Last Day Udaipur

We attended Mendi classes - not as easy as it looks - I assure you

We attended yoga lessons  - No Miriam we were not Nakked.
Initially we did think they were Naked yoga lessons, just spelt incorrectly.

Last night and last meal in Udaipur
Look at the view of the lakes behind us!
This was our Hotel Restaurant  - Jagat Niwas Palace - built on the lake.

Ninas meal - Mahi Sarson Tikka
Cubes of fish, flavoued with yellow mustard seeds and
 cooked in Tandoor. Seved with mint Chutney

This was the best meal I have ever had in India
Aloo Angare - Potatoe stuffed with cottage cheese and
 dried fruit, cooked in Tandoor - served with mint chutney
It was Indias closest version to sushi!!
Desert - Gulkand Phirini - Rice pudding with rose petals soaked
 in sugar water for 9 days - topped with pistachios.

Pretty things at our hotel

Park and funny signs

Saheliyon-ki-baria A peaceful ornamental garden that was created for 48 women attendants who came as part of a princess's dowry

Lotus Pond

Yes we actually toured round the lake in this scrap - only noticed the
 sign about half hour into the trip.
We laughed about being boat wrecked, if necessary we could have
 swum to our hotel window and climbed in.

This boat had never patrolled anything ever, ever!!

Sadhus

 Sadhus  -  Holy Men outside the Jagdish Temple - Vishnu Temple - built in 1651

Udaipur - most romantic city in India

So Princess started getting into the hang of things
 especially after arriving in the most
 romantic city in India....and booked into a palace of heritage status.
 So I promptly upgraded her status to
 Queen Neena - yes Neena is an Indian name, we were
 told on numerous ocassions



View from our beautiful heritage Hotel

Where ever you are there are such stunning views of
 Lake Pichola and the city Palace - in the background



Look carefully - now focus on the white building in the centre.
The lonely window lowest level on the left was our room.
Apparently in monsoon season you can stretch your arm out and touch the water.

 

UDAIPUR - Shashi's cooking lessons

Princess wanted to attend some Indian cooking lessons - Shashi's cooking lessons were recommended in 'Lonely Planet' and Rajastans 'Rough guide' - so decided to give her a try. Good choice
What a sweetie she was quite a character with her broken English!!
A quick story on how she started her classes - Shashi's husband died at a very young age leaving her with x3 young sons, being of Brahmin descent she was not allowed to remarry and had no source of income, had never worked, no knowledge of English language and had x3 sons to educate.
Brahmins are also stictly vegetarian.
Fortunately for her there was a little hotel above her home and being the friendly soul she was, always greeted and chatted the tourists, inviting them into her home for chai.
One day some Dutch girls suggested she should start cooking lessons - they sat with her, wrote all her recipes out in English and slowly with some practice her English improved sufficiently enough for tourists to understand and for her to start lessons.

Shashis cookery classes and her Sunrise restaurant above.



Shashi frying Potatoe and Onion Pakora which she served for
 breakfast with her delicious Masala Chai  

During her lesson all 3 sons popped in at one stage or the other to
 help their mom - this son was still at school, one was a
 hotel manager and a 3rd doing his Bcom

We all had to knead, roll out and cook Chapatti{roti}, naan and parantha{filled roti}

Nina making Malai Kofta - Mashed potatoe with veges and spices
 rolled into a ball and then cooked in a tomato masala

We were not allowed to touch the food with
 our left hand{obvious reasons - in Indian culture} - not too
 easy to remember that one.

We cooked from 10.30am and our feast began at 3.30pm
Aubergine and Tomatoe Masala, Chickpea curry, Spinach and Poatoe curry,
 Palak Paneer{spinach and paneer} curry, Vege Palau, Naan with cheese{we made} and
 all the other dishes I have mentioned in the pics.

Dessert was a sweet parantha filled with ghee, coconut and icing sugar then fried - wow amazing

This was the space used for cooking lessons, and that was basically all her equipment.
Shashi's home in the background

UDAIPUR - Shivaratri celebrations

Shivarati is a Hindu Festival in praise of the cosmic victory dance of Lord Shiva. Nataraja
Devotees fast for the day and spend the whole night dancing and singing. It is also one of the few occasions when women are allowed to drink alcohol

We spent the day walking round the village, watching
 them decorating the temples and streets



We were invited to join this little village for supper - look at
 the Chipattis, they were about 70cm diameter!!

These young boys were busy chopping up onions for the women who were
 preparing the meal for the evening festivities.
Check the sunglasses for cutting onions!!!!

Shivaratri Evening

We spent the evening walking from temple to temple

Sweets given on entering temples

Miriam it was from this little temple they were playing Krishna Das

Shashi - our cooking teachers shrine - she had spent the afternoon
 painting her little place of worship a beautiful sky blue

Sprinkled with rose petals and garlands of marigolds, tuber rose, roses and Jasmine - Heaven

This was an evening of such joyous festivities - everyone was so happy, the kids
 were running around and the partying went long into the early hours

Nandi the cow - Shivas form of transport



Sweat meats given to us, were then offered the real Bhang Lassi -  cannabis, almonds, spices milk and sugar - and its legal!! and very powerful!!

Lord Shiva



Nina was allowed in this tiny temple with her camera - they were so chilled.
It really was teeny -  you could barely stand in it.