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Bundi Palace, Rajasthan.

Part 9. Rajasthan: the City of All Colors

One good thing about guidebooks is that they tend to channel tourists into narrow migration corridors, while the rest of the country remains relatively unspoiled. Lonely Planet's India and The Rough Guide to India each devote just three pages to Bundi, but I found it to be the most charming and pleasant city in Rajasthan.
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Views of the Old City, Bundi.
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Old City, Bundi.		 The old part of Bundi looks a bit similar to Jodhpur. Indigo is also popular here, but many houses are painted other shades, and the streets are more colorful. Inside the city walls there are virtually no modern buildings; most houses date back to 1300-1800. view
Old City, Bundi.
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Laxmi Nath Temple, Bundi.		 view
View of Bundi from Taragarh Fort.
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Old City, Bundi.		 Bundi has more than a hundred well-preserved baoris, or step-wells. Some of them are up to 50m/166' deep, and over 300 years old. Numerous small palaces, ancient cenotaphs, and old gardens are scattered around town. view
Step-well, Bundi.
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Bundi Palace (c. 1600-1720).
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Hathi Pole (Elephant Gates), Bundi Palace.		 Crumbling Bundi Palace is the purest example of Rajput architecture, with no Muslim influence. It is famous for colorful murals. view
Bundi Palace.
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Inside Bundi Palace.
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Taragarh Fort (c. 1354), Bundi.		 Above the palace is Taragarh Fort, with splendid views from the walls. It is completely abandoned, and can be freely explored. view
Sunrise in Taragarh Fort.
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View of Bundi Palace and Nawal Sagar Lake from Taragarh Fort.		 view
Wall, Taragarh Fort.
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Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), Taragarh Fort.		 The only inhabitants of the palace and the fort are birds, bats and monkeys. Hundreds of rhesus macaques spend the night on the walls and roofs, and go into the city at sunrise to look for scraps. They might pretend to be dangerous, but it's all bluff. monkey
Rhesus macaque, Taragarh Fort.
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Rhesus macaques, Taragarh Fort.		 monkey
Rhesus macaques, Bundi Palace.
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Rhesus macaques, Taragarh Fort.		 The description of Bandar-Log City in The Jungle Book might have been based on Taragarh. Rudyard Kipling particularly liked Bundi, and so did I. monkey
Rhesus macaques, Taragarh Fort.
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Dolls for sale, Bundi.

Part 10: Varanasi

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