The Incredible state of India, Jaipur !

Location: In the state of Rajasthan, located, 260 km from Delhi and 240 kms from Agra, Sanganer Airport is 15km south of town

Also called: The Pink City

Famous for: Handicrafts - Glittering gemstone and silver jewellery, Lac work, Meenakari, Metal work, Marble work, Paintings, Leather work, Gemstones, Carpets, Wood work, Tie and Dye textiles, Artefacts, Antiques, Apparel, Jaipuri quilts (rajai) and Local sweets and delicacies.

Best time to visit: October - December. In the rains, it gets very messy and in the winter, its quite chilly.

Accommodation: Check http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in , to find a listing to suit every budget.

Our much awaited trip to the capital city, Jaipur was filled with awe and admiration.

This state is famous for its wealth of forts, palaces and monuments. It is an epicenter for handicrafts too ! Founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1727, the layout of the streets in this city was based on a mathematical grid of nine squares representing the ancient Hindu map of the universe, and the royal palace was placed symbolically at its centre. This city was said to have been painted pink in honour of a visit by Prince Albert in 1853.

We opted for the full day tour of the city conducted by RTDC (Rajashtan Tourism Department Corporation) and set off to explore the rich monuments which are the:
Hawa Mahal, Laxminarayan temple, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall Museum, City Palace and Museum, Jaigarh fort, Nahargarh Fort, Amber Palace and fort.

More information about these sights will be covered in my upcoming posts.

Tip: For those who have less time to spare, opt for the day tour (or the half day tour, see table below) conducted by RTDC, which covers most of the historical monuments in Jaipur.

RTDC Sight seeing tour information:
Half Day tour:
Timings 0800 -1300 hrs
11.30 -1630 hrs
1330 -1830 hrs
Fare Rs.120/-

Itinery: Hawa Mahal (Front View), Amber Palace, Gaitore, City Palace, Observatory

Full day tour:
Timing: 0900 -1800 hrs
Fare: Rs. 170 /-

Itenary: Hawa Mahal (front View), Laxminarayan temple, Jantar Mantar, Central Museum, City Palace & Museum, Jaigarh fort, Nahargarh Fort (Lunch), Amber Palace and fort, Jal Mahal (front view), Kanak Vrindavan.

For reservations for all tours contact RTDC at 0141-2375466, 2375835, 2371648, 2200778, 2315714, 2206720 (24 hours Tourist assistance on Tel .No. 1364)
Tourist Information Bureau, Railway Station, Tel 91-141-2315714
RTDC Tourist Hostel, Old Govt. Hostel, M.I. Road, Jaipur, Tel 91-141-2375466
Tourist Office, Hotel Khasa Kothi Tel: 91-141-2372200

Say Yes to a Life with Zest !

Palace of lights – Mysore

Festivity is synonymous with Mysore Dasshera, during which the city celebrates this festival for 10 days. One has to witness this mega festival of lights, dance and music and experience the grandeur of the royal palaces, the spectacular silks, the fragrance of sandalwood and the mouthwatering delicacies. According to the legend this festival is celebrated to mark the victory of Goddess Chamundeshwari of Chamundi Hill over the evil demon Mahishasura.

We were lucky to visit this grand city during Dussehra in September 2009.

The Amba Vilas Palace, which is the home to the Wodeyars was built in 1912. Marking the festive celebration, this palace is illuminated every evening, with 96,200 bulbs, which is indeed a visual treat ! The entire city too is brightly lit with numerous bulbs during this season.

This palace is considered one of the grandest palaces in the world and perhaps houses the most number of light bulbs too !

We visited this palace including the marriage pavilion (thrown open to public only during Dusshera) and were amazed and astounded by the grandeur of this magnificent abode.

Mysore city is rich in culture and heritage is famous for many other specialities too. Thus, Geographical Indicator (GI) status have been conferred on Mysore Silk, Mysore Agarbathi, Mysore beetle leaves, Mysore Sandal Oil, Mysore Sandal Soap, Mysore inlay work, Mysore paintings.

In the evening, we proceeded to visit the famous Brindavan gardens with grand memories of the royal city.

For more information visit: http://mysoretourism.org/
To be contd………

Experience Karnataka !

Would you like to experience: Variety, Heritage, Wildlife, Romance, Festivity, Divinity and More ?

The official Karnataka tourism website describes the state of Karnataka as: One state, Many worlds. Truly justified !

Recently, in September 2009, we spent four days on a coach trip, starting from Bangalore and explored and discovered the majesty, splendour and the magic of Karnataka !

We booked the three day Karnataka tourism department tour (KSTDC) which covered Mysore, Srirangapatna, Brindavan Gardens, Ooty, Coonoor, Doddabetta and Nanjungud. After completing this 3 day tour, we were so much enthused to discover more of the beautiful state that we booked the one day KSTDC tour covering Sravenbelagola, Halebid and Belur too.

Day 1 - Srirangapatna
On Day 1 at 7.30 am, we departed from the tourist office at Badami House, Bangalore and reached Srirangapatna, here we saw Tipu Sultan's summer palace, Daria Daulat Bagh, which houses a museum too. It is a completely wooded structure, made of teakwood and the structure stands on a raised platform which is around 1.5 meters in height. This stately artifact was constructed in the year 1784 and is situated on the banks of Cauvery river.

Timings of Museum : 9 am. to 5 pm
Admission fees : Rs.5/- per head and free on Fridays.

We then proceeded towards the Srirangapatna Fort. The ramparts of this fort signify the historic battles which were fought here. And the most significant battle was Tipu Sultan's struggle against the British. which ended in his death in 1799.
Within the fort is a mosque and the huge Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple which has an impressive gopuram and fort like walls. In this temple, Swami Ranganatha is depicted as reclining on the bed of Aadi Sesha, the serpant lord.
We then headed towards Mysore ….. to be continued ……

Note: For details about tour packages log on to: www.karnatakaholidays.net