Jodhpur and Barli, Rajasthan, India March 27th-31st

Jain carvings

Our drive continued through the desert land of Rajasthan. Although it took us five hours to drive a mere 180 kilometers due to road conditions, there was never a dull moment for our eyes. Whether it be a spontaneous goat herd crossing or overtaking a motorbike with five people and/or a crateful of chickens, there never seemed to be a lack of entertainment. Along the way, we visited the largest Jain temple in Rajasthan. The innately decorated multi level temple was a true thing of beauty – 1444 pillars, 72 chambers and thousands of statues of Jain angels surrounded you. Not one square inch of the marble structure remained uncarved, leaving you with an overload of visual stimulation and beauty!

As sunset approached, we finally reached the outskirts of Jodhpur, the city famous for its indigo blue houses and enormous Maharaja fort. With empty stomachs, we headed straight to our Taj Hotel for dinner and an early bed time for the kids. In dire need of an alcoholic beverage, I attempted to check out the nightlife scene in Jodhpur, yet was strongly discouraged by the hotel staff to not walk around by myself at night. Instead, I bellied up to the hotel bar with a slew of Rajasthani businessmen at my side, making for an eventful evening and interesting conversation!

Back to dosa for breakfast time, as uttapam sadly wasn’t on the menu. Somehow I figured out a way to survive and hopped in the van to the Mehrangarh Fort. Built in 1459 by the city founder Rao Jodha, the towering fort provided beautiful views of the blue city and access to dazzling rooms of the palace converted into houses of impressive collections of paintings, weapons, jewelry, palanquins and opium hukkas! Accompanied with an informative audio guide, the tour provided insight into the astonishingly wealthy lifestyle of the Jodhpur Maharaja’s. We finished the tour with a stroll through the impressive four level flower and tree gardens. As the day continued, the temperature only rose until it reached a staggering 108 degrees. Once again, pure joy came with a quick afternoon dive into the impressive swimming pool.

Anxious to meet my own personal maharaja, we headed to the current palace for dinner with the hopes of catching a glimpse of a possible husband to be :) Sadly, the current residence separates itself from the Taj’s Sunset Pavilion restaurant, yet as we walked up the spiraling staircase to the top of the palace,e I no longer had men on the brain. Instead, the stunning view of the city and luxury of dining atop a palace was only topped with an absolutely delicious Indian feast. With bite after bite of spinach and corn kebabs, Rajasthani spiced fish and spicy potatoes, the thought briefly crossed my mind not to order the famed gulab jamun for dessert. My family giggled at this notion and I quickly changed my mind. Thankfully so, as this gulab jamun was definitely the best of India and perhaps my favorite dessert of ALL time! Just as we were leaving another table was seated atop the palace, yet for two hours we could call it ours! What a night…

With a solid school session in the morning, we were back on the road again by midday. Only three hours passed before we were at our destination for the next couple nights. Barli, exactly midway between Jodhpur and Jaipur, boasts a rich history of maharaja lodges and local battles. We pulled into Fort Barli, an old home of the maharaja converted into a heritage hotel. Within no time, several local village women decorated our arms with the popular Indian wedding tradition for women—henna. As we sat in the peacock chairs, women quickly covered our arms with intricate detailed designs of flowers, symbols and more. With our arms laid out to dry for the next two hours, a famous local astrologer came into the fort to read our palms and create our birth star maps. Hindu’s deeply believe in the work of an astrologer—they predict and select spouses, wedding dates, new jobs and more for people. The kids volunteered first. The astrologer’s mouth literally dropped as he read Tess’ fortune due to her perfect alignment of the sun and the moon in her star chart. Good things to come for that girl! The poor astrologer had no idea the firing squad of questions that would come once my turn rolled around. I told him my birth day, time and place (somehow he hadn’t heard of Kewanee) and he got to work. With my left palm open for viewing, he took what seemed like hours before he provided information. With Venus as my strongest planet, the astrologer predicted a strong love connection in the next few months. My inquisitive cousins and aunt interrogated the astrologer for exact dates and details before I could get a word out. Thankfully so, as he predicted that I will meet my husband somewhere between April 3rd-August 10 of this year and he will not only be a businessman, but a white one! Who knew? The astrologer continued to answer career path and future residency questions, leaving me satisfied and anxious to meet some men in Israel!

The excitement continued as the owners offered the entire family to dress up as in full maharaja (kings) and maharani (queen) gear. The owner brought out a massive sari collection, head jewels, bangles, necklaces and earrings to create the entire ensemble. Within minutes, we emerged from the ladies room to see our two stunningly handsome maharajas in front of us. After several royal family portraits, we participated in the traditional bamboo stick dancing around the courtyard with a lovely musician family leading the way. It was a wonderful night, as I danced around the court yard in a royal sari, beating my bamboo sticks in unison with the local music. The party continued throughout the night, as India beat their arch rival Pakistan in the semifinal of the World Cricket Match. For a rivalry that makes the Vikings and Packers look like best friends, the defeat of Pakistan sent the entire country into celebration mode—letting of fireworks, partying in the streets and more. Definitely a special night to remember in India!