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Blogs from Kumbalgarh, Rajasthan, India, Asia
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February 15th 2013
In Rajasthan, if somewhere has a ‘pur’ in it, it’s a city – Jaipur is the city founded in 1727 by Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II, Udaipur is the city of Maharana Udai Singh II (1559), Jodhpur is the city of Rao Jodha (1459). Get the idea? However, if a place has ‘garh’ in it, it has a fort – for example, Roopangarh’s fortress was built by Maharajah Roop Singh, who was from Kishangarh – the fortress city of the Jodhpur prince Kishan Singh. It was Kumbalgarh to which our journey would take us today on our way from Udaipur to Ranakpur. I’d been here once before, with my wife some 16 years ago, and its immensity was every bit as dramatic today as it was then. This fantastic, well-preserved and partly-restored fort, a truly formidable ... read more
March 12th 2012
07.00 Hours Sunday 11 March Paco and Antonia arrive outside the Kesar Palace and a few minutes later the car arrives and we are on our way. It’s a 2.5 hour drive to the first stop which is Kumbhalgarh Fort. The road is not the best but if we want to see the fort and the Jain temple at Ranakpur then a long day by car is the only. I brought some nankeen (a sort of savoury stick) and we share it as we go. We arrive at the fort and spend the next 3 hours wandering about. After that the driver heads towards Ranakpur, we stop some 20 kilometers before and have a good if overpriced buffet lunch. (It was 6 quid each ) We then set off for Ranakpur. Again we spend a couple ... read more
September 23rd 2010
We left Udaipur on a small little bus that shook and strained its way to the Jain temple at Ranakpur. When we departed there were several seats still available, half way there and they were all taken, along with all the standing room. I had given up my seat so spent the rest of the journey attempting to stay upright. Every time the bus lurched into a curve the group of us who were standing did our best to brace ourselves and lean into the corner. Whenever the bus unexpectedly braked we would all surge towards the front, before being forced to the back seconds later when the driver accelerated. I could have sat down at any point in the journey as all the passengers, including the old and infirm, pregnant and disabled, tried at ... read more
July 12th 2010
I always wanted to experience Udaipur and its palaces. Finally sometime last October made a plan with my family to Kumbhalgarh...a very much untouched place. Its most famous for its Fort which streches across 36 kms of the Aravali Mountains and 1100m above sea level. The wall is 2nd biggest wall in the world after The Great Wall of China ( am sure most of us dint knew this ). Well we started this journey by taking a flight to Udaipur..which is 2 hours drive from Kumbhalgarh. We had booked our stay in the Club Mahindra Kumbhalgarh resort. As always I love taking snaps of sky while I fly. Loved the drive from Udaipur airport to the resort. We drive by the so called Aravali Mountains. The resort was amazing one. Not as big as the ... read more
January 29th 2010
Shreya & I visited Rajasthan for our 2nd anniversary extended weekend. We drove to Ranakpur via Udaipur first. It took us 5.5 hours to reach Ranakpur Jain Temple. The roads are in great condition except last 30kms of single lane road. There was some really bad landslide last week in this area, and one side of the road was blocked causing us to take detours. Ranakpur is located in Pali district near Sadri village. Its very famous Jain Temple was constructed in 14th century by one of the minister of erstwhile ruler of Mewar Rana Kumbha. The temple is truly a flawless piece of architecture. It is a four-faced temple with 1444 marble pillars and 3 floors. If you are planning to visit the Jain Temple, please keep in mind that before 12pm, it is closed ... read more
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March 21st 2008
Something is wrong and you know you are in trouble! Your stomach begins to ache and you feel like your bowls are going to explode. A bubble of air escapes between your cheeks filling the car with death. You beg the driver to stop while you leap from the vehicle and run towards the nearest bush. In a blind panic your shorts hit the dusty ground leaving you completely exposed. You assume the Indian crouching position and pray for the pain to stop. With one final breath you hold your stomach and let loose. Sweat pours down your face as you wonder how it has come to this. For a brief moment it suddenly dawns upon you - you were poisoned by the big spoon! On our last evening in Kumbalgarh the hotel provided us with ... read more
March 19th 2008
Trusting Gino we drove heigh into the Rajasthan mountains. Although we had no idea where he was taking us we were relieved to leave the cities and mayhem behind. The landscapes dramitically changed from the dusty desert into green farms and mud huts. Little streams flowed through the small communitites while farmers used wooden mills to divert water towards their crops. Children played in the lush green farms without a care in the world while people would often point and stare at the white man passing through their land. As Gino pulled over so I could take a few photos we soon got dragged into a random house by the local children. The children and their family were extremly poor. They had few clothes and posessions, yet they still offered us food and drink. I was ... read more
