My travel to Rajasthan -A colorful experience visiting Jaipur,Ajmer,Pushkar,Jodhpur,Kumablagarh and Udaipur

Rajasthan, or the Land of the Kings a vibrant state  is the perfect example of India’s grandeur and magnificence. The imposing and majestic palaces and forts,lakes and gardens,welcome you .You are sure to be enamored by the colorful culture, lovely folk music and art and of course mouthwatering cuisine .All this makes Rajasthan an ideal choice and a lovable destination for all types of travelers be it Indian or foreigners

For the last few years we have celebrating our anniversary by traveling to a new destination   and this time we chose Rajasthan as our destination.I have always been wanting to visit this colorful state

Our trip Iternary was Mumbai-jaipur-ajmer-pushkar-jodhpur-Ranakpur-kumbalgarh-Nathdwara-udaipur-mumbai.

As we have a lot of time in hand normally most of our trips are planned in advance. We book our stay well in advance and we have a fair info about the places to cover, a rough idea of the time required at each place etc.Well I was really excited as I was visiting Rajasthan for the very first time. Our much awaited journey started on

9th September 2017.

We were up early did a final round of packing the brick a brack and were on our way to the airport (terminal T 2 by 8.45Am.had a sumptuous breakfast at the airport and as we had enough time for our flight we went around T 2 clicking photos and of course selfies

Our Air India flight was on time and departed at 11.35 Am and we landed at Jaipur fondly called as the pink city at 1.10 pm.After picking up our luggage we were out at about 1.30

We had already booked a car for our entire stay in Rajasthan. Our driver Prabhudayal came to pick us up at 2 Pm . ( Indian stretchable time).Reportedly there was some communal fight in old Jaipur because of which there were curfew imposed in some places of Jaipur.

As we are members of Mahindra holidays we had booked our resorts in advance. We checked into Hotel mansing Towers which was about 14 km form the airport .It was a reasonably good property of Mahindra’s but was in the heart of the city

Hotel Mansing Towers

After resting for a while we decided to explore Jaipur .We called our driver at 4 P.m. informed us that because of the continuing problem and curfew we cannot visit any monument or heritage place as all of them are situated in old Jaipur and close by 5PM

So we decided to visit the Birla temple. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, this temple is a architectural landmark of Jaipur. Built in pure white marble, this temple is unlike the traditional ancient Hindu temples, and is built with a modern approach.

We spent some time at the temple and went around the temple and clicked few snaps. The temple had a very calm atmosphere and you can actually lose yourself in the serenity of this place.

Birla mandir

Inside the temple

From the temple we proceeded to the industrial area where major exports of Jaipur’s hand loom like bedspreads. Quilts etc happen. Visited one shop and picked up some bedspreads and one dress material which later we realized was not worth at all.

We were back at the hotel by 7.15 pm and went to the adjoining property of Mahindra Mansing palace. Sat by the poolside watching puppet show .Had dinner and called it a day by 9.30 pm

Next day 10th September (Sunday) woke up early and were ready to go sightseeing. But to our misfortune the situation was not back to normal and we were advised not to venture out.It was very disappointing as i had wanted to see all possible spots in pink city but no choice.

After a lot of debating we decided that there was no point in staying put in Jaipur and decided to proceed to Ajmer. Our travel desk at Jaipur hotel gave us some lead about a Kadim who would help us in our visit to the durgah

Booked a room in Man Singh palace through booking.com and left for Ajmer at 11 Am.On the way we stopped at at a highway restaurant for Tea and snacks. We were server excellent pakoras and really enjoyed it.

Highway resort

Reached Mansing Palace Ajmer at 2.30 pm and checked into room 220 on the second floor.

Hotel Mansingh palace

View from our room 

We were ready by 5.30 Pm to visit the famous Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti dargah, the tomb of Moinuddin Chisti . According to folklore, those who visit this dargah at Ajmer are blessed, and their mannats (wishes) are always granted.

The Khadim came to take us toe the dargah. He was a young fat boy neatly dressed and had come in his active. We followed him on our car .Our Vehicle could go only up to a certain point and from there we had to follow him on a rickshaw. The back lanes and alleys with open drains through which he took us was too narrow, absolutely dirty and was in fact a bit scary. It somehow gave us an eerie feeling. It is a wonder how the rickshaw guy navigated the vehicle .I wonder how the famous personalities and Bollywood actors manage to reach the Dargah. I am sure there must be another route 

The place was crowded to the hilt with devotees offering flowers, chaddar etc.. Cleanliness inside the shrine was ok.we had a quick darshan and were back in hotel.

11th September Monday –our wedding anniversary. Since there was not mush to see in Ajmer we woke up leisurely and had a good breakfast.Left the hotel at around 10 Am to visit the Jain temple-Soniji ki narsiyan

Soniji Ki Nasiyan, so called the Red Temple, is a Jain temple dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara,constructed in 1865.

Main attraction of the temple is the main chamber, known as the Swarna Nagari "City of Gold", has several gold-plated figures, depicting various figures of the Jain religion.It was indeed very beautiful

soniji ki narsiya -view through the glass enclosure

we then proceeded to a museum which was unfortunately close for repairs. Left for pushkar at 12.30.We had booked our stay at Anantha Spa and resorts at pushkar. On the way to pushkar there was beautiful scenic spot where we stopped for some time and clicked few pics.

Reached the resort around 1.30.The resort was really beautiful and had a very calm and serene look.

Anantha spa and resorts

inside the resort 

Pushkar is situated at a height of about 500 meters and is surrounded by hillocks on three sides. The 'Nag Pahar', literally meaning Snake Mountain, forms a natural border between Ajmer and Pushkar. Also known as the rose garden of Rajasthan, the essence of the famous Pushkar rose is exported all over the world.

Pushkar Lake – around which the town is formed – is said to have been formed when a lotus flower fell from the hands of Lord Brahma. This temple known as jagatpita Brahma mandir is perhaps the only temple built for lord Brahma.

Pushkar lake is supposed to be a Tirth  Raj and doing certain rituals for the departed souls of the family in this sacred place is believed to be good.We had hired a guide who took us to the lake and introduced us to a Brahmin who would conduct the pooja. We had entered pushkar during Pitru Paksh which is supposed to be the ideal period to do these rituals. We finished our pooja, gave some charity and spent some time near the lake.

Pushkar lake 

We then visited the Brahma Temple .This temple houses a Chaturmukhi( four faced) idol of lord Brahma with his consorts Savithri and Gayathry.

We then roamed around the streets of Pushkar . Pushkar gives you an absolute old world charm feeling and you will find lot of small lanes and by lanes filled with small shops selling artifacts. You will see a lot of tourist population in Pushkar

vibrant streets of Pushkar 

Apart from the lake and the temple there is not much to see in pushkar unless you want to visit the savitri temple which can be accessed by roapway.We were back in the resort and just went around the resort and spent some time. Had dinner and retired for the night.

12th September had a very good breakfast and left for jodhpur.Enroute we stopped at a highway resort Megh Malhar and had some tea. The road to jodhpur was quite good .Reached pratap Niwas Palace,again a Mahindra property .This is situated at about 12 km from the main city.

jodhpur resort 

We were allotted room 302 on the second floor. This place had no lifts, was massive and full of marble flooring.Our room was also huge with a king size poster bed, writing table,a corner shelf .There was an inner room with a dressing table and a huge wardrobe. The bathroom was as big as the bedroom.

View from terrace

view of the resort pool from terrace 

We left the room at 5 pm and decided to go to khairana lake as all other sites would be closed by that time.The lake was quite clean and had a very serene look.We whiled away our time at the lake.Had a lovely view of the sunset and left the lake.

khairana lake 

It was good that we just left in time. The minute we got into the car it started pouring cats and dogs and in fact some portions of the road were getting flooded.By the time we touched the hotel the rains had almost stopped .Back at the hotel a ghazal programme was organized in the open courtyard .they were local Rajasthani singers .they dedicated a song to Srini…"sou saal pehle" ..It was fun.Enjoyed the program and had a good dinner.

13th September Wednesday.

Got up early as we had planned to visit a local sanctuary where we were told that we may get to spot a black buck,chinkara nil ghai etc.

The local guide gnapat came in a Mahindra jeep as only a jeep would be able to maneuver the road.This  jeep had supposedly starred in hindi film Badshaho.Our first stop was at Guda. There was a clean pond and the guide informed us that the water from this pond was exclusively earmarked for birds and animals and was forbidden to be used by people. The sanctuary was small spread over 24 kms.

The community which lived in and around this place were known as Bishnoi.The Bishnois consider trees as sacred, and they are famous for protecting the wildlife and forests around them They protect the entire ecosystem that exists in their villages. Animals like blackbucks and chinkaras, and birds like, partridges, peacocks, find the Bishnoi village to be a safe haven. The bishnois take all the care in protecting them from poachers. You will find mud post filled with water on all bishnoi homes for birds to drink from.

We all are aware of the well-known episode of Salman Khan and group hunting the black buck and bishnois were the ones who caught them .The guide showed us the spot where this hunting had taken place.

We moved further to the sanctuary and luckily could spot a black buck and a nilghai.Our next stop was at a Bishnoi Family .The house was simple and they were still using firewood in the kitchen. We spoke to the bishnoi couple and learnt about their farming. They also said that when they are not farming the men travel to different parts like uttarakhand,odisha etc in search of jobs.

with bishnoi family

We took a full round of the village in the jeep hoping to spot some other wild animals or any rare species of birds.But no such luck..We then proceeded to visit a Dhurry(carpet) factory(cottage industry) .The owner was a young man of 26 years and we learnt that it takes about 3 weeks to weave a dhurry of size 3*5

They were in this dhurry business for the last 5 generations. We were also told that Fab India sources dhurry from these local weavers. The owners aged mother makes dupattas and stoles .Since we dint want to come out empty handed we picked up a dupatta .

We were also told that they make carpets (durries) from camel hair which is supposed to be very good for acupressure.

carpet weaving 

Next we visited a house to see block printing .They showed us how printing on bed sheets was done using hand blocks and how colors were made. We picked up a single bed sheet.

Nest we visited a potters place and saw how different pots were made on the potter’s wheel. Picked up few small items.

The potter on his job 

After talking to them we realized that all of then the carpet weaver, bed sheet maker and the potter were related .We returned back to the hotel. and it was a morning very well spent.

After freshening up  and resting for some time ,we left for mehrangarh fort. The mehrangarh Fort(Citadel of the sun)fort was about half an hour drive from our hotel. We could see the majestic fort from quite a distance towering over the city

We took our entrance ticket and were told that we could use the lift to cover the 12 floors for a small fee. When we entered the lift we could just see 3 buttons. G/1 and 2.On enquiry we were told that the first floor was at a height of 60 feet from the ground and 2nd floor at 120 feet. So averaging the ceiling height as 10 feet we are actually travelling 12 floors. Point of logic taken and figurativeness appreciated.We travelled to the first floor and into an open terrace. From here we could get a panoramic view of the blue city of Jodhpur.

Mehrangarh Fort

the blue city down

This fort is considered as one of the largest forts in the country and with its history dating back to 1460 AD makes also a landmark in the region’s history. It is one of the most impressive forts in Rajasthan. The fort is daunting with a strange haunting beauty.

It is very well maintained clean fort and it gives you a royal feel making you wonder as to how much manpower would have been used to build this.

You can see the brilliant craftsmanship which is clearly exhibited at every nook and corner of the fort .

Inside the fort we explored the palace palaces like the Moti Mahal or the Pearl Palace. The Phool Mahal which has a beautiful ceiling adorned with gold filigree work. The Umaid Villas is filled with beautiful Rajput miniature paintings. The Ajit Villas showcases the musical instruments and the royal attires. The Rang Mahal, Chandan Mahal and the Maan Vilas are breathtakingly beautiful .The fort also houses a museum which has a great collection of all royal things from turbans to palkis ,dolis to hookas.

inside the museum

We climbed down all the way first through stairs and then a ramp.

We then proceeded to jaswant thada ,a royal monument built in marble by maharaja sardar singh of jodhpur in memory of his father a memorial maharaja jaswant Singh 

jaswant Thada

we then proceeded to the much talked about Umaid Bhavan one of india's largest pvt residence.

Umaid Bhavan

One wing of umaid bhavan is the home of the Rathore dynasty and other wing is leased out to the Taj group and it houses the Taj hotel. Both these are not open for visitors. The palace also houses a museum which is open for public. The museum showcases the life of the erstwhile royal family rather than the magnificent art and craft of the land on which it stands. Somehow it was a very disappointing place nothing like what I had expected it to be.

miniature model of umaid bhavan 

We touched back the restaurant at about 4 pm and had some snacks and relaxed.

14th September –Thursday

We got up early as we had decided to leave for kumbalgarh by 8.30 am.We were on our way by 9 am and our first halt was at Ranakpur. Ranakpur is a small village in Pali district of Rajasthan. It is famous for its Jain temple. The temple is dedicated to tirthnakara adinatha of jain faith.

Photography is permitted and the charge is 100/- even if it is mobile camera. They have very good locker facility to deposit your cameras.

The temple is beautiful from the outside but we were over awed by the beauty on the inside. The entire temple is carved from white marble and over 1400 intricately carved pillars hold up the ceiling. The carvings portray people, elephants and geometrical patterns. The temple is very meditative and in fact you can actually feel the drop in temperature once you are inside the temple. We wandered through the cool interior, enjoying this cool serene atmosphere

The temple also provides with audio guides which is giving the head phone to tourists and the headphone insignia was on pillars.so you could get commentary about that pillar from the audio guide.

Ranakpur Jain temple

pillars with intricate work

There were two other temple in the same precinct surya temple and neminath temple.

surya temple

After visiting both these temples we were on our way to kumbalgarh. On the way we stopped at Aranya Niwas for lunch but decided to just have some fresh lime water .Our driver finished his lunch.The drive through the green hills was a real pleasure .After about 45 minutes’ drive we reached Club Mahindra kumbalgarh resort.It was a yellow themed property majestic clean and lively. We were allotted room number 2214 .It was very huge room and very good interior and had a vert soothing feel.

We settled in our room and ordered a club sandwich,French fries and pastries-a combo pack.Relaxed for some time in the room and went for a nice stroll within the property .

View from the room

we went to the fun zone area where we were treated to Rajashthani folk dance

enjoying the cool breeze

It started to drizzle.Just went around the resort and retired for the night.

15th September –Friday

After breakfast we went to the spa for a good massage. We had booked an appointment the earlier day.The spa was clean and the massage was really good using the technique of reflexology. Had a good steam and a shower it was really worth the money

Evening went to a fish pond called hamid ki pol.we could see huge number of catfish.You need to start feeding to actually see the number of fishes.

From here we proceeded to the Kumbalgarh fort. Kumbhalgarh fort is again a grand fort situated on a hill top. This fort cannot be located until you reach its gates.

This fort is the birthplace of the great warrior and king of Mewar, Maharana Pratap Singh.

Kumbalgarh Fort

The fort is entree from gate known as Aret pol.there are many gateways halla pol,ram pol,hanuman pol.The climb to the fort is through a winding path. As there is a lot of climbing and walking to be done don’t forget to wear really good shoes. We would have climbed some 75% when it started to pour heavily. There was absolutely no place to take shelter. As the path was getting slippery we decided to climb down.But I must say that the view was indeed spectacular. Kumbalgarh separates the Mewar region and the marwar region.

The fortified walls are the main feature of this fort .they span a total of almost 36km. After Great Wall of China kumbalgarh fort has the second largest stretch of walls in the world. The walls enclose the complete citadel and it is believed to house over 300 temples within it.

View from the fort

walls of the fort

another view

As it was getting dark and no sign of the rains stopping we decided to head back to the resort.Back in the resort enjoyed some puppet show. And some dance performed by the guests at the resort.

16th September –Saturday

Had our breakfast and left for Udaipur. Enroute we made a pit stop at Nathdwara ,a small desert town which houses the shrinath ji temple which is a popular pilgrimage destination to many Krishna devotees .The temple was quite crowded and we had to wait for almost an hour before we could get a paid darshan. Photography is strictly prohibited here and I wonder why.

The market place at nathdwara had many Rajasthani items and I picked up a few bags and purses to be given as gifts.

On reaching Udaipur as our stay in Udaipur was very short and we wanted to make the most of it ,we headed straight to the fateh sagar lake.

view of fateh sagar lake

After spending some time here we went to the Bharathiya lok kala museum which a folk art museum. It is the home to varied collection of traditional Rajasthani folk articles.

Statue of maharana Pratap atop Chetak

We then proceeded to the Maharana pratap memorial a historic site dedicated to the gallant Maharana Pratap.It is situated on top of moti margi and overlooks the fateh sagar lake.The memorial consists of a life sized statue of Maharana Pratap on his loyal horse Chetak.The scenic beauty from this place is breath taking.

view of the lake from the Memorial

Inside the memorial we can see display of costumes, weapons used in battlefield,the memorial takes you through the life of Maharana Pratap including the famous battle of haldighati.

Having seen the memorial we proceeded to our resort.the resort was really beautiful and we were allotted room number 260.the view of the Aravali mountains from our room was amazing. 

view of Aravali mountains

After freshening up we left for Saheli Ki Bari( garden of the maids) ,a garden built for the queen and her friends. This as built for the women attendees who accompanied the prince maharani sangram sing to Udaipur . as part of his dowry.Now this place is concerted to a lovely garden.

lotus pond

18th September –Sunday

As we were flying back to Mumbai today , we checked out of the property and went straight to city palace our last spot .After buying the ticket we entered through the badi pol.There are numerous rooms, verandas and courtyards to experience the beauty of this palace.

view of lake palace

view from First floor

musical instruments on display

Selfie at the museum grounds

Once having seen the city palace museum,we headed to the airport to take our flight back to Mumbai .on the way we stopped for lunch. Rajasthan visit cannot be complete without eating their authentic daal bati choorma.

We then picked up Rajasthan special sweet Gherua .From here we headed to the airport to take our flight back to Mumbai carrying everlasting wonderful memories of Rajasthan.