When in Jaipur... Part 2 - Jaipur in a Day

The name that resonates with Royalty, Vibrance, Colours, Music, Festivities, Forts and Palaces, Leheriya and Bandni, Kachoris and Dal Bati Churma, and the colour Pink is JAIPUR. A must visit destination on every traveller’s bucket list, Jaipur has so much to offer to everyone that a day is too short a duration to experience this lovely carnival of a city. This is a short guide to quickly cover sightseeing of this beautiful city in just a day. For shopping you need another day and a comprehensive guide is available here.

Begin the day with the tour-des-Forts. Jaipur proudly boasts of presence of three majestic hill Forts - Jaigarh, Nahargarh and Amer. Each Fort is definitely worth a visit and no two forts are alike, while Nahargarh offers panoramic views of the Pink City and has a modern art gallery inside its courtyards, Jaigarh houses the largest cannon in the world The Jai Vaan and also a thoughtfully curated weaponry museum but the most visited Fort remains the Amer Fort or Amber Fort reasons being, easy accessibility as compared to the other two Forts, original grandeur restored and preserved well, is surrounded by many manicured gardens, is a chosen location for many a film shoots and Elephant rides add another huge attraction. Amer also is home to Mata Shila Devi, a revered Goddess among the Rajputs and many other communities from Rajasthan and neighbouring states. Since this article is about covering the city in a day, we recommend you take a jeep ride up to the Fort to save time. We highly recommend you to take the assistance of an audio / personal guide as the visit remains incomplete unless you understand the details of every aspect of not just the architecture but also the history of the magnanimous Fort and Palace.

Picture Courtesy : Mr.Hemant Sharma

Jaipur is a photographers’ paradise. Groups of photographers climb up the many forts each morning to get their magical shots of sunrises and cityscapes in the surreal hues. One such popular photo-opp stop is on the road in front of the Amer Fort which gives spectacular panoramic shots of the Fort. Take a quick stop here and feed the Canons and Nikons or your Phone cameras with the delights of the sights around. And before you head back to the city, remember to pick the famous namkeen and mithai (locally known as Ganthia and Gundi) from Amer, available at most of the shops around the main road of Old Amer Town.

Picture Courtesy : Mr.Hemant Sharma

Next photo-opp stop is the Jalmahal. Built for the kings as a leisure palace in the middle of a water reservoir, The Jalmahal again is one of the most photographed locations of the city, vying for the top slot in close competition with The Amer Fort and The Hawa Mahal. 

Next is The Hawa Mahal which is more like a wall with windows and not really a Palace as the name suggests. The structure was built for the women of the noble families to sit in the many windows, unnoticed by the general public below and watch the processions during festivals like Teej and Gangaur. Read more about Gangaur here. The market around Hawa Mahal stocks Jaipuri Razais, Jaipuri Jutis, Bangles, Silverware, Fabrics and Handcrafted Artefacts. A gentle reminder : we are covering Jaipur in a day, shopping must wait for another day!

Your next stop : The City Palace where the erstwhile Royal Family still resides in a private section. A large part of the Palace however has been converted into a museum that showcases the Royal Era of Jaipur and Rajputana. The various sections of the museum house textiles, garments, weapons and armoury, artefacts and things of daily use used by the Maharajas, ancient manuscripts and carpets, a transport gallery and beautifully hand-painted but realistic portraits and paintings. The museum is not just famous for the collection but also for its architecture. The doors of various sections here symbolise different seasons. There is a Leheriya Gate, a Peacock Gate, Lotus Gate and a Shiv-Parvati gate. The City Palace also serves up some sumptuous snacks and beverages for the tired tourists in the Palace Cafe.

City Palace Pictures : From the Internet

Right in front of the City Palace is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jantar Mantar, the observatory that houses The World’s largest Stone Sun Dial and other astronomical instruments. His highness Sawai Jai Singh Ji II, the founder of Jaipur was a scholar and a learned man with his interests in such varied subjects as astrology, astronomy and architecture and built this one of its kind marvel. Do check the time at the Sun Dial and come back amazed. After all, Jaipur must stay with you long after your visit is over!

Take a lunch break here to refuel yourself and move onto the second part of your Jaipur in a Day Tour which must be spent soaking in the beauteous and impressive architecture of The World Heritage City.

Take a tour of the Ramniwas Bagh complex at the centre of which is The Albert Hall Museum which houses collections of fine bone china, silverware, swords and hold your breath (!) An Egyptian Mummy! Another photo-opp locale Albert Hall is a favoured spot among locals for feeding pigeons. The flocks of pigeons add an interesting element to the picture compositions. The complex also has the famous Masala Chowk - a street food bonanza that comes alive every evening. 

From Albert Hall, take the route through MI road, Panch Batti Circle, Rajmandir cinema hall and reach the Statue Circle. The most beautiful road in all of Jaipur is this very road that connects Panch Batti to New Vidhansabha. Statue Circle is a mini carnival in itself every evening with ice cream and street food vendors and balloons and toy sellers all around. The New Vidhansabha building is yet another awe-inspiring architectural wonder. Aesthetically designed keeping in mind the existing architecture of Jaipur, it blends in very beautifully with the rest of the city.

If time permits, do visit the Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple and Birla Mandir before heading to Chokhi Dhani for an authentic Rajasthani dinner. The village themed restaurant is not a regular “get in - eat - leave” kind of a place but a centre that exhibits local art, culture and flavours in the truest forms. Right from the traditional welcome to the village-fair experience and the customary “manuhar” at dinner to the “Pachha Padharjo Sa” or please visit again adieu, it is an experience to be thoroughly enjoyed.

The other attractions of Jaipur include : A heritage Water Walk at Nahargarh Fort, Biological Park at Nahargarh, Kanak Vrindawan Gardens, Hathi Gaon, Sisodiya Gardens, Galta Ji, Leopard Safari at Jhalana, Heritage and Food Walks through old Pink City, Heritage Walk through Sanganer, exploring Bagru, night tour of Jaipur and many more such wonders.

Explore the heritage, culture and traditions of Jaipur with us. Click here to get a customised tour plan made just for you.

When in Jaipur… Part 1 - Shopping Guide

Jaipur is known World over as the city of Forts and Palaces, the city of Royalty and of course a foodies’ and shopper’s paradise. Be it the exquisite Gems and Jewellery or the handcrafted toys and artefacts - Jaipur has something for everyone. We today bring you a gist of the many lovely things that a shopper can fill their shopping bags with in Jaipur. Foodies, you need to wait for the Part 2.

To make things simpler, let’s take you on a tour from one market to another telling you all about the specialities these markets are known for. But first things first, Link Road in Bapu Bazaar is the foodies’ paradise and we too like a true blue Jaipurite start our tour from here with some Chaat and Falooda to provide us with the much needed energy to last us through the day. We will stop over for lunch at LMB, but that’s another story.

We begin our shopping trip from Bapu Bazaar itself which is one of the main and many well-designed and laid out marketplaces of the Pink City. The shops display an array of Lac Jewellery, Imitation Jewellery, Bangles in vibrant colours, Leather Mojris and Bags, Readymade garments in Tie and Dye and Hand Block Prints, Sarees and dress material - cottons and chiffons being the most popular choices, handicrafts - puppets, toys, key rings, pens, artefacts, mirror frames, etc etc., - there is so so much to see and buy in this lovely market of Jaipur. Take your leisurely time to window shop or to pick some souvenirs for yourself.

The straight lane that Bapu Bazaar is converges into a perpendicular road called Johri Bazaar which connects Sanganeri Gate and Badi Chopar. This is the most famous market for tourists and locals alike. The shops towards the Sanganeri Gate end store the secrets from the Maharajas’ Kitchens - yes! These are the spice and condiments shops and stock everything that your kitchen might need. From freshly ground regular spices to some of the exotic ones, they also keep spice mixes that come in handy when you want to try your hands at the authentic Rajasthani dishes. You may find the local ingredients and dried versions of the locally sourced vegetables too like Ker, Sangri, Kachri etc.

Next comes the chiffon and cotton paradise with the most beautiful tie-dye patterns on sarees, turbans, dupattas and dress material. Jaipur is also known for its “Gota” work and you can easily find something that you would love to add to your wardrobe here. This is the market that the brides-to-be come to for their trousseau shopping. Silver jewellery and Gem Stones jewellery shops also line this market very prominently. Approach Badi Chopar and it is no less than a Shopper’s Utopia! Hand made perfumes called Itra or Ittar, handcrafted wall decor pieces with intricate embroidery and mirror work, fabrics, bangles, handicrafts, mojris, imitation as well as real jewellery and hand block printed bedspreads - think of it and it is there! The quintessential collectible from Jaipur is the Jaipuri Razai - the featherlight cotton-filled quilts that come in Cotton and Velvet versions. This you have to definitely add to your Linen collection. 

Club your shopping with a bit of Sight seeing and go towards the JalMahal, the intervening market is the hub for carpet and GI tagged Blue Pottery shopping. You may alternatively choose to take a walk with us through the Industrial Town of Sanganer to pick up your stash of Blue Pottery, Hand Block printed textiles and Hand Made Paper. More information on the walk is available here.

While browsing through the very many shops we crossed the famous Laxmi Misthan Bhandar, to satiate the hunger pangs let us go back there for the best Ras Malai and Aloo Tikki Chaat in town. Lunch options too are galore here, but that is for a later time.

Next comes our spinal road, the road that is still unsure if it is a road (that’s us Jaipurites’ inside joke), the M I Road. One walk across the length of this road can give you a glimpse of what Jaipur is all about in just forty minutes. The buildings call for your attention for the brilliant architecture, the shops whistle out with all the lovely wares they display, the eateries whisper the names of the mouth watering dishes in your ears, the jewels and gems wink a colourful wink, the handicrafts stores wave at you and the famous Lassi shop just smiles at you, well knowing that you would end your walk with a tall glass of rose flavoured lassi.

Ahmedabad In a Day

The World Heritage City, just in a day? Possible? No, its not. But who is stopping you from taking multiple trips to this vibrant city that has heritage safely preserved in its caring palms and modernity taking it to the global platform? We will give you day-plans for all of your multiple trips. Lets start with the first one.

Arrive Ahmedabad in the evening and spend time at the Sabarmati River Front - it is more than what you can imagine. Peaceful, tranquil and the sound of water lapping up against the river bank humming a soft lullaby. Yes, it is as peaceful as can get to meditate or to catch a nap. Cool breeze and the gentle sound of water - Welcome to Gandhiji’s Ahmedabad.

Sleep well in your cozy hotel room and next morning be ready by 7 am but for a change, do not eat breakfast. You read that right, do not have breakfast. The reason is that we want you to indulge in some scrumptious Gujarati delicacies for a yummy breakfast treat but not before some much needed exercise in the form of a 2.5 kms long Heritage Walk. 

Our day begins at the Swaminarayan Temple at Kalupur. You are in the World Heritage City and if you do not explore this city on foot, wouldn’t it be an incomplete experience? Our heritage walk starts from the Swaminarayan Mandir, a detailed account of the same is given here. The hour long walk culminates at the Jama Masjid. From here we go to the hundred year old Chandravilas Restaurant - the restaurant that boasts of Gandhiji, Sardar Patel, Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and other eminent personalities among its patrons. You saved up your appetite for the most delicious breakfast that would be served here. Fafda and Jalebi combo is a must to start with and a masala tea is a must to wash down your meal with, the in betweens can be anything from Puri Bhaji, Paranthas, Dhokla, Khaman, Sandwich or the other items listed on their menu which is rattled out at supersonic speed by the many “Chhotus” who serve here.

We now have time to either explore Jhulta Minar, Teen Darwaza, Rani Sipri Mosque onto Sarkhej Roza or another set of monuments and go to Adalaj Vav and Gandhi Ashram. Then there are the museums too , Calico museum being a must-visit place on the checklist of every traveller and The Akshardham Temple. As we said, you can not cover everything in just a day hence we divided the monuments in these sets. Let us choose to go onto Adalaj and Gandhi Ashram route today. The other monuments will feature in our next articles “Ahmedabad - again” and “Ahemdabad - yet again”. 

Step wells are an unmissable and integral part of Gujarat’s culture. These were the source of water in the semi-arid zone and also served as a cultural hub for many cultural and traditional gatherings and celebrations. Women would gather here to de-stress and have a casual chat with other friends while on their way to fetch water for their daily domestic chores. As you step inside the step well you would notice that it is much cooler inside the well as compared to the temperature outside. This temperature difference is due to the way the vav was constructed. Talk of engineering marvels!! A detailed account on the Adalaj Vav is soon coming, watch this space.

After spending some time exploring this beautifully carved wonder of a step well, we head towards the Gandhi Ashram. Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram… reverberates in the peaceful environs of the Ashram which feels more like a quaint peaceful village than a Sanctuary. Spread out across the banks of Sabarmati with Neem Trees purifying the air, this home of The Father of The Nation beckons one and all. You would see many school children beelining for the visit through the Museum. The museum showcases life and times of the Mahatma. But before you reach the museum you would notice the Ashram Shop on the left. This is a storehouse of literature about India, Her Freedom Story, Freedom Fighters, Freedom Movement, Mahatma Gandhi and many other national leaders. Handmade notebooks and diaries and miniature versions of the spinning wheel or Charkha are the best souvenirs and gifts from your visit to The Gandhi Ashram. Gandhiji’s “My experiments with truth” and his biography are the fastest selling books here and are available not just in Hindi and English but in other Indian languages too.

Moving ahead you would come across Vinoba Mira Kutir, the small cottage once inhabited by Mahatma’s greatest devotee Mira who was a foreign national but was so influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings that she decided not only to become a follower but also to re-christen herself and staying on in India for the rest of her life. Seeing her devotion towards Mahatma Gandhi she was given an Indian name and that too of Mira Bai- the ultimate devotee ever! It is known that Mahatma Gandhi would keep the most hardened criminals here, close to himself and would gradually reform them and re-introduce them to the society. 

Overlooking the Sabarmati is Mahatma’s living quarters - The Hridaykunj. A small tour of the insides of this beautiful abode is a must. See the humble home and kitchen of the Greatest Man who ever lived and sit in the verandah outside to soak up the surroundings which are home to many birds and squirrels. Parrots squaking around and soft murmur of speedboats taking people on joyrides on the Sabarmati are the only sounds that would interrupt your thoughts.

You can leave The Gandhi Ashram but a visit to The Gandhi Ashram will never leave you - a memory and an impression to last a lifetime.

We are on the other side of the noon and its time to grab a bite. You could sit at one of the popular places or a fine dine depending upon how much time you wish to allocate to your meals. Post meals, we always recommend a slow leisurely walk through the city markets exploring the many lovely handicrafts and fabrics that are showcased in the vibrant bazaars. Savour your evening tea before heading to the The Law Garden or Manek Chowk for a mouth watering and most eclectic street food fare. Both these places rank high and its difficult to choose one over the other but we crossed Manek Chowk on our heritage walk so lets go to Law Garden now. Here you could also indulge in some shopping of traditional Gujarati Chaniya Cholis and imitation jewellery, the kinds that swirl and twirl all over the World during the nine days of Dandiya during the Kartik Navratri. To wind it all up do stuff a meetha paan in your mouth - it will give you a few quiet moments while you struggle to contain the juicy paan in the confines of your mouth and discover its many layers of flavours!

Start with jalebi and end with a paan - that’s your perfectly sweet day in Aapno Amdavad!

Udaipur In A Day

In our series of “City in a Day”, we bring you the world’s 3rd best city today and that too “Just In A Day”! Udaipur, like any other major tourist destination can not be covered in just a day but for the travelling generation of today revisiting a destination is the “in thing”. So, here we provide a brief guide to see Udaipur’s must-visit places during your first trip.

Udaipur is the stuff dreams are made of, and if you come here between July to March, the experience is further enhanced. The rains swish their wand and bless the city with abundance of water in the lakes, the lush green mountains, and gardens and a touch of magic. Life in Udaipur moves about peacefully at a slow pace which is a very relaxing change from the life of Metro Cities. The whole city can easily be traversed in not more than forty-five minutes from one corner to the other. The city scape is made up of snaking roads circling around lakes, gardens, lovely houses, beautiful hotels and vibrant colourful markets. A short drive from the Airport and you enter this beautiful fairytale of a city.

Lets start the day early, assuming you arrive the night before and rest in your hotel for the night. A beautiful jewel is shining up in the sky somewhere and can be seen from anywhere in Udaipur. Your eyes and curiosity are invariably automatically drawn towards it. What is it? The moon? A satellite? A watch tower on a fort wall with bright lights on top? It is a Palace - The Monsoon Palace or Sajjangarh. We will take you there tomorrow, promise!

A sumptuous breakfast at one of the many lovely hotels of the city and your car is waiting for you to take you to your first stop of the day : The Magnificent City Palace. You must hire the services of a well informed guide before you visit the Palace. Believe us, it is totally worth it. Trivia like what a particular feature in the Palace served a purpose of, or why the passages are so narrow, or why are the seats around a courtyard at different levels, will be doled out to you by an expert guide.

Begin your walk through the path that shows you the lake side, Lake Palace, Fateh Prakash Palace and Shiv Niwas Palace hotels, The Shambhu Niwas Palace where the Royal Family still resides and brings you to the front entrance to the City Palace Museum. Take out time to read about this well curated museum and the historic Palace of Mewar here. It gets more comprehensible and interesting to gather a little knowledge before you step in.

Just as you finish this spell binding walk through the Palace and move towards the Jagdeesh Temple, a prominent feature on your right attracts every tourist’s attention, this is the place where the Elephants were bathed. These look like parking lots where the means of transport used in those days were parked (!). Assimilating all the interesting information that you just received, you now walk towards the Jagdeesh Temple - another city icon. The lanes on both sides are lined with shops that sell Rajasthani Arts and Crafts. Visit the beautifully carved Temple before commencing your heritage walk. But a snack before that! What better than the famous Kachoris and Masala Chai at the popular Chai shop just opposite the temple complex.

This should give you enough energy to enjoy your heritage walk through the City. Jagdeesh Chowk is where we begin our walk from, from the side of the temple complex. Narrow lanes but immaculately clean and lined by covered drains, so narrow that you have stand in a corner almost cowering to let an odd auto rickshaw pass by. Two wheelers and auto rickshaws or our evergreen ride, the bicycle are the only vehicles you encounter in these lanes ; four wheelers can not access these narrow streets. Interestingly you can even hire bicycles or scooters here in Udaipur and ride around on your own, but our suggestion would be to explore this idea on your second or third trip. Let your maiden trip be a guided tour so that you get maximum out of the time you spend here.

Udaipur is a hub for miniature paintings and you will see many shops selling these exquisite pieces of art across the old cities. Miniatures are painstakingly and patiently painted on handmade paper and silks. A small souvenir in the size range of six inches by four inches would cost you anything between Rs. 250/- to Rs. 1200/- depending upon the medium used and the intricacy of the work. Though many art schools have now started using acrylic colours for the vibrance these colours exude but most of the old schools still stick to the natural dyes and make their own colours and mix them with home made glues to give their art longevity.

Eclectic prints on funky tee shirts and skirts wave at you from the hangers outside many stores. The chunky stone and silver jewellery beckons from the show windows of many small and big shops. There is something for everyone here. For a detailed account on the heritage walk, watch this space. It is soon coming up.

Our expert guide leads us through these by lanes, shows us the historical and dream-like Gangaur Ghat and Bagore ki Haveli (we will come back here in the evening) and takes us to our end point of the heritage walk, on the way showing us The Clock Tower or Ghantaghar.

We are sure by the time you finish your walk your tummies would be rumbling and anticipating some delicious Rajasthani delicacies. We recommend a Rajasthani Thali but if you wish to keep it light then there is a plethora of wonderful restaurants all over the city that serve up the most delicious food. Now, that is an advantage of being in a tourist destination, you don’t really need to read reviews about restaurants as most of them will serve excellent food lest they won’t survive one season.

Post lunch, lets head towards the Monsoon Palace or Sajjangarh. This is the most magical place in all of Udaipur, or maybe not as there are so many other places that are staking a claim to the top spot. But Sajjangarh nonetheless is a must-visit monument. The drive to the Palace which is quaintly perched on top of a hill is more interesting than reaching the destination. The path crosses a national park which is home to many wild animals - The Bear, Panthers, Cheetahs, many birds and a large population of our national bird - The Peacock and some crocodiles in a pond near the entrance too. 

From the top at Sajjangarh the view of the city will just take your breath away. And if it is monsoons that you are visiting during, you will know why this Palace is called the Monsoon Palace. Interesting story behind it being an incomplete structure too but then that is an entirely different story for an entirely different time as Winnie the Pooh says!

Tea / coffee and sandwiches at the cafe at Sajjangarh if you still feel like munching onto something. Later lets proceed to Bagore Ki Haveli for the best cultural evening experience. Rajasthan is home to many tribes and castes with each one of them being rich in their traditional legacy of rituals, systems, attire, cuisine, arts, dance forms and music. Dharohar - a cultural show at the heritage structure of Bagore Ki Haveli is a beautifully curated show that gives glimpses of as many as twelve ingenious art forms of Rajasthan from Terah Tali to Kathputli to Ghoomer to Kaalbeliya, whichever dance form you have heard of can be seen here. This is such a captivating show that one does not realise when that one hour passes by.

Now the day has almost come to an end and you have had ample walking and running around so spend some peaceful time at the brightly lit up Gangaur Ghat, dipping your feet in the cool waters. Gaze at the jewel-like sparkling Lake Palace on your left and a golden pea-pod of an old bridge on your right. The Monsoon Palace will wink at you from up high. Walk back to your waiting car and head for a lovely meal while re-living the moments of the day. That’s Udaipur for you in a day - a capsule which can only sustain the hunger till your next major meal : the next long trip. You definitely can not not-experience the world’s 3rd best city in totality. Need a car to take you around and a guide to show you around? Click here.