Fantastic Rajasthan

Rajasthan 2004

Rajasthan, visit Rajasthan and you fall in love in India, this was the refrain repeated by some friends. After this fall so I and my wife we decided and we started for the first half Eastern Europe.

 

Story

As usual we prefer to travel individually.
We arrive at Dheli, a city that does not serve us but we will see only as an arrival and departure, the first leg of our journey is Shekawati city of Mandawa, an area famous for its Haveli, merchants of the old palaces with frescoed religious and profane , then passed the old Silk Road.
India strikes us immediately for its contrasts and the kindness of his people, led by a local student to visit the most beautiful buildings of the city and begin to understand Hinduism (the majority religion Indiana) that will accompany us throughout the journey. The haveli are fine although a little 'certainly neglected in the past the area was rich now need money for more essential things.
The next step is Bikaner, Indian roads are not good times are indeed a terrifying, to 300 km, it takes 6 hours too!
Along the way we do some photographic stages, although the scenery is quite monotonous and the suffocating heat, the starting points for photographing not lacking.
Bikaner is a city situated at the desert border of the Thar desert here is the largest herd of camels in India, but the city and especially famous for his strong and the temple of Karni Mata mice. In this period there are few European tourists but many local tourists, so we come together in our visits from the Indians.
Apart from the strong, Bikaner has a little 'disappointed in us which increases even more waiting to get to Jaisalmer, before slowing to the golden city do some steps along the road to the first is where we visit Kolayat its Gat by the lake: people arrive in the morning and began to wash the shores, the atmosphere is beautiful and wonderful girls meet men gifts.

Arriving in Jaisalmer

A long way we meet many pilgrims are directed to the fair Pokaran, we are curious to see where all those people và assiepata on all types of vehicles, so we stop and we see that everything is a swarming of people and stalls where you can buy everything.
We leave behind us also Pokaran and finally arrive in Jaisalmer, it is almost sunset, we go immediately to visit the cenotaphs, tombs .............., from here we can see the city at a distance d ' gold.
The next day we got into the city and its light dazzles us, the color of its stone shines in every corner, we begin to discover the life within its Borghetti flowing slowly and without secrets, people are always ready for a smile even if it is somewhat 'intrusive like me!
Slowly the sun rises, the heat rises so it is better to spend the hottest hours in the shade to eat a "good tandoori chiken.
As soon as the heat bearable we go back to the dunes of Sam, the first outpost of the Thar desert, we reach the sky begins to darken: to be sen but that was not here no rain will ever say that is coming a time, in fact ... just in time to repair them in a hut of a camel that the sky drops what it has done in previous months. Expect the fury of the storm calms down and go back to the car, along the way back we meet a group of people trying to repair the road we stop and they are amused by my curiosity.
Around Jaisalmer are peppered with small villages with houses made of earth and dung where life still runs like centuries ago.
After the first incident with an improvised village head the day runs well and we manage to visit some villages, girls are engaged in the work over many men enjoy the shade and make the shaving by itinerant barber. The kindness of the inhabitants is astonishing often invite you to visit the house in them.

direction Jodhpur

We leave to go to Jaisalmer Jodhpur the blue city, the road does not offer special attractions for which a part breaks technical reach the goal in the early afternoon.
We make a first round in a city with a local taxi apec adapted to transport people. The following day we visit the Fort Mehrangart. The fort is really great and the view over the town blue is beautiful. Are certainly very interesting exposure of palanchini cots and real.
In the afternoon we start with a local jeep to visit the Bishnoi villages. Interesting
Visit the various points set but things are more interesting along the way: the work in the fields of men and women, nomads and animals.
The next day we start for Udaipur with a stop and visit the largest Jain temple, Ranakpur.
The landscape is changing and there is more green you see in the distance the Aravalli mountains.
We reach the temple that magnificence.
The journey continues and we stop to visit the temples of Nagda archaeological.
Here we come to Udaipur: The city of lakes. Unfortunately, the lakes are dry because, as we explain later, there were not that bad monsoon rains have brought. We are a little 'disappointed because there is a beautiful palace in the lake that is unusual because it should be surrounded by water.
The visit, however, brings us to the palace-city that would define the most beautiful of the whole region for its rich mosaics and thumbnails.
The garden of the princess not far from the palace was to be a show for its many fountains, but in the absence of water is somewhat 'anonymous.
Do not miss a trip to the famous bazaar that extends into the square in front of the clock tower.

Pushkar is near

Il viaggio prosegue per Pushkar .
Lungo il percorso ci siamo fermati a Nathdwara , è una cittadina ricca di templi e molto vissuta dai locali. Ci rendiamo subito conto di essere degli intrusi , è stata l'unica volta in tutto il viaggio in cui ci siamo sentiti veramente in India : quella della povertà.
Dopo lunghe ore di viaggio giungiamo a Pushkar.
Per alleggerire la tensione del viaggio ci siamo fatti il giro di tutto il lago lungo il quale si estende la cittadina., tra un sacerdote-santone e una guida improvvisata, tra gente che prega sul serio ad altri che vogliono solo soldi per una fotografia, tra chi ti offre un viaggio in cammello e chi ti offre del fumo. Il turismo qui è arrivato da tempo e si vede.
Solo il mattino seguente quando la maggior parte degli stranieri è ancora a letto, siamo riusciti a girare per il bazar indisturbati.

Jaipur

We start then on to Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan.
The city tour includes the observatory, the palace of the city and finally the palace of winds. This is the symbol of the city and offers a beautiful spectacle from above.
The next morning we leave for a visit to Amber Fort. Sure that after visiting the other this is not the best but we appreciated the fact that the first tourists to join today!
You can take pictures without having no one around you goes ahead with the objective!
The peculiarity of the strong, those who did not like to face the uphill walk, you can rent an elephant-taxi.

Last days

It starts around mid-morning to leave and enter the Rajasthan Pradesh nell'Uttar to visit the Taj Mahal.
Since, however, is Friday, the day of prayer, the Taj is not open. Then we stop to visit the ancient capital Faterphur sikre here we visit the palace of government: a city within a city.
6.00 hours of 'last day of travel, we arrived half that will lead us to the Taj Mahal.
What about this building built for the love of a king for his wife. There are no words to describe it if you do not wonder at the splendor.
The journey takes us hours to Delhi because they go back home: we bring with us the smile of these people,
the faces of these women beautiful and elegant in every moment of their life, the scents of spices and incense .... The colors of clothes e. ............ many images. visit www.gigimontali.it

Gigi & Lucy.

gigidia@libero.it