Memories of Jodhpur

 Memories of Jodhpur 

We took the early morning flight from Jaipur  to Jodhpur.  Our driver, who had driven there overnight, met us at the airport.  Also present was a representative from Travelscope as was the case with each new city that we arrived in. On our drive to the hotel, they regaled us with the history of and stories about their city.  Their pride and passion for their home was not lost on us.  Having somebody from the city introduce us to it was a really nice touch.  Jodhpur exceeded our wildest expectations and our stay there was our happiest.  Dubbed, the blue city, Jodhpur’s history is unique in that even the houses of the caste segregated quarters were in the past, painted in different colours so the rulers could tell them apart.  The Brahmin blue houses are still visible from a perch atop the magnificent Mehrangarh (“M”) Fort.  But I am getting ahead of myself!  Our accommodation was at the heart of the city in a magical hotel called Raas Jodhpur.  Our room had large French doors which opened into a little private enclosed patio facing the magnificent M Fort.  This boutique hotel at the base of the fort was luxurious with warm staff, a pool and charming restaurant with indoor/outdoor dining.  

That first evening, our city guide took us for a walk through the streets and markets.  Just across from the hotel we stopped at a magnificent step-well, a unique feature of this desert state.  These step-wells built several centuries ago are square or rectangular and the size of swimming pools.  They are at least 100 feet deep and have steps.  In the past, women would descend those steps to fetch water from them.  They could rest in the landings before ascending to the top.  There are several of these throughout the state and they are architectural marvels.  At this step well, a musician dressed in traditional attire and sporting a bright red turban, sat playing the archaic but melodic ravanahatha, providing the perfect ambience.  We  passed by little shops marvelling at the amount of inventory crammed into them, an atmosphere of commerce and cheer, a perfect example of order in chaos.  As we walked through arches and crumbling architecture from a glorious past of city squares and grand homes, we came upon clusters of shops selling similar wares and commercial activity of all forms catering to every income level.  The Tamil saying “you can buy everything other than your parents” came to mind there.  Having enjoyed a sampling of this shoppers’ heaven, but quiet-seekers’ hell, we returned to our rooms to gear up for our Christmas Eve dinner.  

We made our way up narrow winding, steep, stone stairs to the terrace bar around 6:30 p.m. I had worn sensible shoes, thank god!  We were the first to arrive and were treated to complimentary glasses of our liquor of choice and a glass of champagne.  Lots of o’devours made their rounds and we foolishly ate them leaving little room for dinner.  I felt uncomfortable that the waiters had to balance heavy trays several times up those stairs and made a mental note to tip them well at the end of our stay.  Dinner was a choice between 2 set menus one Indian and another Western.  This paled in comparison with the celebratory Christmas Eve dinner two years ago in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, where we were tempted with  stations upon stations of food and desserts reminiscent of a colonial past where no expense was spared to hail the birthday of Christ.  Here at Raas Jodhpur, the celebrations were elegant, muted,  somewhat underwhelming, but, maybe, better for our soul?  We both had the soup and salad but did not do justice to the main and dessert and let’s just say there were a couple of happy dogs around the step-well outside, who got to enjoy some of our Christmas delights!   We were the first to leave the party, eager for sleep in our comfortable beds.  

At 8:30 the next morning, we left for the M Fort.  Our plan was to beat the crowd.  This Fort is magnificent having been built over several centuries and has remained reasonably well preserved.  The highlights were the miniature art paintings, the palanquins, and the exquisite decor in the private and public chambers of royalty.  So much thought had been put into securing these palace forts from enemies and marauders.  With lots of photographs clicked to admire this marvellous fort’s unique attributes at leisure, we left for our next stop, a memorial for the Rajput King Jaisingh II built by his loving wife.  He was and still is revered as a saintly person.  He was also ahead of his time in that he did not want his wife to self emolate upon his death, as was custom then.  After his death, she ordered her son to build him a monument to immortalize her love for and devotion of him.  This memorial in marble is breathtaking.  After paying our respects to the late king, we paid homage to a shoppers’ haven.  This shop with its antique warehouse as a front, sold everything imaginable!  It burnt a hole in our pockets, as I indulged in designer jackets, shawls, blankets and even a saree.   All were made from natural fibres and mostly hand made.  Some purchases were definitely impulsive buys, but we left the store quite happy with our loot:). We then stopped at the most famous samosa shop in the city and were treated by our guide  to samosas, kachoris and, at its most decadent, lassi which was creamy, saffron scented and sweet.  We returned to rest and get over our food coma.  

Our guide took us in the evening to a section of town with narrow alleys where centuries’ old homes maintained the charm of yesteryear!  And we were in the “blue” quarter where Brahmin families continue to live.  A throwback to an ancient era, time stood still here except for the sound of the TV in some homes.  A number of homes were locked - but most had a sign in Hindi outside that translated to “so and so family welcomes you..”.  We walked back through narrow alleys of shops selling wedding clothes, turbans and all kinds of paraphernalia.  No wonder cities of Rajasthan are the most popular for big fat Indian destination weddings.  These folks have everything to pull off a grand and flashy affair!  Smart move by this state to ensure revenue from tourism and events!  We had a lovely breakfast at the Raas, freshly made chillas (like dosa but made with daal), yummy poha and filter coffee.  I stopped at the kachori shop for some samosas, kachoris and lassi for the road before heading to Narlai, enroute a handmade cotton rug store where I picked one up from an incredible array of designs.  Yes, indulgence was my middle name!  Alas we did no more shopping after this! 

Jaipur and wandering in the Aravali Hills!

From  Ranthambore our next stop was Jaipur.  We arrived at the Samodhe Haveli after lunch.  We fell in love with the beautiful heritage property.  Our room was on the ground floor opening into the courtyard with beautiful trees and tiny lily ponds.  The lights and decorations brought in the holiday cheer.  This property had belonged to a wealthy merchant and has now been upgraded to a high end hotel with pool, luxurious rooms overlooking courtyards with spectacular outdoor/indoor dining.  Of course there was only one restaurant cum bar, which served food at the pool or practically anywhere you wanted it.  The upstairs terrace offered bar service every evening from 5-7 pm, and lured guests to it with complimentary coffee, tea and snacks.  Located in old Jaipur the property offers spectacular views of the Amer Fort and the bustling city, all from a comfortable vantage point.  Jaipur and all of Rajasthan are about commerce, trading and various forms of fine art.  On the first day we asked the driver to take us to the market streets, especially Babu Bazaar, which I had visited on a previous trip.  The crowds were oppressive and we negotiated our way as though through an obstacle course, clutching tightly to our bags and watching our step on the uneven path.  We bought a couple of shawls and, somewhat overwhelmed, beat a hasty retreat to the car.  We settled for a light dinner at our hotel, with tomato soup and starters, and went to bed.  The next morning we met the guide who took us to Amer Fort.  It is also known as Amber Fort and has been built over several centuries.  It was part of the old city, before the official city by the name Jaipur came into being.  We progressed through the centuries, remembering scenes from popular Bollywood movies shot there and marvelling over  th intricacy of the architecture and art created by the artisans of yesteryear.

After this, we visited the Dera elephant retreat where a family has taken on the very expensive but noble cause of rescuing elephants who are otherwise overworked and subject to abuse as temple mascots or in wedding processions.  They are forced to travel long distances on paved roads to wherever they are needed.  We met Rang Mala a naughty 44 year old who consumes 250 kg of food and 200 litres of water everyday!   She posed for us and allowed us to stroke her in anticipation of the bananas, jaggery and sugarcane we would feed her.  We took a 20 minute walk with her and then proceeded to have a nice lunch of simple vegetable dishes, bread and rice and a coconut barfi for dessert.  After a refreshing cup of Masala Chai we left.  In the evening we showered, dressed and went to up to the terrace for evening views from our perch atop the city, over tea and snacks.  We then proceeded downstairs for a pre dinner drink at the bar beside the open courtyard.  Giggling and lightheaded  after just one rose martini I tripped and banged the top of my head against a wall. Hearing the reverberation as my skull made contact with the concrete wall a hotel staff member came running with ice cubes wrapped in a towel. He offered to arrange for a visit to the hospital.  Thankfully, I experienced no blackout and no ringing in my ears.  I had a dull pain in the general area and I tried to will it away as we proceeded to the restaurant for dinner.  I had a beetroot salad which went down gently and Uttara had pasta.  The next morning we were bound for an early morning hike.  I hoped, as I lay in bed that night, that I would be pain free and able.  I somehow knew I would.  I attribute my ability to recover quickly to my regular yoga practice.  The head bang was quite intense and bothered the side of my neck but was perhaps not hard enough to crack my thick (lol) skull!  I survived without pills.  

Early the next morning our tour company had arranged a hike.  We met our guide and his assistant.  We were given yoga mats to carry.  I had worn my yoga t shirt and white pants and my Barbour jacket to ward off the nip.  Our guide, a young and deeply spiritual man who offiated as a priest in their family’s Shiva temple, when he was not guiding hikers, spoke eloquently about the ancient Aravali mountains and the Amagarh fort portion, which we were scaling, and its history.  It had been built by the Meena tribe who continued to live in a settlement in the valley, which we spotted on our aerial view from the summit.  Our first stop was a Hanuman temple.  We met the priest who lived in a room beside the temple, surrounded by moringa, guava and other fruit trees and herbs.  He told us that he survived off the largesse of people living in the foothills.  We learnt that leopards who freely roamed those  hills are his friends! After offering prayers and listening to mantras chanted by our guide for our well being, we proceeded to the top.  Shera, our guide’s dog was our companion.  We did yoga at the summit, blew the conch and had a picnic.  Right there, the assistant laid out an impressive spread of poha, fruits, biscuits, peanut candy, milk sweet, coffee and tea, all of which he had carried up.  We felt guilty to turn down their generous offering but could only partake of the tasty poha, which really hit a spot.  We meandered down via a dry ravine, ended up at Sagar lake where we visited a Durga temple before bidding farewell to our guide.   

Geologically the Aravalis are older than the Himalayas.  The atmosphere is spiritually charged and our conversation on metaphysics, consciousness and growing in awareness, was scintillating.  We saw a lot of Jeeva Samadhis of sages, who have passed, along the way.  There are 350 temples around a 2 km radius of this range.  No wonder.  All in all it was a deeply moving experience and I offered up gratitude for having been able to complete our undulating 3 hour hike up and around those sacred hills without any pain or discomfort.  

That afternoon we visited Janthar Manthar, the ancient site of stone astronomical structures/instruments that depict with astonishing precision the movement of the sun, moon and planets.  Next we visited the City Palace, more a museum of royalty clothes, artifacts, modes of transport, jewellery and so on.  Most impressive were the massive silver pots which, filled with Ganges water,  accompanied the king on his travels to England.   

That evening we bought silver jewelry, shawls and fabrics, things Jaipur is famous for, from shops within the vicinity of our hotel.   We then packed, ready to set out for Jodhpur, our next destination.  

Chasing a tiger in Ranthambore

Arriving in Chennai mid December, I found myself sitting in all my favourite spots in our house,  enjoying the familiar sounds.  I had entered this house after my marriage, 40 years ago.  I felt so lucky for its constant presence in my life and living through its different iterations.  So many people had breathed within its walls.  I felt engulfed in their spirit.  This is the best one of all the beautiful spaces I get to call my home.  The house beckons with a “you belong here”.  Among other places where I can lay my head to rest with a sense of home are my place in Toronto, my mother’s in Chennai, my daughter’s in London and those of my two sisters’ in Chennai and Dubai., respectively.  I am so grateful that my sphere of reference is so vast on God’s green earth, spanning 3 continents.  

Our trip to Chennai was fraught with emotions that ran deep and rocked my composure.  So many memories came flooding back of when I was someone’s wife.  I was careful not to wallow and stayed present o appreciate all that there is. After 4 days with close family we were Rajasthan bound really not knowing what to expect! 

On Tuesday, the 19th of December, we boarded the AI flight to Jaipur enroute Mumbai.  I realized I may have overpacked given the confusion around the weather at our destination!   Anyway it was going to be mostly linens, with a vest, shawl and jacket for reinforcement!  I also packed 4 pairs of shoes besides the one I was wearing!  Hiking, walking, running and house slippers.  We flew to Mumbai and had a short transfer to Jaipur.  The flights were both pleasant and all seemed to be going well.  Fast forward.  Uttara’s bag did not arrive.  It was in a hold in Mumbai and they could not tell us why they had held it and when or how it would come!  We had not been called to check the contents of the bag for anything suspicious given our short transfer.  Not a great way to start our holiday!  I was distraught over how this situation would resolve.  First her laptop’s damaged computer screen on the flight from London to Chennai, and now this! We took a detour to buy some clothes at the mall in Jaipur and I kept trying Air India for an update, with no response.  

Then I realized the benefit of engaging a company to manage our tour.  We were engulfed in a circle of comfort by Travelscope folks.  The driver was kind and reassuring as was the contact who picked us up at the Jaipur airport and our anchor(s) in Delhi. Despite that I carried on with a niggling unease  as to whether it bode well for our trip/adventure.  Then, we stopped for tea.  I went into the washroom and there, staring into the mirror offered up a prayer.  In an instant, I went from agitated to calm and curious.  My willingness to surrender and stay open, had an impact on the mood of everyone around me.  We pressed on chatting with our kind and reassuring driver, Devi Singh, who ended up becoming a good friend!  We were now happily bound for Hotel Khem Vilas, in the middle of the Ranthambore jungle.  I had poor reception in the middle of the jungle.  I relaxed into unknowing trusting in the folks who were following up on our behalf!  After all there was no point in not enjoying what was in front of us.  

The air had a nip so we took out our shawls and vests and headed for dinner after a quick shower in our cottage where the heat had been set high giving it an ultra cozy vibe.  The cottage had an ornate outer door that led into a private courtyard.  You had to  turn left to climb a few stairs to a sit-out and the glass entrance doors to our room.   Civilizing in the heart of the jungle where leopards roamed!  The cement floors had cotton rugs on them for relief from the cold. There were 2 twin beds set close together. The glass windows on either side and at the entrance provided a wide view of the vegetation around.  The property abutted the forest reserve where tigers, leopards, hyenas, even sloth bears roam alongside, deer, sambal, monkeys, snakes and hundreds of species of birds.  This was our escape into the jungle.  Other unique features of this cottage were a large outdoor tub adjoining the bathroom, and on the far side of the cottage, a traditional fabric woven cot that served as a lounging seat reminiscent of a time when people sat around in their courtyards sharing the latest gossip of the day.  All very charming.  

The dining area was open and they had little chulas (coal stoves) on the floor by each table.  Dinner was a buffet.  You picked up your large copper plates and cups and served yourself the vegetarian delicacies, red beans in gravy, spinach with cottage cheese, potato cauliflower and yoghurt, pickles and pappad.  Hot breads were served at the table.  The simple vegetarian fare which tasted home-cooked, mild and wholesome, made our tongues sing.  Satisfied, we went to bed for a restful sleep before our wake up for an early morning sighting of wildlife within a small sliver of the 1400 sq km of forest in Ranthambore, Rajasthan, our reason for being there.  We were up at 6 a.m. then hurriedly dressed, drank coffee, picked up a bag of cheese sandwiches and water that the resort provided and were safari bound.  It was a bumpy jeep ride through Zone 4 of the Ranthambore forest.  We had a knowledgeable and passionate guide who wanted to be the first to spot a tiger from among all the jeeps that were allowed in that day.  We had had to book months in advance and there had been uncertainty around whether the safaris would be allowed on the days we had earmarked for our adventure into the jungle.  We also heard that tiger spottings were not common and it would take luck.  Our driver had said on the previous day, “luck by chance.  I will pray for you”.   There were just 80 tigers in that vast jungle.  The odds were indeed stacked against us.  No wonder.  Again a prayer and an intentional surrender to whatever was.  Within minutes the guide in the jeep ahead waved to us and there in front of us was the resplendent tiger #120.  Seeing him was life changing.  So gorgeous and strong he was as he lay there licking his wounds, resulting from his fight with his brother a few days prior.  He then rolled over and stood up and walked as though to mark his territory.  He did not seem to care about us human voyeurs, just 15 feet away, watching his every move, mesmerized by his magnificence.  There was something so childlike and pure, and yet princely and powerful about him.  It turned out that he is popularly known as Ganesh.  And in these parts it is auspicious to worship Ganesh on this day, a Wednesday!  We could not take our eyes off him, even worship him (!) till he got up and walked away.  Then we raced to where he was headed to catch another sight and then to another area to spot a female and her cubs.  No more sightings.  We had enjoyed our share of luck with Ganesh - so we returned happy.  In retrospect witnessing Ganesh in his habitat, at such proximity, for those brief minutes, was transformative and set the tone for our holiday.  We were humbled by this extraordinary beauty of nature that was so unselfconscious.  I felt so insignificant and my problems so minor! 

Just by the forest and hills surrounding it, the Ranthambore fort is 1000 years old and stands pretty sturdy and strong.  It has been classified a heritage property (Archealogical Survey of India) and hence has undergone some repairs and fortifications!  We hiked  up with considerable ease although we had to scale more than 200 steps that were spaced and wide.  After seeing the fort remains and the spectacular views of the forest, where our tiger friends roamed, in the hills around us, we went to the Ganesh temple on this hill.  We prayed to the only Trinetra (three eyed) Ganesh idol in the world.  One who grants all wishes.  Again who knew? I can only believe that Ganesh both the beast and the idol ensured an auspicious start to our holiday.  Hindus usually start an activity after praying to Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles and without any plan we had been brought before Him.  At the next altar, of Shiva and Devi, the priest tied a protective thread around each of our wrists, to ward off evil, (!) and we went along with his good intentions!   It was past 12 when we arrived at our hotel and settled till lunch was served at 1.  The bags were forgotten and our hearts were full.  We got to the hotel to receive news that the bag had arrived the previous night and had been picked up by our travel representative and sent to Samodhe Haveli, in Jaipur, our next stop.  The holiday had gotten off to a good start after all!