Planning about a trip and realising one are two very different jobs, and I can claim that I succeeded in both of them at Jaipur.
I always fancied about solo trips and wanted to try this adventure but did not achieve that feat. So, this was one of my first solo trip, ok to be honest somewhat semi-solo sort of trip, where I travelled half of my trip with my cousin thanks to whose personal work I was invited to Jaipur and further to Pilani. And the other half of trip I enjoyed alone or solo as one may call it.
Catching an early morning flight after a day at work that too alone is a courageous task, still I managed it somehow as I reached Mumbai Airport around 1 AM for boarding a 5 AM flight and as its always crowded there at no time its hard find a cup of Coffee or Tea there as well.
Landing at Jaipur almost 7:30 in morning, I rushed to the Railway Station to meet my companion, there we dropped our extra baggage in Cloak Room and moved outside for some breakfast. Where we decided to rent a Motorcycle for sightseeing and this was probably the best decision we made as it saved lots of time and effort for us.
We drove past the crowded city roads which were more chaotic due to some metro work within the city. Traversing the old pink city we witnessed some vibrant, old and rich architecture. We didn't stop there and quickly moved out of city.
The first monument we checked in was "Jal Mahal". Now, I may sound a bit harsh, but, this monument could be much more engaging and would produce a far better experience if the neighbourhood were taken better care of. Jal Mahal itself is brilliant piece of architecture built inside a lake (Literally means the "Water Palace"), but what disappointed rather embarrassed me was the dirty surroundings at the viewing point, chaotic vendors and somewhat polluted lake shore. Summarising the whole experience I would say that for making some great Photographs its a worthy place (it has plenty to offer, a graceful palace, a lake with mountains encircling it, colourful skies can add up if you reach at correct times.). But, from perspective of spending some time there, it doesn't urge you stay there for even longer.
So after spending a little time we moved our way forward towards the Nahargarh Fort, to reach there we had to take the hilly road which was mostly in good condition and surrounded by greenery. People often halt midway to capture some scenic landscapes which are viewable from the higher altitude, the city under it or the lake on the other end (with the Jal Mahal standing beautifully in the lake) present an excellent opportunity for photo enthusiasts as well as people who appreciate the beauty and art.
So climbing uphill we finally reached Nahargarh Fort in almost half an hour, with the age-old walls standing tall and strong the fort looks upon the city from the top as a guardian of this beautiful city. Fort is well maintained and has some decent restaurant which actually sits in the fort itself. Exploring it isn't very tough or boring as it is not very gigantic and also gives good insight of royal culture and ancient architecture. Nahargarh also offers a superb view of Jaipur from the height, there are some other spots nearby where one may get to explore, there is a step well at one edge and some sort of old auditorium or sabhagrah at a far end which attracts people looking for some pictures. We wandered through the place for some time observing the architecture of this place, visited indoors for more of it and finally progressed to the terrace for the endless sight of city and mountains form there.
After spending around an hour there, we left for the next destination which was Jaigarh Fort. En route we visited an ancient and tranquil temple which says there are footmarks of Lord Krishna from Dwapar Yug.
Commuting towards the Jaigarh Fort, again the trail was scenic and full of greenery, we even encountered a peacock running close to the roadside. It took around 30 minutes to arrive at this Aged and enormous fort from Nahargarh.
This fort is also located over the hills of Aravali and it oversees old capital Amer and gorgeous Amer Palace. Visiting this place be ready to walk a lot as this fort is spread in a broad area but nevertheless, all the walking did not disappoint us as this place offers variety of experiences. It hosts a large water tank in centre which is said to be a secret hiding place for royal treasures, there are shops if one wants to buy some local souvenir all from Sarees to small art pieces. There are also some small shops and hawkers which do provide food and drinks at reasonable costs. Then there is a small old temple and some more structures which offer a window into ancient royal culture specifically war or defence oriented ones. It also accomodates a small museum which proudly displays Rajput arsenal and one need not forget the gigantic Canon "Jaivaan" which they say is Largest in the world. The far-reaching boundary of the fort surrounded by thick walls provides breathtaking views of Nahargarh fort and Amer Palace along with natural beauty.
So, after almost an hour of strolling and exploring the fort we departed for the "Amer Fort/Palace", which completes the Hill Forts trio. It was merely 20 minutes drive and we could catch the sight of marvellous fort and magnifying its beauty "Maotha Lake", above which Amer fort stands tall, and with the first blush of it I could quote that this is definitely the brightest star in the constellation.
Reaching there we realised that it was one of the most eminent and busy monument in city, right before the entrance where we parked the bike stood many restaurants and small stalls and were obviously jam-packed. We stepped into the fort which is unlike other two is mostly paved with stones and is more of a palace. It is an astonishing display of ancient Indian Architecture and everything from huge gates and arches to beautified walls and domes reflect the detailed artistry that has been engraved for centuries. The galleries within the palace provide wonderful views of Aravali mountains and Jaigarh Fort touched upon by the lake at bottom. We spent little more than an hour there, which is admittedly less than what on needs to experience the place thoroughly, yet it was enough to get a pleasant idea of what a tremendous site Amer Fort is.
We had a little time left for the day as we had to catch a Bus for Pilani, still we managed to reach out for "Panna Meena ka Kund", which is a stepwell and though it is quite close to Amer Fort finding this place is a bit tricky due to narrow and confusing streets. Anyway we were able to spot the stepwell and it felt like finding a hidden treasure, the place is undoubtedly tempting with so many connecting steps going into the well constituting a great photospot.
Finally, we left for the city and with the day going down it became quite cramped on the roads, after returning the bike we collected our bags from Railway Station and went for the Bus at nearby stand "Sindhi Camp" Bus Stand.
And all this was so chaotic due to some Bus strikes and several other stuff, still we were able to catch the Bus on time and reached Pilani late night. We went to BITS Pilani and spent next whole day in the campus completing all the formalities, I will spare the details.
The next day I left Pilani around 11:30 AM after having brunch. The Bus ride from Pilani to Jaipur did not excite me, the roads near Jaipur are good but in between it was horrible at some places and even the supposed Luxury AC Bus took long 5 hours to cover a distance of under 200 Kms. however I reached Jaipur well before sundown, I reached my hostel "Zostel" which I had pre booked.
Zostel is really the place for backpackers, the hostel is pretty clean and cozy though it sits on first and second floors and does lack an open ground still the common spaces make up best of it. Whole property looks attractive with all the coulorful walls and is fitted with some genuine travel vibes, its location was well suited for my second part of trip, being in the old pink city its proximity to the major tourist circuit of the town.
After having some light meal and a little rest, I escaped the hostel and spent some time exploring the old streets, whole market sits there and I doubt there is anything that one would not find. I took an Auto Rickshaw for "Birla Mandir" (Alert: Google Maps has location of old temple), the magnificent temple looks even more alluring at night with illuminated hills at its backdrop. It also appears to be a nice place for spending quality time with family as it is really calm here with some options for street food too.
After visiting the temple I went to see the "Albert Hall Museum", which is merely 2 kms from temple. The museum building looked strikingly attractive and fascinating, shining with colourful lights all over the detailed architecture. The best part is that it is open at night, obviously with some extra fee but this place is worth every penny. It exhibits a wide array of historical artefacts just everything like paintings, art pieces, musical instruments, ancient scriptures, pre historic tools, weaponry, arms and even an Egyptian Mummy sits there. Museums have specific visitors and not everyone may like to be there, but if you are one who likes to indulge themselves in rich history this would not disappoint you. Museum is quite vast which seeks a lot of time to acknowledge best of it, I spent more than an hour which felt just not enough still it was a great experience to witness the huge collection of glorious pieces of history and from there I left for the hostel. Back to the Pink City I enjoyed some local street food and clicked some photos of Hawa Mahal which looks awesome at night.
I returned to the hostel after having some short walks across the streets of Jaipur, spent rest of the time left for the day having short conversations with backpackers all over the world in the common space of Zostel.
The final day -
I had the whole day to explore as thanks to the late evening return flight, I checked out around 9:30 AM leaving my bags at hostel. I walked to Hawa Mahal, and as only the face wall, the one with colourful windows is visible from the street I had no idea that this monument would be so large. The exteriors are architecturally magnificent and attractive with the red walls and large colourful windows. Though, indoors there is not much to do or see and it was too crowded, still the views from the mahal are worth your time and especially from the top floor one may cherish the terrific panoramic view of whole pink city and other nearby monuments. It took not more than 40 minutes to go through the whole monument.
Next I marched towards the "Jantar Mantar", now this was a place I always wanted to see and it did not fail my expectations. The place is full of large scales and instruments for precise measurements of movements of astronomical bodies and making cosmic observations and each of them has a specific function, though it may not be easy to understand their functions at first. A guide may be useful here if you are interested in knowing the facts and science behind these. Or else you may just read the small descriptions there and click some awesome photographs. With some very interesting Observatory equipments it is a great display of Ancient Indian knowledge about Astronomy and Astrology. The whole area is developed as a park moreover, food and drinks are also available but I didn't try any so won't comment.
Spending more than an hour there, I left Jantar Mantar. It was almost noon and wandering in scorching sun I felt dehydrated, there are several small shops serving street food and drinks, I halted at one of them.
After a little rest I walked towards the "City Palace", this is one of the most beautiful and lavish places in Jaipur and is full of rich heritage and royal culture. It provides a good insight on how the royals lived in medieval era and also provides information about Jaipur's royal family and and their glorious past. Someone told me that The Royal Family still lives there, and apart from that most of the palace is open for public depending on which ticket you buy. The entrance and the first impression of palace as soon as I entered it was excellent. The palace building, gardens, open courtyards and arched structures carried a charismatic charm were colourful, clean and well maintained. The museum does have a great collection of Paintings, Armoury, clothings and various other things related to Royal court and though I had already seen enough of them I did enjoy ones here. Apart from these one may also shop in there for local art, textile etc and there is also an in house restaurant though both of them are bit overpriced.
This was my final experience at this Royal city though I had some more time to spare, I was too tired and a bit hungry strolling whole day under fiery sun, I walked back to the streets loading myself with some more street food and juices. Ultimately returning to zostel from where I picked up my bags and reached Airport well before time so that I could rest at Airport itself.
I returned to Mumbai at midnight and meanwhile recalled how interesting and full of vivid experiences my little solo trip was.
Note: Jaipur is a fascinating city and one must experience this city for its rich heritage and culture, while being a tourist is not an easy task I would like to add my experiences maybe they will be useful to others. First thing to remember as they say there is no free dinner, be aware of people offering you free services like a free Guide or a ride as it may lead to some local shop which will sell at prices higher than usual. Secondly, one thing I hated here was the ever following Auto Rickshaws when walking down the streets, they just won't leave you. Most important thing be ready to walk a lot and don't forget to keep your Cameras ready with lots of memory and battery when visiting Jaipur. There are several other small things I learnt here I hope these were reflected in my article.
Thanks for reading and please do pay a visit to Jeypore as its old name says.
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