Wonders of RajasthanVibrant Rajasthan - Travel to the Land of History, Legends, Valorous Warriors And Heritage Hotels….

Museums, being great centres for learning history, serve as entertaining & exciting place for all the history buffs. On my trip to Jaipur, I did not pay much attention to this element. But while making notes of pleasurable memories of my trip, I realized that the Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur was actually a great centre for learning. Serving as the oldest in Rajasthan, Albert Hall Museum showcases an exquisite collection of metal ware, decorative wares, miniature Rajasthani portraits, sculptures, and an Egyptian Mummy.

While glaring at the photographs, I started recalling each and every corner of the museum that mesmerizes countless tourists from all over the globe. Constructed in 1876, Albert Hall or the Government Central Museum offers a unique Indo – Sarcenic architecture. This veritable treasure trove was built by Maharaja Ram Singh under the supervision of Lt. Swinton Jacob (a British army officer), for his personal use.

When I arrived at Ramniwas Gardens (the place where Albert Hall Museum is located), I was amazed to see the age old Rajputana glory that is still retained in the monuments in the native area. Moreover, a zoo, greenhouse, aviary and a sports ground adjacent to the museum also add to the beauty of the place.

First thing I came across in the compound was a Rajasthan village scene that is made lively with costumes, furniture, pottery and brassware. Another amazing part of the museum is the Persian Garden Carpet, which is certainly among India’s finest art treasures. A guide there told me that this garden carpet was made in Kerman, Persia in 1632. It is so beautiful that people call it ‘the garden of paradise’.

The guide also took me to Rabindra Manch, which serves as an auditorium, a modern art gallery and an open air theater. It hosts a few cultural events on different occasions. In the inner courtyard, the galleries depict the uniqueness of the dresses and jewelery of all the classes and tribes of Rajasthani people. As I was running short of time, I started concluding my visit. But that was a superb experience. I had not been to any museum since I did my schooling. So it reminded me of my golden days as well.

Rajasthan is undoubtedly one of the most incredible and impressive tourist destinations of India. The moment you start exploring it, you come across amazing and fascinating attractions. The royalty and beauty of this land take the tourists to the times of raja-maharaja. Mandawa is one such destination of rajasthan where there is so much to see and experience as a tourist. I recently visited this place and came back completely mesmerized by its architectural beauty and pleasant aura.

Located in the Shekhawati region( well known for its awe-inspiring architectural work) of Rajasthan, Mandawa is a beautiful fort town. Tourists from across the globe come here to see its famous havelis( mansions ), temples, chhatris( cenotaphs) and frescoes. The glorious history of this town dates back to 1755. To give a royal taste to tourists the havelis here have been converted into heritage hotels.

My first halt was Mandawa Fort which dominates the land of this town. It has been converted into a heritage hotel known for its architectural brilliance. I was completely spell bound by the architectural beauty and royal ambiance of the fort. My guide Joginder Singh told me about the history of the fort and the interesting stories of the then raja-maharajas. The walls of the apartments of the fort are adorned with mesmerizing frescoes and paintings. The carvings and mirror work deserve special mention. One of the apartments named Durbar Hall fascinated me a lot with its wonderful paintings, carvings and antiques. The fort offers breathtaking views of the town. Here one also gets a chance to see the royal costumes of the kings and their fierce weapons.

My next destinations were the havelis of Mandawa which are like art galleries. From royal architecture to lavishly painted apartments, beautiful paintings touching various themes and exquisite carvings, all can be seen in these havelis. Some of the havelis I visited were jhunjhunwala Haveli, Murmuria Haveli and Gulab Rai Ladia Haveli. Each of the haveli had its own unique charm and beauty.

In the evening I explored the bazaar of Mandawa and bought a beautiful painting and a carved chair. It was such a great experience to travel to Mandawa.

Kumbhalgarh Fort

Royalty and splendour of Rajasthan always captivate my imagination

and fascination which brings me to this place time and again. Last week I with my two friends planned to spend our weekend at Kumbhalgarh Fort which is located 84 km from Udaipur. We reached Udaipur, popularly known as the Venice of the East in the morning by Mewar Express from Delhi. After reaching here we hired a taxi and reached Kumbalgarh Fort after 2 hours of road journey.

Kumbhalgarh is a fortress located in Rajsamand District of Rajasthan. It is perched over the Aravalli Hills and is the second most important fort, after the Chittaurgarh Fort, of India. Perimeter of this fort’s walls is extended over 36 kilometres in length which is longest in the world after ‘The Great Wall of China’. Inside the fort premises there are 360 temples out of which 300 are ancient Jain temples and the rest are Hindu temples.

We visited every nook and corner of this majestic fort without any guide. The architectural supremacy and grandiose construction of this fort stunned us during our exploration. The complex structure of this fort enabled it to withstand several attacks from the Gujarat, Malwa and Mughals armies. Built by Rana Kumbha, the fort is situated over 6,233 feet above sea level . It is also the birth place of the legendary King Maharana Pratap. While exploring this royal structure we paid a short visit to Andheri Gate, Suraj Pol, Salim Mahal, Chand Pol, Jai Pol and Laxman Pol.

Among all these places of interest the Badal Mahal is most fascinating aspect of the Kumbhalgarh Fort. It is highest place of the fort which was built by Rana Fateh Singh in the 19th century. I was totally mesmerised by the the view of pastel coloured walls and its changing shades according to sun inclinations. This place offers best scenic views of the entire city and dense greens of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. From this point one can also see the 36 km long serpentine boundary wall of this fort.

Some of the equally beautiful structures of this glorious forts are Salim Sagar, Nikumbh Mahal, Suraj Kund and Jal Mahal. This fort also houses a number of small and large towers which offer fascinating bird’s eye view of the surroundings.

The most absorbing part of this place is the resonating sound of Sarangi, Thori, Kamaycha, Ektaara and Mochng which narrate the heroic deeds and love stories of Rajasthan. Seated on the rooftop watching the magnificence of the royal culture with melodious background music was the most captivating part of this tour which will remain intact in my memory forever.

Dilwara Jain Temple

I had heard a lot about the Dilwara Jain Temples in Mount Abu

which are famous for their sheer architectural brilliance. In fact, many experts even consider them superior to Taj Mahal when it comes to architectural beauty. And this increased my curiosity to see these temples manifold. The first sight of the temples left me with an expression ‘wow’.

The glorious history of Dilwara Jain Temples dates back to the period between 11th to 13th century. Reflecting the era of Jain supremacy, these temples are the most beautiful Jain temples in India. They are ideally perched on a hill in the midst of a mango grove. The most striking feature of the temples is the exquisite and arresting carvings in marble. I was left speechless at the sight of the carvings and ornamental work inside the temples. I think ‘EXTREMELY’ is the prefix which must be added to every adjective you use for the Dilwara Jain Temples and that too in capital letters.

Carvings of the temples:
Deserving a great deal of mention and appreciation, the carvings of the temples leave one thinking about the height of human creativity. Every nook and corner of the temples are adorned with breathtaking carvings. Looking at them I wondered how flawlessly and beautifully the artists transformed plain stones into images which look so mesmerizing. From pillars to ceilings, walls and floors, all the structure of the temples hold their unique charm and beauty. The carvings reflect the images of Jain saints, gods, goddesses, monks, devotees, flowers, royal courts, marriage processions, dance figures and several religious motifs. And the most fascinating aspect is that no design is repeated. Hats off to those artists who made this architectural wonder.

We visited all the five shrines within the complex of Dilwara Jain temples. Built in different centuries, the five shrines are Vimal Vasahi, Luna Vasahi, Pithalhar, Khatter Vasahi (Parshwanath) and Mahaveer swami. The first two are the most talked about temples which are completely made of white marbles with magnificent carvings.

Candidly speaking words are not enough to describe the beauty of Dilwara Jain Temples. One must visit them to experience what architectural beauty is all about.

Udaipur Tour

Almost all of us love to celebrate occasions in a royal approach, as a friend of mine invited me to the reception party of his marriage at Lake Palace, Udaipur. Being an addict to celebrations and an explorer, I packed my bags and planned a tour to Udaipur – ranked as 2nd best city in Asia and 7th in the world. As the function was organized in the splendid white marble structure of Lake Palace in the middle of Lake Pichola, I started my exploration from there only. This island kind of structure was established in 1746 and was called Jag Niwas. Recently, it has been converted to a luxury hotel under the property of Taj Group of Hotels.

Next morning, I left for other major attractions in Udaipur. This royal city of Rajput Kings of Mewar has a huge 450 year old monument – the City Palace, located alongside the Lake Pichola only. I entered the palace through a triple-arched gate – Tripolia and came across lovely terraces, corridors and gardens. I clicked several wall paintings of Lord Krishna that were displayed in Bhim Vilas. Similarly, the architectural pattern of Dilkhush Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Moti Mahal and Krishna Vilas were spellbinding. These grand palaces still retain the age old glory of bygone era in the form of antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils.

In the evening, I visited Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal for several folk art performances and puppet shows. After a tiring but enjoyable day, my last activity was boating in the splendid Lake Fateh Sagar. For dinner, I was served awesome Dal Bati Churma in my hotel.

Next morning, I planned for a half day tour during which I paid short visits to Maharana Pratap Memorial, Saheliyon ki Bari, Sajjangarh Fort (summer resort of Maharajahs), Jagdish Temple (a perfect example of Indo-Aryan architecture), and Udaipur Solar Observatory (Asia’s only solar observatory).

I had my lunch in Gulab Bagh (rose garden) where small restaurants serve tasty and spicy fast food. The trip was short but crisp. I marked all the untouched attractions for my next visit.