This Jaipur-At A Glance

An old man in the Central Park of Jaipur

Listed here below are some of the important posts about the city of Jaipur on this Blog for your ready reference.

Museums

Shopping

Jaipur By Night

Books

Clubs

Gardens

Morning Walk

Birding

Thikana Govind Devji

Libraries

Jantar Mantar

Around Jaipur

Some Recipes

Jaipur Marriages

Where to Eat-1

Where To Eat-2

Karan’s Guesthouse

An Appeal

Please take a minute to read this post from Give India Foundation Incorporated, a trusted and credible NGO in India since 1999. To cast your vote on facebook please visit  here .Please click to visit their official website and their Blog for more information.You can email them at giveindiachase@gmail.com for any queries.

Cast Your Vote Now! Every Vote Counts!

You have to vote before 22nd January 2010.

The Issue

Children have the right to study and enjoy their childhood. However 50% of school age children in India are not in school today. It is estimated that there are anywhere between 10-20 mn children working as labourers in hazardous industries and being exploited when they should be learning and playing.

Education is the only  key to unlocking these  children’s future, the key which will allow them to lead a dignified and financially independent adult life.

The Plan

GIVE Foundation will use the $1mn grant to for educational sponsorships costing $43 per child per year thus providing access to education to more than 20,000 children through our partner NGOs. All partner NGOs have undergone due diligence, and are highly transparent and credible organizations. They are located across India and provide access to education to underprivileged children, including the girl child, tribal children and children from remote rural areas.

However, so that your vote COUNTS and goes FURTHER we will take the balance of about $90,000 and run a matching campaign that raises an additional $1mn from individual donors. This balance will also help meet the operating costs of running this program, including costs of project monitoring, and tracking including regular quarterly updates.

Each $43 sponsorship will provide books, school bags and uniforms to the children as well as the education i.e. teachers salaries and other costs to ensure a quality education.

The Outcome

More than 20,000 children will be educated for a year with the grant support. In addition over 20,000 children will be educated for a year through matching donations raised from individuals, thus ensuring that in all, more than 40,000 children are educated.

The program aims to make the underprivileged children of India self-reliant and independent by providing them a mainstream education. It is a movement to strengthen the future of the nation, an attempt towards a better life.

Each child we help is one less child that has to work for a living; one less child that has to experience illiteracy; one less child that has no hope for the future.

We believe that there are enough people who want to see this happen, enough people to ensure that we get 40,000 votes that will in turn help to educate 40,000 children. One VOTE = one CHILD!

Vote here : http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/338730

Blog:  http://blog.giveindia.org

Website: http://www.giveindia.org

e.mail:  giveindiachase@gmail.com

Basant

The 6 seasons of the Indian year are as follows:

Grisham- Summer-April & May are Dry & Hot.

Varsha- Monsoon- June & July are Wet and Humid.The landscape around Jaipur turns  green.

Sharad August & September are less hot

Hemant- October & November are the start of winter

Shishir – December & January are Cold. Winter has set in.

Basant-Spring – February & March Not too hot not & too cold.

A Mustard Field in Full Bloom

Basant officially starts after Basant Panchmi or Rishi Panchmi ( 5th day of the Magh month), the day  when  goddess Saraswati was born and  is worshiped with  Lord Sri Krsihna and Kamdev and his wife Rati .Goddess Saraswati is the goddess  of  knowledge, art  & music. The goddess is dressed in white and her vahan are white swan and peacock. In her hands She holds a veeana, a book and a string of beads.She is worshipped in three roops, Maha Sarawati,Maha lakshmi and Maha kali.These are the three roops worshiped in the caves of  Vaishno Devi. People dress up in yellow to worship her and offer her yellow sweets and flowers and lotus.  It is the most auspicious day  to get married also. And people do so too in large numbers.

Basant  is the king of all  seasons. This is when nature rejuvenates itself. Taking a cue from nature hearts of all  men and women sing the joyous songs of life. Suffice it to say here that great  writers and poets in India and abroad have written panegyric after panegyric in praise of this season, in particular. Bihari and Padmakar,two poets from Jaipur, writing in Brijbhasa, have outdone themselves in describing basant.

On this day the idols in the Govind Dev Ji’s Temple wear yellow also.

Holi is its  main festival.

It was Rishi Panchmi when Lord Sri Ram graced  Shabri mata’s hut with his presence. He was on his way to find Goddess Sita.

In 1192 A.D. on Basant Panchami Prithviraj Chauhan and poet Chandbardai stabbed each other to death after a blind  Prithviraj Chauhan had killed Mohammed Gahori  in his own citadel.

In 1872 on Basant Panchami Guru Ram Singh Kuka was  apprehended by the British Forces and  sent to Burma to be incarcerated till death in 1885  in the Mandalay Prison.

Hand Made Paper

They are able to make hand made paper from the strangest of things.At the Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI), Sanganer in 1999 they succeeded  to make hand made paper from banana fibre even though they have to get the fibre from Assam, Tamilnadu, Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, and Karnatak. But the paper produced is of such high quality that it can last for 700 years. KNHPI  were able to produce thin tissue paper weighing just 10 gms per square mts. This paper is used to preserve ancient manuscripts, paintings and documents as a laminate.

In Sanganer they usually make paper from hosiery fibre. But hand made paper can be made from fibre of pine, jute/jute waste  and  bhimal (Grewia oxysporia) -a  fibre brought in  from the himalayas. Hand made paper  is even made from elephant poop. The finished product goes under the brand name of Haathi Chaap.  Shredded currency waste and Bodha grass from Andhra Pradesh is also used  to make hand made paper. They are making paper from Akda ( calatropis  procera). This plant is widely available in Rajasthan.

Calotropis procera- Akada

These papers are environment friendly also as they are biodegradable and produce little waste during manufature as the water etc used to process the raw material is used again and again.

This paper is used to make diaries, Bangle Boxes, Carry bags, Photo frames, envelopes, jewelery boxes, lamps, cards, makeup boxes,  handsome gift packing boxes, visiting cards and wedding cards. There is a huge demand for these products in developed countries which is met through exports. Jaipur is the leading exporter of handmade paper.Next are U.P. Pondichery and Haryana. However local people do not show much interest in using these products. Need of the hour is to promote these products locally also.

Hand made Paper Craftsmen came to India in 1522 A.D. with Babur from Bulkh Bukhara. Emperor Akbar sent 2 families of Paper Master craftsmen to Amber. On advise of Sawai Jai Singh ji they settled in Sanganer in the year 1728 A.D. These families came to be known as the kagzis.

Some handmade paper products can be bought at the Dharti Dhan Shop in between the Police Memorial and Narain Singh Circle and at the Ratan Papers, Papriwal Cottage on Ajmer Road( 0141-2222392).Kagzi’s, Sitapura (0141-2770718).

Beautification Of The Streets Of Jaipur

In any modern city you will see  ugly places left over by modern flyovers or circles made to regulate traffic. They are inevitable by product of modernization. A consequence of a large number of people living together.It has become so that we do not notice the eyesores  any more.   For some time now the Government of Rajasthan and JDA (Jaipur Development Authority) have been going to great lengths  to beautify these eyesores. They  can not get rid of them but they can hide them a little. They can divert the attention of the public from something ugly to a thing of beauty, a work of art.  They have had the walls of flyover painted with traditional paintings, on  some mural have been put , on some mandanas have been painted. On the island made by the circles they have put up sculptures depicting rajasthani  culture.

The Peacock Garden in Malvea Nagar was one of the first space left over by the flyover to be beautified by having a garden developed and mandanas painted and carved stone chatris with sculptures of  life size  peacocks made of fiber installed.The peacock sculptures have been made by Mr.Raj Kumar Pandit who is based in Jaipur. His some other works gracing the city of Jaipur are Ashok Stambh at the Vidhan Sabha and the statue of Vallabh Bhai Patel at the Secriteriat.

In continuation of this trend JDA has earmarked other circles to install sculptures at. The circles earmarked are near Lakshmi Mandir, near Rajmahal and in front of BJP office on Sardar Patel Marg. There will be 31 statue of metal made from a mixture of 8 metalas (Ashta  dhatu). The themes will be rajasthani dress, Jaipur festival and Holi dance. They will cost about rupees 1.5 crores.

These efforts are laudable. But people have defaced the painted walls where they could reach them and  there have been instances of statues being stolen. These statues are works of art and valuable public property. In my opinion the JDA  is  justified in guarding them. Maybe they ought  to  have them insured for what they are,works of art, and to put the onus of their safety on the insurance company.The cost  will be justified too  as works of art appreciate over time.

The Peacock sculpture, Chatri & the mandanas painted on the flyover.

Jaipur Blue

Sawai Jai Singh Ji I brought the art of Blue Pottery to Jaipur in 1727 and Sawai Ram Singh ji II patronized the art  and Rajmata Gayatri Devi revived the art in 1960s before it could fade away. Today Blue Pottery of Jaipur has come a long way with the help of government organizations like RUDA (Rural Non Farm Agency),Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI),  non government agencies,artists,artisans,and businesses like Neerja International and the ordinary people for whom the charm of Jaipur Blue has endured over the years.Due to the efforts of all these people Blue pottery of Jaipur  has been granted Geographical Indication (GI) status under the GI Act by the GI Registry in Chennai. This status comes with a unique Registered  Logo with which all blue pottery produced in the Jaipur District will be branded.

Some 400 families in Jaipur and nearby villages like Sanganer, nevta, Muhana, Mahalan and Kotjewar  are actively involved in producing these art works. The body is completely hand made by Quartz and normal glass and the designs are sketched by hand before being colored in by specially developed colors which do not fade with use. Cobalt oxide produces the blue color. Jaipur climate is uniquely suited for producing this variety of pottery.Now a days according to WTO guidelines  100% lead free pottery is being produced. So the Jaipur Blue item can be put to day to day use.

There is no doubt that Jaipur Blue pottery items are works of art because artists like Ms.Meenakshi Rathore and Mr.Prabhu Dayal Yadav are depicting scenes from the lives of  Lord Budha and Mahaveer Swami and the local folk stories.

Photographing Monuments Of Jaipur

Light plays a big role in making a photo stand out. Golden hours are the sunrise and the sunset.When shooting monuments you have to know where the sun will be at a given time.

It is a good idea to start the day at the Amber Fort because the rising sun illuminates the Fort and you can have early morning darshan at the  Silla Mata Temple.You can not take pictures around the temple and the palaces will open later on.You should concentrate on the exterior of the Fort only. If you want you can take pictures or make a video   riding an elephant to the top of the hillock. One tourist tweeted from her smart phone while riding an elephant up to the Amber Palace. She wanted to be the first to do so.

Now you have a choice either you can wait for the Amber Palace to open to photograph the interiors and then visit the Jaigarh Fort for taking pictures of the Jaigarh Fort and the Cannons and to take pictures of Jaipur and Amber fort from the Jaigarh Fort OR you can head back to Jaipur and take pictures of the Jal Mahal Palace in the Man Sagar Lake against the rising sun and take pictures of  the facade of Hawamahal bathed in the early morning sun light.

Later on around noon you can take photos of the Jantar Mantar, Isar Lat  & the  City Palace. If the spirit moves you you can climb the Victory Tower after paying a small fee and take pictures of the Nahargarh Fort from there.

On your way to the Nahargarh you can take pictures of Jal Mahal from high up.

If you do not mind heights you can even book an early morning hot air balloon ride  to take pictures of the city from high up.

Sisodia Rani ka Bagh has to be captured in your camera in the morning. In the evening you will be shooting the palace against the light. Central Park is nice in the evening.The facade of the B.M.Birla Conference venue on the Statue Circle  is best shot in the setting sun. The founder of Jaipur’s  Statue stands tall at the Statue Circle.You can take its picture also now.

Spicy Egg Curry

Serves: 2 persons
Time Taken :30 minutes
Ingredients :
4 Hard Boiled Eggs
2 Medium Onions Minced
2 Tomatoes Minced
4 Green Chillies Minced
2 Tea Spoons of Garlic Paste
2 Tea Spoons of Ginger Paste

2 Tea Spoon of Red Chillies

1 Tea Spoon of Coriander Powder

1/2 Tea Spoon Turmeric Powder
Some minced green coriander leaves for garnishing
1/2 tea Spoon of Roasted Cumin (Jeera) Powder
200 gms Curd
1 Cube of Maggi Chicken Stock
1/2 Tea Spoon Salt OR to taste (Remember there is some salt and pepper in the chicken cube too)
6 Table Spoons Of Soya Oil

METHOD:
A simple curry for the eggetarians & the non-vegetarians among us.It does not take much time to prepare.But is a delicious substitute to a non vegetarian dish.
Put the four eggs to boil in a pot of water for 15 minutes.
Heat up the oil in a wok and fry the onions in it on low heat till the onions are a little brown.Add the minced tomatoes in the Wok and fry some more.Now add the garlic and the ginger paste and fry some more.Add the Red chillies,Coriander powder, Roasted Cumin Powder,turmeric powder and Salt with a cup of water to the mixture and cook it till the oil starts to bubble.Stir in the curd.Keep stirring the mixture  on high flame till the mixture starts to boil.Add the chicken cube.See that it dissolves in the mixture.
Add the green chillies.Cook the mixture on low heat till it is oily red in color.
Cut the 4  boiled eggs in 2 halves each  and add to the curry.
Garnish with minced green coriander leaves and serve with hot chapatis.

Makar Sakranti

Four Days After The Kite Festival

Every year at dawn on the 14th January a lot of people of Jaipur go to the Galtaji for a dip and there after give alms and donate blankets to the poor and feed cows green fodder and grain to the pigeons. Later in the day children and adults alike get on the roof top of their houses and fly multicolored kites, play blaring bollywood music and eat dal ke pakoras, revaries, gazak, phinie and til ke ladoos. One and only aim is to cut as many kites as possible. Food , body functions etc. can wait. The street urchins have a busy day as they try to collect as many cut kites as possible without any regard for their life or limb. The serious kite enthusiasts get invited to a home in the walled as that is where the real action is going to be.
A day before 14th January young and old alike shop for kites and string ( Sadda & Manjha) to fly them with.Budgets are the least of the constraints. Kites come in all colors and all shapes and sizes. They are even made of thin plastic sheets. Companies have their messages put on kites and on some photos of film stars are used to attract customers.There are even chinese made kites being sold in the markets.The master craftsmen who make kites and manjhas have been doing it for generations.
Once the booty is brought home the kites are readied for the next days action by stringing the kites and putting manjha on a sadda charkhy. Nobody wants to waste a single moment of the precious day on mundane details. There is a huge demand for black colored manjha as it is thought to have legendary powers to cut oppositions kites. Chinese manjha is to be avoided as it is coated with metal powder and can conduct electricity and can disrupt power supply if it falls on naked high tension lines.
Kite flying is simple enough if there is some wind blowing and somebody preps the kite for you. Long months of wasted youth flying kites are needed to learn the art of cutting the other guys kites. But once you get the knack every year 14th January will see you on your roof top enjoying the highs and lows of kite flying Jaipur style.
In 1878 Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh ji started the practice of flying kites on Makar Sakranti. Preparation for the festival would start 2 months before the festival date. Master craftsmen from Bareily & Ahemdabad were called to make manjha and kites.The Royals used to fly kites made of silver and gold and their charkhis used to be inlaid with gems. Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh ji was also a great kite flying enthusiast. His kite collection is on display in the City Palace Museum even today.There is mention of Lord Ram having flown a kite in Ramchrita Manas of Tulsidasji.
A couple of things to keep in mind when flying kites this 14th is to say no to manjha of any kind and to take good care of ones self. Because accidents do happen. Remember there will be other sankrats. There will be other kites to fly. And the manjha can seriously hurt the birds sharing the sky with your kites. If we will not be considerate of our feathered friends who will be.

The Bullet Riders

The Bullet Riders From Belgium

Corraled

In December 2009  a team of four Belgians namely Versprille Nicoas, Crispyn Ann, Fruytier Els and De Mol Alain arrived in Jaipur at the  Karan’s Guesthouse from New Delhi on their way to Agra and back to Delhi. Versprille Nicoas and Crispyn Ann were on their second visit to the Guesthouse. Their first visit was in November 2006. This time around they decided to spice up the trip by doing the Golden Triangle Circuit  on Bullet Royal Enfield Motor-cycles. When they arrived at  the guesthouse the racket the four motorcycles made  had to be heard to be believed. The magic of the Bullet’s beat never palls. It has enthralled generations from all countries.After a 2 night stay they left for Dausa on Jaipur-Agra-Highway to visit Abhaneri and the haunted ruins of  Bhangarh.