Jaipur - The Pink City

I have been living in Noida for more than a year now and Jaipur is just five hours away from where I am. I'd visited the Pink City a couple of times during my college days and I vaguely knew what to expect from it. But it has been so long since then. Also, my memory has a way of failing me unless I categorically do something to salvage it. I thought it would be a shame not to go back to such an exotic city when I had the chance. 

So, we finally made it to Jaipur last month and ticked off all the items on our must-do list. The sky overcast, for the most part, did us a huge favor by shielding us from the ruthless sun and unwarned downpours. We started from Noida around 7 am and pulled into Jaipur a little after 1 pm on the 11th of August, 2018. Our stay was booked via MakeMyTrip at Jai Niwas Garden Hotel, a stone's throw away from the city center. The most cumbersome part of planning our trips is finding reliable pet-friendly accommodations that fit our budget. I say reliable because sometimes even those hotels that claim to be pet-friendly on Booking.com and Tripadvisor change their mind and give us a hard time checking in. To avoid any confusion, we usually cross-check with the reception before making any bookings. Jai Niwas sounded positive about us bringing Sammy along but they upgraded us to their sister concern called Arya Niwas, a night before the date of arrival. We wasted a lot of time at Arya Niwas because they weren't ready to board Sammy and Jai Niwas had to take us back in. It was a little disappointing because Jai Niwas had some construction work going on and that stole the vibe of the place. But after spending two nights there, I must admit that I have favorable reviews about the place - the rooms are spacious and clean, the breakfast is fresh and delicious, the service is impeccable and the staff makes you feel truly welcome.

City Palace, Hawa Mahal, and Jantar Mantar, three of the main attractions in Jaipur are situated next to each other and travelers are advised to cover them all in one go. By the time we arrived at the City Palace, it was half past three and it only made sense to spend the afternoon pottering about the majestic durbar halls and galleries filled with precious heirlooms weaving graphic narratives about the grandiose lifestyle of the royalty and their ingenious methods of combat. I am not so much into history; most of what I saw escaped my attention within minutes of leaving the premises. But I do know that the rulers of Jaipur were unbelievably huge, had hundreds of wives and paramours, donned back-breakingly heavy garments, devised inventive weapons of war, displayed exemplary courage on the battlefield and lived a life we can only imagine. Well, the fun part was (of course) clicking pictures of the magnificent facade and its little windows that had turned into pigeonholes. The intricate detailing in motifs from both Rajput and Mughal architectural styles is amusing to behold. The richly hued artworks observed throughout the historic old city were hand-painted by traditional artisans centuries ago using natural dyes and vegetable extracts. The inner courtyard known as Pritam Nivas Chowk has four themed gates dedicated to the four seasons of the year which make excellent backdrops for photographs. Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience) and Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Private Audience) are adorned with chandeliers and antiques belonging to the royal family. 

                      

Once outside the palace, we ambled along the street and photographed Hawa Mahal from across the road. Hawa Mahal or Wind Palace, an imposing structure with lattice windows looking out to the busy streets, was built to give the royal women some respite from the claustrophobic lives they led under the purdah system. It is one image that has been etched in my memory all these years. From the market opposite to Hawa Mahal, we bought a metal lantern with colorful glasswork that gives off all kinds of positive vibes once it is lit. It now sits coyly in our living room as an ode to the resplendent dreams of all those blue-blooded women tactfully hidden from the glare of society.

According to the locals, M.M. Khan serves the best chicken in Jaipur and there was no way we were going to miss it. After a round of Chicken Changezi and butter rotis that left us immensely gratified, we walked alongside the locals through the stringy bylanes and found ourselves in the middle of Johari Bazaar. Almost instinctively, we darted off to LMB or Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar - the iconic sweetmeat shop nestled in the midst of all the jewelry stores, colorful jhutis (leather footwear) and block-printed razais (blanket/quilt) invitingly stacked up to lure passersby.

Resuming our culinary escapade, we gorged on some Mawa Kachori and Khandvi, topping it off with a Kulhad Lassi. My eyes were unwittingly drawn to something rather exotic, almost resembling a beehive, deep-fried in large kahdais in a little corner of the shop. I was looking at a seasonal delicacy called Ghevar prepared exclusively on the occasion of Teej, a monsoon festival dedicated to Goddess Parvati and her union with Lord Shiva. Associated with conjugal bliss, Teej is widely celebrated by Hindu women, especially in the northern states of India and adjoining Nepal.

From the end of the street, we hailed a rickshaw to take us to the hotel. Back in the room, Sammy had made herself comfortable in her private quarters - a side-bed by the wall neatly partitioned with flimsy curtains. We fed and walked her around to accomplish the second most important task in her life - emptying the bowels. I also got to take a look at the insides of the backpackers' hostel called Jaipur Jantar run by the same hotel management. The hostel has a large courtyard embellished with broken pieces of blue pottery creating a mirage effect. I was impressed by the alluring decor of the place and its welcoming recreational spaces, but at the same time, a little disheartened that I didn't get to stay there. (Yes, you guessed that right, they aren't quite welcoming of pets.)

Before hitting the sack, we set out looking for the famous Lassiwala in Jaipur known for their thick and creamy concoctions that can give all the other Lassiwalas a run for their money. With the help of Google Maps, Azal found out that the original one is right opposite the Puma store on MI Road. So we walked past countless Lassiwalas that sprouted after the unmatched success of the first Lassiwala who has been creating quite a buzz since 1944. It was past ten in the night and there was just one shop open exactly where Azal had located it. I even confirmed with the shopkeeper if it was the original one before buying two glasses and gulping it down. Feeling smug afterward, we walked back to Jai Niwas, hand in hand.

We were up and about early the next morning as there was a lot planned for the day - Amer Fort,  Jal Mahal, Jaigarh Fort, Royal Cenotaphs, Lunch at Niros, Dinner at Handi and all the in-betweens. Jaigarh Fort and Royal Cenotaphs were covered in the composite ticket (Rs. 190) we had purchased at City palace the previous day. Amer Fort was about 11 km away from the hotel we stayed at and the other points of interest were along the way. Midway through the drive, we spotted Jal Mahal (Water Palace) floating at a distance on the still waters of Man Sagar Lake. Amer Fort was our first stop as it was the furthest and took the most amount of time. A guide hopped in from the side road leading to the fort and accompanied us throughout the tour, spilling nuggets of history as we explored the ancient capital of Amer. Panna Meena Ka Kund, a stepwell dating back to the 16th century, has found its way into many travel features in the recent times. We stopped to take a good look at it on our way to the fort. I loved how those symmetrical stairs led down to the water reservoir, almost forming illusory rings around it. Our guide took on the role of the official photographer for the day, instructing us exactly where to stand and how to pose.

We entered the fort through Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) opening out to Jaleb Chowk, with a drumbeat and all, as was customary during the reign of the Kachwaha Kings. They ruled out of Amer before Sawai Jai Singh II shifted base to Jaipur in 1727 and named the city after him. Elephant rides through the fort complex is still a major attraction especially for foreign tourists though it has attracted a lot of flak from animal lovers. Laid out on four levels with separate courtyards, the complex houses exquisitely designed palatial units such as Sheesh Mahal or Mirror Palace, Jai Mandir, Mughal Garden, Diwan-e-am and Diwan-e-Khas. We bought two tickets that allowed access to the palace, while our guide passed on the baton to his aide inside. He promised to meet us on our way out and persuaded us to exit through the one-way entry by cajoling the guards to let us go. It is only when he dropped us off at an art emporium where he obviously had connections, we realized that he had tricked us into skipping the actual museum inside the palace (for which we had paid) and brought us to a government-affiliated handicrafts store instead. However, we did get a live demo of the traditional block printing technique, miniature painting, and gemstone extraction and polishing - the key industries of Jaipur kept alive by the generous efforts of the government. Realizing that we'd been fooled, we played along and got a free palm reading at the jewelry section, conveniently skipping the sales talk that came afterward.

On our way back, we visited Jaigarh Fort and the royal cenotaphs. Connected to Amer fort by subterranean passages, Jaigarh was built primarily to protect the former. Both of them are situated on a forested hill in the Aravalli range overlooking Maota Lake in Amer. The world's largest cannon on wheels called 'Jaivana' manufactured within the fort precincts, is still on display at Jaigarh. From Jaigarh we headed to Maharaniyon ki Chatriyan (cenotaphs of the queens) and Gaitore ki Chatriyan (cenotaphs of the kings), situated roughly 2 km apart. These are exquisitely carved dome-shaped pavilions erected to commemorate the dead at their funeral site. I was amused to be where I was amidst all those archeological gems paying homage to an era that wouldn't settle for anything less than 'larger than life'. It was roughly 3pm when we headed back for lunch to Niros, the iconic restaurant established in 1949 that enjoys a huge fan following.

We paired fiery hot Lal Maas with an assortment of rotis (tandoor, bajra, makke, missi), and planned to polish it off with a shot of lassi from the Lassiwala across the road. (If you prefer to go vegetarian, you should totally try the Gatte ki Sabzi - it is the Rajasthani version of kahdi, loaded with spices and flavors). It was then that it dawned upon us - we had been duped the night before. The original Lassiwala who can be identified by the registered trademark symbol on a black metal signage (shop no. 312), closes shop by 4 pm (or when they run out of stock like on that day) while all the namesakes are open late into the night. We decided to come back the next morning for a taste of the real deal and settle for some malai ghevar in the meantime.

Later that evening, we took an evening tour of Albert Hall Museum, which three years ago, was opened to the public from 7 to 10 pm to encourage night tourism. The architectural finesse of the monument gets a facelift when the lights are turned on after sundown. Functioning as the State Museum of Rajasthan, Albert Hall is home to an awe-inspiring collection of antiques comprising of international pottery, sculptures, clay models, local textiles, military armaments, wooden furniture, and even a real Egyptian mummy. After the museum visit, we headed to Handi for dinner. It is another one of those must-visit places that smokes up rustic vibes and earthy notes to sizzle up your palate as the day draws to a close. Jungli Maas, Kheema Baati, Handi Chicken, Rumali Roti, and Fruit Cocktails - not a bad way to bid adieu to a city that's all about heritage.

Breakfast at Jai Niwas is a simple yet elegant affair. They bake their own bread and pair them with all-natural fruit preserves prepared in-house. I went all out for their banana bread, bruschetta and jams before venturing out to get hold of the elusive Lassiwala. Having tested various versions of lassi over the years, I must say that this one lives up to its name. Mildly frothy with just the right amount of sourness and a rich layer of malai (cream) on top, this one definitely beats all others in taste and form.

On our way back, we picked up a cute planter from Aurea - a quaint, little store on MI Road with a gorgeous collection of reasonably priced Jaipur blue pottery. We reached the hotel just in time for check-out and pulled out of the city's heart soon after. I couldn't stop myself from getting one of those floral razais as we brushed past Johari Bazaar for one last time. We briefly halted at the much-lauded Jaipur Blue Pottery Art Center near Amer to learn more about the craft and get a sneak-peek into their impressive galleries spread across two floors. They are a bit over-priced compared to Aurea but you can always negotiate a bargain price if you are buying in bulk.

So, that was our Jaipur trip - short, sweet and all things memorable.
PS: I also got a few hundred grams of loose Multani Mitti from the local kirana store as we finally exited the city :P