We arrived late afternoon in Jaipur and spent the rest of the evening hanging out in our room enjoying the fr
ee Wi-Fi!! Jaipur is known as the pink city after parts of it were painted pink in 1853 in honour of the visit of the Prince of Wales. The name has stuck, even though it is now more red than pink! Jaipur is the first planned city of India and is now the capital city of Rajasthan.
We started our morning off with a visit to the Amber Fort, a stunning and colossal construction built in white marble and red sandstone. Ou
r trip to the fort began with a tourist elephant ride which was possibly my most traumatic tourist experience ever. We didn’t realize until we were sitting on our beautiful elephant how these poor animals are being tortured and taken advantage of by tourists and the locals who run them up and down the steep palace hill in the hot morning sun. They are pocked with sharp sticks and their ears pulled on (occasionally) so that they cooperate and perform according to their job description. We felt horrible for having participated in the animal abuse and we will never ride another elephant again. Elephants are such a
mazing animals that should be revered and allowed to stay in their natural habitat in peace. I was somewhat appeased when I heard that they only work until 11:30am, then back to their home (which is 
not the jungle). AFTER our ride, Ashok, our guide told us that recently two elephants got into a fight and threw their Asian tourists off them. They were badly injured and taken to the hospital (and still the rides continue).
The fort beg
an its construction in 1592 by Raja Man Singh I. However, it took its present form during the reign of Raja Jai Singh I. The ceilings and the walls are covered in little mirrors and are very beautiful. The Sheesh Mahal or the glass palace as it is known was used by the Raja to meet his special guests. Flowers and intricate patterns cut into the marble and add an extra flair of elegance to it.
After some light shopping (for more things we didn’t need!), we stopped to v
isit the City Palace of Jaipur built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh during his reign. The palace is divided into a series of gardens, courtyards and buildings and a large section is still in use by the former maharaja/king. He funds his expensive life style by allowing visitors into his section of the palace 
for $50/head. We chose the cheaper route!
The entrance of the palace is being used to showcase its painted ceilings and original manuscripts of hindu scriptures. Close to the entrance were two enormous silver canisters that used to be filled with holly water from the river ganges. They are
acclaimed be the largest silver vessels in the world. The palace also houses colourful coaches that were used for personal use as well as during festivals and a museum showcasing weapons that date back to the 15th century (very impressive and large display).
Sightseeing was finished off with a trip to Jantar Mantar that
houses astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (King) Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1734. The observatory holds fourteen geometric devices that measure time, eclipses and map the stars in the sky as the earth turns around the sun. It also provides an ephemeris of the planets and celestial altitudes. Very impressive, especially for an aspiring astrology like myself! We also saw Samrat Yantra, the giant sundial (pictured) is the world’s largest sundial at 27 meters tall.
After dinner, I decided to treat myself to a different Ayurvedic treatment, which I have long wanted to try. The shirodhara (the name comes from the Sanskrit words shiras 'head' and dhara 'flow') and a massage treatment began with a full body massage with hot oil and gentle massaging. The treatment ended in 20 minutes of therapeutic herbal oil being poured in a thin stream on my forehead. This treatment is good for relaxation, insomnia, migraine headaches, depression and stress. It was very relaxing and had an odd sensation to it. Unfortunately there was so much oil in my hair post treatment that it took literally two days and 15 washings to feel clean again. The suffering one must go to for beauty!!
ee Wi-Fi!! Jaipur is known as the pink city after parts of it were painted pink in 1853 in honour of the visit of the Prince of Wales. The name has stuck, even though it is now more red than pink! Jaipur is the first planned city of India and is now the capital city of Rajasthan.We started our morning off with a visit to the Amber Fort, a stunning and colossal construction built in white marble and red sandstone. Ou
r trip to the fort began with a tourist elephant ride which was possibly my most traumatic tourist experience ever. We didn’t realize until we were sitting on our beautiful elephant how these poor animals are being tortured and taken advantage of by tourists and the locals who run them up and down the steep palace hill in the hot morning sun. They are pocked with sharp sticks and their ears pulled on (occasionally) so that they cooperate and perform according to their job description. We felt horrible for having participated in the animal abuse and we will never ride another elephant again. Elephants are such a
mazing animals that should be revered and allowed to stay in their natural habitat in peace. I was somewhat appeased when I heard that they only work until 11:30am, then back to their home (which is 
not the jungle). AFTER our ride, Ashok, our guide told us that recently two elephants got into a fight and threw their Asian tourists off them. They were badly injured and taken to the hospital (and still the rides continue).The fort beg
an its construction in 1592 by Raja Man Singh I. However, it took its present form during the reign of Raja Jai Singh I. The ceilings and the walls are covered in little mirrors and are very beautiful. The Sheesh Mahal or the glass palace as it is known was used by the Raja to meet his special guests. Flowers and intricate patterns cut into the marble and add an extra flair of elegance to it.After some light shopping (for more things we didn’t need!), we stopped to v
isit the City Palace of Jaipur built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh during his reign. The palace is divided into a series of gardens, courtyards and buildings and a large section is still in use by the former maharaja/king. He funds his expensive life style by allowing visitors into his section of the palace 
for $50/head. We chose the cheaper route!The entrance of the palace is being used to showcase its painted ceilings and original manuscripts of hindu scriptures. Close to the entrance were two enormous silver canisters that used to be filled with holly water from the river ganges. They are
acclaimed be the largest silver vessels in the world. The palace also houses colourful coaches that were used for personal use as well as during festivals and a museum showcasing weapons that date back to the 15th century (very impressive and large display).Sightseeing was finished off with a trip to Jantar Mantar that
houses astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (King) Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1734. The observatory holds fourteen geometric devices that measure time, eclipses and map the stars in the sky as the earth turns around the sun. It also provides an ephemeris of the planets and celestial altitudes. Very impressive, especially for an aspiring astrology like myself! We also saw Samrat Yantra, the giant sundial (pictured) is the world’s largest sundial at 27 meters tall.
After dinner, I decided to treat myself to a different Ayurvedic treatment, which I have long wanted to try. The shirodhara (the name comes from the Sanskrit words shiras 'head' and dhara 'flow') and a massage treatment began with a full body massage with hot oil and gentle massaging. The treatment ended in 20 minutes of therapeutic herbal oil being poured in a thin stream on my forehead. This treatment is good for relaxation, insomnia, migraine headaches, depression and stress. It was very relaxing and had an odd sensation to it. Unfortunately there was so much oil in my hair post treatment that it took literally two days and 15 washings to feel clean again. The suffering one must go to for beauty!!
No comments:
Post a Comment