It was end of the month of December 2020. Corona first wave was going down but here was a threat of it coming back soon. We were at home for many months now and geting desperate to visit somewhere. The idea of a long drive came into mind and so Jaipur - Sambhar - Pokharan - Jaisalmer was finalized.
Our
elaborate plan was as below:
Day
1: Lucknow to Sambhar town via Agra and Jaipur
Day
2: Visit Sambhar Lake and Shakambhari Mata Temple, take road to Pokharan via
Nagaur
Day
3: Visit Longewala War Place and Tanot Mata Temple, stay at Sam sand dunes
Day
4: Visit Kuldhara, Jaisalmer War Museum
Day
5: Visit Jaisalmer fort, Akal wood Fossil Park and Gadhisar Lake and dolls
Museam
Day
6: Jaisalmer to Jaipur
Day
7: Jhalna Leopard Sanctuary, Lake Palace, three forts of Amer, Jaigarh,
Nahargarh and Hawa Mahal
Day
8: Visit Albert Hall Museum
Day
9: Jaipur to Lucknow
Day
1:
From
Lucknow, we took Agra expressway to Agra. Traffic was minimal and by afternoon
we were doing lunch at outskirts of Agra at Agra Jaipur Highway.
For
details about Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. Please refer my blog here.
One
can stay at Sambhar Lake City as well but options are limited. Through
internet, I found the suggestion to stay at Phulera town, about 6 KMs from
Sambhar lake.
It
was around 8 PM, as we reached Phulera. Its a small town. We got a couple of
rooms easily at hotel Rajveer near small bus stand.
Immediately
we went out for some food. Options are limited but we got a small dhaba nearby.
Food was fine and a good sleep refreshed us for the next day.
Day
2:
Early morning, before sunrise, we took the road to Sambhar Lake. It was dark when we reached there near the Shakambhari Mata Temple.
Contrary
to the thoughts, the water is very less in lake and that too in a very specific
area closer to Lake city town. We could not found any water even after driving
on for several KMs. The entire lake bed is white with salty sand and gives a
feeling of like mini "Rann of Kachchh".
Driving
on this dried salt bed is a fun.
The
Sambhar Salt Lake is India's largest inland salt lake. Most of the lake is
devoid of any water for several KMs. The lake is an extensive saline wetland, which
receives water from five rivers: Medtha, Samaod, Mantha, Rupangarh, Khari, and
Khandela. The lake is elliptically
shaped with a length of approximately 35.5 KM and a breadth varying between 3
KM and 11 KM. The circumference of the lake is 96 KM, and it is surrounded by
the Aravali hills on all sides.
Sambhar
lake basin is divided by a 5-6 km long dam. After the saltwater reaches a
certain concentration, it is released by lifting the dam gates and salt is
derived from the salt evaporation ponds after the water dries up.
Sambhar
Salt Lake produces 196,000 tonnes of salt every year, which is around 9% of
India's salt production.
The
Indian epic Mahabharata mentions the Sambhar Lake as a part of the kingdom of
the demon king Vrishparva, as the place where his priest Shukracharya lived,
and as the place where the wedding between his daughter, Devayani, and King
Yayati took place. A temple near the lake is dedicated to Devayani.
The legend says that Shakambhari Devi, the tutelary goddess of Chauhan Rajputs and the consort of Lord Shiva, converted a dense forest into a plain of silver as payment for some service. Subsequently, at the request of the inhabitants who dreaded the greed and strife that such a possession would beget, she transformed the silver plain into a lake.
In
1884, ancient sculpture art was discovered in the area as part of small-scale
excavation work done in Sambhar Lake. During that excavation, some terracotta
structures, coins, and seals were found along with a clay stupa. Later on,
around 1934, a large-scale systematic and scientific excavation was conducted
in which a large number of terracotta figurines, stoneware, and decorated discs
were found. A number of these sculptures from Sambhar are present at the Albert
Hall Museum at Jaipur.
After
driving for several KMs and taing a lot of pics of Lake and the rising Sun, we
went to the nearby temple of Mata Shakambhari. Main gate was channled and from
tehre only we were allowed to do the darshan.
Mother
blessed us with her divine presence. Mother goddess Shakambhari is an
incarnation of mother Parvati. Her name means "The One who nourishes
mankind with fruits and vegetables".
I
feel that Sambhar Lake’s beauty and vastness is best explored on a full moon
night when a walk on it feels like a never ending land of silver.
I heard that the night sky from the chhatri (cenotaph) near Maa Shakambari Devi Temple is incredible.
Now
its time to take road towards Jaisalmer. But first we went to town of Phulera
and did breakfast of "Mirchi Bhaji" with excellent "Kadhi".
The Kadhi of Rajastha is famous and now I came to know why.
It
was incredibly delicious.
From
Phulera we drove to Nagaur. It was noon as we reached there. The plan was to
have a quick look at Nagaur Fort and then move to Pokharan.
To
our utter disappointment, the fort was closed due to covid pandemic and nobody was
allowed inside.
Nagaur fort was also known as Ahichhatrapur durg, which literally translates into ‘fort of the hooded cobra’. It is situated middle in the Nagaur city.
Spread
over 36 acres, The Nagaur Fort is of historical importance. Nagaur fort is the
fort built by the ancient Kshatriya clans. In the medieval era, the town of
Nagaur sat astride trade routes coming north from Gujarat and Sindh and those
on the west crossing the Indus from Multan. With a dead flat plain all around,
the defense of the fort depended on the military and economic power of its
rulers.
After
repeated attacks by Ghaznavi and other Turk invaders, it fell into the hands of
them and became one of the first Muslim strongholds in northern India.
It
was quite hot and humid. We decided to take road to Jaialmer and to take lunch
some one the way dhaba. We didnt found any eatery for many KMs, finally one
very small dhaba, helped us to regain some energy in that harsh weather.
Just
before entering the Pokharan town, we took a left turn on a small road to see
the place for the first nuclear blast site, "The Smiling Buddha".
There is no road to the actual site and no markings also. We left the tar road and took the village route. It was able to drive car up to certain distance and after that we went on foot. Soon we spotted a area surrounded by barbed fences. The entire area is desert one with bushes and a very few trees. A board at the locked gate confirmed that it was the site.
We
were there only for a few minutes as though "Buddha smiled" here
almost 47 years ago, the nuclear radiation is still active.
While
returning we encountered a deer on the way. The life thrives even in such harsh
conditions.
It
was getting dark and we took the road to Pokharan. Initaily we were in double
mind as to stay at Pokharan for night or go directly to Jaisalmer, but after
some deliberation, we decided to stay at Pokharan.
There are no good places to stay at Pokharan (atleast we didnt found it). It was a small hotel we stayed and took dinner there itself as outside there we couldn't find good eateries.
Its
said that the night sky from Pokharan is excellent.But its same from any of te
desert town. Also its good only if its dark. In cities and towns, with electricity
its difficult to witness that.
There
is also a small fort at Pokharan, though we did not visit it. This 14th century
citadel also known as "Balagarh", stands amidst the Thar Desert. This
monument is the fort of the chief of the rathore, the clan of Rathores of the
state of Marwar-Jodhpur.
Day
3:
Early
morning, we took the road to Jaisalmer. We discussed and decided to go directly
to Longewala and Tanot first before coming back to Jaisalmer.
We
did breakfast at a small eatery infront of Jaisalmer Railway station.
With
advent of modern irrigation technologies and the availability of waters from
Indira Gandhi Canal, the agriculture has started booming in Jaisalmer area as
well. I saw many mustard fields being irrigated with sprinkler technology.
Also
one can witness a lot of windmills in area.
But
still major part of this land is barren with sand and bushes.
There
were many small villages on the way, in that desolate land. One can only
imagine how tough their life has been since generations!
We
were on the way to Longewala.
Here
we did one mistake. Anyone coming from Jaisalmer should first go to Tanot and
then to Longewala and then to Sam village to stay in sand dunes or can return
back to Jaisalmer.
I
was quite excited to be at the "Land of Braves" the Longewala
village, the site of famous battle in the cold night of 4th and 5th December
1971.
A
battle that became a legend and being taught in all military schools acroos the
world. This is story of how 120 soldiers with rifles and two gun mounted Jeeps
fought with 3000 enemy soldiers and 4 dozen tanks!
The
Battle of Longewala was one of the first major engagements in the western
sector during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
The
bunkers have been preserved. The entire area is dotted with tanks and trucks of
enemy destroyed or abandoned by them.
We
lost two of our soldiers but not before killing over 200 of enemy soldiers. As
dawn surfaced, IAF fighters concluded the battle by destroying over 3 dozen
tanks and forcing already demoralised and deject enemy to flee.
It
was like a pilgrimage. I remembered the braves, who were there in that odd
situation, who decided to defend the motherland and the cost of their lives and
came with flying colors.
We
spend a few hours there. There is also a small museum, but it was closed due to
pandemic. Hence we took the road to Tanot Temple.
The
roads are excellent here.
It
took us around an hour to reach Tanot. On the way both side its barren desert
land. We also saw a few villages on the way. I was was thinking how the
villagers here can survive...but life goes on.
Goddess Aavad, the daughter of Mamadia Charan (Gadhvi), is worshiped as Tanot Mata. As per the oldest Charan literature, Tanot Mata is an incarnation of divine goddess Hinglaj Mata.
Legend
goes like this, long time ago there was man named Mamadia Charan, who had no
child, he traveled completely on foot to Hinglaj Mata seven times to attain
child. One night, when the hinglaj mata asked that mamadiya Charan (Gadhvi) in
her dream, whether you want a son or a daughter, Charan said that you should
take birth at my house. By the grace of Hinglaj Mata, seven daughters and one
son were born at that house.
One
of these was Aavad Mata, who is known as Tanot Mata.
The
temple was constructed and the idol of the reigning deity was installed by the
Bhati Rajput King Tanu Rao in 828 AD. Since then, the temple has been revered
and worshipped by the Bhati Rajputs and the people of Jaisalmer for
generations.
Tanot
was attacked by the Pakistan Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 during
which 3,000 bombs were fired towards the temple. However, the bombs either
missed their target or did not explode. The unexploded bomb shells still lie in
the temple premises. After the 1965 war, India's Border Security Force (BSF)
took charge of the temple and the responsibility of managing and maintenance.
We
were blessed by the darshan of mother. We also saw the unexploded shells there.
Pakistan
border is about 15 KMs from here. To go there one need permission from BSF
officials. So we decided not to pursue that and took the road back to Longewala
one the way to Sam sand dunes.
Sam
sand dunes are about 125 KMs from Longewala and it us about 2 hours to reach
there.
It
was evening as we reached there. There are many tent hotels/resorts who tries to
surround you and negotiate the price. Heavy bargaining is required here.
Quickly
we finalized one and took the jeep from them to dunes.
There
are a total of 3 popular sand dune areas in Jaisalmer which are:
1. Sam sand dunes
2. Khuri sand dunes
3. Lodhruva sand dunes
Here Sam Sand Dunes is quite popular among travellers, as this area of 3-5 km has pure sand with no plants, along with desert camps, camels & jeeps for Jaisalmer desert safari tours and a spot which is now called as Sam sunset point.
Evening
I sat on the dunes looking at vast expense of land...far away the Sun was
setting and glowing with its golden hue, making all the land shine like gold.
Even
in midst of so many fellow travelers, there was peace!
As
the night fell, we returned back to resort. There was cultural programs and
dinner. A good sleep followed us.
It
was bitter cold. Though we were packed with all woollens but still it felt
chilled.
Morning,
we again went to dunes, this time we took camels. Two folk sinegers approached
us and sang a few songs delighting us with their skills and melody.
Kuldhara
is an abandoned village about 20 KMs from Jaisalmer. It was established around
13th century and was once a prosperous village inhabited by Paliwal Brahmins.
It was abandoned by the early 19th century for unknown reasons, possibly
because of dwindling water supply, or as a local legend claims, because of the
atrocities by the Jaisalmer State's minister Salim Singh. People who migrated
from Kuldhara have settled in different parts of India but the majority of
people are living in Sirmaur of Himachal Pradesh. The Dutt's Clan of Sirmaur is
believed to be the descendant of migrated Brahmins of Kuldhara.
Over
years, Kuldhara acquired reputation as a haunted site, and the Government of
Rajasthan decided to develop it as a tourist spot in the 2010s.
The
local legend claims that while deserting the village, the Paliwals imposed a
curse that no one would be able to re-occupy the village. Those who tried to
re-populate the village experienced paranormal activities, and therefore, the
village remains uninhabited.
We
talked to many locals there and felt that they do not believe in the ghost
stories, but propagate them in order to attract tourists. In the early 2010s,
Gaurav Tiwari of Indian Paranormal Society claimed to have observed paranormal
activities at the site. The 18-member team of the Society along with 12 other
people spent a night at the village. They claimed to have encountered moving
shadows, haunting voices, talking spirits, and other paranormal activities!
We
roamed there for some time. A few tourists were there. Administration has
reconstructed one house to give impression, how it would have looked like in
those days. That’s a good initiative. Nearby temple is also in good condition.
From
Kuldhara, we moved to Jaisalmer war museum.
It
was dedicated to the Nation by Lieutenant General Ashok Singh, General Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, Indian Army, on 24 August 2015. The
Museum displays war exhibits which include vehicles and equipment captured
during the course of operations in 1965 and 1971. The Jaisalmer War Museum, has
an Honour Wall engraved with the names of the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir
Chakra gallantry award winners, two large Information Display Halls - Indian
Army Hall and Longewala Hall, an Audio Visual Room, a souvenir shop and a
cafeteria. A Hunter Aircraft of the Indian Air Force, which destroyed enemy
tank columns during the Battle of Longewala is also displayed.
The
Jaisalmer War Museum is located 10 km short of Jaisalmer on the Jaisalmer -
Jodhpur Highway. The inauguration of the Museum took place in the Golden
Jubilee Commemoration Year of the 1965 India Pakistan War.
There
was a little queue and only a limited number of people were allowed inside to
maintain social distancing. WE followed the norms and spend some good times
going through each gallery and vehicles/guns/equipment’s displayed.
It
was afternoon now, we returned back to Jaisalmer and looked for a good hotel.
The hotel we chose also gave us a good view of Jaisalmer fort.
Evening,
we spend some time at hotel, relaxing and shooting the glimpses of legendary
fort.
Morning
after breakfast, it was time to visit the Jaisalmer fort.
The
fort is majestic and I am always eager to explain forts. But our enthusiasm
dipped when we came to now that fort will remain closed due to death of the
current Maharaja of Jaisalmer.
Still we went there. Its tough walls give the idea how it would have been in bygone days. As many of the civilians reside inside the fort, hence the door was open. We explored the fort as much possible. Buildings related to Royal family were closed.
There is a very beautiful Jain temple also inside the fort.
It is believed to be one of the very few "living forts" in the world (such as Carcassonne, France), as nearly one fourth of the old city's population still resides within the fort. For the better part of its 800-year history, the fort was the city of Jaisalmer. The first settlements outside the fort walls, to accommodate the growing population of Jaisalmer, are said to have come up in the 17th century.
Jaisalmer
Fort was built in 1156 AD by the Rajput Rawal (ruler) Jaisal from whom it
derives its name, and stood at the crossroads of important trade routes
(including the ancient Silk road).
Many
of the strategic places are still fortified with Guns, which adds to its
majestic look.
Somehow
I feel that residents who live inside need to leave the fort. Their presence is
eroding the structure and thus eating its life.
After
Jaisalmer fort, it was time to visit Akal Fossil Museum.
Akal
Wood Fossil Park is a National Geological Monument. It is located in Akal
village, about 15 KMs from Jaisalmer in a barren and rocky terrain.
The
park contains fossils of wood and shells of the Early Jurassic period, that is
almost 180 million of years old. There are about a dozen fossilised wood logs
lying horizontally oriented in random directions.
The
Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared the site a National Geological
Monument in 1972. The park was maintained by GSI till 1985, when maintenance
was handed over to the Forest Department of Government of Rajasthan. Now, the
park is maintained by the authorities of the Desert National Park. The exposed
tree trunks have been protected by iron grill cages with tin sheet roofing.
Existence
of fossils of shells also suggests that the region was a sea once upon a time.
Not
many people were there. We climbed a small hillock and sat there with a
mesmerizing 360 degree view of the surrounding!
That
evening we also visited the dolls (Puppet) museum and then to Ghadisar lake.
There
was a show of folk dance and song using puppets. It was quite good. Its a must
visit place if you visit Jaisalmer.
Gadhisar
Lake was built by the founder of Jaisalmer, King Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD and
later rebuilt by Gadsi Singh in the year around 1367 AD. It is said that this
lake once provided water to the entire city. The lake also has many chhatris
and shrines.
It
was our last day at Jaisalmer. We returned back to hotel and did dinner there
while witnessing the golden rampart and walls of the majestic fort!
Day
6:
We started from Jaisalmer early morning and reached Jaipur by evening. It was almost dark by the time we checked in at Hotel.
Day 7:
Luckily our hotel was next to Jhalna National
Park. so early morning, when this was still dark, we decided to have a safari.
Jhalana Safari Park is the best place to witness
leopards and many other wild animals. Though we could not spot it and had to
remain satisfied with blue bull, deer, peacocks, monkeys etc.
Safaris are allowed inside the park in two shifts
Morning and Afternoon.
Jhalna is a deciduous forest and trees shed their
leaves in dry seasons. Leopard is on top of food chain here.
Our safari driver took us to various water holes
and other area where there was possibility of getting the big cat, but we
remained unlucky.
Jhalna had been a hunting ground for Jaipur
kings. We visited the "Shikar Audhi", which was built to help hunting
the big cats. Last of the tigers was killed in 1948. Since then Leopoard is the
top predator here.
We returned back and then drove to Nahar fort. On
midway, we stopped at a eatery for much needed breakfast.
On the way we saw "Jal Mahal" (meaning
"Water Palace"), which is in middle of the Man Sagar Lake. It looked
very beautiful with Sun rising, Lake and the Red Palace in between them.
The palace was originally constructed in 1699,
the building and the lake around it were later renovated and enlarged in the
18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber.
The interior of the Jal Mahal Palace is not open
to visitors. So we can see it only from a distance. The palace, built in red
sandstone, is said to be a five-storied building, of which four floors remain
underwater when the lake is full and only the top floor is exposed.
A lot of pigeons are there, fed by locals and
tourists alike.
Our next destination was Nahargarh Fort.
Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli
Hills, overlooking the city of Jaipur. Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort,
Nahargarh once formed a strong defence ring for the city. The fort was
originally named Sudarshangarh, but it became known as Nahargarh, which means
'abode of tigers'.
Another legend is that Nahar here stands for
Nahar Singh Bhomia, whose spirit haunted the place and obstructed construction
of the fort. Nahar's spirit was pacified by building a temple in his memory
within the fort, which thus became known by his name.
Built mainly in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh,
the fort was constructed as a place of retreat on the summit of the ridge above
the city. Walls extended over the surrounding hills, forming fortifications
that connected this fort to Jaigarh.
During the Indian first war of Independence in
1857, the Europeans of the region, including the British Resident's wife, were
moved to Nahargarh fort by the king of Jaipur, Sawai Ram Singh, for their protection.
Until April 1944, the Jaipur State government used
it for its official purpose, solar time read from the Samrat Yantra in the
Jantar Mantar Observatory, with a gun fired from Nahargarh Fort as the time
signal.
The fort and the view from fort are excellent.
The palace rooms gives a glimpse of luxury of the time.
Now was time to go to Jaigarh Fort.
There was quite a rush and with some difficult we
got the parking slot for our car.
The main attraction of the fort is a cannon named "Jaivana"(Jaivana Cannon), which was manufactured
in the fort precincts and was then the world's largest cannon on wheels.
Jaigarh Fort and Amer Fort are connected by
subterranean passages and considered as one complex.
During the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Jaigarh Fort, became one of the world's most efficient cannon foundries mainly due to the abundance of iron ore mines in the vicinity of the fort. The cannon foundry at Jaigarh Fort had a massive wind tunnel that sucked air from the high mountains into its furnace and heated to melt the metal. The molten metal would fill a reservoir chamber and pass into a cannon mold in the casting pit. Most of those cannons were massive and had to be prepared within a single day.
The water supply facilities in the fort was met
by creating water harvesting structures in the vicinity in the Aravalli
catchment and conveying water through a canal on the west side of the fort over
a 4 kilometers distance to be stored in three underground tanks below the
central courtyard. The largest tank had a capacity of 6 million gallons of
water.
One gets just amazed by the engineering skills of those days.
The armory chamber here has a wide display of
swords, shields, guns, muskets and also a 50 kilograms cannonball. Pictures on
display are old photographs of Jaipur's Maharajas namely, Sawai Bhawani Singh
and Major General Man Singh II who served in the Indian Army as senior
officers.
Jaivana, manufactured in 1720, was the world's largest cannon on wheels of the
Early Modern Era. The foundry where it was manufactured is also located here. A
plaque at the entrance to the enclosure where the Jaivan Cannon is displayed
gives relevant information on the history of the Cannon, its size and use. This
cannon was never used in any battleThe cannon is said to be fired only once with a charge of 100 kilograms of gunpowder and when fired
covered a distance of about 35 kilometers.
It was past mid-day and so time was to visit
Amber fort.
Amber fort is the main fort at Jaipur, which was
used as residence of royal family. Jaigarh was a foundry and a treseury fort
while Nahargarh was to keep safe the royals during any war like situation.
The town of Amber and the Amber Fort was built by
Raja Alan Singh Chanda 967 AD, later ruled by kachawaha rajputs. Amber Fort is
known for its artistic style elements. With its large ramparts and series of
gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main
source of water for the Amber Palace.
Among all forts, this fort is always more
crowded.
Mughal architecture greatly influenced the
architectural style of several buildings of the fort. Constructed of red
sandstone and marble, the attractive, opulent palace is laid out on four
levels, each with a courtyard. At the entrance to the palace near the fort's
Ganesh Gate, there is a temple dedicated to Shila Devi, whose idol was given to
Raja Man Singh when he defeated the Raja of Jessore, Bengal in 1604.
This palace, along with Jaigarh Fort, is located
immediately above on the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of the same Aravalli
range of hills. The palace and Jaigarh Fort are considered one complex, as the
two are connected by a subterranean passage. This passage was meant as an
escape route in times of war to enable the royal family members and others in
the Amer Fort to shift to the Jaigarh Fort.
Jaleb Chowk is an Arabic phrase meaning a place
for soldiers to assemble. This is one of the four courtyards of Amber Palace,
which was built during Sawai Jai Singh's rule. Adjacent to the courtyard were the horse stables, with the upper-level
rooms occupied by the guards.
This is a must visit place in Jaipur.
We were getting tired now with our exploration of Jaipur City. But
there was no time to take rest as a lot was still left and sun was setting fast,
so we rushed to the Jantar Mantar.
Many tourists miss this place, but I suggest to include it in you
itinirary to get amazed by the advances that India had in those days in
astronomy.
Close to Jantar Mantar is one of the most famous attraction of Jaipur,
The City Palace.
The City Palace at Jaipur was established at the same time as the city
of Jaipur, by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who moved his court to Jaipur from
Amber, in 1727. It now houses the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Museum, and
continues to be the home of the Jaipur royal family. The palace complex has
several buildings, various courtyards, galleries, restaurants, and offices of
the Museum Trust.
Maharaja Ram Singh sided with the British in the first war of Independence
of 1857 and established himself with the Imperial rulers. It is to his credit
that the city of Jaipur including all of its monuments (including the City
Palace) are stucco painted 'Pink' and since then the city has been called the
"Pink City". The change in the colour scheme was as an honor of
hospitality extended to the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII)
on his visit. This color scheme has since then become a trademark of the Jaipur
city.
The most prominent and most visited structures in the complex are the
Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple, and the City Palace
Museum.
The Udai Pol near Jaleb chowk, the Virendra Pol near Jantar Mantar,
and the Tripolia (three pols or gates) are the three main entry gates of the
City Palace. The Tripolia gate is reserved for the entry of the royal family
into the palace. Common people and visitors can enter the place complex only
through the Udai Pol and the Virendra Pol.
Diwan-e-Aam, the Sabha Niwas, is a hall of the public audience. It has multiple cusped arches supported by marble columns and a beautifully painted plaster ceiling.
Sarvato Bhadra was the Diwan-e-Khas, or the Hall of Private Audience,
which meant the ruler could hold court with the officials and nobles of the
kingdom. Because of its location between the public areas and the private
residence, it has traditionally been used for important private functions like
the coronation rituals of the Maharajas of Jaipur.
There are two huge silver vessels of 1.6 metres height and each with
capacity of 4000 litres and weighing 340 kilograms are on display here. They
were made from 14,000 melted silver coins without soldering. These vessels were
specially commissioned by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II to carry the water of
the Ganges to drink on his trip to England in 1902 (for Edward VII's
coronation). Hence, the vessels are named as Gangajalis (Ganges-water urns).
There is a Textile gallery, situated on the ground floor of the
Mubarak Mahal. On display are various kinds of textiles and fabrics used by
different Kings and royal family.
Also there is a Armoury Museum, the Sileh khana, which showcases the
many arms used by the Rajputs of Jaipur and Amber. The collection features
swords, spears and guns etc.
In Painting and Photography Gallery, where paintings and photographs
from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Jaipur are showcased.
It was good to visit City Palace. It gives an opportunity to feel very
closely, how the royals lived in those days.
Evening was approaching now and so it was time to visit Hawa Mahal
nearby.
Hawa Mahal (English translation: "The Palace of Winds" or "The Palace of Breeze") is built from red and pink sandstone, in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, who was the founder of Jaipur. He was so inspired by the unique structure of Khetri Mahal that he built this grand and historical palace. Its five floor exterior is akin to honeycomb with its 953 small windows called Jharokhas decorated with intricate latticework. The original intent of the lattice design was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life and festivals celebrated in the street below without being seen. This architectural feature also allowed cool air from the Venturi effect to pass through, thus making the whole area more pleasant during the high temperatures in summer
The top three floors of the structure have the
width of a single room, while the first and second floors have patios in front
of them.
As the dark descened, we were back to hotel,
satisfied by our exploration of the day. Key thing is that if one can start
early, say 7 AM, then almost all main spots of Jaipur can be covered in a
single day!
Day 8:
It was a leisure day, most of the sightseeing
done so started our day a little late and visited the Albert Hall Museum.
It is the oldest museum of the state and functions
as the state museum of Rajasthan. The building is situated in Ram Niwas garden and is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. It is also called the
Government Central Museum.
This building looks very beautiful, particularly at night with all lights lit!
The building was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton
Jacob and was opened as public museum in 1887. Maharaja Ram Singh initially wanted
this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh II, decided it
should be a museum for the art of Jaipur and included as part of the new Ram
Nivas Garden.
It is named after King Albert Edward, during
whose visit to the city as the Prince of Wales, its foundation stone was laid
on 6 February 1876.
After taking a few pics from the outer area, we started exploring the
museum.
The museum has a rich collection of artifacts
including paintings, jewelry, carpets, ivory, stone, metal sculptures, and
works in crystal. The collection includes coins from the Gupta, Kushan, Delhi
Sultanate, Mughal and British periods.
An Egyptian mummy is the main attraction of this
museum.
It is also a must visit in Jaipur, particularly if you are with kids.
Evening, we kept for some marketing across the walled Pink city.
Day 9:
We started early from Jaipur for Lucknow. We took breakfast at Agra
and then proceeded to Lucknow, reaching there by late afternoon.
It always feel so good to be at home, sweet home!
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