To
be totally honest, I was only interested in seeing Agra, because Taj Mahal,
right? Gee, typical tourist feels... But going to India is no simple feat. From
Kuala Lumpur, it takes almost 6 hours by plane to reach Delhi. Agra has its own
airport, but does not receive any international flights. You fly to either
Delhi or Jaipur if you want to end up within the Golden Triangle. And so New
Delhi was included in my itinerary by default, it being my entry point to
India. Jaipur, on the other hand? How did it end up on the list?
I only allot two days for every city. This is a travel formula I discovered lately that freely allows me to go sightseeing and work at the same time, without being a zombie. The trick is to manage your time well and make sure to be wise as far as scheduling is concerned, so that they don’t coincide. This means just four days in the subcontinent. Almost 12 hours of flight time for four days of stay and the USD50 (~PHP2,350) visa fee? And so I decided to include Rajasthan anyway. I’m glad I did, because it didn’t disappoint.
Just
like Delhi and Agra, Jaipur has a minimum of three UNESCO World Heritage sites
under its belt, which is a good number if you are planning to up your UNESCO
been-there-done-that count. Rajasthan’s hill forts count as one, while Jantar
Mantar is a separate attraction on the list. I forgot what the other one is because I didn’t visit it anymore. For this trip, I just limited the UNESCO goals
to just two per city, and Day 1 was reserved for the Jantar Mantar and City Palace tandem which
are just across each other.
Jantar
Mantar is a park, sort of. But instead of flora and fauna, what you see are scientific
tools utilized back then to predict various astronomical kind of shit, such as
planetary alignments and eclipse schedules. Of course, when we talk about
ancient astrology or astronomy, what comes to mind are the Maya of Latin
America. Well, whoever built these structures are clearly not Native Americans,
but I think the idea was the same. The main difference is that the one in Jaipur
seems purely scientific in nature, devoid of religion.
Yeah,
whoever has visited some Mayan pyramids will quickly notice the religious
aspects, mainly concentrated on the intricate designs that serve as a tribute
to local gods. At Jantar Mantar, what you see are staircases and the like that
are really plain. They don’t have elaborate carvings meant to deify anyone or
anything. They are just there, sticking like a sore thumb because a lot of
people have no idea what the heck they are and what purpose they serve. And they look strange to boot!
This
does not mean to say that you won’t get to appreciate the park. I mean,
camwhores are happy anywhere as long as they can strike a pose in front of
something exotic or plain weird. Let me remind you, though, that climbing the
steps are not allowed. It would be cool to snap a selfie on top of one of those
things, but it’s prohibited. I don’t remember seeing benches inside, but there
are platforms where you can rest in case you feel a bit exhausted, what with
the stark sun of this cruel Indian summer. Burn, biatch?
The
entrance fee was INR200 (~PHP150), which is standard for foreigners. Students
from foreign universities are said to get a 50% discount, but I didn’t try it
despite having my ID in my wallet. Anyway, right across the street is the City
Palace, which has more jaw-dropping photo-ops thanks to its opulence, something Jantar Mantar seems to lack. Hey, it’s a palace. Royalty needs to be
pampered. Scientists, on the other hand, just need their tools to be happy.
To each his own, eh?
You
need to pay INR500 (~PHP375) to get in. The palace compound is not that huge,
at least the area that tourists can explore. First stop is the textile museum,
which is included in the admission fee you just paid. Textiles are not
everyone’s cup of tea, so this one is a hit or miss. What you see inside are
obviously limited to displays of various royal outfits, carpets, and the like. Unless
you have a really specific fascination for that, I don’t think you will enjoy
the place. That’s fine, because it’s really small anyway. 10 minutes tops!
Go
to the other side of the compound to check out the souvenir shop. Hooray,
capitalism! I went back out at once when I came in because I am not a big fan
of souvenir shopping. You’ll find many foreigners inside trying to find the
perfect giveaway for loved ones back home. Sorry, but that’s just not my MO. You
should feel my mother’s pain whenever she asks me to bring her back a souvenir
plate with the name of the place engraved on it, and I be, like, WHAT
ABOUT NO, Mom? Yup, I’m such a bad spawn.
Now
it’s time to head to the entrance to the east. West? Sorry. I suck at
directions. But believe me when I tell you that you’ll easily find that
entrance. It leads to a small square with some sort of cultural demo in the
middle. I never really found out what that was all about. Because the square is
enclosed and has benches, this is the perfect place to find some shaded area
where you can just sit down and relax.
There
is a cafe and a restaurant. To the west of the gate you just entered is the
entrance leading to the palace itself, which I believe now serves as a local
government office. So yeah, it’s out of bounds, tourist. To the east is a
gallery dedicated to the history of Rajasthan’s monarchy, as well as their
connections to the British royalty during that time. Photography is not allowed
inside, so you have no other choice but feign admiration for the luxurious lives of
Jaipur’s powers-that-be.
The
Hawa Mahal is just down the street from the City Palace’s entrance. I told
myself I’d just come back for it the next day after my trip to the Hill Forts.
I never did. Why am I not surprised?
[JAIPUR] Ancient Astronomy Is Cool
0 creature/s gave a damn:
Post a Comment