We take a taxi to travel the 280 kms from from Jodhpur to Udaipur for 2700 rupees. The countryside is mostly flat, scrubby desert until we reach the small village of Ranakpur 90 kms north of Udaipur where it becomes hilly, lush and verdant with even the occasional palm tree. We stop in Ranakpur long enough to visit the magnificent Jain temple reputedly the finest in Rajasthan. Lavishly carved in white marble with a wonderful sense of space and light, it is a complex of hals and galleries supported by 1,444 pillars, no two of which are the same. The main temple Chaumukha Mandir dedicated to Adinath was built in 1439. The carving in Jain Temples is an act of devotion in itself and has a readily recognisable style and content. No shoes, leather articles or cigarettes are allowed in the temple and like almost all monuments in India, a fee has to be paid to take a camera inside.
Beyond Ranakpur we pick up one of the few dual carriageways in Rajasthan and what a bizarre experience that is. Before long, we meet a tractor coming in the opposite direction on the wrong side of the road, soon followed by another and further on several cars. It’s not until much later that we discover that part of the road is still being hewn through the hillside and on-coming drivers for some inexplicable reason are diverting onto the left-hand carriageway even though the right-hand carriageway is open! As we travel along we come across cattle being herded down the road while some cows are sitting in the fast lane or on the central reservation. There are even one or two people walking in the fast lane. Rock falls encroach onto the road on either side some so sever that they block half the road.
Since we reached the hills the weather has become cloudy and much cooler which comes as a welcome relief after the intense heat of the last few days. We arrive in Udaipur in the late afternoon. The hotel we are booked into – The Old Jheel Guest House – was recommended to us by Jora, the manager at Shahi Palace in Jaisalmer. It turns out to be in two buildings across a narrow street; one on the laike side and the other set back. We are expecting to be on the lake but are shown a room at the top of the second building which involves a climb up steep stone stairs not much more than shoulder width wide. After climbing four flights we emerge at the top of the building where there is one large room and a facing roof terrace with excellent views over the lake.