It is always said that if you want to beat the crowd you have to get up at 6am. That is exactly what Dilpreet and I did this morning. This was Dilpreet’s last day in Jaipur and we both wanted to see the same sites so we figured we might as well go around together. Sadly, it was election day in Jaipur so all of the main monuments that were ticked like the palaces were closed today so we would instead go see the free stuff around Jaipur.
Dilpreet picked me up early in the morning and we headed out to our first location, the Patrika gate. The Patrika gate also goes by the name of the Instagram gate since it is just so beautiful and photogenic. We arrived at the perfect time as there was no one around and it was still very peaceful and calm. The outside of the gate is made from the red and pink sandstone that the rest of the city is built of. While the gate has a very fancy architectural design on the exterior, it does not compare to the beauty inside. Every inch of the gate is painted with floral designs and patterns. There are even scenes depicting the maharajas and landmarks in Jaipur.
In one direction I noticed that all the colors were pastel colored and in the other direction the colors were much brighter. I equated this to the way the sun rose and set. The brighter, more yellow side was sunrise and the pastel hues were sunset.
The gate was absolutely gorgeous and we could not take enough pictures. We spent so much time admiring every corner of the gate taking in its beauty! I don’t think I have seen anything quite as elaborate and decorated as this gate. It was picture perfect! Everytime I looked to admire it I noticed more and more of the intricate details! This gate had me obsessed with Jaipur!
Although we found it hard to leave the gate, more and more people were arriving to shoot their engagement and couple pictures so we sadly left. The next destination we went to was the Sun Temple. The Sun Temple also known as Surya Mandir is situated in the Galta hills on a windy narrow road. The path is crowded with tons and tons of monkeys. Feeding the monkeys and cows is a symbol of good karma in the Hindu religion so these monkeys had tons and tons of bananas they were eating. I joked that the monkeys were going bananas for bananas. I loved watching them grab the bananas and peel them. It was such a human thing to be able to peel a banana like that. The small monkeys attached to their moms were the cutest as they peeled and ate the bananas.
Perched on top of the hill was the Sun Temple which is one of the best places to catch the sunrise and sunset. A white stupa jutted out and there was a view of all of Jaipur. Unlike Mumbai, there are no high rises and the tallest buildings were only about 4 stories high.
From the sun temple we walked down on the other side of the hill to the Galta Ji Temple. Along the way there were many smaller temples, one of which was the monkey temple known as Hanuman Temple. There were monkeys everywhere and so much food everywhere as well. These monkeys were definitely fed better than your average Indian.
The Galta Ji temple is a famous pilgrimage site for Hindus and is situated among the hills. It has 7 freshwater springs, one of which is the holiest and never runs dry. It is in that one that everyone was bathing in their full saris. Further down there was the beautiful golden facade of the temple inlaid in the rock. In this area people were bathing as well. We witnessed several women standing in the water holding a bowl of water and pouring the water from it above their heads. The temple was a beautiful site! On the way back down I saw a woman selling food for the cows and knew it was my opportunity to feed my fwends! It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be but I had to do it once.
Dilpreet and I were both dying to see the Hawa Mahal in the day and catch the views from one of the cafes. There were two rooftop cafes: the Tattoo Lounge and Cafe and the Wind View Cafe. Both were definitely tourist traps but we wanted the view of the Hawa Mahal nonetheless. We decided to go to the Wind View Cafe and paid the 200 Rs cover charge. The cover charge was 100% worth it for the incredible views of the Hawa Mahal. It was such a better view from above and our table allowed us to really admire the marvel! In line with the pink theme I ordered a rose lassi and we got some sandwiches. We were really saving our appetite for a thali later in the day. The Hawa Mahal by day was so gorgeous I can't explain it. I absolutely loved how beautiful the palace was.
Following our photoshoot at the Hawa Mahal, we headed to the water palace Jal Mahal. The palace was originally 5 stories tall and was a functional palace. However, now the golden palace has been submerged in the water as the lake level has risen. So what was once a beautiful palace is now submerged and only about 2 stories remain above the surface. The waterfront was crowded with tourists but more so with vendors selling Rajasthani souvenirs. Many people were even dressing up in the traditional Rajasthani dress to have their picture taken in front of the water palace.
Right near the water palace was the memorial for the queens called the Maharaniyon Ki Chhatriyan. The structure was very similar to the king's memorial we saw yesterday and very regal. The memorial was a palace in itself with grand arches, domes, and lattice work in the windows. It was also very nice since the place was completely empty. We spent quite some time relaxing in the tranquility and admiring the palace.
Dilpreet wanted to do some shopping for gifts to take back to the US and had a few places in mind. The first place was a blue pottery shop. Blue pottery is very famous in Jaipur and we happened to end up in one of the most famous shops. In fact Zendaya had visited the shop along with many other celebrities who had their photos hung in the shop. The pottery shop was very big with 3 floors. They sold everything from plates, cups, vases, and animals. I especially loved the marble work inlaid with gold. I later bought a marble elephant decorated with gold from one of the roadside shops.
One of the shops we stumbled upon was a handmade painting shop. I loved all the Indian art and had been looking for some elephants and camel paintings to take back. The owner of the small shop had painted nearly all of his artwork over the span of several years. It was definitely a hidden spot but his artwork was so beautiful. Of course my eyes fell upon an elephant that had other animals depicted in it as well. It was very unique and I had yet to see one like it. Dilpreet found the same one but with a horse design instead. So in the end we got matching animals set on a green and gold background. We placed bets on who would frame it faster in the U.S.
By the time we finished our shopping Dilpreet and I had worked up an appetite for a thali. Yesterday Shristi had recommended Thali and More so we set out there. As soon as we got there, I ran right into Roopa and Nomita, whom we joined. How perfect that we had run into them! I ordered the classic Rajasthani thali and it was alright. I didn’t find anything too striking about it. It was of course too much food for me but I did a pretty significant amount of damage.
Roopa was just starting her day so I accompanied her to the Amrapali Museum. This museum was dedicated to showcasing Indian jewelry from tribal communities throughout the ages. There were tons and tons of displays of silver and gold jewelry designs. There were some nose rings that were so large I could not even fathom how the women wore them! Roopa was having a blast looking at all of the jewelry and explaining each piece to me. Since we were the only people there the museum host basically gave us a tour in the end which was very nice of him.
Comentários