Adjacent to the observatory is the City Palace and museum. The architecture is similar to much of the other buildings we have seen. The work is impressive; beautiful colors, arches and courtyards. The eighteen year old king lives here and the flag was up indicating he was home. We didn’t get to visit with him. Apparently he is quite shy.
Jantar Mantar is an observatory started by Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur, in 1728. Jai Singh was a fan of city planning and war in addition to astronomy. One instrument is a sun dial and another calculates the time of year displaying the current astrological sign. During his reign four other observatories were constructed, this one is in the
We stopped at a textile place where we saw rugs being made by hand. They make rugs from cashmere, camel hair and silk. After the demonstration by the looms we were escorted into a show room with soft cushy stools, served fritters, grilled cheese sandwich snacks and rum and coke. The rugs were rolled out, some of each kind in
Jaipur is divided into the new city and the old city. The old city is a walled city with seven entrances and is painted a terra-cotta color. The nickname of this city is “Pink City” because in 1876 the Prince of Wales visited and it is said pink was his favorite color. So, they painted the city pink. Afterwards the
The step well is one of the oldest in Rajasthan, this part of India, and dates back to the 8th and 9th centuries. The step well is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a reservoir for water in the dessert like part of the country. Almost 20 meters deep there are steps on three sides of the well perfectly constructed,
Off the highway about a 20 minute drive is a village with a step well, an old temple and a school. We stopped at the school which Gate 1 Travel has helped build. Currently there are just over 380 students, 92 of them girls. We were able to hear the preschool kids recite their ABC’s and interact with some of
The nice thing about traveling by bus (besides the fact that it is air conditioned) is we get the opportunity to see the countryside and the people of this land. Mansi, our tour manager, is full of information. She will point things out and slow the bus if there is something to take a photo of. En route from Agra
All of our hotels have been very nice with fresh smelling sheets, clean bathrooms, and helpful staff. In Agra the Jaypee Palace was exceptional. As we walked in the building we were greeted with necklaces of marigolds. The staff is over the top friendly and helpful. The place is a huge complex with five restaurants. Anytime you might be lost
After seeing the Taj Mahal in all it’s great marble glory, the bus took us to a business that makes items out of marble. The current artisans are ninth generation marble decorators and we saw three of them at their work with hand tools, settling on the floor while our host explained the process. Next we were escorted into the
We left Khajuraho by bus for a long drive to Agra. We stopped in Orchha, a small village for lunch and wandering. The guidebook says “this historic village on the banks of the Betsy River showcases a display of Mughal architecture.” There are several sites (seven for a combined ticket, according to the guidebook) but we opted to spend an