INDIA-PART FIVE: RAJASTHAN FORTS / JODPHUR...

February 1, 2020

JODHPUR, BLUE CITY,

Next morning we find all the cushions piled inside & our favorite table tilted to drain as the dining terrace was innundated!

As Mr. Singh, who was our diver for the several days hopping around Rajesthan, the weather began to clear so I caught this shot of a truck laden with… blocks of stone!

He seemed to know of a place for lunch different than the one listed on the schedule. Parking outside a stucco wall with an open gate through which we walked to discover a pleasant grassy dining/entertainment venue with painted decor, some of which which seemed to mimic the convex mirrored mosaic we’d seen recently in the forts & havelis. The chairs in its large outdoor venue with a covered serving area with the usual chafing dishes to serve the ubiquitous Indian buffet were tilted to drain but at the back of the lawn was a smaller pavillion which stone columns were festively painted with folk designs. Next to it was a thatched structure… an outdoor “kitchen” to which the host led us to lift the lid of a large pot simmering on the wood fire releasing rich spicy aromas… we were immediately sold by this olfactory menu!

Sharing our usual large bottle of Kingfisher beer we watched a man making Roti… a simple traditional flatbread… this time using a flour of local red millet, so tasty for my gluten-free diet! In a large broad bowl he added water & skillfully kneaded the dough before he patted it out between two hands & placed it to bake quickly on a hot griddle suspended over the wood fire. After it was browned he lifted & leaned it vertically against the fire to finish baking & stay hot, soon being replaced with another freshly made patty. Simple skill obviously long & well practiced. I was impressed, educated & very happily well fed!

The hotel was outside the core of Jodhpur proper, a property which had begun as a family’s farm house had been thoroughly built-out in a sensitive manner, surrounding older parts left as a museum. Large Painted murals, similar in style to those at the restaurant where we’d had lunch, proved to be typical in this area. Two large murals of processions flanking the entrance welcomed us.

A lovely courtyard garden offered solace from the road…

Our room was up a steep stairway leading to a quiet terrace where I found some delightful time to write my journal while Stephen scoped-out the pool, where I joined later.

The room was a bit overdone, perhaps in lieu not having any history of carved mineral… although the bath was happily stoned! I used the terry bathmat in the generous shower because the floor was so slippery.

A fort built in the 15th century…

We can claim some bit of familiarity with Jodhpur because the Seattle Art Museum mounted a large show last year titled Peacock In The Desert displaying a wonderful collection of art & artifacts from the collection of the current ruler, who seemed to have sent the cream of his collection, because, although the museum at the Fort has a room full of palanquins the one at SAM was a much more superlative example.

The show had many of the highly complex paintings known as miniatures, although they are largish. Each contained hundreds of miniature realistic portraits… crowds of identifiable courtiers recorded attending court events & rituals in sets of palace gardens & courtyards overwhelming one’s visual senses with rich rhythmic composition. The ones we saw here did not at all match museum quality… understandable because this venue is not a proper gallery space, nor probably would they be appreciated by the crowds of tourists we joined.