Jaipur is known as the ‘Pink City’ for all the pink sandstone that has been used in buildings throughout the city. The clear blue skies of the last two days have really shown us Jaipur at its best.
The main site that brings visitors to the region is the ‘Amber Fort’. The original fort was built by the Meenas in the 10th century, and was rebuilt by the current royal family, the Kuchwahas, in the 13th century. The family lived here until the 18th century, when they built a palace down the road in Jaipur. Jaipur is in the state of Rajasthan, which literally means ‘Land of Kings’- there were 16 kings across the region.
The Amber Fort is striking, and true to its name, built from stone from the surrounding mountains of the Araveli mountain range. This range is the oldest in India, and stretches from Mumbai to Delhi. We paused for photos on the way to the Fort, and were delighted to share the roadside with a snake charmer and his cobra…
Inside, the fort and palace is magnificent, and most of it has been maintained to its original condition. It’s Indo-Persian architecture, so has a mix of Hindu and Islamic decoration.
The God ‘Ganesh’ can be seen above the gate in the form of the blue elephant, bringing good luck, success, and wealth. The original paint has stood the test of time – apparently the colour is naturally occurring in rock in he area, and then mixed with acacia gum to maintain the colour.
Above the gate the decorative archways were for the queen and ladies to observe the Kings speeches or entertainment below. Hindu women can not be seen by men, therefore they stayed behind the screens.
Inside is the palace of mirrors. Thousands of tiny convex mirrors, imported from Belgium in the early 17th century, adorn the walls and ceiling. It’s beautiful in daylight, but in the evening means that one lamp can light the whole space. Efficient!
As King, Raja Man Singh had 12 wives, each with their own living space that could be accessed via secret passages from the Kings quarters. He also had 2000 concubines who lived above the 12 Queens, and regularly performed for the King in the central gardens.
On he way back to Jaipur we paused at the Lake Palace. The Lake and the Palace were built in the 17th Century by a King who wanted to prove that he was as wealthy as another in the region, and has never been used for anything. What a waste!
Janter Manter Astronomical Obsevatory is the home of the worlds largest stone sundial. It’s a collection of 19 architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of the city of Jaipur, in 1734.
The enormous sundial is accurate to 20 seconds, and is surrounded by instruments to measure the planets, stars, and moon. There is also a set of dials to measure the star signs, which are apparently significant to all decision making in India. Our guide gave a run down of our four signs, and was pretty spot on!
After many recommendations by locals in the street, we headed up to the roof of the local Krishna temple to get a better view of the town. We were met by the leader, whose family had lived there for centuries, and appreciated the calm overlooking the bustle of the city. It gave us a view of the tower ‘Isarlat’, which commemorated a grand victory in 1749.
We managed to get lost in the back streets in search of lunch, but this gave us a few opportunities to meet the local cows. One wandered past us under shop awnings, and many lie in the street. They are so docile – the motorbikes whiz around them, like bovine traffic calming devices. Bizarre!
This evening we’ve had our best Indian food adventure yet. It’s been quite difficult to find authentic food, as it isn’t recommended to eat street food, and the few restaurants around are touristy and serve a range of international food (they love Chinese!). Tonight Javed took us to one of the best local restaurants – a tiny place in back alley, where plastic chairs sat amongst cars under restoration. For <$12 we had an authentic hit of spices that we had expected and been looking for. We’re told the food was mild… I don’t know if 10 days will be long enough to progress to ‘hot’!
To top off the evening we grabbed a tuktuk back to the hotel. Our driver was a young musician who wanted to share positivity through the world, so sang and told jokes the whole way back. Waltzing Matilda, Coldplay, and Bob Marley were all part of his repetoire, and he even gave us an ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie…’. He was a fantastic example of someone who had pride in his work and a great sense of humour, and turned a simple tuktuk ride through the streets of India into a memorable experience. It cost him nothing, but earned him a generous tip 🙂
Love theBunchx
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