Jodhpur junction

Can I tell you...about Jodhpur. Everybody seems to be headed to Rajasthan these days. If you ever go, a visit to Jodhpur is a must. Fellow handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez and her son Santiago certainly thought so. My girlfriend Roopal Patel, told me they were going and thought we might bump into them and I thought with much doubt, "Sure, because India is such a small place!" Little did I know that I would actually bump into them. We were having a chai masala break at the Mehrangarh fort, when they came walking up the main entrance. I noticed her large crocodile tote(obviously) and then I realized it was her. I've never actually met them but since we have friends in common, I didn't hesitate to approach them. Just like us, they were in Jodhpur for a few days. They had just arrived from Udaipur and we were headed there. Same itinerary, just opposite direction. Small world, right?
We really liked Jodhpur. It seemed less frenetic than any of the other cities we had just been to. It is also called the 'blue city' and the best spot to see why is from the top of the Mehrangarh fort. Most of the houses are painted a shade of periwinkle blue that reflects the sun and is also a signature color of the city. It makes for a great photograph.
The fort is rich in detail and story. I especially loved the interiors of the Maharaja and the Zanani Deodhi( women's quarters) which is forbidden to men. Also, called the harem. The stained glass windows in intricate Mughal designs brought in multi color brilliance to the rooms when the sun rose.
We had breakfast at the fabulous Umaid Bhawan palace. Let me tell you, this is one of the most magnificent hotels I have ever seen. What makes it even more remarkable is that the Maharaja Singh II and his family are still in residence in their own private wing that is closed off from the public making this one of the largest 'private residence' in the world.
The Maharaja's grandfather, built this palace in 1929 and was obsessed with western styles so he brought in the famous Edwardian architect, Henry Vaughan Lanchester,to construct a 347 room Palace. Imagine that?! The palace has an East meets West aesthetic, combining the diverse architectural styles of Indo-Saracen (itself a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles) and Art Deco.

There's an elegant wood-panelled library,a private museum,an indoor swimming pool,a Billiards Room, tennis courts,unique marble squash courts and a spa of course. When the Indian government stripped regional princes of their powers in the 1970s, the Maharaja struck a deal with the Taj hotels and started converting his family’s properties—including their primary residence, the Umaid Bhawan Palace into hotels.

The grounds are so expansive (26 acres) that they have polo matches at certain times of the year. In fact during breakfast we were joined by some players from London who had just come from practice. Peacocks roam freely and green parrots rests on the balconies. From any vantage, you can see the Mehrangarh Fort from a distance.
On our last night we bumped into Nancy and Santiago so we joined them for dinner. We had such a great time getting to know them and exchanging travel stories.

A trip to Jodhpur isn't complete without shopping. You must check out the various Government cooperative stores. We went to one in the outskirts of the city. This store had rooms of embroidered and beaded wall hangings, pillow, duvet covers, scarves and costumes. In the back they had the workers finishing some of the pieces or rummaging through their warehouse of fabrics to match patterns and colors. Each room is densely packed as the next. It was like entering the Maharaja's treasury.Like the designer that I am, I wanted to tweak certain details to my specifications and they were happy to indulge me plus ship it to New York for a minimal fee. I got back to New York and the package was waiting for me and I'm happy to report that they followed my instructions perfectly. Who wouldn't love that?!