"Khamma Ghani", "padharo mhare des", "tharo naam kai hai?"

Tripoto
Photo of "Khamma Ghani", "padharo mhare des", "tharo naam kai hai?" by Yukti Malik

Yes you got me right; this sweet dialect belongs to Jaipur: The Pink City

Has your family always acted as guard and not let you free on trips with your friends?

Well, it was exciting to plan my first weekend getaway at the spur of a moment. The idea of the road trip to Jaipur popped up overnight. With enthusiasm loaded in the air, we 5 friends packed our bags and began our journey to the pink city.

4 th April 2015, 4.30 a.m.; waking up early morning had its own charm. Being accompanied by tiny drops pouring from the sky seemed as if God wanted to fill our baskets with joyful and sparkling moments. There was some charisma in the air that morning, when we were geared up to ‘ready, set, go’ for the excursion.

Driving through the roadway painted with showers and mist; the experience of the frothy clouds casting their shadows over the ground and of course the wonderful people accompanying, the journey served us the pearls of excitement and ecstatic beauty loading us with happiness. So here I get a chance to visit another place on my check list (this time with friends).

Treating our taste buds while on the way, getting clicked, sharing the travel giggles, taking naps, exploring the hilly pathway, we finally made our way into the Pink City.

Located next to the railway trail, we reached our accommodation Hotel Vesta International, which felt no less than a theatrical spot during our stay.

Being on toes for 2 days (yes we went for just 2 days), discovering the secret places, meeting our old friends brought liveliness to our souls. Such is the aura of this place that when the name strikes the chord, you can imagine the deserted beauty and the monuments giving you a royal feel, which captivates your heart and remains embedded.

This board was installed at the entry of the city later in May! Pic Credits: Friend

Photo of "Khamma Ghani", "padharo mhare des", "tharo naam kai hai?" by Yukti Malik

Jaipur- ‘Paris of India’- City where I left my heart

Jaipur is popularly known as the Pink city because of the color of the stone exclusively used for the construction of all the structures. The glorious and rich cultural heritage of the city comes alive through its well built havelis, forts and palaces.

Visiting this city is a delight as even after modernisation it preserves its rich cultural background. There are so many places which express extremely differential beauty, encompassing the forts, beautifully decorated markets/bazaars, mountains, lakes, sight-seeing spots and many more.

Photo of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Yukti Malik

Let’s have a look at some of the places we visited:

Jal Mahal- Water Palace

Shimmering in glory like a jewel, standing in the middle of Man Singh Lake, Jal Mahal captures an eye-popping makeover during the night. Enclosed by Aravalli hills from three sides and the fourth side comprising of intensely inhabited plains, the architectural beauty of the Mughal and Rajputana styles of construction upstands with its five floors.

The 255 year old palace, built in red sandstone, showcases only its first floor with remaining four floors under water. The scenic beauty of the palace comes alive at the onset of evening when bathed with lights.

Jal Mahal- View from road to Nahargarh

Photo of Jal Mahal, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Yukti Malik

Jal Mahal- Night View! Pic Credits: Friend

Photo of Jal Mahal, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Yukti Malik

Nahargarh Fort- The Bollywood Hub

Albeit parting its way from Jaigarh fort, the Nahargahfort remains connected to it through a huge wall. Remember the filmy stop from Rang De Basanti- which made you nostalgia about your college days, groove to the tunes of Masti ki Paathshala and conspired you to fall or not while drinking beer? For those who were awe-struck by that hangout spot, this is Nahargarh.

Getting a breathtaking ariel view of the city from the edge of the Aravalli Hills, one will definitely fall in love with the place, being reluctant to depart.

The shimmering city- Night View from Nahargarh Fort

Photo of Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Yukti Malik

On our visit to Nahargarh at 1 a.m, Lunar Eclipse acting as a cherry on the cake, the moment unparalleled any scenic beauty on the Earth that night. The moon gazing in admiration at us with its sparkle, in the midst of hazy clouds, seemed to kiss our soul. The breeze left us with smile on our cheeks and laughter to our souls while we headed towards the Paathshala spot.

Standing at the highest point, unfolding the most picturesque view of the city, gave us a sense of place neatly engraved in its cocoon.

Day View from Nahargarh Fort

Photo of "Khamma Ghani", "padharo mhare des", "tharo naam kai hai?" by Yukti Malik

Padao: Open Air Restaurant

Located at 10 minutes distance, highest point within the boundaries of Nahargarh Fort lies an open air restaurant Padao. A perfect place to catch up and hang out with friends, offering a spectacular glimpse of the City, from its boundaries.

All of us at Padao

Photo of Padao Restaurant, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Yukti Malik
Photo of Padao Restaurant, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Yukti Malik

Bapu Bazaar

Located at the heart of the city, Bapu Bazar has a lot to offer. With shops inside out decked up with traditional dresses, jewellery, crafted items, jaipuri dupattas and much more, seemed to be ornamented like a bride. Charming the visitors with its culture, the bazaar had a lot to offer and captured their attention.

My favorite possessions from Jaipur

Photo of Bapu Bazar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Yukti Malik

Frankly, our trip included visits to only these places. However I know there is a lot to catch up with, but due to shortage of time we had to rush.

Trust me I don’t feel disappointed for single moment I spent watching ‘hidden getaways’ and missing out on the ‘must visit’ tourist attractions.

Well at least I have things on my platter for next time :)

So, here am signing off.

For those who wish to embrace the milieu of the city, the kindness of the inhabitants and experience how beautifully it is domed with its heritage; pack your bags and get ready to view God’s eccentric architecture. Ghani Khama!!!

Hot spots :

Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Chowki Dhani, Sagar Lake, Birla Mandir, Raj Mandir and Jantar Mantar should definitely not be missed.

P.S: All the photographs, otherwise stated, are clicked by me :)

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