A hearty breakfast in the garden at Raas girded us for a full day of overland travel, leaving the Rajput Kingdom of Jodhpur as we headed to Udaipur. I have to say, that in spite of the many indisputable ways in which India has progressed in the last few years (advent of some of the world’s finest hotels, much improved airports and infrastructure in key gateway cities like Mumbai and Delhi, and the new “visa on arrival system”) one thing that has regressed is the domestic flight network. When I first started coming to India 12 years ago, there was a convenient circuit of daily flights connecting cities like Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur. Nowadays, aside from chartering (which in India is almost prohibitively expensive due to shortage of suitable aircraft) or long, awkward connections via Delhi, the only alternative is to resign oneself to the fact that there are some longish drives to be endured over a variety of road conditions!
The upside, of course, for a drive in India is that it provides infinite insights into daily life, and you really see the interior of the country and how people live. Today’s drive was one of the most beautiful in Rajasthan as we drove through the Aravalli Hills, through farming hamlets, tiny villages and rocky escarpments and we had some great stops teed up along the way. We shared the road with shepherds and goats, mangy dogs, camels, and the ubiquitous cows who, lazily think they own the place (and in truth, they practically do with full carte blanche). A friend whom we met later in the trip, Shantum Seth, related a story where in just 2 kms of driving, he and his wife counted 22 forms of transport from donkey carts to mopeds laden with milk cans, to giant “goods carriers,” the brightly decorated, horn tooting trucks that seem to dominate the roads!
We made a retail therapy stop about 1 hour outside of Jodhpur in the town of Salawas to call on my friend, Roopraj Udyog, who runs a village cooperative making dhurry rugs, woven on a wooden loom in cotton or camel hair. They are light in weight, easy to maintain and most Americans have been enchanted by their subtle, yet ethnic, appeal (and excellent value, buying at the source rather than through an expensive USA vendor!). I love to use them on our decks for a summer party adding warmth and ambiance! I’ve visited here a few times in the past and had no intention of “expanding” my collection but alas, I, like my clients could not resist!
We pressed on to the magnificent white marble Jain Temple at Ranakpur, one of my favorite spots in all of India. This remote location was purposefully chosen for being secluded and out of the way as the Jains were, at one time, under persecution from the Mughal emperors. Like the Sikhs, the Jains are a spin-off sect from Hinduism, turning their backs on idol worship, ritual and the caste system. In addition, they are strict vegetarians, and adhere to a doctrine of non-violence toward all living beings—thus they do not eat any root vegetables like carrots, potatoes or beets because the plant is killed in the picking; the most orthodox believers actually cover their mouths with cloth and sweep the street in front of where they walk so they do not inadvertently swallow or step on a small insect!
The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and each of its 1444 pillars is intricately carved with various floral motifs. Some would argue that this is the single most impressive piece of Western Indian architecture!! We were lucky enough to see it on a spectacular “Carolina-blue” day and wandered through the halls of pillars in awe. A Jain monk was giving blessings and we silently accepted in exchange for 50 Rps (approx. $1).
Afterwards we drove a short distance to our lunch venue, the newly opened 4-bungalow, Mountbatten Lodge, which is featured in the February 2015 UK version of Conde Nast Traveller Magazine. We dined under the canopy of a centuries old banyan tree and were fortunate in crossing paths with the owner, Reggie, who just happened to be there. He’s a distant cousin of the Maharajah of Jodhpur and he took me for a tour of the property (which I would definitely recommend for those traveling at a leisurely pace and wanting to break up the drive!).
The race was on to get to Udaipur before the sunset and our brilliant driver, James, delivered the goods. We arrived at the shores of Lake Pichola just as the sun fell behind the hills and traversed the short distance across the lake to the stunning Udavilas in the purple-blue hues of dusk. Tarquin and I had a reunion dinner with our Kashmiri friend Muza, who is wintering in Udaipur from his home base in NYC (note to self: such a good idea!). His textiles business is thriving. It was an early evening in light of the long day and Tarquin’s pre-dawn departure flight to return to the UK…. so our photo quality may diminish somewhat as I get my grips on a new camera!