THE LUXURY TRAVEL
MAGAZINE FOR INDEPENDENT
TRAVELLERS

Our final destination was Udaipur and the gracious hospitality of the Taj Lake Palace. The hotel sits on a private island in the middle of Lake Pichola - actually the hotel 'is' the private island, taking up every square inch of it. It sits like a gleaming white marble carving in the middle of the lake, and only becomes real as you approach by private boat. Years ago during a particularly bad drought, the lake dried up completely and guests traversed the lake-bed on camel. Floating across to the dock, I found that almost impossible to envisage. When we arrived, we were greeted by a splendid looking gentlemen, absolutely statuesque with a bushy moustache turned up at the edges, dressed in red and gold brocade and carrying a red silk umbrella with gold tassels to shield guests from the sun, as they leave the shaded boat and walk the few steps to the air-conditioned hotel, with its open courtyards and scalloped, hand-painted archways. In those few paces, we experienced the most romantic welcome I could endeavor to imagine. It felt like we were Maharajas and Maharanis of years past, as we walked across the red carpet to the glassed entry of the hotel with rose petals cascading down from the rooftop. If I could have frozen that moment in time, or at least video-taped it, I would have. It was the ultimate in royal Indian hospitality and I won't be forgetting it for a long time. Dinner that night was enhanced by traditional Rajasthani dancers and music in the courtyard.

The hotel is difficult to describe. There are many open spaces with cusped, hand-painted archways, and a man-made lily pond creates a particularly tranquil spot, in the center courtyard, around which most of the activity, rooms, and restaurants revolve. While the hotel was once the home of a royal family, it does not have the feeling of being retro-fitted to suit the needs of guests. This particular family must have entertained quite a bit, because it is as if the building were purpose built to suit the purpose for which it is now employed. Our suite, the Mayur Mahal (Peacock Palace) had a rich interior embellished with peacock motifs and colored glass panels that captured the sunlight, bathing the suite in a kaleidoscope of colors.

The city of Udaipur is still very much a traditional Rajput town, and was founded by Maharana Udai Singh, in 1567. It was obvious to us why it is called the jewel of Rajasthan as it has a regal feeling even in the streets and marketplace, a sense of pride and tender care surrounding every shop and square. Our sightseeing tour included the Sahelion-ki-Bari, also known as the 'Garden of the Maids of Honor' where elephant statues stood vigil over huge fountains, the water supplied by Lake Pichola. We also visited the City Palace, poised over Lake Pichola and the museum that it houses, filled with examples of royal attire, arms, and traditional miniature paintings. The Jagdish Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, has an exterior that is exquisitely and ornately carved with scenes of elephants, humans and gods in historical and spiritual context. Inside we were lucky enough to be able to watch from the door as a prayer session was taking place. A visual and auditory splendor, as we watched women in the bright colors of Rajasthani saris and listened to the haunting chanting that characterizes Hindu prayers.

Our suite at the Taj Lake Palace had an immense terrace with lounge chairs and a glider, overlooking the lake and the City Palace. There we spent several sunrises and sunsets listening to the morning and evening prayers, the sounds of which came from the surrounding villages and met somewhere in the middle of the lake below our terrace. It became evident to me in Udaipur, if it wasn't already, that the spirit of India resides in the intensity of its people, their respect for three-hundred and thirty million Gods, their connection with every sacred cow that survives daily traffic encounters, and their relative inner peace when blessed with the basic necessities of life. I had been a Maharani for a few weeks, and Steve, a Maharaja, and I only hope that in one or two of the two hundred and sixty-five kingdoms where the real ones reigned, they appreciated their twentieth wedding anniversaries, half as much as we did.