Post #209 24 March 2020

Gentlefolk,

This post describes our visit to Udaipur, Rajasthan State; we were there for two nights, 1 & 2 March 2020.

This was our final stop in northern India (then to Mumbai and on to southern India).  I will list some "impressions so far" at the end of this post.

We left the hotel in Jodhpur at 8.30am, stopped at a town's fresh produce market for a purchase and snack, then made a comfort stop at a roadside restaurant and shop.  A couple of hours later we stopped for lunch at a guesthouse.

After lunch we visited a Jain Temple.  Then drove to Udaipur via a nature reserve. Arrived at the Kehloor Hotel at 7pm, checked in and had dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Udaipur was lovely. Lots of lakes, and the green, hilly landscape was a welcome change after the arid, flat country which is much of Rajasthan. Udaipur was the most attractive city, for me, of all the places we visited in northern India.

More of the invasive "weed bush" on the highway between Jodhpur and Udaipur.

We stopped at a town's fresh produce market, bought some fruit and had a local snack.

Women shopping. Outside the major cities, all the women we saw wore traditional saris. And men all wore long trousers - we only saw shorts on the esplanade in Mumbai.  India is very traditional.

In the market.

This lady was shopping in the market, with her daughter or granddaughter.  When she saw foreigners she quickly covered her faces - happened quite often - shy or modest?

This cow was wondering along near the market.  Note the motor bike with three passengers.  That was a common sight - also families, father, mother and a couple of kids on a motor bike.

We made a "pit stop" at a roadside shop.  A chance to buy snacks and drinks. Another tourist bus (french group) had pulled in just before us.

Anyone need a set of Karma Sutra playing cards?  Only A$5. Actually, there were quite a few illustrated books on sale featuring the Karma Sutra, in several languages.  It is part of Hinduism, yet Indians are quite conservative in their dress and behaviour (eg little physical contact between sexes). Seems contradictory.

After lunch we visited the Ranakpur Jain Temple. Jainism arose in the 6th century BC (about the same time as Buddhism) as a reaction against the caste constraints and ritualism of Hinduism. There are followers spread throughout India - they are mainly business people.  This is one of the major Jain temples. Construction started in 1498 and took 50 years to complete.  An amazing structure, it comprises 29 halls, 80 domes, and 1,444 pillars, many intricately carved. 

A group of visitors in front of the Jain Temple.

A group of worshippers.

A family visiting the Jain Temple.

After the Jain Temple we drove through the Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, a national park covering an area of 600 sq km of rugged mountainous terrain.  It is supposed to contain a variety of wildlife, but we only saw birds and monkeys (and a dead camel on the road). We stopped at this ox-driven water wheel, a traditional way to irrigate.

Elizabeth went for a ride on the merry-go-round.

A pile of dried cow-dung.  It is widely used as a fuel in rural areas.

At 7pm we arrived at the modest Kehloor Hotel in Udaipur. We had dinner in the restaurant and then hit the sack. It was a long day, but good.  We liked Udaipur - the most attractive city we have visited so far: green, hilly, lakes, and cool (500m above sea level).

The next morning we visited the City Palace.  Construction started in 1568 when Maharaja Udai Singh moved his capital here. The Palace is huge. Descendents of the royal family still live in part of it, and the other part is a wonderful museum.

The main gate had spikes positioned to deter enemy elephants from ramming down the door.

The Baadi Mahal central courtyard & garden.

The sun was the symbol of this sun-descended monarchy.

View of Pichola Lake from the Zenana Mahal, the Ladies Quarters.

From the Palace Museum we visited Saheliyon-ki-Bari, the Garden of the Maids of Honour. Built in 1710 by Sangram Singh it was a place where the women of the court could go to bathe and relax.

The fountain in the Garden of the Maids of Honour.

Some of the women working in the Garden of the Maids of Honour; of course they asked for payment for their photo!

Late afternoon it was time for a boat ride on Pichola Lake, and a visit to Jagmandir Island.

View of the Palace from the boat.

A poster for Jagmandir Island.

The ornamental Gol Mahal tower on Jagmandir Island built in 1620. The island also has 12 hotel rooms  and a restaurant and bar.

A carving outside one of the hotel rooms - karma sutra theme again.

This lovely window had a spanish feel???

Looking back across Pichola Lake to the Palace.

A security guard on Jagmandir Island.

Of course Diwan, our trusty guide, took us to a shop, the Rama Art Gallery.  But by this time we were all shopped-out so there were slim pickings.

Good view across the city from the roof-garden of the Rama Art Gallery.

The next morning was free (before we flew to Mumbai) so Vera & I walked around the area near the hotel.  I can't get used to seeing cows wondering all over the place.

The milk-man making a delivery.

Street cleaner.

Another cow.

The ornate Hotel Chundra Palace looked interesting, so we had a look inside. Amazing. We checked the price - about A$160 per night.

The outdoor swimming pool; there was also a nice indoor swimming pool.

There were so many paintings - this boutique hotel was like a museum.

Saying goodbye to Raghu, our driver, at Udaipur Airport. He was a very steady, careful driver.

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Some impressions of India after being here 10 days:

History and religion are the dominant influences in the very deep culture of India (very different from Australia).
The huge forts and palaces - what craftsmanship, but what they must have cost???
I can't get used to cows wondering around; often picking through rubbish, shitting; disrupting traffic.
Men relieved themselves by roadsides without much effort to disguise what they were doing (I was told that just 20 years ago you could see people defecating in the streets - but thankfully no more).
The North India plain is flat - very few hills, except close to Udaipur.
Rajasthan is mainly flat and dry. We didn't see much intensive agriculture. Thorn bushes taking over.
All the highways seem to be toll roads; a lot of road building going on.
Few people smoke (very different from other Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and China).
Almost all the women we saw, except in the big cities, wear traditional saris and men all wear long pants.
No street gutters in villages (must be awful when it rains).
The villages look poor, but we saw very little abject poverty.
People buy fresh fruit and vegetables every day or two; prices from about A$0.40 per kilo.
English is widely spoken, but can be difficult to understand.
Widespread smog, but not too bad.
The only sport we have seen so far is cricket, cricket, cricket.
There is a State GST of 2.5% and a Federal GST of 2.5% on everything. Prices are usually pre-GST. Better hotels and restaurants add 10% for service. Tipping is optional (I got the impression Indians rarely tip).
About 40% of cars are Suzuki; about 20% Hyundai.
Lots of motorbikes: mainly Japanese brands Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha.
Petrol was about A$1.50 a liter.
Most people had mobile phones; major brands: Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Samsung.
Wages per month. Diwan's rough guide: Policeman from A$60; waiter from A$30; shop assistant from A$15; university lecturer from A$100; teacher from A$60.

We have seen and done so much in ten days that my mind was in a whirl. The food was delicious (Diwan only took us to relatively up-market restaurants). Indian people were friendly and helpful - we didn't feel threatened at all.

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Our next stop was Mumbai, India's commercial capital, the subject of my next post.

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The Coronavirus

The PM announced tougher restrictions tonight.  WA, SA, Tasmania, and Queensland will close their borders to casual visitors.

Global infections now total 381,499, deaths 16,557; Australia 1,823 infections and 8 deaths.  The WHO said it took 67 days to reach the first 100,000 infections, 11 days for the second 100,000, and only 4 days for the third.

When we arrived at Sydney Airport a week ago, there was no checking at all; we were just given a leaflet about the new self-isolating rules.  At Singapore Airport there were radar temperature scanners in every corridor - why not here???

Our first week of self-isolation has been OK. My sister brought us some groceries and we have enough food. It's actually pretty relaxed, just staying at home. And it's given me time to do my blog on our time in India!

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Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Vera & Alex Olah
Canberra, Australia
Tuesday 24 March 2020