Reflections on a visit to the charming desert land- RAJASTHAN(2005)

Traveling in India is time well spent, more so if it is with the family as we get to spend quality time together. The rich diversity of India offers multiple choices and this year of 2005, we decided to go North west into Thar desert- the vast state of Rajasthan. We had just about 12 days and it is not possible to do full justice to all the places and therefore we chose a popular circuit of Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mount Abu and departing back to Bangalore from Ahmedabad. October is a good season to travel in this part of the country and we opted for travel in a prebooked taxi –a four wheeler.
Tragedy strikes: There was a huge human tragedy just the day we commenced our trip..a earthquake of 7.6 richter scale struck Kashmir, more in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir- POK with Muzzafarabad worst affected. I understand some 75000 people were killed and an equal number injured with over 2.5 mn people left homeless. We followed this news throughout the trip and relief operations were impacted because of the onset of winter. The Indian side of Kashmir saw some 750 deaths
Day1. We arrived in Jaipur by train and made it to a modest hotel Ratnavali located on Mirza Ismail road. After a wash, we set off on a city tour that saw us pass through an old city . Soon we breezed through Jal Mahal, a 18 th century palace built in the middle of Mansagar lake. We soon reached the Amber fort which houses one of the largest cannons in the world. It was the former capital of Kachhwaha and has mughal style gardens, high rise walls, many a war artifact and its rustic look is awesome. The other places touched were the City palace, museum, Birla temple and the Hawa Mahal which is a pink colour façade with some 950 odd windows from where the royal womenfolk could stand and view the outside. Its tiered shape is said to resemble Lord Krishna’s crown. Jaipur, the pink city of palaces has a mix of culture, cuisine, the old and the new and arts and science. For example the Jantar Mantar has huge tilted geometrical shapes and curves pointing towards the sky- a astronomer’s delight. We experienced art and local cuisine at Chowki Dhani, some 25 km away from the city- a ethnic village that welcomes all its guests in a traditional way, to the beats of the drums. Here one sees a blend of modernity by way of say the clean wash rooms amidst the rural charm of huts and live performances by rural folk artists. There is vibrancy as we see traditional dances by the colorfully attired women folk dancing to the beats and trumpets of the men folk. There are small petty shops selling bangles, fashion accessories, traditional stones, finger rings, bracelets and all kinds of artificial jewellery. There are camel rides . The dinner here is unforgettable.. You sit on the ground on a small raised platform with traditional headgear and ‘tikkas’ (small thumb like vermillion and crimson powder) applied on your forehead and one is amazed at the variety , some twenty five odd dishes – a five course meal. It is very satisfying and a very packed day.
Day 2. Early next morning, after a delicious breakfast at a adjoining restaurant called Sankalp that serves good vegetarian food, we head for Bikaner by road—a good five hour drive Bikaner gets its name from Bika’s fort. It is dusty small town with a huge sandstone fort at one end of the city and a camel farm with a National laboratory there at the other end. We see Asia’s largest camel breeding farm that houses over 300 camels. The shades of brown and shapes of the tall necks and humps of the variety of camels is memorable. The guide there explained the 3 main varieties, Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri and a Gujarat type, all known for speed, beauty and strength. One variety is known to give some 5 litres of milk everyday. Had never seen such a high concentration of camels in a small area. I understand the average life span of a camel is 30 years with 13 months of incubation. We had an interesting interaction with a ‘Hasyakar’ ( poet or ballad singing poems that evoke laughter)who recited lovely poems in a ‘shairy’ style..We are told the Border Security Force patrols the long border with Pakistan using camels as transport. We head back to the town past an amazing array of cenotaphs with the sunset as a background—breath taking views.
Day 3. The next morning – we visit the fort and a Mata Karni devi temple that worships rats. Legend has it that a 14 th century lady mystic is believed to be a incarnation of Goddess Durga called Mata Karni – the official deity of royal family of Bikaner and Jodhpur . On the death of a story tellers son , she implored the God of death Yama to bring him to life and on his refusal , she incarnated the dead son and all the story tellers as rats under her protection. Hence rats are fed here and literally worshipped. There is no idol but only a footprint. Sighting a white rat amidst the hordes of black rats is considered auspicious. One is left with a eerie feeling. Yes we will remember Bikaner for the rat temple, the amazing cenotaphs, camels, rugged forts some now housing hotels. It has a strange medieval charm of its own. The same day we drive down to Jaisalmer and see a quintessential country side with good tarred roads, flat lands with occasional irrigation canals that form the lifeline for the locals. We settle at the Jaisal club
Day 4. at Jaisalmer see us visiting forts, palaces and a beautiful ornately sculpted Jain temple complex. It is a small town with a soul and the winding roads thru the havelis lead us to a magnificent fort whose stones echoes the colour of the desert sands. Here one sees a hotel called Little Italy.That evening we decide to spend in the sand dunes in swiss tents that offer cultural shows, camel rides and local cuisine as a package. The sunrise and sunset here is breathtaking. The cultural shows can get noisy as the local ladies swing to some loud jarring music , most often balancing a string of mud pots on their head. We manage some good sleep n the desert star lit night with the cold winds gracing the canvas of the tents in a rhythm that sounds like a lullabye.
Day5 and Day 6. After breakfast we drive down to Jodhpur and rest at the Umed Club in the heart of the city.. Jodhpur is called the blue city The huge Mehrangarh fort palace has some ten levels and the royal traditions of the Rajputs are preserved here..eg we are welcomed by mustachioed men in traditional attire. We see images of some Sati victims marks on the walls—this haunts us. We see all kinds of musical instruments of that age, armory like swords, guns, palanquins and a wide spectrum of artistic paintings and collections. One gets a excellent view of Ummaid bhavan from the height of this fort palace. The Udai Singh palace which is our next stop is indeed a grand spectacle and was apparently built to provide employment during a bad famine time. We did some shopping in the narrow lanes of Jodhpur .
Day 7, We left Jodhpur by road to Udaipur and we pass thru a range of Aravalli hills . We decided to stop at Ranakpur. The sculpture looked like a celestial vehicle in shades of white and cream. This houses the first Jain Tirthankara Adinatha in the main sanctum. There is a ‘chaumukha’ pattern, in that the deity faces four directions that have four entrances. There are over 1400 intricately carved pillars here and one of them has the figure of Dhanna Shah, a Jain businessman who built this. This pillar is crooked to allow the figure of Dhanna Shah a direct view of Adinatha. It took some 64 years to build this marvel. The bhojanalaya here offers good vegetarian meals. There is an adjoining Surya temple. The aesthetics , art and attention to detail in Ranakpur temples is something that we cherish. I remember a kalpavriksha, a wish fulfilling tree carved on the ceiling, as we step out of the temple. Legend has it that, as you stand under this tree facing Adinatha, your wish if any, is fulfilled.
We stayed at the Field club. The Udaipur lake palace is an amazing sight , as is the City palace. We drive past Haldi ghat where Maharana Pratap the valiant Rajput was defeated by the Mughal army. There is a museum and a sound and light show that tells the story and brings to life the rich heritage of this part of the country This defeat is viewed as a moral victory
Day 8. We visit Sreenathji- the Krishna temple at Nathdwara and head for Mount Abu some 180 km from Udaipur.. Midway we stopped at a tiny hamlet called Pindwara where we ate mouth watering fresh jilebis and pakodas. We stayed at the Lake Palace just opposite the lake
Day 9: We see the Dilwara temples, clearly the high spot of the whole trip The marble carvings here just zap you. The five shrines here were constructed around 12 th century and it is not the gods or physical forms that are worshipped but the values / virtues . The intricate carvings depict Hindu mythology, scenes of royal courts, marriage processions and dancing figures There is the Vimal Vasahi temple and Tejapala temple that have marble elephants- a tribute to the animal that ferried the marbles used in building the temple. There is also the pashavnath temple that has 3 levels and has a huge shrine and a canopy of snake hoods. The temples are a celebration of Jain philosophy and art . The craftsmanship just leaves you awed and speechless. The ambience is truly majestic and breathtaking. I wonder who has the heart to destroy some of this , as the story goes that Mohamed Khilji partly destroyed them and it was refurbished in 1950.
Later we see the modern day peace hall of Brahmakumaris- its headquarters and see the Adhardevi temple that has some 365 steps carved into a mountain to reach a Durga temple. It is made out of a single rock.
Next morning we drive down to Mount Abu station and board a train to Ahmedabad where we see the Sabarmati Ashram and head back to Bangalore by flight.
On reaching home , we hear of a knee cap shift injury to our daughter . She is off work for a couple of weeks. The news is disturbing. It makes me reflect that the two tragedies , at the beginning and end of the trip (if I may call the second as a tragedy)had different scales of scope and impact. How did we react? Tragedies that strike our family , our near and dear ones evokes a different , more passionate reaction..the other one, not so direct is just another tragic ‘news’ . To bridge and have a common consistent reaction , pain and attachment or disattachment, we perhaps have to become a Mahatma.
In summary, One remembers Rajasthan for its battle scarred forts, huge marble palaces, riotous colours and delicious cuisine. The views of sun rise and sunsets in the sand dunes and the intricate carvings in Ranakpur and Dilwara temples are etched in our memories for times to come. There is an element of romance, valour and sacrifice in these princely states that have an inherent element of contrast- be it the rich palaces and or the tiny dwellings in the desert, the blue water lake in Udaipur or the golden colour of the sun hitting the sand dunes.
There is a vast part of Rajasthan that we have not seen, Kota, Ajmer, Ranthambore, Chittargarh etc..and surely we will cover this in our coming trips. We love RAJASTHAN.IT BECKONS US.
S Mohan Rao