Often thought of writing about our weekend and other getaways and so here goes-
This is meant to be last year's annual break. The only rule we followed was that it was to be a road trip. After tossing between Jaisalmer, national parks in Madhya Pradesh and Udaipur, we finally settled on the latter.
The various travel portals were just what one would like for information regarding parking, pool and view etc. Just before setting off, we thought of spending two days at the out of way Roopangarh fort.
The drive form Delhi to Jaipur was as usual i.e. fast, efficient and well maintained highway, plenty of pit stops for those so inclined. It was the highway from Jaipur to Ajmer that took one by surprise. Smooth roads, public conveniences, emergency telephones et al. A lot of Gujrati eating joints on the way - the Gujrati Jain circuit I presume.
Roopangarh was off the highway. The road meandered , green and gold fields lined it, low hills just a short distance away, graceful Rajasthani men and women visible just once in a way – you get it I'm sure. The hotel is not for those who long for city lights. We were the only occupants for the first of the two days that we were there. However, if a quiet candlelit dinner under a starlit sky beckons, then this is the place for you. The service was affectionate and efficient, the cooking home-style and the room much larger than a badminton court. The wake up call is handled by the resident peacock family and paintings of the Kishangarh royalty in the Kishangarh miniature style offer an interesting sidelight.
We walked around in the village for a while – heading away from the main bazaar street. Too many little children begging for “one chocolate” “one pen” “ one photograph”!!
Husband spent time taking pictures, I read and painted. Came away feeling restful and tranquil.
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The highway to Nasirabad and onwards to Bhilwara, Chittorgarh and Udaipur loops out of NH 8 just short of Kishangarh. The run from Roopangarh to Udaipur is some 360 km. In late March,the landscape had a severe beauty. Wheat was ready for harvest is most villages, and the fields were a mix of gold and green. The central verge is planted with bougainvillea and some pink and yellow flowering shrubs ( my botanical knowledge is not too substantial);red tesu flowers grace the vista every now and then. We stopped to take pictures of two unnamed small forts, one that was inhabited and one , with some chhatris close by, which was abandoned and falling apart
There were hardly any people visible anywhere. Occasionally, there would be a herd of goats being tended by a wiry man in a spectacular turban. Some women , wearing coordinated lehngas and odhnis worked the fields, mainly harvesting wheat, but mostly, there was not a soul visible. The little hamlets adjacent to the highway were some distance away from the road, and had none of the filth and ugliness that one associates with highways. There were no public conveniences though and that was difficult!
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We stayed at The Chunda Palace. While we had booked a room through the web portal, the hotel upgraded us to a suite. The décor in the suite was quite spectacular, hand painted walls, black and white marble floors and a loo in pink marble.
Meals were at the rooftop restaurant. One could spend hours gazing at Lake Picchola, the Jagmandir palace and the Lake palace. The view was especially beautiful by night, the palaces lit up and reflected in the water. We tried the Mewari food on the menu – deliciously smoky dal, the unusual and very tasty papd ki sabzi with bati rather than roti. A satisfying meal indeed.
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We drove to the city palace through impossibly narrow roads encountering every obstacle possible. The locals helped out in the particularly tricky spots, but both of us could have done without all that cardiac activity. Will probably take an auto-rickshaw during our next trip to the old city. The old city is impossibly touristy – more places selling pasta than rajasthani thalis. We bought some camel leather bags at what seemed a reasonable price to me. Shopping gets the husband into a bad mood – for which he was christened Barkus Barkus yesterday!!
The city palace has a large and very beautiful collection of miniatures and larger paintings in the miniature style. Battle scenes, processions, hunts and festivals in large panels. Would have happily given the rest of the City palace museum tour a miss, because by the time you reach the paintings there is already some sensory overload.
The palace complex is well maintained. The gates Tripoliya and others are grand as is the 104 pillared courtyard complex.
We strolled down a ghat close to the complex. It was presumably for the local populace. Sadly, rather ill kempt.
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The next day, we hired a guide. Since we had already seen the city palace on our own, we now elected to be “guided” around the other sights. The Fateh Sagar Lake was delightful. Would have loved to stroll on the serene banks, so far removed from the general sad state of water bodies in the country – strewn with garbage and overpopulated with hawkers.
Lunch at the Garden Hotel was a well priced, delicious Rajasthani Thali, accompanied by a tour of the royal vintage car collection. The highlight were a His and Hers 1938 Cadillac, the Maharani's version with a dark windscreen on the driver's side to allow her to drive while in purdah! Like the rest of Udaipur, the gallery was spotlessly clean, immaculately painted, the staff courteous and hospitable.
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There was obviously a lot to see in Udaipur and one should have ideally spent a week there to take in everything and also to unwind, but it was time to go back. Sadly we had to give the crystal gallery and island palaces, ( Lake Palace & Jagmandir Palace) a miss.
The drive back was a dream till we hit NH 8, and a nightmare thereafter. NH 8 started well enough - Lunch at Dayal restaurant was superb value for money at Rs 140 for two, tips included. Thereafter, it was an unending stream of trucks, jams and diversions because of the construction of the expressway. It was great to be back home – Udaipur had smoothened “ the ravelled sleeve of care”
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I am not sure what is more amazing – all kinds of traffic including tractor trailers driving towards you, even after dark OR the fact that five policemen at Pavta, a hamlet on the highway could let this happen under their noses. Guess, it is the same selective vision that lets four storied, electrified, piped water supplied “ unauthorised” colonies come up all over Delhi.
