A Royal Odyssey - Top 10 experiences in Rajasthan, India

The infamous Hawa mahal of Jaipur, the structure that brought the name of pink city to Jaipur,is the back wall of the palace chambers of royal ladies of Jaipur. It was constructed in pink sandstone with 953 windows and decorated with intricate artwork. These windows served as a peek through for the royal ladies to get a glimpse of the everyday life outside their palace, since they had to obey the strict rules of "purdah", which forbade them from appearing in public without covering their face. Not only is the architecture of this building fascinating, but also the purpose of this structure and the imagination of the lives of women in those ages. It made me realize women have come a long way.

Amber Fort or Amer fort of Jaipur, named one of the UNESCO World heritage sites, used to be the royal residence of Rajputs and also has a lot of influence of Mughal Architecture. As the fort is situated at a height, one can take an elephant ride to ascend to the entrance of the fort during mornings and a golf cart type of vehicle (I took this one) from afternoon, as personal vehicles are not allowed to go on to the top of the fort.

Jodhpur was my next stop after exploring Jaipur. And Mehrangarh fort of Jodhpur is a magnificent view to behold, in the backdrop of blue houses of Jodhpur.

Mandore gardens, is one place I picked outside of the list of must-visit places of Jodhpur. This place has got cenotaphs of Jodhpur kings dating back to 17th century, royal towers, ruins of the ancient town of Mandore dating back to 5th century, hall of folk heroes and temple of 33 crore gods. And it is also known as monkey temple as monkeys are prevalent in these gardens (won't come near you as long as you don't carry any food) !

History aside, the stunning architecture of this place surrounded by a beautiful garden left me spellbound. It reminded me of Angokar Wat of Cambodia for a brief, because of the structural resemblance. I would definitely recommend visiting this offbeat spot when in Jodhpur.

My first encounter with a clock tower and it filled me with all sorts of retro vibes. The fascinating thing about the clock tower is the story of the man behind its operation. He is from the family who is operating the tower since 1980's and currently he and his son are the only people who know the operation of this complex clock tower.

It was right at the center of the market of Jodhpur, amidst all the hustle bustle. It was such an authentic way to experience everything Jodhpur got to offer from traditional goods sold in the market to the delicious street food and the best lassi in the city. I tried saffron lassi in a stall near this clock tower and it was way too delicious and a must-indulge when in Jodhpur.

Chokhi Dhani is a Rajasthani village concept ethnic resort, capturing the vibrant spirit of rural Rajasthan. With wells, weaved cots, paintings and wall decorations, camels and elephants, people dressed in village costumes and the evening performances, where the audience are encouraged to take part in dancing and singing, I felt like I was transported to a charming rustic village in Rajasthan. There are also a lot of stores inside the resort, selling locally dyed and hand printed sarees and kurtis. On top of these, this place offers an authentic meal, where you sit on the floor and food is served in a Thali style in multiple rounds. It's quite a contrast to the king size thali served in a huge platter at Laxmi Bhandar, which is an upscale restaurant.

Apart from the royalty of Rajasthan, another intriguing part to me is the Thar desert.I traveled to the Thar desert in Jodhpur. A serene sunset in the desert, when the sand was shining in an orange hue reflecting the rays of the setting sun was one one of those ineffable wanderlust moments <3

I stayed at Osian desert camps in Jodhpur. It was a decently upscale property, well maintained that costed around $85 per night. The tents are of good size with a king/2 queen beds, an attached western bathroom and all the needed basic amenities. They served delicious meals including snacks and chai in the evening with cultural local performances and included a camel safari to the desert in our stay. It was a bit in the outskirts of Jodhpur close to the desert. I felt it very peaceful and in harmony with the desert with clear starry night skies and loved my stay there.

It was offered by Osian Sand Dunes Desert Camp & Resort, Jodhpur where I stayed.

Camel Safari in Thar desert, was one of those rare moments when I was so happy being out of my comfort zone. Mounting an animal that tall, or trying not to scare an animal being that was as scared as I was, or sitting on an uneven hump for an hour, or traveling on a camel in the lone desert when the caretaker left the camel, or managing to not fall off when the camel went to sit all of a sudden. I was not in my comfort zone while going through any of these, yet I was smiling all along as the dream of a desert adventure came true.May be because I started thinking that the camel might be out of its comfort zone too, I tried to converse in my own way possible, through human touch to soothe it and soon our walk in the desert became a little harmonious.It was wonderful to experience fear and joy at the same time and realise the beauty of intertwining emotions.

Jodhpur also known as the "Blue City" is one city not to be missed when in Rajasthan.The city has got a unique charm with extravagant palaces (Umaid Bhavan palace where Priyanka Chopra got married !) to houses painted in this cool blue color to shield themselves from the high temperatures of Rajasthan.

It was so much fun strolling through the narrow alleys of Jodhpur chasing the blue colored houses and royal doorways of cafes and stores among the preserved heritage architectural properties.