Unusual trip to Rajasthan November 2022 (page 3 of 6)

Tuesday, November 15 Tonk I met up with the rickshaw driver who took me to the hotel yesterday, and he arrived right on time. He took me to the Jama Masjid, and we had to cross the city, which is just as charmingly authentic as I like. He navigated through narrow alleys—you really need to know your way. We passed a mosque, but it wasn’t the right one; the correct one was a bit farther down the road, and from there, I could already tell it was impressive.







What a marvel—I’ve seen mosques before, but never one like this. The brochure says: "One of the largest mosques in India, built in the ancient Mughal architectural style. It has four gates and four minarets. The walls of the masjid feature beautiful gold paintings and meenakari work." It’s one of the largest mosques in the country. Construction began in 1246 by Amir Khan, the first Nawab of Tonk, and was completed in 1298 by his son. The walls are adorned with gold paintings and "meenakari" work. The mosque has four gates and four minarets and is famous for its grand Minaar. (Historically, meenakari was only done on gold, but now it’s applied to other metals like silver and copper. The art of decorating metal with enamel, or Meenakari, was foreign to India and was introduced by the Mughals. Raja Man Singh of Amber brought Meenakari to Rajasthan in the 16th century.)







Tonk is worth a visit just for this mosque. How is it not more well-known? My eyes are already full of wonders, and we continue through the alleys until we reach the Sunehri Khoti or Golden Mansion, which only opens at 10 a.m. We leave and head to the Malana Abdul Kalam Azad Arabic Persian Institute, which is also closed. The building itself isn’t particularly special—it houses the world’s largest handwritten Quran and holds a Guinness World Record. This visit doesn’t interest me, so we return to the Sunehri Khoti. Each time, we have to cross the city. The Sunehri Khoti looks like a haveli from the outside.



The interior is magnificent. This room was used for poetry recitals, dance, and music performances.





Across the street, another beautiful building—the library—but it’s closed. The guard at the Kothi doesn’t have the key and tells me it’s private. Through the gates, I catch a glimpse of a marvel. What a shame it’s not open to the public.

We head back to the hotel to pick up my bag and go to the bus station. I’m not sure where I’m headed—it all depends on which bus is about to leave. The one to Todaraisingh won’t arrive for another hour, but the one to Bundi is about to depart. The choice is easy—I head straight to Bundi. I arrive in the early afternoon, check in at Bundi House, have lunch, and then stroll toward the market with a sense of freedom I’d been missing. What a joy to be in Bundi—this city is always so charming.

I settle on the steps of Sagar Kund, which is used as a public trash dump—what a shame.



I watch the local life, my camera always within reach.





A quick stroll through the market







Rajasthanis are always so striking



Sunset at Nawal Sagar Lake

Good evening Marie Jo,

You, the great lover of India, Indian women, and Indian men, you show us truly fabulous and unsuspected places (despite the condition of some monuments). Those smiles everywhere make me want to return to this fascinating country. Three reincarnations wouldn’t be enough to grasp its immense heritage. Thanks for sharing! Best, Michel

Wednesday, November 16th. At 9 AM, I leave the guesthouse without making a sound—everyone’s still asleep. I head to Garh Palace. I’ve known this palace for many years. The first time I came to Bundi, back in 1997, the palace was closed. A few years later, I returned, and the visit was free. All you had to do was sign a register, and the palace was yours—every room was open to explore, and you could spend the whole day there without anyone bothering you. It seems unbelievable today. Now, the visit is paid: it started at 200–300 rs, and today entry is 500 rs, which I think is excessive because I don’t feel the money goes toward maintenance. It looks even more run-down, which is heartbreaking.

This morning, I’m the first visitor, and I’ll only run into one couple during my visit.

Actually, this palace is a combination of three built in the 16th and 17th centuries. Alright, I’ll take you on the tour—Christelle, you’re with me!

We enter through the Elephant Gate, "Hathi Pol."



It leads to a large inner courtyard, dominated by the marble throne and the audience hall on the first floor, right across from the gate.



At the back, a small door leads to the private audience courtyard. The walls are covered in frescoes, though very damaged, and the pillars are finely decorated.



On the second floor, the rooms are painted from floor to ceiling.



A beautiful ceiling with Chinese inspiration, divided into petal shapes.



At the exit, you have to follow the path along the ramparts. It leads to the Chitrashala, a gallery of paintings in a well-maintained garden. You’ll find scenes of Krishna, portraits of Mughal women, hunting scenes—it’s simply stunning.









Afterward, a stop at Sathi Lassi is a must—it’s absolutely delicious.

Namaskar Michel. So glad to see you here! My advice: stick with all of us—there’ll be loads of surprises and unforgettable moments in the next few days ;) :P

"Those smiles everywhere really make me want to go back to this fascinating country." Go for it!!!

"Three reincarnations wouldn’t be enough"—don’t wait for them, we don’t know what the next ones will be like 😏. When in doubt, I’m heading back in a month :P

That’s what I told the cops who barred my access—"I don’t care, Marie Jo will show me around." 🤷‍♀️ I would’ve loved wandering almost alone in the middle of it all, but the surrounding decay would’ve saddened me too! I’m going to write to Neemrana to ask them to restore all this 😊

You’ve got some connections, don’t you, the fancy one! Not always hanging out with the country folk, huh?!!!🤪

I have to admit, for the price of an Ibis in France, I love treating myself Marie Jo 😂

Alright, step-lovers and everyone else too—lace up your sneakers and follow me... here we go!!

I head to the market and continue to Raniji Ki Baori, a stepwell built in 1699. Bundi is a city with several *baoris*. This one is the largest, with about 50 steps. This year, it’s quite full, so you can’t really get a sense of its depth. At the entrance, there are four pillars decorated with elephants. The entrance is now paid (350 Rs), and the price includes entry to the cenotaph with 84 pillars and the museum where Kipling wrote *The Jungle Book*. The ticket is valid for 2 days.



There’s a lot of water this year, so it’s less impressive.



500 meters further, I reach Dhabhai Kund, still free to enter—a stepwell with over 700 symmetrical steps. At the entrance, two *chhatris*.



I ask these gentlemen for directions to Nahar Dhunkki Baori.



It’s really pretty and not well-known, this *baori*.





The cenotaph with 84 pillars isn’t far away.





I head back to the market in search of a *dhaba* that’ll become my go-to lunch spot in Bundi.

" I really enjoy treating myself " and you're absolutely right, Christelle😛

Unfortunately, we’ve reached the age where long-haul trips are behind us, especially to a country like India. From now on, our travels will be limited to Europe (Milan, Parma, Mantua, and Cremona in two months). You’ve got to roll with the times... 😉

I don’t remember if Bundi Palace was paid entry, but I do remember we were the only visitors. I recognize the beautiful fresco of the tree where Krishna stole the gopis’ clothes. From what you’ve shown, I’m happy to see the palace has been renovated—sixteen years ago, it was in pretty rough shape. We have great memories of that city.

Wishing you another wonderful trip to India! 🙂

"Unfortunately, we’ve reached the age where long-haul trips are behind us," I’ve really got to make the most of the time I have left—it flies by so fast! 😢😵‍💫😵‍💫

"I remember we were the only visitors" I never saw many people there either. If you're interested, there’s a gorgeous book on the paintings: *Mural Paintings of Bundi in Rajasthan* – Beautiful Book

Milo Cleveland Beach

Hilde Lauwaert (Photographer), Winne Gobyn (Photographer)

A bit pricey, but really stunning

We’ll be in Bundi soon and we’re gonna walk in your footsteps 😊 since we didn’t see those baoris last time. Thanks so much Marie Jo

We’ll be in Bundi soon and we’re gonna walk in your footsteps 😊 since we didn’t see those baoris last time.

I haven’t finished exploring Bundi and its surroundings yet. I’ll give you some ideas.

I'm in! 😊

Hello

Thanks for the book reference. Unfortunately, the book is out of print.

In the "art books" category, I treated myself for Christmas to the latest volume from Citadelle/Mazenod publishers: Mughal Arts. A stunning book, very comprehensive, edited by Corinne Lefèvre, a specialist in Muslim India.

But the book is out of print.

It seems it might still be possible to find it. Amazon.fr - The Murals of Bundi in Rajasthan - Hidden Treasures - Beach, Milo, Lauwaert, Hilde - Books

Rare art book: The Murals of Bundi in Rajasthan - Books

Thanks for the clarification! 🙂

You were faster—I’d seen it was on Amazon. Thanks

Thanks Michel for the tips in that beautiful book. Knowing me, I won’t be able to resist for long—plus, I love Mughal art.