October
21
2009
By Jordan Bower
Exploring off the beaten track pays off in Bundi with a first class Rajasthani wedding parade.
Most people who visit Rajasthan tend to stick to highlights like Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer. When I was in India this fall, I wandered off the main route to check out the cool things I’d heard about Bundi, a small town five hours from Udaipur.
I loved what I found: the historic town sits at the base of a high hill, and is vibrantly decorated by Brahmin-blue painted residences. Overlooking the town is a rambling, rundown palace decorated in lavish murals and frescoes; guarding the palace is the 14th century, monkey-guarded fort seated on the hilltop. When I visited, the streets were filled with the noisy bustle of rural Rajasthan and there weren’t more than a handful of tourists around.
At night outside my 350 year old haveli-cum-hotel, the narrow laneway filled with drumming and frenzied cheers. I rushed outside to find a passing wedding parade, followed by a crowd of ecstatic dancers. And another and another and another: in November and December, an auspicious time of year, the streets fill with several weddings each night. Three days later, I was an expert in the Indian Macarena.
Bundi’s well worth the trip; what you'll lose in comfort, you'll gain in authenticity. Stay in Haveli Braj Bhushanjee, a 200-year-old palace managed by a local political family, decorated with beautiful traditional wall paintings; it’s acceptably comfortable, with a great view up to the palace.
We wouldn't be surprised if Jordan Bower returned to Bundi someday for an Indian wedding of his own. He's expressed an interest in marrying the country itself, and is now in serious dowry negotiations. He works on his photography and on other posts for The Sounder while he waits.