THE BEST PLACES IN JAIPUR V

Hello,

Site # V - What else but the beautiful Ramniwas Garden and Albert Hall. If you stay in Jaipur and have not seen the Albert Hall change color from morning to evening and into the night you have missed something. If you have not seen the pigeons flock at the Albert hall you have missed something.

When I first came to Jaipur in 1985, Ramniwas Bagh was not as crowded as it today. In fact the whole city of Jaipur was less crowded and walking around was so easy.

But I did not recognize the beauty of the Albert Hall then. It is only later when one started to appreciate the beauty of nature and the impact it creates on the creation of mankind did Albert Hall and Ramniwas Garden come to notice.

Albert Hall was built in the 1880's when King Edward the then Prince of Wales had come down to Jaipur. I sometimes find it funny that along with the foundation stone for the Albert Hall the other building that is associated with his visit to Jaipur is the Polo Victory Cinema, which was always associated with movies like 'Pyasi Jawani' and 'Waasna Ki Aag'. He must be turning in his grave or should I say maybe getting a 'hard on' in his grave.

Anyway getting back to where we started. Albert Hall is so beautiful from the outside that you can spend hours just covering it from all angles. The view when you enter the Ram Niwas Garden campus from the side of 'New Gate' leaves you awed as you get a glimpse of the arches and domes that dominate the structure. It is said that the design is a copy of the Victoria and Albert hall Museum in England.

The Museum has a large collection of the usual stuff but it is worth taking a look. There are some wonderful sculptures and carpet designs which catch the eye.

The Zoo and the aviary are small but it is interesting as the animals are closer to you and the kids really enjoy the trip.

Ravindra Manch keeps throwing up surprises every now and then and I have watched several interesting plays and dance recitals.

The lawns that surround Albert Hall are extremely inviting and there is hardly any place to sit during summer evenings when people come down in droves to enjoy the pleasant breeze. Just imagine the crowd that gathers after you link it with the 33 acres of land in which it is spread out.

On the left (From New Gate entry) we have the zoo and the Ravindra Manch and a pathway that leads to Sanganeri Gate on the right we have an aviary and a pathway that leads to Ajmeri gate and a small area earmarked for eateries. I know people who will travel long distances for the food stuff sold here.

The unimaginative city planners have created a parking stand within the Garden and several of the lawns on the left are untended for long.

Warnings:
Some times the smell of zoo gets overpowering and you may have to cut short your picnics.
Never walk down the path that leads to Ajmeri Gate. It is more often than not used as an open urinal and if you are unlucky you may witness human bunnies defecating as well.

Personal Experiences:
I got first hand experience of the helpful attitude of the people in Jaipur when once while driving through the garden my Maruti van had stalled. There was something wrong with the cooling system and the coolant had evaporated. We had people from the Scouts and Guide office located in the park helping us with water to fill up the coolant tank and one gentleman on a scooter gave me ride to the mechanic shop so that we could get him to check what was wrong.

People in Jaipur are generally helpful. If you ask for help they do so and in the case of my friend Sanjoy, you do not even have to ask. He will help irrespective of invitation.


Happy picnics,
Manoj