a trip full of FIRSTS

One of my perennial complaints as the HUBS would tell you, is how I never get to really see India. We have so many family members that we want to visit that invariably really seeing India usually gets nixed. I haven’t been a tourist in India since I was 12 years old and saw the Taj Mahal. But decades have passed since then, and two things remain: I still find myself yearning to see more of India, and I still LOVE taking pictures but now I am more experienced behind the lens.

So this trip, I made a declaration - each trip to India, I want to see something new. And this trip we did.

But, in addition to spending some time exploring India, this trip was also chockfull of firsts. It was the little one’s first international trip ever and first trip to India (👋🏽 first passport stamps). It was the first time she got to meet her great grandmothers. It was our first time in Rajasthan. And lastly, it was our first visit to the home that the HUBS grew up in (and probably last time).

in a MUMBAI minute

Our first stop in our 18-day trek across India, Mumbai, is where both sides of my family live. This trip was first a foremost a trip to see my grandmothers. As they age, I am just unsure how much time I have with each of them.

For months leading up to the trip, I had the little one practice saying how are you in gujarati (kem cho) and practice addressing them appropriately (mota nani & mota dadi). Having spent long bouts in India with each of them growing up, I wanted her to get to enjoy their company as much as I have. While she may never learn nani’s organization tips or eat dadi’s incredible udad-toorni dal, at least she did meet them and spend quality time with them. I will never forget the fun of watching them try to communicate, for the most part taking around each other in their native tongues, but somehow still understanding and bringing each other joy.

It was so much fun seeing her interact with the next gen of shahs and meeting the extended fam. She loved mami’s theplas, dadi’s cookies, pom pom fia’s shaak and nani’s moordi ka ladoo. She was pampered, adored and loved in ways we can’t and while it was tough to stomach seeing her eat so much sugar 😫 throughout the trip, it was incredible to see her bond with each member of the family.

A TRIP TO DINGUBABA’S HOME
A couple days into our trip, we were able to take her to my dadi’s home. And while some may see the home as peeling paint walls and broken shutters, to me it’s the home that dad was raised in. It’s the home where we played endless hours of Sequence with my grandmother. It’s the home where we would watch my grandfather transform into a child, playing make-believe and being silly with us so that we would enjoy being so far away from our home. It was heartwarming to see her little footsteps walk throughout, her excitement palpable in each room.

next stop, JAISALMER

As we build our home together, it was really important to both of us that we spent some time exploring the family’s Rajasthani roots (don’t worry fam, we’ve got Gujarat saved for our next trip 😀). Our first destination within Rajasthan, Jaisalmer, wasn’t even really on my radar until a few weeks before we booked our tickets to India.

JAISALMER FORT
The city is located about 100km/60mi from the Pakistan border, and features this magnificent fort that sits up on a hill (see picture below) and houses more than 3000 people to this day. The fort is full of tiny markets, shops (a tchotchke paradise), beautiful architecture and hand-carved temples. Definitely worth seeing if in Jaisalmer, but save some time, dollars and suitcase space to shop (especially the gorgeous tapestries).

THAR DESERT
In addition to exploring the fort, we spent sometime “glamping” in the Thar, the largest desert in India (and 20th largest in the world). We rode camels through a local gāma (village) to the sand dunes and thoroughly enjoyed watching the world wake up along the way.

Last on our list of things to see while in Jaisalmer was the regal cenotaphs of Bada Bagh. While these were busy when we visited at sunset, nothing could take away from the beautiful architecture of these sandstone monuments honoring deceased maharajas of the royal Jaisalmer family.

train ride to JAIPUR

After a day and a half of exploring Jaisalmer, we continued on our trek towards Jaipur by train. Eleven hours and several stops later, we made it to the famed Pink City. I was fully expecting to be underwhelmed knowing that Jaipur is every bit toursity, but oh my gosh! Its beautiful! It’s like a tiny metropolis that has grown like metastasis around regal forts.

CITY PALACE IS
TOURISTY BUT EXQUISITE
There are varying levels of entry to the palace, with foreigner tickets costing quite a bit more than residents. We decided to opt for the premium tickets that include a guide (in Hindi) and access to the special rooms. Each room of the palace was absolutely gorgeous. It was incredulous to think of the vast amounts of handwork that went into the architecture and decor. At least the royal family still lives in the palace to enjoy the grandeur to this day.

Below are the famed gates of the inner courtyard, Pritam Niwas Chowk, within palace. Each of these gates represents a different season and deity. The top left shown below is the Rose gate, and represents Goddess Devi and winter. The top right green gate below is the Lehariya Gate, representing Lord Ganesha and spring. The bottom left gate below is the Lotus Gate representing summer and Lord Shiva. The fourth gate, the Peacock Gate, is seen in the bottom right and is actually the entrance to Pritam Niwas Chowk. While the Lotus Gate is arguable the most famous of the four and probably one of the most photographed sights in India, my favorite was actually the Lehariya Gate. That green color was just so beautiful, very reminiscent of patina.

AMER FORT
Also while in Jaipur, our family took us to go see the beautiful Amer Fort (aka Amber Fort) that sits up on a hill about 11km outside Jaipur. Built in the sixteenth century, the fort is over 400 years old and supposedly features the world’s 3rd longest wall, however its not clear exactly how long the wall is since much of it has fallen over centuries. It was really wonderful to walk throughout the fort, but be forewarned, the fort is packed with both national and international tourists.

The fort was an endless paradise for photographers, with each corner revealing another incredulous handmade detail or beautifully timeworn wall. We just meandered around, taking in each breathtaking corner (oh swiftly running after little one before she caused trouble lol).

PANNA MEENA KA KUND
Just outside the fort, we found Panna Meena Ka Kund, the famed square stairwell that leads to water. There are many stories as to the purpose of this step well, including some folklore around how it was once used to overtake the fort itself. According to that story, the Rajputs overthrew the Meena clan by waiting for them to come bathe (and thereby disarm themselves). By doing this the Rajputs were able to overtake the Amer fort. While it seems the reason(s) for this well are unclear, it certainly is unique to look at. I was saddened that you could not go into the well.

ASANSOL via KOLKATA

This was the part of the trip that the HUBS was most looking forward to - bring baby to his childhood home, the Blessing house. It was like right out of a movie. She just walked in and made herself at home. She found a marble and made it her ball, she scribbled on the back of some documents with different colored pens, and found her chair at the dinner table. She even had her own cups of chai (very very small cups ha). We played patta (cards), ate our weight in rasagula (the best Indian/Bengali sweet ever), visited the temple the HUBS’ family frequented and took walks down memory lane reliving some of their favorite memories.

Growing up, I never really appreciated traveling to India. It was always a bittersweet experience leaving home for what felt like months on end to travel all the way across the globe to a place where life felt so different at every moment. And while I am probably far from fully appreciating it now, I can’t help but feel thankful that my life and my being has always extended beyond these American walls. This was definitely a trip we will never forget. So thankful for each of the family members that helped make these memories. Thank you for welcoming all three of us into your homes, feeding us all of our favorite foods 🤤, showing us around, showering us with love and kindness, letting us completely hijack your lives for a couple days and soooo much more. We can’t thank you enough, but if you happen to be in the states sometime soon please come visit. We would love to show you the same kindness you showed us.

❤️
charisma, rohit
nilu