Throwback to golden times, a sense of what’s real Rajasthan
It was our last morning in the village of Jaipura, around 40 km away from the city of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. We were staying at Saffronstays Jaipura Garh, erstwhile home of the Jagir of Jaipura, who was gifted this land by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I. We were aware of this royal lineage before we got here. Obviously, being surrounded by history and luxury were a given.
The rooms too had the same attention to detail
If not, just be. In the open courtyards with the neem tree as a witness. Choose to have all the time in the world to just live that moment.
Riding a camel through, a glimpse of rural real Rajasthan
And just outside was a whole lot of “real Rajasthan” to be discovered. We had got a glimpse of it as we drove in through the mustard fields and mud houses. Nathu and Mukesh gave us a more intimate look at this life when they came to pick us up at Jaipura Garh.
From that close distance now, we saw the fine artwork on Mukesh’s hair. There were coloured flowers cut out on his back, even his tail was shaped to look like a braid. Nathu was very proud of these designs on his camels and said there was more work left to be done.
The kids were out playing and when we asked them if they wanted to race with the camel, they all started running behind us, some naughty ones even trying to get on the cart.
How good an artist are you?
A potter from Sevapura – the only one in the nearby villages was waiting for us at Jaipura Garh. He had brought his potter’s wheel and mud. As pots in various shapes and sizes came off his skilled and trained hands, it all appeared really simple.
One by one, we all tried our hand at it. One by one, we all failed. Slowly but surely, the mound of mud on the wheel reduced and that of discarded mud increased. “It’ll take some more practice”, we all consoled ourselves.
The potter was unfazed and in the dwindling twilight and increasing cold he created masterpieces like a pot within a pot, a long slim vase, a lamp and many more. Despite our miserable failures, the art of pottery charmed us. The soothing feel of the rotating mud gently pressing against your fingers is rather therapeutic. This one goes on the list of skills we wish to master!
We had been loitering with the artists on the lawns of Jaipura Garh, while the stage was being set inside. We soon took our seats on the soft cushioned beds in the courtyard of Jaipura Garh. The chill in the air was just right for a round of piping hot soup.
Men in colourful turbans set the tone of the evening. Rhythmic beats filled the air. And then she walked in, gracefully. Turned to the musicians and smiled. One look at us told us, “be ready to be mesmerised”.
Let’s not even talk about the food at Jaipura Garh
From morning to evening, be prepared for your taste buds to be assaulted with flavour. The chef at Jaipura Garh is at the top of his game!
Life is good!
Tips for exploring the real Rajasthan at Jaipura Garh
- Saffronstays Jaipura Garh is a perfect place to stay to experience the royalty, that’s projected as the essence of Rajasthan as well as the local life of rural Rajasthan.
- Located just 40 km from Jaipur, you aren’t exactly “cut off”. But you are sufficiently away to breathe the clean air and admire the dark skies. Stargazers, take note – it’s a star-studded view!
- There is enough to do or not within Jaipura Garh. You can fill up your day with activities like camel rides and art and dance performances, play a game chess or ludo or just revel on the swing under the tree.
If this is your first time around Jaipur, you can also do a day trip to the city to explore all the tourist attraction in Jaipur in a day.
This woman from the village of Jaipura in Rajasthan definitely did!
“Next time, stay with us”, were his parting words.
Doesn’t the boy with the red shawl look like Spiderman? He was super delighted when we told him this and started checking if he could release the web!
13 thoughts on “Offbeat Rajasthan: A touch of real at Jaipura Garh”
awesome thanks for showing real rajasthan keep writing & posting
OMG, Loved all that you shared and the photos were amazing.
This is an amazing article. An outstanding planner for travelers. I am a travel enthusiast and next month I am going on a trip to Jaipur with my friends. We are planning to make a road trip from Kolkata to Jaipur. We are going to visit many places an in Rajasthan as well. We are taking 8 bikes on rent. I am super excited for this trip. And the way you’ve described, will definitely visit Jaipura garh. Can’t wait any longer to be there. I’ve got ultimate motivation from this article.
Beautiful, as always! Chetan bhai’s pictures are like ‘icing on the cake.’ Next time you guys have to come home and stay.
Shubham
The Spam filter of wordpress probably went binge drinking and sent your comment in Spam. Next time we are travelling to Rajasthan, we are making sure you are around!
Love the pictures! Mustard fields are a delight and so is Rajasthan. At any given point of time, I’d love to go to Rajasthan. Despite my numerous visits, it never fails to amaze. The rural arty villages, the intricate details, the doors, the luxury, the food everything is just so perfect! 🙂 This looks like a memorable stay : good one by SaffronStays. Luxury plus a taste of the rural lifestyle!
We haven’t yet gone deep into Rajasthan, I guess we are just keeping it slow – like a bite of your favourite sweet that you eat slowly to savour every bit of the flavour 🙂
The Saffronstays experience was just perfect – giving us a glimpse of everything that’s an identity of Rajasthan.
Loved the photo treat…..what a beauty presented. Thanks for sharing.
Now i became a fan of your website. i love the photographs. its live. thanks for sharing.
I am travelling to Jaipur in Feb..after reading your article , I’m too tempted to explore jaipuragarh and ditch the city;)
Hey Deepa, that’s the beauty of Jaipura Garh. You can stay in these peaceful, rustic yet luxurious surroundings of Jaipura Garh and still explore the main Jaipur city. Let us know if you need any other information.
Excellently written, because of the first hand experience and interaction with locals. Supported by beautiful photos. Enjoyable reading!
People in the village, as well as Jaipura Garh, were just so warm and friendly!