Travelling Around Britain and the World

Wednesday, 31 January 2018

Jodhpur: Rajasthan Part 6

India
Rajasthan
This post covers days 7 and 8 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.

From Jaisalmer in the far west of Rajasthan we travel back to Jodhpur in the centre

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.

-o0o0o-

Much More than a Pair of trousers

30-Jan-2018

Jaisalmer to Jodhpur

Jaisalmer is the end of the line, so to reach Jodhpur we first had to backtrack to Pokran, passing the military base and again battling through the roadworks – static obstacles last Sunday but busy on a weekday.

Roadworks between Jailsalmer and Pokran
At Pokran we turned southeast towards Jodhpur, breaking the journey at Ummed’s roadside pure veg restaurant, partly because Umed, our driver, (same name, different transliteration) had missed his breakfast and partly because he wanted to show that he understood our feelings about tourist traps. Although this is a matter of principal not money, two cups of tea and a small packet of biscuits here cost 40 rupees (45p) while each tea in a tourist stop is typically 80.

Ummed's 'pure veg' restaurant en route to Jodhpur
We continued across the Thar desert on small but adequate roads …

The Thar desert on the way to Jodhpur
… reaching Jodhpur around 1 o’clock and checking into our second genuine palace in three stops – with a fake fort in between.

Ranbanka Palace Hotel


The sandstone palace of one the Maharaja’s brother, built in the 1920s has been extended to create two hotels, one of them the Ranbanka Palace where our room – in a relatively modern wing – was comfortable enough but could not compare with our genuinely palatial accommodation in Bikaner. A shared balcony overlooked the lawn, restaurant (where we lunched on pakoras) and the pool. In the picture below the pale figure in the water is me; January days in Rajasthan are pleasantly warm, but the nights are cold and so was the pool, so I had it to myself.

Outdoor restaurant, parched lawn and pool, Ranbanka Palace Hotel, Jodhpur
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the locality, finding a possible local restaurant and turning down invitations from the large number of local jewellery shop owners.

The 30th of January is Shaheed Diwas (Martyr’s Day), one of Rajasthan five annual dry days. As this does not apply to hotel residents we ate in, sitting beside the garden, warmed by braziers and soothed by the tinkly music of a harp-like instrument. Junglee Murgh is chicken with industrial quantities of ghee and chilli; traditionally a peasant dish of wild jungle fowl it has gained a little sophistication, but still packs a punch. Bharwan dum aloo, potatoes stuffed with cashews in a yoghurt-based sauce was gentler and together they made a fine dinner.

The line into Jodhpur Railway Station runs a few hundred metres to the north. The noise of the day drowns out the trains, but at night the mournful calling of the hooters – and Indian train drivers do like a hoot – is guaranteed to interrupt your slumbers.

31/01/2018

Mehrangarh


We set off across the city to Mehrangarh (often tautologously ‘Mehrangarh Fort’ but garh is Sanskrit for fort) with Umed and Dr S, our local guide who had dropped in yesterday to make the arrangements.

After succeeding his father as King of Marwar, Rao Jodha built a new capital modestly naming it Jodhpur after himself. In 1460 he started construction of Mehrangarh on a rocky outcrop 125m above the city which grew around it. No doubt it was impressive in 1460, but its 17th century refurbishment by Jaswant Singh I (reigned 1638-78) makes it as forbidding a fortress as can be imagined.

Mehrangarh, Jodhpur
A road winds up to the base of the fort.  If I had battled my way there, dodging arrows as I went, I would probably be dismayed by the 30m high walls. Fortunately, nobody lobbed rocks or poured boiling oil on us while we waited for Dr S to buy tickets. My picture catches the top of the Chhatri of Kiran Singh Soda. Dr S did not mention it, so I was unaware it was a ‘memorial to a brave soldier who fell on this spot’. This phrase is trotted out with minor variations in Wikipedia, a dozen Trip Advisor reviews, and all the photography websites of the world, but who was Kiran Singh Soda? Blogger Jatin Chhabra says he ‘died fighting against the forces of Jaipur in 1864 AD’, and that is all I have found.

The walls of Mehrangarh and the top of the Chhatri of Kiran Singh Soda, Jodhpur
From here you can walk up through the fort's various gates, but we took the lift, opening up fine views over the ‘blue city’ of Jodhpur.

Jodhpur is known as the Blue City as the houses were traditionally painted that colour - and some still are
Like Jaisalmer, Jodhpur is a desert city, but with over a million inhabitants it is twelve times the size. The desert topography gives it an unusual shape, the fort being on the northwest corner of a narrow rectangular centre beyond which the city becomes a loosely articulated patchwork of habitation and desert. From the foot of the rocky outcrop a desert park stretches northwest to the Jaswant Thada, the mausoleum and cremation ground of the Marwar royal family.

Jaswant Thada, Jodhpur
Unlike Jaisalmer’s fort, Mehrangarh is uninhabited, functioning solely as a museum. For decades it was deserted and crumbling but in 1972 the current Maharaja, Gaj Singh II, set up a trust to restore the fort and create the museum within. He had become maharaja in 1952 aged 4 after his father died in a plane crash but only took up his duties after attending Eton and Oxford - a proper maharaja’s education.

Courtyard, Mehrangarh
The courtyards, rooms, apartments and objet d’art are regarded as the best of their type but after four maharaja’s forts/palaces in the previous week I was becoming jaded. We saw exhibitions of howdahs, palanquins and turbans - who knew there were so many ways to tie a turban? – and inspected the armoury which, among other grisly ways of dealing death, has the swords of various luminaries including Mughal Emperor Akhbar the Great (another tautology, ‘Akbar’ means ‘great’) and Timur the Lame (Tamerlane).
Hilt of sword possibly belonging the Emperor Akhbar
(I am not sure which sword was whose - and the internet seems equally uncertain)
An exhibition of miniature paintings included several camel-bone models, one of a train…

Small train, Mehranghar

…and the genealogy and portraits of the maharajas. Marwar had 41 rulers between 1226 and 1947 when Rajasthan joined the Union of India - the present (42nd) has only a courtesy title. 21 are assembled in the photo below, though how many of the earlier likenesses were painted from life is anybody’s guess.

Maharajas of Marwar (Jodhpur), Mehrangarh

The Phool Mahal (Flower Palace) was the Hall of Private Audience of Maharaja Abhey Singh (ruled 1724-49).

Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), Hall of Private Audience of Maharaja Abhey Singh
Phool Mahal, Mehrangarh
The ceiling is gold filigree with mirrors and the 19th century paintings are of gods, maharajas and the moods of classical ragas.

Ceiling, Phool Mahal, Mehrangarh
Outside, we did not need the Birmingham-made spiral staircase to reach…

Wrought iron spiral staircase, looking slightly out of place, Mehrangarh
…the bedchamber of Takht Singh (r1843-73) who must have appreciated Christmas baubles.

Chamber of Takht Singh, Mehrangarh
Beyond was another magnificent courtyard…

Another magnificent courtyard, Mehrangarh
….and the Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), the Hall of Private Audience of Sur Singh (r1595-1619). Polished chunam (plaster with crushed seashells), coloured Belgian glass and lights twinkling in the alcoves would have made this room brilliant, if slightly strange.

Moti Mahal, Mehrnagarh

Jaswant Thada


 From the fort we drove across the rocky desert park to the Jaswant Thada, pausing at the artificial lake beside the monument. Despite the lack of birds in my photo, the area teemed with wildfowl; several species of duck I could not name, coots with slightly different frontal shields from their British cousins, though they are the same species (Eurasian coot), red-wattled lapwings - common throughout Rajasthan but looking more at home here than the one I photographed in sandy Mandawa - and many more. A white-throated kingfisher flew across the lake, showing off its iridescent blue back.

Lake by the Jaswant Thada, Jodhpur
The Jaswant Thada was built in 1899 as a cenotaph for Maharaja Jaswant Singh II (r1873-95). His reign brought prosperity as he purged the area of bandits, introduced a proper judiciary, re-organised the administration, built roads and brought the telegraph and railway to Jodhpur. Dr S suggested the cenotaph was built by public subscription; I would rather have a present before I was dead, but as a Maharaja’s life was marked by (relatively) unlimited wealth and power, what else could he be given?
The Jaswant Thada, Jodhpur
Pratap Singh, a younger brother of Jaswant Singh, served as Chief Minister before going on to a career in the British Indian Army. He travelled widely, in 1897 taking his polo team to Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Traditional ‘churidar’ trousers are narrow fitting on the lower leg but loose around the thighs and hips and Pratap Singh realised that a little redesigning and reinforcing made them perfect for riding. He equipped his polo team with them, they took London by storm, the trousers were widely copied and ‘jodhpurs’ were born. Pratap Singh cannot be held responsible for subsequently redesigns by Savile Row tailors, the East German police, or anybody else.

Lieutenant-General Sir Pratap Singh (centre) with his son and the Raja of Ratnam
at Sir Douglas Haigh's chateau, Montreuil-sur-Mer - Jodhpurs much in evidence
(I don't know who owns the copyright, so thanks and apologies, whoever you are)
Having set the trend Jaswant Singh is now surrounded by the mausoleums of lesser royals, some much lesser,…

Royal mausoleums by the Jaswant Thada
…some only slightly lesser.
More royal mausoleums with the Jaswant Thada in the background
There is also a garden, and you have to respect anyone who can keep plants green in this rocky terrain and dry climate, though the desert rose is better suited to it than most.

Desert rose, Jaswant Thada, Jodhpur

Sardar Market and MV Spices


Umed drove us into the city centre, Dr S first directing him to the Post Office so we could dispatch some postcards, then to Sardar Market in the Girdikot district.

Sardar Market, Jodhpur
The market has a clocktower built by Maharaja Sardar Singh (the son of Jaswant Singh) around 1900.

Clocktower, Sardar Market, Jodhpur 
And stalls selling everything from saris to vegetables.

Lynne and some vegetables, Sardar Market, Jodhpur
In a corner of the market is MV Spices.

MV Spices, Sardar Market, Jodhpur 
Mohanlal Verhomal once sold spices from a barrow but had acquired two shops, complimentary mentions in international guide books and a visit from Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen for a TV travel programme before he died suddenly twelve years ago. He left a wife and seven daughters and in India having no son to carry on your business creates a problem. Much as I love India, I realise that the attitudes of too many Indian men towards women are not just bad, but shockingly appalling. The seven sisters took over the business and despite facing problems ranging from acid attacks to unfair business practices by their rivals, they have prospered, now own five shops and were in 2013 the subject of an Australian TV documentary ‘The Spice Girls of India’. We sat, drank marsala tea and discussed spices with one of the sisters and left with a large number of packets, some to keep, other to distribute round the family.

One of the Vermohal sisters in the shop

A Rajasthani Lunch


Dr S understood our desire for an Indian rather than a tourist lunch, and recommended a restaurant called ‘The Spice Road’ – no marks for originality, then. It was a small, pleasant place in a garden and, one Japanese couple apart, all the other lunchers were Indian. The menu offered several local specialities from which we chose deep fried gram flour balls in a spicy gravy and a dish of minced chicken and lamb. Both were good without being outstanding.

Lunch at the Spice Route, Jodhpur
The waiter on the edge of the picture, left, is wearing churidar, the trousers from which jodhpurs developed.
Indian meals normally finish with a breath freshner, a teaspoonful from box of sugar crystals flavoured with mint, violet or aniseed. Sometimes the ‘box’ can be quite elaborate – or even be a train pulled by a fire engine.

A train full of breath freshners, Spice Route, Jodhpur
Dr S reappeared to check we approved of his recommendation, took his leave and Umed drove us back to our hotel.

Umaid Bhawan and a Blue, Super and Eclipsed Moon


We idled away much of the afternoon, but we did take a walk to photograph the Umaid Bhawan.

In the late 1920s a series of failed monsoons brought famine to Rajasthan so Maharaja Umaid Singh employed several thousand drought-stricken farmers on a ‘workfare’ project to build him a palace. They started the Umaid Bhawan in 1929 and progressed slowly, spinning out the work (with the maharaja’s blessing), until 1943 when Umaid Singh moved into what was claimed to be the world’s largest private dwelling.

Designed by Henry Vaughan Lanchester and influenced by Lutyens’ designs for New Delhi, it is now a hotel, indeed the third best in the world (Trip Advisor’s Travellers' Choice 2018). In a land where a night in a four-star hotel costs less than a decent B&B at home, it is also one of India’s truly expensive hotels. Sadly, it was on the far side of one of those outbreaks of desert which are a feature of Jodhpur, so my photo is less than satisfactory.

Umaid Bhawan, Jodhpur
The evening was warm so we chose seats in the outside restaurant without bothering to check out the braziers. Our attention, though, was taken not by the menu but by the moon, hanging at the end of the garden, huge, red and at that point about two thirds eclipsed. A ‘supermoon’ – a full moon at the moon’s closest approach to the earth - is only slightly bigger than the average full moon, the size and colour we saw were caused by its proximity to the horizon. It was by far the most impressive lunar eclipse we have ever seen, though not as exciting as the full solar eclipse we saw in the Gobi desert in 2008. And where is the photo? There is none, just this picture of the restaurant at night from our balcony. Pathetic.

Restaurant, Ranbanka Palace, Jodhput

After our large lunch, dinner was a snack of peanuts, papads and satay chicken washed down with gin and beer (not at the same time!).

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Monday, 29 January 2018

Jaisalmer: Rajasthan Part 5

India
Rajasthan
This post covers day 6 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.

Jaisalmer was the westernmost point of our journey

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.

-o0o0o-

The City in the Heart of the Thar Desert

It was an awful night, the inconvenience of rowdy fellow guests paling into insignificance against the sad news brought by an early morning text from home. It would be inappropriate to say more here, but nor can I ignore it; I will just observe that sometimes, without reason, terrible things happen to good people.

After a sombre breakfast we set off with Umed and a local guide to see Jaisalmer. Our first stop was at the Gadi Sagar Tank on the edge of the city - a ‘tank’ can be anything from an actual tank to a substantial man-made lake like Gadi Sagar. Surrounded by temples and ghats it was built in 1367 by Rawal (a local variant on ‘raja’) Gadi Singh to provide the city with water. At the festival of Gangaur in March the current Maharawal (the Rawals upgraded to Maharawals in 1661) still leads a magnificent procession down to the lake, while young women throw flowers into the water to ensure a good husband (I have no idea if this works.)

Gadi Sagar Tank, Jaisalmer
We had reached the tank via the Tilon-ki Pol, a handsome carved sandstone gate built in 1906. It was commissioned by Tilon, a courtesan who maybe felt she needed a stone memorial as all previous erections in her honour had been short-lived. The respectable citizens of Jaisalmer objected, persuading the Maharawal that as he could not possibly pass under a gate built by a prostitute it must be demolished. Tilon, though, had seen them coming and incorporated a Vishnu temple into the superstructure so it could not be destroyed without insulting the god. There may only be a little truth in all this, but it would be a shame to spoil a good story with dull facts.

Tilon-Ki Pol, Gadi Sagar Tank, Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer fort sits on an impressive rocky outcrop in the heart of the city. We drove up to and round it along a curving commercial street, passing en route, the ‘Bloody Good View Restaurant’ (I can vouch for the view, if not the food) and several ‘English Beer and Wine Shops’. Throughout India, alcohol is bought at ‘wine shops’, though they sell very little wine, and are often distinctly disreputable (see Kanyakumari), though we had not previously seen ‘English’ attached to the name. I will pass over the ‘English Bear and Wine Shop’ without comment.

The view from the car park in Gopa Chowk, over massed ranks of tuk-tuks was less bloody good…
Jaisalmer Fort from the car Park in Gopa Chowk
…but walking through the first gate (Akhai Pol) improved it significantly.

Jaisalmer Fort from the square inside the first gate
From the square a narrow passage took us to the Suraj Pol.... 
Suraj Pol, Jaisalmer Fort
…and then, after a hairpin bend to impede any attacker’s charging war elephants, to the Ganesh Pol.

Ganesh Pol, Jaisalmer Fort
The fourth gate brought us out onto the Main Chowk by the Maharawal’s palace (left) with many balconies so the people could see their leader and the Maharanis’ palace (right) with latticed windows so the womenfolk could see without being seen.
Palaces, Jaisalmer Fort
The fort was founded in 1156 by Rawal Jaisal Singh of the Bhati clan who modestly named the city after himself. Jaisalmer’s early years were marked by frequent wars with the surrounding states, Bikaner and Jodhpur, and with the Delhi Sultanate. A seven-year siege by Alauddin Khalji, Sultan of Delhi ended in 1298 when the royal Bhatis committed saka, riding out to certain death at the hands of their enemies, while the women committed jauhar, leaping from the palace into the flames of a huge fire in the Main Chowk. 700 years have passed and the Main Chowk is now a pleasant and peaceful square, but it is still disturbing to stand where this actually happened. When Alauddin could not hold the city, the Bhati’s who had smuggled out two infant princes before the mass suicides, regained Jaisalmer. By 1326 Delhi had run through five sultans when the new ruler Muhammad bin Tughlaq (who would last for 30 years) initiated another siege which again ended with the defenders committing saka and jauhar. Gharsi Bhati, one of the earlier smuggled infants negotiated a peace and Jaisalmer remained in Bhati hands, though now as a vassal state. This continued under the more enlightened rule of the Moghuls and Jaisalmer’s position on the overland route between the riches of the east and west brought prosperity. Under the British, Jaisalmer was a princely state, but the opening of sea routes for trade, and the growth of Bombay (now Mumbai) side-lined the desert city. Poverty and, in this drought-prone area, famine were frequent visitors in the late 19th century. Independence brought partition, and the closing of old trade routes into Pakistan, but ironically the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan started Jaisalmer’s renaissance as it became an important military outpost. Now tourism is seen as the route to economic growth.

Rawal Jaisal Singh, founder of Jaisalmer (Photo by Archan Dave, sourced from Wikipedia)
The original is in the Maharawal's Palace; who painted it and when is unknown but it may well have been painted several centuries after its subject's death - so it may not be an accurate likeness
Unlike Rajasthan’s other forts, Jaisalmer Fort contains a thriving community. Whether 20% of the city’s 80,000 people live within its walls (or perhaps just 2,000 - sources differ widely) it feels densely populated. We left the Main Chowk through narrow lanes lined with shops.

Shopping opportunities, Jaisalmer Fort
The complex of Jain temples 100m from the chowk was built between the 12th and the 15th century. It is impossible for the casual visitor to work out which temple is which, and they are all linked by narrow corridors and stairways.

The fort’s soft Jurassic sandstone is perfect for fine and intricate carvings on pillars, walls,...

Jain Temple, Jaisalmer Fort
…ceilings…

Ceiling, Jain Temple, Jaisalmer Fort
...and galleries.
Gallery, Jain Temple, Jaisalmer Fort
The sandstone carvings are remarkably similar in style to those we have seen in the Hindu Hoysala temples much further south in Karnataka (see Somnathpur), while the marble statues of the Tirthankas sit in a Buddha-like pose, but their faces, particularly the eyes, are very different. The 24 Tirthankas (‘crossing-makers’), who have appeared at a rate of one every 3 million years, help those who have practiced ahimsa (non-violence) to achieve moksha (release from the endless cycle of death and rebirth) the goal of the well-lived Jain life.
Tirthanka, Jain Temple, JaisalmerFort
We made our way back to the Main Chowk and the Maharawal’s palace.

Highly decorated balconies from which ministers or generals passed on orders to the public or their soldiers are a feature both of the exterior walls and of the inner courtyards.

Balcony in an internal courtyard, Maharawal's Palace, Jaisalmer
And the orders for the generals and ministers came from the Maharawal seated on a marble throne. Higher up in the palace is the even more impressive silver throne used for coronations.

Coronation Throne, Maharawal's Palace, Jaisalmer 
We climbed the five storeys past the armoury and the Tripolia Mahal with portraits of the rulers and a family tree tracing their ancestry all the way back to Krishna (call me Mr Sceptical if you must, but...) and paused in the gallery of 15th century religious statues.

15th century statue, Maharawal's Palace, Jaisalmer
We viewed the private quarters of several Maharawals; rulers preferred low beds - assassins cannot hide beneath them.

Delft tiles in Servottam Vilas, the bedroom of Akhi Singh's (ruled 1722-62), Maharawal's Palace, Jaisalmer
But the palace’s main attraction is the roof terrace. Whether you are looking over the fort's residential area, packed with homes, hostels and boutique hotels…

Jaislmer Fort from the palace roof terrace
…or down to the first gate with Gopa Chowk just outside (where we had parked)…

The first gate and Gopa Chowk
...or back over the fort….

Looking over Jaisalmer Fort
…or across the city to the desert, the views are magnificent.

Looking over Jaisalmer to the desert
From the roof we descended to the zenana, the women’s quarters. This has recently been restored from a pile of rubble and there is not yet much to see. The women of the palace lived in the rooms on the right of this corridor while musicians often played in the room on the left. The women could hear the music, but must never be seen by the male musicians. Living in the zenana was a luxurious imprisonment, but an imprisonment it undoubtedly was.

The Zenana, Jaisalmer Palace
 We left the zenana and the fort and took a short walk through narrow, crowded streets of the city…
The streets of Jaislamer
...where there is always something interesting to see, but you must take care, these may look like pedestrian streets, but motorbikes and cars often push their way through.

The streets of Jaisalmer
The object of our stroll was the Nathmalji-ki-Haveli, built in 1885 for Jaisalmer’s then prime minister. The haveli is the work of two brothers who agreed the overall architectural plan, but worked on the decorations separately, so there are a myriad differences in detail between the right and left-hand sides of the building. They are amusing to compare, but unfortunately do not show up well on the picture. Inside there is a gift shop, but nothing to see otherwise.

Nathmalji-ki Haveli, Jaisalmer
Nearby was a house sporting a fresh and brightly coloured painting of Ganesh. Ganesh is always present at beginnings, and this is the home of a newly wed couple, their names and wedding date incorporated into the design. Over time the painting will fade and become chipped and stained but it will remain, unretouched, as long as the couple stay in the house.

House of newly-weds, Jaisalmer
A couple of blocks north of the Nathmalji-ki-Haveli is the slightly older and rather bigger Patwa Haveli, built for five Jain brothers who made their money as bankers and by trading in brocade and opium. The little square opposite makes it possible to photograph part of the haveli, but the five conjoined houses spread out to right and left along the narrow lane.

The Patwa Haveli, Jaisalmer
The interior is richly decorated, though it could do with some freshening up. We fought our way up the stairs to the top stories. It is important that Indian antiquities are visited by locals and not just tourists, but Indian crowds do tend to push and shove. We contented ourselves with the thought that should a fire break out in this old, dry, building with its wooden floors and beams, we would not have to worry about the flames – we would be crushed in the stampede.

Inside the Patwa Haveli, Jaislamer
The main attraction of the top floor was the view back to Jaisalmer Fort – just as the main attraction of the palace roof had been the view over the city. Oh the irony!

Jaisalmer Fort from the Patwa Haveli
‘Back to your hotel for lunch?’ the local guide asked. Once in the hotel we were stuck for the rest of the day, so we suggested he show us somewhere in town to eat a thali - a south Indian dish but local variations are available everywhere and we fancied one.

We located Umed and the guide directed him through the narrow central streets, then through the wider peripheral streets to the very edge of town and another resort hotel. We staged a small, dignified and well-mannered rebellion. ‘No, we want Indian food, not tourist food.’  This comment was also for Umed’s benefit after another visit to an ‘approved foreigner feeding station’ on the road from Bikaner.

The guided nodded, and back in the outskirts directed us to a small, clean restaurant with an entirely Indian clientele. There was no thali on the menu, but having made our point we settled for a light meal of stuffed parathas, tamarind and tomato/chilli pickles, onion salad with lemon, and bhajis. We expected bhajis like those available in every supermarket in England (only better, we hoped), but had actually ordered ‘pav bhaji’, which is, we discovered, a vegetable curry served with soft bread. Still, we learned something and the pav bhaji was good, though it turned out a heavier meal than we had intended.

Parathas and pav bhaji, Jaislamer
And then is was back to the hotel. We had chosen two nights in the hotel rather than spending one evening on a camel ride, followed by dinner in the desert and a night in a tent. Another camel ride would have added little to our lives, the meal, we suspected would be a tourist orientated buffet and January nights in the Thar Desert are distinctly cold - not camping weather at all. Still, we did see some camels in the streets.

Camels on the streets of Jaislamer
Our decision had been made in the mistaken belief (my fault!) that our hotel was in the fort and not an isolated resort hotel. We should not, though, have been disappointed; Jaisalmer’s tourist boom has led to increasing numbers of people staying in the fort, each one of them using 120 litres of water daily, 12 times the quantity the locals were using. The disposal of this water through modern sewers which leak rather more than the open sewers they replaced in the 1980s has resulted in serious erosion of the foundations and several collapses, some fatal so ethical tourists are advised not to stay in the fort. We could have stayed elsewhere in the city but managed to make do with the facilities on hand, bemoaning our misfortune in four-star luxury.

Lunch had been heavier than expected so in the evening we dined on papads, peanuts and beer.

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Location: Jaisalmer, Rajasthan 345001, India
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