Travels Through Rajasthan – Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur

I started writing this blog in a time before coronavirus and then put it aside as writing about travel felt indulgent when so many people’s lives were being turned upside down.  When we traveled to India it was in September of 2019, before bushfires had swept through Australia, devastating communities, livelihoods, animals; before coronavirus had changed the world as we knew it.

It now seems like a golden age of travel, for the world before and after coronavirus will never be the same.  The pandemic has shown to be especially damaging to poorer and more vulnerable communities within many countries; highlighting the risks associated with rising inequality.  I fear for India; at the time of writing coronavirus has escalated and I worry about the people we met there.  But this is not a post about coronavirus, but the current situation certainly puts a different lens on how we think about and do travel.  International travel is still banned as I write this by the Australian government, our borders as still closed and I personally think it will be some time (2022 or 2023 perhaps?) before we can or want to travel internationally again.  Until then, I have my travel memories to take me back to countries I love and where I have left a piece of my heart.

This blog is the second in a series of three about my travels through Rajasthan, India in 2019.  The first blog was about the Delhi to Udaipur leg and this one focusses on the three “J’s” – Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur.  This is a long post, though mostly photos – I had a hard time selecting the photos to show here because each photo took me back to India and let me time travel through my imagination.  I do hope you enjoy this blog, that it takes you on a journey through these wonderful cities, and shows you India as I saw it and what inspired me.  My goal was to photograph the people, colour, and spirit of India.  Thanks to all of those who have asked to see more of the photos of my travels; I hope you enjoy my photos and ramblings.

 

 

Jodhpur – the Blue City

On Monday 16th September 2019, we leave lovely Udaipur for Jodhpur.  We are up early to drive 5 or 6 hours to Jodhpur and there is so much to see and take in on the way.  We pass shepherds herding goats; even seeing one herding his goats through a toll gate on the highway; trucks decorated with streamers, flowers, paintings; stone houses; children waving at us from various buses passing us on the highway as we maneuver our way around sacred cows which literally relax in the middle of the freeway.  The highway we were meant to take was flooded, so we head into a side road which takes us through beautiful misty hills and lush rainforest, past leopard sighting signs, monkeys sitting on a stone fence, women gathered together chatting under a gum tree, a kid at a water pump waves as we drive by.  Slowly the country dries out and gets dustier until we arrive at Jodhpur.

 

Inspired by the images of Steve McCurry, I’ve been wanting to see the Blue City in person for a few years.  So my breath was taken away when I saw this view from the top of the Fort.

 

Down on ground level, we walked around the Blue City – smaller than I imagined, but as stunning as any photo I had seen.  There is nothing like being in a place you have dreamed about visiting.  I was in heaven.  One of the other women on our trip and I got up early one morning and went back to the Blue City to take photos.  Our guide – Ratan Rathore was wonderful and showed us around the key streets.  It was magical.

 

We were invited to this incredible house to photograph it.  The children were getting ready for school but were happy to pose for us and have us in their home.  How marvelous to live in this place.

 

Step wells are stunning pieces of architecture.  Toorji’s Step Well in Jodphur was built in the 1740s by Maharaja Abhaya Singh’s Queen. Submerged for nearly a century, a few years ago it was drained, cleaned-up, and restored, uncovering over two hundred feet of hand-carved treasure in Jodhpur’s famous Rose-Red Sand-Stone; intricate carvings of dancing elephants, medieval lions, and cow water-spouts, and niches housing deities long gone.

 

Jaisalmer – the Golden City

After a couple of nights in Jodphur, and after spending an hour or so in an incredible antique market, we head off on another road trip, heading out of town, past the Blue City, past the magnificent fort, and straight into different country:  sandier, stone fences, quarries, and lots of acacia trees.   Jaisalmer was once a flourishing trade centre, strategically located on the busy caravan trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia.  It’s called the Golden City due to its honey-coloured sandstone walls, emphasised by the setting sun.  Much of our visit was centered around the impressive Jaisalmer Fort but we also had the luxury of walking around this city and soaking up the ambiance, city life, and talking with the locals.

In Jaisalmer, we stay at one of the most amazing hotels – The Suryagarh.  If you are ever in Jaisalmer – you simply have to stay there. It is magnificent.

 

Jaipur – Pink City

We fly from Jaisalmer to Jaipur for the next of our three ‘J’ cities.  All so different from each other. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan and is called the ‘Pink City’ because of the pink paint on the all buildings – which to my eye is actually a peach colour popular as an interior decorating colour in the late 80’s in Australia.  The pink paint was apparently done to imitate the magnificant, red sandstone buildings of the Mughals and in an attempt to impress the Prince of Wales when he visited in 1876.

All photos © Kris Ashpole

Namaste: My soul honours your soul. I honour the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honour the light, love, truth, beauty, and peace within you because it is also within me. In sharing these things we are united, we are the same, we are one.

 

This is the second in my blog series about my trip to India in 2019.  You can read the first one Travels Through Rajasthan – Delhi to Udaipur here.  The next blog will be about the final leg of our journey – Ranthambore, Agra, and Varanasi.  Visit my home page here to subscribe so you’ll be notified of when this is published.  Love to hear your thoughts about India and these wonderful cities.

With love and light,

Kris xx

 

PS:  This blog was written from entries in my travel journal, my sister Lynne’s journal, and the tour guide written by Jean Wethmar from Glam Girls Travels.  Thank you for allowing me to use these resources.

PPS:  This tour was made possible by the wonderful Jean at Glamgirlstravels.  Follow our guide in Jodphur – Ratan Rathore here.