Our Shillong Tour

our-planning-for-meghalaya-tour.html] I mentioned about my detail plan of Meghalaya Tour in advance taking into consideration the information on tourist spots, availability of transport facilities and whether conditions. In that post, I not only explained our tour plan but also its implementation. In this post, I would like to share my experience on my travel to Shillong from Guwahati Airport and the places visited in Shillong.

2.
After arrival at Guwahati Airport, we enquired from the counter of Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) regarding availability of Cab to Shillong and its reasonable fare. From the counter of MTDC we came to know that cab generally charges Rs.3000.00 for hiring full cab to Shillong. I also came to know that we can hire cab on sharing basis. Inside Guwahati Airport there is a counter of MTDC. After getting out of Airport, we hired a cab on sharing basis for which we had to wait for another passenger to share the cab.
3.  It was a very pleasant journey from Guwahati to Shillong. There was a stretch of few kilometers where the road is on the border of two states i.e. Assam and Meghalaya. Kamrup District of Assam is on the left side of the road whereas Ri-Bhoi District of Meghalaya is on the right side of the road. We enjoyed watching beautiful sceneries of Assam and Meghalaya on both the side of the road during part of the journey to Shillong. We took lunch at Nongpoh on the way to Shillong. Nongpoh is the Administrative Centre of Ri-Bhoi District of Meghalaya. We reached Hotel Polo Tower, Shillong at 2.00 pm.
4.
After checking in to the hotel room, we first moved to MTDC office for booking tickets of conducted tours. Thereafter we visited Ward’s Lake. Locally Ward’s Lake is known as Nan-Polok and is horseshoe shaped. It is also known as Pullock Lake. Ward’s Lake is named after Wiiliam Ward, a Chief Commissioner during British Rule. This lake is more than 100 years old located near Raj Bhawan and is nearer to the central location of Shillong. There is an entry fee of Rs.20 per person and the entry is allowed from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. The lake is surrounded by beautiful garden with flower beds. It is very pleasant to walk along the pathway surrounding the lake. There is a boating facility. One can enjoy boating. Grassy slopes near the lake provides a serene lakeside resting place. Wooden bridge on the lake is another attraction of this lake. Traditional dresses for both man and woman are available on hire for photoshoot purpose on payment of Rs.100 per dress. You will see beautiful swans either swimming in the lake or walking on the sides of the lake. Thrashes used in Ward's Lake are conical in shape and made from bamboos. We have taken a complete round of Ward's lake surrounded by beautiful trees and flower plants. This time we could not do boating in the lake. We have enjoyed our evening by sitting on the bench facing the lake. There are sufficient seating arrangements surrounding the lake.

My wife is in the traditional dress of Meghalaya 👉

👈Thrash used in Ward's Lake is made from bamboo


5.

There are many other places for sightseeing in and around Shillong. In addition to Ward's Lake one can visit Phan Nonglait Park, Cathedral Church, Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures, Shillong Peak, Golf Course, Elephant Waterfalls and Umiam Lake. This time we could not visit these places except Umiam Lake on our way to Shillong from Guwahati and also while returning from Shillong to Guwahati Airport. You can see the photograph of Umiam Lake on the right-hand side. It is the biggest artificial lake in Meghalaya. This lake was created by damming the Umiam River, as part of the first hydroelectric power project in the Northeast in 1965. This time we could not visit the other places in and around Shillong as we had to visit Mawlynnong and Dawki on the next day morning. Let us hope that we will cover these leftover places in the next tour to Meghalaya.

Our Planning for Meghalaya Tour

In my earlier post “Leisure Travel During Post-Retirement Life” [https://post-retirementlife.blogspot.com/2024/04/leisure-travel-during-post-retirement.html] I emphasised on proper tour planning in advance and also focussed on luggage management as well as important items to be carried during travel. This time we made our plan for Meghalaya Tour less than a month in advance as our youngest son decided to go for tracking in Himalaya Range. We decided to make a tour to Meghalaya during his tracking period. Accordingly, we made a plan to proceed on Meghalaya Tour on 2^nd May 2024 and to return back on 6^th May 2024.

2. We first booked flight tickets to Guwahati from Kolkata for both onward and return journey. Then I applied for booking Holiday Home at Shillong for two days. After confirmation of booking of holiday home at Shillong, I first tried to book a holiday home at Kazi Ranga, Assam. Initially, we planned to spend two nights at Shillong, one night at Kazi Ranga and One night at Guwahati, Assam. After getting rejection of my application for booking of holiday home at Kazi Ranga, we decided to spend all the four days in Meghalaya i.e. two days in Shillong and two days in Sohra (Cherrapunjee). Accordingly, we booked one homestay at Sohra (Cherrapunjee) for two days. This homestay was booked in hurry without verifying its distance from the main location of Sohra and its proximity to Taxi Stand and markets. It was far away from the main location of Sohra. This was the mistake made on my part. Mistakes are part and parcel of any task including planning. Instead of repenting for the mistake it is better to learn lesson from the mistake and go ahead. We also did the same.

3. During the last week of April, I went to the office of Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in Kolkata for getting detail information on the tourist spots in Meghalaya. They gave me tourist information guide and other booklets. They told me that there is an office of MTDC near Hotel Polo Tower, the place where I would be staying for two days in Shillong. They advised me to book conducted tour to Cherrapunjee and other places like Dawki, Mawlynnong, etc. from MTDC office at Shillong. I first contacted MTDC, Shillong over telephone and told them to book two seats on 3^rd May for conducted tour to Mawlynnong & Dawki and on 4^th May for conducted tour to Sohra (Cherrapunjee). They forwarded me tour details through WhatsApp. They advised me to make payment at the counter of MTDC, Shillong on 2^nd May after reaching there. I got lot of information on important tourist spots at Shillong and other places in Meghalaya and also the information on transportation facilities in Meghalaya. They told me that it would have been better to approach them before booking tickets and accommodations so that something better plan could have been chalked out to cover maximum tourist spots. This is another learning experience for me.

4. We had the information about the weather conditions in Shillong and other places in Mehgalaya including Sohra (Cherrapunjee). We also knew that rainfall is heavy in Sohra and therefore we carried umbrella as well as raincoat with us. We also carried woollen garments and jackets for protection against cold though the temperature at Kolkata was 42 degrees Celsius before proceeding for Meghalaya Tour. It was not easy to accommodate our belongings in one trolley as we had to carry winter garments, raincoats and umbrellas which occupy more space. Any how we accommodated our belongings in one trolley bag by using the techniques mentioned in para 4(iii) of the previous post “Leisure Travel During Post-Retirement Life” [https://post-retirementlife.blogspot.com/2024/04/leisure-travel-during-post-retirement.html]. We had one trolley bag for check in luggage and one handbag each for myself and my wife to be carried as cabin baggage.

5. Scheduled departure of our flight on 2^nd May was 7.50 am in the morning which got delayed by 30 minutes. We started at 5.30 am from our home and reached Kolkata airport at 6.00 am. After check in and completing our security check we proceeded towards lounge to have breakfast by swiping our debit cards (SBI Wealth VISA Signature) having the facility of complementary lounge access. Token amount of Rs.2.00 was deducted from each card swiped for access to airport lounge. This card allows complementary lounge access thrice in a quarter. It is advisable to have such debit or credit card having complementary lounge access in airport. There are many other cards having the facility of complementary lounge access which one can check and verify. We also availed lounge facilities at Guwahati Airport during return journey. One need to check the list of airport lounges where complementary access is allowed for the holder of such cards.

6. It is very much essential to estimate the time of arrival at the final destination after taking into consideration the scheduled time of arrival at the destination airport, expected time to receive the check in luggage, time to walk out of airport to Taxi Stand and the estimated time to be taken by the taxi to reach the final destination i.e. hotel and also the expected time to get checked in to your hotel room. Accordingly, we planned to visit MTDC Office at Shillong to make payments for conducted tours to Mawlynnong & Dawki and to Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and thereafter to visit Ward’s Lake. We did accordingly in Shillong on 2^nd May.

7. Our Tour plan was finalised. On 2^nd May we reached Shillong and visited Ward’s Lake in the evening on the same day. On 3^rd May we visited Mawlynnong and Dawki by conducted tour operated by MTDC. They charged Rs.700 per person for that conducted tour by bus. On 4^th May we checked out from the hotel in the morning after taking complimentary breakfast and proceeded for Sohra (Cherrapunjee) Tour operated by MTDC. They charged Rs.500 per person for that conducted tour by bus. After completing all the sight-seeing in Cherrapunjee we got down there and stayed in Cherrapunji for two days. We enjoyed heavy rainfall in Sohra (Cherrapunjee) for the entire day on 5^th May. On 6^th May, we came back to our home after completing our Meghalaya Tour which will remain memorable for us.

8. We completed our Meghalaya Tour as per our planning and taken lot of photographs and video shoots to keep our tour memorable forever. Our experiences with photographs at each and every spot that we visited will be elaborated in subsequent posts. For detail information on important tourist spots in Meghalaya, conducted tours, accommodations, etc. one can visit the website of Meghalaya Tourism i.e. www.meghalayatourism.in.

Tour During Post-Retirement Life

Tour During Post-Retirement Life

In my earlier post “How to make post-retirement life happy and fruitful?” I have mentioned that during this phase of life one is free to plan vacation tour (rather I will say leisure tour) any time as per one’s convenience. I also suggested for leisure tour at reasonable frequency with spouse. Therefore, you will find previous four posts in my blog on my tour to Jaipur, Udaipur, Mount Abu and Thar Deserts in Rajasthan, India. You will also find posts on my tour to Digha, West Bengal, India and Puri, Odisha, India. Very recently I have also made a short distance tour to Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India which is at a distance of about 180 kilometers from my home. I have not yet posted any article on my tour to Shantiniketan.

2. What should be the frequency of tour? It depends on many factors. Leisure travel may be short distance tour or long-distance tour, may be domestic or international. Short distance tours are generally of short duration. One may have such short duration tour to the nearest destinations on more frequent intervals, which may be once in a quarter. The frequency of short duration and short distance tour depends on one’s financial strength as well as health condition. Long duration and long-distance tour may be conducted at half yearly or yearly interval, depending on one’s health condition (both physical and financial).

3. Planning of tour is an essential element for making your tour enjoyable as well as cost effective. For long distance tour it is better to plan two to three months in advance which will help you in finding cheap flight tickets and hotels at reasonable prices. Planning in advance will help you in preparing your itinerary after making detail study of the places of interests, available transport facilities at the destinations, eateries, etc. For short distance tour planning 15 to 30 days in advance is sufficient. It is better to gather information on places of interests in and around your destination including study of map with routes which will help you in planning your tour in a more effective way. While making tour plan it is very important to keep sufficient timing for each and every spot as well as sufficient travel time between the two spots. It is advisable not to make your itinerary too hectic.

4. One has to ensure the followings before leaving home for leisure tour.

(i) Luggage should be light weighted containing all the essential items to be carried during your tour. It is better to carry trolley bag instead of suitcase as trolley bag is having wheels which can be easily moved from one place to another without lifting.

(ii) Please ensure that you have carried all your essential medicines with you including some other medicines and ointments to be used in case of exigencies. Have a first-aid box with you.

(iii) While packing your luggage please ensure that all your essential items are taken leaving sufficient room for accommodating items which you may purchase at the tourist destinations. While packing your luggage please ensure ‘space for everything and everything in its place’ so that you can easily trace any item as and when required. To make space for everything carry the essential and daily need items in small quantities sufficient to fulfil your requirement during tour. For example, instead of carrying 200-gram toothpaste you can carry 50-gram toothpaste, instead of carrying shampoo bottle you can carry shampoo sachets, etc.

(iv) Carry all your travel documents including air tickets, passport, etc. in your handbag. Carry all your essential medicines and items required during travel in your handbag. Keep travel documents handy as these are required to be shown at airport.

(v) Before leaving your home please ensure that all your electrical gadgets are switched off, water taps are closed, and regulator of your cooking gas is in off mode. Ensure locking of your cupboards, almirahs and rooms. The last but not the least is that the proper locking of main door of your home should be ensured before leaving.

5. After proceeding for tour ensure visiting all the places as per your travel plan or itinerary. Take photographs and videos during tour which will help in cherishing your memories after finishing your tour. Please do not post your videos and photos in social media during your tour. It is advisable to posts videos and photos in social media after coming back to your home.

6. I hope the above tips will help you in making your tour enjoyable and memorable forever.

My Rajasthan Tour - Visit to Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur and Thar Desert

As a part of my Rajasthan tour with my family members, we first visited Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan and thereafter visited Udaipur and Mount Abu. We left Mount Abu in the morning of 28th December and started our journey to Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur. In my previous three posts I have shared my experiences and brief information about the places that I visited with my family in Jaipur, Udaipur and Mount Abu. In this post I would like to share my experiences and brief information about the places that I visited Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur and Thar Desert.

1. Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

We reached Mehrangarh Fort in the afternoon and we had taken lunch on the way. This fort is located on the top of the hill which is at a height of about 122 meters above the surrounding plains. It was built in the year 1459 by Rao Jodha Rathore who founded the city of Jodhpur in the same year. This fort is having seven gates, the brief details of which are mentioned below.

(i) Jai Pol i.e. Victory Gate built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies.

(ii) Fateh Pol which literary means Victory Gate was built to commemorate the victory of Maharaja Ajit Singh over the Mughals.

(iii) Gopal Pol, the second pol after Fateh Pol.

(iv) Dedh Kangra Pol still bear the scars of bombardment by cannonballs.

(v) Amruti Pol is in between Dedh Kangra Pol and Loha Pol.

(vi) Loha Pol is the final gate into the main part of the fort complex.

(vii) Suraj Pol is the inner most gate which provides access to palace complex and Daulat Khana Chauk.

Within the fort you will find several beautifully crafted and decorated places. You will also find various paintings, palkis and other articles used by Royal Families inside the palaces. There are five palaces inside the fort.

(i) Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace)

(ii) Phool Mahal (Flower Palace)

(iii) Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace)

(iv) Sileh Khana (a place of storage of weapons or the armoury)

(v) Daulat Khana

☝ Daulat Khana

👈Inside Daulat Khana

👈 Palki (Traditional means of transport in those days. Palki was used as a means of transport mostly by Royal families which was carried on shoulders by four to six persons for transportation.)

Beautiful Paintings inside the Palace 👉

After completing our visit to Mehrangarh Fort we proceeded to hotel for taking dinner and for night stay. On the next day morning i.e. on 29th December 2023 we proceeded towards Thar Desert.

2. Thar Desert

We reached the tents of SAM Desert in the afternoon where we were allotted tent for staying overnight. After keeping our luggage in the tent, we proceeded to enjoy the evening in Thar Desert. In the Thar Desert we enjoyed camel riding. We were there till sunset. Sunset was beautiful in Thar Desert. Before Camel riding we had Desert Safari which gave us thrilling experience. Sunset view in the desert was very beautiful. We have taken photograph of sunset view in the desert. Camel riding was also a thrilling experience for me as I was doing camel riding for the first time. I was very much scared of falling down. However, I enjoyed camel riding with my wife. After sunset, we came back to our tent in SAM Desert.

Sunset in Thar Desert 👉

It was a unique experience of staying in tent in the desert and that too during extreme winter. Daytime was comfortable due to sunlight. After coming from Desert Safari, we assembled in the central place where a stage was arranged for cultural programme. That place was almost equidistance from all the tents in the camp. Snacks and tea were served during cultural programme. Traditional Folk Dances were performed by the local artists. We enjoyed the cultural programme with snacks and tea. There was a bonfire kept in the middle of the stage. Ghoomar Dance, Bhavai Dance and other folk dances of Rajasthan were performed by the artist.

Bhavai Dance Performed by the Artist 👉

Artist was performing dance with seven pots kept one over other on her head.

After cultural programme we all assembled in one tent for dinner. That tent was specially made for taking meal. After taking dinner we went to our respective tents. In a chilled winter it was really thrilling to spend one night in the tent. In the next day morning after taking our breakfast we proceeded toward Jaisalmer.

(Note: The historical facts mentioned in the article are collected from Wikipedia and some other sources in public domain.)

My Rajasthan Tour - Visit to Mount Abu

As a part of my Rajasthan tour with my family members, we first visited Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan and thereafter visited Udaipur. We left Udaipur in the morning of 27th December and started our journey to Mount Abu. In my previous two posts I have shared my experiences and brief information about the places that I visited with my family in Jaipur and Udaipur. In this post I would like to share my experiences and brief information about the places that I visited in and around Mount Abu.

1. Brief Information about Mount Abu

We started our journey to Mount Abu from Udaipur on 27th December 2023 in the morning. We were about 27 persons in a group tour travelling to Mount Abu from Udaipur by bus. We enjoyed the beautiful sceneries of hilly terrain during our journey to Mount Abu. We have seen monkeys sitting on the branches of tree. We have seen the beauty of Aravalli Mountain range when our bus was moving towards Mount Abu through the hilly road on high altitude. Mount Abu is a hill station set on a high rocky plateau in the Aravalli range and is near to the Gujrat border. Climate is relatively cool in Mount Abu.

We have visited Delwara Temple, Shree Guru Shikhar Dutta Temple, Sunset Points and Nakki Lake.

2. Delwara Temple

We reached Hilton Hotel in Mount Abu in the afternoon, and we checked in that hotel. After keeping our luggage in the hotel room and taking lunch we proceeded for day tour of Mount Abu. First, we visited Delwara Temple which is a group of five Jain Temples. Photograph is strictly prohibited inside the temple. Among those five temples, Vimalashahi temple is the oldest temple and was built in 1231 AD. Other four temples are Luna Vasahi Temple, Pittalhar Temple, Shri Parshwanath Temple and Shri Mahavir Swamy Temple. The architectural design and minute artistic works and carvings done on the walls, pillars, ceilings, doorways and panels are remarkable and appreciable.

3. Guru Shikhar Duttatreya Temple

After finishing our visit to Delwara Temple we proceeded to Shree Guru Shikhar Duttatreya Temple which is at a distance of about 15 km from Mount Abu. Guru Shikhar, a peak in the Arbuda Mountains and is the highest point of Aravalli Range, Rajasthan. The peak is dedicated to Guru Dattatreya and therefore the name of the peak is Guru Shikhar. You have to use staircase to reach the temple because vehicle cannot move after a certain point. 'Palkis' can be used on payment by the persons who find it difficult to walk through staircases. You will find lot of eateries before reaching the temple. You will find large number of shops displaying various local made products including various articles for decorating house. You can enjoy the scenic beauty of various mountains from the temple which is at the highest point of Aravalli Range. Adjacent to the temple is the Mount Abu Observatory operated by the Physical Research Laboratory.

4. Sunset Point

After finishing our site seeing at Guru Shikhar Duttatreya Temple, we proceeded to the sunset point. Vehicle cannot go up to the spot and therefore we left the vehicle on roadside and started walking uphill to reach a place from where we can spot the setting sun. One has to walk uphill for a good amount of distance to locate the spot. Because of partial cloudy weather we could not see the sun setting beyond the hill. You can view the sunset beyond the hills only when the sky is clear. From that spot you can have the beautiful view of mountain and river flowing through the valley. You will find few stalls selling mineral waters, cold drinks, tea and snacks. Though we could not view the sunset, but we enjoyed the natural scenic beauty of the hilly terrain. You can see in this photograph that my younger son is watching and enjoying the beauty of the sunset point.

5. Nakki Lake

After enjoying the sunset point, we proceeded to Nakki Lake. By the time we reached Nakki Lake it was complete dark. However, the lake was visible due to lighting on the street and shops on the side of the lake. This lake is the first man-made lake in India. It is an important tourist destination of Mount Abu. This lake is having a length of about half a mile and width of about a quarter of mile. This lake is having a depth of 20 to 30 feet. There is a Toad Rock on a hill near the lake. There is an arrangement of boating in the lake. There is a pathway on the sides of the lake. There are sitting arrangements on the sides of the lake where one can sit and enjoy the beauty of the lake. Raghunath Temple and the palace of Maharaja of Jaipur are also on the hills near the lake. There are few fountains inside the lake. You will find many shops and eating outlets near Nakki Lake. Though we have seen Nakki Lake during night but it's better to visit this Lake in the evening during daylight. One should visit this lake with sufficient time in hand so that one can enjoy boating and complete site seeing of this place. Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed in this lake on 12th February 1948. After finishing our site seeing at Nakki Lake we proceeded to hotel for dinner and night stay.

6. Conclusion

We have covered the above places in a half day which is too short to satisfy our pleasure in visiting these places. Actually, half a day is required to fully enjoy the site seeing of Nakki Lake alone. To cover the above places complete two days are required. We could not visit Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary which is having wide and varied range of fauna and is known for its biodiversity of flora. One full day is required to properly see this wildlife sanctuary.

Mount Abu is well connected by rail and road. Nearest railway station to Mount Abu is Abu Road railway station located at a distance of about 28 kilometers from the main city. This railway station is having rail connectivity with New Delhi and Mumbai. Mount Abu does not have any airport. Nearest Airport is at Udaipur which is at a distance of 185 kilometer. Ahmedabad Airport is at a distance of 221 kilometer from Mount Abu.

We checked out from the hotel in the morning of 28th December 2023 after finishing our breakfast. Then we proceeded to Jodhpur for visiting Mehrangarh Fort. Very soon I will come with another post in this blog on my tour to Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur.

(Note: The historical facts mentioned in the article are collected from Wikipedia and some other sources in public domain.)

My Rajasthan Tour - Visit to Udaipur

As a part of my Rajasthan tour with my family members, we first visited Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan and we were in Jaipur from December 23 to December 25, 2023. We left Jaipur in the morning of 25th December and started our journey to Udaipur. In my last post I have shared my experiences and brief information about the places that I visited with my family in Jaipur. In this post I would like to share my experiences and brief information about the places that I visited in and around Udaipur.

1. Brief Information about Udaipur

We reached Udaipur in the evening of 25th December 2023 by tourist bus from Jaipur. On that day we stayed and enjoyed our X-mass evening and night in the hotel named Keshav Global Hotels & Resorts. Historically Udaipur was the capital of Mewar, and the city was founded by Udai Singh II in 1559. He shifted his capital from Chittorgarh to Udaipur after Chittorgarh was conquered by Akbar. Rana Amar Singh of Mewar accepted vassalship to Mughal rule in 1615 under Emperor Jahangir. Udaipur remained the capital of Mewar and became a princely state of British India in the year 1818. At present, Maharana Mahendra Singh Mewar is the 76th custodian of the Mewar dynasty. Udaipur is called the White City of Rajasthan because of white colour prominent in different marble palaces of the city which were built by Rajput kings. Udaipur is also known as the 'City of Lakes' because of its sophisticated lake system. It is having seven big lakes surrounding the city which are Fateh Sagar Lake, Lake Pichola, Udaisagar Lake, Swaroop Sagar Lake, Rajsamand Lake, Doodh Talai and Badi Lake. To solve the problems of water shortage and poor sewage system, the rulers of Mewar constructed seven artificial lakes and all the lakes are interconnected with each other. Udaipur is also referred to as the 'Venice of the East'. We have visited Fateh Sagar Lake, Saheliyon ki Bari, Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal and City Palace.

2. Fateh Sagar Lake

Fateh Sagar Lake is an artificial lake named after Maharana Fateh Singh of Mewar. This lake was first constructed in the year 1678 by Maharana Jai Singh. The bund which formed the lake was washed away after 200 years due to floods. Maharana Fateh Singh in the year 1889 built the Connaught Dam which enlarged the lake. There are three small islands within the area of Fateh Sagar Lake of which Nehru Park is the largest island. There is a public park with an impressive water-jet fountain in another island. Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) is in the third island. Total area of the lake is four square kilometers, and its maximum depth is 13.4 m i.e. 44 ft. This lake is encircled by the Aravalli hills on three sides which helps in feeding the lake with water during monsoon. It is now one of the major sources of drinking water to the city of Udaipur. We have enjoyed motorboat ride in this lake. One can enjoy speed boat ride in Fateh Sagar Lake.

3. Saheliyon Ki Bari

Saheliyon-ki-Bari was built from 1710 AD to 1734 AD by Maharana Sangram Singh for his daughter, the princess who loved rain. This garden was for royal ladies including queen with her forty-eight maids who accompanied the queen in her marriage. Saheliyon-ki-Bari means "Garden of maids" and is located on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. This garden was designed by the king himself and presented it to the queen. This garden is embellished with numerous fountains in its four water pools, chiseled kiosks and marble elephants. The lush green lawns, flowerbeds and marble pavilions enhances the romantic ambience of this garden. Maharana Bhopal Singh in the later years built a pavilion of rain fountains so that one can have an illusion of rain dancing in cadence with dancing maids. These fountains were imported from England.

The main reservoir has four black marble kiosks in its corner and one white marble kiosks in its center. You will find sculpted birds on the top of these kiosks that spurts water from their beaks producing the rain effect. This pavilion is also known as 'Bin Badal Barsat' means 'Rain without cloud'. This garden is open from 8 am in the morning to 4 pm in the evening. The entry fee is Rs.20 per person for Indian citizen and Rs.100 per person for foreign citizen. Saheliyon-ki-Bari has five sets of fountains viz., Swagat Fountain, Savan Bhado fountain, Kamal Talai fountain, Rasleela fountain and Bin-Badal Barsat fountain. After entering the garden, you will be welcomed by Swagat Fountain (Welcome fountain) which is the first fountain after entering Saheliyon-ki-Bari. Savan Bhado fountains creates an illusion of rain during the monsoon season. The Kamal Tarai (means Lotus Pond) Fountain is a set of fountains that surround a lotus pond.

4. Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal

We visited Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal after finishing our visit to Saheliyon-ki-Bari. We have enjoyed a cultural show in Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal. We have enjoyed Puppet dance (kathputli) and Folk dance performed by the artists in that cultural programme. The timings of the programmes are 12 Noon - 1 pm, 6 pm - 7 pm and 7:15 pm - 8:15 pm. Ticket cost is Rs.120 per person for Indians and Rs.180 per person for foreigner. There is a Lok Kala Museum in the same premises which is open from 9 am to 5:30 pm. One has to buy ticket for entering into the museum. There is a facility of combo ticket for both cultural programme and museum which is Rs.170 per person for Indians and Rs.260 per person for foreigner.

Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal is a cultural institution founded by Shri Devi Lal Samar in the year 1952 for promoting and popularizing folk art, folk songs and folk literature. His mission was to preserve and promote rich cultural heritage of Mewar Region. He was awarded with Padma Shri by the Government of India.

Puppet dance (kathputli) 👉

5. City Palace

City Palace i.e. Rajmahal in Udaipur is a palace complex built over a period of 400 years by Maharana Udai Singh II and successors Maharanas of Sisodia Rajput family. Its construction started in 1553 which is concurrent with the establishment of Udaipur City because of shifting of capital from Chittor to Udaipur. Maharana Udai Singh II inherited the Mewar Kingdom in 1537 when Chittor was its capital. Because of the indication of losing control over the Fort at Chittor during war with Mughals, he decided to shift capital from Chittor to Udaipur at the location near Pinchola Lake which was well protected on all sides by forests, lakes and Aravalli hills. The palaces within the complex are interlinked through a number of chowks (quadrangles) with zigzag corridors to avoid surprise attack by enemies.

The main entry to the City Palace is through the Badi Pol (Great Gate) leading to the first courtyard. Amar Vilas is the uppermost court inside the Palace complex having wonderful hanging gardens with fountains, towers and terraces. Badi Mahal which is also known as Garden Palace is the Central Palace. There is a swimming pool which was then used for celebrating Holi festival i.e. festival of colours. Bhim Vilas has a gallery of a collection of miniature paintings that depicts the real-life stories of Radha-Krishna. Durbar Hall was used as a venue for official function such as State banquets and meetings. The gallery of the hall was used by the Royal ladies to observe the Durbar proceedings. Weapons of the Maharanas and some of their portraits are depicted here. In 1974, a part of the City Palace and the 'Zenana Mahal' were converted into a museum which is now open for the public.

6. Conclusion

In addition to the above places, we have visited Wax Museum and seen Sukhadia Circle on the way. Sukhadia Circle is a large roundabout in the city and also a popular recreational centre. There is a 21 feet high three-tiered fountain at the centre of a small pond inside the Sukhadia Circle. There is a facility of boat ride in the pond and also an option for camel and horse ride around the Sukhadia Circle. This time we could not enter inside the Sukhadia Circle because of tight tour schedule. One can spend evening in this circle. In addition, there are many other places of interests which are worth visiting. There is a Bird Park at Gulab Bagh where you can see various species of birds including Blue and Gold Macaw. You can visit Shilpgram which is a rural arts and crafts complex. You can visit Mansoon Palace, Ahar Museum, Jagdish Temple and Lake Palace. This city is well connected with several major Indian cities via rail, road and air.

We enjoyed our stay at Udaipur. On December 27, 2023, we checked out from the hotel at Udaipur in the morning and thereafter we started our journey to Mount Abu. Very soon I will come with another post in this blog on my tour to Mount Abu.

(Note: The historical facts mentioned in the article are collected from Wikipedia and some other sources in public domain.)

My Rajasthan Tour - Visit to Jaipur

Rajasthan is the largest state of India and is also known as the "Land of Maharajas". Rajasthan is known for its majestic palaces, forts and monuments. The State is geographically dominated by stretches of Thar Desert and Aravalli Range. The state was formed on March 30, 1949, when Rajputana was merged into the dominion of India. This time we planned our tour to Rajasthan for 10 days starting from December 23, 2023. We started our tour by first visiting to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan and is also known as Pink City. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II was the founder of the city of Jaipur who ruled from 1699 to 1744. He planned Jaipur City in six blocks separated by broad avenues based on the principals of Vastushastra and another similar classical treatise under the architectural guidance of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, Architect from the present day Naihati, West Bengal, India. He was initially an accounts-clerk in the Amber Treasury and later promoted to the Chief Architect by the King. I would like to share my experiences and brief information about the places in Jaipur that I visited with my family. We were in Jaipur for two days.

1. Lakshmi Narayan Temple:

We have visited Laxmi Narayan Temple during evening on the first day of arrival at Jaipur on December 23, 2023. Lakshmi Narayan Temple is popularly known as Birla Mandir. It was built by B.M. Birla Foundation in 1988. This temple is made of white marble. This temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi and God Vishnu (Narayan). There is a fort behind this temple called Moti Doongri Fort which is on the hill which looks like a pearl drop. Moti Doongri means pearl hill. In the local language, Doongri means a small hill. There is a famous Ganesh Temple inside the Moti Dongri Fort. There is a palace inside the fort which is a replica of Scottish Castle and was once the royal home of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh. This time we could not visit this fort.

2. Jantar Mantar

On the next day i.e. on 24th December we visited Jantar Mantar. Jantar Mantar literally means

calculating instrument. The name Jantar is derived from a Sanskrit word 'Yantra' means instrument and the word Mantar is derived from a Sanskrit word 'mantrana' which means calculate. Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is a collection of 19 astronomical instruments built by the King Sawai Jai Singh II in 1729. The monument was completed in 1734. It is having the world's largest stone Sundial and is UNESCO World Heritage Site. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II constructed five Jantar Mantar in total which are located in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. All the five Jantar Mantar were completed between 1724 and 1735. There is a small sundial for the calculation of local time. Difference of time in minute is written on the board which is added to local time to arrive at Indian Standard Time (IST). During our visit to this place the difference in time that was written on the board was 26 minutes.

There is an instrument called 'Yantra Raj' in Jantar Mantar which is an adaptation of a medieval instrument for the measurement of time and positions of celestial objects. This instrument is used for measuring ascendants, altitude, time and the position of the Sun and other celestial objects in the sky. It can also be used in computing celestial positions and their changes. Other major instruments of Jantar Mantar are Samrat Yantra, Disha Yantra, Chakra Yantra, Jai Prakash Yantra, Rama Yantra, Dingash Yantra, Utaansh Yantra and Rashiwalay Yantra.

3. City Palace

We visited City Palace on 24th December 2023 after finishing our visit to Jantar Mantar. The construction of the City Palace started under the rule of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1729 and completed in 1732. He shifted his capital from Amber to Jaipur in the year 1727. This Palace is a royal residence and former administrative headquarters of Jaipur State. Mughal and Rajput architectural styles in combination was used for the construction of this palace. Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum is inside this palace and this palace is still the home of the Jaipur royal family. Vidyadhar Bhattacharya was the architect who designed this palace. There are several buildings, various courtyards, galleries, restaurants, and offices of the Museum Trust inside the palace complex. Chairperson of the Museum Trust is Rajmata Padmini Devi of Jaipur. Princess Diya Kumari as Secretary and trustee runs the Museum Trust. She is also founder of the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation which works for the empowerment of underprivileged and underemployed women of Rajasthan.

There are three main entry gates to the City Palace named Udai Pol, Virendra Pol and Tripolia gate. The Tripolia gate is reserved for the entry of the members of royal family into the palace. Common people and visitors are allowed to enter the palace complex through the Udai Pol and the Virendra Pol. The Udai Pol leads to the Sabha Niwas (Diwan-e-Aam) which is a hall of the public audience. Sabha Niwas was modelled on the lines of a Mughal Hall of audience, the Diwan-e-Aam. The Virendra Pol leads to the Mubarak Mahal Courtyard, which in turn is connected to the Sarvato Bhadra i.e. Diwan-e-Khas through the Rajendra Pol. Sarvato Bhadra was used as the Diwan-e-Khas i.e. the Hall of Private Audience where the ruler could hold the court with the officials and nobles of the kingdom privately. Entry of public was not allowed in Diwan-e-Khas. Today, it is used for royal festivals and celebrations.

👆 Rajendra Pol

Two huge sterling silver urns of 1.6 meters height and each with the capacity of 4000 liters and weighing 345 kilograms are placed in Diwan-e-Khas. These two sterling silver vessels found place in Guinness Book of World Record as the world's largest sterling silver vessels. It took two years between 1894 and 1896 to create these silver jars by two silversmiths of Jaipur. Each silver urn (vessel) was made from 14000 melted silver coins without soldering. These vessels were used by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II to carry the water of the river Ganges to England in 1902 for using it for drinking purpose during his entire journey and stay in England for attending the coronation of King Edward VII. These silver vessels are named as Gangajalis.

Chandra Mahal is the oldest building in the city palace Complex having seven floors. Aurangzeb gave the title 'Sawai' to young Jai Singh which means "one and a quarter". Since then, the Maharajas have pre-fixed their names with this title. There are various galleries of the museum i.e. Sabha Niwas, Textile Gallery, Sileh Khana (Arms and Armour Gallery), Painting and Photography gallery.

4. Amber Fort or Amer Fort

This fort is located in Amer which is at a distance of about 11 kilometers from Jaipur and was built by Raja Man Singh I in the year 1592. Jai Singh I expanded the fort in the early 1600's. Improvements and additions were made by successive rulers over the next 150 years till the capital was shifted to Jaipur during the time of Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727. It is located high on the hill i.e. Cheel ka Teela of Aravali range of hills. Amer or Amber derives its name from the Ambikeshwar Temple built atop the Cheel ka Teela. Amer Fort is popularly known as Amer Palace which is the great example of Rajput Architecture. However, some of its buildings have influence of Mughal architecture. This palace and Jaigarh Fort are connected by a subterranean passage which is an escape route during war to enable the royal family members and others to provide safe passage to Jaigarh Fort.

Amer Fort is divided into four courtyards. The main entry is through the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) which leads to the first main courtyard. You will find Sila Devi temple in the first courtyard which was the place of worship of Rajput Maharajas since the reign of Maharaja Mansingh in the 16th century. there is a Suhag Mandir where the ladies of royal family used to watch functions held in Diwan-i-Aam through latticed marble windows called jalis. The Second courtyard houses the Diwan-i-Aam or the Public Audience Hall where the king held audience to hear and receive petitions from the public.

The private quarters of the Maharaja, his family and attendants were located in the third courtyard. The entry to this courtyard is through the Ganesh Pol. This courtyard has two buildings, Sheesh Mahal and Sukh Mahal separated by a garden laid in the style of Mughal Gardens. Sheesh Mahal was built by Maharaja Man Singh and completed in the year 1727 which is the foundation year of Jaipur State. There are numerous tiny mirrors, pattern mosaics, coloured glasses embedded on the walls and ceilings of the Sheesh Mahal because of which a single ray of light entering the Sheesh Mahal is able to lits up and illuminates the entire hall naturally. The Sheesh Mahal has been built so that the queen can see the star while sleeping inside the Sheesh Mahal. The fourth courtyard has many living rooms for the residences of the queens who were visited by the king at his choice without being known to the queens other than the queen to whom the king visited. This was possible because all the rooms open into a common corridor.

👆Ceiling of Sheesh Mahal

5. Conclusion

Jaipur is the first planned city of India and was planned by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. The city derives its name from Sawai Jai Singh, founder of the city. This time we could not visit Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal though we have passed through these two places. Dal Baati Churma, Laal Maas, Ghevar, Gatte ki Sabji, etc. are the delicious dishes which one can try in Jaipur or any other places in Rajasthan. Before going to Jaipur my friend suggested me to have a taste of Lassi at Lassiwala in Jaipur. This time we could not taste Lassi at Lassiwala due to hectic schedule given by our tour operator. But next time I will definitely taste lassi at Lassiwala. This time we have tasted Lal Maas and Dal Bati Churma during our Rajasthan tour. We enjoyed our stay at Jaipur. On December 25, 2023, we checked out from the hotel at Jaipur in the morning and thereafter we started our journey to Udaipur. Very soon I will come with another post in this blog on my tour to Udaipur.

(Note: The historical facts mentioned in the article are collected from Wikipedia and some other sources in public domain.)

Second Innings of Life