This is a Rajasthani Theme Village on the outskirts of Jaipur. I would rate the Chowkidhani Theme Village and the Amer Fort as the two must visit attractions on your trip to Jaipur. It is situated near Sanganer Airport and the entry ticket is Rs.700 odd which covers the food and performances only. Experiences such as Fortune telling and Massages need to be paid for separately. You need to pay for the other attractions within the village.
Firstly you can start with the camel or elephant ride which is quite an experience. This is just about a 5 minute ride just to get the experience of it, especially as most of us will not have the time or inclination to go get an actual one. After the rides you can go to the various stalls. The recommended ones are the head massage one, which costs Rs.20 for 5 minutes but the massage quality was very good, my wife got Mehendi put on which was very intricately done as well. There were also 3 fortune tellers, one a PhD who charged Rs.100 (while the others Rs.20) however they all spoke non sense and you could guide him to say whatever you wanted by asking smart questions. This fortune telling stall is avoidable.
There are several places to shop for footwear, Jewellery , Rajais etc. however they are a bit more overpriced from what you will get in the regular Government stores. There are also puppet shows and performances by tribal Rajasthani dance folk who invite you to dance with them and it was heartening to see many Indian tourists actually take up the offer and Dance. Do remember to leave them a small tip after the dance is complete, more as a sign of encouraging the art and prevent it from dying. There would be about 50 stalls in total which can keep you busy for about 3 hours. You must try to cover as many of them as possible as each stall is very different and has a different experience to offer.
Food is included in the price of the ticket. When I visited Chowkidhani, the buffet option was not there, you have to sit on the floor in the dining area and the staff serves you in traditional Rajasthani style (Ghevar, Bajra roti with Ghee etc.). They welcome you with the traditional Ram Ram Sa …… fit your head with a turban and then stuff you with food until you puke. They keep insisting you eat more and more and do not let you get up (there were times when I found it annoying as well). The food is authentic Rajasthani food and I did not like it much, but that does not mean it was bad. My wife who is more adventurous with food, loved the experience.
All in all it was 3 hours well spent. This theme village is a Must visit, it will give you a good idea of Rajasthani culture & village life which you will otherwise not get to see in Jaipur / Udiapur and other major cities. I think the Govt. of Rajasthan has done a good job of promoting this site.
Firstly you can start with the camel or elephant ride which is quite an experience. This is just about a 5 minute ride just to get the experience of it, especially as most of us will not have the time or inclination to go get an actual one. After the rides you can go to the various stalls. The recommended ones are the head massage one, which costs Rs.20 for 5 minutes but the massage quality was very good, my wife got Mehendi put on which was very intricately done as well. There were also 3 fortune tellers, one a PhD who charged Rs.100 (while the others Rs.20) however they all spoke non sense and you could guide him to say whatever you wanted by asking smart questions. This fortune telling stall is avoidable.
There are several places to shop for footwear, Jewellery , Rajais etc. however they are a bit more overpriced from what you will get in the regular Government stores. There are also puppet shows and performances by tribal Rajasthani dance folk who invite you to dance with them and it was heartening to see many Indian tourists actually take up the offer and Dance. Do remember to leave them a small tip after the dance is complete, more as a sign of encouraging the art and prevent it from dying. There would be about 50 stalls in total which can keep you busy for about 3 hours. You must try to cover as many of them as possible as each stall is very different and has a different experience to offer.
Food is included in the price of the ticket. When I visited Chowkidhani, the buffet option was not there, you have to sit on the floor in the dining area and the staff serves you in traditional Rajasthani style (Ghevar, Bajra roti with Ghee etc.). They welcome you with the traditional Ram Ram Sa …… fit your head with a turban and then stuff you with food until you puke. They keep insisting you eat more and more and do not let you get up (there were times when I found it annoying as well). The food is authentic Rajasthani food and I did not like it much, but that does not mean it was bad. My wife who is more adventurous with food, loved the experience.
All in all it was 3 hours well spent. This theme village is a Must visit, it will give you a good idea of Rajasthani culture & village life which you will otherwise not get to see in Jaipur / Udiapur and other major cities. I think the Govt. of Rajasthan has done a good job of promoting this site.
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