Jaipur Jaunt

I deserved a pat on the back. Despite the nip in the air last Saturday morning, I had done the unthinkable - swapped loyalties from my bed for a train journey to Jaipur. So while most people lay swaddled in their cozy mink blankets, two eager beavers – Mum and I, set out on our Jaipur jaunt.

The 4-hour something journey was uneventful, patterned with both us girls nodding off in unison, only to be awakened by either liveried attendants who wanted to feed us or by the the dull recorded monotone of the woman, announcing the arrival of a station.

The ticket collector had chattily informed us that the train halted at Jaipur for a mere 5 minutes. We hopped off excitedly, animated expressions writ clearly over our faces. 10 mins later, the hotel cab transported us through the dusty streets, bringing back warm (literally) memories of another time when a friend and I had visited another lovely city in Royal Rajasthan – Jaisalmer.

The hotel was opulent, doing full justice to the luxurious pictures that were splashed on its website. A quick freshening up, and the mother-daughter duo was more than ready to explore the Pink City.

And we weren’t disappointed. Markets beckoned us invitingly, their colorful wares spread cheerfully both inside and outside shops. A tourist tried on colorful lac bangles, while yet another was busy adjusting a rainbow-hued turban onto his blonde, wavy hair. Some children, oblivious to the sounds and smells of the markets, had decided that one corner belonged to them, and were busy in a game of hopskotch.

Three gipsy women, bedecked in silver ornaments, were sharing a beedi, and no doubt, stories that were undoubtedly the cause of much amusement to them – which explained their giggles at regular intervals. It being a weekend, college girls had decided to visit all shops – to touch a dupatta here, sample some scented saunf (asafoetida) there, try on a gaily-colored jutti or a beaded necklace ahead, look longingly at a colorful lehenga that spangled from inside a shop’s display window. They settled at purchasing some bangles each, their lilting laughter following all the way to the corner shop where they stopped to share some some sour and spicy pani puris. Some minutes later, noses running, eyes streaming, they head to the nearby theater to check if their two most favorite Bollywood movie stars could wield the same magic they did when they romanced in the green-yellow mustard fields of Punjab some 15 years ago.

We weaved our way through the market, heading for the fourteenth floor revolving restaurant of a hotel which promised to show entire Jaipur even as one made his way through his Makhani Daal and Amritsari Naan. It lived up to its promise. We ate a hearty meal, fascinated by seeing the entire Jaipur unfold around us. Some picturesque places were immediately added to our to-see list, their names provided by an attentive restaurant maitre.

The next few hours unfolded the heritage of this Planned city – our rented cab shuttling us from one glorious architectural specimen to another. Hawa Mahal, Amer Fort, Albert Hall Museum, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Statue Circle, Kanak Vrindavan Valley, Sawai Mansingh Stadium (where a thrilling, much-awaited ODI between India and South Africa was to commence the next day) – all these and more were duly visited and clicked pictures at.

The evening was cooler – and we sped to Chokhi Dhani – an ‘authentic’ village atmosphere, spread over 10 acres, which promises to capture the very essence and spirit of Rajasthan. Camels and elephants vied for tourists’ attention, as did folk dancers, acrobats and other artistes. An astrologer – complete with a merrily-picking-tarots-from-the-ground parrot, sat in a corner – surrounded by people eager to hear what lay in store for them. An old, turbaned handlebar-moustached artiste sang in accompaniment to a sarangi. Age had been kind on his voice and his rendition of famous folklore songs stayed with you long after you had passed him. A community styled dining room was where we headed to next. The next 20 minutes probably made it to my tummy’s record list. Smiling attendants (force)fed you with around 10 different varieties of lentils and vegetables, 4 different types of bread and two sweetmeats. People watched in wide-eyed surprise (horror)? as yet another cheerful attendant poured an enormous spoonful of rich, Indian clarified butter onto the bowl of lentils.

Half hour later, we carried our overfed tummies out of the ethnic village, groaning about the pure act of hospitality we had just experienced.

An hour later at the hotel, while recounting how we were unable to see the puppet show at Chokhi Dhani, the executive manning the front desk, very thoughtfully arranged a puppet show right in the hotel premises, next to the sparkling pool. A delighted Mum and me watched spellbound, joined soon by various other Europeans who were also guests at the hotel. Gushing about the hotel’s hospitality, we went up to our tastefully furnished room, and decided to call it a day.

The next morning was dedicated to what we do best – shopping. No wonder my left palm had been itching for the past two days! What was meant to be an only-one-piece-of-baggage journey soon turned into several odd packets. But neither of us was complaining.

The hearty breakfast at the hotel carried us through the day, and several hours later, a late lunch ensued, after which it was time to fetch our baggage from the hotel.

And catch our return train to Delhi, with fond memories of a city that overwhelmed us with its sights, foods, rich culture, and larget-than-life hospitality….