Jaipur

We came, we saw, and we were overcome.

Jaipur is more peaceful and laid-back than Delhi or Agra. The poverty is less obvious and disturbing, though the disparity in wealth is still shocking.

The Maharajah seems to own everything in town, including the heritage sites we visited today. Our guide, who has been inside the private princely residence, assured us that the opulence on show to the public is but the tip of the iceberg.

We started off at Amber Fort, which we reached on the back of an elephant – an extremely uncomfortable form of transport, and it’s just as well that neither of us suffers too badly from vertigo. (See picture.) Half way up we dropped a water bottle, and the elephant immediately picked it up and gave it back to us. I am thinking of fitting my car with a similar device.

The second was Jaigarh Fort, recommended by Orianne and Félix who visited this region a few weeks ago.

The two forts are in spectacularly wild surroundings. Jaigarh Fort crowns a ridge, and overlooks the later Amber Fort. They are connected by monumental crenellated walls which also cover the entire landscape, giving a feeling similar to the Great Wall of China. Whereas Amber Fort doubled as a palace and is therefore ornate, Jaigarh Fort is spartan in its military architecture. 

Amber Fort contains a remarkable Hall of Mirrors, with the walls encrusted with convex silvered glass, which would have reflected the bright colours of the floor coverings.

A highlight of Jaigarh Fort is a monstrous cannon, believed to be the biggest piece of ordnance ever mounted on wheels. It was apparently used once only in a trial, and was considered more dangerous to the users than to the enemy. It was nevertheless an important 17th century version of the nuclear deterrent.

And in the afternoon it was the City Palace, current residence of the Maharajah, some of which is open to the public. This is an exceptionally ornate example of mixed Hindu and Islamic art. Ganesh and his peacocks sit side by side with geometrical tracery and scalloped arches. The spectacular Hall of Public Audience, all white marble outside and pink interior, contains two immense late 19th century silver jars, the biggest pieces of silver ever made. In 1902, the Maharajah brought both jars to England for the coronation of Edward VII. They were filled with water from the Ganges for his personal ablutions and consumption. Quite obviously the Maharajah was afraid of catching London Belly.

And finally the Jantar Mantar Observatory – deservedly one of the 80 treasures identified by Dan Cruickshank in his round-the-world television series. A quite fascinating collection of monumental instruments for astronomy and astrology. (See the pictures.)  Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II, a great visionary, created the town in the early 18th century, and commissioned the Observatory to further his appetite for science.

We were upgraded to a Princely Suite at the hotel, and our rooms (note the plural) were watched over by two guardian angels. (See the picture.)

This is a quite fabulous city, and undoubtedly today has been one of the highlights of the tour. And the really good news is that Peter’s tummy appears to be back to normal.