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To pamper my shopaholic heart, I decided to go

Shopping in Jodhpur

on a shopping spree in Jodhpur. Being a famous princely city of Rajasthan, Jodhpur has a variety of colorful handicrafts to offer. And no wonder shopping at such a destination is such a pleasurable and satisfying experience. For shopping the city offers several bazaars, pavement stalls and handloom houses. Explore them and pick up some wonderful handicrafts. The city is well known for its antiques, bandhini, footwear and red chillies.

Once one of my friends told me that whenever I visit Jodhpur, I must get Jodhpuri Suit. I scanned a few shops and could finally select a beautiful Jodhpuri Suit for myself. It is a purple colored suit designed with zardosi and cutdana beeds.

I wanted to buy some saris for my mother and friend. My guide Shankar suggested me to go to the Sojati Gate as it is famous for wonderful tie and dye saris. The shopkeeper showed me bandhini saris in cotton, chiffon and silk. The saris were available in many vibrant colors and it was really difficult for me to choose as I liked all. Finally I could choose four beautiful saris.

Next I made my way to the Station Road, which is famous for leather articles, embroidered footwear and utensils. I bought embroidered jutti for myself and a leather bag for my mom. I also bought two beautiful paintings and a carpet.

Now was the time to pamper my stomach with typical Rajasthani food. I sat at one of the good restaurants to dig into the famous dishes of Jodhpur. I ordered the famous mawa kachori of Jodhpur along with a big glass of lassi. It was simply delicious.

The next item on my shopping list was spices. Knowing that the Clock Tower is the best place to buy spices in Jodhpur, I headed for it. I bought a variety of spices and decided to go back to the hotel as I realized that if I stay at the market for some more time, I will surely end up with no money. Well I think its not my fault as the enchanting Jodhpur has so much to offer.

Soaring high in the sky, the colorful kites of different

Kite Festival in Jodhpur

designs,some huge some small, were really a treat to my eyes and lifted my spirits too. I embarked on the memory lane and recollected my childhood days when kite flying was one of my favorite hobbies. I was at Jodhpur International Desert Kite Festival, which is celebrated with great enthusiasm every year in the month of January starting on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. And continues for the next two days.

Some of the best kite fliers had gathered there from far and wide to showcase their talent. The Polo Ground was the venue for the festival and huge crowd had gathered to view the event. No wonder this festival is a big hit with both residents and tourists. People of all ages were present at the venue. The children present there were full of live and their faces were brimming with joy. They were completely engrossed with the event and their voices were full of enthusiasm. I was standing near a group of children who while enjoying the sights of the colorful kites were singing a line, “Rangeela rangeela desh mera rangeela”. I simply loved it. They also released many colorful balloons in the sky. Wow! What a sight it was.

The creatively shaped kites, all competing with each other were building up excitement among spectators. I think everybody must have chosen their favorite kites. There was a huge kite in the form of a sunflower, which I found very attractive. Its sight reminded me of the line which I cherish a lot, “Be cheerful suns of happiness”. I from the depth of my heart prayed for its victory.

The kites were flying higher and higher and suddenly a kite fashioned in the form of a peacock got cut. Quite bad, as I was thinking it would perform well. Anyway that’s a part of the game. Some flew high, some failed to fly and some got cut but the festival went on.

To add more charm to the festival, the Air Force helicopters released many colorful kites from above. It seemed as if a palette full of different colors was suddenly poured in the sky. It was truly a sight to behold.

Other attractions which I enjoyed here were the entertaining cultural activities like music and dance performances. Reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan, the performances were a great delight.

I enjoyed the Jodhpur Kite Festival to the hilt and carried back with me some golden memories which will remain etched in my heart forever.