We arrived in the Kingdom of Jodhpur, our first stop in Rajasthan, which is located on the edge of the edge of the Thar Desert and was ruled by the powerful Rathor clan on an interrupted basis since the 5th century AD. The city itself dates to 1459 when the capital was moved to this strategic site. The Mehangarh Fort dominates the skyline, and Jodhpur embodies all of the romance and feudal splendor that one associates with Rajasthan: opulent palaces, colorful bazaars, and an impregnable fort. It is also very pretty, with many of its buildings “white-washed” in various shades of indigo and periwinkle blue.
We reached Raas—our 30 room boutique hotel—via tuck-tuck, as the coach could not navigate the narrow cobblestone lanes of the Old City. The hotel was like stepping into a sleekly contemporary urban sanctuary with its clever use of glass, white curtains billowing in the breeze and accents of the city’s signature shade of blue. Room keys were waiting in the hotel’s attractive garden on a tray of rose petals. We had a fine late lunch — most of us had salads from the hotel’s own organic garden.
It was another quick turn-around to depart for the fort where we’d be attending the finale evening of the World Sufi Music Festival. The Festival takes place here annually, showcasing thousands of years of spiritualism brought to civilization through dance, music and singing. Attending the Festival was the main focus around which I planned the entire itinerary, and I knew that the fort would be an evocative setting! We began at 6:15 PM with “Strings of Rajasthan,” which feature pair of outstanding sitar players who performed in a spectacular courtyard just as the sun’s last light fell over the horizon. There were a few chairs in the back, but most of the audience lounged on bolsters on the floor that had been covered with a thin cushy mattress. Clearly some of the attendees had been there all day ala a mini-Woodstock, since the concerts had started at 9 AM!! Sulas were ordered, and we settled in to enjoy the music. We even had a sighting of the Maharajah of Jodhpur as he slipped in for the show.
The next act was the Mandingo Ensemble from Mali. I was very excited because they were playing the kora, the same unique 32-string instrument which I’d brought back from West Africa for my brother years ago. I’ve never heard the kora played so beautifully – if you closed your eyes, you’d swear it was a harp. The Rajasthani guys then came back and joined the Africans for a spontaneous “jam session” which remarkably, was harmonious and magical. We returned to the Raas’ rooftop restaurant for a wonderful dinner. As it was Valentine’s Day, I’d brought some candy “Be Mine” hearts and Hershey’s kisses from homeand those were waiting on everyone’s pillow tops!
Jodhpur is well known for textiles, and the next morning we went to a giant warehouse type of place with vast inventories where a generous “donation” was made to the local economy. After a relaxing afternoon, we returned to the Mehrangarh Fort which perches atop a 410 ft. sheer rock face, this time for a proper guided “after hours” tour. Our Rajput escort-guide, Negendra, explained that his great-grandfather helped defend this fort in a decisive battle. We started with champagne on the ramparts with the curator who was a classmate of Negendra’s, in the beautiful dusky light, and then toured the royal apartments. The fort dates back to 1459 but had been added onto in the 17th & 19th centuries. When all of the assets of the Indian royals were frozen in 1947 after independence, the forward-thinking Maharajah of Jaipur put the entirety of the fort into a trust, and it is now an outstanding museum. The evening concluded with a private candlelit dinner overlooking one of the fort’s gardens. One of the members of our group, Peter, has a particular affinity for pizza and orders it whenever he canAs poof, we surprised him by having a Domino’s pizza delivered!! (Yes, there is actually a Domino’s in Jodhpur yes, the riding breeches known the world over as “jodhpurs” were designed here.)
Photo Credit: Tarquin Millington-Drake | millingtondrake.com