Day 11: Udaipur

Trip Start Sep 21, 2006

228

Trip End Jun 01, 2007

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Flag of India Udaipur, India
Monday, October 2, 2006

I'm up early for fresh coffee and toast at the German Bakery (Cafe Edelweiss) as it opens. A legless man on a board wheels his way to the entrance to be uncomfortably ignored by the patrons. Across the street, women sweep up the litter and cart it away, leaving a heap of porridge for the stray dogs and cattle. Seconds later, another woman tips her trash of coconut shells and packaging here before pumping water from the well beside it. I ask for another round of toast but the regular power-cut puts paid to this.
The ghat is busy with the slapping of laundry women and the splashing of boys leaping into the lake. Marigolds from last night's festivities brush against the marble steps. Tonight a giant paper-mache effigy of an ancient King of Sri Lanka will be ignited to wish for good harvests in the coming year.
The Jagdish temple has been open since 5am. This 17th century temple is dedicated to Vishnu, a black marble figure of whom is festooned with reds and golden marigolds. Most popular, though, is the elephant-headed god-protector, Ganesh, whose image can be found above or beside most homes here.
The intricately carved exterior bears numerous welcoming elephants, a tier of Kama Sutra and yogic poses and a bevy of apsaras. Every year a red flag for luck is unfurled above the temple by a brave devotee who has scaled the 33m-high tower.
I hitch an IR150 rickshaw ride up the nearby hilltop for Sajjan Garh, the Monsoon Palace, built 100 years ago as a retreat from the rain by Maharaja Sajjan Singh.

01 Laundry women at Laga Ghat

His 11-storey dream palace never came to be. He died before it was completed on a less-ambitious scale by his son. After years of neglect it has been opened to the public. It's worth the hike up for the view of the lake and neighbouring hills, if nothing else.
Midday, it is too hot to take a pedalo on Pichola Lake, so exhausted and bothered by Lake security whistles and kids swimming out towards me, I don't take advanvtage of my full hour ration.
With most of the tour group, I join an Indian cookery class this evening with Shakti from The Spice Box. The simplicity of the masala, korma and samosa sauces is revealed. We take turns lightly frying onions, mixing in the whole spices (peppercorms, cinnamon, cardomom cumin and cloves) before relishing the results. I look forward nine months hence to testing my chapatti, paneer and kofta skills at home.
A party is contrived in the Art Gallery where we saw a demonstration of miniature painting yesterday. Today is Gandhi's birthday and, with most shops closed, getting alcohol proves difficult. When our meagre supplies run out, the momentum is lost and it turns to a battle of the ipod playlists. Another Intrepid group (just two of 'em!) join us. Binu reveals, on a previous tour of India, he had one guy collapse with a stroke, two people bitten by stray dogs and another bitten by a monkey.