A Typical Indian Dhaba

A Dhaba at Bundi

I had tea even though it was scorching hot in September. Brat 2 had both cold drink and tea!

My Bundi Article

Bundi, Rajasthan

My article on Bundi is now up on Gonomad. I still remember those beautiful lotus flowers so vividly. Here are the starting passages of the article-

When my nephew Sunil and I visited the Sukh Mahal (Palace of Comfort would be the rough translation) at Bundi, the caretaker who opened the room filled with paintings told me (in Hindi), “This is where the Mowgli writer stayed.”

I told him the writer’s name was Rudyard Kipling and the book that is associated with Bundi is Kim not The Jungle Book. But he told me firmly, “It was the Mowgli man who stayed here.”

That is how Kipling is remembered in Bundi. Kipling is said to have got inspiration for writing Kim in Bundi (I have yet to read that book but it is now high on my agenda) and I can imagine why. The Phul Sagar Lake behind the Palace gets filled with lotus flowers in September. I have never seen so many lotuses at one place in my life.

Another Bird from Bundi

Bird in a Lotus Pond (Juvenile of the Bronzed Wing Jacana)

I am wondering if this also an Indian Pond Heron? I clicked this one at Bundi and didn't like it at all when I saw it immediately. I wonder why.

I got to know the name via Rocksea (through the comment he left) and Indiamike.

Carved in Stone!

Elephants were a common theme at Bundi Palace, Rajasthan

Striking a Deal!

Deal Making over Clay Pots at Bundi, Rajasthan

Essentials of a Wedding!

A Wedding Band at Bundi Market, Rajasthan

Here is a link for you if you wish to hear the sound the wedding bands make in India.

The Daily Chores

At the Sukh Sagar Lake, Bundi, Rajasthan

You Better Listen to Me!

A Meeting between Two Crows at Bundi, Rajasthan

Attractions at Bundi- The Garh Palace

The Garh Palace is one of the main attractions at Bundi. It is up a hill and towers over the city, only next to it is the eyesore of the Bundi TV Tower.

Signboard Near Garh Palace, Bundi, Rajasthan

As the signboard informs us, garh Palace is the private property of the current Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. But it is under private management unlike the Chitrashala of Bundi. I was talking to someone and he remarked, "The king does not live here, he lives in Delhi and the caretakers really do not bother much about the place." I had to agree with him, because the place is quite dank and full of smell of bat droppings. And yet it has a fading charm all about it. When we were there there was an Asian tourist and a few locals around. But while we were walking out, more tourists were trickling in.

Entrance to the Bundi palace, called Hathi Pol (Elephante Gate) Bundi, Rajasthan

The entrance to the palace is grand with the figure of two elephants standing in welcome. It is called Hathi Pol. There are paintings on the top of the door that are better preserved.

Paintings inside the Palace, Bundi, Rajasthan

There are paintings inside the main palace too but they seriously need some preservation. The one that you see above is one of the better preserved ones.

The Palace in the Background at Night, Bundi, Rajasthan

The palace is quite visible from the different parts of the city. I took this picture from the main market.

I wish I had some real interest in architecture or it was easy for me to remember dates but I fail at both. Since I have not clicked (or was there no other board, not sure) any other sign board I don't know about the dates. And since I have no interest in architecture, I write very drab posts about palaces and such stuff.

Attractions at Bundi- Sukh Mahal and the Kipling Connection

Sukh Mahal was referred to us by the guards at Chitrashala at Bundi. When we asked if it was far away, they convinced us that it was. It was anyway aournd 11 am and it was hot only as it gets in a desert. So, we decided to hire an auto. It was on the way to Sukh Mahal that I managed to click the milk motorcycle.

Brat 2 (who is 6 feet 4 inches tall) jumped and shirked when we reached there because he could see the water body around Sukh Mahal before I could over the perimeter of the walls. We ran to the observation posts quickly to get closer to the water. There are two ghats also, one for men and another for women. And of course the lake is full of lotuses.

Part of Sukh Mahal, Bundi, Rajasthan

When we reached near the main chamber, the caretaker told us, "This is the place where the jungle book man stayed."* So I told him, "Oh you are talking of Rudyard Kipling but the book he is supposed to gather material for here is Kim and not the Jungle Book." And he replied, "But it was the jungle book man." And that is where that conversation ended.

Sculptures Around Sukh Mahal, Bundi, Rajasthan

He showed us around the main room, which is otherwise locked and it is full of paintings. When we came out we tried to tip them. They took it only after we insisted many times. They also pointed out to the sculptures and said, "There is a sun dial here too, but we were not aware, a journalist came and he told us about it."

Lotuses Around the lake Near Sukh Mahal, Bundi, Rajasthan

And then of course there was this lake full of lotuses behind Sukh Mahal and that is a site that thrilled me to the core. Even the Auto guy remarked, "You really liked our lake, you have clicked so many pictures." I couldn't agree more!

*All the conversations recorded here were in Hindi and I have translated them from memory.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Red Wattled Lapwing at Nawal Sarag, Bundi

Red Wattled Lapwing at Nawal Sarag, Bundi

Beautiful Pink Lotus

Beautiful Pink Lotus

I have clicked so many pictures of the lotus at Bundi that I am forced to post one of them again, I enjoy flowers so much.

A Video of the Bundi City from the Palace

A Video of the Bundi City from the Royal Palace

An Elaborate Rajasthani Painting at Bundi

Painting at the Outer Walls of the Royal Retreat Hotel, Bundi, Rajasthan

This hotel and its restaurant is the closest to the Bundi Palace. I have posted a picture of the restaurant before. The restaurant was a stable in the earlier times!

Attractions at Bundi- Raniji Ki Baori

The day Brat 2 and I reached Bundi we managed to venture out only after the Royal Palace was closed. So the locals recommended us to go to Raniji Ki Baori (Queen's Step Well). They also told us we should take an auto. I am aware that the locals tend to think that we city people cannot walk. So we asked about the distance. When they said 2 KM or so, we decided to walk.

The Information Board outside Raniji Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

Rani Nathawat is credited for building of this step well in 1699. And it is indeed grand. Brat 2 remarked to me- "I am sure the Raniji would not walk from palace to the bath, and I wonder how many people were needed to carry her palki (palanquin)?" I wonder where are the other 49 wells located?

Steps Leading out of the Raniji Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

When we reached there the first day the main entrance was closed. But looking at the picture above I am wondering if we could have just walked a few meters and entered through this gate? Doesn't look like it can be locked.

The View from the Main Entrance, Raniji Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

The view of the place while we were entering was quite striking. But we reached here by 2.00 pm or so, and the sun was so hot that we were longing quite badly for our AC room.

Raniji Ki Baori

But that didn't stop us from clicking pictures. The real baori (stepwell) is beneath this ornate structure but locked now, so we could not climb down. There are grills around this place so clicked this picture by getting the lens of the point and shoot camera inside one of the mesh holes.

Monkey at Bundi, Rajasthan

Monkey on a Jeep, Bundi, Rajasthan

There are a lot of monkeys at Bundi and one place they snatched food stuff from the hands of a lady. Hotels also caution against leaving the room windows open. We gave up going up the fort on the day of our arrival because the monkeys choose it for their evening walk. And yet as our auto driver remarked, "They don't have place to live, so they clash with us."

Attractions at Bundi- Chitrashala

The Information Board at Chatrashala, Bundi, Rajasthan

The board outside the Chitrashala tells us that the place was also know as Ummed Mahal. The time span of these paintings is 1773 to 1821 under the patronage of Ummed Singh and Bisen Singh. It is located in the same complex as the main palace.

A Lady of the Royal Court? Paintings at Chitrashala, Bundi, Rajasthan

The place is currently maintained by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). And while it is better maintained than the paintings in the main palace, Brat 2 remarked, "We cannot be sure at all that this will survive for long and others would be able to view it."

Lord Krishna and with the Gopis and Animals, A Painting at the Chitrashala, Bundi

I was chatting with an ASI guard and asked him, "Isko fir se paint karne ka plan hai kya? (will these get painted again?) And he replied, "Abhi tou Nahin" (not immediately). This question was prompted by the repainting I has seen at Jaipur.

Decorated Walls of the Chitrashala at Bundi, Rajasthan

Flash photography is prohibited in the area which I strictly adhered to.

Attractions at Bundi- 84 Pillar Cenotaph

84 Pillar Cenotaph, The Information Board Bundi

As we can see this structure was built in 1740 and it is a place of worship for Lord Shiva.

When we visited it local people were playing cards there.

84 Pillar Cenotaph is one of the Attractions at Bundi

I thought I can discuss one attraction at a time. There are comments by Abhilash and Being Bindas asking why I went to Bundi! The short answer is that it is recommended on Indiamike and it is a little off the beaten track.

Haveli Braj Bhushanjee, Bundi, Rajasthan

A Painting on the Wall in our Room at Haveli Braj Bhushanjee, Bundi, Rajasthan

When we got down at the Bundi railway station it was as usual without a hotel booking. I had an idea (from reading about Bundi at Indiamike) that most of the hotels in Bundi are in the Nawal Sagar area. And most of the are Havelis (mansions) too where owners and their families live too.

After getting to the city in a shared auto (for rupees 5 each) we asked a shop keeper about hotels. He pointed out one nearby. Then I asked about the hotels in the Nawal Sagar area. He replied, "wahan foreigners rahte hain" (the foreigners stay there).

We decided to explore it and he said it was a little far away, we need to take an auto. And that is what we did, the sun was scorching hot even at the end of September.

Haveli Braj Bhushanjee at Bundi, Rajasthan

Soon the auto dropped us in a narrow lane and I saw the board of Haveli Braj Bhushanjee and decided to give it a try. We opened a door and walked in and called out if anyone is there. A gentleman came out and asked us if we would like an AC room. We said we would make up our mind after looking at the room.

He took us up a flight of stairs and opened a room and the first thing we were the colorful glass windows and the paintings all around and we liked the room immediately. The room was quite spacious and clean with a clean and functional bathroom. And it had an AC in the room (which was god send for the scorching hot Rajasthan days and nights). Both Brat 2 and I were happy with it and asked for the rate. It was Rupees 1200 per night. But they charged only half of that for staying an extra 10 hours the next day.

So, I went down to settle the bill and Brat 2 made himself at home.

Our Room at the Haveli Braj Bhushanjee, Bundi, Rajasthan

Then came the hunt for the breakfast at Bundi. And then some sound sleep (with the AC on full blast) to catch up from the night's travel. Exploring Bundi came after it. And Haveli Braj Bhushanjee proved to be a nice camping ground for this trip to Bundi.

Bundi City- Blue is the Word

The Blue City of Bundi, Rajasthan

Fabulous Paintings from Bundi, Rajasthan

Paintings on the Wall of Chitrashala at Bundi, Rajasthan

Friday is for Flowers- Butterfly on a Sunflower, Bundi, Rajasthan

Butterfly on a Sunflower Bud, Bundi, Rajasthan

Bundi- Reflections at the Nawal Sagar Lake, Rajasthan

The Bundi Palace (slightly up the Hill) and part of the Bundi City Reflected at the Nawal Sagar Lake

Gopi the Turtle at the Mangalam Guest House, Bundi, Rajasthan

I fell for Bundi by reading about it on the Indiamike Travel Forum. What I found most curious on that long thread was the description of a guest house that had a pet turtle! Then imagine my surprise when after landing and securing a hotel there, Brat 2 and I stumbled upon it as soon as we started up looking for breakfast. It is called the Mangalam Guest House. It is family run affair (most of the Havelis in Bundi are) and a huge place.

The Guest Book at the Mangalan Guesthouse, Bundi, Rajasthan

We rang the bell outside the Haveli and a girl called out. We asked if we would get some breakfast and she asked us to come in. She is a small girl studying in class 6 and has an elder and a younger sibling. We asked for Aloo Paratha (flat Indian bread filled with potatoes) and chai (tea) and while we were waiting the young girl kept chatting with us.

A Painting at the Mangalam Haveli, Bundi, Rajasthan

A specialty if Bundi is that every house if full of beautiful paintings and within the Bundi Palace there is a place called Chitrashala (The house of paintings) which houses some of the best paintings.

Gopi the Turtle at the Mangalam Guesthouse, Bundi, Rajasthan

And soon enough the turtle walked in, and was around for a long time. It is one animal that I did not felt afraid of, even went as far as touching its tough structure fleetingly, it felt like a stone.

Brat 2 was mildly amused that I knew of all this right from the start. But then he would tease me for every small thing that he would ask for and I would say I don't know. He would make the most exaggerated faces and say' "You didn't read about it on the internet?"

PS. I have written the Bundi article and sent it across to Gonomad yesterday! It is the Orchha one that I am finding difficult to write!

The Market at Bundi, Rajasthan

The Crowded Market of Bundi, Rajasthan

Asleep at Bundi, Rajasthan

Asleep on a Thela, Bundi, Rajasthan

I can only imagine how tired he must have been.

And he was Sleeping Next to this Thriving Traffic in the Main Market, Bundi, Rajasthan

What a Load to Carry! Bundi, Rajasthan

A Lady with a Heavy Load at Bundi, Rajasthan

I wonder how much her basket weighed! I mean it is full of wood.

The Milk Motorcycle, Bundi, Rajasthan

The Milk Motorcycle, Bundi, Rajasthan

I saw this arrangement for carrying milk from the train itself while traveling from Kota to Bundi and I was dying to take a picture. But when we walked in the city of Bundi, I found no such opportunity.

But when we were traveling in an auto to Sukh Mahal in Bundi, I saw one of them parked in the narrow lane. I requested the auto driver to break for a while so that I could click a picture. When he stopped the owner of the motorcycle also came along and posed for me. I asked the auto driver, "Ye naraz tou nahin honge ki photo kyon kinch rahe hun?" (I hope he will not be angry that I am clicking a picture). The auto guy was a little taken aback, and asid, "Nahin humko tou adat hai, itne tourist aate hain foreigners bhi, saab kinchte hain." (No we are used to it, so many tourist come and foreigners too, all of them click!).

While we started moving away, the man in the turban called, "Meri photo bhi li hai na?" (You have got me in the frame too?) I assured him that I had!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Rajasthani Turban

Man in a Rajasthani Turban, Bundi, Rajasthan

10th Photo, First Folder, Tagged by Sujata

Boy on a Slide, Bundi, Rajasthan

I was tagged by Sujata recently. I have to go to the first folder on my computer and then post the 10th picture here and tell you all the story.

I have so many folders all over the computer that it was a little difficult to think which is the first folder. So I decided to go with Picasa and took the 10th picture from what it thought was my first folder.

I clicked this young boy on the slide on the request on his grand dad. The grand dad told me, "it is good to see that you have a hobby."

Let me see who should I tag? I will tag Hobo, Global Madrasi, Babli and Being Bindas.

You have to Blame Brat 2 for this!

Captured! Bundi, Rajasthan

I was looking at the pictures from Bundi when I came back. I was quite surprised to see a few pictures like this one! I was not even aware when he clicked it.

Bundi and Nawal Sagar Lake at the Sunset, Rajasthan

Bundi, Rajasthan at the Sunset

Friday is for Flowers- Lotus Flowers from Bundi, Rajasthan

Lotus at Bundi, Rajasthan

The one advantage of going to Bundi in September is that the lake is full of Lotus flowers then! I have never seen so many lotus in my life before and it is a sight that would remain with me for a long long time.

Lotus Flower with a Bird (Little Erget) at the Lake behind Sukh Mahal, Bundi, Rajasthan

One regret I have is that I clicked all my pictures in harsh afternoon light and did not manage to revisit this place around sunset.

PS. Thanks to Shankara for the name of the bird.

Pictures from Bundi, Rajasthan

Colors of the Window Pane, Royal Retreat Restaurant, Bundi, Rajasthan

More pictures from Bundi here. It was quite hot there in September but there was one bonus attached with it which I will reveal in the next post. It is good to be able to blog again!

Back from Bundi, Rajasthan

A Bird An Indian Pond Heron Sitting on a Lotus Leaf near Sukh Mahal, Bundi, Rajashan

Brat 2 and I just came back from Bundi in Rajasthan. I picked up the wrong month to go, it was way too hot and yet when did that stop us from enjoying ourselves?

PS. I found the name via a comment left by Rocksea and then to make double sure through google image search. But the comment seems to have vanished.