Jaipur Day 2

Sunday

It was my birthday, and my plan was to wake up early, drive to Central Park, run a few kilometers, and enjoy breakfast at Tapri Central. Despite preparing everything the night before, I succumbed to laziness and couldn’t bring myself to leave my bed.

We hadn’t arranged for a travel guide to conduct a heritage walk of Jaipur, and by the time we thought of it, it was already late in the evening, and nothing materialized. So, after a relatively low-key Saturday and a sluggish start to Sunday, we decided to explore Jaipur’s key attraction—the Amber Fort.

Our hotel was conveniently located on Amber Road, making the journey straightforward. Upon reaching the outskirts, we encountered numerous tour guides, jeep rentals, and parking spaces. Without much negotiation skills, we settled on one of the first guides available.

Our guide, a Bengali who had lived in Jaipur for centuries, shared an intriguing tale. According to him, his ancestors served as the king’s priests. Legend has it that after Maharaja Man Singh’s victory in the battle against Bengal, he brought back a Kali idol from Jessore (now in Bangladesh). Since Kali puja required sacrificial offerings, and local Rajasthan priests were vegetarian, the king enlisted priests from Bengal. Thus, our guide’s family boasted a royal connection.

After enjoying steaming hot kachori for breakfast, we embarked on our visit to the Amber Fort. Starting early proved wise, as the place soon filled with tourists, especially on a Sunday during the Navratri festival.

After exploring the Amber Fort, we decided to visit two nearby forts—Jaigarh and Nahargarh. However, the scorching sun drained our energy.

Exhausted, we stopped at TVG (the vegetarian Grill) for lunch, it was rated decently on Googlr Maps for a stop, close to our hotel. It was crowded - , and the food was decent. The refreshing lassis provided relief from the heat, and upon returning to the hotel, we promptly dozed off after a shower.

Having missed the late afternoon and early evening hours, we focused solely on dinner. After considering options suggested by Shivangi, we settled on The Johri, tucked away in Jaipur’s Johri Bazaar (Jewellers’ Market), surrounded by jewellery shops, textile houses, and a marketplace bursting with colour.

Around 7ish, we reached Hawa Mahal and parked our car at City Palace. The evening tranquility was disrupted by a procession from the Agarwal Samaj business community, resplendent in pink turbans and vintage cars. We strolled to Albert Hall and captured a few moments.

Hungry from our walk, we hailed a TukTuk to reach Bapu Bazar, only to encounter heavy traffic due to the procession’s closure of a major road.

The Johri, a fine dining restaurant located in the same by-lane where we had chatted the night before, exceeded our expectations. The ambiance amidst Jaipur’s bustling market was enchanting, making our dinner an unforgettable experience.