Jojawar: A little patch of paradise halfway between Jodhpur and Udaipur

Nearing the end of my journey through India I decided to make a detour and get a bus to Jojawar. It’s got a huge temple there that I wanted to see – though not much else, I was told. 

It turned out to be a lovely quiet place that I just loved. My little hotel was the Rawla Jojawah and though it was simple it was a really special little hotel with lots of frangipani and water lilies. It’s right in the middle of the tiny town, so to wander you just have to walk out the gate.

I found a dingy shop where an old man was painting the most wonderful tiny paintings. I couldn’t resist – and the painting and frame cost me $9! I was so excited with my find that for the first time in India I didn’t watch where I was going and went up to my ankles in the biggest cow poo that ever was. A couple of buckets of water later and all was well… lol. Never get so excited you forget where you are, people!

The temple complex [the Ranakpur Jain temple, a couple of hours away] was a stunner. It’s quiet and beautiful and I wandered for ages. It alone was worth the detour. 

Jojawar was also the only place I came to grief, eating what I shouldn’t. A family invited me to see their goats/sheep (I’m really not sure which, lol) and an old gentleman offered me a snack. As my head said “no” my mouth said “thank you so much”! My search for my Imodium a couple of hours later was like a bloody Olympic event.

By next morning all was well, so I took a local train up into the hills. There’s not much there, but the scenery is wonderful and the station is like a visit to a museum. There’s a lovely little cafe-type place at the top for coffee or chai if you’re willing to run the monkey gauntlet. Turns out they are pretty harmless – unless you are carrying food. 

If you get to this part of India I would recommend a visit to Jojawar. It’s a place where you can breathe out. Just watch where you walk and don’t accept snacks.