My trip to Jaipur

Discussion in 'Travel' started by rupa94, Dec 5, 2007.

  1. rupa94

    rupa94 New IL'ite

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    Friday, November 23, 2007


    Hi,

    As I was packing Friday evening to take the direct flight from Sharjah to Jaipur, I did not have the slightest inkling that our flight will be delayed for more than 24 hours, thanks to the thick fog that had enveloped Sharjah and neighbouring cities. I was part of a eight member kitty party group on our maiden week-long trip to the holiday destination without our hubbies tagging along. Nor the children for that matter, all of whom had left their comfort zones to study in universities elsewhere. An opportunity that rarely comes by at this stage of one’s life!

    We all checked in together at the appointed time for our dream flight only to be told that our flight is delayed indefinitely. Till then everything was fine including clear sky. As the hours went by, the fog intensified into a thick blanket with little or no visibility. Our disappointment was writ large on our faces. (Wo)man proposes, God disposes so we thought about our holiday sojourn when the waiting for the flight announcement kept eluding us no end. At about 5.30 next morning, we were told that the flight will take off only that evening by 9 pm! Imagine our embarrassment when we had to call our hubbies to come and fetch us back home! Needless to say, their happiness of being single was short-lived.

    The flight finally took off that evening but not without a new hitch. We had to wait for the flight crew this time! When we landed at Jaipur airport at the wee hours of Sunday morning, we could express a sigh of relief. We were met at the airport by the owner of the hotel where we were going to be lodged. Shruthi, member of our group, had made excellent arrangements through her husband using the latter’s contacts in Jaipur. Thus began our journey in Jaipur.

    Though we were all tired due to lack of sleep, we decided to drive down to ‘Tajmahal’ on the same day as planned – a journey of 4.5 hours. After arriving in Agra, we first decided to have a South Indian meal at an excellent restaurant ‘Dasprakash’ where we spent an hour in gastronomical indulgence before heading for Tajmahal Inside the Taj, we had to leave behind the footware in exchange for the one provided by the officials, made out of eco-friendly material. What an experience to walk barefoot on white marble! admiring at the marvelous architecture.By that time it was 6.30 pm. Our visit to Taj was an unforgettable experience . After Tajmahal, we were taken to a marble factory where we saw how marble is from its natural raw form into a beautiful piece of art.

    After shopping - I bought a marble lamp - it was time to leave <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Agra</st1:place></st1:City> and the time was past 7 in the evening. On the way back we had food at a Dhaba. By the time we reached our hotel in Jaipur, it was 1 in the morning. The journey was a pleasant experience as all of us entertained ourselves. The way I sang songs brought to the fore one’s hidden talent. .

    Next morning we went on a sight-seeing trip of Jaipur not before the sumptuous paratas for breakfast. Our visit to the ‘Amir palace’ up on the hill was enlightening. The resplendent ambience of the palace did not leave anyone untouched.

    We took pics of ourselves overlooking ‘royal darbar’. The small digital cameras were very handy. We must have spent about two hours examining everything in detail. We saw the famous glass darbar where the movie ‘Muguhlazam’s special scene was shot. The darbar made of glass and the veg-die decoration is simply remarkable. The work of the artisans of the 18<sup>th</sup> century had a mesmerizing effect - whether it’s the stone Pavement track for the Rani’s wheel chair or the ceilings or the water system used for fountain shows.

    From Amir palace, one can see most of Jaipur. Our next stop was at the handicraft centre. Jaipur is famous for marble and semi-precious stones. We spent a great deal of time shopping and it was 8.30 pm when we decided to head back to the hotel, reluctantly though. Another surprise awaited us at the hotel – this time a dinner invitation from the hotel owner for that well renowned Rajastani meal.

    Next morning after breakfast we went to see Royal museum which is another interesting place of tourist interest. The rich heritage everywhere overwhelmed us. We had a chance encounter with the present ruler. It took about two hours to complete the tour of museum. From Museum we went to have lunch. We had sumptuous food followed by ice cream.
    After lunch, we went to another place of historical interest ‘jantar mantar’. It was designed in18th century, we were told. The term ‘Jantar Mantar’ is derived from Sanskrit meaning ‘instruments and formulae’. It was built not only to verify astronomical observations made at Jaipur but also to stimulate interest in autonomy. We wanted to spend more time. Again we all rushed to complete our shopping.

    In the evening, we formally decked up in our finest sarees to have dinner at ‘Rambagh’ palace. It was fun and by the time we left it was an hour past midnight.

    There was only one place left to see. Next morning we set out to see ‘Hawa Mahal’. The city never ceases to surprise. Hawa mahal is another beautiful piece of architecture. It has about 600 windows. The place was used to celebrate royal festivals like holi. It’s a five storey building. The harem used to watch the royal procession through the windows.

    It was lunch time by the time we finished the tour. We left for the hotel straight away for lunch and set out again for last minute shopping. Finally, we realized it was time to return to our hotel to finish packing before heading for airport for our return journey.

    Though we checked in on-time, we had to wait once again for the fog in Sharjah to get cleared before our plane took off at 6 in the morning.

    All in all, barring the flight delays caused by fog, it was a wonderful trip, well planned and well organized.


    rupa
     
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  2. Neesha

    Neesha Senior IL'ite

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    Greetings Rupa

    Sounds lovely!! Wish I could have been there!
    Please post some pictures. What does Jaipur specialise in - what did you buy?

    Regards Neesha
     
  3. rupa94

    rupa94 New IL'ite

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    Hi Neesha
    I will post some pics soon.
    Tks
     
  4. vidhukumar

    vidhukumar Senior IL'ite

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    hey your trips sounds wonderful!!!all ladies!!!without the men you must have had a wonderful time shopping(no one to tell you to hurry up!!!)i had been to jaipur during my college trip.you brought back my old carefree college life memories!!!
     
  5. Lotus007

    Lotus007 Senior IL'ite

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    Rajasthan is always a tourists delight. I have yet to visit this beautiful state with so much to see and learn. The culture here is so rich and the food so yummy, actually I am planning a long holiday here and thats the reason for the delay. I will keep you post in mind when I have to visit Jaipur.
     
  6. rupa94

    rupa94 New IL'ite

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    HI, Pl do so. Iwll always bethere to guide you
     

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