Rajasthan Paradox

Rajasthan Paradox

                      The hotel at Udaipur, the lake city and the Venice of East,  was cosy and happily withstood our day long journey and its consequent weariness by offering us a good night’s sleep. The habit of early morning walk impelled us to walk out of the hotel in spite of the chill weather. A hot cup of ginger flavoured tea was very tempting and a long walk around the pollution free park the Maharana Udai Singh II had built for the womenfolk was simply energizing. Contrary to the general opinion of the Southerners about Rajasthan being a desert state, the city was surrounded by many lakes and palaces which are too many for a day’s sightseeing. Still we could do some justice by taking a boat ride  around a vast water body named Lake Pichola by paying a hefty Rs. 100/= per person. Tourists everywhere were stripped of their cash mercilessly by taxi drivers, auto wallahs, hotel owners, guides and even small merchandisers who make big money selling fake products. And the visitors take this daylight deceit in their own stride and quickly move with audible murmur. We had to climb huge stony pavements to look around palaces up the fort which , we learned , are private properties of the descendants of the Kings. Obviously the entry tickets were quite dear. The Monsoon palace on top of a mountain was no exception. Winding pathways, romantic and sometimes incredible tales told by strange guides who posed to speak English with stranger accents, high windows which offer beautiful views of the valley beneath, royal courtyards, regal wardrobes, armories which exhibit odd weapons – all these hijack the visitors to another world. A part of the palace is converted into an expensive hotel which augments the princely income. Only foreign tourists haunt those places with lavish exchange of Indian currency. We had a late lunch and were off to watch a folk dance and a puppet show accompanied by live vocal music. The same night we bid good-bye to the city unsure of my second visit.