Starting My Jaipur Journey

This summer, I spent a couple of weeks in Jaipur. It was an interesting journey, especially in how my relationship with the city evolved over time. It wasn’t love at first sight! While I had always wanted to visit Rajasthan, Jaipur wasn’t my first choice. I was more interested in seeing the desert regions of the state. Despite its many historical monuments, I imagined Jaipur would be a very commercialized, urban capital, lacking the rustic charm of Rajasthan's desert towns.

My initial impression was indeed so. As I traveled from the airport to my destination, we passed through the newer parts of the city. With wide roads, big buildings, and typical urban traffic, it felt like any other bustling city. However, this changed little by little as we entered the old city. After a long day of travel though, I was too tired to fully take in the surroundings.

I enjoy arriving at new places late at night, when the city is asleep. It creates a sense of mystery, like the night is holding back the full reveal of what’s to come. You wake up the next morning, stepping out to see the city in daylight for the first time. This is exactly how Jaipur unfolded for me. I went to bed with the sights of the urban city fresh in my mind, and I woke up to a completely different scene. There I was on a rooftop - in the middle of the bustling old city lanes. (The city does wake up quite late I 'd have to say)

In the distance was the beautiful Nahargarh Fort. From where I stood, I could see a gurdwara and the entrance to a popular temple. The street led to the main vegetable market, which made the mornings lively and hectic. People were heading to the temple for their morning prayers, hymns playing in the background. Women bargaining with vegetable hawkers, while some vendors cramped into autos and tuks tuks full of fresh produce from the main market.

I decided to explore the neighborhood where I would be staying for the coming weeks. I was staying just by the Hawa Mahal, right in the heart of the city. The streets were filled with touristy shops, and shopkeepers eagerly inviting the passerby to take a look at the beautiful, colorful souvenirs. It took them about a week to realize that I wasn’t just another tourist. They saw me almost every day and eventually understood that I was staying there for a while.

One of the first things I noticed was how much this part of the country, like most of North India, loves to start the day with fried food! Frying pots lined the streets, filled with sizzling oil and hot kachoris. Even in the scorching heat, locals relished the piping hot kachoris and boiling tea.

Navigating through the crowds, I eventually found a cafe just a few steps away. The old town was a little overwhelming and I realized wasn’t quite ready to dive into the local culture just yet and needed a quiet, indoor space to collect my thoughts. As I sat there having my first breakfast in the city, I looked out the window at the busy main street and knew I was in for a fascinating journey. Being Indian, I think I had underestimated how much of a cultural shock a new city, a new state in India could be. This summer certainly introduced me to a different side of India.