Royal Cenotaphs

We've all seen how they lived and ruled in the several sprawling palace museums and forts dotted in Jaipur and its environs.

At Gaitore ki Chhatriyan - literally memorials to the departed - in the foothills below the beautiful Nahargarh fort, you can witness how they repose in the afterlife.

The royals of the ruling Kachhwaha dynasty of Jaipur are commemorated in lavish marble chhatris, lovingly carved in detail with scenes of courtly life - musicians, courtesans, dancing girls, elephant fights and hunting scenes.

It must be remembered there are no bodies buried here. The royals were cremated according to Hindu rites on huge funeral pyres made of fragrant sandalwood and dripping in even more fragrant ghee. The surviving wives often committed 'sati' - a ritual suicide - and burned alive with the dead royal.

The first cenotaph dates to 1733 and all the kings, except one, and several princes till recent times were cremated here.

Look for the exceedingly beautiful friezes on the ceilings and platforms, arched corridors, and graceful symmetrical domes on multi-tiered platforms, surrounded by expansive lawns and old trees.

Shahpura House - Jaipur

A visit to Rajasthan would be incomplete without experiencing the lively colours, art and crafts of a traditional haveli. Luckily, several have been converted to hotels or guesthouses, and are accessible to the heritage cognoscenti. Shahpura House in Jaipur's  Bani Park is one of them.

Set on a quiet lane in a very quiet residential area, the old haveli was lovingly restored and turned into its hotel avatar in 1991. Even the cheapest of rooms are spacious, come with marble floors, traditional textiles and rich antique furniture. The coloured glass doors, appliqué and pietra dura art in traditional Rajasthani miniature style, gilded ceiling and furniture in the faux durbar hall, there is beautiful art and antiques everywhere you turn.

The attention to detail extends to the bartender. Expect one in a costume more reminiscent of aristocratic durbars and royal courts, rather than the bustling, noisy, hurried pace of modern-day Jaipur. The food and liquor is a bit overpriced though, and maybe not the best at its price. A 18% tax on top of it, may ruin your appetite for dining in-house as well.   

Monkey Temple at Galta

The hills of Jaipur hide a complex of temples built into a dramatic gap between two cliffs. The temples rise in three tiers and a series of holy tanks in which visiting pilgrims take a ritual bath. The Hanuman Temple is dedicated to the monkey god. Not surprisingly hundreds of monkeys descend on the temple early in the morning looking for food from the pilgrims. Not for the monkey-wary 😄🙈🙉🙊🐒🐵

Nachana Haveli - A memorable heritage experience

Of all the traditional 'havelis' in Jaisalmer trying to sell you an authentic Rajasthani experience, Nachana gets high marks for getting it right effortlessly. Built in the 18th century for the younger princes of the Royal House of Jaisalmer, the aristocratic descendants still live in a part of this vast mansion. Built using the local yellow sandstone, the haveli is in a mix of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal styles. Airy arched corridors surround leafy courtyards. Dark twisting staircases lead to the terrace or to other inner courtyards. Family heirlooms, including swings, a pedicab, sundry water vessels and candlestands are scattered across the property. It's a feast for heritage-seeking eyes.

Rooms start around USD 50 in season, with discounts available off-season.  Even if you aren't staying in the property you can still enjoy the experience sipping beer in their rooftop restaurant named Saffron. The overpriced cuisine is a hit and miss affair but the superbly chilled beer and great views more than make up for their lack of a reliable chef 😄    

JAISALMER - A Promise Belied

JAISALMER has a lot going for it as a tourist destination. A massive hilltop fort that seems to float over the surrounding countryside, and glows an eerie gold at sunset! The atmospheric fort and its equally atmospheric old city built of the same yellow sandstone, once made this an exotic destination to linger for days. An outpost in the desert, with several beautiful havelis, a lake surrounded by arid desert, several temples of varying aniquity in the fort proper.

When I visited this town 30 years back,  it had a small town feel, a lot of colour and the hustling for desert safaris was good-natured. Now touts of assorted colours and self-proclaimed 'guides' ruin your solitude and quaint experience. Civic disorder - uncollected garbage, open urinals and trash cans, haphazardly parked vehicles in narrow streets and traffic on steroids, ruin the once-vaunted atmosphere of this fort-town first established in the 12th century. 

HERITAGE HAVELI

'Haveli' is an Indian word for a huge traditional house. Several, with intricate stone carvings, stone grills, airy corridors and high-ceilinged rooms, still abound in Rajasthan, in varying states of maintenance and disrepair.

The Bhairon Vilas, built in the 19th century for the Dewan of Bikaner, an erstwhile princely state, has saved itself by converting a major portion into a stunning heritage hotel. Vast lawns and a huge haveli lie behind its high walls. Dotted with antiques from the owner's personal collection, who still lives on a part of the premises, there is beauty and quaintness everywhere you look. Birdsong fills its shaded gardens and breakfast on the lawns is a treat for the eyes and ears.

The coffeshop and the bar  will leave you astounded with their antique-choked interiors.  

BIKANER - A Town too Far

Bikaner takes the cake for remoteness in Northern India. Poorly connected with other major cities in India and the tourist drag in Rajasthan, it took me the better part of the day and night to reach this quaint desert town close to the Pakistan border. The train to Bikaner from Delhi was rescheduled twice, finally arriving at 4 am in the morning, 12 hours behind schedule.

The major tourist attraction is the vast fort called Junagarh and the several palaces inside. Built between mid-16th to late 19th century, several sections with gilded ceilings and walls and incredibly astonishing paintings remain well-preserved for the heritage voyeur. Other equally large sections remain shuttered and left to the bats and pigeons. 

A Royal Tomb in Delhi

Modern India has been shaped inexorably by the Great Mughals. Babur - a prince without a kingdom - came down with a largely mercenary army from Afghanistan and defeated fellow Afghans - the Lodhi dynasty - in 1526, to establish the Mughal dynasty, renowned for its wealth and splendour. Babur's own tomb is unfortunately in Kabul. His son, Humayun, the second of the Great Mughals, is mercifully buried in Delhi. His tomb later an inspiration for the audacious marble Taj Mahal, built by his great grandson in memory of his beloved wife.

Humayun's Tomb is like a nursery for Mughal graves, several tombs of princes and royal wives dot this UNESCO World Heritage site. An afternoon spent lingering on its vast lawns is an afternoon  well spent. 

The Best Museum in India!!!

The very cumbersomely sounding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya - formerly the Prince of Wales Museum - located bang in the heart of Mumbai's tourism district, has got to be the best of its kind in India. Well curated, well lit and with creature comforts such as washrooms and cafeterias, it's a delight for visitors. Its rich collection includes Assyrian and Zoroastrian wall panels, ancient Indian sculptures of gods and goddesses and an astonishing collection of Tibetan and Himalayan antiques. It's a must-see if you are in Mumbai, former Bombay.