Off-Track Rajasthan Holiday

Made of white marble and crowned by a gilded onion dome, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and shimmering pool inside it are places of great sanctity for Indian Sikhs and offer the most atmospheric introduction possible to the capital. The complex in its present form dates from the late-18^th century and was constructed at a place associated with the eighth Sikh Guru, Har Krishnan. At a Langar, or ‘canteen’ in the temple, pilgrims are fed nourishing, free meals of chapatis and black dal by volunteers. If you’re lucky, you may see groups of Akalis, members of a Sikh warrior sect, dressed in traditional ceremonial garb.

A great way to explore Old Delhi’s warrenous backstreets is on a guided walking tour. You’ll visit one of the few surviving Mughal-era havelis (or courtyard mansions) and explore different portions of the bazaar specializing in silver jewellery, spices, textiles and fresh produce. The neighbourhood’s pride and joy, however, is the gigantic Jama Masjid, or ‘Friday Mosque’. After admiring the extraordinary view from the minarets, enjoy lunch at one of the famous kebab restaurants below, before driving past Lutyen’s imperial capital to Humayun’s Tomb and Qutb Minar victory tower on Delhi’s southern outskirts, where you’ll gain a vivid sense of the city’s great antiquity.

Enjoy an evening of traditional kathak dance in your hotel this evening.

An early start is required to catch the Gatimaan Express, which takes a little over an hour to reach Agra from Delhi. On arrival, you’ll be driven to the city’s great Mughal Fort, where Shah Jahan, creator of the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned at the end of his life by his son, Aurangzeb. On the opposite bank of the Yamuna River, the exquisitely decorated Itimad-ud Daulah tomb provides the next stop. The mausoleum’s inlay work foreshadowed that of the Taj, which you’ll visit towards the end of the afternoon, when the changing light transforms the marble surfaces from a pale ochre to orange and crimson.

Pigeons – ‘kabooters’ in Urdu – are nothing short of an obsession in India’s former Muslim cities, where they are are flown in flocks, with their owner – the ‘kabooter baz’ – controlling their movements in the sky with shouts, whistles and waves of rags tied to the end of long canes. Join a kabooter baz for a flying demonstration on a rooftop in Taj Ganj, the highpoint of which will be the “capture” of a neighbour’s flock, driven to ground and later held for “ransom”.

As you leave Agra, your first port of call will be Fatehpur Sikri, former capital of the Mughal emperor, Akbar. The complex was built at lavish expense at end of the 16th century but only occupied for sixteen years. Today, its finely carved, dark-red sandstone buildings remain in fine condition and vividly evoke the opulence of the Mughal era.

Overlooking a glorious sweep of mustard fields, wooded hills and acacia scrub, Ramathra Fort – today’s final destination – is among our very favourite spots in India, and a perfect antidote to the packed cities of the previous few days.

After a leisurely breakfast, spend the morning exploring the idyllic countryside around the fort with your guide. Kalisil Lake offers a dreamy backdrop for walks, birding safaris and trips out on to the water in the hotel’s own rowing boat. In the afternoon, visit a local village, hilltop fort and temples, before soaking up the gorgeous sunset views from the comfort of your own balcony.

The seventh day of your tour takes you further south to the town of Bundi, one of our favourite destinations in the country thanks to its unspoilt, un-hurried feel and fabulous Rajput architecture. Built during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the town’s palace retains a particularly fine set of murals depicting episodes from the life of Krishna, rendered in evocative turquoise, jade-green, scarlet, ochre and white. You’ll have ample time to explore the complex in the late afternoon, when the lake below it swirls with reflections of domed cuppolas and sun-bleached plaster. Around sunset time, head into town to explore the old-fashioned bazaar district.

Spend a couple of hours in the morning visiting local step wells, havelis and temples before embarking on your journey to Udaipur, where you’ll be spending two nights. It’s worth considering a stop at Chittaurgarh on route. The town is the home of one of India’s most dramatic hilltop forts, the scene of several bloody sieges that ended in the mass suicide of its entire population.

You’ll arrive in Udaipur at a time of day when the lakeside palaces look at their most exotic. Enjoy the sublime views over a sundowner on a haveli rooftop looking across the water to the Aravalli Hills in the distance.

Begin your day's sightseeing at Udaipur’s City Palace, seat of the Sisodia Dynasty and a feast of opulent Rajput architecture. After visiting its museums, apartments and courtyard gardens, wander down to the Jagdish Temple nearby before heading into the old city to explore the markets. Late afternoon is the time to be at the water’s edge, soaking up the sunset colours and unique atmosphere of this romantic city, perhaps taking afternoon tea on the lake. 

Today’s journey west across the Aravallis from Udaipur ranks among the most scenic in India. The landscape culminates during a twisting descent through a forested valley to Ranakpur, where a beautiful white-marble Jain temple nestles at the foot of the range. Dating from fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the shrine’s interior domes and 1,444 pillars are all sumptuously carved with deities, mythical creatures and dancing maidens.

Today’s final destination will be Rohet Garh, near Jodhpur. Another of our old favourite heritage properties in Rajasthan, it rests beside a glinting lake, and has a wonderful pool and gardens to relax in.

Rohet Garh’s ‘Village Safari’ is a fantastic way to gain a glimpse of life in the various local communities who inhabit the estate, from Rabari herders to Brahmin farmers, weavers and the Bishnoi, whose special relationship with the blackbuck has ensured the survival of this rare and beautiful antelope.

Horse lovers should also not miss out on the chance of a ride on one of Rohet Garh’s magnificent Marwari thoroughbreds. The owner of the property is a passionate horseman and polo player, and the surrounding estate perfect country for riding. Routes lasting anything from one hour to six days are offered (additional costs apply).

Crowning a giant sandstone cliff, Mehrangarh Fort is the most awe-inspiring of all Rajasthan’s citadels, and one with a view to match its colourful history. Below its lofty ramparts, which enclose a particularly interesting museum of royal artefacts and apartments, sprawls a giant patchwork of flat rooftops, painted in shades of blue.

The tour continues with a drive to Khimsar, a 15th century fortress-palace set in 11 acres of lawns and orchards. Guests have the option of sleeping in the main wing or out in the nearby dunes, in specially constructed thatch-roofed chalets. Flights in hot-air balloons, village visits and black buck safaris are optional extras.

After checking in to your hotel and freshening up, consider a trip by rickshaw into the city centre to experience the bazaar at full tilt. Each of the state’s major cities have a distinctively different atmosphere and Jaipur, with its trademark salmon-coloured buildings, is no exception!

Perched on the rim of a dramatic escarpment, Amber Fort retains some of the finest interiors surviving from the 16th and 17th centuries in India, notably a glittering ‘Hall of Mirrors’, or ‘Sheesh Mahal’, lined with intricate mirror mosaics where the Maharaja and his consorts would enjoy music and poetry recitals. Anyone interested in traditional Rajasthani textiles will also greatly enjoy a visit to the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, located in a beautifully restored haveli down in Amber village.

Jaipur itself is a swirl of life and colour, and its numerous monuments and markets provide the focus for the rest of the day. You’ll begin at the famous City Palace complex, which includes the much photographed ‘Hawa Mahal’, or ‘Palace of Winds’, a five-storey façade of elaborately screened windows from where the women of the royal household used to watch processions in the streets below.

The crop of former merchants’ havelis (mansions) dotted around the dusty desert towns of Shekhawati in northern Rajasthan are unique in India for their superb murals, dating from the time before the arrival of the railways when the region lay on a major trade route. 

As well as featuring the usual Hindu themes and decorative motifs, much of the art of Shekhawati depicts early British officials, military scenes and fangled new modes of transport dating from the early colonial era, such as hot-air balloons and trains. Outside money has helped restore some properties, but sadly the majority are, quite literally, crumbling into the dust.