Before the British arrived, India was a vast collection of tribes, kingdoms, and empires with histories reaching back thousands of years.  The state now known as Rajasthan was once host to an array of conquerors, warlords, sultans, and kings, and the history of the battles and royalty make for a fascinating setting.  Many of the desert fortresses and palaces are open for tourism nowadays, and walking in the footsteps of these ancient empires amidst the hazy desert backdrop evokes romantic visions of desert wanderers, scimitar-wielding armies, unstoppable heroes, turbans, and camels.  We visited four different cities in the region, each with its own stories to tell.

Jaipur

Just a few hours from Delhi, Jaipur makes up one vertex of the so-called Golden Triangle, the most popular tourist route in India.  Built in the 1800’s as India’s first planned city, Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, and plays host to many of the museums and monuments dedicated to the history of the region.  We spent most of our time here bouncing around the different attractions, as well as exploring the Pink City area, known in equal parts for its shopping and its distinctive pink buildings.  Jaipur was probably one of the more logically laid-out cities due to its intentional construction, so navigating around was a bit easier than some other places.  The city is perpetually going through a huge expansion project, however, so there seemed to be construction on every corner, detracting from the ease of travel a bit.

The so-called Peacock Gate inside the City Palace in Jaipur

Hawa Mahal, the Palace of the Winds. This building was used by the ladies of the court to watch street festivities without (scandalously) showing their faces in public.

This funky-looking building is actually the world’s largest stone sundial, located in Jantar Mantar, a collection of a variety of astronomical instruments. It can tell the time to within two seconds.  I thought the astronomy stuff here was particularly cool.

The world-famous Amber Fort, a seriously imposing defensive structure that I’m very glad we didn’t have to besiege.

Pushkar

Pushkar wasn’t initially on our radar, but when we learned that we would be in the area just in time for the yearly Pushkar Camel Fair, we made a bit of a detour to check it out.  A tradition stretching back centuries, the fair is where herders and breeders of camels and horses gather to trade, sell, and purchase their animals.  It’s really cool to see; these people are essentially desert cowboys, living out in the dunes for most of the year, so the fair is the only chance you’ll really ever get to see and interact with them.  They’re the real deal, not a tourist attraction.

You’re free to just wander around taking pictures, although you might not want to get too close. I hear they spit.

The fair itself, however, has most definitely evolved into a tourist attraction, reminiscent of a county fair back home, albeit in the middle of a desert and with decidedly lax safety standards.  There are jerry-rigged carnival rides, shopping and food stalls, a stadium where camels and horses are put on display, and even a stage where bands and singers would perform at night.  Pushkar itself is a cute little town set on the banks of a lake.  It’s home to the only temple dedicated to Brahma (the creator god) in all of India, making it a common pilgrimage site for devout Hindus.  As a result, Pushkar is considered a holy city, so unfortunately alcohol and meat (including eggs) are banned within the city limits.  We managed to survive, although we did both get food poisoning — avoid the falafel stands!

They go all out with the decorations

I’m frankly shocked we didn’t witness any of these rides collapsing entirely.

Jodhpur

Jodhpur, also known as the Blue City (you’ll notice a color theme with the cities here), was once the capital of the Marwar state.  Today it’s known for its spices, fabrics, and handicrafts, as well as the Mehrangarh Fort overlooking the city.  I seriously can’t overemphasize how impressive the forts in Rajasthan are, Mehrangarh included.  It’s visible from nearly every part of the city, and your brain almost refuses to believe it’s real when you catch a glimpse of it.  It looks like a painted background, especially with the desert haze giving it a kind of artistic look.

The clock tower in the main square, with the fort looming in the background.

Holding up the walls at the fort

View of the blue city from the fort. If you look closely, you can see how it got its name.

Udaipur

Also known as the City of Lakes, Udaipur is considered by many to be the most romantic destination in India.  It’s also called the Venice of the East (cities in India tend to have lots of nicknames, I’ve noticed).  With the sun setting over the water and a myriad of rooftop bars and restaurants to choose from, it’s immediately apparent where it gets its reputation for beauty.  Interesting trivia about Udaipur — most of the James Bond film Octopussy was filmed in and around the lakes, and they are extremely proud of that fact.  Many bars offer screenings of the movie every single night.

Sunset over the water and mountains, from our hostel’s rooftop restaurant.

On the water you can see the Taj Lake Palace, a five-star palace resort that was featured heavily in Octopussy. We checked, and it’s over 800 dollars a night for a room.

While in Udaipur, we also had the chance to volunteer for a day at Animal Aid, a charity dedicated to rescuing, treating, and caring for the street animals that often get ignored or abused by the local population.  They had numerous dogs with spinal injuries (mostly from car accidents) who could only move by dragging themselves by their front legs.  They also had large numbers of donkeys, cats, birds, and cows.  Though revered in India, cows are one of the more unfortunately abused animals in India, mostly due to neglect.  Many owners can’t afford to keep and feed their cows, so they let them wander the streets during the day to find their own food.  Cows, not being very smart, end up ingesting lots of plastic which stays in their systems and eventually leads to a slow and painful death.  In India, it is illegal to euthanize a cow for any reason, so terminally ill animals are forced to live out their final days until finally passing on their own.  Many of the cows at the sanctuary were lying on their sides, and would remain in that position until their deaths.  Our volunteer work consisted of washing the dogs, bottle feeding the calves, and generally socializing with the animals.

The paralyzed dogs didn’t seem all that bothered by their disabilities; they still did the best they could to run around and greet people.

Here’s Bridgette with a chicken on her back

Bath time for doggo!

Rajasthan is probably my favorite region in India, although the relaxing beaches of Goa definitely give it a run for its money.  Something about the desert just sparks the imagination, and the history is so deep that there are enough true to life stories to feed into it.  Even Jaipur, the largest city in the area, is much less hectic than Delhi, Kolkata, or Mumbai.  While still distinctly Indian, Rajasthan has its own flavor (literally — the food is amazing), and there’s enough to explore to keep you busy for a long, long time.