It was noon and lunch was calling. We were brought by our guide to a restaurant beside an exotic (aka quaint, homey) hotel. We were greeted by a mustachioed gentleman who was equally exotic looking. The interior of the restaurant was very frugal to say the least. Rickety chairs and threadbare tablecloth was the order of the day. The food though surpassed all expectations. Don't you just love it when that happens?
The food we have been partaking so far would fall under the category of Northern Indian cuisine and i think this means it is less spicy and the flavours are less strong. It may also be because we have always been telling them to tone down the heat. Anyway, suffice to say we were always enjoying ourselves at mealtime. Primarily we would be ordering chicken tikka masala, various biryanis (shrimp, lamb, chicken, mutton or vegetables with basmati rice), koftas (fried curried dough with vegetable filling), Palak Paneer (cottage cheese cubes with pureed spinach), and an assortment of Aloo's . We also alternated between the different types of bread offered (Roti, Naan, and Batura) to sop up all the sauces. I was so happy to discover Batura! Talk about mentos (crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside). This is a deep fried flat bread about 8 inches in diameter and when it gets dunked in boiling in oil the heat puffs it up like a balloon. Are you hungry now? You should be!
Being sated and satisfied with our bellies bursting we decided to proceed to our next stop.
Jantar Mantar (I love the sound of that) roughly translates as "instruments of calculation". Don't let that term fool you as the Jantar Mantar is one of the oldest and best preserved astronomical sites in India or the World. Built by the Maharaja of Jaipur in 1734, the site clearly showcases the level of understanding of celestial bodies and how they interact with one another. And it was done in such a grand scale.
There were sundials and sextants with beautiful geometric designs. There was also an astrological aspect to the sites as there are 12 structures that plot the position of each zodiac sign in the heavens.
There were sundials and sextants with beautiful geometric designs. There was also an astrological aspect to the sites as there are 12 structures that plot the position of each zodiac sign in the heavens.
A stone's throw away from Jantar Mantar is the City Palace. A portion of the Palace is still occupied by the present Maharaja of Jaipur. As I understand it when Bhawani Singh, the last Maharaja died, he did not have any male heirs to take his place. He decided to adopt his grandson and when he passed in 2011 this grandson then took his place at the age of 13.
This is where he lives.
This is where he lives.
When were were about to leave the Palace grounds we were able to espy preparations for a grand shindig in a Palace courtyard. Everything matched! From the table cloth, to the napkins, to the wall-to-wall Persian carpets. These guys know how to throw a party!
This is a balcony overlooking the courtyard.
Other parts of the Palace have been converted into a museum for tourists to wander around.
With that our solitary day in Jaipur comes to a close. The next day brings us a 7 hour road trip to Udaipur. We were supposed to take a plane but one of our companions has this fear of unnecessary flying. So why fly if one can take a 7 hour journey by car? It's all good, our lunch stop the next day is when I discovered Batura!
Also notable to mention is that the temperatures in Jaipur in January can go up to 27C at noon time and dip to 5C at night. That, including the dry dessert air gave me a sore throat.
Also notable to mention is that the temperatures in Jaipur in January can go up to 27C at noon time and dip to 5C at night. That, including the dry dessert air gave me a sore throat.
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