I am quite certain that I was an Indian princess in a past life. when we arrived to the Shiv Niwas Palace in Udaipur, I felt at home. This was to be our residence for the next 3 days, what was once home to the royal family, and is now the guest quarters for soulful travelers seeking stately refuge. It was within these walls that I felt the side of an India that tells of its riches and history.

The Lake Palace is a spectacular sight, only reachable by boat but admirable from any distance. This tranquilty defines Udaipur.

The Ranakpur Jain Temple is one of the most magestic visions of craftsmanship and beauty. A little background, the Jains are a sect of Hindus known for their asceticism and nonviolence. This is the largest Jain Temple in India, built under the reign of monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century. Composed of four subsidiary shrines, 24 pillared halls and a total of 1444 columns, each from one piece of marble, of which no two are alike. All are decorated with most elaborate sculptures and filigrees, including the domes. The beauty of these artistic works is unimaginable!

The color of Jodhpur is mesmerizing. A blue that lights up your soul at the sight of this vast urban sea. It is said that this shade of blue is meant to repel mosquitos. Perhaps this is why so the air seemed so calm. Mehrangarth Fort lay atop this palatial city, looming dark and massive against a city of color.
It is the markets of India that appeal to me the most. To observe the people as they pass by on rickshaws, bicycles and motorbikes, mingling with the cows and other livestock. I am attempting to blend into a world that I am only beginning to understand. I wish for a moment to look through the eyes of a small child, eyes that reflect sincerity.

An adventure beckoned. A solemn morning visit to the cenotaphs of Badabagh, the royal burial grounds, an elegant compostion of Mughal and Hindu architecture. My next stop was the old capital city of Ludhrva followed by Kuldhra, a ghost village, deserted and deconstructed due to tariffs imposed on the villagers. Following a picnic of roti and dahl, the subsistence food of India, namely, flat bread eaten with an assortment of 60 types of lentils in varying sauces, we arrived in the small desert village of Khuri.

There I met my camel and the adventure began! This agreeable creature and I quickly developed a rapport as we spent the next several hours trotting in the grand style of a camel, into a space of perfect serenity. The only voice heard was my own, as I delved into the life of my camel driver, a young animated Indian who spoke cordial English, Spanish and French yet could not read or write in any language, including his own. I am fascinated with the lives of the desert people, who rely to such a large extent on the tourism industry. As does so much of India. There in the desert, amidst moments of my own quietude, I could feel timelessness.

The havelis of Jaisalmer are most magnificent. This one in particular caught my eye and I could not turn my gaze away. This sculpted sandstone building is detailed with such delicate stone lacework. Clearly built by brocade and jewelery merchants who had a taste for detail.

Traveling in India can be rather arduous. We hired a driver to journey with us for the continuation of our expedition through Rajasthan, our next stop being Jaisalmer. It is strange to have a driver who is essentially a stranger joining us on this adventure, but there is an element of safety I feel in his presence. During the 10 long hours on roads that have no end, I thought much about what his life must be like, what he thinks and dreams about. I often muse about the private lives of these people I encounter, whose lives are so disparate to my own…we arrived to the Golden City in the late evening. The illuminated Jaisalmer Fort greeted us at this small city which feels like a mirage in the middle of a barren desertscape. About 25% of the city’s inhabitants reside within the walls of the Jaisalmer Fort, which harbours a palace, temples and hundreds of sandstone havelis. This feels much like walking within a living museum. Beyond the walls of the fort lies a connecting complex of seven beautiful yellow sandstone Jain temples, dating from the 12th to 16th centuries, stunning! A very spiritual day was spent in this Golden City.

On march 28th Sooji and I celebrated her birthday. I tried to make it an eventful day, not easy as each day seems to be filled with surprises. We had a most memorable meal at a ‘special village’ called Choki Dhani. It’s a neo-Rajasthani village filled with delicious Rajisthani thali, a plate of multiple dishes combining vegetables and sauces I could not even begin to describe. We indulged in all that was presented to us.

To complete the night, as in any proper Indian celebration, we rode on a camel and adorned our bodies with henna.

“The simple and astonishing truth about India and Indian people is that when you go there, your heart always guides you more wisely than your head. There’s nowhere else in the world where that’s quite so true”. these are the words of Gregory David Roberts whose book ‘Shantaram’ I inhale with eager anticipation. This is perhaps why I love the feeling of India so much, because it is a place where the heart reigns. My heart feels full here as I stroll the many bazaars in search of a sari in which to brave the summer heat, as a sacred cow takes refuge in the middle of the road. A small child approaches me with those soft pleading eyes which you simply can’t turn away from. The streets are crowded with human traffic, there is an unsettling feeling in the air. Unmistakably you feel alive!

It is easy to lose yourself in the local fineries of Jaipur. Shopping is quite an experience! All the shopkeepers immediately become your best friends, offering a hot cup of chai as you haggle for a silver pendant that looks like it was worn by an Empress in the late 19th century. And if you are the merchants first customer of the day, good luck walking away without a purchase! Day one is entertaining. Day two is overwhelming. Day three is when you wrap yourself in a shawl as not to appear visible to any of the shopkeepers that all seem to know your name and exactly what you are looking for. Like much of India, the experience of shopping is equally exhausting and fulfilling. And very addictive.

Amidst all the chaos I experienced a moment of profundity. It was there in Jaipur that I met with the most penetrating eyes, a blue so deep you could feel the calm of the sea. These eyes belonged to two mute artists, identical in appearance and manner. Though they could not utter a word, their eyes spoke most resoundly. They sat on the floor at an art emporium, astutely painting on 80 year old paper with the single hair from a brush. Their eyes spoke of a kindness that is impossible to express in words. My eyes smiled back.

Jaipur is a city surrounded by walls painted pink, the color of hospitality, as instructed by Maharaja Ram Singh to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. The Hawa Mahal is Jaipur’s most distinctive landmark, an amazing display of Rajput artisty, built to enable ladies of the royal household, or shall we say harem, to watch the life of the streets below without being seen. The City Palace is an architectural marvel as well, combining both Rajasthani and Mughal elements of design. Azfar joined us on this royal tour. He was most fascinated with the palace floorplan which provided 12 suites for 12 wives. The 365 mistresses were housed outside the palace gate, eagerly awaiting their summoning from the Emperor. Seems a little excessive in my opinion…

Jantar Mantar is one of 5 observatories built nearly 300 years ago by the warrior and astronomer Jal Singh. These complex instruments were once used to measure time by the shadows cast by the sun onto sundials, and to chart the progress of the moon through the zodiac. It was fascinating to see how accurate these structures are. No need for a watch while in Jaipur!