Exploring Jaipur - Part 2

Still Saturday, January 13th - afternoon

After the morning's roaming in the markets of Jaipur's Old City, Mary and I enjoyed a few quiet hours relaxing at the hotel. I got a kick out of the number of kites stuck in trees around the grounds, and around the city, as the Kite Festival continued,

and this little guy found on the terrace

Later on Saturday, Mary and I embarked on a second tour, this time in an open jeep similar to those used in Ranthambore, but this one was quite a bit creakier. Although the day had been warm, we had to be ready for the temperature to drop drastically after dark, but we already knew how to pack for a safari 😆

We were headed up the mountainside above the Old City.

Our driver navigated a winding road from the Old City up to the forts perched high above. Sometimes the road was almost empty, and other times we were caught up in small traffic jams or stopped at one of several gates. At each one, our guide had to buy a ticket for us to proceed.

As in the city below, the fort's walls are mostly terra cotta, but specific sections were painted yellow to mark them as part of the royal complex

Along the road, people set up stands selling snacks.

I've never seen this design in a castle wall before. Very cool.

Over Mary's shoulder is a huge step well that was used to collect water during the monsoon season. I loved the way the old castle walls were constructed.

but...the site was somewhat off-putting due to the large amount of trash everywhere. As we climbed up from the step well and noticed the condom wrappers lying around, our guide commented: 

"A lot of naughty stuff happens up here."

From the walls, we had a great view of the Old City below. Even in a light haze, the yellow building of the royal complex stands out.

We drove by a Hindu temple where a community dinner was underway. A lot of temples distribute free food during festivals as a sign of charity.

Jaipur's Kite Festival was set up to coincide with the astronomical winter solstice and to celebrate to turn of the seasons. Tomorrow night we're told that, in addition to the kites, thousands of Chinese lanterns will be launched into the sky. 

At the top of the mountain, Mary and I had a chance to try kite flying. It seems everyone in Jaipur has a kite to fly.

The only significance to this pic is that I liked this tree growing out of the wall.

We climbed to the highest platform on the fort to join the other tourists taking pictures against the scenic backdrop, but decided to press on with our tour rather than waiting for sunset. The view was pretty amazing.

This was the first time we'd seen vendors selling corn on the cob.

This clever monkey yanked a nearly-eaten corn cob from a man's hand and ran for it.

It was time to head back down the mountain towards the Old City.

The kite festival was happening all over the city, so we checked out the setting up happening down at the shore of the man-made lake surrounding the beautiful Water Palace.

Exploring Jaipur during a city-wide celebration was no small task, and involved lots of colorfully entertaining waiting in traffic.

Another beautiful city gate

We were dropped off near the market and now-familiar palace gate.

Suddenly our guide took off at a fast pace, urging us to follow him and the large number of people all streaming towards the Govind dev Jig temple. 

This was our first experience at a Hindu temple while people were actually worshipping. We took off our shoes to join the flow of worshippers circling the temple, as another large group sang and danced joyously, and others queued up to approach the idol more closely.

Our guide explained that Govind dev Jig is one of the most popular temples for Hindus to visit because of the particular idol of Lord Krishna kept there. Legend has it that the Queen of Jaipur saved it from destruction by Muslims when another city was invaded. It's usually hidden, with the doors only opened for viewing at certain days and times. It seemed respectful not to take any pictures, but it was a sensory experience for us and helped us understand a bit more about the Hindu religion and culture.

We followed our guide to a small cafe across from the Palace of the Winds so we could admire it all lit up early evening while enjoying a cup of hot masala chai. The Palace has 956 windows, and was built for the ladies of the court to be able to watch what was happening outside the palace while not being seen.

Jaipur is an amazing city! And we weren't done yet.

- Christine