Delhi – Agra – Jaipur is the golden triangle of tourism in India. The last leg of this road trip landed me at the famous city of Jaipur. The trip was going absolutely great till now, a trip where we enjoyed almost everything that came our way. And then Jaipur happened, as if to remind us of the stark reality of life that things cannot be great all the time. Jaipur, the great leveler of the trip was here.
Aggressive drivers, a city too over-crowded literally bursting on its seams, too many touts, too many souvenir shops, too many tourists. In a nutshell, your typical touristy city. The crowds are robbing the place of all character, this is the kind of place a traveler dreads of. Not even the brilliant hawa mahal or the jantar mantar are spared. The UNESCO world heritage site of Jantar Mantar was swarming with people who wanted only selfies and pictures, making it near impossible for any serious observer to soak in the essence. On the terraces of Hawa Mahal, stampede like conditions were prevalent and unfortunately those are not great for enjoying any monument.
The highest vantage point of the city from Nahargarh fort, an overpriced state run restaurant was in shambles. The very appearance of it literally poked fun at the visitors to the city. And it did not even give them a bit of sympathy while causing them a lot of misery.
The only redeeming factor was the Amer fort with its light and sound show which has good effects. The façade of the Amer fort was exquisitely lit and provided quite a spectacle. The script however was poorly written and the pace of the show lethargic. It was as if the fort was kind of apologetic for whatever is happening to the city. And yes, you guessed it right over here the perpetuator of the Haldi Ghati War was Maharana Pratap’s ego and the victor undoubtedly was Man Singh .
This city was a stark reminder of how tourists congregate at a famous location, starting a chain reaction which invariably brings the destination down from its pedestal. This indeed is a city which has seen its best days. Visit, only if you absolutely must have to.
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