Udaipur Musings

It's fashionable to muse these days. And I can't afford not keeping up. So here goes, after the trip into Udaipur.

Why is the whole city white? And Jaipur pink? Was it through an order from the respective kings?

Such lovely art that shows up wherever you go- on the ceilings, walls, and anyplace you can draw. Why is it that we have lost the art of 'the everyday art'? Rembrandt and so on are fine as creators of the masterpieces, but we need more daily doses of it from being creative ourselves.

How did these guys actually fight wars riding horses wearing 20 kilos of armour and holding shields that remind you of that of Chief Vitalstatistix? I find it difficult to go to work if my shoe feels heavier than usual. Brave!

Why do they allow cars in the city? It's such a pity. It messes up the otherwise beautiful place.

Why don't we operate more ropeways in our towns and cities? They might boost tourism in lots of places that have a view to offer.

Lakes add a lovely touch to any place. How many new lakes have we built in urban areas in the last sixty years?

Maybe more thoughts will occur; maybe not.

Udaipur- the White City

Visited this city of lakes and palaces with family recently. This is a likeable city, with friendly people and beautiful vistas. One of the best places to get a bird's-eye view is to take the ropeway up the hill which had a fort at one time. You get an excellent view both from the cabin and on reaching the top.The pics below may help to visualise the visual delight. The first is the City Palace (another must-see) and the second is the luxury hotels on the lake Pichola. If you can imagine James Bond lolling in the lounge, he did- in Octopussy. Which is screened in many restaurants for the visitors. The buildings are all white, contrasting with Jaipur, the Pink City. The city is also known for the bravery of Rana Pratap who defeated Akbar's forces, which also comprised Man Singh of Jaipur!

Arrogant Ads

There is this latest fad on facebook of trying to impress the potential reader with the line “..and what he did next will amaze you” or something equally inane. If I was amazed at every little thing happening around me, I would indeed be amazing(ly stupid).

Ads that are trying to entice people to buy (or read or view) can’t afford to be arrogant, in my not-so-arrogant opinion- won’t go so far as to call it IMHO. Otherwise, you will end up killing whatever chances you have of attracting customers (readers/viewers). Why, then, do we have such lines?

Maybe it’s easier to be arrogant. Ask Arnab. His dictionary does not have the section starting with “h” and therefore humility is something that is beyond him. Before him, Karan Thapar tried the same trick. Where is he today?

And pray what is this I hear about 'The Amazing Spiderman?' You mean the guy who spun webs earlier was just an ordinary man (or spider)? 

View from a Window

I took a train journey after quite a while. And I had a window seat, that we used to covet when kids. Peeping out of your train window seat was one of the greatest pleasures of kid life, perhaps. The transitioning to adult life makes you forget sometimes, the small pleasures and aim for big ones. Like buying a large-screen TV.

Anyway, getting back to the present journey. What I like about train journeys is the fact that you can stretch a leg- or two. Without the passengers in front or back getting annoyed with you as in a plane, I mean. Because they are all free to do the same, without intruding into your space. There's also a relaxed air about how long you want to argue about change with your chaiwala. I saw a 4-5 minute back and forth happening about the price of chai AND the non-existence of small change. What entertainment. And both parties were quite cool about it too.

The train also was in a relaxed frame of mind, putting all thoughts of competitiveness out of your mind for the duration of the journey. Mostly, mobile phones did not ring-they CAN be an irritant if they work well. The loos were pretty clean, another positive. The platforms were not, but then that is to be expected when you take the stats of number of users/trains on them into account. Sort of like the garbage problems plaguing nations around the globe.

Best of all, the view from the window was refreshing.