18-21 November 2015 - Udaipur staying at Jagat Niwas Palace, Pushkar at the Resort

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18-21 November 2015 - Udaipur staying at Jagat Niwas Palace, Pushkar at the Resort



After breakfast we drove to Udaipur (290kms). En route we visited the Jain temples of Ranakpur. There are 1444 pillars in the temple and none of them are the same. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed a smorgasbord curry lunch (as you do in India).



We arrived at about 4.30pm which was perfect timing for our boat ride on Lake Pichola in Udaipur at sunset. As we were driving into Udaipur, we could see that this was a different city to others we have visited so far. Ravi said this is his favourite city. It has several other lakes other than Lake Pichola.



The area is green and mountainous so we have certainly left the desert behind. Udaipur has a population around 400,000 people and was founded in1568 by Maharana Udai Singh 11 following the final sacking of Chittorgarh by the Mughal emperor Akbar. (hence Udai + pur which means 'city). It is surrounded by beautiful ochre and purple ridges of the wooded Aravalli Hills which makes the city even more attractive.



We saw there were a number of palaces, temples, havelis and countless narrow, colourful streets. Udaipur was labled "the most romantic spot on the continent of India" which was applied in 1829 by Col. James Tod, the East India Company's first political Agent in the region. Today the romance is wearing a little thin as Udaipur strains to exploit it for tourist rupees. In the part near the lake almost every building is a hotel. We saw many, many large tourist busses which are fascinating to watch them trying to weave their way through the narrow streets!!



The boat trip was beautiful and it got us away from the hustle and bustle of the streets. We admired the hotel island and we also stopped on one of the islands where there was a beautiful hotel and gardens. It would have been nice to stop for a Champaign or something, but time was against us.



The evening was another balmy one but we noticed it was slightly cooler than where we had come from.



After the boat trip, Ravi took us to our hotel which is a family home with 6 additional hotel rooms built down the slope. We had the large suite which had a separate lounge with many reading books, a dressing room and ensuite. The owners were very friendly and served us a lovely Indian dinner later that night. They offered us an icy cold beer on arrival which we agreed to with pleasure. The evening was a cardigan occasion!



The next morning Ravi drove us back into the city to visit the City Palace which was steeped in the history of the local Royal Family. Throughout the palace were decorations of mirrors, tiles and paintings and housed a large, varied collection of artifacts. The whole area was huge, including the Crystal Gallery and Durbar Glitz (a royal reception hall). In the central garden, major works were taking place to set up the area for a performance which was being staged in the next few days.



Some of the stories about the royals were horrific, including fatal poisoning, beheading babies as offerings etc etc.



After several hours, we made our way out of the City Palace walls to visit the Jagdish Temple. Reached by a steep, elephant-flanked flight of steps, this busy Indo-Aryan temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651. The carving on the whole structure was very detailed. In the main temple there were a dozen or so colourfully dressed ladies chanting to the beat of drums as people made offerings to the gods.



We then visited the Saheliyon Ki Bari, the beautiful, well maintained water gardens where the royals were entertained regularly during yesteryears. Outside these gardens were a ton of colourful food carts which we noticed everywhere. A large group of Indian tourists stopped us for yet another photo!!!!



It was then 2.00pm so Ravi took us to a beautiful lakeside restaurant where we enjoyed a mixed International and Indian lunch with a cold Kingfisher beer which is only sold in Rajasthan. We then returned to our hotel to get ready for our evening entertainment.



Ravi drove us in through the narrow streets and stopped because his car couldn't squeeze between the buildings, motorbikes, cattle and people. We then hopped into a tuktuk that Ravi negotiated 200 rupee for a return trip to the puppet show and folk dance at the Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal. He instructed us not to pay until the driver returned us to him after the show.



The ride was one of the hairiest we have experienced in a tuktuk. He was a good driver and had obviously ridden the track 100s of times. He missed the open drains on the left side, the 100s of other tuktuks and motorbikes on the left and right sides, overtaking many. I am sure we got there the fastest of anyone. Great fun.



We bought our tickets for the show and walked into an area that had several 100 seats. By the time the show started, they managed to squeeze triple the number of people in. With just over 1.2 billion people in the country and this being a popular time for Indians to take their holidays, there were many people to squeeze in.



The show didn't let us down. All was fast, colourful and the puppets were very different. The guy controlling the puppets had a little whistle in his mouth that he blew to the actions of the puppets. The most spectacular part of the show though was a middle-aged lady who did a dance with 11 water pots balanced on her head. She started with one and slowly built up to the 11 pots. She received the loud round of applause that she deserved.



We walked out of the show to find out tuktuk driver. He had given us the number on his tuktuk so that we could find him amongst the 10s of other tuktuks waiting for their passengers. We found each other and enjoyed the just-as-hairy trip back to Ravi. We paid him extra and returned to our hotel.



The next morning we departed for Pushkar (270kms). We drove for over 100 kms on a road that had been open for 1 month. Ravi didn't have to pay for 2 tolls as they were still trialing them. It was a change to have nice, smooth roads.



We stopped for lunch at about 1.30pm I have started to have fruit or a very light lunch and feel a lot better for it!



We arrived in Pushkar at about 2.30pm and Ravi had organized a local guide because he felt it would be easier for us as this was a special time in Pushkar. Come the month of Kartika, the eighth lunar month of the Hindu calendar and one of the holiest, The camel drivers spruce up their camels and start the long walk to Pushkar in time for the full moon. Each year around 200,000 people swell the usually quiet town of 14,000, bringing with them some 50,000 camels, horses and cattle. The place becomes an extraordinary swirl of colour, sound and movement, thronged with musicians, mystics, tourists, traders, animals, devotees (to Lord Brahma the creator) and camera crew. Trading of animals begins a week before the Fair begins. There was a breed of white horses with pink eyes which we could not find out the name of the breed but only that they were very valuable horses. We also found out that the camels from Jaisalmer were the most sort after as they were the best trained.



It was hard to imagine the town with only 14,000 people. We saw 100s of temporary tents and beds and sleeping mats in the open. Camel owners were cooking their Indian bread on little fires next to their camels. There were rows of temporary stalls which sold all the things we really don't need, in addition to brightly decorated bridles, saddles and spiky mouth pieces for horses. Our guide weaved us through all the different sections including where a big stage was being set up with musicians practicing with the mega sound system. The biggest day was in 5 days time when there was the full moon but celebrations go for a week.



We then visited the Brahma temple which is the only temple in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma - the creator). We placed our bags and camera in a locker outside the Temple then took our shoes off and entered the gates. We saw many memorial plaques on the marble walls where people have donated in memory of their loved ones- including someone from Melbourne!!! We heard the story of the Creator from our guide, including the need to take your wife down to the holy lake which was in the middle of the town.



This was our next stop, where Hindu pilgrims come to bathe in Pushkar's sacred waters. The religious event built in tandem with the camel fair in a wild, magical crescendo of incense, chanting and processions to dousing day, the last night of the fair, when 1000s of devotees wash away their sins and set candles afloat on the holy lake. We saw many entering the lake that evening.



Our guide introduced us to a priest who insisted on taking us through a spiritual session before we placed our purchased flowers into the lake which he told us was "good Karma" for our families. He then asked for a donation. No more to be said!



We then drove about 7 kms to the Pushkar resort, leaving our guide and the 'maddening crowd and noise' behind. It was an extraordinary experience and sights, well worth the visit at this special time for Hindus.



The Resort was vast, well equipped with great service. After a much needed shower and washing of some clothes and the dust from our shoes, we went to the central lawns for a cold beer, snacks and local entertainment. This was another much shorter puppet show and folk dancing. There was a medium sized Bunniks Tour group of Australians there who we chatted with….as well as many French people. There are certainly more French tourists than from any other country.



Our smorgasbord dinner was again yummy. We recommend Pushkar at this time of the year.



The next day, Saturday 21 November was a special day, as our daughter Kerrie's 38th birthday. We called her as soon as we woke as it is 4 1/2 hours difference in time. She, with her daughter Gemma and brother, Adam were on their way to lunch with dear friends of Kerries'. We hate missing family birthdays but this was one of those cases as we had originally planned to leave for 1 August rather than 9 November. It was lovely to talk to everyone.

After wishing Kerrie HAPPY BIRTHDAY, we got ready for breakfast and then left for Jaipur

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