Since the time my cousin started studying in Rajasthan, I have been planning for Jaipur trip a couple of times . I would always plan it as a budget-solo-trip with having a place to stay at my cousin’s campus and get free food as well . I had to cancel each time much to her annoyance. I’m partly to be blamed because I was never attracted to Rajasthan except the desert in Jaisalmer. Just the picture of forts and palaces sounds boring to me. I’m more of a mountain person. I like hill stations and would never get tired of the cold weather. But I finally visted Jaipur and enjoyed every bit of my stay there.
We were four. A police guest house was allotted to us so you can imagine the kind of hospitality that we get. It was a different taste of luxury; a constable driven SUV, free entry to some places and bed tea served at 6 in the morning because some of us are early risers(not many guest houses would serve you tea at 6 in the morning).
Though the trip was not properly planned we managed to see all that is to be seen in Jaipur with Lonely Planet as our guide. From sight-seeing to eating out, shopping to driving route,we depended all on it and we call it the Jaipur Bible. Talking about food, its surprising to me that good mughlai food( read as mutton biryani, chicken curry) is available in the many restaurants that we went. It satisfied our tastebuds so much so that we crave for it when we reached Delhi. As I’m told Rajasthanis are mostly vegetarian, I could never associate Jaipur with good Mughlai food. It was a pleasant surprise. Namo, Jaigarh palace cafe and City Palace restaurant will keep you asking for more. For knick knacks, Jaipur has a lot to offer. You’ll get embroidered leather bags and jhootis from Jowari bazaar. Colourful kurtis are available in Bapu bazaar. The other items one can look out for is gems tones and block printed fabrics, for which Jaipur is also famous for.
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The forts of jaipur are not just to see. For the royal feel, we immersed ourselves in the spectacular view from atop the fort just as the king would have done in his days. What i liked most about these forts is that they are built on hilltops and surrounded by the Aravalis. Since childhood, the mention of Rajasthan would give us a picture of dry land with negligible vegetation or just deserts and camel. But all these appeared different as we could see greeneries in most parts of the city. It was monsoon and the sight of rain swept fresh leaves and shrubs were refreshing. Then comes a thought if i had visited Jaipur much earlier than i visited recently, History might have been one of my favourite subjects in school. But then the little knowledge is also not a waste. I can quite relate the palaces , stories of Rajput kings, the forts etc, to the various chapters that i used to memorize on exam eves. Every year we read in newspapers or even see foreigners flocking to Rajasthan. Many a times i had wondered ‘ why rajasthan, or for that matter Jaipur, of all the places to see?’. But now it is sure to make me say that a India tour would be incomplete without Jaipur.
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On the flipside, unexpected heavy rain played a spoilsport on the second day of our stay. Like any female who loves to shop, our trip wasn’t confined to only eating and seeing places. So we set out quickly after dusk to the market with the thought of spending just about an hour. Then it poured for almost two hours and we were stuck. No vehicles could move, let alone people. It was getting late and we were worried. None of the taxis agreed to take us. We were drenched in the rain and people wouldn’t stop staring at us because we look different from them. Of course we look like tourist and we were tourist but they had no idea we were Indian. Some offered to help in getting us taxis but we hesitated. We learned that one should never be too confident to venture out after dusk without a male company in a city that you know not much unless one wants to take risk. But this incident has made our trip memorable and often a point of laughter in our conversation.
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Do take home Sohan halwa from the famous LMB sweet located in Jowari bazaar.
And the pasta is ready
Serendipity 