Samstag, 23. August 2008

Jodhpur


The Blue City


Overlooking Jodhpur: Fort Meherangarh, just as impressive as the fort in Jaisalmer.




Plenty of chipmunks had made the fort their home. This one had a snack while dangling from a tree.


The fort in Jaisalmer was strewn with litter, but here, everything was spick and span - and beautifully restored.


Carrying chair


In the ladies' section of the palace.


Near the fort, a dream in white marble: the Jaswant Thada memorial.

Jaisalmer


Jaisalmer's Golden Fort is huge


and massive,


full of small crumbling streets


and starving dogs.


Many houses are decorated with paintings of Ganesh, the popular elephant-headed god.


Outside the fort: one of many beautiful Havelis - houses of rich merchants with delicate stone carvings.


Picture by a guide in the Patwon ki Haveli. By the way, if you need a reliable and well-informed riksha driver in Jaisalmer you can call Sachin, +919414761436. We were very pleased with him.


Inside a Haveli


A little outside the city: Bada Bagh, a memorial for the rulers of Jaisalmer - and their wives, who were burnt with them on the funeral pyre.


Our hotel


and our hotel room. Almost 300 years old and quite romantic.


In the early morning, we went to lake Gadi Sagar which was supposed to look pretty around sunrise.


It really did.


In the fort again: beautifully carved Jain Temple.


Raj Mahal (City Palace)


Another Jain temple near Jaisalmer.


We also went on a little camel trip,


but nor far enough to escape the crowds.




Udaipur


Douwe and I went to Rajasthan for a long weekend. Our first stop was Udaipur. This is the Lake Palace in Lake Pichola.


Detail of Jagdish Temple


Modes of transportation: autoriksha or elephant, that is the question.


Another elephant: This one is on the wall of the City Palace.


Treasure room in the palace


Courtyard


View of the City Palace from the Lake


City gate


Night bus to Jaisalmer. In India, a night bus isn't full when all the seats are booked. After all, there's still plenty of space in the aisle.

The Nizam's Museum


On a rainy Sunday, I went to the Nizam's Museum with Aakanksha, Zareen, Genevieve and Ricky (all in my German class). The Nizams were the fabulously rich rulers of Hyderabad and the museum displays objects that belonged to the sixth and seventh Nizam.


They charged a whopping 50 Rs per photo! I took these anyway, just for you.


Handwritten Koran


We went home by car and stayed nice and dry while others got their feet wet at the market.