Jaipur Monuments: Retaining The Age Old Rajputana Glory

Amber Fort, Jaipur-Rajasthan

A feeling of bravery and victory engulfs us as we talk about the Rajputs. The majestic forts and palaces of the Rajput Kings, and the stories of their wars have always fascinated me. After the first rain of the monsoon, the weather became quite pleasant and my six friends- Pooja, Monika, Shakeel, Tahir, Abhishek and Dara- asked me to visit Jaipur. Lucky is how I felt when all of a sudden I got an opportunity to visit my wonderland. We packed our bags and boarded the Ajmer Shatabdi train. In another four hours, we were in Jaipur- 'the cultural hub of Rajasthan'. After a heavy breakfast, we hired a guide and moved out to explore the city.

The stunning Amber Fort, built in white marble and red sandstone, was out first destination. Dara, being familiar to the place, told us that the construction of the Fort was started by Raja Man Singh I in 1592, but it was completed during the reign of Raja Jai Singh I. The crystal mirror image of the Fort in the Maotha Lake at its foreground, was the best part. Usually pronounced as Amer Fort, the structure has out of the world interiors that provide a soothing and warm ambiance. Dara then took us to the beautiful City Palace. Tahir had a dream to own a palace since his childhood, and he went crazy to see the grand structure of the City Palace. Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the palace covers a huge area that comprises of several gardens, courtyards and buildings. We paid short visits to the beautiful Chandra Mahal, Badal Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Mukut Mahal, Maharani's Palace and Shri Govind Dev Temple. The Maharani's Palace, made for royal queens, has now been converted into a museum, showcasing weapons dated back to 15th century. Besides, Diwan-I-Khas (a hall for private audience) and Diwan-I-Aam (a hall for public audience) are also open to the tourists.

We stopped for a quick bite at a restaurant, where Dara told us that the Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort are the antique forts quite close to Jaipur, which provide the spectacular views of the city. Our next destination was Jantar Mantar, the largest stone observatory of India built in 1724. Hats off to Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh who was so passionate for astronomy and numerology. There are several striking instruments like the Brihat Samrat yantra Sundial, which are purely made of stones or bricks, and were used to calculate the local and meridian pass time, the sun's declination, altitude, the declination of stars, planets and to determine eclipses.

Our last halt was the spell binding Hawa Mahal, the most easily recalled landmarks of Jaipur, built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. This five storey building was built for the ladies of the royal household to watch everyday life in the market streets and processions in the city. Another stunning examples of Rajput architecture and artistry are the delicately honeycombed 953 sandstone windows (Jharokhas) of the Hawa Mahal. The day was quite tiring, but our fatigue vanished like a dream after reaching the ethnic village resort- 'Choki Dhani'. Located 18 km from the heart of the city, this place offers thatched cottages with all the modern facilities for its guests. We enjoyed the traditional Rahasthani dinner at the multi cuisine restaurant 'Bindola'. It was truly a remarkable trip to the monuments of Jaipur but I was still left with a lot to explore.

Peeping Into The History Through Delhi Museums

It was the last day of my Delhi trip. For me, it has always been a fun to read about history. And when Sam (my cousin) told me that we were going to visit the museums that day, my excitement knew no bounds. I was eagerly waiting for the history to be served before me with a visual delicacy of well preservation. Sam told me that Delhi is known not only for its magnificent historical monuments and shopping places but also for some of the best museums and galleries in the country. Some of these are dedicated to famous Indian personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Since my childhood, I have a craze to see the store houses for the cultural heritage of a country. Being an art lover, I certainly admire the splendid display of contemporary art.

New Delhi Rail Museum

We started our exploration with the National Rail Museum. Spread over 10 acres of land, National Rail museum has a number of locomotives that showcase the history of Indian railways. I quite liked the model of India's very first train, the oldest locomotive in the world that is still working, the Viceregal Dining Car of 1889, the Prince of Wales Saloon of 1875, Maharaja of Mysore's Saloon of 1899, and the Fairy Queen built in 1855. We also enjoyed the ride in the toy train that took us around the museum on a miniature rail track. We had a chilled soft drink to get rid of the scorching summer and then headed for Delhi Crafts Museum, Pragati Maidan. It is an amazing place that reflects India's rich tradition of handicrafts. The rarest artifacts and handicrafts here are collected from all over the country. Within two decades from its inception in 1956, the museum collected over 20,000 objects including the tribal and rural handicrafts. What I liked most in Crafts Museum was the Indian folk art, woodcarvings, paintings, paper- mache crafts, Tribal and Rural Craft Gallery and Textile Gallery.

We paid short visits to Shankar's International Dolls Museum and Gandhi Museum. The doll museum has one of the largest and finest collections of costume dolls from all over the world. It also includes scenes from various religious epics and freedom movements. I was completely overwhelmed to see the preserved personal relics, photographs, manuscripts, books, journals and documents and the audio-visual material related to Gandhiji in the Gandhi Museum. We had traditional north Indian food in lunch at Sagar Ratna Restaurant at Connaught Place. While having lunch, Sam told me that the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum and the Nehru Memorial Museum, Planetarium & Library are quite similar to the Gandhi Museum. They are also popular for preserving the personal belongings of the respective leader. Tourists also love to visit the famous National Museum of Natural History in Delhi, which is meant to promote environmental awareness and educate people about the immense importance of conservation. It has various galleries, paintings, books etc. regarding the issue.

Out last halt was the National Museum or 'Yadughar'. Located at a close proximity to the India Gate, the museum exhibits ancient pottery, rare coins, models of architecture, costumes etc. of various civilizations dating back to about 5000 years. On the whole, the museums in Delhi are good for entertainment as well as education. My visit to the museums of Delhi served as one of the best windows into the history, traditions, art and culture of the country.

Delhi Temples Tourism: Celebrating Spirituality

When two persons have different interests, it is quite difficult to choose a place to visit. My cousin, Sam insisted me to visit the religious places of Delhi on the third day of my trip. However, I hardly go to any temple, but when Sam told me that the temples in Delhi are true architectural wonders, I got ready in few minutes. Without having our breakfast even, we first hit the Cathedral Church of Redemption, located on Church Road that stands to the west of Parliament House. Built between 1927 and 1935, the church is a typical British structure with spotless beauty. Sam told me that the Cathedral of The Sacred Heart (at the Gol Dak Khana near the Connaught place) and the St. James Church (at the Kashmere Gate) are other equally important Catholic churches. Although the Christians are very less in number as far as population of Delhi is concerned, but these churches draw a number of devotees during festive seasons.

We then headed for the famous Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, near Connaught Place. Earlier a splendid bungalow of Raja Jai Singh Amber of Jaipur, this gurdwara is a highly revered place for both the Hindus and the Sikhs. It has a huge hall covered by a golden dome with a sculpted bronze cupola, that looks quite similar to the Golden temple of Amritsar. We were offered delicious 'halwa' in prasad, which was simply unbeatable. Sam told me that Delhi has a number of Sikh shrines like Gurdwara Rakab Ganj, Gurdwara Sis Ganj, Gurdwara Majnu ka Tila and Gurdwara Nanak Piao that are equally important and beautiful. The moment you enter any of these shrines you can hear the blissful 'Gurbani'. We stopped at the Hanuman Mandir (Connaught Place) for a quick bite, where I came to know that this temple was built by Maharaja Jai Singh along with Jantar Mantar in 1724.

Akshardham Temple, Delhi

After that we moved for the Akshardham Temple, which looks quite similar to the Akshardham in Ahmedabad. Made in Rajasthani pink sandstone, the temple has a Carrara marble platform with the presiding deity's panchdhatu (five-metal) statue (11 ft high). The temple is too big to explore on foot. I was surprised to see over 20,000 sculptures of animals, floral motifs, arches and exquisitely carved pillars. Apart from that, Birla Mandir (Laxmi Narayan Temple) and ISKCON Temple (Krishna Temple) were also fascinating. Another stunning structure was the Lotus Temple. Made in marble in the shape of lotus flower, this temple belongs to the Bahai sect, and is a peaceful place for meditation and relaxation.

Jama Masjid, Delhi

Our last halt was the famous Jama Masjid, in Old Delhi. Raised on the highest pedestal of Delhi, Jama Masjid is built of red sandstone and boasts of being the largest mosque in India. Facing the Red Fort, this was the last monument built by Shah Jahan (1650-1656). Muslims constitute about 12% of the population in Delhi, and there are a number of Muslim shrines here, namely Fatehpuri Masjid, Chirag Dihli Tomb, Nizam-ud-Din Auliya Tomb and Qutab Bakhtiyar Kaki Tomb. We had traditional north Indian food in the age old streets of Chandni Chowk. The temples in Delhi are simply the finest in India. I can surely call them the best in the terms of architecture.

History Tells Its Own Tale In Delhi's Monuments

That was a cool and pleasant morning in Delhi. While enjoying my tea with Sam, my cousin, in the balcony, I was quite excited to see the headline in the newspaper. It said that the Delhi Government had signed an agreement with INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) for protection and conservation of 92 monuments. Those monuments would get a facelift as part of the Delhi government's move to make them attractive from touristic point of view ahead of the Commonwealth Games. We had a quick shower and left for the historical monuments of Delhi, which are part of the heritage of India.

Our exploration started from the Humayun's tomb, a magnificent and marvellous structure of the Mughal Empire. Built in 1565 AD by Hamida Banu Begum (Humayun's widow), the structure is preceded by a tomb with blue dome made with Persian tiles. Along with the unique architecture and carvings, I was highly impressed with the well maintained huge garden. Another admiring monument was the 72.5 m high Qutab Minar, that boasts of being the highest monument in India. Sam told me that this tower was built to celebrate the victory of Mohammed Gauri over the Rajputs in 1192. Located near this might of Islam, is the 7.2 m tall Iron pillar (Ashoka Stambha), which stands tall unaffected by the test of time.

While passing through the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the official residence of the President of India designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, we reached Jantar Mantar.I was overwhelmed to see this 1724 structure, which is known as the largest astronomic observatory of stone. Amazing and commendable work by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur. We stopped at Connaught Place for a quick bite, and then headed for India Gate, the identity of Delhi. I was aware with the fact that it was built in 1931 in the memory of the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War I. But this 42 m high, free standing arch with an eternal flame (Amar Jyoti), touched my heart. I could see the names of the soldiers inscribed on the walls of this monument. It was surrounded by several huge gardens and water pools. Sam told me that it serves as a favourite picnic spot of the locals and the tourists in the evening.

Our next halt was the majestic Red Fort that is situated on the banks of the River Yamuna. In a circumference of over 2.2 km, it was built by the Mughal emperor Shajahan with an aim of concentrating the Mughal power in one monument. I paid short visits to Naubat Khana, Diwan-e-Am, Mumtaz Mahal, Rang Mahal, Khas Mahal, Diwan-e Khas, Hammam and Shah Burj, which are the major attractions. Our last halt was the citadel of Humayun- the Old Fort (Purana Quila). This 1583 structure has three gates - Humayun Darwaza, Talaqi Darwaza and Bara Darwaza, and an amazing two-storied octagonal pavilion in red sandstone. I enjoyed a spectacular sound and light show there. Visiting so many colourful aspects of this historical city was an out of the world experience. It was simply exploring India in miniature.

International Arts Festival: Colourful Element Of Delhi Tourism

Ralph Reichenbach & Doug Madill have rightly said, “Art strives to express; craft strives for excellence. Good art has good craft, good craft is artistic. Within every craft there exists artists. Within every artist there is craft”. And my good fortune sneaked me an opportunity to visit the International Arts Festival in Delhi. The capital city is undoubtedly the centre of attraction in terms of lifestyle, food, culture, festivals, media, technology, art, and almost everything. I, being an art lover, planned a four-day trip to the National Capital Territory of Delhi and flew to celebrate India's signature festival. Located on the banks of the River Yamuna, the city has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century BC, according to archaeological evidence. According to the Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi houses about 1200 heritage buildings and 175 monuments as national heritage sites.

My cousin, Sameer, puts up at South Extension, one of the most happening areas of Delhi. He had promised to accompany me on the entire Delhi tour. Sam, that is how I call him, told me that the International Arts Festival is very helpful in establishing India as a global soft power and making it a destination of cultural tourism. This 24-day festival covers 35 segments, 72 venues and 2500 artistes. We first drove to the Crafts Museum (Pragati Maidan), which exhibited a rarest collection of 20,000 items of folk and tribal arts, crafts and textiles. I was quite surprised to see the expertise of the artisans in bronze images, lamps and incense burners, ritual accessories, utensils, wood and stone carvings, papier mache, ivories, dolls, toys, puppets and masks, jewellery, paintings, terracotta, cane and bamboo work and textiles from different regions of India.

Our next halt was FICCI auditorium, where we saw galleries of folk and tribal arts and craftsd, aristocratic objects, and traditional Indian textiles. I bought a few items for my mom and my brothers. We stopped for a quick bite at Connaught Place, the heart of Delhi. Sam asked me if I wanted to visit the popular art galleries like Triveni, Sridharani, Vadehra, Eicher, Lalit Kala Akademi, Max Mueller Photo Gallery etc. But I preferred going Dilli Haat, popular venue for crafts bazaars throughout the year. It is famous for offering almost all types of handicrafts, mementos, gifts and crafts of each and every state of India. While returning to home, our last halt was Kamani Auditorium, where we enjoyed various performing arts representing the range of classical dance forms and schools of music from all over India.

Delhi Tourism has served as the seat of empires for centuries, and therefore it is a major cultural center, attracting the best of painters, musicians and dancers. Sam told me that October to March is the 'cultural season' of Delhi and countless elements of this colourful and vibrant city were remained untouched. No worries, as I had enough time to explore all the historical, cultural and adventurous aspects of Delhi.

Mumbai: The Seat Of Excursionists

It was a bright Sunday morning in Mumbai. Streets were quiet. I could clearly hear the birds chirruping in the hotel garden and the sea waves crashing to the shore. After some light refreshments, I came down to the hotel and headed towards the nearby Chowpatty Beach with a guide. While I was relishing the best of local snacks- bhelpuri, chuski and pao bhaji- my guide told me that it is the best place where the common man comes to eat and be entertained every evening. Chowpatty Beach is the well known holy site where the devotees of lord Ganesha immerse the huge idol after the rituals on Ganesh Chaturthi.

We moved on to other destinations via Marine Drive, the Queen's Necklace. I found the road quite busy. But the best part is that being located at a close proximity to the sea, it lets you the opportunity to enjoy cool sea breeze. Hanging Gardens or the Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens are actual tourist delights in Mumbai. I was simply amazed to see these beautiful gardens built over three reservoirs. These are quite attractive for children. The reservoirs store billions of gallons of water for cleaning before they are pumped to the thirsty city of Mumbai.

In the afternoon, the guide took me to Colaba, which is a popular hub of tourist activity in Mumbai. We had our lunch there in street stalls and moved on to the Fort. Famous for its old Victorian-Gothic buildings, the Fort is an important financial and commercial center. The lifeline of Mumbai 'BSE or Bombay Stock Exchange' is also located in this area on Dalal Street. I also paid short visits to the popular Prince Wales Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Jehangir Art Gallery, which represent the glorious past of Mumbai during the British Rule in India. These are a must to experience because of the rarest collection of art forms, sculptures, rare coins, old firearms and miniature paintings.

While going back to the hotel at around 8:00 pm, I also visited the Crawford Market, named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay. Designed by Lockyard Kipling, father of the famous author Rudyard Kipling, the market is an extraordinary blend of Flemish and Norman architecture. Cherishing the golden memories of Mumbai, the indomitable city, I left for another destination, another adventure !!

Mumbai Tourism After 26/11

The Indian Government launched the “Incredible India” campaign in the US last year. A grand festival “India at 60″ was also organized in New York. India witnessed a significant jump in the flow of tourists from the US. And all of a sudden, Mumbai terror attacks hit India tourism at start of peak season. The future of tourism industry was uncertain because this was the first time when terrorists targeted hotels and foreigners. India, which was boasting of a 12.5 percent annual rise in visitors and was estimating that 5 million people would arrive here adding about £7.5 billion to the overall economy, was now worried of the economic slowdown. Terrorists mounted assaults on the Taj and the Oberoi- favourite five-star hotels of the western business travellers in Mumbai.

But I was quite familiar with the enthusiasm and indomitable spirit of the Mumbaiians and tourists. My expectations were at an all time high. And it was no surprise that within a month India again started attracting tourists. I packed my bags and flew to Mumbai. It was a bright Saturday afternoon and my guide took me to the Hotel Residency, located amidst peaceful and tranquil surroundings, 6 km from Mumbai's Sahar International airport. The best part with Mumbai is that it is a healthy mixture of all the cultures and religions. People were busy in the praparations of the grand festival 'Ganesh Chaturthi', which was going to be held the next week. Mumbai is known for some of India's most sought after tourist destinations. The day was drawing to a close and I was left with a few hours only. Therefore I decided to explore all the nearby attractions.

I started with the Gateway of India, which was earlier used to be the arrival point for visitors from the west. There are numerous sea beaches in Mumbai with sandy shores and kisses of the waves of the Arabian Sea. I paid short visits to Juhu, Gorai and Madh Island and left the others untouched for the next day. However these are not meant for sunbathing but I found various fast food joints offering typical Indian delicacies like Bhelpuri. We stopped for a quick bite and then hit the road again to the famous Kamala Nehru Park, the Hanging gardens and a couple of botanical parks. Being a nature lover, I had my own contemplation here in India's most crowded city.

I also wanted to have glimpses of the famous museums, but it was getting dark and I returned back to my hotel. While having dinner I realized that right from the sea beaches to historical museums, Mumbai has a lot to offer to its guests. All these attractions make it fairly easy to spend quality time in Mumbai. I got to my bed quite early for a tight sleep as the next day was definitely going to be tiresome.