Jodhpur: Photo Essay

After knowing the history of Mehrangarh Fort and understanding the grand scheme of things that ran the old blue city, it was time to explore Jodhpur breathing in modern times. The city that has a sense of familiarity with that of the crowd, noise, traffic, various smells, food, shops, etc.

Sardar Market/ Clock Tower

So we headed to the Sardar Market. Some of the things I could spot in the market were vegetables, spices, street foods, clothes, ornaments and jewelry, antiques, etc. However, it was the clock tower that attracted my attention the most. The clock tower situated at the center which was once the only means for the labor class to know the time is now a prominent landmark of the city. A more than century-year-old clock tower was built by the then King Sardar Singh. Apparently, he paid a huge sum to the London company to build this unique clock which cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Here are a few more interesting facts about the clock tower:

• The clock runs by a movement of heavy iron loads suspended on wires.
• It requires winding by a key that weighs approx. 10 kgs!
• The bell makes a distinct sound each time it strikes.
• The complex mechanism of the clock is only known to a family responsible for running the clock for 2 generations.

Tip: Try lassi at Mishrilal Hotel, and mawa and pyaaj kachori at Rawat Misthan Bhandar who is believed to be the inventor of mawa kachori.

Mr. Mohd. Iqbal- The man responsible for the working of the clock- proudly flaunts the cutouts of the articles published about him in the newspapers and other magazines.

View of the market from the clock tower.

Turji ka Jhalra- Stepwell

A few meters away from the clock tower lies a stepwell which seems like a place for a social gathering of locals. Kids playing, people having snacks, a group of friends chatting, few tourists clicking photographs, while some sitting on the steps observing the life passing by, helped me experience the life in Jodhpur, in general. I was quite surprised by looking at its depth. The steep symmetrical steps leading to the water body tempted me to go further down to reach the water level. The stepwell was left in an abandoned state until it was restored a few years ago along with the surrounding area which is also refurbished with cafes and hotels keeping up with the tourist theme of the place. As a result, it is now attracting the attention of the tourists. However, I wish there was more information provided about the place.

Read: The touristy charm of Pushkar

Rao Jodha desert park

In an attempt to convert a rocky wasteland surrounding the Mehrangarh fort into an ecological park, Rao Jodha desert park was created in 2006. It gives a glimpse of the local topography with different types of rocks, birds and native plants growing in this part. With very few tourists around, the place felt even more interesting to explore at our own pace. The sturdy castle of Mehrangarh lay on a rugged hillock right across the park while we ambled through the overgrown bushes, crossed lakes and rested on the rock when felt so. I also observed the tourists zip lining from the Mehrangarh fort up to the park, which I think is a good idea to have an aerial view of the city and its heritage.

Read: Standing through tides and times: Jaigad Fort and Karhateshwar Temple

Kaylana Lake

My love for nature made me ditch Jaswant Thada– A memorial of Maharaja Jaswant Singh to visit Kaylana Lake during the sunset hours. But to my disappointment, the sun hid behind the hills well before casting its orange rays. The place is also poorly maintained and is not as good as reviewed on the internet. Although with the sitting arrangements and the boating facilities, it serves as a picnic spot which is mostly frequented by locals.

Umaid Bhawan Palace

Built by the erstwhile ruler Maharaja Umaid Singh, it is the last royal palace built in India and is one of the world’s largest private residences. The palace is now divided into three parts- the first being the residence of the royal family (Maharaja Gaj Singh, the grandson of Umaid Singh is the current resident of the palace); the second is part of a Taj hotel; and the third is converted into a museum housing vintage cars, collection of clocks, furniture, antiques, armories, family memorabilia, and paintings.

With the architecture as beautiful as this, I wonder if beauty really lies in the eye of a beholder?

Inside the museum.

Exploring my interest in arts and history at Mehrangarh Fort

My initial plan before leaving to Pushkar was to meet my cousins in Jaipur and board the bus to Manali. I was hesitant to travel solo across Rajasthan, for its association with forts and museums hardly sparked any interest in me. Being a nature lover, it did not resonate with my idea of travelling. Imagine a schoolboy asked to sacrifice his Sunday for a trip to the museum. How boring! But as a traveller, I often find that happiness lies just around the corner when least expected. This time, my cousin did not want me to run away in the mountains. Instead, he insisted me, or rather should I say, forced me to board a bus to Pushkar. Jodhpur was the second destination of the same tour. After a 5hr long journey on a local bus from Pushkar, one may find his mind commanding to rest but as I arrived at the goStops hostel, I instantly felt rejuvenated. The employee at the reception, being a travel geek himself, ended up sharing his stories while I tried to gather all the information about Jodhpur as if I was to start exploring the city right away! In such a friendly atmosphere of like-minded people, conversations flowed and the bond formed easily with the staff and tourists alike. Lost in sharing the joy of travelling, the night seemed to be young and smiling at us.

The magnificent Mehrangarh Fort stands on a rocky hill, at the height of 400 ft. It was founded by Rao Jodha in 1459.

The last night’s experience paved the way for a morning to look forward to. After entering the fort and obtaining a ticket, I excitingly put the headphones (with a remote given for the audio tour) like a crown, imagining myself as a king who is out on an inspection of the fort. My friend Nico- an Australian fellow whom I met at the hostel- and I decided to explore the city together. As the soft morning sun expanded its rays from the imposing walls of the fort to the ground, I felt terribly small and weak to comprehend my position as a king.

One of the entrances to the fort.

The heavy metal gate with iron spikes on it making intrusion difficult for the enemies.

I immediately shun all my imaginations and pressed the no. 1 button on the remote. The audio guide welcomed me and introduced me to the Rathore dynasty and their glorious years of the past. It instantly teleported me to the age when the kings claimed themselves to be the descendant of God!

The audio tour further guided us to the interiors of the fort. As we marched closer to the courtyard, there were tourists dancing to the tune of the musicians who were playing traditional instruments. Many local visitors found this a good opportunity to gather around Nico and click photos with him.

He must be feeling like a celebrity. Haha!

While the audio guide described the details present in front of me, my mind kept flickering between the present and the imagery of the past. Sometimes, I was a part of the subjects enjoying the celebration in the courtyard; while on the other occasion, I was the king discussing the important strategy with the chiefs in the courtroom or resting in my “larger than life” personal chamber. The vast display of swords adorned with precious stones and ancient inscriptions, daggers, spears, guns, howdahs, etc took me to the battlefield where cavalries charged at the enemies on giant elephants and horses, and where Rathores displayed their strength and valor! I peeked into the lives of queens who traveled in closed palanquins. They were not given much freedom to engage with other men/subjects of the kingdom and lived in a separate quarter with their friends. I looked outside at the tourist crowd from the latticed windows from where the queens observed the ceremonies and royal assemblies taking place in the courtyard while remaining hidden from the public view. The architecture and the strength of the buildings, paintings of Gods from various mythologies, floral carvings on the walls and ceilings, etc piqued my curiosity to learn more about them. It made me appreciate the knowledge of architectures and artists of that time and sympathize with the efforts of laborers. My eyes popped out in awe looking at the bright colors and decorative royal rooms with stained glasses imported from other parts of the world. It was quite evident that mightier than the planning, architecture, and art was the money involved in construction!

Read: Standing through tides and times: Jaigad Fort and Karhateshwar Temple

Palanquin for royal women.

Palanquin for men.

The assembly room for chiefs and other important members.

The Sheesh Mahal or the Mirror Palace.

The bed-chamber of Maharaja Takhat Singh (1843-73) is decorated from ceiling to floor with paintings from Hindu Gods and Goddesses to European ladies. Even the floor is painted like a carpet!

Inside one of the queen’s palaces; notice the colonnade structure and the latticed windows that were designed so that the queen could peek outside at the ongoing affairs of the courtyard.

Antique cradle at the queen’s palace.

Smoking tobacco or opium in Hukka was a symbol of royal stature.

Visiting the Mehrangarh Fort helped me understand the idea of true Royalty which is a combination of wealth, health and knowledge, tradition and devotion, scientific and logical analysis, art and nature; which seems to be missing in our modern culture as it fails to maintain such a perfect balance.

A guard sitting in traditional attire so as to give a glimpse of the past.

Playing music on a traditional instrument called ‘Ravanahatha’

After spending a major part of the day at the fort, I repented at the thought of not touring across Rajasthan. I am grateful to my cousin who helped me unveil my preconceived opinion and explore the places with an open heart. “Never shall such bizarre thought cross my mind again!”, I affirmed mentally.

The fort overlooking the blue city of Jodhpur.

In the growing travel age, where all of us are aware of the wonderful quotes and ideologies of travel, it is here that I realized the true meaning of a traveller. A good traveller is not the one who sticks to a travel niche and keeps ticking off the places from his checklist. A good traveller is an opportunist, who challenges his own perceptions and is ever hungry for new experiences. After all, it is the experience that one relishes about the place and not the place itself. Isn’t it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5HPs2OE1Oo&feature=youtu.be

 

The touristy charm of Pushkar

Ambling through the streets of Pushkar, I try to navigate my way to the hotel. Even the Google map is not helpful enough to guide me through these narrow lanes but that is the last thing to be bothered about as the street is crammed with pilgrims, locals, and tourists alike, and all one has to do is ask for directions. Pushkar is a small temple town in Rajasthan and a prominent pilgrim place for Hindus. It is the month of February when the weather is cold and pleasant and I’m here to seek the blessings of God and indulge in the touristy charm of the place.

The Streets

Walking through the lanes of Pushkar, it’s difficult to not get distracted by the enormous enthusiasm of the place which is evident from its lively streets. The main street, encircling the Lake of Pushkar is the hub of various activities and is a gateway to the majority of the places around Pushkar.

One is always few steps away from the Ghats leading to the Pushkar Lake. The market of Pushkar known for its food, embroidered garments, handicrafts, leather goods, jewelry, etc., is strewn across the whole street while the cafes, hotels, and restaurants announce their way up to the building through large billboards hanging over shops and electric poles. The famous Brahma Temple also resides near the main street.

For those not interested in shopping, the old temples and buildings are most likely to pique one’s curiosity in the history of this old town which finds its place in many Hindu religious scriptures, including thousands of year old epic, Mahabharata. The street also gives a hint of the local lives intermingling with the tourist culture of the town.

The Stay

Out of many options available, I chose to stay in Lotus/Doctor Alone hotel, situated at Sikar Ghat which is cheap and famous amongst backpackers. The staff is courteous and friendly to cater to the needs of the customers and food is satisfactory. It has a courtyard with a low sitting arrangement, colorful murals, paintings of Indian Gods hanging on the walls and overlooks the lake which makes it a great place to chill, eat, smoke up and enjoy the activities at the Ghats as an observer.

Who minds paying Rs. 400 for a setup like this?

Pushkar Lake

The arches and domes stand tall surrounding the Pushkar Lake with the arid Aravalli Hills guarding at the distant. Most of the ghats are painted in white and shines brightly in the afternoon sun, like a pearl in the crown of Pushkar.

Out of the 52 bathing ghats, there are few main ghats where pilgrims generally flock to take a holy dip in the lake. The small and large temples, sadhus preaching a group of foreigners, the desperate money-making pundits, pigeons, dogs, and cows are some of the regular sightings at these Ghats; whereas the other Ghats reflect the serenity of this divine place. However, this may not be true during the famous Pushkar festival held in the month of Oct-Nov, when thousands of pilgrims congregate to take holy bath in the lake.

Staying close to the lake, I made it a point to bathe every morning in the lake and sit on the steps contemplating and soaking in the soft winter sun. In the evening, Arti echoes all over the lake with lights and diyas lit at the ghats and the whole place comes to a standstill for few minutes offering their obeisance to God. The temple bells and chants preside over all the other chaos infatuating me towards the aura of the place even more.

The Temples

Lord Brahma is the primary deity in Pushkar and hence, Brahma Temple is the most revered temple. It is amongst the very few temples in India which are dedicated to Lord Brahma- the Creator and considered as highly sacred amongst all of them. It is generally visited after taking a holy dip in the lake. The other famous temples are Savitri and Papmochini Temple- dedicated to the Goddesses Savitri and Gayatri, the consort of Lord Brahma. Both the temples are situated atop hills. I opted to hike to the Papmochini temple.

On the way to Papmochini Temple.

Papmochini Temple.

As the name suggests, the Deity is said to forgive the sins of a true devotee. Besides, it provides the aerial view of Pushkar and introduces us to the barren landscape of the Aravalli Hill Range.

View from Papmochini Temple.

The Food

Since Pushkar is a holy town, Non-veg and alcohol are strictly prohibited here. Although, there are a variety of vegetarian options available to savor upon, like Indian, Italian, Pizzas, Israeli, Chinese, etc. Owing to the mass tourism, finding a restaurant according to the budget is no big a deal here. The town is so small that one can wander along the streets and come across various food joints. I tried Dal Bati in a local restaurant and also had street foods like Rabdi Malpua, Lassi and Kachori.

Hot bati dipped in ghee, served with dal and churma. Yum!

Also, since Pushkar is famous amongst hipsters, the café culture is strong here and I would highly recommend spending time in a café. They are vibrant, creative and have relaxing vibes. I visited Out Of The Blue Café and tried Falafel and Hummus.

Rich feels at Out Of The Blue Cafe, though the rates are decent enough.

One can admire the traces of history, religion, and culture while indulging in the touristic pleasures of shopping, eating, and leisurely exploring Pushkar which makes it so interesting. While the old streets can remind you of Banaras, the café culture feels similar to that of Mcleodganj/Manali/Kasol and the restaurants with the view of the lake can make you compare it with the settings of Goa. Yet, festivals like ‘Kapda Faad’ Holi and Pushkar Fair are unique and can leave one amused with the energy this small town holds. It is filthy and clean, rustic and colorful, chaotic and peaceful- all at the same time!

Reminiscing old times: Road trip to Alibaug, Kashid, and Murud…

Although the travel world is changing with people looking for more offbeat experiences and adventure, the clichéd trip to Alibaug is still one of the most preferred weekend getaways. It has long been catering to the recreational needs of wary travellers, especially from Mumbai and Pune who prefer breaking away, with comfort. While going through the old pictures, I became nostalgic remembering the simpler times when planning a vacation meant going to Alibaug/Lonavala.

Read: From Guhaghar, with love

Nagaon Beach, Alibaug.

On one such road trips from Mumbai to Alibaug, I convinced my friends to explore and travel all the way to Kashid Beach. While Alibaug still tops the chart for the crowd it attracts, I discovered that Kashid Beach is cleaner and a peaceful alternative (Not sure about the current situation though. This was a few years back).

Kashid Beach

Long stretched white sand beach lined with pristine palm trees, pocket-friendly homestays, fresh seafood coupled with chilled beer and friends by your side makes you believe in the much-needed respite from the mundane.

Next day, we also visited Murud-Janjira fort (which is a 20kms drive from Kashid) to get a peek into the history.

Enroute Murud.

Ah! The view…

A dilapidated structure overlooking the sea made a great frame to capture.

The 17th century built fort proudly sits in the middle of the sea, like a jewel in the crown. I remember that the boat services were closed when we reached in the afternoon due to high tide. It felt like it was taunting us, ironically in the same way, it had taunted its enemies.

Read: Standing through tides and times: Jaigad Fort and Karhateshwar Temple

Murud Janjira Fort.

Our visit to the fort was compensated by having authentic Malvan cuisine at Patil Khanaval hotel in Murud and tripping on repeated glasses of soulkadhi– An appetizer drink made from coconut milk and kokum.

Simple yet delightful setting under the shade of coconut trees. Patil Khanaval hotel is pocket-friendly and a great pit stop for trying local cuisine.

So here’s to the short break from a fast-paced city life to the slow rustic coastal life, rough weekdays to a carelessly-sipping-coconut water-on-the-beach weekend, the cry of struggle to the joy of freedom, concrete jungles to the natural aura. A place with lip-smacking local cuisine, temples, forts, scenic driveways- suitable for everyone. Being a Mumbaikar myself, no matter what, a trip to Alibaug/Kashid always pops up naturally to my mind when it comes to planning a short beach vacation.