Our next adventure is taking us to Rajasthan in the northwestern region of India. Our first stop will be in the state capital, Jaipur. Then we will go by train further west to Bikaner where we will go on a trek by camel into the Thar dessert.
Here is some background on Rajasthan:
Rajasthan is the largest state in India by area with 132,150 square miles. It encompasses most of the area of the large inhospitable Thar Dessert (Great Indian Desert) that extends into adjoining portions of Pakistan to the west. The state of Gujarat is to the southwest, Uttar Pradesh to the northeast and Punjab to the north. The Thar Desert is sparsely populated; the town of Bikaner is the largest city in the desert with a population of just over 700,000. The northwest Thar receives less than 15 inches of rain in an average year. Temperatures can exceed 115 degrees in the summer months and drop below freezing in the winter. One of the world’s oldest mountain ranges, the Aravalli Range, is here. Eastern Rajasthan has two national tiger reserves. The Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world’s first and oldest civilizations, was located in parts of what is now Rajasthan. Rajasthan’s economy is primarily agriculture and grazing. Wheat, barley, sugarcane and oilseeds are cultivated over large areas. Rajasthan is among the largest producers of edible oils in the country, and the largest wool producer and the main opium producer and consumer in India. Water for irrigation comes from wells and tanks. The very large textile and rug industries produce some of the finest hand made fabrics and rugs in the world. The art is breathtakingly beautiful, as you will see. No other place in India is as rich in magnificent historic palaces and forts as Rajasthan.
We are very excited that Shrikant and Charanya are joining us on this adventure. Charanya is not quite finished writing her thesis, so she will be the only one bringing her laptop along so she can continue to write whenever there is idle time.
Our journey started with a flight from Hyderabad to Jaipur at 8:30pm on March 9. We arrived in Jaipur and were picked up at the airport by our hotel taxi and arrived at the Arya Niwas Hotel just after 11pm. The hotel is a classic British era Indian hotel. We felt like we had walked back into the 1940’s. The place was extremely clean and well kept with exceptional service. The architectural artistry and gardens around the place were absolutely beautiful.
The main porch
Part of the front gardens
The floors are all inlaid marble
There are little tables with bowls of fresh flower petals floating in aromatic water lining the halls
Fountain in the central atrium
There is floral art painted on just about every surface, ceilings, walls, etc. Here are a few photos taken in our room and around the hotel.
Proof that Charanya is finding some time to keep working on that thesis :o)
