Inconsequential

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

Jaisalmer is dominated by its fort. It’s often likened to a giant sandcastle rising from the precipitous rock face. When you see it, you can see why. The fort is part of the old city, walled in by nearly a hundred bastions. There are several Jain temples in there and a royal palace too. The … Continue reading / view photos Jaisalmer Fort – castles in the air

Like probably every other visitor to Jaisalmer, I did a camel safari. Mine was just over a day. There were five of us. A jeep took us first to Kuldhara, which looked in pretty good nick for an abandoned village. It was established by the Brahmins (the priestly caste) in the 13th century and abandoned … Continue reading / view photos Camel safari, Jaisalmer

Outside the centre of Jodhpur there are some fine places to visit. The first place I went to was Mandore Gardens, which the guesthouse owner told me about and isn’t mentioned at all in my guidebook. I’m glad I went: it was peaceful, had a surprisingly attractive temple and there were loads of monkeys! I … Continue reading / view photos Around Jodhpur

Monkeys in Mandore Gardens and other random non-buildings! View photos Mandore Gardens, Jodhpur