Monday 31 December 2012

The Rajasthan circuit - Day 8 - The Sahelion Ki Bari, Udaipur and on the way to Pushkar - The 22nd of November 2012



Soon after the visit to the City Palace we were given the chance to observe the artistry involved in miniature painting and actually see some of the exemplars that come out of those amazingly meticulous artists, whose mastery may take years. The various exemplars were painted on wood silk and camel bone and without any hesitation the ones that had us "out of our mind" were the latter. The range of prices varied but the best painted ones were undeniably expensive (though worth the price).

We then headed towards the Sahelion Ki Bari, which we had not had the time to visit the previous day. Built in the eighteenth century as a retreat this "Garden of the Maidens of Honour" (the queen of Udaipur and her 48 maids) has ornamental fountains, a lotus pool and a rose garden.

There were quite a few local and foreign visitors, thus the calm atmosphere one might have experienced had there been fewer people was not there. It wasn't much more than a simple nice garden on which to stroll about.


















































Based on the fact that some of our travel companions had chosen this particular circuit to be able to"participate" in the Pushkar fair, which was apparently not included and after some "negotiations" with the guide and the local agency we were told the circuit would then be altered so as to accommodate the fair, arrangements having been made for us all to stay at a tent camp.

We reached Pushkar very late having had to gather almost immediately upon arrival at the "Passage to India" communal restaurant tent. I was impressed with the food and the organisation.
















We walked around in search of our tent in the dusk, realising then that the camp was certainly huge judging by the number of tents we passed on the way. I was again impressed the moment we walked into the tent itself, with its toilet and hot water shower ... simple as it may have looked, the beds were very comfortable, whilst the camel  bed covers provided the rest.




 











 













The Rajasthan circuit - Day 8 - The City Palace (still), Udaipur - The 22nd of November 2012



(...)


The visit continued along several more chambers and courtyards, with the Mor Chowk (Peacock courtyard) have dazzled me  with its vibrantly coloured nineteenth century mosaics of three dancing peacocks. The following chambers displayed a variety of artefacts, though it was the miniature painting artistry that mostly caught my attention.


As we were leaving we could see the last remaining decorations of a wedding ceremony, which had taken place in there the previous days, being carried away. I just wondered what type of feeling the newly wedded and their guest must have had as they strolled along this magnificent palace compound and I just wished the happiness of the new "couple" might correspond to one single square metre of the beauty they (and us) had been surrounded by.



































































































I will ...




















I will leave the menacing skies behind and hold myself as if firmly rooted to the ground ...
with my leafless branches wide open ... to embrace the winds of fate ...








Naked by the ruthless Winter storms, I will renew my leaves over Spring ...
and with it the strength I need to bear the inclemency of these last months ...















I will ...









Sunday 30 December 2012

The Rajasthan circuit - Day 8 - The City Palace (cont.), Udaipur - The 22nd of November 2012


(...)


We wandered about the City Palace's Museum, the various royal apartments, reception halls and courtyards, each of which richly decorated, particularly the Kanch Burj with dazzling red and silver glass decorative motifs or theChini Chitrashala profusely covered in Dutch tiles.

 I may sound repetitive but every time we visited one of those I had the distinct feeling nothing else would be able to impress me any further and the truth is that I kept on being mesmerised and from a certain moment onwards all I could do was to try to "absorb" as much as I could and take as many photographs and film the whole beauty that was at hand.









































































 













(To be continued)