Udaipur
was the next ‘port of call’ on our agenda after a pleasantly hassle-free plane journey
– the friendly airport staff were more interested in our family and life
history versus the usual interrogation of weight, liquids et al. Our flight
even included a rather tasty ‘Thali’ lunch, to rival most Western Indian
restaurants.
Our
driver Laxmi was promptly awaiting our arrival at Udaipur airport; his calm
composure belied the fact that he had taken the longer route to Udaipur, driving
663km in 24 hours!
Udaipur
seemed to be more of a town than a city with a distinct slower pace, in sharp
contrast to the hustle and bustle of Delhi. It still had a vibrant ambiance
with industrious-looking locals going about their daily life.
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| City Palace |
Our little boat made its way past
the ornate buildings and wide stairways, known as ‘ghats’, towards the small
island of Jag Mandir dominated by a 17th century water palace.
We alighted to
explore the courtyard of this charming little fortress turned boutique hotel,
which had formerly served as a refuge for Shah Jahan when exiled by his father,
and later for the British during the Indian Rebellion in 1857.
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| Jag Mandir |
Our hotel, Udai Khoti, was rather traditional in style, yet a little tired and
whimsical in parts, which somehow added to its charm, together with the
mischievous monkeys roaming freely! We braved the rather cool night air to have
an aperitif at the roof terrace restaurant, whose haphazard service added to
the whimsy, and equally confirmed our decision to dine at the highly
recommended Ambrai lakeside restaurant – a truly memorable experience.
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| Udai Khoti |
However,
the roof top restaurant still remained rather present, generating loud crashes
and bumps of earthquake proportions in the early hours of the morning – our
‘prime lake view room’ was in fact located directly under the restaurant
kitchen. We were thankfully able to move to a garden room the following morning,
but tranquility came with a price – smelly drains! We decided that sleep was
more important, and happily set off on foot to visit the City Palace with our
guide.
We
stopped en route at the elaborately carved Jagdish Temple perched on a high
terrace and topped with an extremely tall pyramidal bell tower. The temple was reached
by a very steep staircase guarded by two large stone elephants.
As we wandered
barefoot into the temple we were met by a group of cross-legged worshippers
chanting and playing musical instruments, creating a very spiritual ambiance.
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| Jagdish Temple |
I was equally fascinated by
the temple’s soup kitchen in an adjoining courtyard, where many of the city’s
poor sat on their haunches for their free daily meal, seemingly unperturbed by
the many visitors to the temple.
This
poverty was ironically juxtaposed with the opulence that greeted us at the City
Palace – built by Maharana Udai Singh in the 16th century and elaborately
developed in style and size by succeeding Maharanas. We wandered through
beautiful courtyards and climbed winding stone staircases leading to countless
rooms sumptuously bedecked with colourful mosaics and fanciful furniture – including
an elaborate swing.
The crystal gallery, with its 19th century works from
across the globe – including beds, tables, and sofas made entirely of glass – was
fascinating albeit incredibly ostentatious, particularly as the collection has
never been used. This is out of respect for the deceased Maharana of
Mewar, who unfortunately died before his order of crystal arrived from England,
which subsequently remained in its packaging for about 100 years.
Our fascinating tour was followed by lunch in a little garden restaurant
overlooking the main street, which was dotted with artisanal shops tempting us
with their colourful wares. These attractive displays persuaded us to spend the
rest of the day perusing the creative merchandise. This turned out be quite a
spree and thus merits a separate 'chapter' entitled ‘Very Bazaars’!
