Pink City Panorama

Its time for one more trip......this time we were off to jaipur......this was a 3-4 hr drive from delhi...so arnd 8 of us set off in a couple of cars...............this weekend was supposed to get exciting as we started off early in the morning....Delhi - Jaipur highway was a smooth going....as even gurgaon stretch was not chaotic as usually it would be.... considering it was early in the weekend.......

sooon we were entering rajasthan and it was breakfast time.....we stopped at a resort, where we were welcomed by a sight of a group of rajasthani singers and dancers giving shape to their artforms...scenic surroundings set apart the place and soon we were zoomin on our way again...............Jaipur beckoned us soon and we started off at amer fort..which housed asia's largest cannon....it was said it was used only once and the cannon ball fell some 35 kms away in a village.....the fort was amazing built.....to resist any sort of attack with its multilayered defences........on the outers it was tough and rugged looking whereas inside it was an architectural delight with aesthetic designs and structures. we could only wonder at the opulence of the maharajas who inhabited it....

after the fort we went into the interiors of jaipur .....where a heavy duty splash of pink greeted us......here every house building and shop are supposed to be painted only in pink, even shades are considered to be violations...we saw the hawa mahal...which supposedly built for the royal ladies to see processions goin on with out them being seen outside......we saw the jaipur gate, the Le meridian hotel at jaipur....the jal mahal which was in quite a dilapidated condition.........in the evening we went to the jaipur musuem...which was closed ...but we did bribe our way in....which helped us as we could enjoy the place in isolation.......this was another example of jaipur 's aesthetic beauty......but time kept ticking away and we had to move on...



next was Chouki daani..this was a village resort....which had simulated village settings of rajasthan with village people taking care of you with all graciousnessof a host....it had a entry fee..otherwise once inside it was as if you had stepped into a world of rustic rajasthan....it was a village fair with puppet shows, camel rides, gameson offer, palmists and fortune tellers, magicians, people sellin lot of accessory stuff, rajasthani dancers dancing away to glory........it was one heady cocktail of village vivaciousness....after tht it was time to have food.....food was real sumptous and they were really being the hosts, forcing us to have more and more of the food....we ate till we felt we would burst and till they left forcing us to have more...but food was really tasty with lots of ghee, butter and lots more healthy stuff......we whiled some more time enjoyin the rustic scenery of rajasthan and playin marbles and asking palmists and looking around the different facets of the village fair...

the next day it was wrappin up time as we made shortworkof other visual treats to be enjoyed......also we had rajasthani traditional sweets....which were really yummy and good.......and after munch time it was shoppin time and ladies were real excited.......and people splurged....and why would they not..with such beautiful items on sale.......and by the time they were done....it was time to leave.....the way back wasuneventful except th average speed went up by 20 kmph and we were reacing with different vehicles......and we made it back safe and sound....and it would be business as usual from tomorrow...but this was one experience to treasure.....