India, Jaipur

India, Jaipur




Jan 21

At 6:30pm I arrive at Samode Haveli Hotel in Jaipur, a mixture of Muzhal and Razput style boutique hotel with curved arch ways, marble columns and floors, waterfalls, beautiful flowering plants, many birds, and great service. This heritage hotel, (picture 2) was originally the residence of a member of the Royal family, who continue to occupy the top 3 floors.
As with all of the Heritage hotels in India I have been fortunate to stay at, the government offered loans without interest to the Royal family owners to renovate their properties to promote tourism. Everyone benefits in that it provides income to to the owners, money to maintain the properties, gives tourists an opportunity to stay in these unforgetable places, employment to the local population, and business to the local businesses.

Unfortunately, the front of my room opens onto the open patio restaurant and bar, and has the noise of the hotel parking lot behind it. They will move me to a suite tommorrow.

Jan 22
India has 28 states with 1618 languages spoken, of which Rajasthan is the largest and wealthiest with 65 million people. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan with a population of 3 1/2 million. It is the most well organized of the cities I have been in India, with mostly solid stone and cement structures. I exercise at 6am, and look forward to a hot bath, but the water only trickles out. It takes 30 min for the suite to be cleaned so I can bathe there.
I visit the Amber palace, which has white marble painted with crushed precious stones including emerald and ruby, to give it vibrant colors which lasts for centuries. (picture 3) It is also decorated with pieces of Italian mirror. The Aravali Mt Range, which can be seen throughout Rajastan, provides the backdrop. We drive past a manmade lake of the 16th century, which was used to collect rain water. The summer palace in the middle provided a cool respite during the hot summer months for the Royal family. On the main street of the old city stands the Palace of the Winds, a stricking, 5 story, pink sandstone building with 593 intricately carved windows made of stone screens for Royal women to look out onto the activity of the street without being seen.
Every 3rd house in this Gem city is in the jewelry business. Hand made handicrafts including carpets, textiles, and jewelry are of the highest quality and good buys here. I purchased a small silk carpet, with 1800 knots per sq in., and designed a set of 12 silk place mats (Indigo Textiles Store). Artisian skills are passed from one generation to the next. My guide was a stone cutter from the age of 10 to 15 years old.
The people of Jaipur are of the sun dynasty and worship the Sun God. The people of Jaiselmer are of the moon dynasty and worship the Moon God, and the people in the south part of Rajasthan are of the fire dynasty and worship the Fire God .
The Observatory shows the high level of knowledge of Astrology centuries ago. There are Sundials which provide the accurate time, and zodiac signs with their ascending star, which can be determined by the birth place, time and date. Indians will not choose a date for any major event, including marriage and new business contracts, without consulting an Astrologist.
Jan23
I love my large suite with inlaid marble floors and after a good night sleep, force myself out of bed at 8am. My knee is much better, and the swelling is gone since I started using the stationary bike and eliptical machine everyday. After exercising, a hot bubble bath, breakfast, the delivery of the placemats that turned out fantastic, and time on the internet, I leave this beautiful hotel and head to the airport for my flight to Jodhpur.