Jaipur

Got back from Jaipur this morning. Jaipur! Fell in love with the city instantly. It’s like coming home to a warm place where a grandpa lives, the kind of grandpas that you want to keep going to for a nice hug, and whose presence makes the house lived in, now, grandpa lives in this home that has all modern amenities well kept up with the times, and in a home where there’s such a grandpa, his goodness rubs off on at least a good handful of people living in the home – that’s Jaipur for you. At least for me.
Saw a bit of the City Palace – the not-to-miss section is the Armours & Knives Section, man something! To even life some of them, seems like you need team work!! And the knives, razor-sharp, sparkling silver shine, you keep staring at it long enough, and imagine that one of those warriors is out there with it right now, ouch, it pierces! One other thing that fascinated me was the ‘chaugar’ (polo), apparently a popular sport then. Seems Akbar used to play chaugar very well and even at night! In order that the ball be seen at night, he had invented a mechanism by which a small candle burns inside the metal ball. The candle is juxtaposed such that with gravitation, although the ball may rotate and bounce, the candle will be firm. And so that the candle should burn for longer also, I forget what it is, a particular substance / chemical used to light up the candle that could burn for hours on end!!
Went to Hawa Mahal – superb piece of work! Simple, yet classy. The umpteen small wooden windows offer a great view of the city, the same windows through which the purdah clad women would witness social proceedings back then!
Founded in 1799, the city was washed pink to welcome Prince Albert who paid a visit in 1820s. I hear that it is one of the earliest well-planned cities in India. The Old Jaipur retains its pink charm and surrounded around the Hawa Mahal are shops and shops and shops.. close to 250 shops on each side, all neatly numbered and written. Offering a view of the mountainside on 3 sides, and far beyond the fort walls, the city is a living organism where bazars galore, selling jewellery, blue pottery, vibrant coloured clothes, bandhinis and razais – the city is a perfect destination for our next holiday!