Bangalore girl's Jaipur Visit

It’s been three days since I got back from Jaipur and I have finally found the time to write about my trip.

I spent 3 beautiful days last weekend and early this week in a Palace converted into a bed and breakfast in Jaipur. Initially, I felt a little sad for the Chomu family who had to convert their beautiful palace into a hotel. But the initial sadness was replaced with absolute delight when I looked around the beautiful property that was to be my home for the next 4 nights and 3 days. The rooms of the palace have been let out for people to rent, and the common areas like the dining rooms and front lawns are open to the guests staying at here. It was the apt place for a romantic like me to dream about a Rajput prince whisk me (in my Jodha Akbar costume) off into the desert. (Nothing like this happened. I am destined to find such romantic rubbish only in the Kama Kahani seriesL)

Anyway, coming back to Jaipur.

 I’d been dying to see this famous city of the Rajputs and watching the movie Jodha Akbar only made me want to see the pink city of palaces more. But I was sadly disappointed. The first thing that struck me was that the city smells of urine. It made me quiet miserable because I was dreaming of a beautiful pink city with palaces and forts. Instead I saw a city filled with heritage hotels. The royal kings are now just hotel owners and most of the beautiful palaces are just hotels.

Despite this slight set back, Jaipur is still a beautiful place to visit. The old city which looked more orange to me than pink was truly gorgeous. However, this view is from sitting in an auto. I wonder if I would have still thought the city was beautiful if I had to walk through the dirty bazaars J

I did see a few monuments like the Hawa Mahal but was shocked when a tourist tried climbing up a wall to get a picture and landed up breaking a piece of the beautiful monument. I even saw the Amer Fort. They have an audio guide there and I finally got my dream of being transported into the land of Rajputs. The fort is beautiful and the commentary and music makes you feel like you are actually living over a 100 years back, in the middle of the kings and queens.

Back in Mumbai now.  It’s going to be a fun filled weekend as a very good friend turns a  year older!!!