Travel Diary: Rahul Jacob Describes Rajasthan as the medley of Old and New

Rahul Jacob, a travel enthusiast, took a tour of Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. He describes the three places as the medley between old and new. He stayed at Rohet Garh, a haveli hotel located 40 minutes away from Jodhpur, enjoyed the opening of Udaipur World Music Festival and then went on a short excursion to Jaipur.

Jodhpur

In Jodhpur, Rahul along with his friends enjoyed a musical performance by a group of Manganiar folk singers who sang in typically high pitched voices in the lawns of Rohet Garh. He arrived at the hotel at an early evening when the sun was casting a glow on the enormous garden. The owners Rashmi and Siddharth Singh live there and mingle with the guests. The place also served Rajasthani staples like Laal Maas and Haldi ki Subzi as well as western delicacies.

Udaipur

In Udaipur, Rahul along with two sets of his friends from New York and London attended the World Music Festival. The event featured flamenco dancers and singers from Spain, dancers like Tamara Lucio and Juanma Zurano, an acrobatic singer from Ivory Coast, and a fado singer from Portugal. Rahul describes the state as a pull of magnificent palaces and forts and colorful customs supplemented with new hotels and new cultural events.

Jaipur

In Jaipur, he stayed at Jobner Bagh, a new hotel owned by a jeweler that looks like a villa transported from the seaside of Greece or Sicily. There are charpoys and mooda chairs in the courtyard and the bedcovers show off kantha work. There’s also a gift shop where guests can buy quilt covers, jewelry, and scarves.

The hotel’s terrace offers a scenic view of the Aravalli Hills which makes you doubt whether you are in the city. The group also traveled to Amber Fort witnessing the conga line of elephants and open-air jeeps carrying the tourists.

The trip ended with a visit to Jaipur Literature Festival where the stage was lit by Sonam Kalra’s Sufi Gospel based on the works of poet Bulleh Shah.