Bundi: hidden treasure

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While Bundi town lacked the charm we were expecting, the seventeenth century palace exceeded expectations. For a mere hundred rupees each (about £1) we were able to wander round virtually on our own. The palace was deserted for over forty years, during which time it fell into disrepair and was quite heavily vandalised, with visitors scratching their names into the delicate murals and stealing many of the fittings. There has been little attempt at renovation so far, though we were told that an English student from UL had spent the last year researching what materials the murals were painted in and how best to restore them. The building itself is severe from the outside, with high blank walls topped with battlements and just a few small balconies and windows. But inside, there are spacious halls and courtyards with delicate carving and, above all, beautiful murals. The best were in a small room which was locked, but was opened up for us because, as the guard explained, we looked as if were cultured and interested in the art and we weren’t taking flash photos which is forbidden. There was one large mural painted for the visit of Queen Mary following the Delhi durbar of 1911, and there were scenes of royal processions, soldiers and gods, some done by Chinese artists and some by Mongolians, as well as by Indian artists. Out of the main gate we turned left to ascend another steep incline to a further small palace, also lavishly decorated with intricately drawn murals in beautiful shades of blue and green, again largely themed around Lord Krishna and Bundi history in the middle ages and early modern era.

Having toiled with difficulty up the long steep ramp to get to the palace, we decided against carrying on up to the fort. That involved a full 30 minutes of climbing uphill, not ideal for David as he awaits his knee replacement! In case we needed any further deterrent, it was over 30C in the blazing sun, and the people who were planning the climb had all been equipped with stout sticks to fend off the very aggressive macaque monkeys that patrol the route. Instead, we went in search of the town museum, but it was closed, although a couple of locals tried to tell us it was open if we paid them a special fee. Instead, we adjourned for lunch at a local cafe recommended by our hotel owner. We ordered a thali each, as did the other 2 Brits who were also sitting in the one shady area of the garden. He was a former lecturer who had just spent two weeks examining the temples of Khajurahao. We hoped his wife must have been interested too! The thali must have been very freshly cooked, as it took over half an hour to arrive. But it was good when it came.

In the afternoon, we went to see one of the many step wells Bundi has. This one was particularly impressive, with an ornate entrance leading to 60 feet of steps down, then a further 100 foot depth in the well itself. We were told elsewhere that you need to go about sixty feet deep today to get a reliable water supply.

In the early evening we went up to the hotel roof terrace to take some photos, and were surprised to be invited to watch a cookery demonstration. One of the other guests was travelling with Wild Frontiers who had included this in her package, and the manager kindly offered us the chance to join in. We adjourned to the tiny rooftop kitchen, no more than 6 feet wide by 15 feet long, sparsely equipped with a fridge, some shelves, a sink, worktop, four ring gas burner and a single gas burner. This is where they cook for up to 18 guests each night! First, the mother of the family who run the hotel showed us how to make Indian chai, using equal measures of water and milk. She boiled up the water with several spoonfuls of black tea, some sugar and crushed ginger. After 4 minutes she added the milk for a further 4 minutes then strained it. It was delicious – much less sweet than the usual. Next up was chick pea raita, with chick pea flour mixed to a paste and squeezed through a broad sieve into hot oil to cook into tiny balls. After that, mother supervised her son making potato and cauliflower pakoras, and finally she showed us how to make chappatis. By the time we had sampled everything, we were quite grateful that dinner was not for another hour or so.



Dinner on the rooftop terrace afforded a stunning view of the palace. Bundi Vilas is the only hotel that physically abuts the inner defensive wall of the palace, and you can look straight up at the building towering overhead, with bats flying out just as the sun sets, and monkeys scampering along the ramparts. Mind you, the hotel staff are less amused when the monkeys venture into the hotel, and keep a big stick and an air rifle to chase them off and worse if needs be. There was even a firework display somewhere else in town to keep us entertained.

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