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Published: January 18th 2008
Mehrangarh fort, Jodhpur Rajastan
imposing exteriors of the 15th century kind!Delhi’s infamous fog, delayed flights and dropping temperatures were the highlights of our trip to destination - Rajasthan. With the fog and the smog playing spoilsport, we weary travelers were left at the mercy of the weather gods who were not smiling or shining upon us. A gamut of emotions ranging from anxiety to helplessness culminated in despair as we were informed by the airlines that our connection to Jodhpur was cancelled for the day and “any inconveniences were deeply regretted”. Our flight was not the only one and scenes of histrionics erupted amidst the chaos that was the departure lounge of Delhi’s IGI airport.
We made it to Jodhpur by road after a marathon twelve hour journey to Khimsar fort, our retreat for the next few days. The falling Hg (Mercury) did little to ease us into the new environment. Memories of an earlier visit to Rajasthan as a child stemmed from sun drenched days and muggy nights, a sharp antithesis to our present predicament and to top it all the management at Khimsar had our breakfasts planned in the open and our dinners outdoors! An elaborate dance performance with local Rajastani folk music kept us entertained in the
Khimsar fort, Rajastan
view of ruins of Khimsar. The khimsar fort hotel resort has been developed and includes this property otherwise desert cold. However, I must add that the sand dunes at Khimsar were new and man made and the idea was definitely a novel one!
“Jodhpur is known as the Sun City, Udaipur is the lack (Lake) City, Jaipur is the Pink City and Jaisalmer is the Golden City”, our guide rattled off. We were on the premises of the fifteenth century old Mehrangarh fort and the view from the terrace was spectacular. An elevator brought us to the viewing deck which offered a panoramic view of the entire city. Most homes in the old city area were painted blue, giving Jodhpur an added nickname of the ‘Blue City’. In the far distance the silhouette of Umaid Bhavan stood tall. Our guide continued to dole out vital statistics about the fort, whose construction was started during the reign of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur city. Its impermeable walls seemed invincible and at a height of 125m, the structure had a formidable design and bore characteristics similar to forts of Jaipur and neighboring Udaipur. The walls overlooking its numerous courtyards were made of red sandstone and had highly intricate carvings. The coronation ceremony usually took place in courtyards
near Khimsar, Rajastan
local women at a cottage industry that were flanked on ether side by jharokas (windows) which enabled the female folk to view the ceremony discretely while guarding their own privacy. And then there was the royal armor on display, the collection of howdahs( royal carrier mounted atop lead elephant), the palanquins and royal cradles for the male heir apparent. Mehrangarh fort was by far well preserved and its interiors replete with displays of its royal collection. Unlike Jaipur’s Sheesh Mahal whose walls are now bare, the Sheesh Mahal has all its glass pieces intact resplendent in its old glory.
From Mehrangarh our next hop was the Umaid Bhavan palace - which was nothing short of ‘opulence personified’. The latest and last addition to India’s regal heritage nestled amidst sprawling acres of manicured gardens, the palace has to be experienced to truly understand the life and style of the Jodhpur royals. The present ruler is Maharaja Gaj Singh, grandson of Maharaja Umaid Singh whose brainchild was the golden sandstone monument completed in 1943 just four years before India’s independence. A part of the premises house the museum which is open to the public and is extremely well maintained and contains precious memorabilia on display. The Umaid
dunes at Khimsar
sunset at the dunes is on every tourists itinerary Bhavan palace hotel is located in another wing and the rest of the palace is occupied by the royal family. Umaid Bhavan made it to the glitterati magazines as the site of Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar’s ‘big fat Indian wedding’!
The state of Rajasthan has done well to market itself and credit goes to its tourism department. With a good number of forts and palaces, sand dunes at Jaisalmer and a wildlife sanctuary in Ranthambore, it has all the right ingredients in the recipe for a wholesome family vacation, from an educational tour for the history buffs to an indulgent ethnic shopping opportunity for the ladies of the family; the possibilities are aplenty.
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