Miniature paintings of Jaipur

During our trip to Jaipur in December, I also got to meet some great artists who were award winners in the Miniature Art. This is handed down through generations.

We got a live demo of how they do it. The vibrant colours are from grinding semi precious stones like malachite, corals , conch shells, gold and silver on a rough surface, mixing it with a solution that ensures the colours hold fast, and they draw with a brush with a very fine bristle, that the artists make themselves...

The above outline of an elephant was done in a couple of minutes, including the preparation of the paint...

There were intricate and very very expensive paintings stacked and hung all over the stall....many were done on old stamp papers and looked centuries old...sadly we were requested not to take pictures of the beautiful paintings...

But I could not come away without atleast a small sample, and so I chose the painting of the elephant.

Back to the routine...

My parents, sister and brother-in-law had come visiting and we took them to visit Jaipur. It was a great few days and we enjoyed ourselves a lot.

Sadly, my blogging and entrecard dropping had to be neglected . But I will start posting and dropping cards from now on.

A big Thank you to all the EC droppers who still visited my blog. Also i found that my follower have increased. So I have to ensure that I deserve the attention :)

For starters, a picture of a gateway at a courtyard of Amber fort in Jaipur. This was our second trip to Jaipur, but no less breathtaking ...

Jaipur - my last post!!

I wonder if all of my friends who visit my blog are fed up of my Jaipur posts by now!!! Anyway, this is going to be the last post of the series. In this, I present two more special palaces that are very unique in their own way...and we could only get the long view since it was closed to the public.

The Jal Mahal (Water palace) is located right in the middle of a very deep lake and the view is incredible. We are not allowed inside and this was the best view..but still, it is an impressive sight.
That building has been standing for more than 300 years, and used to be the summer palace of the Royal family. The pillars of the palace are built such that the water does not destroy the foundation.. in fact the water passes through the pillars. It serves to make the palace cooler and also protect it from immense water-pressure
build-up!!!

Also, just the balcony portion is visible. The living quarters are submerged and have the umpteen number of chambers needed for the large Royal family and their servants.. It is said that there are windows underneath so that there is no sense of being under-water..and all the chambers are still water-proof...Also, the rooms are well-ventilated from above!!!Imagine the talent of builders and artisans !!!

Above is the picture of Hawa Mahal. It means 'air palace. The large number of windows are where the ladies in the palaces sat while any royal procession or special events took place down in the streets. The windows are well-curtained so no one can see in, but all the ladies could have a good view of the streets without crowding together at one window.These windows do make the place very airy, and if you notice, the open windows show the open skies beyond, as though the front is just a cut-out, and there are no walls behind.. but you can also see a man sticking his head out from a lower window..How is that???

This palace is built on the main 'pink' streets . All the buildings are the same coral-pink colour of the palace ..that's why Jaipur is called the Pink city.. it was so crowded with vehicles and people, that it was difficult to get a decent shot. 

We had a great time, but I recommend that you avoid the peak seasons while visiting Jaipur...the rush is unbelievable...

So this is it..a summation of our three-day trip to Jaipur!!!

Jaipur - Amber fort

The Amber fort at the summit...



The long roads to the fort



A record holder among cannons...


The inside of the fort...


A peep into Rajput past. The Queen and her ladies-in-waiting in their dining hall...


The men folk have a separate dining hall.. a corridor separates both dining halls.



The visitor's hall

Amber fort is one of three forts in Jaipur. Remnants of past glory and a testament to the amazing people, who could dream up and bring to fruition,the existence of such monuments. The fort is built at the summit of high hills in the desert.

There were no roads, no conveniences,no modern building methods..all the supplies must have reached the top on the backs of camels and elephants.... yet after 300 years, the fort still stands.

There was a painting of a Maharaj there that was quiet unique. No matter where you stood in the room, the man's eyes ans shoes seemed to point in that direction..that was quiet eery!! Sadly, we were not allowed to take pictures there...

A lot of history, so much in evidence in each article exhibited there, and so much more lost as time passed...

Jaipur - Bhavani temple

 This is yet another example of exquisite craftsmanship that is prevailant in Jaipur.  A temple of Goddess Bhavani along with a Sikh god, Shri Jhulelal. 

The temple itself is a very small building, with lawns on either sides of it and a very elaborate clock -tower on one side. 

Inside, there are many window, the main deities placed on a raised platform in the middle of the room. The back wall is a huge fresco of 'palazhi madhanam' or churning of the milk ocean, from Hindu mythology.

The surrounding walls have recesses with many deities. All these statues are made of marble, and each deity is made from a single piece!!! That includes the ornaments, the dresses , extra hands and the various weapons in these hands.. not even a small bit is joined extra...

And the best of these was the whole family of Lord Shiva, Paravthy, Subrahmania and Ganesha seated together. The whole set of four figures are carved on a single piece of marble... How is that ????????

There was a lot of sunlight streaming in, and the statues are behind glass. So the pictures are not very clear...but it was an amazing sight indeed...

Jaipur - Chowki dhani

This is an amazing world in the outskirts of Jaipur. Chowki Dhani literally means 'small village'. It is entertainment on a very earthy, simple level. A slightly more colourful version of simple village life that u get to see all at once place. 

The village comes alive at 6.00 pm. We went on the day of Christmas, so the entry fee was a bit higher than normal. It includes a very elaborate vegetarian lunch and guarantees a grand time...

Th queue was so long, we wondered if we would get inside in time to enjoy everything... they closed down at 11.pm....

But in no time at all, we were inside. there are amazingly decorated walls with lamps, look-out stations and very ornate doors...

Inside are buffet stations where you get piping hot food in unlimited quantities, and long rows of tables and chairs... after the food, we are free to roam about anywhere we desire ..

To begin with, there are camel rides, elephant rides, bullock cart rides, horse-drawn carriages ..etc..

Then there are giant wheels, swings and some other items that are seen at village fairs.. in the middle there is a platform, and if you climb it, it is easy to get vertigo and a superb view of the whole place.

There are a lot of huts, inside which are people who entertain in various ways.. like reading your palm, cooking special food, playing an instrument etc.. all throughout, there are also stalls where there are colourfully dresses dancers, jugglers, acrobats, magicians, singers, drummers,puppeteers...(my daughter had a great time watching the puppets).. 

People are taught the dance steps and encouraged to dance along for a very nominal fee. There is also a massage station where a tune is played and all the masseurs will massage their victi....er..customers in tandem... that looked a bit painful, but the people seemed to be enjoying it..

And of course, there were more snack n drink stalls as well as the unavoidable souvenir stands...

It was a feast for the senses wherever we turned...and we came back ..content....:)

Jaipur - Blue pottery

My first post on the first day of the New Year....

I thought that it should be about this superb work of art - blue pottery... It is a speciality of Jaipur. 

I was told that the origins of blue pottery could be traces to Persia and Turkey, but now it is considered a speciality of Jaipur, courtesy of it's ruler Sawai Ram Singh II, who sponsored some of the artisans of blue pottery about 150 years back!!!

And they and their descendants have been practising this beautiful work of art ever since....

I had been dying to see this work ever since I found about it during a browsing session... and while we were on a guided tour, I saw the emporium ... we went back there at the first opportunity ...

The display was breath-taking...Tiles, pots, vases, wall pegs, cups, saucers, plates, elephants, mirror frames, picture frames, bracelets, necklaces, key-chains.....so many beautiful things made with this brilliant craft....  I could have spent a few hours, weeks, months... just gazing at those displays... but I showed admirable restraint and just took some pictures..

I also bought a necklace made of some lovely blue-pottery beads...

As I was paying for my purchase, the man behind the counter, whom I later recognised (from the flyers)as the artist of  blue pottery, handed me a souvenir (a marble piece with a silver Ganesha on it and some beads ) and told me that he recognised an artist and this would help me achieve success... 

Needless to say, that made my day... and that one visit was the highlight of the trip for me... though the sightseeing was nothing less than spectacular...

Jaipur - Our onward journey

This was another successful trip in our books. We were actually planning the trip with some of our friends, but unfortunately, they couldn't make it. Jaipur is 250 kms from our place, and we had decided to make the journey by road, with my husband and our friend taking turns driving. 

We decided to go ahead since all arrangements were made. So we started off, and slowly, either side of the high-way had a lot of fields with yellow flowers... reminded us of some scenes in the hit hindi movie, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Later, we figured that the fields were filled with yellow mustard flowers, which were one of the main crops of Punjab and Rajasthan.

Even the road-side restaurants had well-tended lawns and play areas. So the journey was not as tedious as expected. 

Other than a small hitch with our accomodation, our whole trip was an unforgettable experience.

Watch this space for more on our trip.. some of the places we visited were so great that they each deserve a post...!!!