Rajasthan was once called Rajputana – Land of the Rajputs – by the British. The term “Rajput” comes from the Sanskrit word “raj-putra” or “son of a king”. The Rajputs believed they were descendants of the Hindu warrior classes of North India. The height of the Rajput rule in northern India was during the Middle of Ages from about the 6th to 12th centuries though the Rajputs continued to rule in Rajasthan until the 20th century. In modern times, Rajputs constitute about 9% of the population of Rajasthan, but pretty much everybody we met in Rajasthan told us they were Rajput.
The Narain Niwas Palace was built in 1928 by the famous Rajput, General Amar Singh Ji who is recognized for his military contributions. However, he is most well-known for his meticulous dairies occupying 800 hand-written pages which are considered the world’s most consistently kept and lengthy dairies in English. After it was built, Narain Niwas served as a country escape for the Kanota royalty. The crest of the Narain Niwas Palace that can be found throughout the property declares, “Brave deeds live, though bodies die.” DY really liked the sound of this.
The most memorable part of the hotel was the ornately decorated foyer to the dining room and the dining room itself. The walls were painted in bold colors with Jaipur-style painted accents on the walls. There were hints of English colonialism in the dark wooden furniture, crystal chandeliers and high ceiling fans. My favorite part of the décor were the paintings and photos of famous Rajputs in military or traditional dress and always with a turban.
We stayed for only two nights and the highlight of our stay was the New Year’s Eve dinner hosted by the hotel. It was held in the outdoor garden that had been decorated with festive lights strung up in the trees. Tables for the guests were set up around the garden and in the middle, there was a low stage with dancers who dazzled us with traditional Rajasthani folk dancing. The most impressive dance was the Bhavai dance where a dancer balanced seven or eight brass pots on her head while dancing and twirling. At one point, she even walked over glass shards without wincing and never lost her balance. We were entertained by the Kachhi Ghodi dance where it seemed the men were riding on fake horses battling with toy swords. All the while, the band played rhythmic music overlayed with the yearning, soulful voice of the singer.
As the entertainment went on, we enjoyed the buffet dinner. I love Indian food and have stuffed myself silly at my fair share of Indian buffets. But after over a week of rich, buttery and often spicy Indian food, we were craving something a little lighter. Our wish was answered with a big pot of chicken soup at the soup station. No masala, no strong flavors. Just a simple clear broth much like we would have cooked at home. And it was all we needed. EY and I must have each had 3 heaping bowls of the salty elixir.
In between trips to the buffet, we watched the performers and sometimes joined in the dancing.
After dinner, the Kathputli puppet show began. Kathputli, native to Rajasthan, is traditionally performed by traveling puppeteers that come from the Nagaur area. The puppet show introduced a few different storylines accompanied by drums and singing. One of the stories was about warriors in battle. Another story was about a snake and its snake charmer; eventually the snake charmer was eaten by his snake. Yet another was about two lovers. The silliest part of the puppet show was a crazy dance where, to our surprise, the puppet’s head rolled off at the end.
When the evening activities were drawing to a close, we went back to our rooms. As we were getting ready for bed, we heard the faint sound of fireworks. We rushed outside to a magnificent explosion of pink and green blossoms of light over our heads. We had a perfect view of the firework show from our second-floor terrace. RY, who had been taking a shower, walked half-naked onto the terrace to see what the commotion was about.
Another exhausting day had come to an end. This day marked the end of 2023. We had been traveling now for four months already and so far, we have been lucky in every way. None of us has been seriously injured or fallen badly sick. We have experienced amazing adventures and met incredible people. We have pushed ourselves outside of the routine and expectations of life and did it together as a family. These memories would undoubtedly last a lifetime. And here we were, in Jaipur, India, ringing in the new year. Before I drifted off to sleep, I tried to imagine where we would be a year from now. The picture wasn’t clear at all, but one thing was, I knew we would be together.
