This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to the travel couple - Ranjani and Raghavan of rararaasta as we take you to the quaint little town of Bundi in Rajasthan!
Today's destination: Bundi, Rajasthan
Nearest Airport: Sanganer Airport, JAI
Nearest Railway Station: Kota Railway Stn, KOTA
Prerequisites - N/A
Packing - Pack light, carry extra liquids as it can get hot during the day
Time of the year - November to February is the best time to visit; you could also visit in October for the Bundi festival
Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days
Itinerary Highlights:
We start the journey by describing the beautiful views that one drives past while approaching Bundi by road. Raghavan and Ranjani also remember being reminded of Hogwarts as they approach Bundi on their road trip
The couple start off by going around the town and the first place they check out is Krishnaji’s Chai - one of the best tea shops in Bundi. The rest of the day is spent walking around the town given that it was already late evening.
The team starts off the next day with a visit to the Taragarh fort and the Garh palace or the Bundi palace. It is advisable to visit the fort first while the temperatures are still low.
Some of the monuments the couple find at the Bundi palace includes Hathi pol, Chatar Mahal, Badal mahal, Chitrashala, Jhoola chowk among others. One can find the very popular Bundi miniature paintings as well as a wholesome fill of Rajasthani architecture on display at the fort and palace.
The duo then enjoy some home cooked meals at Jai’s with the likes of Gatte ki subzee and Dal batti choorma. Other popular food options include pyaas ki kachori, dal ki kachori as well as poha.
Next the couple head to the potter’s village of Theekarda, from where a majority of the pots and cutlery to the neighboring villages and cities is produced.
The next day’s agenda included a visit to the popular stepwells of Bundi - some of them include Rani ji ki Baori, Dabhai kund or Dabhoji ki baori. Some popular lakes include Naval sagar lake, Kanak sagar lake, Phool sagar lake.
Another popular palace is the Sukh Mahal that was made famous by author Rudyard Kipling of Jungle book fame who penned his novel “Kim” while staying in this palace.
Also popular in Bundi are cenotaphs built for the Maharajas - the popular ones being Kshar bagh and 84 pillared cenotaph which gives a good sample of the chattri architecture of Rajasthan.
Things to buy include the popular Kota Doria sarees, a dying work of art that goes back to several centuries. One should also check out the Bundi market to pick up some curios, trinkets, bangles and souvenirs. Dont miss checking out the miniature paintings all across the streets of Bundi.
There are also rock paintings dating back to over 10,000 years ago as well as the Garodia Mahadev temple and canyon.
Links:
Link to Rararaasta’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rararaasta/
Link to Rararaasta’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rararaasta/
Link to the blog: https://www.rararaasta.com
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