Rajasthan: My Epic Journey In The Land of Maharajas
Part One of Five — Mandawa
Rajasthan is the India I have always dreamed about; the Maharajas, the architecture, the clothing (brightly colored saris and veils on the women and a white tunic, white pants, and brightly colored turbans on the men), and the eclectic music in the region. From the haunting melodies of the Sopera Snake Charmers to the driving beat of Bhangra, that has made its way south from Punjab and of course the lyrical folk music of each region of Rajasthan. Every place that I visited in Rajasthan has an amazing history and almost a separate culture within the larger Rajasthani family.
The state has a long history of civil war and invasion as well as wealth and poverty as the camel caravans moved through the region along the lucrative silk route, cutting a path through India from China to Italy.
The terrain is rugged and parched in the massive Thar Desert (one of the largest in the world). It influences everything from sandstone architecture to the use of camels and elephants for transportation.
Rajasthan also features some of the most colorful cities I have ever visited; the Pink city of Jaipur, the Blue city of Jodhpur, and the Golden city of Jaisalmer.
It was a scary ride into Rajasthan on a two-lane highway that narrows to a one-lane country road, even though we still had to pass buses, cars, trucks… oh, and goats and camels!
Mandawa
We arrived in Mandawa, in Northern Rajasthan, and drove up to the Haveli (traditional mansion) I would be staying in. As soon as we passed through the gates, I was overwhelmed. The entire mansion is covered in hand-painted murals. I walked into the lobby and my jaw dropped. I was transported back in time to the era of the Maharaja, with more painted murals mixed with mirrored mosaics and exquisite antique furniture.
The front lobby is open to the sky, ringed by rooms on two levels and as you walk back to the inner courtyard it is also open-air with rooms facing into the center on the first and second floors.
My room featured a king-size Maharaja bed, intricately carved wood antiques, and painted murals behind the bed in a small alcove, one fairly erotic representing the Kama Sutra.
The desk clerk also showed me the best suite, small but on two levels and decorated over the top. The first level has red highlights along with some mirrored mosaics (tough to sleep in… but I like a challenge) and upstairs a second bedroom is equally as… um… gaudy… I mean colorful. I was so overwhelmed by it that I booked the room to bring a friend who was going to join me in India in a few weeks. She would get as big of a kick out of this place as I did.
The hotel is also close to a mosque so I enjoyed the lyrical call to prayer echoing through the hotel a couple of times per day. I know some people don’t like to hear the church bells or the calls to prayer every day but I loved it.
I took a tour of the old town and the Havelis, which were pretty rundown but I could still see the splendor they once were.
I also visited a small school where I got to meet the kids. It’s a private school but only has one teacher for all the grades. She showed me some of the students’ work, explaining about Diwali and the Holi Festival, which I celebrated a couple of weeks later. As I listened to what the teacher was telling me, the children must have wondered who this strange visitor was.
In Part Two I will take you on a tour of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.
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