Inexplicably, India had never been on my radar to explore until others returned from trips raving about it. Still mystified as to how I could have ignored it, I decided that we must go. Listening to the experiences of others, we settled on a trip that would take us first to Delhi then to Varanasi, Agra, Chambal, Karauli, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Mysore, Coorg, Coonoor, Coimbatore, Cochin, Alleppey, Nelpura and Dewalokam, a mix of north and south India. It would include limited flying, be mostly car and train journeys, and we would stay in a couple of hotels, a Fort, Maharajahs' Palaces, coffee and tea plantation homestays and even a night on a converted rice barge on the backwaters of Kerala. After our best efforts trying to learn about this historic and diverse country, the World's largest democracy, we prepared to be bombarded with colour and noise as we tried to get a taste of some of northern and southern India in 5 weeks!
Next was to Rajghat, the cremation site of the father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
From the noise and traffic of Agra, we next went to a Safari Lodge set in woodlands, small and peaceful and a favourite venue for twitchers, of which there were some with huge long lenses on their cameras. Our agenda was now a bit different.
First, we went on a cruise in a small boat with a naturalist on the River Yamuna to spot some birds and more importantly see crocodiles, gharials, gangetic dolphins and a turtle. We were rewarded with the warm sun bringing out the reptiles and the good light making it easier to see some of the interesting birds.
Next, we took a jeep safari in the hope of seeing blackbuck. After a walk through a family's homestead and along the edges of crop fields, our naturalist did manage to find two bucks and several doe. Only the males are black-backed.
Of course, there were a few more traffic observations to be recorded!
Karauli
On arrival and with just a little time left after a long car journey, I visited the City Palace, arriving suddenly after crawling through narrow streets and stalls to find it sitting high on the hill overlooking the city. It was started in the 14th century with additions from the 15th up to the 19th centuries. Much of it remains in need of restoration but some has already been completed. It is grand and ornate with many detailed paintings on the walls and ceilings and I heard stories of the life of the Maharaj and his queens, of whom there were many.
Our hotel was Bhanwar Vilas Palace, the more recent home of the Maharaj. We didn't see him at all, or any other staff at times! It was a case of hunting out the dining room, which was in an adjacent room across a courtyard, or the chap, armed with just a calculator and a piece of paper on a table behind it, to whom I had to pay the bill in the morning. It was decked in pictures of past eras and people, a stuffed tiger in the lobby, had plumbing that was variable at best and electrics that were blasts from the past!
The journey to Chittorgarh was more eventful and longer than planned. Our driver left early with the luggage, we departed to Gangapur by taxi an hour later, where we were to take a train to Kota and he would meet us for the final drive. A four hour train delay because of fog, some mobile calls to and from, and he was beckoned back to pick us up heading towards him in our taxi! It became an 8 hour road journey, some on good road, the rest being shaken violently & regularly over the many suspension-breaking speed bumps and pot holes, weaving through the cows, pigs, goats, dogs, pedestrians and other obstacles on the road, and avoiding the oncoming trucks, tractors and motorcycles on our side of the dual carriageway sections!
Fort Begu (Chittorgarh)
The Fort, dating from the 15th century, is 45kms outside of Chittorgarh and part of it has been converted into a hotel in order to keep it running and help with restoration, much more of which is needed. It is abound with pictures of the past owners as well as some swords and other hardware on display. Again, electrics and plumbing were features, but our room was more than just a bit ornate. The history and past grandeur were all too evident, but it was sad to see the decay and dilapidation, some of which is probably beyond recovery. There remain many fresco paintings, although these could only be seen by splashing water on them to increase the contrast, tiled ornate glass inlay work and other evidence of its grand past. The welcome was warm and the strong desire to help was a contrast to our last stop, much of which seems to have stemmed from the recently late father of the current owner.
We were given a tour around the inside and outside of the Fort itself and encountered some severe health and safety risks at times! In the late afternoon, we were taken by the owner some 7kms in his 1943 Willys Jeep to the Fort's Summer Palace, which sits by a large lake that was sadly nearly empty because of low rainfall. However, we were served tea, drinks and biscuits in its highest tower by Fort staff after hearing about its history from owner Ajay and that was a rather nice touch. More Health & Safety risks were avoided, but they were significant too!
I was left trying to reconcile the past majesty and importance of the Fort with the mostly crumbling ruins of today, while hearing the intentions of the owner to get investors on board to restore it without losing its character. The combination of all of this together with the enthusiastic and constant attention of all of the staff just left me thinking "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"!
Chittorgarh
From Fort Begu, we went to Chittorgarh Fort, which is an enormous place on top of the hill above the city. It dates from centuries ago and was constructed to defend against Muslim invaders, who overran it three times. Much has been destroyed because of this, but UNESCO status and funding has enabled restoration.
Udaipur
The journey was slower than anticipated because about half of the road was under construction in alternating road and roadworks about every 5kms. Our hotel, Kankarwa Haveli, was right by the lake with a good rooftop view of the Summer Palace and also the island that housed the Maharana's concubines behind it.
The City Palace was very impressive, with a part still occupied by the current Maharana/King, who is very popular. It was our first exposure to crowds of other tourists, although the Palace is well geared to crowds and it wasn't a problem.
From there, I took a boat ride to the island reserved for the concubines, which is now used as a wedding venue, subject to permission. It was very pretty with a fine view back at the lakeside and the City Palace. One such wedding was in preparation, so part of the garden was a hubbub of activity for a lavish event.
Walking next door to a rooftop restaurant for lunch, we were confronted by a tailor who knew when we had arrived, where we were staying and claimed to have made many costumes for Best Exotic Marigold. Sure enough, he had a photo of Judi Dench inside to prove it. In short, I had chosen the material for both jacket and liner, buttons and style, had been measured and paid, and we were yomping up the stairs to lunch just 30 mins later. Fitting in case adjustments are needed after 5.5 hours and delivery to the hotel 90 mins after that - 7 hours in total and a good price for a fine cashmere tweed! (He also tells that there will be a 3rd Exotic Hotel Marigold). Just showed what is possible.
Soon after leaving Udaipur, we took a mountain road that was both narrow and twisting for some distance. The landscape became both interesting and more arid, winding through some small villages until we reached the Jain Temple complex at Ranakpur, of which there are three. The Main Temple is quite amazing with its detailed carved pillars and roof domes and there were quite a few Jain pilgrims there as well. I also found the sign for Harley parking and the route I should take for Temple access.
The Jain religion dates from over a million years ago, from the little I have read, and has many common strands with Hinduism. Much more to be learned here.
Thereafter, it was mostly highway to Jodhpur and Ratan Vilas, a very pleasant family owned and run hotel and yet another with regal history.
Jodhpur
Initial impressions of Jodhpur are that it is slightly cleaner and tidier, although it does have street-side slum dwellings, and they love roundabouts!
About 25kms outside Jodhpur, we took a jeep tour along the dried up bed of a river, mostly salty because of a lack of rain in the previous monsoon. We were promised and saw three different types of antelope including the Blackbuck that we had seen in Chambal and also the Blue Bull, which is a biggest antelope found in India, the size of a horse.
We also spotted Egyptian Vultures and a lone pink flamingo among other more common birds.
We visited a home in the Bishnoi community, which is a religious sect that lives by 29 tenets passed down by their founder in the 15h century, is strictly vegetarian & environmentalist, living off the desert environment without support. We were made to feel welcome, shown around their self-built home, which was well constructed and finished, but very basic inside, although it did have solar power, a television and an ac unit, albeit still in the box. They value education highly and a primary school can be found about every 2.5 kms throughout the community of 1-1.5 million to give a literacy rate of 78%. Many parts of Rajasthan are 100%. If only in the UK................
Afterwards, we were taken to a Pittal community home, where the focus is on agriculture for self-sufficiency. Once more we were made most welcome, cooked millet bread, which was smeared with ghee (clarified butter) before being served hot. Then it was time for lunch under a thatch roof.
We were impressed by the cleanliness of both the communities we visited, given the dusty and probably windy at times, environment.
On the way back, we were fortunate to spot a flock of migratory Demoiselle cranes that had landed by a small lake. They are apparently the highest flying bird and have been seen at 32,000', able to fly over Mount Everest, when migrating to & from Siberia!
There were more traffic observations, but they have now become so routine and many that I often don't bother to take a picture, or upload it here. Maybe we are normalising to India after over 2 weeks?
Jaswant Thada temple is located at the cremation site of past Raos (rulers) of the Rajput Clan, starting with Jodha, the first of them who gave his name to the city (Pur). It was constructed in 1906 using the same white marble as the Taj Mahal and is similarly translucent. The central part is of Hindu, the outer parts of Muslim architecture.
The temple sits below the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort, which was started in 1469 and is an enormous structure that towers over the city of Jodhpur. It has been the most spectacular of the trip so far.
Jodhpur is known as the Blue City because of the colour that many houses are painted and great views of it can be had from the Fort. Blue was chosen as it is the sky colour, deflects mosquitoes and is the colour of the face of the God Krishna. Like other Forts, it has lots of carved stonework, sandstone mostly in this case, including intricate screens to allow Queens to observe events in courtyards below without being seen. It was the Palace of past rulers up until the current one, who has a separate Palace high on a high on the other side of the city, which we could just see through the haze.
We were meant to visit the Clocktower, but it and the market stalls and area that surround it were closed due to a speech being given there by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. So, we wandered through the textile and other markets next door to it dodging tuk tuks and motorcycles, amid a cacophony of horns and a blaze of colour.
After a day of relaxation, we caught a train to Jaipur late afternoon, our suitcases having left by road in the morning. It was not a spectacularly scenic journey, starting in daylight through mostly desert and the majority in the dark. It was the Jodhpur-Jaipur 'Superexpress', which did actually go quite quickly at times, but only took 30 mins less than had we gone by car!
Jaipur
Known as the Pink City, it is actually terracotta, the misnomer from differences in meaning between Hindi and the local dialect. The old city was painted this colour for the visit of Prince Albert, later King Edward VII, who became a good friend of the Maharajah. The Maharajah also built an Albert Hall for his friend, although its use did not get decided as a museum until some time later. When the Maharajah attended Albert's coronation, he took with him 7 large silver pots, weighing 350kgs empty, filled with Ganges water so he could continue his ablutions while on the journey and in UK. Each was made from 14,000 silver coins. Such were those days of extravagance!
We stopped briefly at the facade of the City Palace, once the palace and home of the Maharajah, although much of the land and buildings were taken from him at Independence in 1947. Like others, he has retained his home and converted part of it into a heritage hotel. These kings no longer have political power, but remain as figureheads, often popular and respected by local people. Maharajah Man Singh II, the last ruling King at Independence, was also a notable sportsman, leading an India Polo team to win many cups and become World Champions in 1933. Ironically, he died in a polo accident in England in 1970.
Next, it was the Amber Fort, Amber being one of the variants for the name of the old city until it was named Jaipur after the then Maharajah, Sawai Jai Singh II, in 1727. It is surrounded by a massive hilltop city wall and has a mix of Hindu and Islamic architecture from that era of Mughul rule with Maharajah cooperation. Access was by way of an elephant ride, which was very enjoyable if a bit touristy. I was assured the elephants are well looked after and they only work 3 hours per day, probably making just 3 or 4 journeys each.
Returning to the City Palace, we toured an astronomical and astrological museum, which featured many instruments including one that is the largest sundial in the World. The ruler of the time was seemingly obsessed with time and horoscopes!
There were also interesting textile and weapons museums inside the City Palace that did not allow photographs inside.
This last stop on the northern part of our itinerary has brought near saturation of Palaces, Forts, Temples, Raos & Rajahs (Kings) and Maharajahs (Kings of Kings), their family trees and history, and the battles with the Mughuls that so greatly influenced India's history. Now, it remains to enjoy the Narwain Niwas Palace hotel for a bit more relaxation before we fly to Bangalore to continue with the southern part.
Mysore/Mysuru
The 2.5h flight from Jaipur to Bangalore was uneventful, we were met by driver Shibu and the 4h drive to our Homestay in Mysore in the State of Karnataka was slow at times but trouble-free. There we were met by our delightful hostess, Yamuna, her mother, father, husband and other staff at a tranquil spot with just bird calls to contend with instead of horns!
We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks and dinner with them along with 3 British, 1 French and 1 Swiss couple, exchanging experiences of each of our holiday trips. Also welcome was the 10 degree increase in temperature to that we had experienced in the north, which we had found chilly even on some sunny days out of the sun, and moreso cold at night.
We visited the City Palace, that of the last reigning king of Mysore. It is now managed by the State Government and has all the trappings of grandeur in reasonable condition from its past. These included great pillars holding up meeting halls, paintings of festival processions, teak and ivory inlaid, even silver, doors, teak and painted ceilings as well as huge chandeliers and other fittings.
The City Palace was designed by British architect Henry Irwin and blends Hindu as well as Islamic style. The City has wide streets that ease traffic congestion, although 'discipline' remains the same!
In the evening, we returned for the switching on of lights, all 97,000 of them, on the Palace itself, as well as the temples and gates nearby. We were lucky to see it as it only takes place one day per week. It struck me that, given 40w bulbs, which might be conservative, this represented something like 4MW of power, sufficient for a decent sized village. One traveller said that when he first saw it in '96 and the city lights went out when it happened!
Next, it was to the flower and vegetable market, a sea of colour that helped lift my dampened spirits after Ireland's 6-Nations defeat to England in Dublin last night! Apparently, the market gets busier in the evening and all produce is sold by the time it closes.
We paid a brief visit to the railway museum which featured standard and narrow gauge engines and carriages from the past, most made in England.
On top of a 3,500' hill nearby sits the Chamundeshswari Temple, a sacred place for pilgrims. It is over 800 years old with very detailed carvings. We tried to understand what was going on as an idol was borne around the temple inside several times by bearers with music and drums, then around the outside on a trolley. Devotees were smashing coconuts on the ground as it passed and leaving them, but others were picking up the pieces to apparently take home as somehow special.
Nearby, we saw the Nandi Bull, huge and carved from granite with its own priest, who was anointing those who came to pay their respects.
Out of the city, I visited the Somnathapur Temple, now a 'dead' temple as it had had some of its idols removed and others defaced by Muslim invaders. However, the intricate carving on the three sections of the temple, over 400 years old, was still very impressive.
Along the way, I snapped a few more observations.
In the evening the four of we residents joined a bigger group from nearby for a cultural evening of dance and a 12 course buffet. Yamuna, mother and father hosted as previous evenings, but Yamuna also gave some insight to their background as a Coorg/Kodavas family. Coorg is a tribal region in the hills a few hours west of Mysore, is small but distinct numbering several hundred thousand people. It is distinct from the rest of India as its people worship their ancestors, not idols, and regard the water of the River Cauvery that flows through it as holy. They are agriculturally based with a reputation as warriors, having a higher than proportional presence in the armed forces. They allied with the British soldiers of the East India Company to overthrow a Mysore Muslim leader. They also retain a unique right to bear arms to this day. We had a wonderful evening before heading towards Coorg the next day, the dancing being Coorg with high energy and loud drums.
Coorg
We climbed to 3,500' into the hills of the Western Ghats to stay at Bel Homestay, a coffee plantation where we heard much more about the Coorg/Kodavas people, their tight knit community and laudable values. It was a little cooler in the hills, the setting was outstanding and we were the only guests.
In the late afternoon, we went the Elephant Camp, where elephants are trained for local work, but the low water of the river meant we had to scramble over slippery rocks to get to see the sanctuary, only to find that two came over the causeway the other way and I had to get out of their way in a hurry! Then, I had done so well until, near the last, I slipped on the rocks, got rather wet one side, laundered the money in my wallet, but got my camera out of my pocket quickly enough, still dry other than on the outside, and was unhurt except for my pride!
Dinner was a little 'different' as our host Vijay and wife Ramona, a school friend of Yamuna as it happens, sat opposite us as we ate dinner to talk about their community. We felt rather guilty that they would adjourn to eat their dinner only after we had finished ours. But, it was so interesting to hear about them and their community, expanding on some of what we had learned from Yamuna in Mysore.
We were joined again for breakfast for well over an hour to hear more, then taken to tour the coffee estate for over 2 hours to learn about coffee growing from Vijay.
India accounts for only 3% of the World market and two kinds are grown at Bel Home on its 80 acres of hillside - Robusta and the superior Arabica. Coffee needs some shade so the plants are in rows 6' apart under a canopy of various types of trees. It is not easy terrain to work on the steep hillsides. Other crops are interspersed as supplements - pepper, betel, bananas and a palm product that yields a sweet drink that only lasts a few hours after harvest when it starts fermenting. I was impressed to hear how elephants, guided by their mahuts, can clear felled trees inching between the coffee plants without damage despite the terrain.
Vijay took us down to the pulping machine where the day's harvest was fed in for processing. It ends up either as beans or whole pods for drying in the sun before being taken for roasting. Whole pods are usually used for instant coffee we discovered.
After a bit of backtracking east towards Mysore, we headed southeast and then south towards Ooty. We left the State of Karnataka for Tamil Nadu and traversed two Tiger Reserves, sadly only seeing deer and monkeys, before we started the steep climb to well over 6,000' and the Nilgiris Hills. The climb has 36 extremely tight and steep u-turns and I was glad to be on 4 and not 2 wheels! They were numbered too!
Contour driving in the hills for a while we passed through the busy town of Ooty and its suburbs with lovely names like Wellington, to Coonoor then left the main road to Tea Nest, a past hill station in the Singhara Estate in the middle of 18,000 acres of tea plantations.
Tea Nest/Coonoor
Houseboat
This was heralded as a highlight for the trip and it did not disappoint. Our converted rice barge was extremely well finished and we had 3 crew to look after us for our overnight trip. It picked us up near our Homestay and almost immediately we found ourselves seated for lunch and a lot of it. We motored slowly through the backwaters from Alleppey and through a combination of lakes, rivers and canals. It was peaceful and pretty all under a sunny sky and warm temperatures. There are many houseboats of differing sizes that cruise around the backwaters and we passed some, but it was not congested so was just the relaxation ticket. We discovered later that we had been exceptionally luck with our boat, seemingly the best of the 20 run by Lakes & Lagoons.
After a canoe trip, where we were paddled around a large rice paddy for an hour, we enjoyed dinner at our overnight mooring, with a few other vessels nearby but not intrusively. The canoe trip was wonderful, just the sound of the slop of the paddle in the rich vegetation or clearer water. In one dense vegetation section, I did lend my hand to the paddling and think I helped some. The dense floating vegetation was explained by our homestay host as 'on steroids', because of the all the fertiliser that gets spread on the rice paddies and then drained into the water system when the paddies are emptied for harvest.
This was definitely a high point and we were sorry to disembark after breakfast for a drive 3h to the final stop of our trip.
Dewalokam
After 3h, again with Wilson, we got to an organic farm called Dewalokam, inland from Cochin and run by Jose & Sinta Alilakuzhy, descendants of an ancient Syrian Christian family. It was a perfect final stop with a pool, by the river and surrounded by the plants and animals of the farm. Most of our time was just relaxation, but there were some outings to be had.
We were shown how the farm operates, its animals, fruit and spices on a walking tour with Sinta. These included cows, water buffalo, goats and chickens along with a wide variety of spice trees and plants. The All Spice leaf numbed my tongue and lips with just a brief bite, then it was further assaulted with other spices including nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, pepper, chilli and ginger. The fruit included pineapple, banana, passion fruit, paw paw, papaya, okra and aubergine. There were also bee hives and some rubber plantation although the latter is sold off. All this is cultivated organically, recycling waste as fertiliser and natural insecticides.
The chef provided a demonstration of making two of the twelve dishes we had on our first night for dinner. The emphasis seemed to be on art rather than science and they were very good later.
And, he gave us a copy of his cook book.
Adjacent is 2,000 acres of rubber plantation, which we walked through to the local village and even tried tapping the trees (under supervision). We visited the local hospital, which was very basic and empty so nobody needed it at that moment, to some local shops and small industries, including coconut processing, the sewing of biodegradable shopping bags, vegetable market and the nursery for the rubber plantation before taking the local bus and then tuk tuk back to our homestay, which were both quite a hoot. There are three large local schools and we heard lots about the value ascribed to education and the high rates of achievement, despite class sizes of 100, which was impressive. Jean also went on a forest walk on another outing.
As our trip comes to a close with Delhi and the North seeming a very long time ago indeed, I reflect on the differences between north and south including history, language, culture, weather, scenery, religious mix and that the cow is sacred in the north but not in Kerala with its larger Christian population. India is around the size of Europe so this is not a surprise and Dewalokam was a very peaceful oasis to unwind before our trip home, including a swim in the river.
The driving is pretty much the same everywhere but I have come to believe that Indian drivers have superior observation and anticipation to we Westerners. There are rules but they are not enforced, so it is necessary to be aware and react to anything as opposed to living in the (sometime false) comfort zone that we enjoy where many things are not meant to happen. Traffic does flow despite the seeming chaos at times and we only saw the aftermath of a couple of minor accidents in 5 weeks, so who's right?
It has been a rich and varied experience, giving substantial insight but also leaving many questions yet to be answered (by Google no doubt) on our return.
Delhi
Maidens Hotel
Nothing can prepare you for the cacophony of noise from horns, engines, exhausts and people, nor for the traffic congestion and the 'rules' of the road! I say rules but there appear to be none except perhaps "Seize the gap"! Large mostly has priority over small, but not always, and conviction to your course is paramount if you are to make progress. Had Jean or I been driving, we would still be hesitating at our first encounter, waiting. Somehow it all works, albeit very slowly a lot of the time, vehicles showing the scars of minor contact! A major contributor to the congestion is that not only are there 4 vehicles across 4 lanes, but a few motorcycles, tuk tuks, rickshaws and bicycles in between as well! And, that's leaving out pedestrians wandering everywhere! Our driver remarked that you need 4 things to drive in Delhi - good horn, good brakes, good brain and good luck! That rather said it all. I did witness how to get three head of cattle through a crowded junction - give the lead a hearty smack on the rump, who then charges into the sea of motorcycles, which amazingly parted! How they did was perhaps a mystery in the congestion, but why they did was blatantly obvious!
First, we were driven to the Red Fort and spent a short time viewing the outside, because there is an identical one in Agra which we would also visit. From there, we took a rickshaw to the Jama Masjid Mosque, the oldest mosque in India. Our rickshaw driver certainly had his work cut out with us (well me). He earned his tip! He was well able to haul us several kms there and back, barely out of breath, even identifying other sights as we travelled along. He, like most other road users knew exactly the dimensions of his rickshaw and squeezed us through the tightest gaps. All we had to do was watch out for our elbows. At the mosque, it was shoes off for both of us and saffron robe on for Jean. Next, he took us to Chandni Chowk, the spice market, which is huge. Spices are only available by the sackful, wholesale, exporting around the World. The sights and smells were just amazing.
Red Fort
Our ride!
Chaos & Confusion?
Oldest Mosque
Tuk Tuk jammed in rut, quickly sorted!
Loved the cabling!
Spices galore
Who needs a trolley?
Chillis (dried)
Tamarind
Textile delivery
Yep, tread's fine!
A Delhi tsunami of tuk tuks
Next was to Rajghat, the cremation site of the father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
After a very fine lunch, we went to New Delhi, actually the 8th Delhi, designed by Lutyens and encompassing the Presidential Palace, Parliament, Indian Gate commemorating those lost in WWl and many other Ministerial buildings, all very grand. Roads were closed in the run up to Republic Day on the 26th Jan.
India Gate
Presidential Palace
Parliament
India Gate in distance
Qutab Minar is an historic Islamic site that has a tower over 70m high, the tallest block-built tower in the World that has neither steel nor concrete. We then peeked over the wall to look at the Lotus Temple, made of white Greek marble, a good example of Indians' love of queuing (inherited from us no doubt) and which discouraged us visiting inside!
Varanasi
A short flight from Delhi east, this is a supremely important city to both Hindus and Buddhists, situated on the revered River Ganges (Ganga). Our first stop was Sarnath just outside Varanasi, also known as Deer Park. It was here that the first Buddha, Gautama, found enlightenment or Nirvana and where Buddhism spawned from Hinduism. Many of the buildings from this time were destroyed a long time ago, although one of two stupas, the Dhamek, survived. (Stupas contain part of the ashes and other relics of a Buddha). The area has been extensively excavated and an archaeological museum is alongside a replica of the original temple, which was reconstructed in 1931.
Varanasi and the Ganges especially, is very similar to Mecca in that Hindus should try and visit at least once in their lifetimes although some make the journey more frequently if they can. Prayers and ablutions are performed by and in the river. Given the size of the country and the population, it is often impractical for many or most to be cremated by the river, but plenty do, some nearing the end of their days coming here to die to ensure it. Consequently, most of the western bank of the river is accommodation for pilgrims alongside the ghats (concrete steps) that lead down to it, although much has sadly been displaced or converted to hotels and restaurants for tourists. Many also make a day trip if they are close enough.
An evening rowing boat trip from our hotel overlooking the river took us a short distance to the site of the cremations, which operates 24h/day. This was a mixed experience - a feeling of voyeurism and intrusion into an occasion to witness something sacred from an unfamiliar culture. Our boatman and guide took us rather (uncomfortably) close to events on the shore as a body arrived and was bathed by close family member in the river, prior to cremation. I felt we were intruding on, or even disrespecting, what should have been a private occasion. But we were far from alone. I have limited photos included here for these reasons. The bodies are borne aloft through the streets to the site and we had seen several during the day en route as we had entered the city.
A short distance away another and more uplifting ceremony was being performed for evening prayers with lots of ritual chanting and bells, led by a group of novice priests.
At sunrise, we returned to the misty river to see the ablutions of pilgrims and locals in the water at the bottom of the ghats. Again, there were other boats of tourists as well as many packed with pilgrims, some chanting their prayers.
On the river bank behind the main cremation area, we were ushered over rubble from buildings under demolition, into the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, meaning Lord of the Universe and otherwise known as the golden temple because of its gold covered roof, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Alongside, there is a fenced off mosque and the area is secured by armed guards because of past conflicts. As foreigners, the details of our passports and visas were recorded before we were then pushed in front of other pilgrims in a very hurried visit into and around this small building. Their queue was very long. This too I was felt disrespectful, given that the temple is a must for pilgrims visiting Varanasi and certainly did not have that significance to us. No photos were allowed in the area.
It seems that the rubble from extensive demolition can only be removed by small mules as diggers and trucks cannot access this area, which seems a shame for such an important site for Hindus getting to it on foot. It was a real scramble. I also wondered what happened to all our personal details so meticulously written into a ledger - filed somewhere forever?
However, we did manage to walk through the alleyways, past the enormous piles of wood for the cremation site, witness a husband lighting the funeral pyre of his late wife. No participants seemed bothered by those looking on and the husband even went to chat with a Westerner was taking video of the ceremony. It is believed that the person has left the body so this final act is not, perhaps, as sensitive as we perceive it. Then is was a short walk along the ghats back to our hotel, passing some other interesting sights along the way.
We enjoyed breakfast back at our hotel, where a monkey rushed over from an adjacent building, pinched a banana off a neighbour's table in a flash and returned to eat it behind Jean!
On another adjacent roof, a pigeon owner had released his flock to exercise and was keeping them close with various calls and whistles.
We took an open motor boat trip upriver on the Ganges some 20km to Chunar Fort on a nice sunny day. Little did we know that against the flow it would take 6 hours, without a loo and listening to the faithful diesel thumping away just behind us! The river did yield some interest - casual cremations taking place on the banks, lone fishermen with rods, small boats fishing with nets (even though fishing the Ganges has been declared illegal), ritual bathing, some large sandbanks as well as a couple of hidden ones that we ran aground on, lots of friendly waving the people we passed and, on the whole, I found it the best bit of this outing.
Chunar Fort is rich in history and spans 56BC through the Mughal Empires to the British East India Company and, finally the British Raj. It has an outstanding outlook over the Ganges on the highest ground we passed along the way. The place itself was a little bit of a letdown (my view), but was it the 6hr journey building expectation too high? It had been a place of imprisonment with its own court to sentence prisoners and surrounded by a crocodile-filled moat at one time, as well as a rehab hospital for soldiers, and is currently accommodation for Police so we didn't see that much.
With the flow, the return journey time was halved, but it still meant that much of it was in the dark, without navigation lights on either the river or the boat! I think our helmsman was steering to the odd house light he could see, assisted by our guide who turned on the torch of his smartphone! Amazingly, we did not run aground on the return trip.
Varanasi
A short flight from Delhi east, this is a supremely important city to both Hindus and Buddhists, situated on the revered River Ganges (Ganga). Our first stop was Sarnath just outside Varanasi, also known as Deer Park. It was here that the first Buddha, Gautama, found enlightenment or Nirvana and where Buddhism spawned from Hinduism. Many of the buildings from this time were destroyed a long time ago, although one of two stupas, the Dhamek, survived. (Stupas contain part of the ashes and other relics of a Buddha). The area has been extensively excavated and an archaeological museum is alongside a replica of the original temple, which was reconstructed in 1931.
Stupa in the distance
Boat shuttle to hotel
Varanasi and the Ganges especially, is very similar to Mecca in that Hindus should try and visit at least once in their lifetimes although some make the journey more frequently if they can. Prayers and ablutions are performed by and in the river. Given the size of the country and the population, it is often impractical for many or most to be cremated by the river, but plenty do, some nearing the end of their days coming here to die to ensure it. Consequently, most of the western bank of the river is accommodation for pilgrims alongside the ghats (concrete steps) that lead down to it, although much has sadly been displaced or converted to hotels and restaurants for tourists. Many also make a day trip if they are close enough.
The Ganges from our hotel
An evening rowing boat trip from our hotel overlooking the river took us a short distance to the site of the cremations, which operates 24h/day. This was a mixed experience - a feeling of voyeurism and intrusion into an occasion to witness something sacred from an unfamiliar culture. Our boatman and guide took us rather (uncomfortably) close to events on the shore as a body arrived and was bathed by close family member in the river, prior to cremation. I felt we were intruding on, or even disrespecting, what should have been a private occasion. But we were far from alone. I have limited photos included here for these reasons. The bodies are borne aloft through the streets to the site and we had seen several during the day en route as we had entered the city.
A short distance away another and more uplifting ceremony was being performed for evening prayers with lots of ritual chanting and bells, led by a group of novice priests.
Evening Prayers
Returning to our hotel
the activities had increased
At sunrise, we returned to the misty river to see the ablutions of pilgrims and locals in the water at the bottom of the ghats. Again, there were other boats of tourists as well as many packed with pilgrims, some chanting their prayers.
Sun peeks through the mist
Migrating gulls
Pilgrims' morning prayers
On the river bank behind the main cremation area, we were ushered over rubble from buildings under demolition, into the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, meaning Lord of the Universe and otherwise known as the golden temple because of its gold covered roof, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Alongside, there is a fenced off mosque and the area is secured by armed guards because of past conflicts. As foreigners, the details of our passports and visas were recorded before we were then pushed in front of other pilgrims in a very hurried visit into and around this small building. Their queue was very long. This too I was felt disrespectful, given that the temple is a must for pilgrims visiting Varanasi and certainly did not have that significance to us. No photos were allowed in the area.
It seems that the rubble from extensive demolition can only be removed by small mules as diggers and trucks cannot access this area, which seems a shame for such an important site for Hindus getting to it on foot. It was a real scramble. I also wondered what happened to all our personal details so meticulously written into a ledger - filed somewhere forever?
Mountains of wood everywhere for the cremations
Continues round the clock
A real poser!
Sacred cow (on the right!)
We enjoyed breakfast back at our hotel, where a monkey rushed over from an adjacent building, pinched a banana off a neighbour's table in a flash and returned to eat it behind Jean!
Cheeky monkey!
On another adjacent roof, a pigeon owner had released his flock to exercise and was keeping them close with various calls and whistles.
We took an open motor boat trip upriver on the Ganges some 20km to Chunar Fort on a nice sunny day. Little did we know that against the flow it would take 6 hours, without a loo and listening to the faithful diesel thumping away just behind us! The river did yield some interest - casual cremations taking place on the banks, lone fishermen with rods, small boats fishing with nets (even though fishing the Ganges has been declared illegal), ritual bathing, some large sandbanks as well as a couple of hidden ones that we ran aground on, lots of friendly waving the people we passed and, on the whole, I found it the best bit of this outing.
Guleria Khoti - our hotel
Chunar Fort
A Maharajah's Palace
Body being bathed in the Ganges
prior to cremation
Spotting sandbanks
Sandbanks created from previous flooding
Fishermen
Chunar Fort is rich in history and spans 56BC through the Mughal Empires to the British East India Company and, finally the British Raj. It has an outstanding outlook over the Ganges on the highest ground we passed along the way. The place itself was a little bit of a letdown (my view), but was it the 6hr journey building expectation too high? It had been a place of imprisonment with its own court to sentence prisoners and surrounded by a crocodile-filled moat at one time, as well as a rehab hospital for soldiers, and is currently accommodation for Police so we didn't see that much.
Overlooking Ganga from Chunar Fort
(Deep) Well
Pulpit from where sentences, including hanging,
were handed down to prisoners
Tuk tuk transport to/from Fort
Chunar Fort from the Ganges
Guide & Boat Crew enjoying a spicy wrap
Cold Guide
With the flow, the return journey time was halved, but it still meant that much of it was in the dark, without navigation lights on either the river or the boat! I think our helmsman was steering to the odd house light he could see, assisted by our guide who turned on the torch of his smartphone! Amazingly, we did not run aground on the return trip.
A boat ride on departure from our Varanasis hotel connected with a car to the airport and a connecting flight back to Delhi, from where we crawled for a while through traffic until we entered an almost deserted toll expressway to Agra. This new toll road was built in 2010 to relieve the old road, but locals regard the tolls as expensive so don't use it!
Along the way and into the city, I spotted a few more traffic items.
Agra
Everyone has seen pictures, watched documentaries and you can be forgiven for feeling you know about it, but none of this compares to actually visiting the Taj Mahal (Crown Palace). The first thing that strikes you is the scale and the symmetry of this colossal piece of architecture - the gates, the entrance arches, the twin mosques either side, the minarets (deliberately canted 5 degrees off the vertical in case they collapse, outwards causing no damage) and, of course, the Taj itself. The second is the level of fine detail - the translucent and very hard Indian marble, the inlay of precious and semi-precious stones, the fine carvings, all the work of 20,000 Persian artisans over 400 years ago. Apart from some discolouration from industrial pollution, which was stopped 20 years ago and cleaning is almost complete with just the dome to go, it has required almost no maintenance in all weathers.
Built at the peak of power of the 6th Mughal, Shah Jahan, in memory of his much beloved wife who died giving birth to their 14th child, it houses her tomb in the centre. The only break with symmetry is that his tomb was added alongside hers on his death by his son. However, it wasn't all rosy between them, for power as always, as his son imprisoned him, murdered several of his own brothers, moved the capital to Delhi and went on to deny his sons a part in Government to learn the ropes, precipitating the fall of the empire on his death. One positive was that the father was imprisoned in his Palace in Agra Fort and he could see the Taj Mahal until his death. It is said that it had been his intention to have a black marble Taj Mahal for his tomb opposite his wife's and bigger still, and the foundations that were laid remain today. Some say that is a myth.
Chambal
Boat shuttle, hotel in distance
Waiting for our car
after the boat trip from the hotel
Along the way and into the city, I spotted a few more traffic items.
How to maximise trailer loads!
5 up!
Agra
Everyone has seen pictures, watched documentaries and you can be forgiven for feeling you know about it, but none of this compares to actually visiting the Taj Mahal (Crown Palace). The first thing that strikes you is the scale and the symmetry of this colossal piece of architecture - the gates, the entrance arches, the twin mosques either side, the minarets (deliberately canted 5 degrees off the vertical in case they collapse, outwards causing no damage) and, of course, the Taj itself. The second is the level of fine detail - the translucent and very hard Indian marble, the inlay of precious and semi-precious stones, the fine carvings, all the work of 20,000 Persian artisans over 400 years ago. Apart from some discolouration from industrial pollution, which was stopped 20 years ago and cleaning is almost complete with just the dome to go, it has required almost no maintenance in all weathers.
Built at the peak of power of the 6th Mughal, Shah Jahan, in memory of his much beloved wife who died giving birth to their 14th child, it houses her tomb in the centre. The only break with symmetry is that his tomb was added alongside hers on his death by his son. However, it wasn't all rosy between them, for power as always, as his son imprisoned him, murdered several of his own brothers, moved the capital to Delhi and went on to deny his sons a part in Government to learn the ropes, precipitating the fall of the empire on his death. One positive was that the father was imprisoned in his Palace in Agra Fort and he could see the Taj Mahal until his death. It is said that it had been his intention to have a black marble Taj Mahal for his tomb opposite his wife's and bigger still, and the foundations that were laid remain today. Some say that is a myth.
Agra Fort
Bathtub
relocated for display
From our hotel
Inlaid sapphires
From the noise and traffic of Agra, we next went to a Safari Lodge set in woodlands, small and peaceful and a favourite venue for twitchers, of which there were some with huge long lenses on their cameras. Our agenda was now a bit different.
First, we went on a cruise in a small boat with a naturalist on the River Yamuna to spot some birds and more importantly see crocodiles, gharials, gangetic dolphins and a turtle. We were rewarded with the warm sun bringing out the reptiles and the good light making it easier to see some of the interesting birds.
Drinks around the campfire
Great egret
Pied kingfisher
Spoonbills
Male gharial
Female
Male gharial about 5 metres length
Turtle
Next, we took a jeep safari in the hope of seeing blackbuck. After a walk through a family's homestead and along the edges of crop fields, our naturalist did manage to find two bucks and several doe. Only the males are black-backed.
'Scuse us, coming through
Female and male Blackbuck
Of course, there were a few more traffic observations to be recorded!
Brick making
Hang on tight to those sacks!
Karauli
On arrival and with just a little time left after a long car journey, I visited the City Palace, arriving suddenly after crawling through narrow streets and stalls to find it sitting high on the hill overlooking the city. It was started in the 14th century with additions from the 15th up to the 19th centuries. Much of it remains in need of restoration but some has already been completed. It is grand and ornate with many detailed paintings on the walls and ceilings and I heard stories of the life of the Maharaj and his queens, of whom there were many.
Our hotel was Bhanwar Vilas Palace, the more recent home of the Maharaj. We didn't see him at all, or any other staff at times! It was a case of hunting out the dining room, which was in an adjacent room across a courtyard, or the chap, armed with just a calculator and a piece of paper on a table behind it, to whom I had to pay the bill in the morning. It was decked in pictures of past eras and people, a stuffed tiger in the lobby, had plumbing that was variable at best and electrics that were blasts from the past!
The (not) Dining Room
The journey to Chittorgarh was more eventful and longer than planned. Our driver left early with the luggage, we departed to Gangapur by taxi an hour later, where we were to take a train to Kota and he would meet us for the final drive. A four hour train delay because of fog, some mobile calls to and from, and he was beckoned back to pick us up heading towards him in our taxi! It became an 8 hour road journey, some on good road, the rest being shaken violently & regularly over the many suspension-breaking speed bumps and pot holes, weaving through the cows, pigs, goats, dogs, pedestrians and other obstacles on the road, and avoiding the oncoming trucks, tractors and motorcycles on our side of the dual carriageway sections!
Fort Begu (Chittorgarh)
The Fort, dating from the 15th century, is 45kms outside of Chittorgarh and part of it has been converted into a hotel in order to keep it running and help with restoration, much more of which is needed. It is abound with pictures of the past owners as well as some swords and other hardware on display. Again, electrics and plumbing were features, but our room was more than just a bit ornate. The history and past grandeur were all too evident, but it was sad to see the decay and dilapidation, some of which is probably beyond recovery. There remain many fresco paintings, although these could only be seen by splashing water on them to increase the contrast, tiled ornate glass inlay work and other evidence of its grand past. The welcome was warm and the strong desire to help was a contrast to our last stop, much of which seems to have stemmed from the recently late father of the current owner.
Ruins within ruins!
Our room's peacock-themed walls
Peter went veggie!
Non-paying guests
We were given a tour around the inside and outside of the Fort itself and encountered some severe health and safety risks at times! In the late afternoon, we were taken by the owner some 7kms in his 1943 Willys Jeep to the Fort's Summer Palace, which sits by a large lake that was sadly nearly empty because of low rainfall. However, we were served tea, drinks and biscuits in its highest tower by Fort staff after hearing about its history from owner Ajay and that was a rather nice touch. More Health & Safety risks were avoided, but they were significant too!
Ajay & his jeep
Causeway to the Summer Palace
which has been covered when water
levels are high, as seen in a photo
Afternoon tea on top!
Handrail?
Nope!
I was left trying to reconcile the past majesty and importance of the Fort with the mostly crumbling ruins of today, while hearing the intentions of the owner to get investors on board to restore it without losing its character. The combination of all of this together with the enthusiastic and constant attention of all of the staff just left me thinking "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"!
Chittorgarh
From Fort Begu, we went to Chittorgarh Fort, which is an enormous place on top of the hill above the city. It dates from centuries ago and was constructed to defend against Muslim invaders, who overran it three times. Much has been destroyed because of this, but UNESCO status and funding has enabled restoration.
Stunning view of Chittorgarh
Tower of Victory
Over 400 years old
Tower of Fame
The journey was slower than anticipated because about half of the road was under construction in alternating road and roadworks about every 5kms. Our hotel, Kankarwa Haveli, was right by the lake with a good rooftop view of the Summer Palace and also the island that housed the Maharana's concubines behind it.
Summer Palace and
Island for concubines behind on left
The City Palace was very impressive, with a part still occupied by the current Maharana/King, who is very popular. It was our first exposure to crowds of other tourists, although the Palace is well geared to crowds and it wasn't a problem.
"Cyber cafe" for the Queen to send messages to King,
while he is with concubines, by carrier pigeon!
No details of a typical message was given!
The Lake
The City
Summer Palace
From there, I took a boat ride to the island reserved for the concubines, which is now used as a wedding venue, subject to permission. It was very pretty with a fine view back at the lakeside and the City Palace. One such wedding was in preparation, so part of the garden was a hubbub of activity for a lavish event.
Sunset across the lake
Walking next door to a rooftop restaurant for lunch, we were confronted by a tailor who knew when we had arrived, where we were staying and claimed to have made many costumes for Best Exotic Marigold. Sure enough, he had a photo of Judi Dench inside to prove it. In short, I had chosen the material for both jacket and liner, buttons and style, had been measured and paid, and we were yomping up the stairs to lunch just 30 mins later. Fitting in case adjustments are needed after 5.5 hours and delivery to the hotel 90 mins after that - 7 hours in total and a good price for a fine cashmere tweed! (He also tells that there will be a 3rd Exotic Hotel Marigold). Just showed what is possible.
Cloth cut before I left the shop!
Actually, it was ready at 8pm, no adjustments needed, so I took it with me for dinner - 5.5 hours start to finish!
And we enjoyed a dinner overlooking the lake, the Summer Palace on the right and the concubines island on the left.
Yep, Harleys should park here
This way is for me - an "Aged Person"!
The Jain religion dates from over a million years ago, from the little I have read, and has many common strands with Hinduism. Much more to be learned here.
Thereafter, it was mostly highway to Jodhpur and Ratan Vilas, a very pleasant family owned and run hotel and yet another with regal history.
Jodhpur
Initial impressions of Jodhpur are that it is slightly cleaner and tidier, although it does have street-side slum dwellings, and they love roundabouts!
About 25kms outside Jodhpur, we took a jeep tour along the dried up bed of a river, mostly salty because of a lack of rain in the previous monsoon. We were promised and saw three different types of antelope including the Blackbuck that we had seen in Chambal and also the Blue Bull, which is a biggest antelope found in India, the size of a horse.
Blackbuck male
Blackbuck doe
Blue Bull Antelope
We also spotted Egyptian Vultures and a lone pink flamingo among other more common birds.
Mongoose
We visited a home in the Bishnoi community, which is a religious sect that lives by 29 tenets passed down by their founder in the 15h century, is strictly vegetarian & environmentalist, living off the desert environment without support. We were made to feel welcome, shown around their self-built home, which was well constructed and finished, but very basic inside, although it did have solar power, a television and an ac unit, albeit still in the box. They value education highly and a primary school can be found about every 2.5 kms throughout the community of 1-1.5 million to give a literacy rate of 78%. Many parts of Rajasthan are 100%. If only in the UK................
The sources of milk, and dung for fuel
Tea cup collection!
Afterwards, we were taken to a Pittal community home, where the focus is on agriculture for self-sufficiency. Once more we were made most welcome, cooked millet bread, which was smeared with ghee (clarified butter) before being served hot. Then it was time for lunch under a thatch roof.
Various crops grown between irrigation ditches
Water pumped up from a well nearby
Looked after by one family
Baby sleeps
Battery collecting power from solar panels
for use later?
There was also a satellite dish on the roof
Son churns butter by hand
Bread being cooked over charcoal
We were impressed by the cleanliness of both the communities we visited, given the dusty and probably windy at times, environment.
On the way back, we were fortunate to spot a flock of migratory Demoiselle cranes that had landed by a small lake. They are apparently the highest flying bird and have been seen at 32,000', able to fly over Mount Everest, when migrating to & from Siberia!
There were more traffic observations, but they have now become so routine and many that I often don't bother to take a picture, or upload it here. Maybe we are normalising to India after over 2 weeks?
Jaswant Thada temple is located at the cremation site of past Raos (rulers) of the Rajput Clan, starting with Jodha, the first of them who gave his name to the city (Pur). It was constructed in 1906 using the same white marble as the Taj Mahal and is similarly translucent. The central part is of Hindu, the outer parts of Muslim architecture.
Gardens and lake of the Temple
Tombs of past Raos (rulers)
Memorial of the previous Rao who died in 1955
Old lady pointing block paving
Statue of Rao Jodha on his horse
The temple sits below the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort, which was started in 1469 and is an enormous structure that towers over the city of Jodhpur. It has been the most spectacular of the trip so far.
Jodhpur is known as the Blue City because of the colour that many houses are painted and great views of it can be had from the Fort. Blue was chosen as it is the sky colour, deflects mosquitoes and is the colour of the face of the God Krishna. Like other Forts, it has lots of carved stonework, sandstone mostly in this case, including intricate screens to allow Queens to observe events in courtyards below without being seen. It was the Palace of past rulers up until the current one, who has a separate Palace high on a high on the other side of the city, which we could just see through the haze.
Mehrangarh Fort
Screen, carved from one piece of stone
Blue city
Cradles of past baby Raos
Throne room where the Rao talked with his nobles
We were meant to visit the Clocktower, but it and the market stalls and area that surround it were closed due to a speech being given there by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. So, we wandered through the textile and other markets next door to it dodging tuk tuks and motorcycles, amid a cacophony of horns and a blaze of colour.
Clocktower
Just one helmet!
World's narrowest shop?
Tie dye phase one
Tie dye phase two
How to tie a turban
(for a wedding in this case)
Grain Market
'Scuse me, looking for a new jacket
Spice Market
After a day of relaxation, we caught a train to Jaipur late afternoon, our suitcases having left by road in the morning. It was not a spectacularly scenic journey, starting in daylight through mostly desert and the majority in the dark. It was the Jodhpur-Jaipur 'Superexpress', which did actually go quite quickly at times, but only took 30 mins less than had we gone by car!
Jaipur
Known as the Pink City, it is actually terracotta, the misnomer from differences in meaning between Hindi and the local dialect. The old city was painted this colour for the visit of Prince Albert, later King Edward VII, who became a good friend of the Maharajah. The Maharajah also built an Albert Hall for his friend, although its use did not get decided as a museum until some time later. When the Maharajah attended Albert's coronation, he took with him 7 large silver pots, weighing 350kgs empty, filled with Ganges water so he could continue his ablutions while on the journey and in UK. Each was made from 14,000 silver coins. Such were those days of extravagance!
Albert Hall Museum
The photo doesn't adequately reflect its size
and that its silver
We stopped briefly at the facade of the City Palace, once the palace and home of the Maharajah, although much of the land and buildings were taken from him at Independence in 1947. Like others, he has retained his home and converted part of it into a heritage hotel. These kings no longer have political power, but remain as figureheads, often popular and respected by local people. Maharajah Man Singh II, the last ruling King at Independence, was also a notable sportsman, leading an India Polo team to win many cups and become World Champions in 1933. Ironically, he died in a polo accident in England in 1970.
City Palace facade
Next, it was the Amber Fort, Amber being one of the variants for the name of the old city until it was named Jaipur after the then Maharajah, Sawai Jai Singh II, in 1727. It is surrounded by a massive hilltop city wall and has a mix of Hindu and Islamic architecture from that era of Mughul rule with Maharajah cooperation. Access was by way of an elephant ride, which was very enjoyable if a bit touristy. I was assured the elephants are well looked after and they only work 3 hours per day, probably making just 3 or 4 journeys each.
Snake charmer
Amber Fort
Elephant ride
Hall of Public Audience
City wall silhouetted
Gold leaf relflects the light
Sheeh Majal - Mirror Palace
Mirror made from carved glass
backed with silver
King's bedroom
Two weally, weally big woks!
Returning to the City Palace, we toured an astronomical and astrological museum, which featured many instruments including one that is the largest sundial in the World. The ruler of the time was seemingly obsessed with time and horoscopes!
World's largest sundial
Maharajah who gave his name to Jaipur
Maharajah's residence
There were also interesting textile and weapons museums inside the City Palace that did not allow photographs inside.
Peacock - room service?
With driver Yasvinda outside Narain Niwas Palace Hotel
Jaipur before we said goodbye to head south.
He was just terrific!
This last stop on the northern part of our itinerary has brought near saturation of Palaces, Forts, Temples, Raos & Rajahs (Kings) and Maharajahs (Kings of Kings), their family trees and history, and the battles with the Mughuls that so greatly influenced India's history. Now, it remains to enjoy the Narwain Niwas Palace hotel for a bit more relaxation before we fly to Bangalore to continue with the southern part.
Mysore/Mysuru
The 2.5h flight from Jaipur to Bangalore was uneventful, we were met by driver Shibu and the 4h drive to our Homestay in Mysore in the State of Karnataka was slow at times but trouble-free. There we were met by our delightful hostess, Yamuna, her mother, father, husband and other staff at a tranquil spot with just bird calls to contend with instead of horns!
Gitanjali Farm Homestay
We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks and dinner with them along with 3 British, 1 French and 1 Swiss couple, exchanging experiences of each of our holiday trips. Also welcome was the 10 degree increase in temperature to that we had experienced in the north, which we had found chilly even on some sunny days out of the sun, and moreso cold at night.
We visited the City Palace, that of the last reigning king of Mysore. It is now managed by the State Government and has all the trappings of grandeur in reasonable condition from its past. These included great pillars holding up meeting halls, paintings of festival processions, teak and ivory inlaid, even silver, doors, teak and painted ceilings as well as huge chandeliers and other fittings.
City Palace Gate
City Palace
1 of 30 paintings
Meeting Hall
Carved teak door
Carved teak ceiling
Meeting hall
Painted ceiling
Silver doors
Ivory Inlaid door
The City Palace was designed by British architect Henry Irwin and blends Hindu as well as Islamic style. The City has wide streets that ease traffic congestion, although 'discipline' remains the same!
In the evening, we returned for the switching on of lights, all 97,000 of them, on the Palace itself, as well as the temples and gates nearby. We were lucky to see it as it only takes place one day per week. It struck me that, given 40w bulbs, which might be conservative, this represented something like 4MW of power, sufficient for a decent sized village. One traveller said that when he first saw it in '96 and the city lights went out when it happened!
Next, it was to the flower and vegetable market, a sea of colour that helped lift my dampened spirits after Ireland's 6-Nations defeat to England in Dublin last night! Apparently, the market gets busier in the evening and all produce is sold by the time it closes.
We paid a brief visit to the railway museum which featured standard and narrow gauge engines and carriages from the past, most made in England.
On top of a 3,500' hill nearby sits the Chamundeshswari Temple, a sacred place for pilgrims. It is over 800 years old with very detailed carvings. We tried to understand what was going on as an idol was borne around the temple inside several times by bearers with music and drums, then around the outside on a trolley. Devotees were smashing coconuts on the ground as it passed and leaving them, but others were picking up the pieces to apparently take home as somehow special.
Silver door
Nearby, we saw the Nandi Bull, huge and carved from granite with its own priest, who was anointing those who came to pay their respects.
Outlook over Mysore from Chamundi Hill
Nandi Bull
Out of the city, I visited the Somnathapur Temple, now a 'dead' temple as it had had some of its idols removed and others defaced by Muslim invaders. However, the intricate carving on the three sections of the temple, over 400 years old, was still very impressive.
Along the way, I snapped a few more observations.
Mysore Traffic Cop
with Aussie style hat
I think the pillion wears just a veil
not a blindfold
Man with hay
Sugarcane being offloaded from
bullock cart to truck
In the evening the four of we residents joined a bigger group from nearby for a cultural evening of dance and a 12 course buffet. Yamuna, mother and father hosted as previous evenings, but Yamuna also gave some insight to their background as a Coorg/Kodavas family. Coorg is a tribal region in the hills a few hours west of Mysore, is small but distinct numbering several hundred thousand people. It is distinct from the rest of India as its people worship their ancestors, not idols, and regard the water of the River Cauvery that flows through it as holy. They are agriculturally based with a reputation as warriors, having a higher than proportional presence in the armed forces. They allied with the British soldiers of the East India Company to overthrow a Mysore Muslim leader. They also retain a unique right to bear arms to this day. We had a wonderful evening before heading towards Coorg the next day, the dancing being Coorg with high energy and loud drums.
Coorg
We climbed to 3,500' into the hills of the Western Ghats to stay at Bel Homestay, a coffee plantation where we heard much more about the Coorg/Kodavas people, their tight knit community and laudable values. It was a little cooler in the hills, the setting was outstanding and we were the only guests.
In the late afternoon, we went the Elephant Camp, where elephants are trained for local work, but the low water of the river meant we had to scramble over slippery rocks to get to see the sanctuary, only to find that two came over the causeway the other way and I had to get out of their way in a hurry! Then, I had done so well until, near the last, I slipped on the rocks, got rather wet one side, laundered the money in my wallet, but got my camera out of my pocket quickly enough, still dry other than on the outside, and was unhurt except for my pride!
Jean treads carefully!
Baby gets a bath
Dinner was a little 'different' as our host Vijay and wife Ramona, a school friend of Yamuna as it happens, sat opposite us as we ate dinner to talk about their community. We felt rather guilty that they would adjourn to eat their dinner only after we had finished ours. But, it was so interesting to hear about them and their community, expanding on some of what we had learned from Yamuna in Mysore.
We were joined again for breakfast for well over an hour to hear more, then taken to tour the coffee estate for over 2 hours to learn about coffee growing from Vijay.
Breakfast of toast, curry, fruit
dosa & chutneys
India accounts for only 3% of the World market and two kinds are grown at Bel Home on its 80 acres of hillside - Robusta and the superior Arabica. Coffee needs some shade so the plants are in rows 6' apart under a canopy of various types of trees. It is not easy terrain to work on the steep hillsides. Other crops are interspersed as supplements - pepper, betel, bananas and a palm product that yields a sweet drink that only lasts a few hours after harvest when it starts fermenting. I was impressed to hear how elephants, guided by their mahuts, can clear felled trees inching between the coffee plants without damage despite the terrain.
Coffee Plants
Young buds
Betel
Bananas
Pepper
Vijay and pet dog
Ready for harvest
Harvest - heavy work
Vijay took us down to the pulping machine where the day's harvest was fed in for processing. It ends up either as beans or whole pods for drying in the sun before being taken for roasting. Whole pods are usually used for instant coffee we discovered.
~50% of the day's harvest
Last of beans being washed into pulper
Pulper removes and separates skin
then used for compost
Washed beans
Measured output before
spreading to dry
Near dried beans
Coffee bean prices from the spot market
No smell until roasted
Young girl helping with the harvest
Papadums
After a bit of backtracking east towards Mysore, we headed southeast and then south towards Ooty. We left the State of Karnataka for Tamil Nadu and traversed two Tiger Reserves, sadly only seeing deer and monkeys, before we started the steep climb to well over 6,000' and the Nilgiris Hills. The climb has 36 extremely tight and steep u-turns and I was glad to be on 4 and not 2 wheels! They were numbered too!
1/36 the last one!
(numbers down the hill)
Contour driving in the hills for a while we passed through the busy town of Ooty and its suburbs with lovely names like Wellington, to Coonoor then left the main road to Tea Nest, a past hill station in the Singhara Estate in the middle of 18,000 acres of tea plantations.
Tea Nest/Coonoor
What an idyllic spot, set high on the hillside, surrounded by tea with the sun shining and not too hot because of the elevation. Only 2 rooms in the Teanest Annexe so just us for most of the time.
We went up to Lamb's Rock, a lookout point, to enjoy the views of the valley, slightly hazy, below and across the vast tea plantations.
Then we took a tour of a tea factory that, unfortunately, was on holiday so not working, but did get a guided tour of how tea is processed within 12-13 hours of being picked.
Along the way, we passed the Upper Coonoor Police Station with its Wanted Poster for Maoist absconders.
Back at Tea Nest, it was then time to relax for the rest of the day as picking continued around us.
The narrow gauge train from Coonoor is known as the Toy Train, running only once per day with a few dated carriages and a steam locomotive. The distance to Mettupalayam was only 28kms but it took 2.5h with a couple of stops. The 6,000' descent from the Nilgiris Hills was often at walking pace and there was a brakeman on each of the carriages helping to slow the the train as we passed precipitous slopes and gorges. At Hillgrove to top up the water, monkeys were abound scrounging from willing passengers for biscuits, crisps and other snacks, clearly a regular event. The views were spectacular although rather obscured by the grubby windows at times as the brakes squealed to control the train. On arrival, we were met by our next driver Jess, who had taken our suitcases at Teanest, for the 2.5h drive to Coimbatore.
Coimbatore
It is a large and busy city, apparently largely industrial, but a couple of things struck me. In the centre, the sides of the road were finished off, no dirt, the main roads were wide albeit very busy like Delhi, but the cars were clean and undamaged, unlike Delhi despite similar driving styles. It was only a staging post for our next train journey, however.
We had 5h on the Sabari Express from Coimbatore to Ernakulam. It started in Hyderabad and was heading all the way to Trivandrum in the south. We were seated in essentially a sleeper carriage although the lower bunk where we sat was just being used as seats. Vendors frequently passed selling everything from chai/coffee to tomato soup with croutons to various food packs and soft drinks. It was busy! We met 3 talkative guys who had been on the train overnight from Hyderabad and wanted to know lots about us, where we were from, examining my passport in some detail after the ticket inspector had checked it, and even asked about Brexit! They were friendly company. This friendliness is something we have encountered all along and we had even had to pose for a selfie with some other passengers, at their request as we had walked against the tide of arriving passengers at Coimbatore! From the suburb of Ernakulam, we were picked up by our next driver Wilson for a short drive over a couple of bridges to Fort Kochi and the Old Town.
Kochi/Cochin
We were pleasantly surprised by a change of our accommodation to a place called the Secret Garden, a boutique hotel up a very narrow street, owned by an Icelandic lady who spends Winter here. She had restored it from a very run-down state using traditional materials and craftsmen and furnished it with a lot of antiques.
Kochi's history includes Portuguese colonisation (1503) followed by Dutch (1663) and then British (1814) periods. This also spanned periods of Muslim and then Christian rule when the Mughuls were overthrown, back to the overthrow of Tippu Sultan in Mysore by the British in collaboration with the Coorgs. It is majority Christian today. A large Jewish population left the area in 1949, but their Synagogue remains today.
Why not visit a laundry? We stopped first at Dhoby Khana, first set up to wash uniforms for the Dutch Army, which declines the use the washing machines and does things the old fashioned way. We looked for the laundry we had put in from the hotel earlier, but didn't see it, maybe thankfully!
St Francis Church, which housed the remains of Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama until they were removed to Lisbon, also has large fabric fans, still moved by Punkawallahs via a rope through the walls at the side, fascinating!
Santa Cruz Basilica on the other hand had electric fans in addition to the traditional adornments.
The Chinese fishing nets were reminiscent of some I had seen in Vietnam, although much bigger, simple and dating from the 14th century one fisherman remarked.
Spotted at the side of the road - 4 female police officers in this Pink Police car. Chatting to them, amid lots of smiles, they explained their role to look out for the welfare of females and vulnerable children.
We enjoyed a cultural show for an hour in the evening. Lots of make-up and costume to then perform a play in 20 mins that would normally have been taken 2 hours for each of 10-15 days. Thank heavens! The preamble was an amusing portrayal of moods without words that included two willing audience participants who were up for it and gave their best. Then it was time for an excellent Boatman Prawn Red Curry for me and a Vegetable Curry at a recommended local restaurant to top off our stay in Cochin.
Two hours driving south brought us to Alleppey/Alappuzha from where we took a small boat into the backwaters to Nelpura Homestay. We had also passed greater numbers of Chinese fishing nets spaced along the waterways en route.
Nelpura Homestay
A very pleasant and quiet location with just three rooms, the others with two Brit ladies and two Frenchmen, a very fine place to relax and a lazy day followed!
Picking right behind first thing in the morning
We went up to Lamb's Rock, a lookout point, to enjoy the views of the valley, slightly hazy, below and across the vast tea plantations.
Then we took a tour of a tea factory that, unfortunately, was on holiday so not working, but did get a guided tour of how tea is processed within 12-13 hours of being picked.
Perfect young leaves for processing
Along the way, we passed the Upper Coonoor Police Station with its Wanted Poster for Maoist absconders.
Absconded Maoists
The narrow gauge train from Coonoor is known as the Toy Train, running only once per day with a few dated carriages and a steam locomotive. The distance to Mettupalayam was only 28kms but it took 2.5h with a couple of stops. The 6,000' descent from the Nilgiris Hills was often at walking pace and there was a brakeman on each of the carriages helping to slow the the train as we passed precipitous slopes and gorges. At Hillgrove to top up the water, monkeys were abound scrounging from willing passengers for biscuits, crisps and other snacks, clearly a regular event. The views were spectacular although rather obscured by the grubby windows at times as the brakes squealed to control the train. On arrival, we were met by our next driver Jess, who had taken our suitcases at Teanest, for the 2.5h drive to Coimbatore.
Lone passenger sits & waits for train
Brakeman
Yep, like this brand!
Water top up at Hillgrove
Get me!
Not railway staff methinks
Coimbatore
It is a large and busy city, apparently largely industrial, but a couple of things struck me. In the centre, the sides of the road were finished off, no dirt, the main roads were wide albeit very busy like Delhi, but the cars were clean and undamaged, unlike Delhi despite similar driving styles. It was only a staging post for our next train journey, however.
We had 5h on the Sabari Express from Coimbatore to Ernakulam. It started in Hyderabad and was heading all the way to Trivandrum in the south. We were seated in essentially a sleeper carriage although the lower bunk where we sat was just being used as seats. Vendors frequently passed selling everything from chai/coffee to tomato soup with croutons to various food packs and soft drinks. It was busy! We met 3 talkative guys who had been on the train overnight from Hyderabad and wanted to know lots about us, where we were from, examining my passport in some detail after the ticket inspector had checked it, and even asked about Brexit! They were friendly company. This friendliness is something we have encountered all along and we had even had to pose for a selfie with some other passengers, at their request as we had walked against the tide of arriving passengers at Coimbatore! From the suburb of Ernakulam, we were picked up by our next driver Wilson for a short drive over a couple of bridges to Fort Kochi and the Old Town.
Our train disappears to the left
as another arrives
We had arrived in Kerala from Tamil Nadu.
We were pleasantly surprised by a change of our accommodation to a place called the Secret Garden, a boutique hotel up a very narrow street, owned by an Icelandic lady who spends Winter here. She had restored it from a very run-down state using traditional materials and craftsmen and furnished it with a lot of antiques.
Jean relaxes on our verandah
Kochi's history includes Portuguese colonisation (1503) followed by Dutch (1663) and then British (1814) periods. This also spanned periods of Muslim and then Christian rule when the Mughuls were overthrown, back to the overthrow of Tippu Sultan in Mysore by the British in collaboration with the Coorgs. It is majority Christian today. A large Jewish population left the area in 1949, but their Synagogue remains today.
Why not visit a laundry? We stopped first at Dhoby Khana, first set up to wash uniforms for the Dutch Army, which declines the use the washing machines and does things the old fashioned way. We looked for the laundry we had put in from the hotel earlier, but didn't see it, maybe thankfully!
Unused washing machines!
Drying area
Delicates done here!
St Francis Church, which housed the remains of Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama until they were removed to Lisbon, also has large fabric fans, still moved by Punkawallahs via a rope through the walls at the side, fascinating!
Cloth/wood fans
Santa Cruz Basilica on the other hand had electric fans in addition to the traditional adornments.
Schoolgirls gathering
The Chinese fishing nets were reminiscent of some I had seen in Vietnam, although much bigger, simple and dating from the 14th century one fisherman remarked.
The catch was pretty small each time
and I suspect they were more for tourism
Man walks out to tip the balance and lower the net into the sea
Rocks as counterweights
Spotted at the side of the road - 4 female police officers in this Pink Police car. Chatting to them, amid lots of smiles, they explained their role to look out for the welfare of females and vulnerable children.
We enjoyed a cultural show for an hour in the evening. Lots of make-up and costume to then perform a play in 20 mins that would normally have been taken 2 hours for each of 10-15 days. Thank heavens! The preamble was an amusing portrayal of moods without words that included two willing audience participants who were up for it and gave their best. Then it was time for an excellent Boatman Prawn Red Curry for me and a Vegetable Curry at a recommended local restaurant to top off our stay in Cochin.
Two hours driving south brought us to Alleppey/Alappuzha from where we took a small boat into the backwaters to Nelpura Homestay. We had also passed greater numbers of Chinese fishing nets spaced along the waterways en route.
Last leg by homestay boat
Nelpura Homestay
A very pleasant and quiet location with just three rooms, the others with two Brit ladies and two Frenchmen, a very fine place to relax and a lazy day followed!
Houseboat
This was heralded as a highlight for the trip and it did not disappoint. Our converted rice barge was extremely well finished and we had 3 crew to look after us for our overnight trip. It picked us up near our Homestay and almost immediately we found ourselves seated for lunch and a lot of it. We motored slowly through the backwaters from Alleppey and through a combination of lakes, rivers and canals. It was peaceful and pretty all under a sunny sky and warm temperatures. There are many houseboats of differing sizes that cruise around the backwaters and we passed some, but it was not congested so was just the relaxation ticket. We discovered later that we had been exceptionally luck with our boat, seemingly the best of the 20 run by Lakes & Lagoons.
Filming of something
Lunch for 2!
Fisherman
Moored for a walkabout
Big toe - perfect grip!
Health & Safety at the wood carvers
St Mary's Basilica
The canoe we took later
Moored for the night
After a canoe trip, where we were paddled around a large rice paddy for an hour, we enjoyed dinner at our overnight mooring, with a few other vessels nearby but not intrusively. The canoe trip was wonderful, just the sound of the slop of the paddle in the rich vegetation or clearer water. In one dense vegetation section, I did lend my hand to the paddling and think I helped some. The dense floating vegetation was explained by our homestay host as 'on steroids', because of the all the fertiliser that gets spread on the rice paddies and then drained into the water system when the paddies are emptied for harvest.
Restful canoe trip
Lotus
Vegetation
Egret
Sun disappears for the evening
This was definitely a high point and we were sorry to disembark after breakfast for a drive 3h to the final stop of our trip.
Early morning
Shepherding ducks by canoe!
Our 3 man crew
Dewalokam
After 3h, again with Wilson, we got to an organic farm called Dewalokam, inland from Cochin and run by Jose & Sinta Alilakuzhy, descendants of an ancient Syrian Christian family. It was a perfect final stop with a pool, by the river and surrounded by the plants and animals of the farm. Most of our time was just relaxation, but there were some outings to be had.
We were shown how the farm operates, its animals, fruit and spices on a walking tour with Sinta. These included cows, water buffalo, goats and chickens along with a wide variety of spice trees and plants. The All Spice leaf numbed my tongue and lips with just a brief bite, then it was further assaulted with other spices including nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, pepper, chilli and ginger. The fruit included pineapple, banana, passion fruit, paw paw, papaya, okra and aubergine. There were also bee hives and some rubber plantation although the latter is sold off. All this is cultivated organically, recycling waste as fertiliser and natural insecticides.
Water buffalo and cows
(Again to the right!)
Is this my best side?
All Spice leaf
Cinnamon
Latex rubber
Papaya
The chef provided a demonstration of making two of the twelve dishes we had on our first night for dinner. The emphasis seemed to be on art rather than science and they were very good later.
And, he gave us a copy of his cook book.
Adjacent is 2,000 acres of rubber plantation, which we walked through to the local village and even tried tapping the trees (under supervision). We visited the local hospital, which was very basic and empty so nobody needed it at that moment, to some local shops and small industries, including coconut processing, the sewing of biodegradable shopping bags, vegetable market and the nursery for the rubber plantation before taking the local bus and then tuk tuk back to our homestay, which were both quite a hoot. There are three large local schools and we heard lots about the value ascribed to education and the high rates of achievement, despite class sizes of 100, which was impressive. Jean also went on a forest walk on another outing.
Jean tries tapping
Result!
400 trees are tapped early each day
Ready for school
with cricket bat and mobile phone!
Hospital
Local bus
Music played as it swayed around
corners on the rough road!
As our trip comes to a close with Delhi and the North seeming a very long time ago indeed, I reflect on the differences between north and south including history, language, culture, weather, scenery, religious mix and that the cow is sacred in the north but not in Kerala with its larger Christian population. India is around the size of Europe so this is not a surprise and Dewalokam was a very peaceful oasis to unwind before our trip home, including a swim in the river.
Couple of turkeys dropping by to say goodbye!
The driving is pretty much the same everywhere but I have come to believe that Indian drivers have superior observation and anticipation to we Westerners. There are rules but they are not enforced, so it is necessary to be aware and react to anything as opposed to living in the (sometime false) comfort zone that we enjoy where many things are not meant to happen. Traffic does flow despite the seeming chaos at times and we only saw the aftermath of a couple of minor accidents in 5 weeks, so who's right?
It has been a rich and varied experience, giving substantial insight but also leaving many questions yet to be answered (by Google no doubt) on our return.
