Click on a picture for full size view.
 |
| Enchanting Rajasthan thru a Jharoka! |
Next morning we
start for Ajmer,
a distance of 135 kilometers by bus from Jaipur. We move over dusty roads on a
dry, windy day, with a number of shops with very big areas, on sides, storing
and selling marble; the sight of slowly moving trucks, carrying huge boulders
of marble, is unusual for us!
 |
| Boulders of Marble |
We reach Ajmer in
three hours and straight away head for the Dargah
(shrine) of the Sufi saint Khwaja
(meaning master or lord) Moinuddin Chishti (1141-1230), greatest of the Indian
Sufi saints, well visited by all communities of India. Entering through the Buland
Gate, we spend a considerable time in the pleasant, fragrant atmosphere around
the main crowded shrine, where the people offer flowers, colorful ‘Chadders’ (embroidered Cloth sheets),
praying for the fulfillment of their
wishes.
 |
| KM Chistie Dargah |
Then we move around the other marble structures like the Akbari Mosque with
a very peaceful ambience, and come out. On the way, we also happen to come
across the beautiful Jain temple, Soniji
Ki Nasiyan.Then we reach
Pushkar, via the picturesque artificial lake Ana
Sagar, spread over 13 Km; to begin with, we find ourselves before a grand,
double-storey Gurudwara in white marble!
 |
| Grand Gurudwara |
Honoring the
visits of Guru Nanak and Guru Govind Singh, this monument, nestling in the
Aravallies, replaces the earlier Guru
Nanak Dharmasala; it turns out to be a refreshing place for us to walk
towards the Pushkar
Lake. One of the five
most sacred, ancient destinations for the Hindus and also for foreign tourists
to flock for peace and bliss, Pushkar also happens to be a notorious haven of
narcotics and drugs said to be an attraction for many to attain Nirvana (bliss)! This huge water-body
with a surface area of 54 acres and 52 Ghats is
depicted on Greek and Kushan coins as old as 4th century B.C. This
lake has mention in Ramayana and Mahabharata as Adi Tirtha (the sacred
water-body) and as the mythology goes, also in this place with beautiful
surroundings, lived together romancing, the great sage Vishwamitra and the
beauteous Apsara Menaka for ten long
years!
 |
| Pushkar Lake with Ghats |
We move around
the lake with beautiful views of the Ghats
animated by people and flocks of pigeons every where. We also enjoy some time
feeding pigeons on our hands and then, as we move, watch birds catching fish and
people bathing relaxed in the lake on extended concrete platforms. We are told
by our just made local friends that, in the olden days, man-eating crocodiles
inhabited the lake and the people considered themselves lucky to be eaten by
them! I salute India Incredible as I imagine an ecstaticperson being happily
swallowed by a crocodile!
 |
| Looking for fish! |
 |
| Good time with pigeons |
From the lake,
we come to the 600year old present Bramha
Temple, the most prominent Indian temple of ‘The Creator of the World’, where he is worshipped. The life size
icon with four heads in four cardinal directions, seating cross-legged, riding
a Swan, depicts Bramha in the Vishwakarma (creator of the Universe) form and it
was deified by Adi Shankara in 718 A.D. Well, the lore of Bramha with His wives
involved and how he was cursed is spicy and interesting; it’s interesting to
listen to it from the locals! We start back for Jaipur shortly and reach there
about sunset time.
Next day we bid
good-bye to the warm
Pink City and head for
Jodhpur,
watching the sunset over
Sambhar
Salt Lake,
an elliptical piece of vast saline wetland, 35 km long.
 |
| Sambhar Salt Lake |
This weird, largest
salt lake of India produces about two lakh tons of clean salt and also is an
ecologically preserved Ramsar site, a
wetland of International importance, as, in winter, thousands of flamingos and
other birds from northern Asia migrate to this place for sustenance on special
type of algae and bacteria growing in the lake, which also provide striking
colors to the lake!
The same night we reach
Jodhpur, are promptly picked up and taken to the
hotel we have already booked, riding rough in an auto-rickshaw, in the narrow
lanes and by lanes. It is a house converted into a mini hotel with small, cozy
rooms in Rajasthani style furnishings and all family members welcome us, even
at around 11:30pm in the night; yes, their business acumen is also well known! We
have tea and then go to sleep after eating a bowl of curds and rice, of course
with
Limboo ka Achar (lemon pickle).
 |
| Sardar Market |
Next day morning, we reach the terrace via a
narrow stair-case and have tea in the pleasant early March weather, having a
view of the huge, red sand-stone, high walled Mehran Garh fort in front of us!
We climb down, get ready and then into the narrow streets with twists and
turns, gaining confidence as we move ahead among friendly people. Leisurely, we
reach the gate of the Sardar Market with a big Clock Tower inside, surrounded
by a market in all directions. From the gate itself, we turn back and proceed
in the direction of the fort, having decided to tour it first.
We reach the intricately
sculptured Jai Pol (the Gate of Victory, constructed by Maharaja Mansingh in
1806) with floral designs and the pleasant, colorful paintings on both sides,
depicting Ganesha, other Goddesses, and the marriage procession of Lord Shiva.
 |
| Jai Pol |
 |
| Imposing Corridors |
Still
we don’t get the slightest hint of the artistic treasures in the form of
palaces inside the powerfully protected fort with walls measuring up to 118 ft
high and 63 ft wide! Moving through imposing corridors and gates, with
magnificent structures by sides, we reach the ramparts of the fort, ornamented
with historic canons. Spread over 5 km in the heart of sunny Jodhpur, the fort
reconnoiters the whole Blue City, as Jodhpur is known due to the live-blue
painted buildings around the fort, from a 400ft hill.
 |
| The Blue City from the Fort |
More of a
castle, its foundation was laid by the Rathore ruler Jodha in 1459 on the then mysterious hill Bhaurcheeria or the mountain of birds,
where only the hermit Cheeria Nathji, the Lord of Birds lived! In the process
of being asked to move from there by Jodha, he cursed that the place would
always suffer scarcity of water! The king tried to mollify the hermit by
providing him a house and a temple nearby, but later on buried a man by name
Raja Ram Meghwal (‘perhaps me in the earlier birth’, I jested with Poonam.) alive
in the foundation for auspice to the place!He was promised
complete care of his family and descendants, who live in Raj Bagh, a garden
named after him! Any way, there is a drought every three or four years, even
today. Surely, the castle, one of the seven wonders of India, attracts the Bollywood and also the Hollywood director Christopher Nolan made a part of his
Batman movie here.
 |
| More of a Castle! |
 |
| Moti Mahal Courtyard |
With time, the
fort had several palaces developed, under various kings till 1870. Moti Mahal,
buzzing with turbaned attendants and tourists, and a courtyard with marvelously
sculptured multiple balconies imposing over us from all sides, just throws us
into a dizzy delight! Built by Raja Sur Singh, for his five queens, a spacious
hall in it displays an array of fabulous palanquins with gold and silver work;
they were a means of travel for ladies and men of nobility on occasions.
 |
| Palanquin with gold work; also a cute, friendly canon! |
The next section we enter is the exquisite
Phool Mahal, a luxuriant hall in rich red, gilded with gold leaf, absorbing
light through tainted glass windows; paintings depicting different Ragas of
Indian music on the upper section of walls, and the artistry on the roof and
around it, again with paintings, everything just beyond imagination! Yes, the
vivid colors of Rajasthan, with a variety from fertile Chambal region in the
east to the endless sea of desert in the west, express themselves in magical
paintings from Royalty to flora and fauna to Gods and religious texts; any one
visiting Phool Mahal is stunned!
 |
| Phool Mahal |
 |
| Sheesh Mahal |
Then we spend some time at the typical Rajput
style Sheesh Mahal, a colorful fantasy all-round in mirrors, a chandelier and
lamps spreading light to all nooks and colorful religious paintings. Then we
come out in the courtyard, spend some lively time with the attendant. I borrow
a turban from one of them for pictures; Rajasthan style!
 |
| Rajasthan Style! |
Our next
destination is the Ummaidbhavan
Palace, one of the
world’s biggest residences with 347 rooms; but at present a great part of it is
a luxury hotel and a substantial part, residence of the Royalty! Again good
business and maintenance of the heritage structures clubbed together. We spend
some time in the museum, then go to the place where Beautiful Rolls Royce cars
are parked and then strolling through a garden come to a spot to have nice,
refreshing, hot coffee. As we come out of the premises of the palace, I sight a
huge, bluish Nilgai, which slowly disappears into the wood, as I try to attract
it, giving a call, “Aao, Aao!” It is evening and we return back to our hotel,
roaming through streets, after we come to the market center by an auto-rikshaw.
 |
| Ummaid Bhavan |
The next day, it is Holi, the festival of
colors; we decide to go to Mandore Gardens, spread over 82 acres, a beautiful
recreational spot, nine km away from Jodhpur;
the festival of colors is celebrated here by the locals, tourists and also
foreign tourists. A beautiful, fully developed garden with rock terraces, water
bodies and a variety of flora, the gardens main attraction is the sprinkle
majestic cenotaphs of the erstwhile rulers of Mewar! Actually, they are
sculptural masterpieces resembling Dewals
(temples), adding charisma to the respective personalities, but not just Chhatries (cenotaphs) as mostly
elsewhere in Rajasthan. We enter the garden and soon find a troop of langurs
having happy time on a pair of huge, ancient trees, standing over a stone well.
Soon we reach the picturesque Dewal
of Maharaja Ajit Singh, in red sand stone and marble, built in 1793.
 |
| Dewal of Ajit Singh |
Anyone’s
eyes will just be glued to the extremely proportionate structure! As we move
ahead amidst lawns and rock terraces with langurs on sides, we sight the
dignified marble Dewal of the queen
mother. Slowly we stroll on to the huge Dewal
of Maharaja Jaswant Singh, where we spend a lot of time, able to have views
through the balconies on all sides with beautifully carved pillars.
 |
| From the Dewal of Jaswant Singh |
Then
walking some distance by the side of a big lake where some youngsters are
swimming, we again get scenic views mingled with cenotaphs, large rock terraces
full of langurs, till we reach the Hall of Heroes, carved out of a single huge
rock, with lively, painted figures of folk heroes.
 |
| Raja Gojgaji |
 |
| Friendly Langurs |
On the way out,
we are able have some fun with friendly langurs offering them small laddus, and as the evening approaches,
we witness the processions of different local groups with rustic drums and
bawdy slogans, a legitimate part of the Holi festival!
The same night,
we bid good bye to the friendly family of the hotel owners, where we stayed,
and reach the Jaisalmer railway station early in the morning to witness the
glowing
Sonar Kella (or the Golden fortress,
named so after Satyajit Ray’s movie of the same name) at sunrise, with the
setting full moon behind!
 |
| Sonar Kella |
As I move on the platform, cupping a cup of hot tea
in the morning chill, I see and get interested in a lively parrot drinking
water at a leaking pipe!
Soon I am approached by an agent of a hotel, who
promises us accommodation and a colorful night in the desert; I take him to my
friend (made in the train) and we together fix for the arrangements at a very
reasonable price. Soon we are taken to the hotel, where we relax, complete our
morning chores and get ready for the tour of the city and the fort.
We reach
the center of the town, founded by
Maharawal Jaisal Singh in 1156. Standing on a thrown up fold of yellow sand
stone (ridge), Jaisalmer is known as the
Golden
City of
India, due to the tinge of most of
the structures in yellow sand stone! We don’t have to do anything, but just
move along in the narrow streets with virtually a golden atmosphere, due to the
beautifully sculptured houses with grandly carved main doors in teak!
 |
| Nathmalji ki Haveli |
Yes, we
spend time admiring and taking pictures like the other tourists, also foreign,
in the most unexpected places, till we reach Nathmalji Ki Haveli, a succulent mansion of a smaller proportion, with two elegant elephants on sides. It was
constructed for Diwan Mohata Nathmal, the then Prime Minister of Jaisalmer, by
Hathi and Lalu, two imaginative architect-brothers appointed by the king. The
mansion is off beat with the depiction of modern amenities like cars and
electric fans on the walls along with the classical Rajput style architecture
and sculpture. At present, we find the jharokas
decorated with masks and toys, perhaps temporary.
After spending some time in the cool Haveli,
we come out and continue to stroll and linger at shops to see interesting
decorative items on the roadside.
On the whole, our journey in the very narrow
golden streets is delightful as we reach the Patwon ki Haveli, another artistic
mansion of the business family Patwons. This ‘mansion of
the brocade merchants’ commissioned by Guman Chand Patwa in1805, took fifty
years to complete, and enjoyed by his five sons in affluence from business and
also suspected illegal trade in opium and money lending. This five storied
mansion, supposed to be the best in Jaisalmer, attracts all with its frescos,
mirror works and chiseled ceilings. Antique furniture and other aesthetic
mementoes like locks, gramophone with a loud speaker, a table with a chessboard
on it and exclusively made pieces, in a grand drawing room of unusual class,
also abound in the place, refreshing the sense of appreciation in a person.
Again, the golden narrow streets and the fort are the views from its unique
jharokas and soon we are in the square on the opposite side, full of vendors
selling a variety of clothes, puppets and colorful wall hangers, and also fans
made of peacock feathers. We spend some happy time here with many other
tourists also enjoying themselves.
 |
| Fort from Patwon ki Haveli |
Finally, we make
a hurried visit to the two hundred year old Mandir Palace;
built by late Maharawal Jawahar Singh converted into a hotel, an architectural
splendor with different sections. It is a part of Badal Vilas, the present
Royal Residence not accessible to people, which is the tallest structure of the
town, next only to the fort.
We return to the hotel, and relax as soon we will
be starting our exciting one night excursion to the Sam Desert,
a part of the great Indian Thar desert with an area of more than 200000 sq km!
 |
| A yard of cenotaphs on the way to desert |
We are taken to
the point in the desert from where we board the Ship of the Desert (camel) and
ride to its swing, into the still sea of sand with the small thorny plants
substituting algae and the motionless sand dunes, rising from 152 meters to 16
meters, substituting waves; giant and tiny!
Of course, being our first experience
to be in the desert with the hazy blue skies above and hard paths turning into soft
sand as we move on and reach the area where warm, sand dunes abound and we
climb down the camel with the help of young, poor but pleasant children
attending us!
The sun is still a bit strong, but it is going to be sun set
within sometime, as bunches of tourists pour in, to make the place a colorful,
lively stage for various cultures, enjoying total Rajasthani ambiance in the
form of music, folk lore and dance!
Soon we see small girls in costumes,
playing music on toy Ravanhathas (bowed fiddles popular in western India)
dancing and entertaining the tourists, people running up and down the dunes,
some talking animatedly to their guides and some just relaxing with their hats
over their faces.
Well, all are having fun in different ways, some even
watching the silhouettes slimming and lengthening and the sand turning into
golden yellow, as the awaited sunset is arriving, slowly changing the color of
the skies!
 |
| Tourists |
 |
| Our Bread n Butter |
Then the large, orange sun sets slowly at the horizon without a
reflection in the unending desert; I wonder, whether there could be a chance of
mirage for the fabulous event with reflection!
All mount their camels and head towards the circular desert camp as it starts getting dark.
The rooms, on the circle along the compound wall, are also circular with a
conical thatched roof, with a nice double bed in the center and other
amenities. There is a small stage for singers and a large, circular, cemented
floor for performers and us to participate; with the seating arranged around it.
It is quite cold outside but pleasant as we refresh ourselves and move around
in the space with cups of hot tea cupped in our hands as the artistes are
getting ready with their instruments, mike arrangements and the dancers are
giving final touches to their accessories. Shortly, we have a good dinner of Dal-bati, vegetable pulav etc and come back for the program of music and
dance by enthusiastic, young local artistes; already started.
Accompaniment
of Rajasthani musical instruments, dhol,
khartaal( a pair of light, rectangular wood, I wonder how it is played), dholak, gives a unique touch to the
variety of dances the girls in costumes perform;
Bhavai (with painted earthen pots on their heads), Ghoomar (pirouetting with beautiful,
flashy Ghagras) and of course some Bollywood! Soon we also join them and make
merry till midnight in the, incidentally, full-moon lit night! Next morning,
after breakfast and tea, we return and after spending some time in the room go
to the fort.
 |
| In the Morning Chill at Desert Camp |
 |
| Authorized Bhang Shop |
Before we enter
the Sonar Kella, one of the largest forts
in the world, we find ourselves before an authorized bhang shop, from behind which we get a heady view of the fort! We
enter the fort through Akshay Pol, the main entrance of the fort and find the
dominating Raj Mahal, the royal palace, at present a museum.
 |
| Raj Mahal |
With some
unexpected twists and turns, originally intended to check the speed of the
enemy, we pass through the artistic Ganesh Pol and keep moving through the second
and third layer of walls in the fort, at present, occupied by colorful saris,
bed sheets and dresses of small vendors.
 |
| Dream Entrance! |
 |
| Lively Tirthankara |
Soon we reach the
famous Jain temples in Dilwara style,
dedicated to holy Tirthankaras (Jain
hermits), dating back 12th-15th centuries. A pleasure in sculpture
and painting in yellow sand stone; the lively idols of the Tirthankaras in
marble, black stone, sand stone, gold and bronze, with matchless sculpture and
painting around them in different temples are astounding!
 |
| A Warrior |
 |
| Dome! |
The life in the form
of animals, birds, apsaras, Gods, Goddesses on the walls, domes and pillars
just takes us into a world of dreams hard to believe and I am definitely dazed
by the splendor;
 |
| Just Grandeur! |
 |
| Live Gargoyle |
even a gargoyle
in the form of a crocodile seems to spring into action! As we come out of the
temple complex, we are attracted by shops displaying alluring carved mementoes
and a variety of other fancy items; but we decide to think about them later.
Then we go to a turret with historic cannon placed there, also a fantastic view
point at present, to have a beautiful view of the tawny town and enjoy the
breeze.
 |
| Top of the World! |
Hmm…. the summer is chasing us…shortly it will be very hot in
Rajasthan! Spending some more time at another point, we leisurely walk our way
out of the colorful fort.
 |
| Gadisar Lake |
In the evening,
we walk to the historic, 14th century Gadsisar Lake,
a fresh water lake built by Maharawal Gadsi; it harvested rain water for entire
Jaisalmer! At present a scenic tourist spot with several temples and shrines on
its bank, we take a boat-ride all over the cool lake, also to find birds, ducks
and plenty of catfish in the lake.
RAJA RAM ATRE
rajaram.atre@gmail.com
Soon I am approached by an agent of a hotel, who
promises us accommodation and a colorful night in the desert; I take him to my
friend (made in the train) and we together fix for the arrangements at a very
reasonable price. Soon we are taken to the hotel, where we relax, complete our
morning chores and get ready for the tour of the city and the fort.
Again, the golden narrow streets and the fort are the views from its unique
jharokas and soon we are in the square on the opposite side, full of vendors
selling a variety of clothes, puppets and colorful wall hangers, and also fans
made of peacock feathers. We spend some happy time here with many other
tourists also enjoying themselves.
On the whole, our journey in the very narrow
golden streets is delightful as we reach the Patwon ki Haveli, another artistic
mansion of the business family Patwons. This ‘mansion of
the brocade merchants’ commissioned by Guman Chand Patwa in1805, took fifty
years to complete, and enjoyed by his five sons in affluence from business and
also suspected illegal trade in opium and money lending. This five storied
mansion, supposed to be the best in Jaisalmer, attracts all with its frescos,
mirror works and chiseled ceilings. Antique furniture and other aesthetic
mementoes like locks, gramophone with a loud speaker, a table with a chessboard
on it and exclusively made pieces, in a grand drawing room of unusual class,
also abound in the place, refreshing the sense of appreciation in a person. 
Bhavai (with painted earthen pots on their heads), Ghoomar (pirouetting with beautiful,
flashy Ghagras) and of course some Bollywood! Soon we also join them and make
merry till midnight in the, incidentally, full-moon lit night! Next morning,
after breakfast and tea, we return and after spending some time in the room go
to the fort.
No comments:
Post a Comment