On our way to our first visit - Picture stop -Hawa Mahal or Palace of the wind built to allow the women of the Royal entourage to see the pageants passing along the streets below.
Then onto the 17th Century Amber Fort, 10k from Jaipur. It takes its name from Amba Mata, the fertility and earth goddess of the Minas. So many different parts but the most beautiful part was the Jai Mandir with its beautiful mirrors from Belgium and semi precious stones such as emeralds, opals, topaz and venetian glass.
The Zenana area was interesting. Womens quarters which were designed so that the Majaraja could take his nocturnal visits through passageways to one of his wives without the others knowing. As usual women could only look out through latticed windows to any celebration. Although the eldest son may not have been from his favourite wife, he was always the heir.
On our way we passed a large number of milk co-operatives, where buffalo milk was delivered in churns from the country. To check the quality of the milk, they dip their hands in the churn, sometimes 30 hands have dipped in the same churn!
Next was the Jantar Mantar, (Sanskrit for "instrument of calculations") a collection of nineteen bizarre architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput King Sawai Jai Singh II, and completed in 1734. They measure the time, within 2 seconds, distances of celestial bodies, calculate the time of sunrise and sunset and measure the twelve constellation systems. e.g. Scorpio, Saggitarius. When babies are born the time and the place are checked against an astrology chart which could show their destiny. Brides can be chosen on this and if there is a dispute of any kind, the instrument would be used to settle it.
A small break and we were off for a "Heritage Walk" A walking tour diving into the real life of the city. We passed through markets for snacks, mostly made from chick pea flour, cooking implements such as pots, sold by weight, a large number of jewellery shops, small hot, claustrophobic passageways with shops for the wedding day, invitations, (costing a pound a piece and sometimes 1000 people attend), sarees costing £150, though probably equivalent to £1,500 and at least four are needed, jewellery for the head, nose (nath), ankles, neck, waist, toe rings (bichus). Money in cash or cheque in a festive envelope for the girls who steal the groom's shoes, images of painted gods, flower garlands and so it goes on. Exhausting!
Asked our guide about the rubbish, of which there is plenty in the streets, although Jaipur is better than some. He said that the lorry comes around twice a day. Difficult to believe. I have included a picture of a brightly painted bin lorry. Inside, on top of the rubbish were two men, must be the collectors.
For dinner, Pradeep suggested a restaurant to us, Indiana, good food while listening to music and watching folk dancing.
2025-02-16