Bundi: II

Because I only got to do a day trip to Bundi earlier on this journey, I decided to revisit it (along with Pushkar), and boy am I glad that I did! I knew that this was a special city as soon as I laid eyes on it. An added bonus was that the Silver Jubilee Bundi Festival was going to be celebrated while I was here. This is very much a local festival, when the entire town turns out to celebrate the history of the town. It starts with a procession that begins at the City Palace, and then winds through the streets down to the lake. There are many days of celebration, and lots to photograph!

Bundi City proper is known as an open air art gallery, as there are many murals and paintings on the sides of the many havelis in the town. The town itself is actually quite small, so it is very easy to wander around and explore the town and its residents. Everyone was very friendly, and quite agreeable to getting their photograph taken. One day I stumbled upon a construction crew, all hauling large bowls of wet cement up narrow stairs on a building project. They very graciously allowed me to photograph all of them individually, and the result are some of my very favorite photographs yet.

I also climbed up the very top of the City Palace, where the Taragarh fort is located (completed in 1354). On my previous visit I had only explored the lower City Palace. The Fort is accessed by a very steep, rocky climb of 500 feet. The paths leading up are filled with monkeys of all sizes and ages, running and jumping across the paths as I climbed up. The fort itself is quite in a ruined state, but the age of it is a testimony to the rich history of the area itself. The views from the top to the town below were beautiful.

I stayed at the Bundi Villas, which are located right below the City Palace. There are just 7 rooms in this 300 year old haveli that have been immaculately restored. The restaurant is on the top of the building, and the food is sourced daily from local farms and is absolutely delicious. It is some of the very best cuisine I have ever had. The fort is lite at night and is breathtaking to gaze up at while eating dinner.

I met a wonderful young man who was actually a friend of the chef at the Bundi Villas, where I stayed. He took me around to many small villages on his motorcycle. We went to his tiny village and I met his brother and uncle, mom and grandmother, as well as some of his village pals. He also took me to a few other villages where I really got a great inside look at how the villages live here outside of the town of Bundi proper. This is really a very beautiful area, with lakes and lots of farms underneath the towering Aravalli Mountains.