Travel: DARSHAN @ AJMER DARGAH

Ajmer Dargah

Wiki says: Dargah Sharif or Ajmer Sharif is a sufi shrine of sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti located at Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. The shrine has the grave (Maqbara) of the revered saint, Moinuddin Chisti.

The top of the tower is made of Gold

Hotel Anuraag Villa organised an AC Ambassador car with a Sardarji driver for Venkat and Yours truly to go to Ajmer and Pushkar for a day.

Auto-rickshaw on narrow streets - hair raising experience

We had our breakfast at the hotel and left at around 9 am. The car set off at a steady pace and we travelled for about three and a half hours before reaching the city of Ajmer.

Walking to the Dargah. That's Venkat

The cab driver parked at a main part of the city near a Jain mandir (which was closed). An auto-wallah offered to take us to the Dargah which was about a kilometre away. The roads are too narrow after a point to accommodate a car. I wonder how the Bollywood actors manage to reach the Dargah. I am sure there is another route that we were not aware of. One must understand it’s all about packages and moneymaking in this place.

Chaddar, agarbatti, etc

The rate for the auto-wallah was fixed at Rs. 200 for taking us to a point where another guide would escort us to the Dargah (both inclusive). We had a hair-raising ride via the narrowest of streets that I have set my eyes on. The auto was quite wide and hence there was no chance of our elbows peeping out. But how that guy navigated the vehicle was a wonder indeed. He stopped at a point after 15 minutes or so and handed us over to our guide.

Inside the Dargah. The entrance is on the right where you can see people queuing up

The guide took us through even narrower streets with open drains raising a stink literally. We walked for over 5 minutes before reaching a flower shop. We were ordered (yes, that’s right) to leave our footwear behind and told (yes, not asked) to purchase a shawl, agarbatti and flowers. While they told us that purchasing a shawl for less than for Rs. 2000 could be the worst sin, we settled for one worth Rs. 300 plus the rest of the stuff and went along with him inside the Dargah.

The beautifully carved entrance. I wish I could read Urdu

The place was crowded to the hilt. The guide insisted on taking us to a guy with a long notebook. We sat down in front of him. He first blessed us with a bunch of peacock feathers; then asked for money – no less than Rs. 2000. This was not even an official counter. He was sitting on a corridor with a notebook (not a receipt book). When we insisted on paying only Rs. 500, he took the money but refused to even make an entry in the notebook. Hoping that the money reaches the needy, Venkat and I went along with the guide to take the darshan.

Venkat

There was a long but fast moving queue. We walked in, gave the pooja items to the man in charge at the Maqbara (Samadhi) of Sufi Saint Moinuddin Chishti. He blessed us and sent us on our way from a side door. While a few more people insisted that we give money, we ignored everyone before stepping out. We went on our knees on the side for a few seconds to pray. I have heard that all prayers are answered at this Dargah. I am sure our prayers will also come true.

That's Ajmer Fort in the far background up the hill

We walked around to see a small pond where people were washing their hands and feet. There was too much of a crowd so we gave that a miss. Then there was a huge pot about 10 feet tall where people gave offerings in kind. One needs to climb about 10 steps to check it out. I didn’t go up, but Venkat did. I could not take too many photographs as it was frowned upon.

Trays of flowers. Aren't they lovely!

On our way out, I asked our guide if he could take us through a main entrance. I was not too keen to walk the tiny street with drainage around. That’s when I realised that there was a main road leading to the shrine. We reached the auto faster than it took us to get to the Dargah. Now why would he have taken us by a roundabout dirty route? Only God knows.

Travel: HAWA MAHAL IS SIMPLY AMAZING

Hawa Mahal

From Birla Temple, the rickshawwala drove me to the old city of Jaipur known as Pink City which is where you will find Hawa Mahal.

In the compound; ticket counter is ahead on the right

As the name suggests, the palace had been constructed especially for the Queens of yonder to receive maximum breeze. Read on to find out how and why.

Entrance to the palace

I walked through the arched entrance to the ticket counter and paid Rs. 20 as entrance fees. I asked the guy at the counter if it was possible to get a guide. He said that I could at a charge of Rs. 100 for a tour that will last a bit more than half an hour.

The Royal Bath

I went in along with the guide who could speak comfortably in both Hindi and English. He insisted he knew French too. But since I don’t understand a word, I told him to stick to Hinglish. We entered an open courtyard with a large square tank with fountains. They kept switching on the fountains every five minutes or so. I believe the tank was used as a bath by the king and his queens.

The ramp that goes all the way up to the fifth floor

Hawa Mahal was built by Raja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. It has no less than 953 windows along the five-storey structure. For a minute there, I had a minor heart attack that I had committed myself to climb five floors as the staircase to the first level was quite steep. But lucky ole’ me! The way up was a ribbed ramp that could carry the Queens on a wheelchair all the way up. Poor slave women of those days!

The closed window looking out into the marketplace

The queens’ clothes used to weigh about 9 kg with jewelled embellishments. Over that, they used to wear a minimum of 6 kg jewellery. This totalled to about 15 kg making it impossible for them to walk around. On some days, the clothes and jewellery used to weigh up to 40 kg (eye-popping) - hence the wheelchairs and ramp.

Yours truly

The windows are built in such a fashion that it was convenient for the royal women to look out into the marketplace - it’s also a busy market today - while it is not possible for people to look within.

Along the ramp - the air changes temperature as it enters

Small rectangular holes are cut into the windows along the ramp. These are shaped in such a fashion that the outside rectangle is small while the inside one is large. The air passing through changes temperature. It gets cooled in summer while gets a chance to warm up during winters. Ingenious!

One of the upper floors

The Hawa Mahal is built of limestone, incorporating both Hindu & Mughal architecture as was the norm in those days. It's painted the same colour as the Pink City. It has been designed in the form of Lord Krishna’s crown or so says Wikipedia. It does look like a crown.

View from the top

I walked up to the fifth level. This is known as Chandni Chowk. Yeah, the forerunner to the many Chandni Chowks of North India. On Poornima (full-moon) nights, live musicals and dance programmes were held in this open space. The king used to party along with his queens in a true royal fashion.

Chandni Chowk - this is where the musicians played for the royalty

I climbed the last narrow batch of stairs to get to the topmost level to get a panoramic view of the city. It was amazing. I also got a couple of clicks. I will not say much about climbing down those stairs - just a dozen of them - it was hair-raising to say the least as my eyesight is not the best. But I am glad I made the full trip.

A view of Chandni Chowk on the fifth floor from above

They had an environmental friendly way of keeping termite away those days. A mixed paste of yoghurt and fenugreek seeds was applied to the walls. This kept all insects away. I was zapped!

This the balcony from which people could watch the live programmes below in Chandni Chowk

We came down the same ramp but got out of another door to the left of the fountain. When I gave the guide Rs. 100, he told me that I owed him Rs. 200. Huh! Lucky for me I had checked at the ticket counter in advance. I told him just that and gave him exactly Rs. 100.

A view of the old city

Loved the trip to the breezy Hawa Mahal!

Travel: DARSHAN @ BIRLA TEMPLE, JAIPUR

Birla Temple, Jaipur

Wiki says: Birla Temple is at the foot of Moti Dungri fort. This temple forms one of the major attractions of Jaipur. Birla Temple of Jaipur looks stunning, when it is brightly lit in the night. The enormous temple was built during the year 1988, by Birla Group of Industries. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Narayan), the preserver and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. It is also known as Laxmi Narayan Temple. Birla Mandir is constructed in the finest quality of white marble. 

Ganesh Temple @ Moti Dungri Fort; the stairs in the front lead to Birla Mandir

The three huge domes of the temple represent three different approaches to the religion. Stained glass windows depict the scenes from Hindu scriptures. Ganesh the protector of households, is above the lintel. Many of the deities of the Hindu pantheon are depicted inside the temple, and on the outside walls great historical personages and figures from all religions are shown, including Socrates, Zarathustra, Christ, Buddha and Confucius. 

While walking up the gentle slope to the temple, I turned around and clicked this picture. The temple is behind me

The Laxmi Narayan Mandir is a modern architectural marvel, surrounded by lush green gardens. The fascinating exteriors of the temple are carved splendidly with beautiful sculptures based on mythological themes, while the interiors have a large marble panel portraying mythological events.

A peep at the temple through the lush greenery

I took a rickshaw from Hotel Anuraag Villa to take a half-day tour of a few places in Jaipur all by myself. I enjoyed the ride as we went to Birla Temple first.

Birla Mandir, Jaipur

What caught my eye when I reached the area was an ancient structure that sat atop a hill to the left of Birla Mandir. I believed it was probably the original Laxmi Narayan Temple as the ancient tower on the hill looked similar to Birla Mandir’s tower. I later got to know on Google that its call Moti Dungri Fort with a Ganesh Mandir there.

It was a hot and bright walk to the temple

On the right, Birla Mandir sat majestically on top of a hillock. I climbed up a set of wide stairs and walked on a gentle slope before reaching the temple. Leaving my slippers at the counter on the left, I entered the prakaar that was fully done up in white marble. It was a beautiful structure while photography was allowed only from the outside. Luckily, the floor had not heated up too much despite the hot weather.

Another angle to Moti Dungri Fort

I walked into the sanctorum that has 15-foot tall idols of Narayan and Laxmi that were clothed in red. They were beautiful. I went and sat in the large hall that was not too crowded and prayed for a while. It was so peaceful there. Then I got up to check out the stained glass paintings of various Gods and Goddesses – Lord Ganesha, Lord Karthikeya, Lord Krishna, Goddess Saraswathi and others. I walked out and thought of perambulating the shrine. But the marble floor was too hot to walk around barefoot. Not having much of a choice, I hung around for a few more minutes in the cool area and left the temple.

Birla Temple entrance and Moti Dungri Fort in the same frame

I walked around the garden for a few minutes before going down another set of staircase and left the place happy after a lovely darshan.

Travel: STAY @ HOTEL ANURAAG VILLA, JAIPUR

The Entrance. Pic courtesy: Om Sharma (I had forgotten to click a shot)

Trip Advisor had the largest volume of 4-star ratings for Hotel Anuraag Villa when I checked the website for booking a room. I didn’t think twice before contacting them for an AC Double Room for our stay during our visit to Jaipur. Mr. Om Sharma responded immediately and gave us a good rate. They also offered to pick us up from the airport at a cost.

The hall beside the reception which also doubles as dining room

A tourist taxi - Toyota Innova - was waiting for us at the airport and the driver contacted us even before we collected our luggage. We reached Hotel Anuraag Villa in half an hour as it’s situated about 16 km from Jaipur airport. The hotel itself is in the heart of Jaipur is what the driver told us. We realised that it was true as there were a couple of session’s courts and the Mayor’s office nearby. We could reach anywhere in the city within half an hour to 45 minutes.

Our room - very comfy

We entered a quaint compound in the residential area and were greeted by Om Sharma and Pawan at the reception. We were allotted Room 203 on the first floor. Yeah, the numbering is done American-style with the ground floor treated as the first floor. The hotel has 20 rooms and just about four of them were occupied as it was off season.

The bathroom

We went up to the room to refresh and came down to order lunch. The menu is quite simple - vegetarian dishes with a couple of egg dishes thrown in. It leaned more towards Rajasthani food with some Chinese dishes and sandwiches added.

Painted ceiling in the room - just loved it

The rotis, mixed sabzi and pulao that we ordered were delicious while being non-spicy. They have a Bengali cook who’s been working with them since six years. Venkat made it a point to call him to our table and congratulate him. The reason for making non-spicy food was because they get more foreign guests than Indians.

The garden

The coffee they served in the room in the mornings and the aloo parathas for breakfast were both yummy. The cost of food was also very reasonable. We usually go hunting for restaurants in a new place. But we had most of our meals in the hotel itself as it was so good.

They don’t have a restaurant per se - just three tables laid out against one wall of a large hall that has comfy sofas. There’s a small but lovely garden that was so green and cool. There’s a lawn with a few trees on it. There was an idol of Lord Buddha in meditation, adding to the serene atmosphere. They serve candle-light dinners in the garden.

The kitchen off the garden

Peacocks and Peahens come and go as they please in the hotel’s garden. I believe there are at least 20 of them and they roam around the area. The hotel keeps a large pottery bowl with grains and another with water for these birds. They turn up around 6 pm in the evening and hang around till they are comfortable. They are a sight to behold - peacocks in the open. Simply gorgeous!

Lord Buddha deep in meditation

The room was quite big and comfortable with an equally big bathroom. The AC was in excellent condition with a huge four-poster bed taking up a major chunk of the room. There was a glass-topped side table with two comfortable chairs; a dressing table and a side table. Of course, there was a TV while the channels matched ours at home as they had a hathway cable connection too.

Peacock walking through the garden

What I liked best was their Wi-Fi connection. It was powerful whether we were in our room or the garden and was on 24/7.

At the entrance

There were two young men who served in the rooms - one during the day and the other at night. They were both well-mannered and courteous and always ready to please.

Pawan & Om Sharma at the reception

The staff were very helpful when we needed transport for the various trips out - be it car or rickshaw. The rates were also quite reasonable.

Isn't that lovely!

I must say that we had an extremely enjoyable stay at Hotel Anuraag Villa during our trip to Jaipur. Comfortable room, excellent service, yummy food and 24-hour internet - what more can a guest want?

Travel: A TRIP TO JAL MAHAL OR WATER PALACE

Wiki says: The Man Sagar Lake, situated to the north of Jaipur city lies between Amer, the historic city and Jaipur, the provincial headquarters of Rajasthan. It is enclosed by the Aravalli hills on the north, west and eastern sides, while the southern side consists of plains that are intensely inhabited. There is the Nahargarh Fort in the hills that provides a commanding view of the Man Sagar Lake and Jal Mahal, in addition to a beautiful view of the city of Jaipur. 

Man Sagar Lake with the hills in the background

The Jal Mahal is considered an architectural beauty built in the Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture providing a picturesque view of the lake and the surrounding Nahargarh (abode of the tigers) hills. The palace, built in red sandstone, is a five-storied building out of which four floors remain under water when the lake is full and only the top floor is exposed. The rectangular Chhatri on the roof is of the Bengal type. The chhatris on the four corners are octagonal. On the terrace of the palace, a garden had been built with arched passages. 

Aravalli Hills & Man Sagar Lake

There was a time when it was possible to visit Jal Mahal by taking a boat ride to the premises. But recently, the property has been purchased by a hotel chain and is not accessible to the public. They plan to restore it extensively before turning it into a 5-star hotel. I just got to stand beside the railings and take a few photographs of the Man Sagar Lake and structures that were in the water.

Storks waiting patiently to catch fish

What fascinated me were some storks that were standing near one of the structures. I first presumed they were statues as none of them had moved in the five minutes that I had been standing there. Suddenly, I saw a stork take off from the roof and then a couple of them turned their heads. That’s when I realised they were all live birds. It was amazing how they stood patiently in the water on one leg, waiting to catch fish. It was a peaceful sight indeed.

After enjoying the cool breeze for a few more moments, I left the area as there was no place to visit actually.

Travel: JAIPUR OLD CITY known as PINK CITY

Bang opposite the entrance to Hawa Mahal

Wiki says: Jaipur is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan in Northern India. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, after whom the city has been named. Jaipur is known as the Pink City of India. 

From Rajasthan India Travel: The Pink City, as Jaipur is popularly known, was not always pink. Its main thoroughfares and buildings were originally painted an earthy pink in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales in 1876. It all came about due to the fact that it was thought that the glaring white starkness of its buildings would be too bright for the visiting prince. Today, every home within the old city is obliged by law to maintain this facade. This amazingly symmetrical and thoroughly proportioned city came into existence as early as 1727 being the only city in India which was conceptualized and conceived on such a grand scale.

Well, I thought Jaipur was called the Pink City as Pink Marble had been extensively used to build the city. I was thoroughly disappointed when my hi-funda notions were put to naught as the guide explained that the buildings were originally built of limestone and used to be white in colour. They were painted pink in honour of the Prince of Wales visit in 1876.

From then on, the pink colour has been maintained in the old part of Jaipur. All the buildings consisting of offices, residences, shops, mosques, temples or whatever, are painted the exact same shade of ghastly pink. Moreover, it’s a law that the pink colour be maintained throughout. Imagine!

Hawa Mahal entrance

Hawa Mahal is also situated in Pink City and is painted the same shade of pink. The queens, I am sure, are rejoicing in the other world, thanking their lucky stars that they never had to live in the Pink City as Jaipur was quite white in yonder days. The Palace itself is awesome.

I shot these pics from inside a moving auto

So much for my wild imagination! It was an experience of sorts.