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Our flight to Delhi from Kolkata was fine, and we arrived in early
evening.
On advice from friends, we got a prepaid taxi to take us to the Metro
Heights Hotel, where we would stay for a couple of days before joining
the Djoser tour group. Next day we set off for a walk around the hotel
area, but got waylaid by a friendly rickshaw driver, and wound up at an
emporium near Connaught place. Went back, and then in the afternoon
again were delivered by a rickshaw driver to one of the many stores
(where they get a commission on the sales to tourists.) We did buy some
things, at much higher prices than more experienced shoppers would pay.
Nice things, including a couple of shawls, some pillow covers, a lovely
malachite necklace for Lefty and a splendid Ganesha for me.
That evening, we hired a car to meet Greg at the airport, which was
cool. They have a live video camera on the escalators for arriving
passengers, so we could see him before he picked up his luggage. We
think it is a wonderful bit of luck that he could join us for this last
part of our stay, for the Palace Tour of Rajasthan.
The Djoser part of our tour is a kaleidoscope of color and characters,
with Margriet, our tour leader, the most colorful of characters. She is
great, and if you want to do a tour "the other way," get in touch with her. We will, because she
s not only competent and experienced but full of energy and fun, and a
delightful traveling companion. She knows everybody, and in each city and village where we stopped, the natives knew Margriet
and favored us because they like her.
We went from a brief day in Delhi to Bikaner, and the next stops were
Jaisalmer, a beautiful small city where we stayed one night at a
Heritage Hotel with swimming pool, nice food, and a splendid doorman
(whom I have promised to send a picture). We were a tuk-tuk
(autorickshaw) ride from town, and went in for shopping and sights,
including visits to beautiful Haveli, which are grand old great houses. Also a couple of fine restaurants like Monica's and Trio (more info on demand). Next was Jodpur, a somewhat larger city and the location of a huge fort, which was the only thing we really did there. But it was magnificent, a testimony to the fortitude and power but also the creative artistry of the Maharajas. The fort is now a trust for the preservation of the structure and some of the beautiful furnishings, but the family of the Maharajahs who built it continues and helps to manage the trust. The present elder was elevated to the Maharajah status at the age of four when his father was murdered, and there is a touching story about his remarkably responsible behavior in the event, even though he could scarcely understand what had happened.
Our Jodpur visit was short, but followed by a wonderful and restful time
in Luni, a village practically in the middle of the desert, where we
stayed two nights. Luni was especially lovely, partly because it was so
isolated that at night one could see all the stars, as is only possible
when there is no light pollution. Greg and I went up the several flights
of stairs to the topmost level of the fort where we were staying, and
lay on our backs for a while just soaking in the light. Earlier in the
evening at dinner, we three sat with Margriet and found ourselves
naturally in a deeply moving conversation about family and friends. She remarked a couple of times later that it was most memorable, possibly because of the warmth of old friendship that we somehow felt even with our few days together.
The next day most of the group went off with Pooja, the delightful
housekeeping manager, for a tour of the village including two schools.
She is an unbelievably mature 17, and apparently is being groomed by the
hotel's owner (who I think is the present Maharajah or his brother,
something like that). She manages a staff of 13, and it is clear how
that came about. Responsible and charming, and obviously a favorite
graduate of the classrooms we visited. Her younger siblings and cousins were among the shy, but totally delightful smiling faces. We were something of a distraction, and I think we
made their day -- and might even have encouraged them to do their English lessons with extra energy. Greg and Pooja liked each other, and I confess I wish the age difference were a little smaller.
The kaleidoscope continued with Udaipur, where we stayed two nights and had time for a couple of fine restaurants as well as several of the beautiful old palaces and haveli (great houses built by wealthy businessmen).
The Bambora swimming pool was fantastic. From the towers of our
literally palatial
hotel down to the pool was some distance, so it looked small. But not
so. It had four elephants at the corners, spouting streams of water into
the pool, and a canopied island in the middle, where one could lounge
and savor the beautiful atmosphere. Surrounded by old walls, broken down
by time but still impressive, the pool was also provisioned by the staff
of the hotel, so a glass of beer was naturally, luxuriously in hand. In
the evening, we had a magnificent meal -- at the hotel, since it was the only restaurant for miles, and afterward music that inspired one of the porters to start dancing, which soon drew Loes and then several of the rest of us in as well.
Roopangarh is another ancient fort or palace (the Djoser description
calls it a pleasure palace for the maharaja). It is magnificent, with
grand rooms and terraces. The restored portion is just a small part of a large fort, which Greg and I explored as time allowed. We agreed that it deserved a week, and also appreciated that Indian style differs from American in imposing no
safety strictures to protect us from ourselves. So we wandered up and down backstairs and hallways, chanted in a resonant ancient cistern, and looked for vantage points to photograph the ubiquitous peacocks.
Jaipur has many attractions, including the ornate palace of the winds,
with what appear to be hundreds of latticed windows, behind which the
harem women watched the busy streets from concealment. We visited the
Tiger fort on our first evening, and celebrated Ge's almost 60th
birthday with a cake Margriet had magically arranged. The sunset from
this vantage point high over the city was magnificent, and for reasons
unknown, there was even a small fireworks display, against the
background of a waxing moon. The next day was given to a tour of the
Amber fort, an enormous, sprawling structure with some 17 miles (or
kilometers?) of walls and towers in the surrounding hills. The fort
itself is huge, and much is well preserved or restored. There is a
opportunity to ride elephants up to the fort, but none of us did that. I
might have, just for the experience, but I got the impression that the
elephants are ill-treated -- they look so sad to my untutored eye.
On the way to Bharatpur, we stopped at a nature preserve, where we took
bicycle rickshaws into the park. The drivers are sharp-eyed guides, with
extensive knowledge of the animals and birds. A lovely interlude with
views of hundreds of egrets and storks and an occasional kingfisher with
iridescent cobalt blue back and wings. We saw a few deer and a huge
animal the size of a horse our guide called an antelope. A couple of
times I thought I had spotted another antelope, but the guide
laconically said, "cow." Short on English, but he knew his territory.
That night we stayed again at one of the heritage hotels, which are
India's very smart way to preserve the palaces that no longer can be
maintained by the family heirs to the maharajas who built them. And the
next day we were off to the famous centerpiece of tours to India -- the Taj Mahal.
Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, has more, but the Taj really is beautiful, though I admit it could hardly come up to the hyperbole applied to this most famous of monuments. I had expected a certain delicacy in the inlay decorations of all the wall surfaces, and found instead a robust but elegant richness that has withstood the centuries and even the crudeness of an occasional thief. Maybe the incredible symmetry of the architecture and design has inspired a protective mood over all this time, even extending to the prohibition of ordinary vehicles in nearby streets; you must take a horse drawn rig or an electric car or bus from the parking area. If, that is, you can extract yourself from the horde of hawkers and touts whose persistence is deservedly legendary. The Taj is surrounded on three sides by a red sandstone battlement with towers and gates that rival the main structure for beauty, but entering the main gate brings you to gardens and the pure white vision of Shah Jehan's monument to love. We took so many pictures it might seem there was no time to look at the real thing, but we had enough time to do that too. Relaxing, in spite of a large number of other tourists. Surprising how easy and pleasant a place this is, with gardens and views of the river, and occasional sightings of our friends from the Djoser group.
We had lunch with the group, and then it was time for goodbyes, and the
three-part kisses the Dutch give to friends. They were/are a wonderful
bunch, and though the chances are slim, it's possible we will stay in touch with some of these new friends.
Back to Delhi. Our driver was named Raju, which is easier than most to
remember because so similar in pronunciation to my name. He was
excellent, careful and polite, and quick on the brakes (saving us one
time from a crazed tractor driver plunging across the road in front of
us). His suggestions for stops were perfect: a beautiful, peaceful
temple for Jai Guru Dev, cool and smooth; a lunch stop at the Rajasthan
midway, which had a shop, as do all the lunch stops on the main roads.
But this one had no pressure to buy, though it offered exquisitely
beautiful pieces, not to mention the best pakoras we'd had. And for our
final stop, Raju suggested the Chandrrapur temple on the way to the
Indira Ghandi airport. A huge complex, which we only sampled, but
beautiful beyond expectation. It had real people paying respects, and
few tourist gawkers other than the three of us. Even we came into a sort
of synchrony with the spiritual tenor of the place when we walked up the
grand stairs to a temple with magnificent silver idols of Durga,
Lakshmi, and Ganesha. We were impressed and I'd say enchanted, and our
meditative demeanor led the young priest to give us each a kind of
darshan blessing, with a spot of color for the third eye, a flower, and
a thread around our wrists. With that we continued on through the surges
of incredible traffic to Indira Ghandi International airport, very
early, but after a long and rich day. I'm now sitting in the departure lounge restaurant catching up a little,
because we must wait 'til midnight to enter the actual departure process for our 03:30 plane. Pleasant sounds of international travelers, including a sweet child's voice in the background. A Golden Eagle 750 ml beer in front of me. Quite a nice feeling altogether, with Lefty and Greg nearby, and two months of India circling and dancing in my mind.
Djoser Tour Description
Below are extracts from the Djoser website detailing the tour we would take. Though there are naturally some variations according to conditions, we did pretty much what is described in the plan.
Delhi to Bikaner
The journey starts in the capital of India: Delhi. After a short stay in this hectic capital city we will take the night train to Bikaner. After an early morning arrival in Bikaner, you will have the entire day to explore this impressive desert city that is situated along the old caravan route. The old part of the city is walled in. Contributing to its atmosphere are the colorfully dressed, proud Rajasthani, the many markets, temples and haveli's and the residences of the wealthy merchants. The main attraction of Bikaner is the Junagarh fort, with its almost one thousand yard long settlement wall, made of red sandstone. Right next to this fort lays our first small palace
for the night, an 18th century aristocratic haveli, formerly inhabited by a brother of the maharaja. From Bikaner you also have the opportunity to visit the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke, better known as the rat temple. If you are afraid of rats, since there are many dozens of these little holy
animals scurrying around here, then this temple may not be the best place for you to visit!
Bikaner, Jaisalmer
The drive from Bikaner to Jaisalmer leads directly through the Thar Desert. As you near Jaisalmer you see the city emerge from the desert like a mirage. Jaisalmer is one of the most impressive cities in India. Built on a rock in the middle of the desert, this is a city where past and present literally meet. Walking through the narrow streets of the fort you imagine yourself in a world where Rajputs and maharajas reign. In the old city you are once again back in the busy bustle of present day Indian life. The beautiful havelis in Jaisalmer, made from golden yellow sandstone and adorned with rich sculptures display the good taste of the traders that lived here. In addition, there are several old Jain temples that are well worth visiting. At the end of the day, a walk through the city when the setting sun bathes everything in a warm golden glow is unforgettable.
Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Luni
From Jaisalmer we continue our tour through Rajasthan to Jodhpur, the still busy trade city with the impressive Mehrangarh Fort. Jodhpur, like Jaisalmer, is historically seen as a center of trade. This city however has succeeded in keeping this function in modern-day India. Nowadays this city is, after Jaipur, the largest city in Rajasthan. In Jodhpur you can visit, besides the impressive Mehrangarh Fort, several temples and palaces. From the fort you have a nice view on the
blue quarter
, where the Brahmans live. In addition, the old city with the market recognizable by its clock tower definitely deserves a visit. Here you can satisfy all of your shopping desires at the many bazaars, including the Sadar Bazaar. In the many often tiny, dark shops and workplaces, the attractive Rajasthan handwork products are traditionally hand made. We don't spend the night in Jodhpur itself, but in Luni, located close by, where a 19th century fort offers us shelter. This fort, according to regional tradition entirely carved from red sandstone, with its many courtyards, water mills and complicated facades, and offers a welcome contrast to the busy cities.
Udaipur, Bambora, Bassi
On the way to Udaipur, we will make a stop at the colossal Jain Temple of Ranakpur. This 15th century temple counts an impressive 1444 beautifully sculptured columns. After a beautiful bus ride through a mountainous region we arrive in Udaipur:
City of the Sunrise, a city with a medieval feel situated around the
Pichola and the Fateh Sagar lakes. In Udaipur there is much to please
the eye; the old city with innumerable small streets, colorful markets
and shops and all kinds of temples draws attention, but also the
breathtaking City Palace and the fairy-tale like Lake Palace that is
built on an island in the middle of the lake. There is a nice view of
the city from the islands in Lake Pichola or Lake Fateh Sagar, which you
can reach by rowboat. Our accommodation also offers a magnificent view
of the city and the lake.� After our time in Udaipur we travel
northwards to the area of Chittorgarh where we spend the night in the
Bassi Fort. [The actual itinerary was changed, and instead we stayed at
Karni Fort in Bambora -- also spectacular.] This spectacular fort dating back to the 16th Century is beautifully located in the hills.�� �
Roopangarh, Jaipur
We continue our tour by way of the town of Kishangarh, where we make a
short stop on our way to the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur. Our
accommodation in the village of Roop is a former pleasure palace of the
maharaja.
Jaipur owes her nickname -- Pink City
to the fact that prior to the visit of a British prince the maharaja at the time ordered all houses and buildings in the city to be painted pink. In those days the color pink was considered to be the color of hospitality. In the heart of the city you find the royal palace, now a museum, and the well-preserved 18th century observatory. The Hawa Mahal, or the Palace of the Winds, with its 1000 richly decorated windows, is the most characteristic building of Jaipur. This building should definitely be on your list of sights to visit. You can make interesting excursions to the Amber Fort, situated about 6 1/2 miles outside of the city, or the more closely situated Nahagarh Fort. The night we spend in Jaipur can rightfully be called royal: here we stay in a former palace with a wonderful garden, swimming pool and a roof terrace with a view.� Those who wish can take an organized camel tour from outside of Jaipur.
Bharatpur, Agra, Delhi
From Jaipur we continue our tour to Agra, where you can find the famous Taj Mahal. Continuing on through Rajasthan we visit Bharatpur, where nature lovers can visit the Keoladeo Bird Reservation. This is a National Park where throughout the year more than 300 bird species can be viewed. Our accommodation here is a beautiful palace, with Mogul as well as Rajput influences. From Bharatpur and this last palace on our tour, we travel via Agra to Delhi and start the journey back home. Agra is the city with the world famous Taj Mahal: the mausoleum for Mumtaz, the wife of Mogul Ruler, Shah Jahan. A visit to this spectacular structure of India completes our tour. You will board the plane back to the United States with a trove of lasting impressions.
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