[2019]
[2019]
OUR FAMILY HOLIDAYS
9202 Jodhpur via the Jain Temple at Ranakpur
From Udaipur we drove across to Jodhpur. I suppose we could have flown across, but the highlight of the journey by road -- indeed for me the highlight of the whole tour -- was to see the Jain temple in the middle of nowhere, at Ranakpur. It was a wonderful building, built out of pure white marble.
It was open to the elements, providing shade only, and was inhabited by beautifully coloured parrots. But it had a marvellous freedom in its architecture and -- along with the Jain religion itself (which is very similar to Buddhism in many respects) - it made a great impression on me.
Jodhpur itself was notable just for the palace. Set up on top of a hill it towered over the town. It was very Indian, with red handprints on the wall as you entered -- these being the handprints of wives who had committed suttee. The Palace itself was rather sombre, but spectacular.
Just as spectacular was our hotel, which was the Palace of the Rajah, which he built when he moved from the original fort. It was absolutely enormous, with a dome seemingly almost as big as that of St Paul's. The Rajah still lives in it, or rather in half of it. The deal with the Indian government had been that the Rajahs kept their palaces as long as they turned them into hotels. This was a hotel par excellence.
Our bedroom, with en-suite and sitting-room, was sombre; furnished with the Rajah's own furnishings -- including massive family portraits. The dining-room had to be seen to be believed, since it must have been the previous ballroom. Having your breakfast in those circumstances was quite an experience.
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