Tom's Trip to India - March/April 2012: March 21: Onto Jaipur

Leave early on private vehicles to Jaipur. Our first stop is the deserted Mughal kingdom of Fatehpur Sikri - 1.5 hrs drive. The magnificent deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, but was abandoned after 15 years due to the scarcity of water. A highlight of the settlement is Jama Masjid, a striking mosque featuring elements of both Persian and Hindu design. The main entrance of the mosque is the impressive 54 metre-high Buland Darwaza, the Gate of Victory, constructed to commemorate Akbar's military victory in Gujarat. Stop for a traditional thali lunch en route to Jaipur, a friendly, busy town crammed with palaces and bazaars full of jewellery, textiles and folk-based arts. Take a walk to the city's crowded and colourful bazaars, which sell a wide variety of artisan goods. Semi-precious stones are the local speciality. Travel out to the old capital of Amber and explore the hilltop fort complex known as the Amber Fort.Go to Jaipur's Royal City Palace - one of India's finest - and spend time exploring the various rooms and apartments. Discover the extravagance of a Bollywood blockbuster, with all the Hollywood-style elements of action, romance, drama and music (sometimes all rolled into one), at the spectacular Raj Mandir Cinema. Visit one of the five astronomical observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur. (brochure)

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We sleep late since we do not have to leave the hotel until 8 AM. A nice American breakfast makes for a good start. We travel for 1 1/2 hours to the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri. Mughal Emperor Akbar is a very interesting king in that he believed in accepting all religions equally and felt that people of faith should live in harmony. Akbar had 3 wives...a Hindu...a Muslim and a Christian. In 1563, Moghul King Akbar did not have a male child descendant so he visited a famous Sufi prophet, Shaikh Salim Christi, who prophesied that he would have a son. His prophecy came true so Akbar decided to move his capital from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri which was whereShaikh Salim Christi lived. It took 12 years to build the complex and Akbar only lived there for 4 years before moving his capital to Lahore...the problem was the lack of water to support the 100,000 people that lived in the capital city. Fatehpur Sikri is a World Heritage site which is like a western "ghost town" whose beauty is reflected by its emptiness. Two things...look at the immensity of the complex...its beauty...its symmetry...amazing that it could be built in 12 years. Secondly, the rooms were covered in beautiful carpets, gems....had hollow walls where water was used to cool the premises....a king size bed for the king and a queen size bed for the queen....we spent 3 hours visiting the complex and the operational mosque which is adjacent to the site. There are 40,000 Indians living nearby to support the tourist trade.

Main Entrance

Main Courtyard

Expansive Courtyard

King's Chair Above His CAbinet

Elephant and Crocs Stone Decorations

5 Tiered Viewing Platform

Spaces filled with Mirrors
Each Corner Had a Gem

King's King-Size Bed

Entrance - Hindu Queen's Palace

Pool Where Concerts Were He

Entrance to Mosque Complex

Mosque

In the Mosque complex, there is a white mausoleum containing the remains of the Sufi prophet, Shaikh Salim Christi. Individuals can pay for a bundle of rose pedals, a thread and silk fabric to make a request to the Sufi prophet.

Shaikh Salim Christi Crypt

Pip &Julie Making a Request

It took us 5 hours to travel from Fatehpur Sikri to Jaipur, the capital of the State of Rajasthan. Our heritage hotel in Jaipur was excellent, the Bissau Palace. One felt like a king when entering the Palace foyer and viewed the beautiful interior whose walls were covered with paintings of the days when Rajahs ruled. We had a wonderful Indian dinner served by waiters dressed in appropriate costumes. Time to go to bed early…it has been a long day of sightseeing and 7 hours on the road….tomorrow is another 8 AM day when we will visit the Amber Fort.