Royal Rajasthan

I always wanted to visit Rajasthan and what better ocassion than the New Year itself. I was being accompanied by my newly wedded wife. So we just wanted to make the most of it and we took a flight from New Delhi Airport to Udaipur. It's a 2-2.5 hrs flight and once you land in Udaipur, you get all the positive vibes in the City of Lakes.

So we check in our hotel which was near Lake Pichola in Gangaur Ghaat. Just next to our hotel was the beautiful Bagore Ki Haveli which showcases some wonderful classical folk dances of Rajasthan. The Aura of that place sinks you in.

Our 2nd day was more on a two-wheeler. So we started with Jagdish Mandir which is hardly a few steps from the Gangaur Ghaat. It's a big temple and many devotees visit this place. And from there we started our journey to the City Palace by asking navigation through a few locals. Have to tell you, people in Udaipur are very nice. They're truly royal at heart. Back to our journey, so we reached the City Palace and started our sightseeing. We went through every nook & corner, all the royal and spacious rooms of the Ranis and the Maharaja.

We also bought a few baandhni sarees from the City Palace. For all those who're not quite aware, baandhni sarees are the traditional sarees worn by the Rajwada women. You'll find some great and unique designs of sarees not just in Udaipur but almost all across Rajasthan.

Since we had hired a scooty, we wanted to explore more boundaries. Though I'm not that fluent with two-wheelers but my spouse surely is. So I pillioned her and off we went. It's on the foot hills so only drive if you're comfortable with the hair clip bends and nasty turns. There isn't much to see in Monsoon Palace but you can see the entire Ariel view of Udaipur.

We ended the day with a visit to Saheliyo ki Badi, a local sightseeing where all the daasis and saheliyan of the Rani would often visit and take a bath along.

Since this was a road trip, our 3rd day began from Udaipur to Jodhpur. We started our trip by around 9 and we went non-stop and reached just before lunch. While on our way, just as you exit Udaipur there's a small town Nathdwara where now you've India's tallest Lord Shiva Statue. Though back then it was still under construction.

So we reached Jodhpur, checked in our hotel which was a Haveli almost 200 yrs back. We also happened to meet the owner who said to be the 6th generation of the Rajwadas who held special ranks in the Maharaja's Forces.

We had our royal, delicious but mind you heavy traditional Rajasthani Thali for lunch. I guess our intestines had just given up that day.

In jodhpur we had to choose between either the Mehrangarh Fort or the Ummaid Bhawan Palace. And without a doubt we chose the former. However while visiting Jodhpur one must visit both but since we were short of time so we had to choose only one.

Royal Mehrangarh Fort, known for its huge walls and fine artillery equipments took both of us by its charm.

We ended our day with a visit ot the Clock Tower where they've a huge local market serving all needs.

Now we begin the 3rd and last phase of our road trip and that was Jaisalmer. If you've been to Rajasthan then your trip is incomplete without adding Jaisalmer. The mesmerising Sand Dunes at Sam totally sinks you in. Specially if you're travelling as a back packer or even along with friends, a place like Jaisalmer has to be on your list.

So after our breakfast we started from Jodhpur for Jaisalmer which is a 5 hour drive approx. In between we halted twice for chai and even lunch. And then we had booked our stay in Sam and our cab went straight into the dunes.

Once you reach The Sam, all your tiredness just fades away and you feel all charged up. The camel safari and also the jeep safari are the best things you can do in the desert. The day ends with people gathering near a bonfire where they've live performance of the local folk songs and dance. And then all the latest Bollywood songs are played and you just cannot stop yourself to gel with the mix.