udaipur
our trip to udaipur was beautiful and memorable. the rustic beauty of rajasthan is unparalleled, as one will find in any travel one undertakes toward the countryside. the honesty and humility of the people fill one's heart with happiness. i note here the high points of my trip.
day 1: the fog in delhi was thick and lovely, delaying our flight to udaipur by a few hours. when we finally arrived in udaipur, it was dark out. the airport at udaipur is newly built and looked very nice, and as we drove from the airport to the guest house, breathing the rajasthan air felt wonderful and soothing. our guest house was located just by the fatehsagar lake, and when we reached we were greeted with much sound and excitement in the form of a&a :). dinner was at jagmandir - an island in lake pichola that we took a boat ride to. the bill was steep for the ambience was stunning.
day 2: we went to ranakpur - a 3 hour drive - to see the jain temple there, easily one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth. the marble carvings are something else. we went on to see the kumbhalgarh fort. the wall around this fort is apparently the second-largest in the world, after the great wall of china(!). it was a hike up to the top and the views were spectacular. there was also a small but beautiful mata ka mandir on our way up (with a flame that had been burning 17 years). by the time we got back, it was dinner time. a long and tiring day, but most fulfilling. we saw camels, horses, and monkeys along our way through the aravallis. very rajasthan :).
day 3: we went to kailashpuri to see the eklingji temple, then headed to nagada to see the sahasrabahu temple (no longer a place of worship). the architecture was stunning in both places. lunch was at home after which n and i headed to udaipur 'downtown'. oh, the charm of a small town! since this was new year's eve, we had dinner at ambrai - a restaurant by lake pichola (it was outdoors and we did freeze, but it was well worth it). it was an evening to remember. and there was live classical music (the sarod, no less) to top it all.
day 4: n and co. left early in the morning, while we headed to the city palace. the palaces of rajasthan are an experience - for the architecture, the history, the culture. we returned to the guest house after making a short detour to see the jagdish temple. i spent a peaceful moment by the fatehsagar lake before we left for the airport, thinking about the beauty of rural rajasthan, and the apparent simplicity of life in the parts we saw of the countryside. that image of the lake i shall carry with me a long time.
this brief log doesn't do justice to the charm of the short, amazing trip, but it will have to do. pictures will be posted in due time, once i am done with the picking and choosing. adios, all. and yes, please do consider a trip to udaipur. you won't regret it!
day 1: the fog in delhi was thick and lovely, delaying our flight to udaipur by a few hours. when we finally arrived in udaipur, it was dark out. the airport at udaipur is newly built and looked very nice, and as we drove from the airport to the guest house, breathing the rajasthan air felt wonderful and soothing. our guest house was located just by the fatehsagar lake, and when we reached we were greeted with much sound and excitement in the form of a&a :). dinner was at jagmandir - an island in lake pichola that we took a boat ride to. the bill was steep for the ambience was stunning.
day 2: we went to ranakpur - a 3 hour drive - to see the jain temple there, easily one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth. the marble carvings are something else. we went on to see the kumbhalgarh fort. the wall around this fort is apparently the second-largest in the world, after the great wall of china(!). it was a hike up to the top and the views were spectacular. there was also a small but beautiful mata ka mandir on our way up (with a flame that had been burning 17 years). by the time we got back, it was dinner time. a long and tiring day, but most fulfilling. we saw camels, horses, and monkeys along our way through the aravallis. very rajasthan :).
day 3: we went to kailashpuri to see the eklingji temple, then headed to nagada to see the sahasrabahu temple (no longer a place of worship). the architecture was stunning in both places. lunch was at home after which n and i headed to udaipur 'downtown'. oh, the charm of a small town! since this was new year's eve, we had dinner at ambrai - a restaurant by lake pichola (it was outdoors and we did freeze, but it was well worth it). it was an evening to remember. and there was live classical music (the sarod, no less) to top it all.
day 4: n and co. left early in the morning, while we headed to the city palace. the palaces of rajasthan are an experience - for the architecture, the history, the culture. we returned to the guest house after making a short detour to see the jagdish temple. i spent a peaceful moment by the fatehsagar lake before we left for the airport, thinking about the beauty of rural rajasthan, and the apparent simplicity of life in the parts we saw of the countryside. that image of the lake i shall carry with me a long time.
this brief log doesn't do justice to the charm of the short, amazing trip, but it will have to do. pictures will be posted in due time, once i am done with the picking and choosing. adios, all. and yes, please do consider a trip to udaipur. you won't regret it!
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