The Royal Retreat
Rajasthan, literally means the “Land of the Kings” is a state in northern India; the most popular tourist destination to experience the colorfully rich Indian heritage and royalty. Jaipur, is the capital and the largest city in the state of Rajasthan; founded in 1727 by the Rajput King Jai Singh II.
What else the artist within me shall ask for an inspiration? When the forts, castles, palaces, temples established by the Rajput kings are absolute architectural and historical delights. I always dreamt of visiting Rajasthan, and the right time had come!
I wonder all the time about where are all these vivid hues in my paintings coming from? And the answer was revealed to me, when I landed in Jaipur, Rajasthan in December 2019. I was re-introduced to my inheritance, to my legacy, to my origin of the culturally rich and colorfully radiant being.
The fun is about to get real; fasten your seatbelts as we enter the day 1 of my 4 days imperial Voyage to Rajasthan! First in line is “Hawa Mahal”!
“Hawa Mahal” meaning “The Palace of Breeze” in Jaipur is a five story pyramidal shaped monument. The honeycomb shaped and beautifully carved windows let the gentle soothing breeze to blow through the Castle. Hence the name! Built in the 18th century. It is an extraordinary example of the Rajput Architecture.
Let’s get on board the time machine onto the voyage to Jaipur. Meet Ashwini! the Engineer turned Artist and your captain/host/tour guide/story teller! Before we begin our journey into the city, a little fun fact about Jaipur! As a colorist, what draws me to Jaipur is, the other name of the city is “the Pink City”; do you know why?
The Maharaja (Sawai Ram Singh) prepared the city by painting every building a Terracotta Pink color to welcome Prince Albert during his 1876 tour of India. The idea behind choosing pink was, it represents warmth, welcoming and hospitality. The actual paint was produced from a calcium oxide compound and it was so durable that it still remains unchanged! (trust me I saw that!) Walking on the streets of the Pink city; the uniformity was indeed a satisfying experience to me!
I was stunned by the charm of the palace; my painter mind began daydreaming about painting the attractive front façade as the sunlight falls on the sandstone Pink; making it glow with an almost orange tint casting warm violet shadows on the side. The orange tint of the palace with the clear blue skies make an orange-blue compliment set!
This is your host checking in; are you enjoying the journey so far? I hear Yes! Alright then, Let’s go to next place? Palace?
What comes after the “Palace of Breeze”? The “Palace of Water”!!
“Jal Mahal” the most serene sight in Jaipur where the Palace literally floats in the center of Lake Sagar. The colorist in me couldn’t miss the pink sandstone walls of the Jal Mahal strikingly contrasting to the deep blue of the waters of the lake. The lush greens and the satisfying roundness of the foliage on the terrace of the palace; They sparkle bright yellow-green as the sun shines on them casting cool blue-green shadows.
Though the palace only appears to be a single story there are four more levels submerged below the water surface.
Applaud to the miraculous and the glorious Jal Mahal. Isn’t it fascinating that the natural elements of the Air and the Water are incorporated within the structure and architecture of these palaces!
This time it’s your captain checking in with you! How do you like the tour so far? Brace yourselves you are now cruising over the journey of Day 2 of your Royal retreat!
“Amer Fort” built in the 16th century is situated on a natural ridge. As I reached closer to the site, the view of the fort was captivating. Amer Fort is known for its artistic style elements made out of sandstone and marble, brilliant architecture, beautiful gardens and marvelous views over the city and the lake. I was awestruck at it’s grandiose entrance! It was so thrilling to walk within the walls of the palace that I felt like a king myself!
At its entrance there is the primary courtyard, known as Jaleb Chowk. In this courtyard, King's soldiers assembled and paraded.
The two main gates known as Suraj Pol (Sun Gate facing east) and Chand Pol (Moon Gate facing west) lead into this courtyard.
The rooms inside the palace are highly ornate with precious gems. The highlight was the “Sheesh Mahal” the “Mirror Palace”,
a chamber of thousands of mirrors that can be fully lit just by a single candle reflecting from the mirror-full interior.
(Wow! Incredible!!)
By the way, Jaipur is also referred to as the Gems capitol, the Global Gem and Jewelry prowess. The mine-to-market manufacturing of precious colored gemstones is a valuable occupation in Jaipur. I can imagine making beautiful jewels for the royals as a major profession back in the days and the legacy continues!
Mesmerized by these royal wonders, I stepped into daydreaming about once upon a time possibly being a King (because; why not?) or a Queen (that can be true!) or a royal painter (that has to be me!) capturing the wholeness of the his and her royal highness!
The pinnacle of my Jaipur visit was “Jantar Mantar”. Where, Science, Mathematics, Art and Architecture join forces! It is an astronomical complex built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. What does the name Jantar Mantar mean?
It is a combination of two Sanskrit words: Yantra meaning instrument/machine and Mantra meaning calculate which gives the enigmatic name of Instruments of Calculations. (A calculator? Of what?) calculating eclipses, tracking the location of the stars and determining the exact orbit of the earth around the sun. Jantar Mantar is a sort of a laboratory of the ancient astronomy scientists, a set of 20 colossal astronomical, incredibly accurate instruments situated in the heart of Jaipur. Each instrument is unique and distinctive.
It features the world's largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is interesting to walk around this area and see the different types of instruments measuring the time and the seasons. I spent the most beautiful afternoon, with the sunshine, blue skies and the instruments. I was astounded to experience these massive scientific constructions; can you imagine the genius minds who built these to forecast astronomical events. This phenomenal observatory is a testimony of the technological achievements back in the ancient times.
A heavenly experience for both my Engineer mind along with my artist mind. How?
My Engineer self cherished the technological details of this enormous sundial.
The idea behind a sundial is, at any hour of the day the sun is lighting the half of the earth and the earth is constantly rotating from west to east. So the sun rising at east cast a shadow at the west. As the earth rotates throughout the day, the cast shadow changes per hour. For example, if you stand on a ground at sunrise, your shadow will be on your west side on the ground, conversely during sunset, your shadow will shift to your left; at noon when the sun is right above your head, your shadow disappears under you! How cool is that!
My artist mind took this opportunity to incorporate this information about the light planes and the shadow planes within my outdoor “painting in the sunlight” sessions. Also knows as “Plein air Painting”. When light falls on any object, the effect of the light can be captured by the warm hues (yellows, oranges, reds) and the effect of the shadow is captured by the cool hues (violets, purples, blues, greens)
Hey fellow riders, how’s your royal retreat coming along so far?
Where would you like to spend your Day 4??? Art museum!!!
Albert Hall Museum is located in Jaipur. Hey do you recall that Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II painted the city Pink to ensure that the Prince Albert’s visit to Jaipur succeeded?
For that purpose, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II constructed a lavish concert hall and named it in honor of the prince.
The exquisite Albert Hall is now the oldest museum of the state of Rajasthan.
Albert Hall, Jaipur
Alpha beta theta gamma delta!! This is your captain; making sure you are relishing the cruise! We are now headed over the traditional art of Jaipur! Get set!
In addition to all these engineered amusements, artful monuments and historical artifacts, I experienced the ancient art of Jaipur knows as “Block Printing”
A technique of designing hand-blocked fabric using eco friendly natural dyes and inks. The wooden block/stamp designs could be anything from brilliant floral, patterned camels, elephants, peacocks to abstract geometric shapes.
How can an artist miss such a rewarding experience? So I tried my hands at block-printing a simple small cloth. I admire the crafters and their hard work who beautifully hand-block-print yards and yards of bed-sheets, drapes and Sarees! This laborious art form definitely requires patience, creativity, and eagle-eye precision.
Moreover, I acquired several souvenirs from the historic, colorful Pink City! That includes “Indian Miniature Art” where household scenes with men and women, forest scenes with birds and animals, garden scenes with trees and flowers are vibrantly painted on an impossibly small scale on rich silk cloth, or palm leaf etc.
The colors are eco friendly handmade from vegetables, minerals, shells, gem stones, pure gold and silver. These painting designs give an insight into the life of the royals and the common man. I am so thankful to collect one of these delicate, handmade paintings to be cherished forever.
All in all, my Jaipur visit proved to be a forever inspiration for my being, for my art practice. The breathtaking royal wonders made me go back into the era and be in the experience! I feel fortunate to witness and observe the treasures, epitome of brilliance, the examples of rich cultural heritage. They feed the scientist, the artist within me to remain devoted to learning and exploring!
Hey Royals of Rajasthan! This is your captain/host/tour guide/story teller thanking you for embarking back in time on this regal retreat with me! As the time machine lands from the incredible India December 2019 back into the current time of May 2020 to the Sun-kissed Seattle.
Tell me what part of the world would you like to go next to with me? By the way, you know know where are all these vivid hues in my paintings coming from!
ASHWINI
