Jaipur Off The Beaten Path

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Named after Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II's second wife, Sisodia Rani ka Bagh is a modest palace surrounded by vast terraced gardens. The Maharaja built the palace in the early 18th century for his new wife, from the Sisodia clan and daughter of the ruler of Udaipur, whom he married for political reasons. At her request, her palace was built in this remote location, near Galta, east of Jaipur, surrounded by mountains. The gardens are beautifully landscaped and contain many interesting antique sculptures. Sisodia Rani ka Bagh is open to visitors and is an excellent picturesque stop on the way to or back from Galta.

Sisodia Rani ka Bagh is located on Purana Ghat, east of Jaipur on the road to Agra.

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Situated just north of Man Sagar Lake, where Jal Mahal floats, Kanak Vrindavan Mahal is a complex of pavilions and landscaped gardens, and it contains a temple. It has excellent views of Jal Mahal and the Nahargarh Fort above and is a popular place for picnics and relaxation from the noisy streets of Jaipur. It can be reached by taking the Amber Road north of Jaipur.

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The main road between Agra and Jaipur has 2 lanes in each direction. It takes you through the countryside where shepherds with their domestic animals walk along the road. The animals can cross the road at any time, so be on your guard.

GPS coordinates:
28° 7' 44.9700" N 77° 19' 48.4900" E

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It is definitely off the beaten track and going to or from Jaipur it is approximately 100km off the beaten track but it is most definitely worth going to although without your own transport it is going to be a bit of an ordeal to get there!
I had taken my driver, Mahavir Yadav to the long forgotten Agrassen ki Baoli in Delhi so taking me to Abhaneri was his treat and surprise. It is simply astonishing. An absolutely outstanding, geometric site!

Baolis are step wells (the water can be reached by going down the steps) and the steps here zig and zag around in a most impressive manner.

Entrance was free but we felt obliged to pay the local "guide" to take us around. He did not give us much historical information but was most informative about the statues that were strewn about the place.

I did a bit of research and there really is not a lot of information about it. I did find out that It was built in the 9th century, has 3500 steps, 13 stories and is 100 feet deep.

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Ranthambore National Park is only 130kms from Jaipur- certainly worth a day trip, or even a day/night trip. There is a very nice Government-run guest house in the park (we stayed here) and cost was reasonable.
The park is located in the eastern part of Rajasthan . Nestled between the Aravali and Vindhya mountain ranges, Ranthambore used to be the hunting ground of Maharajas of Jaipur. The Park is perfect for lovers of wild-life. Various natural rivers and man-made lakes flow here, and the park is especially beautiful after Monsoon.
Ranthambore National Park is purported to be one of the best tiger reserves in India. The tigers can sometimes be seen during the day, at the waterholes.
The park has dense deciduous forests and excellent birdlife, a wide variety of flora and fauna, water-buffalo ,buck and hippos
Ranthambore Park is also classified as a heritage site. There are ruins of old monuments, chattris and cenotaphs.
The oldest fort in Rajasthan is the imposing Ranthambore Fort. Quite a steep climb- but worth every step.
Hiring a car with driver to get to Ranthambore should not be a problem from Jaipur.
Once inside the park- private or shared jeeps, with experienced guides, will take you through the various routes- keep your eyes peeled- you may see a Tiger (or Tiger with cubs).

For more info on Ranthambore Park and Fort -see my Sawai Madhopur page

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Surabhi turban museum is Located in the Pink City on old Amber Road in the Surabhi restaurant bulding.This is pivate museum have large collectinn of Rajasthani turbans. One can find myriad variations of turbans in the museum and it is said that the size and style of these turban changes in every 15 km.Seasonal Turbans, Different Turbans For Different Festivals, Weeding Turbans intersting to see.

on the way to the galta situated monkey temple one can also trek upto the sun temple and see the view of jaipur.

apparently this is the spot from where the architect of jaipur city vidhadhar envisioned the planned city of jaipur and all the city plan is so clear from this spot.

a must see sight of jaipur.

It's not unusual to see monkeys, camels, donkeys, and the ever-present cows in India, not only in and around her half million rural villages, but even strewn among the traffic in towns and chaotic cities. For the vast majority of these animals, life is hard work, whether plowing fields or pulling heavy loads that machinery might accomplish in more developed countries. And although many people try to care for their animals, the pressures of slim profit margins can mean that an animal is urged on to work, sometimes literally to death.

Many locals and travelers alike have seen these disturbing images of animals in pain, malnourished, working too hard. But when Englishwoman Mishy Rogers saw crows pecking out the eyes of a blind horse in Delhi in 1980, she vowed to do something for animals.

She launched Help In Suffering (HIS), which today is a fantastic two-acre animal shelter located in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Years later, with thirty staff on board, HIS has made important strides in animal welfare. HIS has advocated for better conditions for the elephants at Amber Fort in Jaipur, securing signs for reporting mistreatment, a shade canopy, access to water, and reduced working hours in hot months.

Likewise, there are HIS mobile programs to teach pony-cart drivers about pain-free hoof cleaning and camel drivers about inserting humane nose pegs. There is a street dog birth control and vaccination program that has sterilized 70 percent of all female dogs in Jaipur (26,000 dogs!) and reduced rabies cases down to zero - an important accomplishment in a country that still sees 20,000 human rabies deaths a year.

Travelers on India trips with Intrepid have been impressed, even moved, when visiting the HIS sanctuary in Jaipur, where they are likely to see all sorts of animals in various states of recovery. One group met a man whose livelihood depended on his sweet, small pony, which had suffered an infection. This very poor yet sincerely concerned man was involved in the care of the pony, shown how to give medication, and encouraged to lay out his bedroll and sleep right next to the pony until recovered. In this way, HIS is helping animals and the people who rely on them, and so are Intrepid travelers who choose to donate. You can visit the HIS animal shelter on any Intrepid trip that travels through Jaipur if you wish, but a special visit is always organized on our India Family Adventure.