makhania lassi, Johdpur (nothing special to look at, but SO GOOD)


Meherangarh fort, through the smog of Johdpur


Jaswant Thada memorial, Johdpur


Johdpur


Johdpur Sardar Market






my guesthouse, Johdpur


Johdpur's traditional Brahman blue houses


fort

there is a girl sleeping in this photo (on the right)


Johdpur


Johdpur from my hotel roof

I have headed farther into western Rajasthan to Johdpur, an incredibly polluted and smelly town with a wonderfully maintained fort that has a great museum and audio tour. It is still run by the Maharaja of Johdpur, and it seems that he puts a priority on making the fort tourist-friendly. The tour includes a video about the Maharaja and his son, showing them playing polo and pool and getting dressed for special occasions. My guesthouse is also really special--a 500 year old haveli, right at the base of the fort wall; it is in a quieter section of town, mostly because the lanes are too small to accommodate larger vehicles.

A quick word about lassis. I thought that I had tasted the best lassi in India in Jaipur at Lassiwala, served in a terracotta cup with a little crusty bit on top. These were made using a modified drillpress to whip them. And, of course, having had this amazing lassi, every other lassi has tasted inferior since then. But here in Johdpur, they have an entirely different manifestation of a lassi--the makhania, made with butter and saffron and cardamom, which is much thicker and so, so good. I have never had a lassi like this in the United States. I'm not sure that it exists.