Today we played the tourists, and visited the Old City, or the Pink City as it's called by locals. We first ventured to the City Palace Museum, once the heart of Jai Singh II's city. It is a sprawling complex with a superb blend of Rajput and Mughul architecture. Then we walked across the street to Jantar Mantar, an observatory that looks like a modern art sculpture garden, except this was built in 1728 by Sawai Jai Singh II, a Maharaja Renaissaince-style man with a keen interest in astrology. Some of the instruments are still in use, and some of the buildings are used to measure duration and intensity of the monsoon, possibility of floods, etc. Couldn't be any less accurate than the local weatherman. We drove by the iconic Hawa Mahal, which was built for royal women to have a peek outside from the stories of windows, on the way to a scrumptious lunch of mutton kebabs, called lamb in India for some reason. A great time was had by all.
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| Jantar Mantar Observatory |
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| Jantar Mantar Observatory |
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| Jantar Mantar Observatory |
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| Mutton Kebabs....yum |
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| The mustachioed sun is a sign of Jaipur |
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| Hawa Majal |
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| City Palace Museum Door Detail |
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| Jantar Mantar Observatory |
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| City Palace Museum |
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| Arch detail at City Palace Museum |
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| Us amid the peacocks |
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| Capped stories at Palace Museu |
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| Wave motif is Hindi in Origin |
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| Wall detail at City Palace Museum |
Great pic of you two with the lovely peacock motif!! Also love the green archway you photographed. Looks like some spectacular architectural legacy. Can't wait to see it with you two expert guides.
ReplyDeleteThe art and architecture are stunning. Good to see you both smiling with your feathered friends. Happy adventures!
ReplyDeleteYou both look wonderful, so I don't have to worry. The art work is unreal. Someone could use these designs for wallpaper or fabric and make oodles of money!!! ( laughing)
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