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Maharajah Jai Singh II founded the city of Jaipur in 1627, the capital of the state of Rajasthan today. The Hawa Mahal is one of the landmarks of Jaipur and is actually a facade, rather than a palace, from which the royal ladies could look out without being seen.
On the street, an eccentric old woman washes herself from a cow/camel drinking trough, and a street doctor performs acupressure on a reclining patient. A final quick twist to the ankle makes us all cringe.
The complex behind the Hawa Mahal contains the City Palace, a section of which is still occupied by the erstwhile royal family of Maharaja "Bubbles", as he is affectionately known. When he was born, it's said that the family celebrated by filling the fountains of the city with champagne which flowed for a week.
The splendid Peacock Door, with turbaned doorkeepers: See the man on the right? The sight of a camera causes his right hand to involuntarily lock into the "bagsheish" position -- that is, cupped and awaiting a tip for the photo. Keep plenty of 10 and 20 rupee denominations in the pocket keep one ready for this expected amenity. One US dollar is around 46 rupees.
The early Maharaja Jai Singh had a passion for astronomy and built several observatories. The sheer scale of the sundials and other "instruments" permitted an advance in accuracy by an order of magnitude. Jai Singh, however, was still convinced up to end of his life, that the sun revolved around the earth.
We enjoy a buffet lunch at Maharaja "Bubble's" dining court. At the table, (from left to right) Valerie, Crawford, Margaret, Eddie, Diane, and Hank.
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