JAIPUR...the SUBHOJIT way!!!!

21st September, 2013

Now I come down to the Pink City of India, Jaipur. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan and the land of Rajputs. It is known as the Pink City of India as most of the structures and market places are in this colour. The city is supremely rich in architecture, culture and history. There are a million places to see within the city and it is bustling with tourists from all across the world. It is also the business capital of the state and there are flourishing markets in the city which deal in everything from jewellery, cloth, footwear, handicrafts to stones, artefacts and ceramics. One needs to be very careful here as a tourist because most shopkeepers will swindle you out of a lot of cash. Foreign tourists need to be very very careful but that doesn't mean Indian tourists can sit back and relax, they will sweet talk you into buying anything. Over the years of my travelling across India I have come to realise that in most tourist places the people are trained to deal with tourists and the ones who go out of their way and sweet talk you are the biggest of thugs!

Coming to our hotel first, we stayed at the magnificent Umaid Bhawan Palace. It is a royal hotel which was very affordable at the time of our travel. During season time a double room is anywhere between Rs 10000 - 14000 a night. We stayed here for Rs 1800 (breakfast included) a night! The same owner has two hotels and the other one is Umaid Bhawan Mahal, which is on the other side of the street to Umaid Palace. Umaid Mahal is the better of the two and has a wonderful roof top restaurant with excellent food. The hotel provides you pick up facility from the Jaipur station. It is located in the Bani Park Area of Jaipur.

The rooms are very spacious and they also have a well maintained swimming pool. The staff is cordial and helpful. The breakfast here was good too. A good spread every morning with a lot of variety. They too have a roof top restaurant and a fully loaded bar. The rates are reasonable and affordable. They have car hire facilities too. 

For sight seeing in Jaipur one can rent a car or book an auto rickshaw. A car would charge you around Rs 1600 for a day trip whereas an auto rickshaw will charge you just Rs 600 for a day trip. Unless it is very hot I would suggest one to take the auto rickshaw.There are numerous places to see in Jaipur. The ones we went to were the City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal and Amer Fort. One should start with the City Palace as it is in the heart of the city and everything else is connected. Buy a pass for Rs 150 and this is usable in all the sights. For foreigners the pass is separate and costs more too. In Jaipur too their is a charge for cameras everywhere, it is anywhere between Rs 100 - Rs 250.

The City palace, Jaipur is is a royal structure and would probably take the full day to see. The architecture is a proof of the royal past of the palace. The royal family still lives there in one side of the palace. There are a lot of artefacts preserved, these provide an insight into the lives the royal people led. There is a souvenir shop situated at the exit of the palace where one can pick up a lot of things to take back although let me warn you that they are way over priced.

My advice to those going to see the Jantar Mantar is please take a guide or else visiting this place makes no sense at all. We thought we would read the boards and figure out the equipments but we understood nothing from them. Thus, Jantar Mantar for us was a waste of time. Every single instrument looked the same to us and we thought they did the same things too!

Hawa Mahal is situated just behind the City Palace and in the main market area of Jaipur. You don't require a guide here as there is nothing much that needs an explanation. It was built for the royal ladies, in those days they weren't allowed to come out in public so they sat behind the colourful windows of the Hawa Mahal to watch the Royal Procession. The place is not well maintained but from the top the view is breath taking.

The Amer Fort is a must see in Jaipur. It is a little far off on the hill top which is visible from anywhere in the city. The Amer Fort was the old capital before Jaipur. The fort gave a birds eye view of the entire region and provided a very advantageous position during war. The Amer Fort is on Amer Road which is basically the highway to Delhi. There are various ceramic shops and they have a lot to offer. From plates to bowls to key chains, these ceramic shops make everything. They are not reasonable as most of them are very highly priced but they are of a good quality. On your way to Amer Fort also comes Jal Mahal or Water Palace. You aren't allowed to go to the fort but just see it from the road and take pictures. Here on the lake you can stand and feed fishes. Just buy a bread loaf for Rs 10 and make small pieces of the bread and feed it to the fishes. There are a lot of them and they all fight for each piece. 

One can take their cars only till the bottom of the hill while visiting Amer Fort. From the bottom you have to hire a jeep which will take you up to the fort. These jeeps charge you between Rs 200 - 300. You have to bargain here too. A tip for Amer Fort is that you need to take a guide. They charge around Rs 150 for the whole tour but it is worth it as there is lots to know here. Amer Fort has a Kali temple which is closed in the afternoon for a couple of hours, so all Kali devotees need to go early morning or a little later in the day. The architecture and view of this fort is excellent. It is truly royal in the true sense of the term. It hosts the famous Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) within too. Visitors are not allowed inside the Mahal anymore. There is gift shop in the fort which is very reasonably priced and have good select items. On your way down from the fort these jeep drivers take you to hand loom shops which are a big hoax. Do not fall for anything they say as they are all over priced and mostly even bad in quality. You get most of these things in the markets of Jaipur at much cheaper rates.

That was all the sight seeing we did in Jaipur. Later in the night we went for a movie at Rajmandir. Rajmandir is the biggest movie theatre in India both area wise and capacity wise. The crowd here is the real India crowd. They whistle at every small scene or clap at every possible dialogue. It is a must experience in Jaipur. The place is very well lit up both inside out and the architecture is also wonderful. 

Now coming to shopping, Jaipur is a shoppers paradise with merchandise from these markets travelling across the globe. The natives of Rajasthan are probably the best in handicrafts in the country. Rajasthan is also a region which is very rich in stones. There are many many different variety of stones found in this region. These stones are used for making jewellery and various other things. Jewellery is very famous in Rajasthan and Meenakari is the most famous style of craftsmanship. Places like Lal Bazar, Johri Bazar, Gopal Galli are the main market places that you would want to visit. These markets have everything from jewellery, handicrafts, clothes, sarees, blankets, bed sheets and also famous Rajasthani mithai (sweets). We visited the markets and picked up a few things here and there. One has to just browse through the entire market to see what one wants. One advise - load your pockets and then head out and try keeping the women as far away as possible!  

As for food Jaipur again has the best thali places. In the main market area there is the world famous Laxshmi Mishtann Bhandar or commonly known as LMB is the best thali in town. Everything is made in pure ghee and the restaurant serves a huge variety of dishes. They are very strict about their no sharing policy with the thalis! A meal for two here would cost around Rs 900 easily as the thalis are not cheap. Another thali place is Natraj near Rajmandir cinema. Natraj is a very clean and the thali is equally good. It is also cheaper than LMB and a meal for two here would cost around Rs 600. Opposite Natraj is Lassiwala, this is the best Lassi in town. Now there are a couple of lassiwalas over here but the original one is open from 9am till 4pm only and they are shop number 312. This lassi is a must try. Malai Ghewar is also a must try at LMB. We were so tired of eating Rajasthani food towards the end of our trip that our last meal in Jaipur was on the roof top restaurant in Umaid Mahal Hotel where we ordered Chinese food! MI Road that houses Natraj and Lassiwala is the main food street of Jaipur with the best eateries situated here. 

This was pretty much our Rajasthan trip or as my wife calls it our 'Desert Diaries'. It is a beautiful land and there is way too much to see and experience. For a full experience one needs to have a lot of time in hand and stay a little longer. The interiors of the desert i.e. Bikaner and Jaisalmer are different in landscape and beauty. We also missed out on Jodhpur. Well there is always a next time. Anyways keep reading my blog. Next destination is Hampi in Karnataka! 

UDAIPUR...the SUBHOJIT way!!!

11th September, 2013

Now i move on to my next destination in Rajasthan - The lake palace city, Udaipur. This city is also known as the venice of the East. Capital of the Mewar dynasty after Chittorgarh, the city is very strategically located. With hills covering the city from all sides and a perennial water source from 5 different lakes, the city is a dream to be in. We reached the city around 9:30pm and headed straight to the hotel. The amazing thing that happened as we got of the station was that our hotel had told us that they will send a rickshaw for our pick up. Amazingly the rickshaw driver from the 100's of people who got of the train spotted me and came directly to me and asked are you Mr Subhojit? I was amazed by his knowledge of different people and the years of experience it must have taken him to spot someone you don't know just by their names. I thought to myself, do I look so Bengali?

As we headed to our hotel we noticed the small lanes that led to Lake Pichhola filled with lovely colourful shops selling various artefacts and handicrafts. We stayed in a hotel called Devraj Niwas which is situated on Lal Ghat of Lake Pichhola. We checked in to our hotel and since it was already late we headed straight for dinner. We went to the hotels terrace restaurant and almost freaked out when we saw the view.

The hotel had a breath taking view of the Lake Pichhola and equally amazing food. The weather was very nice and cool and sitting on this terrace was most relaxing. Let me tell you something about Udaipur, food and alcohol here is not cheap! A 650ml bottle of beer will cost you around Rs 180 minimum at any restaurant and your food bill for two will be anywhere between Rs 800 - 1200. Anyways we had ordered butter chicken, tadka dal and roti because we were so craving for meat and the butter chicken was extremely delicious. Sitting by the lake with chilled beer cools down your soul.

The rooms at Devraj Niwas are neat and well kept. The beds and interiors are also very nice. A lake facing room in any hotel by the lake will cost you twice as much. Since September is off season you get very cheap deals for the best of hotels here. Winters is no doubt the best time to travel Rajasthan in but September is a lot cheaper and equally good climate. We were very happy with our decision to travel at this time of the year. There are a lot of other hotels within the same locality and a little better ones are Hotel Lake Pichhola and Hotel Jagat Niwas Palace. I was just disappointed with the badly kept pool. The hotel has a plus point which is named Tuffy! It is a dog and very cute and docile one. You can play with it as much as you want and it is more than happy to entertain you.

 Well about places to see in Udaipur - there are plenty of them. We tried to see as much as possible and I will take you through the places we went to. On Day 1 - we first went to the rope way and this is the best way to get a 360 degree view of Udaipur. It is from a hill top and the breeze and view will blow you away. Here are a couple of pictures to help you understand what I am talking about. The charges for the cable car is Rs 75 per person and if you want a couple car then it is Rs 300. In my opinion the couple car is waste of money as it is hardly a 3 minute ride. Let me tell you here that entry fees and other such fees differ for foreigners. It is almost more than double in most places.

The next place we went to was Maharana Pratap Memorial. This is a hill top view of the Fateh Sagar Lake and houses a memorial of the Maharana and also a museum that guides you through an in-depth of the Mewar dynasty and its rulers. They allow even auto rickshaws to enter this place and the charges are Rs 30 for a rickshaw and Rs 75 each as entry. There is a royal car that charges Rs 100 per person but they were not working at this time of the year but that didn't stop us from taking a few pictures in it. 

Our next destination was the Fateh Sagar Lake. It was a boat ride to the Moti Magri which is situated in   the middle of the lake. It is a scenic garden with lovely views of the surroundings. A boat drops you there and leaves. You can return once you see everything by hoping on to any boat that is going back. The charges are Rs 30 per person. One can sit in any corner of the garden and relax or do photography. The view here is again spectacular.

Sahelio Ki Bari was the next on our list. This was where the queen and her friends lived and enjoyed the pleasures of being royalty. It is a small little place with a surrounding garden. There is a Rs 5 entry for each person. This place is situated close to the Fateh Sagar Lake itself. According to me this place is quite avoidable. If one wants to know more about these places then there are many guides available who charge a very nominal fee. 

Later in the evening we went to Bagore Ki Haveli. There is a music and cultural programme that happens here from 7.30 pm. There is a nominal charge of Rs 60 and Rs 250 for your camera. The show is a wonderful insight into the traditional Rajasthani dances and folk music. There is both an English and Hindi commentary. The dance with the Matkis is to look out for. Being a desert Rajasthani women travelled many miles in search of water each day and this led to the invention of the Matki dance. A Matki is a round beaker to carry water in and the more Matki's one was able to carry on ones head meant the more water that person got home. I specially enjoyed this, after the show feel free to tip these artists some money as this is their source of livelihood and these are dying art forms today.

In the evening feel free to walk into any of the ghats and enjoy the sunset by the lake or even better go for a boat ride on the lake for Rs 100 each. They take you for a ride across the lake and show you all the expensive 5 star hotel properties. One can start the ride from the city palace ghats and end it at Lal Ghat to catch the cultural program at Bagore Ki Haveli. It feels wonderful to be on the lake in the evening.

If you are staying next to Lake Pichhola in Udaipur you should start your day with a little devotion and bhajan! The Jagdish Temple is beautiful and being a Hindu I got a very good feeling here. There is a very good 'Aarti' that happens in the morning along with 'Bhog' being served later. It is architecturally a magnificent piece too. Made from a single block of white marble, the temple has beautiful carvings all across. In the desert these marble structures stay very cool and provide a good place for some cool air.

Before i take you all through the last and the best place we saw I want to suggest something else to you all. The Maharana was an ardent car collector and he has a full museum dedicated to his car collection. He had them all, you name it and he had it; Rolls Royce, Cadillac, Mercedes, Standard, Jeep...everything. Now this car museum also has a hotel and a vegetarian restaurant attached to it. Now if you buy the pass for this museum at the city palace then only for the museum is Rs 150 each but if you pay Rs 250 each it will also include an unlimited Rajasthani veg thali! Leave in the morning, first go to the Jagdish Temple, then visit the city palace, then come to this car museum have lunch and see the beauties of the Maharana's garage. go for a boat ride on the lake and end your day with the light and sound show of at the City Palace. This should be a whole days literary in Udaipur if you are living close to the lake because most of these are at walking distances.

The main thing to see in Udaipur is the beautiful and magnificent City Palace. Loaded with hundreds and hundreds of years of history, this place is a must visit. The entry fee here is Rs 115 per person and separate for your camera. There is also a crystal gallery attached with the palace and the entry fee to this is very high, it is around Rs 550 per person. Those who have seen it say it is worth the money because it is something you will not see anywhere else in the world. The City Palace is very strategically situated and is humongous in size. It has so much to tell that one can't stop wandering about all the things that must have gone down there. In the evening at 7.30 pm there is a light and sound show which will answer all your questions relating to the Mewar dynasty. The cost for this is Rs 150 per head. You don't need to take a guide during the day if you see this show in the evening first. It is dramatically done and very self explanatory.

Ok so am done with the places that I have seen. There are a couple of places more where we didn't have the time to go to. Now to come to the places to eat and what to eat. Firstly the roof top restaurant of my hotel Devraj Niwas had a wonderful restaurant with amazing food. The night we reached we ordered Butter Chicken, Tadka Dal and Roti. My wife flipped on the chicken. They also serve alcohol. The food is not cheap though, a meal for two would cost you around Rs 900 without alcohol easily. The other place you have to go and eat is at the restaurant in hotel Jagat Niwas. The view is to die for and so is the food. We had eaten the Tandoori Chicken, Papad Paneer ki Sabzi, roti and beer. The panner was very different and was WOW! This is just next to Jagat Niwas and is the perfect spot for a nice romantic dinner. Again this is also on the expensive side and a meal for two will cost you Rs 1000 without alcohol. 

There is small little cafe near Bagore Ki Haveli called Cafe Edelweiss. They have very good baked products and cakes. The coffee is also nice and it is easy on the pocket. 

For food which is good and inexpensive one has to set out to the main town area. There is a restaurant which is very famous and old called Parkview. You ask any rickshaw driver and he will be able to take you there. There Lal Maans is legendary. I feel the Lal Maans tastes better with rice than roti. They also have a dish called Vegetable Balti which is amazing. A meal for two here would cost Rs 350! From here head to Jagdish Mishtann Bhandar which is at walking distance for some amazing rabdi for Rs 25 only. This sweet shop has a lot to offer. They have amazing kachoris for breakfast. 

The thali at the Garden Restaurant which i already spoke about is also amazing. Nothing great but good variety and authentic in taste. Plus you get to see the Maharaja's car collection! There is another great place right next to the station called Natraj. They have very good Rajasthani and Gujrati thalis. There Dal Batti Churma is also very good. It is right next to the station so if one has a train to catch to Jaipur which is usually in the night, one can have dinner here and directly catch the train. Station is at walking distance from here. There is also a very old kachoriwala right outside the Jagdish temple whose kachoris are to die for but you have to make it early morning. They hardly cost anything.

That's pretty much everything but before i conclude i will give you all a few valuable tips and tell you all about a couple of my most amazing experiences. If you need a rickshaw to show you around Udaipur or for your pick up and drops you can call Mohammed on +91 9950240186. He is honest and trust worthy. He will charge you Rs 600 for a whole days tour of the city. A car will cost you around Rs 1600 but the experience of an autorickshaw is unmatchable. Do not throw away all your entry passes to most places because if you take a closer look than they are also usable as post cards! One experience that you must have is to got for an Ayurvedic massage in one of the many parlours near Lake Pichhola. They charge between Rs 700 - 1200 for various treatments. There are many artists here who are famous for their various miniature paintings. If they are really good they will be able to draw an elephant on your thumbnail and write your name beside it too! Yes they are that skilled and intricate with their work. Another thing you must try is diving into the lake! You will smell once you are out and will also need to head to the showers immediately but trust me it is worth the experience. As i swam in the lake i felt liberated. It is such an experience that you will carry back with you. On the whole we LOVED this lake city and would truly recommend it to all travellers. It is one of those must visit places in India.