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| India |
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| Rajasthan |
This post covers day 13 of a 16-day journey around Rajasthan.
The size of Germany, Rajasthan is the largest of India’s 29 states. With the Thar Desert covering the north and west it is one of India’s less densely populated states, though with 200 people per km² (the same as Italy) it is hardly empty.
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| We spent this day in Udaipur, the southernmost point on or tour of Rajasthan |
In the 11th and 12th centuries the rise of the Rajputs created some 20 or so petty kingdoms ruled by Maharajas - the ‘Rajput Princes’. These kingdoms, at first independent, later vassal states of the Mughal or British Empires survived until 1947, when the Maharajahs led their ‘Princely States’ into the new Union of India, creating Rajasthan (the ‘Land of Princes’). The rulers became constitutional monarchs until 1971 when the Indian government ended their official privileges and abolished their titles. ‘Maharaja’ is now a courtesy title, but most remain leading members of their communities and some are still immensely rich. Several, like their British counterparts, have supplemented their income by turning forts and palaces into tourist attractions and hotels.
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Dal Baati Churma and a 'Cultural Show'
Lynne had not been feeling well yesterday afternoon and was up early after a disturbed night. She had a soak in the bath, breakfasted early on comfort food - scrambled egg, dry toast, papaya and cake - and we sat on our balcony to survey Lake Pichola. The morning was overcast and the temperature well down on yesterday morning.
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| Lake Oichola and the royal Palace, from our hotel balcony, Udaipur |
Our programme was blank except for an evening cultural show at the Bagore Ki Haveli, but we had told Umed he could take the day off, so we had to buy our own tickets.
When Lynne was feeling stronger, we made our way to the haveli on the other side of the lake, near the footbridge we had crossed half a dozen times already.
Bagore Ki Haveli
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| Bagor Ki Haveli entrance, Udaipur |
We passed by yesterday on our way to the Jagdish Temple, pausing only briefly to look at the courtyard as we walked up from the ghat.
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| The Gangaur Ghat and Lake Pichola from the Bagore Ki Haveli courtyard |
It was well worth a second glance.
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| Outer courtyard, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
The Thikana of Bagore, the district round the small town of Bagor (sic) 130km north-east of Udiapur, was ruled by hereditary thikanedars, members of a junior branch of the royal family in Udaipur. The haveli was built by Armchand Badava, chief minister to one of the 18th century thikanedars.
Armchand Badava might only have been a functionary of a second-grade ruler, but he undoubtedly had money, and the house he built with courtyards, terraces, balconies and 138 rooms is nearer a palace than a standard haveli.
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| Inner courtyard, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
From its 17th century highpoint, decline was inevitable and in 1986, after lying derelict for 50 years, the haveli was passed to the Western Zone Cultural Centre. WZCC have restored the building which now houses cultural shows and two museums. When buying our tickets for the evening show we decided to look round the museums as well.
Bagore Ki Haveli Puppet Museum
Rajasthan has a long tradition of puppetry and it would doubtless feature in tonight’s show. One room on the first floor was given over to a display of puppets. In one large tableau the thikanedar sits on high in the widow, the light forcing all who speak to him to lower their eyes. First minister, Armchand Bavada, sprawls in his chair on his boss’s right, while the lesser members of the court sit in front, and all watch the dancing girl.
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| The Thekanedars court, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
There was also a fine camel. The man who had been sweeping the floor came to talk to us, and then show us what was for sale. Inevitably we ended up with a (smaller) camel - our grandson’s lego army needed a camel corps.
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Camel, Bagore Ki Haveli
If he is eloping with the young lady on the pilion seat, he may find she has fallen off long before they reach their destination. |
Museum of Rajasthani Life, Bagore Ki Haveli
The rest of the house showed aspects of life here a couple of centuries ago. There were rooms for entertaining…
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| Room for entertaining, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
…and rooms for ablutions. The bathroom arrangements in the Queen’s Suite changed with the seasons. At this time of year, pithi (a paste of turmeric, gram flour and fresh cream) would be applied to a lady’s skin and gently washed away by a mixture of sandalwood, milk and warm water poured over her by maids while she sat on the wooden seat.
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| Room ablutions, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
We passed through ornate doorways…
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| Ornate doorway, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
…to see a collection of musical instruments…
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| Musical instruments, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
…and a gathering of turbans. Who knew there were so many different ways to tie a turban? As we have discovered on this trip (the mahout in Amber, the hotel guide in Narlai), many apparent turbans today are actually hats.
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| Turbans, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
They also have what they claim to be the world’s largest turban, though no one could ever have worn it.
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| The world's biggest turban (allegedly) Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
We finished at a tableau of a wedding procession, which was appropriate because….
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| Wedding procession, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
Wedding Procession, Udaipur
…a little later on we encountered the real thing though, inevitably, a little less grand than in Bagore Ki Haveli.
Men carrying umbrellas were followed by a sound system (calling itself a ‘band’) loud enough to make the whole street take notice…
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| The start of a wedding procession, Udaipur |
…followed by two drummers and a rather self-conscious looking groom on horseback with a younger sibling sitting in front of him.
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| Drummers and a self-conscious groom, wedding procession, Udaipur |
At the end came the female relatives in their best saris.
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| Female relatives, wedding procession, Udaipur |
Serious Textile Buyers, Udaipur
On our way to the royal palace yesterday, G our guide for the day had diverted down a narrow alley to a small courtyard. Walking through the shop opposite brought us to a bigger courtyard and a bigger shop. Despite its external appearance the shop was an Aladdin’s cave of textiles. It was vast, more and more rooms reached deeper and deeper in the sprawling building (or were they using TARDIS technology?). The staff were very attentive, but not wishing to carry our purchases around all day we bought nothing, but promised to return.
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| This does not look like Udaipur's premier textiles shop, but it is |
And today we did return, hoping to find some gifts to take home. As we wandered from room to room looking at this and that, yesterday’s attentive salesmen seemed strangely absent. Eventually we encountered four people around whom the whole staff buzzed like bees round a honey pot. Like many Americans they spoke more loudly than necessary so we soon discovered the bargaining for a particular blanket-sized piece of cloth had reached 29,000 rupees (£320). With five or six other items already selected their expenditure was already well into the thousands, so unsurprisingly our desire to spend £20 on a few cushion covers was causing few ripples.
We got our cushion covers in the end. What shocked me was that anyone should spend that much on a piece of cloth. If I was going to blow £320 on pointless luxury, I would buy a bottle of Burgundy (you can get a half-decent Burgundy for that price) and it would give me more pleasure than all the textiles in India. We are not all the same – it would be a dull old world if we were.
Dal Baati Churma
Being fans of the south Indian Thali (I wrote about it here) we were interested to see many small restaurants advertising ‘Rajasthan Thali’. We picked such a place opposite where we lunched yesterday and sat on a bench in a small scruffy upstairs room overlooking City Palace Road.
Still protecting her stomach, Lynne was happy with her bowl of chips, but my thali was not what I expected. Perhaps there had been a miscommunication, perhaps there is no ‘Rajasthan thali’ and this is what you get. As I discovered later, this is dal baati churma, Rajasthani comfort food, very typical and easily overlooked by tourists.
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| Dal baati churma, Udaipur |
Dal, lentils or pulses in a spicy broth, is familiar and is often eaten at breakfast. Baati are unleavened spherical wheat rolls. They are hard, dense and very dry - the lack of water in the dough is said to have made them popular in this desert region. Churma is also made from wheat, coarsely ground then mixed with ghee and jaggery. It is sweet and lovely and higher in calories than is good for me. A glass of lassi, a pappad and slices of mild sweet onion completed the dish.
It was not what I ordered (I think), but I am always pleased to encounter a local speciality, even by accident. The dhal was good, the churma irresistably moreish and although I would not seek out baati again, I would not go (far) out of my way to avoid them.
Our afternoon involved more shopping and wandering round the ever-interesting streets....
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| Street in central Udaipur |
...and ghats of Udaipur until we returned to our hotel for Lynne to make up some lost sleep.
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| Ghat beside Lake Pichola, Udaipur |
The Bagore Ki Haveli Cultural Show
In the evening we returned to the Bagore Ki Haveli and joined a long queue. Foreigners were hooked out and sent to join a much shorter queue, which was slightly uncomfortable, but foreigners of all hues pay almost twice as much as Indians so perhaps we were due better seats – or indeed seats at all, much of the audience sat on the floor.
The crowd, far more Indians than foreigners which is always encouraging at these shows, was marshalled into the auditorium and we sat on the indicated benches, and then everyone budged up to let more in, and then budged up again. I doubt UK fire regulations would have permitted quite such a large and densely packed audience in an old hall never designed for crowds, but we settled down as the band set the mood….
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| The band, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
….and then the first group of dancers twirled around with fire on their heads.
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| Dancers twirl with flames on their heads, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
Four girls with quick changes demonstrated various regional dances each one explained in advance in Hindi and English. A choreographed battle between good and evil changed the tempo…
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| The battle between good and evil, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
…and there was the inevitable puppet show.
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| Puppets, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
The finale involved a dancer with pots on her head…
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| Balance pots, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
…and then more pots….
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| More pots, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
….and finally an unfeasible number of pots.
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| Even more pots, Bagore Ki Haveli, Udaipur |
And so the show ended. I am generally wary of these events, but this was slick, professional and genuinely entertaining.
We made our way back across the footbridge and along to our hotel. It was a bit late for dinner and we thought it wise to give our stomachs a rest, so we just had a nightcap instead.
delights for all the senses in this day--thanks
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