Touring the Pink City of Jaipur

October 28, 2022 0 By admin

This summer, I spent three weeks in India and Nepal; and as a bonus, I convinced my good friend Danielle to join me. Here’s the experience…

Arriving to Jaipur

After Delhi, we continued our tour to Jaipur, the Pink City. After leaving the central city of Delhi, we saw the tall corporate office buildings along the highway. The highway opened to even more lanes while cars and cargo trucks continued to honk and weave their way through.

The drive was about five hours, so we stopped at a roadside food court about halfway for samosas, masala dosas and coffee.

Next, the drive continued into the country farm and cattle land between the metropolises. Shepherds herded their flocks to the graze and back. Just like mules in Mexico, we spotted camels used as pack animals.

In Jaipur, we stayed at the Hotel Utsav Niwas. Our third floor room overlooked an inner courtyard. And, once we figured it out, the room had great AC.

A Walk Through the Bapu Bazar

We started our tour of Jaipur in the historic city center and main market square. The group stood outside the main gate of the city center. As CP, our guide, was sharing with us about the city, vendors and bystanders stared at our group of foreigners. We certainly stuck out with our different looks with our hair, skin and clothing. We had noticed how few tourists we saw; between Covid, the heat of July, and monsoon season.

Our group walked down the busy boulevard. Motorbikes, tuk tuks, cars, horse drawn carts and bikes honked their way down the road, weaving in and out of the lanes. Hundreds of small storefronts lined these streets; each with its own specific item. There were shops for making keys and sharpening knives; shops that sold clocks, lamps, and housewares; and, one that just arranged wedding bands. Several stores sold dry grains, pastas and spices in huge sacks of corn, lentils, millet, sorghum, ramon, noodles, coriander, pepper cumin, fennel, whole red chilis, nutmeg, paprika, turmeric, and black rock salt.

Between the stores and the street, other vendors set themselves up on push carts, tables and tarps on the ground, selling a single type of produce, or packets of tobacco. Others peddled with food carts, prepared omelets, fried roti, served chai and lassi, and sold carefully stacked piles of plums, cherries, oranges and mangos. Shoppers filled the street in a variety of clothing styles. Women dressed in hijabs, sarees and western jeans while men wore both tunics or pants.

Cows dozed on the walkway or meandered across the road through the busy traffic. For Hindus, cows are sacred as they represent deities and mother earth. Throughout our travels through India, we would never once find beef on the menu; here the cows are king.

At the busy roundabout, we climbed the steps to the second level. A pair of bold elephant statues guarded the entrance, while aggressive monkeys swung from the roof. The roundabout was busy and seemingly chaotic although through all the honking and weaving, no accidents occured.

We ended the evening with dinner and sunset at the Dagla rooftop restaurant. The 360 view shows the market below and the Amber Font in the distance from which the mosque’s speakers sounded the call to prayer. At dinner, we celebrated my birthday with a cake and a happy birthday song. I sipped a sweet “Jaipur Rain” with light and dark rums and fruity juice. Danielle and I shared crispy potatoes with a tangy honey chili sauce, a dish with mutton and as always, a garlic naan. It was a great day.

Bike Trip Around Jaipur

The alarm sounded at 4:40am for a morning biking excursion around Jaipur, before the heat and busy streets. I adjusted the seat, fitted my helmet and took a practice lap just as the sun was rising.

Our first stop was just around the corner at the edge of the market. Bales of grass and leaves sat on the corner for the cows. We fed the cows until they were full and lost interest. CP explained these cows are a mix of family-owned and strays. People stop and feed the wandering beasts as an act of faith. There seemed to be many happy cows around Jaipur.

Ajmeri Gate and Albert Hall Museum

We paused at the Ajmeri Gate, one of the 26 huge decorated entrances to the city center. Built in 1727, the gate is six meters high and three meters thick. Next, we entered the Ram Niwas Gardens and to the Albert Hall museum. In the early morning, the area was closed to vehicles; just walkers, bikers and yogis enjoying the gardens. Tons of birds flocked and flew around the front of the building. And, our goofy biking guide, Umesh, took a panoramic yoga picture, with each of us running behind to reappear on the other side. It was a challenge to keep up with this marathon runner on our morning bike tour.

Chai and Zigzagging through the Back Alleys

Umesh brought the group of bikers for chai on the street where this vendor’s family has sold chai for 65 years, going back three generations. Chai, or tea, is traditionally made with chardemon, black pepper, cloves, ginger and sometimes basil. Here, he made the chai without ginger for the Jainists who don’t eat root vegetables. The chai was served in disposable terracotta ceramic cups, which are basically biodegradable in about three months.

We continued biking through the narrow back alleys. Cows just wandered around the mostly empty streets; checking out the trash placed outside waiting to be picked up. Umesh pointed out a special kind of ficus which produces lots of oxygen, even at night. He said it is seen as holy and it can’t be chopped down, so this house was built around the tree. Nearby monkeys swing and jump above on the power lines.

The old home fronts in this neighborhood were part of the initial planned city of Jaipur, each with a small platform outfront. Originally they were constructed for the merchants and upper class. however now many have been divided into multiple units. Umesh explained that many of the places are in disrepair as the owners have moved to the US but nonetheless, maintain ownership of the family properties.

Palace of the Wind ~ Hawa Mahal

The five story facade of this building is a dominating presence on this street. The building was constructed for the royal women and concubines who couldn’t be seen by the public on the street. It was completed in 1799, and contains almost 1,000 windows with lattice screens. The Palace of the Wind is now a popular spot for photos.

Local Produce and Flower Market

I always love to visit local markets and this one did not disappoint with the variety of colorful fruits, vegetables and flowers. Every morning, this market opens up for a short two hours. Here the gender roles play out in a unique fashion. The men sell the produce while the women do most of the heavy lifting. They carry the produce in huge packages weighing up to 60 kilos placed on cloth donuts on their heads.

In the first section of the market, vendors set up their stalls under tarps with boxes, baskets and sacks filled with produce. They sold tomatoes, beans, ginger, okra, cilantro, guwarfali beans, squash, bell peppers, bitter melons and chilis. Others sold fruits including dried pears, bananas, oranges and mangos with old mechanical scales.

The other section of the market contained flowers for Hindu offerings. Enormous piles of orange and yellow marigolds, pink roses and white jasmine brightened the outdoor market. Vendors strung flowers together while awaiting sales. Before leaving, our guides gave each of us a string of white jasmine and a banana snack. Then we hopped on the bikes for the next part of the tour.

Laughter Yoga and the Hare Krishna Temple

Parking the bikes on the grass, we joined a circle of men in the park for their morning laughter yoga. We joined them for loud laughs, exaggerated air pumps, tiger roars and enthusiastic clapping. Laughter yoga is certainly awkward but is truly a mood lightener. Regular practitioners swear by the positive results in improved breathing and lowered stress. Then we heard the bells of the temple. And, suddenly, Umesh bolted off to our next stop and we all ran to catch up as we entered the Iskcon Temple.

At the Iskcon Temple, the followers worship Lord Krishna. We received tilak paint on our foreheads, which is worn by anybody that visits the Hare Krishna ceremony. We left our shoes on the rack and temple volunteers poured water for everyone to wash their hands before entering.

The ceremony was about to begin and hundreds of worshippers assembled in the covered pavilion area. We followed Umesh, CP and the congregants in a lap around the enclosed altar area. Each person tapped the floor at the steps to symbolize surrender and touched the wall to be closer to God as they passed their wishes and prayers. While moving through the crowd, a volunteer handed us holy basil to offer or eat for the ceremony.

The crowd faced forward waiting, clapping and singing with drums and tambourines. Everyone cheered and raised their hands when the curtains opened. People filmed the altar with their phones as a man dressed in robes lit the candles. Around the crowd, women passed flames with their right hand, supported by the left, the fire representing one of the elements of the earth.

Back on the Bikes for more Morning Snacks

After the Hare Krishna, we stopped for aloo pakora made with fried potatoes and chickpeas. At the same stop, we also enjoyed sweet jalebi. This was made by frying dough in ghee with quick thin loops. Then, the jalebi was further cooked in a hot sugar syrup with saffron and finally put in a dripper strainer. It was sweet, oily and delicious.

The morning traffic picked up and biking was more challenging with the cars, tuk tuks, rickshaws, and motorbikes. I stayed close to Danielle who was much more confident in navigating the busy streets.

We ended with a final stop for lassi, a sweet, refreshing yogurt drink. Just like the chai, our beverage was served in disposable terracotta cups. We said goodbye to Umesh and he sent us off with a small thank you gift, a “Biking through India” key rack.

Amber Fort

After a quick shower, we adventured off to the Amber Fort. CP gave us his warning to ignore the sellers who have a tendency to be too intense. He recommended not even to say “no thanks” to vendors or they’ll take the words as a sign to keep pushing their sales. Along the same lines, our guides also discouraged us from giving money to children in the street. CP explained that they typically have an adult around the corner sending them to beg and the children are rarely supported this way.

The Amber Fort was centered in a walled fortress. The complex was built in 967 CE by Raja Man Signh with further additions by his son, Jai Singh. Throughout this medieval period, Amber Fort was the center of royalty and government. Eventually the capital was moved in 1727 away from the Amber Fort.

To arrive at the Amber Fort, we hopped in the back of jeeps to go up the last hill. Through the town, we saw elephants and camels also used to haul tourists to the top. However, our group chose not to support the animal cruelty surrounding packanimals that are often mistreated and malnourished.

Jaleb Chowk

We entered the Jaleb Chowk which is the first courtyard to the soldiers and public and where victory parades were held. In its glory, royalty would ride camels and elephants through the Sun Gate; while the plebs used the Moon Gate. This courtyard also witnessed the sacrifice of goats and buffalos, a practice that continued late into the 20th century.

First and Second Courtyard

This beautiful courtyard contains the Ganesh Pol, the entrance to the inner private quarters of the royal family. Artists used organic, jewel dusted paint on the gateway. The elegant doorway is iconic for visitors and locals alike.

The windows were covered with lattice to allow the queen to see out over the courtyard. To the side, the Majarahas worshiped at the Sila Devi temple.

Back in the day, the second courtyard was for the VIPs of the Amber Fort. This section contained a raised platform with 27 columns. The view from the back windows looked down to the moat and floating gardens below.

Third Courtyard

Passing through the Ganesh Pol, we entered the corridors to the Third Courtyard. In the time of the Maharajas, this hallway had carpeting and royals could be escorted on wheelchairs. The guide pointed out the walls, showing off the original plaster, 400 years old and made with limestone, marble dust, seasalt, eggs, lime and coconut. Also in the hallway, a grate opened to the tunnels that led to the Jaigarh Fort, 1.5 kilometers away; although the walkway is currently closed to the public.

The private quarters of the maharaja, his family and attendants were elegant. This area included the sculpted gardens, a fountain operated by a foot pump, a “monsoon house” that allowed rainwater to pass over a textured waterfall to create entertaining sounds and a white balcony over the garden for the queen. The guide pointed out an old wooden door with detailing older than the Taj Mahal. Legend says that the artist’s hands were chopped off so their work wouldn’t be repeated.

This courtyard also included the Mirror Palace, a chamber with three domes and five archways. The walls were covered in mirrors, including many smaller convex mirrors from Iran. In the winter, the chamber was heated with coal reflecting on the mirrors and insulated with huge velvet curtains.

Zenana Courtyard

The fourth courtyard was reserved for the women; the maharani, other wives, concubines or mistresses. Private apartments lined the outside of the courtyard and contained secret passageways to the king.

Since the women couldn’t be seen in public, they spent most of their time here in the courtyard. At that time, the space was covered with carpets, shaded by tarps and filled with furniture.

Beyond the walls, there were many additional rooms for mistresses, guards, laborers and slaves. A separate courtyard housed animals that were used in entertainment and labor. As we left the huge wooden doorway, we looked over the fortress wall to the city below.

Lunch in Jaipur

We went back down the hill to the main city of Jaipur, 11 km from the Amber Fort. On the mainboard walk, we saw the Jal Mahal, or the Water Palace, in the middle of Lake Man Sagar. It was built in 1699 with three stories standing on the natural rock below. The palace once served as a summer home for the royal family and where they enjoyed duck hunting.

For lunch, we stopped at Aanandam. Danielle and I split the chicken tikkas, pieces of boneless tender children marinated in spices and then fire roasted, served with a green sauce. We also tried the Malai Kofta, a potato fritter with cashew almond gravy, and a cheese naan that was as cheesy as a Mexican quesadilla. Throughout the trip, we found that sharing meals was the best way to try more menu options without overeating.

Maharaja’s Observatory ~ Jantar Mantar

In the afternoon, we went to see the largest sundial. When there’s sun, the shadow lands on an enormous arch, marking down the time to the nearest 20 seconds. To read the sundial, the time must be adjusted 31 minutes from the time in Delhi, or India Standard Time. Interestingly, India has only one time zone and does not observe daylight saving time.

Our guide for the afternoon, Mr Katri, was an expert in astronomy and horoscopes. Locals often contract his services in naming babies and arranging marriages based on astrological indicators.

When we arrived, the sun was behind a cloud; not ideal for a visit to a sundial. However, later the sun popped out and we could observe the sundial in action. The downside is that the sun was incredibly strong, a heat index over 120 degrees. We basically melted and I looked ridiculously hiding under my scarf for shade.

Evening Jeep Tour

After dark, we toured the city again; this time in an open topped Jeep to see all the lights and action of the busy city. First, we drove back up to the Amber Fort for a sunset view over Jaipur. The windy road to the top made me a bit motion sick, but the view was worth it.

By the lake, we saw the lights from the Water Palace. In the historical center, the Wind Palace, Albert Hall and the Iswari Minar were also brightly lit. We ended our very busy day at a “Kitchen with a Cause.” This restaurant provides culinary and hospitality training to young adults that have left their families due to abuse or addiction.

After dinner, we returned to the hotel, exhausted from a fabulous day of sightseeing in Jaipur.