India Trip 2013 - Part 4 (Still in Jaipur)

Inchara and Raji had to go back to the conference for the first half of Sunday the 17th. The agenda for the rest of us was start leisurely, get the kids ready, and go back to the old city and see some of the sights. Then Raji and Inchara would meet us all for lunch after completing the meetings finally and starting their vacation in earnest. After lunch we would then head out to see an interesting handicraft museum called Anokhi, see the Amer fort while we still had daylight, and end the day with a light show near the fort.

We executed on our plan really well. The Admiral's staff provided us with a wonderful breakfast comprising of toast, butter, eggs, omelets, paranthas, with a variety of pickles, topping it off with a choice of coffee and masala chai. Delicious and a great way to start the day.

Samrat Yantra - World's Largest Sundial

We rode on the hired tempo traveler back again to the Pink City and parked near the Jantar Mantar, a nearly three century old astronomical observatory. During my trip I observed a several groups of students on field trips. I learned that the months of October through February are ideal for field trips in India due to limited rain and temperate weather. When I was a kid, our school went on a field trip to the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. I did not learn much then, but this time we had a learned guide and I think I gleaned more knowledge than before. This particular Sundial to the right is supposedly accurate to 2 seconds!

A digression; one other overarching theme during the trip was the improved cleanliness of the various tourist spots. It is not that all of India is clean, but that these sites now are maintained much better than before. We did not see dirt or trash on the premises.

Traditional Rajasthani Meal

Back to the story; we went to a local temple which was overflowing with pious people that had come to pray on the full moon day, an auspicious day for Hindus. So we did not go into the sanctum but ended observing the people around us. From there we went to a famous local restaurant called LMB in Johari Bazar.

Therein lies yet another digression. Raji and Navin did the bulk of the planning for this trip. Raji spent a lot of time thinking about the places and shops to visit. Navin on the other hand spent his time researching on the various places one could eat during this trip. We were steered well by both of them.

A souvenir plus sample blocks

From LMB we went to Anokhi museum. I learned more about

Intensely observing the master at work

textiles, traditional handicrafts, block printing, and bandini in one day than all the previous 47 years put together. The children, under an artisan's guidance, worked using various blocks and colors in creating nice prints. The kids had a field day but the adults were no less eager to print! At the end he cut up the cloth and gave each child a handkerchief as souvenir. We had spent close to an hour at the museum.

Sheesh Mahal

The jeep we had hired took us from the museum to the entrance of the Amer fort. This imposing fort sitting on top of the surrounding hills, is built on a grand scale and casts a long shadow on the city below. It was the original city of Jaipur before the Pink City and later the modern Jaipur. We wandered around the fort and as expected, Navin found a restaurant at the top of the fort. The ambiance was soothing but we only ordered tea as we wanted to go next to the light show. It was the most expensive tea we all had consumed in our lives!

The light show was set with the fort at the center of the story of the royal family of Jaipur. It was a well told story with the sound and light accentuating the majesty of the fort. The one part that I did not like was (in my opinion) the put down of Rana Pratap. In this version of the story, Raja Man Singh was wise and far sighted (which he probably was) but Rana Pratap the sanctimonious (sic) king of Chittor.

From Wikimedia

After having dinner at a fast food restaurant, Kanha, nearby, we made our plans for the next day which was the first day of our travels. The goal was to leave as early as possible. With that in mind, we requested the Admiral if he could pack us some food for the road, so we could save time and eat while on the road. We also requested the driver to be ready at 6:30AM.

Bon Voyage!