BUNDI, RAJASTHAN
Far from the hustle-bustle of Jaipur and Udaipur, the tiny town of Bundi in Rajasthan with its lazy lanes, havelis, baolis and lakes is at its charming best during monsoons
State: Rajasthan
Distance: 464 km SW of Delhi
When to go: October to March is pleasant, as is July to August, when it rains
Getting there
Air: Nearest airport: Sanganer, Jaipur (192 km/3 hrs).
Route: NH8 to Jaipur via Gurgaon, Dharuhera, Behror, Chandwaji and Amer; NH12 to Bundi via Niwai, Tonk and Devli
Bundi is at its enchanting best in the monsoons. On a perfect day in the month of sawan there may be heavy downpour for a couple of hours in the morning after which the weather relents, and the town experiences drizzles on and off all day. The clouds drift from one mountain-top-lookout-tower to the next, often revealing shades of blues only seen on a painter’s colour palette. The breeze stirring the skies occasionally comes down to ruffle your hair, fluffy clouds roll down the mountainside, and the sun is willing to let the clouds hold sway. When you have these ingredients in place, Bundi is a few notches better than perfect. It is at this time that your options are wide open. You can amble along the lazy lanes and bazaars, going from havelis to baolis to mosques. Or visit temples and realize why Bundi was also called ‘Chhota Kashi’. A third option is people-watching. Hire a bicycle, a motorbike or a car and cruise through Bundi and you are bound to come across people busy with their daily chores. Packed in Sumos or tractors, the men go about their business; the women can be found cooking; the children bathing and playing in the numerous tanks, lakes, streams and waterfalls. Visitors can also spend the day in the royal enclave ruminating on love, romance, worship, architecture and military strategy. Look through the lovely jharokhas in the palace, and get enchanted by the orange-red-yellow brush strokes in the evening sky. Or just sit at a rooftop restaurant with a cup of tea and views of the city below.
Things to see and do
The ruins of Taragarh Fort are to the north of Bundi, perched on a hill. Below, on the mountain slope, is the Garh Palace, an ensemble of mahals. Further down and towards the southwest is Nawal Sagar Lake, with Moti Mahal and havelis along its northern and eastern banks. Outside the Garh Palace, to its south, is Nahar ka Chhota, the bazaar for tourists’ daily needs.
Garh Palace
A fortified complex of many palaces, Garh Palace was built by different kings between the 17th and 18th centuries. Unoccupied in the second half of the 20th century, it lay decaying until recently, when the potential of tourism-generated revenue inspired a clean-up and re-opening. Enter through the huge and magnificent Hathi Pol into a world where local stone has been used to create jharokhas, pillars and intricately carved brackets in typical Rajput-style. The Chhatra Mahal, Phool Mahal and Badal Mahal are justly famous for their murals.
The Chitrashala or Ummed Mahal is part of the Garh Palace, with a separate entrance, and is located on a slope. Built in the 18th century, it is a set of rooms on a raised platform above a garden courtyard, and its walls and ceilings are embellished with paintings.
Taragarh Fort
A walk up from the Garh Palace will convince you of the fort’s reputation for inaccessibility. Built on a 1,426-ft- high hill, the 14th-century ramshackle but grand structure does not fail to impress. Its immense bastions, bathed in the light of the setting sun, evoke a rich past and a lasting sense of awe.
Stepwells
Bundi is famous for its 50-odd ancient wells and tanks, sources of water in a land known for its aridity. Baolis had utilitarian value and were centres of religious and social existence. The rich considered building these marvels of craftsmanship and architecture a sacred act.
Raniji-ki-Baoli is the most famous because of its impressive architecture with arches and pillars and beautiful ornamentation. Commissioned by Rani Nathvatiji in 1699 (she is reputed to have built 20 other baolis too), this is the most well-maintained baoli.
Dhabhai Kund (south of Raniji-ki-Baoli) creates a fascinating geometry with its steps and deserves a visit despite its abysmal state. A pair of matching step-wells (just outside Chogan Gate) are called Nagar Sagar. The 16th-century Bhoraji-ka-Kund (north of Nawal Sagar) is impressive and attracts birdlife post-monsoon. In Bundi, you will often cross one stepwell or the other. Sadly, the state of most of them evinces neglect.
Other Sights
The Nawal Sagar is an 18th-century lake with a temple of Varuna, the god of water, presiding at the head of Bundi just below the Garh Palace. To the northeast of the town is the lake Jait Sagar, on which stands a small palace called Sukh Mahal, famous for once hosting Rudyard Kipling. On the other bank of the lake is Kshar Bagh, the final resting place for Bundi’s royalty, with some beautiful cenotaphs built between the 16th and 19th centuries. The door is usually locked but check at the nearby houses and someone will have the key to the place.
The finest cenotaph in Bundi is to the south of the town, the Chaurasi Khambon ki Chhatri (the 84-pillared cenotaph). This artistic 17th-century creation is a two-storeyed structure on a high plinth and is stunning when lit up at night. Phool Sagar (10 km west of town on Ajmer Road) is a 17th-century palace, closed to the public but worth visiting for its location, nestled as it is between hills next to a lake.
Where to eat
There are no good stand-alone restaurants in Bundi, and many hotels cater only to their in-house guests. Ishwari Niwas has decent North Indian food and some Rajasthani dishes. Some of the dishes you can try out include malai kofta, mutton do pyaza and gatte ki subzi. Haveli Braj Bhushanjee serves breakfast and dinner only to their resident-guests. The lunch here is a Rajashani thali. Kasera Paradise’s rooftop restaurant, Out of the Blue, serves good Italian cuisine. Bundi Inn serves Indian and Continental cuisine.
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