Rajasthan Whirlwind IV: Jodhpur and Udaipur

So, how does one top a pair of spectacular–if chilly–nights in a living fort at Jaisalmer? How about a traditional grand hotel in the market city of Jodhpur followed by a truly unique lakeside heritage palace in Udaipur—as shown in the header photo—where charming water views are nearly everywhere? And with a side trip along insanely narrow and winding tracks over the hills between those two cities to tour an intricately carved Jain Temple in the middle of nowhere? Works for us!

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In Jodhpur—the Blue City—we stayed at one of the Taj Group of hotels, the Hari Mahal, where we enjoyed the quiet pool outside our room and their Chinese restaurant, The Good Earth, and where we were enchanted as we met and chatted with an extended family from Delhi as well as two delightful couples from Mexico City. We also fell off the wagon of restraint and succumbed to an intricately carved antique door, from a Rajput Haveli, that weighed nearly 200kg’s. So, why would we buy a heavy old door? Turn the frame into four legs and voila, dining room table! While official antique doors are over 100 years old, this one was estimated at only 70 to 80 so a relative youth, but Sarah and I fell head over heels.

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Anyway, the iconic Mehrangarh Fort at Jodhpur was built in 1459 by Rao Jodha and it offered another glimpse of past Rajput glories, perched over 125 meters above the blue city (we actually had to take an elevator!) We were even given a private look (Rs100 please!) behind the jali screens where the women in purdah could observe the happenings in the throne room (and give some whispered advice if needed, we were told.) We also toured the Jaswant Thada, a stately royal cenotaph dedicated to a Maharaja father and built in 1899.

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But the highlight, for me anyway, of our time in Jodhpur, was the lively clock tower market in the middle of the city, so I returned with our Emma Horne Travel guide for a second stroll late in the afternoon. The aromas of flavored teas and red chilis and all the competing masalas; the tinkling of the thousands of glass bangles and brass utensils on offer, the rising cries of the disappointed vendors as one strolls past, trying to ignore them; and the open smiles and the head scarves and veils of such vibrant colors that thrilled me as always; but mostly it was the connections—fleeting as they might be—that brought Jodhpur to life.

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Next up—and the final destination of our Rajasthan Whirlwind—we left the Thar Desert and headed southeast through the hills for Udaipur, the City of Lakes. But first, our driver suggested we leave the excellent national highway system and take a backroads long-cut through the hills to visit the Ranakpur Jain Temple. Sure, why not?

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The temple, built starting in the 15th century, was breathtaking in the details carved in pale marble over every surface. We hired a Jain guide to explain the history and design of the structure with its distinctive domes, shikhara (mountain peaks), turrets, and cupolas, as it rises majestically from the slope of a hill. A total of 1,444 marble pillars, carved in exquisite detail, support the temple, and all are a unique design with no two alike.

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But we won’t even mention the near head-on we escaped after we left the temple when a rampaging bus flew downhill toward us and decided to pass an oxcart on the barely one-and-a-half lane road. We were just grateful the bus driver honked continuously as he roared past to let us know precisely how foolish we were, and of we course thanked Shankar, our driver, for the narrow escape. We still have no idea how he managed it . . .

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At any rate, we made it to Udaipur, the final stop on our whirlwind, and were quickly infatuated with its many shimmering lakes and verdant parks, a true revelation after Rajasthan’s desert landscapes. We stayed at a lakeside heritage hotel, the Jagat Niwas Palace, which meant we again had to leave the car behind and negotiate the bumpy lanes and swarming traffic in a tuk tuk. We managed to find the hotel, winding our way the last fifty meters on foot, proving we were indeed in the ancient part of the city. Our room included a view over the water, but it was the smallest of our whirlwind with virtually zero space on either side of the bed—the hotel manager chuckled when I mentioned it, and he wisely noted, “In all things there is compromise . . . .” Indeed!

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The centerpiece of our Udaipur exploration was the flamboyant City Palace, the largest in Rajasthan, and within walking distance—uphill of course—from the Jagat Niwas Hotel. The palace was started in the 16th Century and contains several individual palaces within the overall complex, behind an exquisite facade of 244 metres (801 ft) length and 30.4 metres (100 ft) height.

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But as with all our Rajasthan Whirlwind stops, the real essence of our experience was the people, as we toured temples and parks and markets, and Sarah especially enjoyed her encounter with a group of visiting school kids at the City Palace. Of course, Sarah’s favorite bit of Rajasthani culture was a serendipitous second encounter with her favorite fabric and clothing shop, this one inside the City Palace at Udaipur. (Well, that and the successful end of our quest for Judy Dench as we found the shop where she, Penelope Wilton, and the cast of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel were outfitted—and where we both just had to acquire some essential, glorious, Indian formal wear.)

So, after our sojourn in Udaipur, we flew back home to Chennai—only a couple hour flight—our Rajasthan Whirlwind complete: the Pink City of Jaipur, New Year’s in Bikaner, the living fort at Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, the Blue City, and, finally, Udaipur, with so many fascinating sights and tastes and aromas and so many smiles and connections over a frenetic ten days. It was an incredible opportunity for us both to recognize just how much more we need to learn about Rajasthan—and India—and its history and culture. And of course to connect with so many colorful and welcoming people, and to begin our plans for our next tour of Rajasthan!

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Next up for us, a week in Thailand with a return to Bangkok for our annual physicals (okay, and another dinner at Gaggan) followed by our first visit to Chiang Mai. But that’s, of course, another . . .