We had a great overnight stay in what was described in the LP as a homestay but highly recommended. It certainly delivered and the care & attention by the owner Mr Burman made our stay enjoyable and memorable.
Difficult as it is to move on from the Taj Mahal from an architectural beauty viewpoint and all it signifies, our 240km journey to Jaipur, the final point of India’s “Golden Triangle” included a couple of interesting interludes.
First was to take a further step back to visit the abode of Shah Jahan’s grandfather Emperor Akbar in Fatehput Sikri which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585. The complex was planned on Persian principles and consists of a number of pavilions arranged in a formal geometry and also reflects the genius of Akbar in assimilating diverse regional architectural influences, including the palaces built for each of his 3 wives of different religions (Muslim, Hindu & Christian).
The other break in the journey was a visit to the Keoladeo National Park Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur which has sighted over 370 species of birds. We were only able to make a dent in the 29 sq km park in our 2 hours on cycle rickshaw but were certainly rewarded with some great sightings. Highlights were the White Breasted Eagle, Painted Storks and Kingfisher.
Our day ended with an evening arrival in Jaipur where our “light & sound show” of the day was finding the Hotel trying to navigate our way through the busy streets of the city with no sat nav and minimal street signage…

JR