Day 42 Jodhpur to Udaipur

We met our driver and Left this morning around 10 am for the 6 hour drive to Udaipur along the way we stopped at Ranakpur to visit a magnificent Jain Temple complex built in the 15th century. To read about the Jain religion click here. The Temple covers an area of about 325′ X 350′ and is supported by over 1444 exquisitely carved marble pillars, no two are the same. One of the pillars was intentionally left crooked because the temple can not be perfect because only God can make something perfect. The architect and all of the labor employed to build the temple were illiterate. The interior of the temple uses some of the same translucent marble used the build the Taj Mahal. Found it quite awe inspiring, and just walked around almost in a stupor not knowing what direction to look in next. Sadly the photos can’t describe the aura.

We traveled on toward Udaipur along a winding mountain road passing several villages. The scenery changed from flat and arid to hilly and arid, with valleys and fru river beds covered in flowers. This will all change to a vibrant green once the monsoon rains come later this month. On the way we saw Grey Langur monkeys, stopped to take a picture of them and threw a apple to them which started a fight between them and one jumped onto the front window of the car, not such a good idea! Back on the road we arrived in Udaipur in the late afternoon checking in at the Chunda Palace. Our driver Ravinda also pointed out trees full of fruit bats! They were huge and screeching at each other! That was a first.

The hotel was almost empty, as it’s the low season, so we were upgraded to a suite. Massive, marble everywhere, frescoes on every surface in every color imaginable, mirrors, silver inlaid frames, doors and furniture, crystal chandeliers, one feels like royalty in a palace! Well OTT!