On Jaipur-Agra Highway (NH.11) near sikandra on both sides of the high way(For approximately 6 kms)you will see an open air market -shops selling wares made out of sand stone.Their forefathers built rajasthan’s fort’s and palace’s and temples and the colonial buildings in New Delhi and else where.
Now a days they make Jali’s,pillars,idols of various gods,fountains,likeness of birds and animals in stone.They make judicious use of modern machines and artisans in their work. Their work is in great demand in the various metros of India.
There are about 500 workshops where about 7000 workers carve stones for their livelihood.Most of the artisans are from the near by villages.Some workers are from other states also.Some 100 shops sell ready to buy stone artifacts.These are the sermons in stone of master masons of Sikandra.
In theses days of nuclear families and rushed life of metros and jobs which will take you any where in India you do not have the extended family to support each other in an emergency or when you want to go on holidays.So you have to take your pet with you on a holiday too.But if you can manage it leave your pet with friends or family or a pet sitting agency.It is a good idea.Just imagine the pleasure both of you will get when you go to pick up the pet after the holiday.
Dogs come in all sizes.The bigger they are the more difficult they will be to manage in strange places and among strangers.They are just one more child of whom you have to be doubly careful.Given it is not a chore it is a pleasure to look after the gentleman who just happens to be a dog.You will never even realize when your holiday will be hijacked by your pet.All decisions will revolve around the fact whether the establishment is dog friendly or not.One disgruntled owners refusal to entertain your pet can put a cloud over the whole holiday.
Dogs do get injured on holidays.You will always have to have him on a leash.When you take him to the hotel-you will definitely want him in your room-you will have to ensure that his paws and mouth are clean,you will have to take him out twice a day, maybe even clean up after him.What if he takes a dislike to a guest or one of the staff.He can be vociferously loud in showing his displeasure.
Bring your friend on a holiday with you only as a last resort.Ensure that he has had all his shots at the Vet’s. If you have a car and a driver-it will make your life simpler on the holiday with a pet.
Why should you wake up at 6 am for a walk on a holiday even if it is in Jaipur ? This way you will get to see an early morning face of jaipur and the parks of Jaipur where you would not go otherwise in the daytime.The walk and the shower afterwards will rejuvenate you for the travails of holiday making in rest of the day.Let me motivate you.A couple walks all the way from their home to the Govind Dev Ji temple for the first Jhanki of the day once a week. And Govind Dev Ji is offered the best prasad ever- chowgani ke laddu( the ingredients for the recipe are one part gram flour four part sugar and desi ghee).The prasad is available to darshanarthis on token payment.
But where to go ? There is a garden handy in almost every colony but the places mentioned below are close to every morning walker’s heart in Jaipur.
Ram Niwas Garden
Karpoor Chandra Kulish Simriti Ban,on JLN Marg
Rose Garden On Jawahar Circle
Park near the Deer Park in C-Scheme.
Statue Circle and The Central Park
Jogging Track around the Jal Mahal
Road up to the Nahargarh and back
On the grounds of the Clubs of Jaipur (subject to the club’s Rules)
Or the road out side your hotel or guest house as it is pretty quite at 6 am.
The idea is to work up a sweat and drink in the early morning cool air. When you are on your walk be on the look out for a news paper walla he is sure to have an extra copy of your news paper.It will be Jaipur edition but still worth your time. By the time you finish it will be after 7 am.
Before you hit the shower have a cup of tea at SAHU’S tea shop or a cup of Coffee at the Statue Circle Or a lassi at the famous Lassiwalla opposite the Niros restaurant on the M.I.Road or you can have bewari poori and ram alloo at the sweet shop “Gangaur” in Bagria Bhawan( on sunday only 8 am to 11 am) or some traditional indian snacks at Rawat’s near Polo Victory cinema multiplex-after all it is a holiday.
In a guest post Ms.Vishnu Priya,a house wife in Jaipur,shares the recipe for making a rajasthani curry using Aloe Vera ( Gawar Patha ) stems as found in rajasthan or the corner Reliance Fresh Store.
Ingredients
6 Nos. Aloe Vera (Gawar Patha) leaves
1 tea spoon Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tea spoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 tea spoon Coriander Powder
A pinch of Asafoetida Powder( hing)
Salt To Taste
2 tea spoon fenugreek (Dana Methi) Seeds
2 tea spoon Saunf (aniseed)
10 gm Almonds
10 gm kismis ( raisins)
1 tea spoon Amchur ( dried green Mango powder)
2 Table Spoon Mustard Oil
After washing the Aloe leaves cut them in 1 inch pieces and boil them in water.
In a wok heat the oil till it smokes(removes the smell from the oil and cooks it).Add Heeng,Saunf,and dana methi.Just as they crackle ( on low flame) add chillies, turmeric,coriander,salt&amchur and fry the spices.Add a little water to cook the spices properly then add the boiled aloe and cook some more.Add the dry fruits.The vegetable is ready to be served.
National Research Centre On Camels,Bikaner,is situtaed 8km from the city on an arid parcel of land over 2000 acres in size.This Camel breeding farm was established in 1960( though Man domesticated Camels about 3500 years ago).It provides 50% of the nations camels.Three breeds of Camels (one humped-Camelus Dormedarius) found here are jaisalmeri (known for speed),Bikaneri(known for load carrying capacity ) & dark colored camels from gujarat.It is also researching two humped Camels-Camelus Bactrianus-found in the cold desert of Nubra Valley of Laddakh region.
NRCC has been able to cryopreserve camel semen,breed camels by artificial insemination and transfer camel embryos among other arcane research.
Research on the shelf life and the therapeutic value of camel milk has led NRCC to provide ice cream,flavoured milk,Kulfi and curd in its Milk Bar on the campus.NRCC has also developed a cosmetic cream made from camel milk.Camel bones are being used in place of Ivory.Camel leather is used to make items which are in great favour with the tourists.Foreign tourists greatly appreciate the camel and camel Cart rides.
Recently URMUL Dairy of Bikaner has launched camel milk products through RCDF in Jaipur for the general public through their Saras Milk booths.These products are of great therapeutic value in people suffering from diabetes,pain in joints and tension.In Ethiopia it is considered as an aphrodisiac.
Dairy farming of camel milk is also being done in the Sahara Desert in Africa and Dubai in Middle East.
Presently there are about 3.5 lac camels in Rajasthan.These numbers are decreasing alarmingly because of lack of fodder,grazing grounds,poor economic condition of the farmer and the fact that camels are slaughtered for its meat(tastes like rough beef) .
Maharaj Ganga Singh Ji formed the Bikaner Camel Corp which fought with the allies in both WW I( Egypt) & WW II(Middle East).Bikaner had had a camel regiment since 1945.The Corp survives today as part of the Border Security Force.
It is said that when Maharaj Pabu ji of Kolu wanted to gift his sister with some camel cows,on the occasion of her marriage, imported from Sri Lanka, he entrusted the task of delivering and day to day upkeep to Ridmal Raika. Ever since The Raikas consider the Camels as no less than their Gods.
So if you would like to do your bit to save this ship of desert- have a Glass of Camel Milk Everyday.
Ramakrishan Mission,Gautam Marg,C-Scheme,Jaipur,(0141-5118804/2228704) (rkmjaipur@bsnl.in) A major center in Rajasthan was started in April 1988 on the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya according to the cherished wish of Swami Vivekananda.Since then the center has been serving the people through different philanthropic,humanitarian,educational and cultural activities. The center has a small prayer hall,an allopathic and homeopathic dispensary,a library,a reading room and monk’s quarters.
Swamiji graced Jaipur by his august presence thrice.In 1893 he came in the company of Shri Ajit Singhji Bahadur,the Raja of Khetri, and stayed in the Khetri House near Chandpole.
Holy Mother,Sri Ma Sarada Devi,also sanctified Jaipur when she came here to have darshan of Sri Govind Dev ji.
As the present prayer hall is too small it is proposed to build a 5 Crore Rupee Temple with a seating capacity of 630 persons.The entire project cost has to come from the donations(I.T. Exempt u/s.80G.) of the generous public.
Mail your donations by Cheque or D.D. to Ramkrishan Mission,Jaipur.
6 Kms. from Bandikui railway station in Dausa District (62kms from Jaipur off Jaipur-Agra Highway) is Abhaneri-an ancient town best known nowadays for the 8th century stepwell and Harshat mata Temple.This ancient city is said to be the capital of Nikumbh Rajputs before they founded Alwar.Some 1000 years old this is one of the sites chosen for the rural tourism project by the Co-operative Department along with Bichoon( If successful this project will encompass about 26 villages in 15 districts).These villages will be known as Tourist Dhanis.
At present only day tours are proposed.Tourists will be welcomed in the rajasthani village style and offered a glimpse in the day to day life of a rajasthani villager.Their food,games,dances and songs and customs and costumes all will be on display.Far from the Five star culture of the metros this will be a unique experience for the jaded tourist of today.They will also be given bullock cart or camel cart rides.Camel/Horse safaries and overnight stays will be on request.
The main attraction of Abhaneri are Chand Baori and Harshat Mata Temple.Built by Raja Chand of Nikumbh Rajputs of Chauhan dynasty during 8th and 9th century.
The temple,built in Mahameru style-situated on a double platform, was a shrine to the standing idol of Durga which was said to be stolen some time back.The local people have installed an idol of Goddess Laxmi.A three day annual fair is held in honour of Harshat Mata.
Chand Bori-earliest step wells of Rajasthan-is the most magnificent example of architecture of india.It is about 100 feet deep and square shaped.There is a veranda on all four sides.There are steps on three sides.About 3500 in number they are steep and narrow with 13 landings.These steps produce such a psychedelic effect that it is not possible to retrace you steps.People say that a tunnel connects Chand baori with the baori in Bhandarej village and further to Bubaniya Kund in Aluda.
‘The gorgeous peacock is the glory of God’.A sanskrit verse says.It seems the poachers are only interested in its white meat and eggs and tail feathers and not in its glorifying God.Due to poaching and use of pesticides their numbers are decreasing alarmingly.So much so that the 11th bird fair in Jaipur was dedicated to the peacock to bring awareness to its plight. A census was also organised to count the actual birds.
There was a time when these birds were everywhere in the north,west and central India.It had been proclaimed the national bird so it was protected by law and according to the scriptures it was thought to be a vehicle of Goddess Saraswati( learning),Kartikeya(god of war) and Subrahmanya (god of yogic powers).
Alexander the great took back with him to Greece 200 birds and they spread to western Asia,north Africa,Europe and America.
It is said that on the peacock throne of Emperor Shah Jahan there were two figures of bejewelled peacocks.
Indian Peacock has fan shaped tips to their tail feathers and the Burmese sub species has pointed tips.The peacock unfurls these feathers to attract the pea hen.They shed all their tail feathers every year and grow new ones.
The Peacock is the first bird to sound the alarm of the approach of a tiger or a leopard in the jungle.
A Princess Remembers:The Memoirs of The Maharani of Jaipur By Gayatri Devi , Santha Rama Rau
The Last Maharaja: A biography of Sawai man Singh II,Maharaja Of Jaipur by Quentin Crewe
Building Jaipur:The Making of an Indian City By Vibhuti Sachdev
History Of The Jaipur City by Ashim k. Roy
A History Of Jaipur, C.1503-1938 by Jadunath Sarkar,Raghubir Sinh
Jaipur The Last Destination by Aman Nath,Samar Singh Jodha
Reversing The Gaze:Amar Singh’s Diary,A Colonial Subject’s Narrative of Imperial India By Amar Singh,Susanne Hoeber Rudolph,Loyd I. Rudolph and Mohan Singh Kanota
Jaipur And Its Environs by Harnath Singh Dundlod
The Relations Of Jaipur State With East India Company,1803-1858 byH.C.Batra
Notes On Jaipur ByH.L.Showers
Homage To Jaipur by Mulk Raj Anand
Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur Life And Legend by R.P.Singh,K.Raj Pal Singh
Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II Of Jaipur The Photographer Prince By Yaduendra Sahi
Jaipur Nama: Tales From The Pink City by Giles Henry Rupert Tillotson
Jaipur City Palace by Giles Henry Rupert Tillotson and Vibhuti Sachdev
