India 6 - Chittergarth, Bijaipur, Pushkar, Jaipur

Chittaurgarh, Castle Bijaipur, Rajasthan, India - 31st Oct 2011

Chittaurgarth Gates

Journeying across the plains watching the fields of cotton swish past (and taking the usual sharp intakes of breath, when accidentally looking at the antics of approaching, and passing, traffic) the rocky outcrop of Chittaurgarh Fort rises up to dominate the small city below it. Abandoned in the 17^th Century when the Rajput Mewars suffered a particularly bloody defeat at the hands of the Moghul Emperor Akbar, when the men rode out to death and the women walked into a burning pyre rather than be taken prisoner. It still has fantastic ruins that run the whole length of the hill.

Chittaurgarth Tank

There are 7 approach gates to go through to get to the entrance and there is a small village just inside selling pilgrim wares and some food. Still standing is the Tower of Victory built in the 1450s to celebrate a Rajput victory over a Moghul aggressor – 9 stories high and covered in carvings.

There are a set of beautiful temples – some still in use, and lots of Indian tourists and also pilgrims paying homage at the fresh water spring housed in one of them. There are many tanks and wells so water was not a problem when under siege. However, as the whole city was housed on this hill there was no area for growing crops and the fort was taken in the end because of starvation. The views around are fabulous.

Tower of Victory

Detail of the day: The guide will deliver his information to you forcefully – whether you want to hear it or not and you have to be very firm about what you want to see and what you want him to tell you – tricky when you're being English and diffident!

The magnificence and wealth that these bygone dynasties is shown clearly in the huge scale of this place with the remains of palaces containing huge halls and chambers, temples and carvings.

We moved on through slow and quiet country roads observing the rural life and the dress of the people that alters as you move through the state, for instance here the turban is larger, wobblier and often bright red.

The Bijaipur Ommmmmm

We reached the feudal village and Castle Bijaipur - 16^th century, walled, huge entrance gate and curved entrance way so that intruders would not have a straight way through. We were greeted with garlands of marigolds and a red 'tikka' put on our foreheads, drummers and pipers and led into the central courtyard. It is a very good hotel now and the owner mingles with guests at pre dinner drinks on the lawn, while being entertained with singers and dancers, before eating at tables round the swimming pool. 

Castle Bijaipur

 Although it is a hotel it is still a family home and the usual retainers and families are in evidence and that makes it laid back. Intermittent electricity and internet access can be a blessing here as people have to talk to each other instead of emailing home. We met two American women both in their late sixties who are both retired and have been teaching in Cambodia and before that one of them was in Ethiopia and they were fascinating company. To hear about their work with a VSO type organisation was inspiring.

Castle Bijaipur Courtyard

We would have liked to stay longer and explored the village and its surrounds, plus relaxing by the pool, but we only had one night and had to get on to the Camel Fair in Pushkar.

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India - 1^st Nov 2011

Camels

Thousands of camels, cattle, buffalo, oxen and horses, all for sale, spread around the edge of this small town with the sacred lake at it's centre. Of course the camel area is the first one we are drawn to – they are everywhere! Men are bargaining – very few women here. Teeth, hair, legs and temperament are being closely examined and discussions go on a long time. Meanwhile some camels are being prepared for a parade and having patterns cut into their wool. Black kohl and red dye patterns are drawn on them and the kohl is put around their eyes – so alluring! There are people here from all over Rajasthan wearing their own style of dress and jewellery and of course their special style and colour of turban. The dust created is choking and the heat is intense but you have to keep looking round as it is so interesting.

A Tourist

There is one further very special breed that visits Pushkar for the fair and that is the western tourist and we fall right into that demographic. Red of face, dripping with sweat, wearing all manner of strange clothes, and of course, hats of extraordinary design and shape. This breed gets in the way of camel and horse trading and equally is also the main trade of the hoteliers and tented camp owners round the outskirts. Thronging the bazaar at night to purchase all manner of bags, beads and boxes. They ride on camel carts all day to and from their hotels and camps. They must be a source of huge income, not to say amusement, for the inhabitants of this town. Everyone seems content with the arrangement so it's fairly relaxed – in it's own way.

A Horse

The horses must get a special mention. They are a particular breed in this part of the country. Hardy yet beautiful. Resistant to ailments and with the tips of their ears curving over at the top. The pure white ones are the most highly prized, but they come in all colours and combinations. The white ones are hired out for grooms to ride to their wedding on and the wedding season is about to start.

Pilgrims are also here as this is a religious festival too and during this time no meat, fish, eggs, dairy or alcohol are allowed in the town. The temple bells ring all the time and chanting wafts up to you constantly. Incense burns in the bazaar and the local wide-boy drug dealer, with a sensational hair cut and dark glasses, zooms up and down on an expensive motorbike in the narrow streets far too fast, delivering hash to the backpacker contingent with a flourish – very tempted to put a string across the lane as he approaches too fast and watch him tumble, however, this does not occur.

Birthday, Pushkar

Celia's 56^th birthday spent watching the sun set over the sacred lake from a roof top cafe. Small votive lights start to appear on the ghats and gradually hundreds appear as darkness falls. Meanwhile – joy of joys – the cafe owner confirms they have beer available – John ecstatic. However, you have to keep the bottle out of sight. 

Pushkar Ghats

 The waiters are watching all the time in case they get raided. Down in the street there is a slight commotion and a group of about 20 very smart young policewomen come through the bazaar and the waiters make sure all the bottles are hidden from view. The police pass on into the ghats and temples on the lake side and normal service is resumed. A young Polish man we are chatting to tells us the food is good but we saw the kitchen on the way up! The cafe is unremittingly filthy as is most of Pushkar – so Celia settles for a bottle of Sprite and and a straw and the view more than makes up for the lack of a gin and tonic.

Pushkar Camping

Our first night was spent in a hotel we had booked in the UK a couple of months back. It was dingy and unpleasant and our poor driver was put in what looked like an old stable. 

Intense

We called the wonderful Chandrashekar and asked him to put us where he would  have recommended if he was organising Pushkar and we were whisked off to a tented camp where you are reminded of colonial era military camps, with everything just so. You expect a man in uniform and a solar topee to appear at any moment. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included and we are thoroughly spoilt for the next two days. Our driver, Vinod, also much happier with his accommodation.

Pushkar Fair Dancers

Camel races (plural) were advertised. We waited around for ages and eventually a huge entourage of cars arrived with 'The Minister', police, dignitaries and holy men – long speeches and longer blessings. Next came the troupe of school children all dressed in folk costume to dance for us. That was very entertaining and then they all sat round us to watch the rest of the events. 

Camel Race

Then the camels arrived ridden by young men and line up and they're off! Twice round the sand floored stadium and that's it. It was exciting but we wanted more, but there was none to be had.

Where's the Tunnel of Goats?

Next event was the Pushkar football team versus the rest of the world, a group of tourists volunteered from the watching crowd including a promising girl left winger. Playing on sand for the first and last time in 90 degree heat, they were soundly beaten, so we went and watched the horses being ridden up and and down back at the trading area and observed the deals being made. 

Pushkar Dawn

 There is also a fun fair with a big wheel – not going on that after seeing it being put up, the elf of safety does not visit here very often. We retreat exhausted to our tents and drink tea like lords of the desert. Woke next morning to the familiar sound of hot air balloons (they make them in Bristol) and the bizarre visual cocktail of dawn, camels, tents, palms and balloons.


Jaipur, Rajasthan, India - 4^th - 6^th Nov 2011

Amber Fort, Jaipur

A shorter journey to Jaipur – the state capital. It has a real buzz and energy about it. The Madhuban Hotel was a large 'haveli' house with a lovely garden and good rooms, run by a husband and wife team and it was gleaming. The lady of the house clearly supervised in the kitchen and the food was really good. Tea was provided on the lawn in the afternoon for the footsore tourist, was breakfast in the mornings.

A Elephant

Visited the huge Amber fort outside Jaipur – where elephants take tourists up and down all morning – it's a great site but we didn't do the elephant ride – seemed a bit daft.  Immense, imposing and richly decorated - and that's just the elephants - the fort is spectacular.  

Royal Long Drops

Particularly enjoyed being shown the royal and ancient Khasi, of the long-drop variety, that we were assured had been in use until recent times.  It certainly had the right odour to it.  It contained a royal seat in the middle and a minor throne each side for his body guards.  It was part of a bath and steam complex with a sophisticated hypocaust system.  Beautiful painted decorations adorn the entrance ways and walls, depicting flowers and birds.

Jaipur Palace

Then we went to the Maharajah's palace in the city – it covers a vast area of the walled town and he and his family still live in a big chunk of it and the rest is open to the public. Intricate mirrored walls and ceilings would have candles in many niches round the walls at night to reflect and mimic the stars – quite fabulous.

Lake Palace, Jaipur

It is very busy with tourists compared to the more remote palaces we have seen but still enjoyable. Had to ask the guide to let us look at the rooms on our own as feeling a bit beaten down by the information – he kindly obliged.


A highlight was going to Jantar Mantar Observatory. It is an open air park full of vast astronomical instruments. Built in stone with marble facing by Jai Singh in the 1720s, they calculate the movement of the planets and measure time by the positions of the sun, moon and stars. They were and are used for astrological purposes and to this day every child born in India has their own star chart.

16:05 Jantar Mantar

Celia is a Scorpio!

Delhi - 7^th Nov 2011

We returned to Delhi on a Volvo AC coach. White knuckle ride in places – best not to look. The driver did some quite scary things – especially when an elephant was on the highway crossing in front of us. That caused a bit of a sudden halt!  Although Indians supposedly drive on the left everybody seems to do their own thing . . . anything goes as long as they keep moving and don't hit each other. This gets interesting on the main roads where cars and trucks and coaches travel at speed negotiating hazards such as animals, pedestrians, bikes and vehicles travelling the wrong way, with the horn employed by all as a sonic force field – thank goodness for Immodium. We arrived in one piece and felt a lot more confident this time in Delhi and took an alarming but well bargained and direct auto-rickshaw to our lovely homestay at Sham Nath Villas and a delicious dinner.

Heron, Jaipur Lake

Jaipur 

Smoked Snacks Sir?

India 5 - Chandelao Garh, Ranakpur, Udaipur - Rajasthan

Chandelao Garh, Rajasthan, India - 26^th Oct 2011

Bishnoi Pit Loom

We said our goodbyes to Chandra and Bhavana and set off on our trek around southern Rajasthan, beginning with a village safari south of Jodpur to see the Bishnoi people who are weavers and potters. Watched them producing their hand thrown pots and using their traditional pit looms to produce either cotton or coconut fibre dhurries (rugs) using local vegetable dyes and patterns. 

Tea & Turbans

Our last stop was in a tiny settlement of two or three houses way off the beaten track to be shown how the locals make and drink their opium tea. The black opium resin is ground in a small wooden vessel with some water and then poured through a cotton sieve and then a finer second sieve and put back in the wooden vessel and given to you to have a sip – rather bitter taste. The growing of opium for sale is strictly controlled by the government, however, villagers grow a little for their own consumption.

Cranes from Siberia

This area is renowned for its wildlife and our driver, Vinod, knew the area and where and what to look for so we had our our little safari. We saw small, shy antelope grazing in the knee high grass and large black buck antelope with very long spiral horns. We saw many birds – herons, egrets, various kingfishers, mynahs, drongos, kites, eagles, and best of all, thousands of cranes that had migrated from Siberia and were flying down from high altitude in straggly lines and 'V's, noisily calling to each other, to roost and feed on the numerous lakes across the area.

Chandeloa Garth

Stopped overnight at Chandelao Garh. It is an 18^th century fortified manor house with a wall all around and a huge arched entranceway leading to a large courtyard with the old house sitting in the centre of it. Richly carved pillars and decorated floors give the whole place a romantic feel. The accommodation is in the old stables that surround the courtyard and have been beautifully converted – high beds and huge bathrooms.

The owner was a kind host. This is his ancestral home and his mother also lives here. He was in the tea business in Assam until ten years ago and returned because the house was falling apart and as he said 'I had to do something from the heart'. So he converted it to this beautiful truly rural retreat. We took a wander round the village late afternoon and went to the step well – that had a big turtle living in it, then on to the lake and saw lots of birds, including an owl sitting in a hole in a big tree.

Detail of the Day: As we stood looking at the beautiful scene and the sunset, a young boy came hurrying round the edge of the lake carrying a small parcel. Taking no notice of us or anyone else, he approached a small stone platform underneath the tree with the owl. On the platform was a crudely carved upright stone with a snake on it, two smaller stones each side had no carving but all showed traces of previous offerings of rice, flowers, honey, ghee and incense. The boy solemnly placed his offering of some rice in front of the snake and placed his hands together and said a short prayer. Then just as quickly as he arrived, he was gone.

Chandelao Garth Interior

We had dinner on the rooftop terrace overlooking the village and enjoyed the bangs and flashes from miles around as everyone celebrated Diwali with fireworks, plus all the temple bells and chanting. Every house was picked out with little flickering lights of candles and oil lights which had been placed along roofs and parapets to welcome Ram back from his 14 year exile. It was a magical scene enhanced by the sound of peacocks calling to each other across the hot dark plain surrounding us. Talking with the son of the owner, who is studying law in Mumbai, and who was just visiting for Diwali, I wondered how he reconciled this quiet rural life of local landowning gentry with the sophistication of the city and whether he will choose to do as his father has done and find ways to maintain the old ancestral home and help to improve the prosperity of the village and it's people.

Gathering for Tea & Opium

Just how much the people of this area value tradition was clear the next morning, when we watched all the heads of the households (all men) from the village pay a Diwali visit to the house. They were welcomed in and all sat together on a raised platform within the courtyard that is part of the entranceway to the house. The owner and his son then sat down in the most senior space and quiet conversations commenced. Everyone was dressed in the white baggy trousers and shirts, curly toed shoes and large, colourful, wobbly turbans. All the men round here have one or both ears pierced with gold rings and of course they all sport magnificent moustaches. It really is quite a sight. Then there was a flurry of activity as the staff brought them all tea and then the ceremony of preparing and dispensing opium tea for everyone commenced.

Talking to the owner about it all afterwards he was very matter of fact about what seemed to us an amazing and unusual spectacle. He explained that tea and opium was traditionally hosted by him at Diwali and Holi, two of the great festivals of India. He said that his family is not aristocratic but of the nobility, so landowners with responsibilities that are as important today as they ever were.

Sunderrang NGO

We also visited the NGO co-operative project, that is supported partly by the hotel: and the Basecamp Foundation. They have a website: www.sunderrang.com and you can see the work they produce. It is situated next door and is run by a young Indian woman who set it up two years ago. It's aims are to give women in the village a way to earn some money and to teach and maintain the traditional crafts of the area. It has extra benefits in that it puts women of different castes together and everyone is expected to help with sweeping the work room and washing up the tea cups. This may seem a small thing but it is significant and has taken a long time to encourage this behaviour – sometimes with small monetary incentives to ensure that everyone takes their turn. The men of the village now accept that the women go the centre for a few hours each day and rather like the extra money it brings to the household and have also realised that the fabric of their society and way of life has not been altered in a detrimental way. It would have been good to stay longer but the itinerary called!

Ranakpur, Rajasthan, India - 27^th Oct 2011

A long journey today – you really get the feel for how big Rajasthan is. This area has a large wildlife reserve and is partly in the Aravalli Hills, breathtakingly beautiful and quite remote.

Kumbhalgarh Fort

28^th Oct - Didn't see many other western tourists but a fair few Indian tourists. Except, of course, we ran into Dominic and Siobhan at Kumbhalgarh Fort, honeymooners we first met in Jodhpur,. This place took a long time to get to and is really off the beaten track. It is immense with 36 kilometres of walls – all still standing – wide enough to take six horses riding abreast on them. Built in the 1400s, there are seven gates on the approach and the fortified position meant that this fort was only ever taken once in it's history. It takes 30 minutes to walk from the main gate to the top and the effort is worth it for the views out in every direction. The old palace at the top is a mix of ancient right up to the mid 19^th century Durbar Hall, decorated with elephants. 

Traditional Irrigation

The tranquil surface of agricultural life that you see here belies how very hard farming is. Fields are tilled with a pair of oxen and ploughshare or dug using hand tools of a design that has not changed for a thousand years. Ancient irrigation wheels are also driven by oxen to draw water up and into the fields through a system of sluice gates. The buckets on the wheel are made of old tin cans. It is harvest time for the hay and it is being cut by hand right up the very steep hillsides and women walk down carrying loads on their heads that almost completely obscure them. Men are cutting cane with big machetes. Sesame seeds are being threshed out as well as wheat. Rice is also grown on the valley floors and many fruits are cultivated. Tasks and types of work are done by specific people and caste is dominant everywhere in this very traditional society.

Delwara Temple

Went to the 14^th century Delwara Jain temples on the way back that were thronging with Indian tourists because it is a most important pilgrimage site. There are exquisite carvings throughout this fascinating temple. On the way back our driver Vinod took us to Nakki Lake where we saw a crocodile (Mugger) – it was really exciting.


Detail of the Day: Look out for the “priest” who will put a red tika mark on your head and then demand money from you – everyone has to make a living.

Delwara Temple

Our hotel was rather indifferent – however there was a very posh resort just up the road, so we walked up there for a sundowner and enjoyed their garden and views. On the way back we saw a dead dog in the road that the goat herder was having trouble persuading his flock to pass by. He eventually managed it but it was getting dark quickly and a pack of local dogs were getting interested in the goats so he was having to throw stones at them to keep them away whilst getting his flock moving on home round this dog. By the following morning a dead jackal has joined the late dog and various kites and crows were gathering as we left.

Udaipur, Rajasthan, India - 29^th Oct 2011

Lake Palace, Udaipur

Fantastic drive to Udaipur – driving along a really good road for a change – we passed a family of nomadic camel herders on the move. Apart from the whole family, some riding on the camels, some walking, they also had their donkeys carrying their household goods and tents whilst the camels carried the bulk of the burden. The women dressed in very bright colours with large solid silver ankle bracelets.

And so we arrived in Udaipur the city of lakes where lots of people like to hold weddings. Once again we were at a home stay called Balunda House. Our hosts, Mr and Mrs Singh, have a beautiful house which is decorated with traditional painted flowers on the coving of the verandah and living and dining areas. Mrs Singh has been learning English at college – encouraged by her husband – and speaks it really well. You can tell she really relishes English conversation. A highly intelligent woman, she explained that her parents were very traditional and when she was 10 she had to give up school as her parents did not allow her to be away from home after that age. She runs an extremely good homestay and loved spoiling John with special desserts once she discovered he likes pudding!

Lunch, Lake, Udaipur

Our trip to the palace and fort the next day was thwarted by the King of Bhutan and his new bride who, as part of an extensive honeymoon tour, were visiting the Maharajah who has one of the most expensive hotels in the world. Therefore, because of security, all the main attractions were shut as they were visiting them. So we went shopping to an Indian mini supermarket and then went out of town to the Monsoon Palace up above the city. It's in a great location but is very run down as it is run by the state – so no one seems to care about it. We had lunch in a restaurant on the edge of a lake, sitting under an awning on the lawn – perfect. 

Traditional Homes, Shilpgram

We went to Shilpgram (www.shilpgram.org) an arts and crafts museum park that has full size genuine replicas of all the different styles of traditional houses in Rajasthan and also has displays of music and dancing from the different regions of state. This was really interesting – particularly the display of masks and musical instruments in the Gol building. We then went to visit some ruined temples at the side of a lake in the hills that was gorgeous. We had them all to ourselves. 

Posh Drinks

On the way back we stopped at a 5 star hotel for a drink on a magnificent terrace looking out over a lake in the hills. They were in the middle of preparing for a wedding for a German group that had taken over the whole hotel and it all looked lovely. We could see the temples we had just visited on the other side of the lake – all looks like a film set. Quite dreamy and unreal. Udaipur has a definite romance about it.

Gol Masks, Shilpgram

India 4 - Jodpur and Jaiselmer, Rajasthan

Jodpur, Rajasthan, India - 21^st Oct 2011

Jodpur Fort

Our next adventure began with an overnight sleeper train journey from Delhi to Jodhpur in Rajasthan. We arrived at a relatively calm Old Delhi station at 8pm and quickly found our platform, train and berth with ease – our names were even displayed at the entrance to the carriage. Unable to obtain 1^st class tickets – very difficult to get hold of – we had to settle for 2^nd class booking of Two Tier A/C. This means curtained areas of 4 bunks per section of a coach – John had to take the top bunk (natch). You are issued with 2 very clean sheets and pillow slip – blankets a little more dubious. The beds are seats in the day and are slightly padded and fairly comfortable. Everyone settles down – eating food, reading, chatting and the AC is blasting out so no mosquito bites – excellent. However, I did see cockroaches, but not the huge sort and so slept fairly well, just waking when the train stopped to pick up and drop off and the Chai seller was at the ready with his familiar cry “Chai Chai!”.

Inside Jaisalmer Fort

We were met at the station by the son of the Homestay in Jodhpur and whisked off to their house to a kind welcome from Chandra Shekar Singh and Mrs Bhavana Singh. Gorgeous room – perfect décor and furnishings and one of those Rajasthani beds that you need a ladder to get up to. We showered and were given a delicious breakfast of fruit, bread, eggs, cereal, fruit juice, toast, jams, chapatis and Indian breakfast to choose from and of course great tea. Then it was off to see Jodhpur Palace and the Fort – magnificent and beautifully maintained by the trust that is run by the present Maharajah, who is held in great esteem by everyone we met there. Can't adequately describe the immensity and grandeur of this place and how it dominates the landscape of the city.

Returned to our homestay for a late lunch and a rest. Our host asked us to join him for a sundowner at around 7pm and we duly attended to be given first rate gin and tonics or whatever we wished in copious amounts before dinner with great conversations on all sorts of topics. This family are related to the maharajah and had lots of family photos and portraits going way back in their very formal front room – that didn't seem to get used much. The house is traditional in style with a large interior courtyard set out with comfortable chairs and whitewashed with rooms leading off and upstairs to a further sitting area and our room. Dinner was delicious – of course.

Osian Temple + Sacred Cow 

Osian Temple Carvings

Osian - 22 Oct 

Went on a day trip to Osian and looked at 10^th century Jain temples – very beautiful. Travelled through rural landscapes of oxen ploughing fields and women harvesting crops, boys herding goats and sheep and of course the wandering cows and water buffalo, birds of prey and peacocks and plenty of birds we couldn't identify. Back at Indrashan Homestay for more sundowners and dinner with our lovely hosts.

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India - 23^rd - 24^th Oct 2011

Jaisalmer Fort

Drive to Jaisalmer, a 5 hour journey to this city that sits on the edge of the Thar desert towards the Pakistan border. Here is a living fort which is completely inhabited and functions as a village within the walled city itself. It is magnificent and very old with a warren of streets that are not wide enough for cars in many places. There is plenty of tourist tat but the setting makes up for it. We stayed in Nachna Haveli, a traditional rich merchants house in a courtyard setting, full of ornately carved doorways, heavy wooden doors and pictures of old rajahs – the owners are relatives of the royal house of Jaisalmer. This place was on the main trade routes for camel trains until Bombay was developed as a port and the railways took over. There are still lots of camels here – John very happy as he loves camels, having worked with them as a young man on a safari park back in the day.

Desert  Bartering

Late afternoon we drove out to the sand dunes at Sam about 40k west out of town. Here you are beleaguered by touts wanting you take a camel ride – see the tourists get tick bites and so on! We just drove a bit further away and took a 

walk on the dunes and watched the sunset which was spectacular. However, it is slightly surreal as there are tented tourist camps dotted all around here for people to have that desert experience.

" . . . they're very naughty boys"

Detail of the Day: watching dung beetles rolling camel dung up the dunes made John very happy – he loves a bug.Next day we toured the fort with a guide and drove to the cenotaphs on a hill overlooking the town to see the sunset. Back for dinner on the rooftop terrace of the Haveli with musicians entertaining us, looking up at the fort and looking down on the street life below – which is endlessly fascinating.

25 Oct – Return to Jodhpur

Jodpur Dusk

Went to the old city around the clock tower for a market place experience at dusk. The old and the new collide here with families cramming themselves and their shopping into the traditional two wheeled, covered, brightly painted, horse drawn tongas and cycle rickshaws, alongside the auto rickshaws, cars, buses and the huge two wheeled camel carts transporting goods. Then the streetsellers with their four wheeled hand carts selling all manner of food stuffs. Plus the scooters and motorbikes carrying whole families – five is the maximum we've seen – that is Mum, Dad, 2 children and a baby. The women all ride side saddle and sit gracefully on the pinion and don't even appear to be holding on. The noise, dust and pollution can be a little overwhelming until you get used to it. Returned to the homestay where cooking lessons were being given by Bhavana to Dominic and Siobhan – on honeymoon from the UK. It was the night before Diwali – big Hindu festival – and the gin and tonic was flowing to a background of sporadic fireworks and drumming. A very merry evening.

With Chandra, Yash & Bhavana

Can't emphasise how fantastic these homestays are. Cleanliness is outstanding as is the finish of the interiors, especially when compared to even high class hotels, where nothing quite fits or has been bodged or put in upside down or very sloppily. The reason for this excellent standard must be that women are involved in the running and organisation of homestays, whereas you never see a woman in any hotels and it really shows from the service and setting to standards of cleanliness, and of course the food.