Nov 20th-21st
So we get to Jaipur in a piddly little bus which crammed around 100 people on it and the seat upon which i was sat had become unattached to the floor so as you can imagine, at every pothole and bump in the road- of which there were many- i went flying in the air! Hilarious the first time and thereafter to my fellow travellers but bloody irritating within no time. So i squished upto another friend and we had a close ride to Jaipur.
We checked into Jaipur Inn, a family-run place set up by a retired Wing commander of the Indian Air Force. It was located in the heart of the Pink City, a stone's throw from the main City centre. It was a very reasonable and comfortable place to stay with a garden ambience, roof-top lounge and really spacious rooms. The relaxed atmosphere in the hotel was perfect as we were all beginning to get quite tired at this point of all the travelling by public transport and staying in some, not all, questionable places. I had already been to Jaipur a few years back and so was not too fussed about seeing the main attractions. I spent much of my time relaxing, taking leisurely walks, eating ice-cream and retreating from the Indian heat which we were beginning to feel having headed out of arid, desert land and being exposed to pollution, masses of people and noise again.
The first day was spent taking an orientation walk around the city. After independence, Jaipur became the administrative and commercial capital of what was known as Rajputana. Its founder, Maharaja Sawai Jai Sing II was a talented politician, mathematician and astronomer. He ascended the throne at 13 representing the Kachchwaha Rajputs, a clan who enjoyed much prosperity and power as a result of their fortunate alliance with the Mughal emperors. In fact, emperor Aurangzeb- the most radical and brutal emperor of them all- who was a fanatically pious Muslim- despite the fact that Jai singh was a Hindu prince- named him Sawai, meaning "one and a quarter", for his larger than life intellect and wit. Having proved his abilities as a military tactician for Aurangzeb, Jai Singh felt it safe to move his capital to a dry lake in the valley below. Jaipur was the first city in india to enjoy rigorous town planning accordingto the principles laid down in Shilpa Shastra- an ancient Indian philosophy on architecture. the city is thus protected by high walls, and divided into nine sectors. Each sector was named after the commodity and caste who lived and practiced their specific skills here. This was a total revolution for an Indian city. However, having walked around the city for many hours on the first night and having no luck navigating the map i was using, the overall significance of these historic divisions is today no more when one tries to negotiate the chaos of the filth strewn streets and pushy traders. This was the first city where i lost my cool on many an occasion with shopkeepers and their hard-selling workers. I understand the extent of their competition and subsequent desperation to sell, as for miles and miles people are selling the same wares, but DONT TOUCH ME. The minute anybody steps into my personal space, that. is. it. You have been warned! Thus despite the romantic nickname "pink city", Jaipur is not one of Rajasthan's more attractive cities.
Apparently it was called the pink city because pink is the traditional colour of hospitality, and the city was freshly painted and paved with pink gravel to warmly welcome Edward VII for his visit to the city in 1876 (just in case it's not blindingly obvious, this is the reason spread by the "Britishers" in the Raj era). there are many other reasons for its nickname.
So i spent the 2days I had here just exploring the city by foot, finding a mcdonalds and indulging in lots and lots of ice-cream. And i'm not ashamed in admitting this may I add- there comes a point when one gets fed up of hugely rich and badly made food, esp. when things like salad, paneer and meat aren't allowed on the menu. In my defence, McDonald's in India is like nowhere else i've been with McAlooTikis and PaneerWraps on the menu to suit the Indian palette. And it's cheap as chips- quite literally!
I had previously seen the magnanimous Amber Fort so opted out of that roadtrip. Havin received sad news that my grandmother was admitted to hospital in London, I also wasn't quite in the mood to expend much energy.
