Khajuraho, Jaisalmer, and Jaipur, India
The explicit scenes sculpted into the ancient Hindu temples in Khajuraho are of love and war.
More specifically, they’re of kinky sex and graphic violence.
These characters carved of stone are manipulated into positions of plasticity, and while it sometimes takes a concentrated look to see exactly what’s going on, the hard work is always rewarded with an eyebrow-lifting a-ha.
The Chandela Rajputs who are responsible for the artful yet dizzyingly ornate temples have created a salacious smorgasbord of eye candy. The temples, dating back to 950, are a more impressive and epic sight than the famous Taj Mahal, which sits a couple of hundred kilometers to the northwest in Agra. And as tourists examine these structures and snap countless photos, scratching their heads and asking questions of government-sanctioned guides, theories are wildly bandied about like a cricket ball in play.
But the truth is, scholars the world over are equally baffled by these curious, geographically specific carvings.
India is far from an open book. The subcontinent is a land of endless mystery, especially beyond the tourist hubs of Delhi, Goa, Mumbai, Kashmir and Calcutta. With one- third of the United States’ land mass – but more than three times America’s population – India is an unsolvable puzzle, especially for those only visiting for two or three weeks.
Getting off India’s well-worn paths reaps huge rewards that will always outweigh the inherent inconvenience of traveling off the big train lines. And so here are three options in northern India – Khajuraho, Jaisalmer and Jaipur – that guarantee unparalleled beauty, authentic cultural experiences and only- in-India memories to last you until the next trip to the East.
Khajuraho
One of India’s greatest, most inexplicable treasures is Khajuraho, considered a minuscule chai stain on the map with its modest population of 20,000. The aforementioned and much-celebrated temples, located in a western group and an eastern collection, were built centuries ago but remain miraculously intact.
Khajuraho, 620 kilometers southeast of Delhi and a bumpy 120-kilometer bus ride from the nearest sizable train station in Satna, is out of the way by today’s standards. In A.D. 1000, the village of Khajuraho (still occupied, just east of Khajuraho town) was extremely remote, which is why the temples were untouched by Muslim invaders.
Modern times have been good to Khajuraho. British officer T.S. Burt was led to the forgotten ruins, then engulfed by the forest, in 1838. He stood in awe, taking in the enormous find – and the content of its carvings, calling the erotic sculpture, “a little warmer than was any absolute necessity for.” About 150 years later, the Archaeological Survey of India organized the temple groups into a tourist-friendly showcase of the region’s fascinating history, skills and mind-set.
And recently Khajuraho’s airport has seen an increase in flights from Delhi, Varanasi and Mumbai, making the to-and-from painless.
Word spreads fast, especially when it’s this good. Khajuraho’s personality is unmatched, as is its beauty, charm, grandeur and historic wealth.
SEE|Panna National Park (Madla Gate, Madhya Pradesh; 07732-52135) Plan for a couple of days exploring Khajuraho’s varied temples and lively streets, but also allow a day or two for the nearby Panna National Park, a 543-square-kilometer tiger reserve alongside the Ken River. You can ride an elephant, true, but the big adventure comes when you go into the park in a rented jeep in search of one of its many tigers.
STAY|Hotel Zen (Jain Temples Road, Khajuraho; 07686-274228) Khajuraho has the amenities of towns 10 times its size; you just have to know where to look. And if they don’t have it at Hotel Zen, they’ll be quick to point you in the right direction – a gentle nudge that never takes away from the adventure of finding it on your own. Zen’s rooms are clean and basic, its restaurant is simple and efficient, and the Internet connections are consistent. At 100-800 rupees per night (about $2-$20), the price is also right.
DINE|Blue Sky Restaurant (Main Road, Khajuraho) When was the last time you ate dinner in a treehouse, a moody full moon lingering above? Better yet, when did you last nosh a tasty breakfast amid the branches and the sparrows, overlooking a heartbreaking sunset and some of the finest temple art in the world? This Khajuraho institution is popular with tourists for obvious reasons.
SHOP|Western group of temples entrance (Main Road, Khajuraho) The staff at the gate for the western group of temples isn’t the most enthusiastic group of employees, so you’ll have to ask for the individual guidebook to the area, published by the Archeological Survey of India. At 99 rupees ($2), the book is the best money you’ll spend in Khajuraho, next to the 250-rupee admission to the temples themselves. It’s not only a complete document on the history, the architecture and the details, it’s also a tremendously cool souvenir that will be the center of your catch-ups upon your return.
Jaisalmer
You’re in northwestern India’s Great Thar Desert, 100 or so kilometers from the Pakistan border. Villages dot the freckled landscape, which is more scrubby than dune-studded, and it’s easy to go 100 kilometers without any sign of human life.
Nestled into this secluded corner, Jaisalmer sits triumphant as a beatific sand castle of a city. From far away, it looks like a mirage. Population 60,000, it is the most color-coordinated city in all of Rajasthan, which is saying a lot given Jodhpur’s beautiful blues and Jaipur’s intoxicating pinks. Jaisalmer is a city of sandstone, and the fact that the town is built around a stately fort – one of the few living, breathing forts remaining – only adds to its fairy- tale allure.
The streets of Jaisalmer are the kind you can walk for hours, a pastime enhanced by the intimacy of the town and its fort. Grab a hotel near the Gandhi Chowk, where living is lively, convenient and engrossing. The fort is just a short walk away, and by staying outside its walls you’re giving a break to the fort’s outdated infrastructure and overwhelmed sewage system.
A trip to Jaisalmer wouldn’t be complete without some quality camel time. Regardless of your preconceived ideas, a camel safari in the Thar Desert is an opportunity that must be taken advantage of. If you have only a couple of hours, take a sunset ride. Ideally, though, you’ll ride the graceful beast into the horizon for a night or two of camping and bonding. The animals’ personalities vary – ranging from the stubborn to the sweetly affectionate – but the camaraderie is special and the views spectacular.
PLAY|Ganesh Travels (inside the fort, Jaisalmer; 02992-250138) You have to take a camel out, and to answer your first question: No, it’s not as uncomfortable as you might think. The discomfort comes in the form of the huckster barrage that hits you as soon as you arrive in Jaisalmer proper: “Camel safari, sir?” “Desert trips by camel, ma’am?” Politely decline and then make your way to Ganesh Travels, a prominent and popular outfitter in the fort. It’s a well-oiled machine, from the hotel pickup, registration, transport, overnight stay and return. The camel guides are personable, competent cooks and love a “desert-cold” beer and a song. And the animals are like no others.
PARTY|8th of July Restaurant (the fort’s main square, Jaisalmer) Ordering a cocktail or beer with your meal is notoriously difficult in Indian restaurants, and the story is no different in Jaisalmer. But this friendly, Australian-run venture offers inexpensive beer (served under the camouflage of a teapot) on its friendly terrace overlooking the main square. Oh yeah, the apple pie is great too.
SHOP|Gandhi Darshan Emporium (Gandhi Chowk, Jaisel- mer) You’ll never be short of mirrorwork in Indian markets, but the craftsmanship is especially sharp in Jaisalmer. Artisans can manipulate anything to incorporate hundreds of tiny mirrorlike plates, and the effects can be dizzying. It’s best to start at this store in Gandhi Chowk or in one of the fort’s busy thoroughfares with pricing. Bargain hard but never ruthlessly, and never be afraid to venture into a winding alleyway. Bargains await, but also beware the commission sharks, children included, who will chat you up and take you to a shop in exchange for an unspoken commission paid by you to the shop owner.
SEE|Hotel Paradise (inside the fort, Jaisalmer; 02992-252674) This is a basic hotel at a very competitive rate, but even if you’re not staying here, swing by its modest courtyard and walk up the stairs to the remarkable terrace, which sits on the fort’s outside wall and presents a stunning view of the surrounding town and desert landscape, all of which operates from the same color palette.
Jaipur
It’s amazing there aren’t more auto-rickshaw-related deaths in this Rajasthani capital, a cluttered mess that is considered only a fair-sized city (by Indian standards), with its population of nearly 2.5 million.
Auto-rickshaws are the ubiquitous three-wheeled scooters that are the primary transportation for everyone, including Brad and Angelina while she was filming in Pune. And the chaos of Indian roads is like nothing else, especially since the sea of auto rickshaws is competing against cycle rickshaws, cabs, motorcycles, cars, ox- and camel-pulled carts, scooters, bicycles and random cows for space on these poorly maintained roads.
For all its insanity, Jaipur has become a mandatory stop in Indian tourism circles. The old city is surrounded by a humble wall, and everything inside the barrier is painted the pink of Pepto-Bismol. It’s an uplifting celebration of colors that started when Maharaja Ram Singh had the entire old city painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.
Jaipur is a cultural jackpot at every turn, but the key is finding your way across this expansive city without wasting time, resources or money. Find an auto-rickshaw driver you trust and agree on a rate for the entire day – around 200 rupees ($4) is fair. Present an organized itinerary to the driver, and be sure to tell him you’re not interested in shopping. (Again it’s the commission game, and you can find better deals on your own.) Throw in some extra rupees and your driver will take you to the nearby Amber, which is home to one of the most elegant forts in all of India.
SEE|Raj Mandi Cinema (Off MI Road; 0141-2379372) Indians take their film very seriously, Bollywood or not. And this cinema is their utopia, their immaculate place of worship. Fashioned after an artful lemon meringue pie or Salvador Dali’s bedroom, this pristine massive theater fills up quickly, which is why you can buy tickets as far as seven days out.
SEE|Royal Gaitor (cenotaphs just outside city wall, Jaipur) Perfect for a quiet afternoon spent in the shade of centuries-old architecture, these cenotaphs are a stunning place for reflection and centering. The marble work is tremendous. Above, an old wall snakes up to Tiger Fort. Children ask you for biscuits, but politely decline and offer an extended game of Frisbee instead.
SHOP|Anokhi (2 Tilak Marg, Jaipur) This emporium’s goods are high quality, a rarity in Indian shops used to dealing with impatient tourists. Even rarer, the textiles are produced locally under humane conditions – in a factory built next to an organic farm, no less. Look for semi-precious stones and jewelry, for which the region is very famous.
DINE|Chit Chat (Bani Park, Jaipur) The food here in this big hut is extremely solid, and it’s seemingly always open, with the same hardworking, eager-to-please staff constantly manning their stations. You want a cocktail? The waiter will happily arrange the purchase of a bottle of alcohol, for which you pay outright and mix your own drinks at the table. Best of all are the Internet terminals in the adjacent phone shop. Go ahead, bring your cocktail and settle in.
RELAX|Kerala Ayurveda Kendra (Baiai Marg, Jaipur; 0141-5106743) Business is booming here, and it remains legitimate in the face of the countless fake “massage parlors” you’ll encounter throughout northern India. The rates run between 500 and 750 rupees ($10-$15) per hour, depending on the massage. But you’ll leave a different human being, open for more adventure in a country that isn’t always tremendously welcoming.
Staff writer Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
