of some fellow travellers from France, Argentina, Brazil, Korea and Japan. We were all set for a late night with beers, however at 11pm sharp the lights were turned off and we were asked to either sit quietly in the dark or go to bed. It seems that in Jodhpur establishments need to be shut by 11pm. We had no choice but to turn in for an early night, and arranged to take a rickshaw to the Maharaja's Palace at the other end of town the next morning with the French travellers, David and Celine.
Maharaja Opulence
In the 1930s Maharaja Umaid Singh decided to start a philanthropic, job creating project that would last 15 years and create over 3000 jobs: he would build himself a palace, but not because he needed a palace or anything, just so that he could give jobs to 3000 workers in a time of severe drought. How very thoughtful of Mr Singh!
One of the Maharaja's descendants still lives in part of the palace, however most of it has been turned into a very luxurious (and exclusive) hotel, and an area has been turned into a museum. The museum is the only area open to the public (unless you are willing to splurge for a meal at one of the hotel restaurants), where there's a series of photos documenting the interior of the palace, some design elements, as well as the various stages of construction. As one would expect, most of the museum is dedicated to the Maharaja Umaid Singh and his hobbies: polo, fine dining and a lavish lifestyle meeting foreign dignitaries.
Our appreciation of the various exhibits was somewhat hampered by the fact that there was no power at all during our visit, so we could only observe the photos by mobile phone light!
Back in town, we were dropped off at the clock tower, in the heart of the market. We were about to embark on our first serious shopping expedition in India! The market was pretty crowded, however the hawkers weren't as annoying or as persistent as we expected (or as we would later encounter in our travels). A firm "No, thank you" was enough to get the Jodphuri hawkers off our backs, and we eventually found a clothing / scarf / pouf outlet that we liked, so we settled in for some free Thums Up cola and a display of nearly all the wares in the shop. Deepak, the owner, treated us to a nice lecture about the lengths that wholesalers like the one we visited in Bikaner go to to fleece unsuspecting travellers out of their money. It is not true that pashmina scarves are made using just the goatee of a mountain goat - the whole chin and chest area are used, and that's why pashmina scarves can be had for about one fifth the price we were quoted in Bikaner!
With reasonable prices and a nice choice of goods, we were happy to part with a wad of our rupees in exchange for Ali Baba pants, pashmina scarves, wall hangings and cushions.
Laden with shopping, we headed back to our guest house for a rest before taking our night train to Jaipur, the state capital of Rajasthan.
Night(mare) bus
A year ago while travelling in Vietnam I wrote all about SEA night buses, and I'm pretty sure I promised myself never to undertake another journey by sleeper bus in Asia. Well, I have a habit of breaking promises I make to myself...
In India, cancelling a train ticket costs only Rs40 (€0.60), so plenty of people book tickets several days in a row, and cancel at the last minute. This makes it handy for travellers who book train tickets only a day or two in advance - your ticket will initially be wait-listed but a few hours before the train leaves you're guaranteed a place. Or so the guidebook says! Unfortunately our wait-listed train ticket between Bikaner and Jodphur didn't benefit from a cancellation, so we had to book a last minute sleeper bus to be on our way!
Well, when we stepped up into the bus I was pining for Vietnam's short-bunked buses. The Indian equivalent of a sleeper bus has glass panelled sleeping compartments and no air-conditioning. The compartments look just like a giant vivarium for humans, right down to the (broken) lightbulb and hard sleeping surface. Aaron and I were under the impression that we would have one cubicle each, but it turns out that the wider cubicles are actually made for two persons. The result: two adults, two backpacks, and two day bags squeezed into a glass cubicle as wide as a small single bed, with a window about 60cmx45cm for air. Not the best night's sleep I have had in a long time, but at least the driver wasn't listening to Hindi-pop at full volume all through the night.
Jodphur, the Blue City
Our night bus rattled us 300km all the way from Bikaner to Jodphur, so at around 5am we were to be found in a rickety Rickshaw put-putting our way to Discovery Guest House, a place we booked into on the recommendation of some Spanish backpackers we met in Bikaner. Our first order of business in the guest house was to arrange for a doctor's visit - Aaron was having trouble breathing and hadn't slept a wink all night. It took the doctor all of six hours to make his way to the guest house, by which time we had breakfasted, napped, and showered.
The doctor told Aaron he had a swollen oesophagus, gave him a couple of injections and about 600 different pills to be taken three times a day, and bade him stay away from beers, cola and spicy food for three days. With Aaron partially mended we could explore our surroundings, and our first port of call was the guest house terrace for a look at the city.
On the way up we couldn't help noticing the nicely decorated interior - all the surfaces featured paintings of Rajasthani scenes - camels, harems, palms and oases, and the odd maharaja here and there. Up the three floors, through the kitchen (very clean) and onto the roof, for a breathtaking view of Mehrangarh, Jodphur's hilltop fortress. This seemingly impregnable fort stands at the top of a steep hill, around which sprawls downtown Jodphur. The city is famous for its Brahmin blue houses - painted so because a) Blue is the colour of Brahma, the favoured Hindu deity of most of the locals, and b) this particular shade of blue apparently doesn't absorb so much of the sun's heat! Whatever, it makes for a beautiful scene!
The Blue city, with its busy narrow lanes, open sewers and minarets was another strong reminder of our proximity to Pakistan. The city streets are lined with merchants - it seemed to me that at least every other opening was carrying out a commercial activity of some sort or other, and just a couple of streets away from our guesthouse we found the throbbing heart of downtown Jodhpur - the market that radiates around the clocktower (not open for visitors :/ ).
Mehranghar, the impregnable fortress
Impregnable, or so it would seem, to a tired westerner approaching in a Piaggio Ape rickshaw from the narrow lanes of Jodphur, wondering whether or not the Vespa's big, three-wheeled brother can make it up the hill without hitting any cows, dogs, people, and random rocks adorning the road. But as it turns out, this mighty 15th century fortress changed ownership a few times over its long history. Most of the fort that stands today was built in the 17th century. Entry to the fort includes a very detailed audio guide that outlines much of the history and many interesting facts about the fort, and handily Wikipedia explains many of these, saving me plenty of typing!
I can't help but mention that the fort housed many more intricate purda screens, each one carved with an original design. There are even secret chambers in the hall of private audiences, where the leader's women could listen in on the proceedings and whisper subtle hints to their men!
After a good hour of informative rambling in the fort, courtesy of the audio tour, we were shepherded through the obligatory gift museum (very expensive!), and allowed to wander on the bastions to our heart's content. The views from Mehranghar are amazing, I don't blame the Rathore princes for putting their fort here... the view stretches for kilometers and kilometers, unobstructed by hills and trees (we were, after all, on the fringes of the Great Thar desert).
After we'd had our fill of fortifications we rolled downhill in a rickshaw and into the market, where we carried out a short recce of the neighbourhood, where we were promptly harassed by people selling everything from camera memory cards to silk scarves, from fruits to illegal drugs and prescription medication!
Needless to say we beat a hasty retreat to the rooftop restaurant at our guest house, where we enjoyed the cool breeze and a sky dotted with kites, both the feathered and the plastic variety. With the setting sun came a very slow meal ("Our food is made from the heart, and is all cooked fresh, that is why you have to wait almost an hour for your curry and chapati") and a few beers in the company of some fellow travellers from France, Argentina, Brazil, Korea and Japan. We were all set for a late night with beers, however at 11pm sharp the lights were turned off and we were asked to either sit quietly in the dark or go to bed. It seems that in Jodhpur establishments need to be shut by 11pm. We had no choice but to turn in for an early night, and arranged to take a rickshaw to the Maharaja's Palace at the other end of town the next morning with the French travellers, David and Celine.
Maharaja Opulence
In the 1930s Maharaja Umaid Singh decided to start a philanthropic, job creating project that would last 15 years and create over 3000 jobs: he would build himself a palace, but not because he needed a palace or anything, just so that he could give jobs to 3000 workers in a time of severe drought. How very thoughtful of Mr Singh!
One of the Maharaja's descendants still lives in part of the palace, however most of it has been turned into a very luxurious (and exclusive) hotel, and an area has been turned into a museum. The museum is the only area open to the public (unless you are willing to splurge for a meal at one of the hotel restaurants), where there's a series of photos documenting the interior of the palace, some design elements, as well as the various stages of construction. As one would expect, most of the museum is dedicated to the Maharaja Umaid Singh and his hobbies: polo, fine dining and a lavish lifestyle meeting foreign dignitaries.
Our appreciation of the various exhibits was somewhat hampered by the fact that there was no power at all during our visit, so we could only observe the photos by mobile phone light!
Back in town, we were dropped off at the clock tower, in the heart of the market. We were about to embark on our first serious shopping expedition in India! The market was pretty crowded, however the hawkers weren't as annoying or as persistent as we expected (or as we would later encounter in our travels). A firm "No, thank you" was enough to get the Jodphuri hawkers off our backs, and we eventually found a clothing / scarf / pouf outlet that we liked, so we settled in for some free Thums Up cola and a display of nearly all the wares in the shop. Deepak, the owner, treated us to a nice lecture about the lengths that wholesalers like the one we visited in Bikaner go to to fleece unsuspecting travellers out of their money. It is not true that pashmina scarves are made using just the goatee of a mountain goat - the whole chin and chest area are used, and that's why pashmina scarves can be had for about one fifth the price we were quoted in Bikaner!
With reasonable prices and a nice choice of goods, we were happy to part with a wad of our rupees in exchange for Ali Baba pants, pashmina scarves, wall hangings and cushions.
Laden with shopping, we headed back to our guest house for a rest before taking our night train to Jaipur, the state capital of Rajasthan.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Namaste, Rajasthan
UPDATE - Photos from Bikaner can be found here
Our first experience with IndiaRail's night trains was an excellent one, so we literally bounced out of the carriage and into the desert heat of Bikaner, an important trade route town on the fringes of the Great Thar Desert.
Our main reason for being in Bikaner was to visit Deshnok, some 30km to the south of Bikaner, and home to Karni Mata, a notorious Hindu temple (more about it later).
Bikaner
My first impression of Bikaner was that I had somehow been smuggled to North Africa on my overnight train journey: Minarets dotting the horizon, cows wandering dusty avenues, and hardly any green to be seen. Our proximity to the Pakistani border was making itself felt!
At the station we were met by Bilal, a guest house owner who knew how to say a phrase or two in Italian, and spent all our stay repeating said two phrases! Bilal promised us a reasonably priced stay at his guest house, and even offered to take us on a tour of the old quarters of Bikaner, so we took the plunge and followed. The guest house was clean, the rooms air cooled (when the power was actually on) and the food nice, if a bit pricey. I guess the guest house makes up for the low rent with higher prices for the food.
Bilal lived up to his promise and took us riding pillion on his motorbike into the heart of Bikaner, where he showed us some amazing Havelis (traditional houses) with intricately carved facades, the inside of a very luxurious boutique hotel that was reminiscent of a palace, and to an historic Jain temple dating back to the 1600s.
The Dark Side of Bilal
As the sun was setting Bilal suggested we go for beers at "a place he knows, close to the Maharaja's palace"... little did we know that the "place" was actually his friend's warehouse fabric outlet. We were given a couple of cold beers and treated to a display of several hundred different pieces of fabric in various shapes and sizes. This man's family had been in the business of weaving for countless generations, since his ancestors crossed into Rajasthan from Persia. All of these, wouldn't you know it, are designs that their factory makes for big European designer names, but which he is willing to sell to us at cost price. The man even tried to get us to buy Shatoosh, that is, a (very expensive) shawl made from the hair of the Himalayan Antelope. He of course neglected to mention how illegal the sale of Shatoosh is! I think Aaron and I were both still suffering from jet lag and beer, as we foolishly parted with what we later found out were quite large chunks of money for items that could be purchased in any market. Ah well, you live, you learn!
This story was to repeat itself several times on our travels in India: whenever we have been suckered into a warehouse outlet, the artisans have had their skills handed down several generations, they use only organic dyes and materials, and their prices are higher because their stock is of a MUCH better quality than what you can get in the market. Oh, and the government of India will pay for the postage of anything you buy from their shop to your home country! Needless to say, our wallets stayed shut as tight as clams at low tide whenever we inadvertently set foot into any of these outlets after our first bad experience!
Regal Bikaner
Now to get back to the nice things about Bikaner - we also visited the old fort Juganarh, a feature of nearly every major town or city in India thanks to the country's warring history. With no high ground to build their fort on, the Mughals had no option but to build their defensive structure upwards, and the higher levels provided stunning views over Bikaner and the desert beyond it. Our admission ticket included a guided tour, though since the guide was trying to keep up with explanations in both Hindi and English, both these were a bit rushed, however the guide still found time to take pictures of us together at important points of the tour! We did gather however that some parts of the fort were adorned with tiles imported from Holland (to the delight of some Dutch travellers who were in our group). The interior of the fort is as lavish as one would expect from the mighty Mughals, with plenty of marble, coloured glass panels, and intricate floral murals finished in gold leaf. An interesting feature of the Juganarh fort (and many others in India) are the women's quarters. These are always overlooking the public areas of the fort, including the halls of judgement, and the Raja's council hall, courtyards and gardens... The windows have Purda panels built into them - these are intricately carved frames that allowed the women to observe the goings on of the outside world, without being seen by outsiders, thus maintaining their dignity (Purda).
We finished our visit to Juganarh with a refreshing drink of Thums Up Cola (yes, without the B) - a cola drink manufactured by Coca Cola in India that tastes like concentrated Coke. Just what you need to whisk away the desert heat!
Karni Mata - RATS!
OK, so the real reason Aaron and I were so hell bent on taking a big detour into Rajasthan, avoiding the much more popular Udaipur or Jaisalamer, and heading to Bikaner, was so that we could visit the legendary Karni Mata temple in Deshnok. Legends state that in the 14th century Karni Mata, an incarnation of Durga, interceded with Yama, the god of death, to return to life the son of a grieving storyteller. When he refused, she turned all storytellers into rats, and snatched away some of Yama's supply of human souls. Yep, you guessed it, the temple is crawling with rats. They are all over the place, and, if you're lucky, all over you too (being touched by a rat brings a blessing). You can try to spot a white rat for an extra dose of good Karma, and if you're feeling especially in need of blessings, share some food with the rats (and eat after they've nibbled on it!!). Thread lightly though, as if you crush any of the Kabas (holy rats) you must replace them with their weight in silver!
Our local bus (20Rs - Euro 0.32) dropped us off on the edge of Deshnok, and the friendly locals (all sitting under the blissful shade of trees) pointed us in the direction of the temple. One of the local retailers was so happy to see foreigners in his shop that he turned on the fans for us, and begged us to take a photo with him (which he is expecting to receive in the mail!). He even wanted a ball point pen... one of the stranger requests we've had while travelling, but were more than happy to oblige!
The Karni Mata temple isn't very impressive on the outside, a white building with your usual Hindu deity statues adorning the façade. But as you step barefooted over the treshold, and the rat droppings begin to crunch under your feet (or was it chicory seeds the rats hadn't eaten yet?), you realise this isn't just any other temple. The smell of mice and pigeons is a shock, but you quickly get over that when you see Mickey mouse's big brother staring at you from the wall. You look down, and a few of his friends are huddled in a corner sleeping. With every step you take, you notice more and more of the rats. Luckily they stick to the edges of the room, close to their milk bowls and food offerings.
I had heard about Karni Mata from GlobeTrekker (Pilot Guides in America) - the popular Travel Channel backpacker's program... but the place (and the rats) looked so much cleaner on TV! Aaron has a theory that the Delhi tourism office organises a clean up of the temple whenever a film crew is about to approach the temple, as whenever we've seen it on TV it has looked spotless... ah well, I don't want to make us out as clean freaks of anything: we didn't pay much attention to the crunchiness underfoot, and even got up close to the rats with our macro lenses. Plenty of photos will be going up onto picasa once I get back to Malta.
Our detour into the deserts of Rajasthan to visit Karni Mata was more than worth it, this is a unique place, and provides a real taste of India away from the tourists and the touts. If you're not squeamish about rats being adored and fed, then by all means, put Bikaner on your travel itinerary!
Our first experience with IndiaRail's night trains was an excellent one, so we literally bounced out of the carriage and into the desert heat of Bikaner, an important trade route town on the fringes of the Great Thar Desert.
Our main reason for being in Bikaner was to visit Deshnok, some 30km to the south of Bikaner, and home to Karni Mata, a notorious Hindu temple (more about it later).
Bikaner
My first impression of Bikaner was that I had somehow been smuggled to North Africa on my overnight train journey: Minarets dotting the horizon, cows wandering dusty avenues, and hardly any green to be seen. Our proximity to the Pakistani border was making itself felt!
At the station we were met by Bilal, a guest house owner who knew how to say a phrase or two in Italian, and spent all our stay repeating said two phrases! Bilal promised us a reasonably priced stay at his guest house, and even offered to take us on a tour of the old quarters of Bikaner, so we took the plunge and followed. The guest house was clean, the rooms air cooled (when the power was actually on) and the food nice, if a bit pricey. I guess the guest house makes up for the low rent with higher prices for the food.
Bilal lived up to his promise and took us riding pillion on his motorbike into the heart of Bikaner, where he showed us some amazing Havelis (traditional houses) with intricately carved facades, the inside of a very luxurious boutique hotel that was reminiscent of a palace, and to an historic Jain temple dating back to the 1600s.
The Dark Side of Bilal
As the sun was setting Bilal suggested we go for beers at "a place he knows, close to the Maharaja's palace"... little did we know that the "place" was actually his friend's warehouse fabric outlet. We were given a couple of cold beers and treated to a display of several hundred different pieces of fabric in various shapes and sizes. This man's family had been in the business of weaving for countless generations, since his ancestors crossed into Rajasthan from Persia. All of these, wouldn't you know it, are designs that their factory makes for big European designer names, but which he is willing to sell to us at cost price. The man even tried to get us to buy Shatoosh, that is, a (very expensive) shawl made from the hair of the Himalayan Antelope. He of course neglected to mention how illegal the sale of Shatoosh is! I think Aaron and I were both still suffering from jet lag and beer, as we foolishly parted with what we later found out were quite large chunks of money for items that could be purchased in any market. Ah well, you live, you learn!
This story was to repeat itself several times on our travels in India: whenever we have been suckered into a warehouse outlet, the artisans have had their skills handed down several generations, they use only organic dyes and materials, and their prices are higher because their stock is of a MUCH better quality than what you can get in the market. Oh, and the government of India will pay for the postage of anything you buy from their shop to your home country! Needless to say, our wallets stayed shut as tight as clams at low tide whenever we inadvertently set foot into any of these outlets after our first bad experience!
Regal Bikaner
Now to get back to the nice things about Bikaner - we also visited the old fort Juganarh, a feature of nearly every major town or city in India thanks to the country's warring history. With no high ground to build their fort on, the Mughals had no option but to build their defensive structure upwards, and the higher levels provided stunning views over Bikaner and the desert beyond it. Our admission ticket included a guided tour, though since the guide was trying to keep up with explanations in both Hindi and English, both these were a bit rushed, however the guide still found time to take pictures of us together at important points of the tour! We did gather however that some parts of the fort were adorned with tiles imported from Holland (to the delight of some Dutch travellers who were in our group). The interior of the fort is as lavish as one would expect from the mighty Mughals, with plenty of marble, coloured glass panels, and intricate floral murals finished in gold leaf. An interesting feature of the Juganarh fort (and many others in India) are the women's quarters. These are always overlooking the public areas of the fort, including the halls of judgement, and the Raja's council hall, courtyards and gardens... The windows have Purda panels built into them - these are intricately carved frames that allowed the women to observe the goings on of the outside world, without being seen by outsiders, thus maintaining their dignity (Purda).
We finished our visit to Juganarh with a refreshing drink of Thums Up Cola (yes, without the B) - a cola drink manufactured by Coca Cola in India that tastes like concentrated Coke. Just what you need to whisk away the desert heat!
Karni Mata - RATS!
OK, so the real reason Aaron and I were so hell bent on taking a big detour into Rajasthan, avoiding the much more popular Udaipur or Jaisalamer, and heading to Bikaner, was so that we could visit the legendary Karni Mata temple in Deshnok. Legends state that in the 14th century Karni Mata, an incarnation of Durga, interceded with Yama, the god of death, to return to life the son of a grieving storyteller. When he refused, she turned all storytellers into rats, and snatched away some of Yama's supply of human souls. Yep, you guessed it, the temple is crawling with rats. They are all over the place, and, if you're lucky, all over you too (being touched by a rat brings a blessing). You can try to spot a white rat for an extra dose of good Karma, and if you're feeling especially in need of blessings, share some food with the rats (and eat after they've nibbled on it!!). Thread lightly though, as if you crush any of the Kabas (holy rats) you must replace them with their weight in silver!
Our local bus (20Rs - Euro 0.32) dropped us off on the edge of Deshnok, and the friendly locals (all sitting under the blissful shade of trees) pointed us in the direction of the temple. One of the local retailers was so happy to see foreigners in his shop that he turned on the fans for us, and begged us to take a photo with him (which he is expecting to receive in the mail!). He even wanted a ball point pen... one of the stranger requests we've had while travelling, but were more than happy to oblige!
The Karni Mata temple isn't very impressive on the outside, a white building with your usual Hindu deity statues adorning the façade. But as you step barefooted over the treshold, and the rat droppings begin to crunch under your feet (or was it chicory seeds the rats hadn't eaten yet?), you realise this isn't just any other temple. The smell of mice and pigeons is a shock, but you quickly get over that when you see Mickey mouse's big brother staring at you from the wall. You look down, and a few of his friends are huddled in a corner sleeping. With every step you take, you notice more and more of the rats. Luckily they stick to the edges of the room, close to their milk bowls and food offerings.
I had heard about Karni Mata from GlobeTrekker (Pilot Guides in America) - the popular Travel Channel backpacker's program... but the place (and the rats) looked so much cleaner on TV! Aaron has a theory that the Delhi tourism office organises a clean up of the temple whenever a film crew is about to approach the temple, as whenever we've seen it on TV it has looked spotless... ah well, I don't want to make us out as clean freaks of anything: we didn't pay much attention to the crunchiness underfoot, and even got up close to the rats with our macro lenses. Plenty of photos will be going up onto picasa once I get back to Malta.
Our detour into the deserts of Rajasthan to visit Karni Mata was more than worth it, this is a unique place, and provides a real taste of India away from the tourists and the touts. If you're not squeamish about rats being adored and fed, then by all means, put Bikaner on your travel itinerary!
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