Category: Travel

Where do you go to after you’ve been to see the Taj Mahal? The obvious place is Agra Fort, one of the finest Mughal forts in India. I was a bit mentally exhausted after the morning at the Taj and may not have done the Fort justice. The man behind the Taj, Shah Jahan, transformed … Continue reading / view photos Agra Fort

Last Thursday, I went to the Taj Mahal. In some ways, I’ve wanted to see the Taj most of my life. My mother occasionally mentioned it when I was growing up. We had a tiny model of it at home. When I landed in Mumbai in November last year, my intention was to visit relatives … Continue reading / view photos The incomparable Taj Mahal

After dropping my rucksack at the guesthouse, I wandered into town. I saw an English-looking couple having tea outside a cafe and started talking to them. They were neighbours in Spain. Eventually the man, who had been a builder in London before he retired, joined me on my stroll through town. He had been coming … Continue reading / view photos Pushkar – the hippie paradise

I left Jaipur, the Pink City, on Saturday. The relative size of Rajasthan’s capital was somewhat overwhelming after the intimacy of Jaisalmer. However, there were some magnificent and beautiful buildings. The Hawa Mahal (see first photo) is breathtaking. A five story building that rises dramatically from the ground. It was used to allow women in … Continue reading / view photos Jaipur, the Pink City

The jewel in the Jaipur regional crown belongs to the magnificent fort of Amer (Amber). Because I was in a group of mixed ability, we were whizzed up to the Fort in these beetle-like electric buggies. Amer Fort and Jaigarh are considered one complex. They are joined by a passage and, during war, the royal … Continue reading / view photos Amer Fort, Jairpur

Two forts and palace on the edge of Jaipur. We ate at Nahargarh. The forts, Jaigarh and Nahargarh, have “fort” appended to them on the signage and leaflets. This is not strictly necessary since “garh” means fort. However, we also say “PIN number” even though the N stands for “number”. View photos Two forts on the edge of Jaipur

The City Palace and adjacent Jantar Mantar are in the heart of Jaipur’s Old City. The same person, Jai Singh II, began both of them. An unusual leader in the 18th century who was more studious than pugnacious. Jantar Mantar comes from the Sanskrit for “instrument of calculation”. It looks like large geometric sculptures but … Continue reading / view photos City Palace, Jaipur

Yesterday I said goodbye to the Golden City. It was just as enjoyable as the White City (Udaipur) and the Blue City (Jodhpur). The Pink City (Jaipur) of Rajasthan awaits! I loved the old sandstone buildings and was happy to see that they continue to build and sculpt new buildings using the same stone. Here … Continue reading / view photos Goodbye, Golden City

Earlier in the week, I visited the incredibly sumptuous Patwa-ki-Haveli (the first haveli built in Jaisalmer) and Nathmal-ki-Haveli. Both mansions are covered in intricate stonework. On Tuesday, when returning from Gadisar Lake, I came across a private haveli, the Salim Singh-ki-Haveli. The ticket seller, I learnt later, was a relative of the owner of the … Continue reading / view photos Beautiful Jaiselmer

After the festival in Kochi, I found myself again in the right place at the right time. My stay in Jaisalmer coincided with the 2018 annual Desert Festival. The Festival consisted of an inaugural parade through the centre of Jaisalmer. People dressed in traditional costumes. The parade ended in the stadium where the crowd, including … Continue reading / view photos 2018 Desert Festival, Jaisalmer