Yes, India is the 86th country in the world that I have visited!!! Only 14 more to make 100. Tempting…..
After a 15-hour direct flight from JFK, I landed in Delhi, India on Wednesday night October 30, 2024. I traveled with my friend, Sandy. We were scheduled to join a small private tour group on Sunday, so we arrived three days early to rest and get acclimated to the time change and see some of Delhi on our own.
Sandy and I had our own rooms at the beautiful Leela Palace Hotel in downtown Delhi. It was a wonderful place to relax and be pampered. The hotel was a calm oasis from the hustle and bustle of Delhi. Through the hotel’s excellent concierge, we arranged to have a tour guide take us to several historic sights.
On November 3rd, Sandy and I joined nine other over-60s women to begin a tour of the Indian state of Rajasthan in the north-western part of the country. We did a bit more sight-seeing with the group:
Early in the morning on November 4th, our group went to the Delhi Airport and we flew to the beautiful city of Udaipur. It is the historic Kingdom of Mewar which was founded in 1559 and is known as the “City of Lakes” due to it five artificial lakes. Today, Vishvaraj Singh Mewar is the 77th Maharana (King) of Mewar and lives in the palace.
The 450 year old City Palace serves as the home of the royal family. The huge complex includes, several palaces, an excellent museum, two large hotels, a post office, bank, and several craft shops.
On Thursday, November 7th, we drove by bus to Hotel Rawla Narlai – a Heritage Hotel. The beautiful facility was a 17th-century former royal hunting lodge located between Udaipur and Jodhpur. It has been converted into a lovely hotel complex by the royal family of Jodhpur who own it.
The hotel is located in the village of Narlai at the base of a huge monolith known as Elephant Hill. Visitors can climb 700 steps up the 350-foot high granite formation to see the elephant statue placed on top and enjoy panoramic views.
We visited the Chaumukha Jain Temple in the village of Ranakpur. Construction of the white marble temple began in 1389. It is one of the largest Jain temples with 1,444 exquisitely carved marble pillars.
Jainism is an ancient Indian religion which teaches nonviolence to all living creatures. Along with Hinduism and Buddhism, Jainism is one of the three most ancient Indian religious traditions still in existence.
In the evening, we drove to a site where ox-carts transported us through farmland to a “stepwell” for a special dinner. Stepwells are deep trenches dug in the ground to store water. The walls of the trenches were lined with blocks of stone which created stairs leading down to the water.
The 18th century stepwell was built to collect rainwater for the local community. It is owned by the royal family and offers unique dinners under the stars.
Saturday November 9th: Our next stop was Rohet Garh Heritage Hotel which is a family-run former fort just outside Jodhpur. The lakeside palace was the ancestral home of nobility who served in the local maharaja’s court.
We rode in jeeps out to a sanctuary to see native animals in this part of Rajasthan. We spotted blackbucks also known as Indian antelopes and several chinkara also called Indian gazelles.
We also visited a Bishnoi village located on the edge of the Thar desert and we spoke to several people of the village. The Bishnoi community dates to the 15th century when the founder of the sect, Guru Jambheshwar, taught the people how to live employing 29 principals. They worship the Hindu deity Vishnu and are strict vegetarians.
We also visited another village nearby to watch a potter make pots on a hand-spun wheel. It was amazing!
On Sunday we went to a weaver’s village called Salawas. The people use primitive forms of weaving to make “dhurries” out of cotton or wool. A “dhurry” is a flat woven pile-less area rug made in a variety of designs and bright colors.
We enjoyed a tasty lunch at the weaver’s family compound and were given a tour of the facilities.
Monday November 11th – It was a 5-hour drive through the Thar Desert to the city of Jaisalmer near the Pakistani border. Jaisalmer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was built in 1156 on top of a hill overlooking the city of Jaisalmer. It is called “The Golden City” due to the local yellow sandstone of the buildings.
We checked into the lovely Gulaal Hotel. It looked like a heritage property, but the hotel was recently built in traditional Jaisalmer Haveli architecture in yellow sandstone.
We rode Tuk Tuks up into the Fort to explore and see the old town. First we visited Chandraprabha Jain Temple which was built in 1509. It is one of seven Jain temples within Jaisalmer Fort.
Jaisalmer Fort is also called Sonar Quila or “Golden Fortress” because of the yellow sandstone. The unique architecture of the buildings evolved over the centuries and is a combination of local Rajput and Mughal styles.
At night, we drove into the Thar Desert to watch the sun set and enjoyed dinner in a desert tent.
Jaisalmer is also known for its “Havelis.” A traditional haveli is a large residence with multiple courtyards, shaded balconies, and ornate decorations built in the 18th and 19th centuries for wealthy tradesmen. We toured Patwon-ki-Haveli which is a set of five houses built next to each other for five Jain brothers.
It was another long drive from Jaisalmer to the city of Jodhpur, but we were rewarded with a stay at the lovely Hotel Ratan Vilas, another Heritage Hotel. Maharaja Ratan Singh (1887-1978) was a Rajput nobleman who built the mansion for his family. The great-grandson of the Maharaja lives in part of the hotel and welcomes guests.
My room felt like the guest room of someones home with family photos mounted on the walls.
One morning we rode to Meherangarh Fort and took an elevator to the top of the fort. The historic fort, originally built in 1459, is located on a hilltop rising above the surrounding plains and the city of Jodhpur.
Saturday, November 16th we flew from Jodhpur to Delhi. Our plane was delayed and we ended up spending the day at the Jodhpur airport. We spent one night in Delhi in a hotel near the airport and the next morning we flew to Agra, of course, to see the Taj Mahal.
We arose very early in the morning to see the famous tomb at sunrise. Unfortunately, the fog and smog and air pollution were so dense that all the buildings were covered in mist.
Despite the unfortunate smog, the Taj Mahal is an incredibly beautiful structure. The craftsmanship of the white marble is very impressive and well worth a visit.
Several members of our group went on a “Flavors of Agra” food tour of Old Agra. We visited the restaurants of people who were famous for their baking and culinary skills.
Monday November 18 – On our last day in Agra, we went to visit the Red Fort of Agra. The 16th century fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the place where the Mughal emperor Humayun was crowned in 1530.
The present structure was completed in 1565 by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who was Shah Jahan’s grandfather. The grandson was the builder of the Taj Mahal.
In the late afternoon, we went to Mehtab Bagh, which means “Moonlight Garden,” across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal. It was still overcast but the sun was out and we wanted to try to get a better view of the famous tomb.
Tuesday, November 19 – It was our last day in India and the end of our three weeks in this amazing country. Most of the group returned to Delhi by bus to wait for their home-bound flights. Sandy and I hired a driver to take us to visit several historic sites before driving to the Delhi airport.
The tomb of I’timad-ud-Daulah, also called “Baby Taj,” is located a short distance away from the famous tomb and was built for the grandfather of one of Shah Jahan’s other wives. It is said to be a model for the Taj Mahal.
Fatehpur Sikri, “The City of Victory,” was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar. It was abandoned by Akbar in 1585 when he went to fight a campaign in Punjab. It is a UNESCO site.
We stopped for lunch at an upscale restaurant near Fatehpur Sikri then continued on the four hour drive to Delhi. We arrived at Delhi Airport about 6:30pm with plenty of time to check in and wait in the lounge for our midnight flight back to JFK. India is an amazing country and I am glad I was finally able to experience it.