Udaipur

Udaipur is billed as the most romantic city in Rajasthan. We originally had an itinerary that would have put us here on our wedding anniversary (last Dec 4), but when we had the opportunity to attend the 30-day retreat in Kathmandu we took it and spent our anniversary in separation and silence! How's that for a good way to spend a wedding anniversary! So this was our long-deferred treat to ourselves.

Udaipur was developed by the Rajput people, a fiercely proud warrior-caste people (Kshatriya). They are very proud of the fact that they fought wars with either occupying forces (e.g. Moghuls) or with their neighbors virtually non-stop for 1500 years, until the British arrived. They then emphasize that the British did not conquer them, but instead recognized the Maharana as the legitimate government of the area. They still emphasize that their Maharaja was the supreme ruler over all of the other Maharajas of India (a fact than no one else seems to agree with), and call the Indian Independence "so-called independence".

The Arts

The ruling class of Mahranas lived their fairy tale lives in their fairy tale castles. Their castles were supreme showcases for the arts. Colored glass mosaics, ornately mirrored rooms, frescos, stone carvings and miniature paintings adorn almost every surface. They were patrons of a large artist community. That community and the Rajput dynasty has persisted to the present day.

The miniature paintings are still produced by descendants of the original craftsmen. Almost every other shop on the street sells miniature paintings and claims an artistic heritage. The paintings portray life in the palaces and Havelis (homes of rich merchants) in minute detail. They are done on paper, wood, silk and marble. Many are done on the back of old manuscripts, with original Persian script still on the other side. The brushwork is delicate and the colors are bright.

We met a family of artisans when we stayed in their guesthouse, the Art Loft. The Art loft is owned by the Raj family who has been creating miniature paintings and gold jewelry for 300 years. They also create blank books with handmade papers with covers of saree fabric. The work done by the four brothers is exquisite. We had the opportunity to watch them work each day as we passed through their workshop on our way out to see the city sights. Business was going well when we were there. They were preparing a large shipment of paintings and books for a gallery in Germany.

Lake Palace Hotel

Udaipur is built around a lake, created in the 1700's when the royal palace was moved from a prior location to here. The lake is quite charming, with the far side a bright green marsh area and several islands in the foreground. The famous Lake Palace Hotel completely covers one of the islands. Originally built as a summer royal palace, it is now one of the world's finest hotels, in the prestigious Taj Group. This was the location for the filming of the James Bond film, Octopussy. It was fun to tour the hotel first, and then see the film and notice all of the familiar places.

The hotel is quite exclusive. No one is allowed on the island unless they are a guest, and the rooms start at $250 --triple that for a suite with a view. However, the hotel restaurant has a buffet dinner that you can get into if the hotel guests have not filled the dining room. We waited three days on the list, and finally our number came up so we headed to the island and joined the wealthy folks! The food was fine, though not really spectacular --the catering at the wedding in Jodhpur was better! But the ice cream was the best we have had in Asia, and as good as Italian gelato. It was really good! Even after stuffing ourselves with the buffet, I went back for ice cream twice! Can you tell I liked the ice cream!

The real point of dinner on the island is not the dinner, but the island experience. We toured the Palace, attended a Rajastani music and Kathak dance performance, and watched the sun set over the lake, luxuriated with the sumptuous meal, and enjoyed a star-lit boat ride. The hotel itself is very comfortable, not ostentatious. Rather than a big imposing lobby, there is a collection of seating areas separated by interesting architectural details such as archways or wall screens carved in stone. The indoors just slowly blends into a garden courtyard. We sat on the sofas thumbing coffee-table photo books on Rajasthan, and imagined that we could quite easily live here. Often, we are put off by the formality and coldness of top-notch hotels, but this one would be perfect for a couple to relax for a weekend. Now, how do we work out the arithmetic of $250 per night for a year or two of traveling? Hmm, we caught the late boat back to our guesthouse....

Bagore Ki Haveli

The wealthy royalty and merchant classes built elaborate homes throughout Rajasthan during the prosperous years when this was a key trade route. Called Havelis, these homes were preserved in good condition well into the early 1900's and in some cases right up to the current time. But generally, at some point the family was unable to continue the expenses needed for maintenance, and the haveli began to decline. Recently the families have realized that the Havelis can be popular with tourists, and many have been converted to hotels. In Udaipur, the Bagore Ki Haveli has been recently converted to a museum.

This dilapidated haveli underwent an extensive restoration to bring the rubble walls back to their white plastered splendor. The before and after pictures of the building were quite striking. Strolling through the terraces, secluded courtyards and balconies gives one a glimpse of the lifestyles of the royal families. Objects like jewelry, boxes, musical instruments, games, clothing and household articles are displayed in the recreated rooms. Frescos and colorful glass mosaic peacocks (the symbol of Rajasthan) adorn the walls. One can almost hear the laughter of the ladies congregating in the Chamber of the Royal Ladies.

Fran was delighted when she entered the kitchen area. The kitchen is the heart and soul of any home. It is a utilitarian room, unglamorous but necessary. In the castles of Europe, it was the room often neglected during restoration. The kitchen in the haveli was little more than a few tools and storage items, but she was happy that they had included this mundane aspect of daily life along with the lofty object d'art.

In the evening we were treated to a cultural performance in one of the courtyards. Bejeweled dancers, brightly colored layers of silk dress and headscarves cast their spell on the audience. In one dance two women carried brass bowls with fiery coals on their heads. They spun in dizzying circles, hands quickly moving from one mudra (hand position) to another. The fire lit the bewitching glance of their eyes. Puppeteers danced their puppets across the stage, accompanied by drum and mouth harp.

The finale of the show was the vase dance. It originated in the villages when the women would travel with their water jugs to fill the household water supply. The dancer first came on stage with one large water jug on her head, spinning rapidly. She continued to add jugs, one on top of the other until she was balancing nine jugs of declining size on her head, in a tower as tall as herself! All the while she was dancing on tops of objects like bowls, water glasses, broken glass and sword edges. It was quite the show! She is over 60 years old, and has been doing this performance for over 40 years.

Shilpgram

Shilpgram means Craftsman Village. It is a living village recreating the art, craft and culture of the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa. It consists of 26 huts that represent the homes of those areas. Around the huts are artist’s stalls displaying weaving, paintings, textiles. Musicians and puppeteers perform in the stalls during the day, dancers perform on the large stage in the evenings.

We hired a guide to show us around the village and explain the lifestyles in the traditional homes. The first area that we came to was Rajasthan. It was just like the villages that we saw in the desert around Jaisalmer. Made of mud and cow dung with thatched grass roofs, they were designed to stay cool in the 140 Fahrenheit degree days of summer. We were intrigued by the refrigerator...How do you keep butter and yogurt cool without electricity in that heat? You build a thick walled mud and plaster box, raised 1 foot off the ground with air ducts underneath and with a large "attic" area. Natural airflow keep the foods cool!

All along our journey we have enjoyed seeing how people use local materials and building methods which combine natural conditions and cultural differences. Shilpgram was an exciting example of this. The grass mat and palm tree beamed huts of Maharashtra; the plaster and teak carved Havelis of the Portuguese inspired merchants of Goa; the red plastered walls decorated with intricate white drawings of Gujarat are all expressed in the different climate and culture conditions of the people who created and live in them. And we learned a new practical tip --since the plaster is made from cow dung, then cockroaches will not enter the house!

One particular treat was the performance by a Rajasthan musical ensemble. The men were dressed in white with red turbans, many with long handle bar mustaches. And their music was both exotic and exquisite. One played a melody on the nagaswaram...a double flute. Each flute is fingered separately; one playing the drone and one the melody. He used circular breathing, and puffed the drone flute like a percussion instrument. Quite amazing! He was accompanied by a 2 headed drum, much like two tabla drums combined in one. There was one playing an accordion box; another a mouth harp. Another interesting interchange was between the drummer and a man clapping sticks like castanets. The intricate call and answer patterns was quite exciting...the speed and pattern hard to duplicate.

Fateh Sagar

Reputed to be a hangout for young lovers, we visited this lake park. It has a popular garden island, which you can get to by boat. We journeyed to its edge by walking several hours in the hot and dusty sunshine; looking forward to the coolness of the lake and reflections of buildings in the waters. Well, forget the boat the island and the lake. It is gone! The lakebed is bone dry with nary a hint of the former water’s edge. Remember the drought that we mentioned in our Jaisalmer pages? The fact that it has not rained seriously in four years might have had something to do with the great disappearing act.

In Summation

Udaipur lived up to our expectations of romance and mystery. We explored beautiful palaces, dined with the rich and famous, watched sunrises and sunsets from the rooftop balcony outside our hotel door and were enchanted by the warmth and hospitality of the Rajasthan people. It definitely deserves our recommendation for a city to visit.