What to do in Jaipur, If not sightseeing?

Jaipur - The Pink City can be called as the most vibrant city of India. There is always something happening here, irrespective of the season and time of the year. Above all, it is not as huge and crowded as Delhi or Mumbai where going to a distant place can sound burdensome and the plans may go for a toss.

Yes, Jaipur has many things one should try and do. This time we bring out some experiences one can have in this majestic city.
AND YES!! We promise, they will all be unadulterated, authentic and non-fabricated experiences.

Up-Close with the artisans of the city: Jaipur has a long history and one of the chapters of this history is about - Gunijankhana. Gunijan-khana (Department of the talented people) housed 32 different types of art and crafts of the city ranging from jewelers, dyers, tailors, embroiders, leather workers and what not. There is a huge scope of meeting such artisans in their workshops and homes through Vedic Walks.

Walk around the old city: Walking tours are a must do activity if in the town. The opportunity of get an in-depth insight of the city, without making it look like a sight-seeing tour. In Vedic Walks, these tours are aimed at making you feel like a local and explore like a pro. A 2.5 to 3 hour encounter with the city will surely leave you with a great respect for it.
One always has the opportunity to hop in the inner lanes and from the authentic artisans who would never treat you like a tourist.

Eat with the local and learn their recipes: Food is one thing that brings people from all over the world to India. Getting an opportunity to eat and cook with them is one of the most enthralling experiences. Food can lead to conversations over any topic one can think of. This experience allows you to get to know the locals, their culture, their family life and many other things that they seem comfortable sharing with you.

Pamper yourself at well-being sessions: There are loads of well-being opportunities in the city for various needs. Take a walk in the Central Park or Smriti Van which are very centrally located and have great connectivity from all over the city. Or take a meditation and yoga session with a professional in a serene location or at the comfort of your hotel. There is also possibility of getting a nice Ayurvedic massage under the guidance of an experienced Ayurvedic Doctor.

Watch a Movie at Rajmandir: Hell Yeahh!! Is Rajmandir an overplayed stuff? Well let it be. It is an experience in itself. Above all Bollywood movies are really cool stuff.

The private museums: Jaipur has a a good number of very interesting private collection museums run and operated by passionate people who love and cherish their possessions. The Sanjay Sharma Museum is one of the most prominent one with fine collection of manuscripts as old as a thousand years. Alice Garg sea shells museum is a great private museum of sea shells collected from all over the world. Rajputana customs is a great place to check out vintage and custom bikes and also ordering choppers.

Well, we hope that is quite a lot of things to absorb for now.

We promise to come up with more such stories...


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Is Varanasi just about The Ganges? Explore More

Varanasi - the oldest continuously inhabited city of the world has millions of layers of history, myth and anecdotes up it's sleeves.

Sitting by the river Ganges which is the lifeline of the city it feels at first that the whole city must be all about it. All roads leading to some or the other ghats, which eventually are the connection between the river and the people.

Just by mentioning the ghats we open up the first thing which apart from Ganges the city is about. Ghats make the river accessible to all. They control its force up to a great extent and are yet the places that exist because the river exists. 

Next we see the existence of Shiva in the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The temple complex is the epicenter  of the whole city. According to the Hindu Scriptures Ganges took a northwards turn towards Varanasi just to flow by the Vishwanath Temple. The crescent bank of Varanasi and a Northwards flow are very unique for its whole course. 

The name Varanasi comes from the land between - Varuna and Assi rivers. So, we know that even in the name of the city, there is no role of the Ganges. However, Kashi is a much bigger area than Varanasi according to some scriptures and it the older name of the city. Thus reducing the claim of the tributaries to a minuscule level. 

Going further, we see that the city has a temple of all the deities we can think of in Hinduism. A complete cosmos of names and characters from Hindu Scriptures. These temples an shrines make the city such an important pilgrimage. There is Ganges flowing through many cities which also have a Shiva Temple, however the sheer number of other temples in Varanasi just outclasses all of them.

It is said that a city is made by its people. Structures are just the testimony of the people that live or have lived in them. You will know you are in Varanasi when you see the smiling people all around you. It seems that they have all the time in this world. They are just there to be the mere puppets at god's hands and yet they work really hard to earn their bread. Also it is one of the first cosmopolitan cities of India. People form all over the sub-continent have made it their home for generations. Some who came for religion and some who came because of the growing economy, whereas some came for the knowledge that has always prevailed over millennium. 

Stories of the city and about it induces a level of romance for the visitor. But what Varanasi is know for is a tough fact to digest. A place to die. Yes, Varanasi is the chosen one, a place to die and breathe your last. A belief that if one dies in Varanasi he would be freed from the cycle of birth and death. 'Yama' the god of death is not allowed to enter Varanasi. It is Shiva who is the ultimate destroyer in his Rudra form ensures that all the departed souls meet their ends and are not caught up with Yama.

Food is an eternal part of any city's life and culture and for Varanasi this is deeply rooted in everything anyone does. Although a by-product of the people who live there, it is very much to the merit of the city's lifestyle that food has a separate mention. Summer and winter delicacies are different. Some things are perennially available. But the thing that scores above the rest is the "Benarsi Pan". This is one thing that is related to the identity of the people of the city. 

After listing all the above, we know that we have opened up an avenue for discussion of Varanasi's identity. Reading this, the city might feel like having an identity crisis. But when we close our eyes and imagine about Varanasi the first thing that comes to our minds is - Ganges.

Not even the almighty Shiva, who is also the God for Ganges scored over her in Varanasi.
But we the team of Vedic Walks, want you to know that Varanasi's identity is Ganges, but there is so much more to it which can only bee seen and understood in our Walking Tours.

Join us and explore beyond the written records and spoken word. Since a walking tour is all about experiencing it too.