Finally to Jaipur, and onset of Home Sweet Home feeling (1 Jan 2016)

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan

RAJASTHAN CALLING  -  Part 8 (Concluding)

Finally to Jaipur, and onset of Home Sweet Home feeling (01 Jan 2016)

The train arrives at Jaipur at 4.50 in the morning and halts for a short while. In order that we stay ready to alight with all the luggage during that short period, I asked Ashutosh if we should set the alarm for 4.30.  “No, uncle, relax. We will keep it for 4.45; all that it takes is five minutes.”  “No different from my easy-going elder son Shankar ”, I said to myself, at his casualness juxtaposed to my over preparedness. ‘Generation gap, old man,’ I reminded myself.  But to Ashutosh I said, “yes, that is fine.” I knew many passengers would get down at Jaipur, and surely some would set their alarm for 4.30.  And that is what exactly happened.

During the travel, the co-traveller, a retired senior Government official,  gave us tips on the historical places to visit, restaurants to choose, and shops to select. “Insist on 15% discount,”  he warned us, “and if they are unwilling ring me up, I will fix it.” Backed with that assurance we went on for some lighter moments. He asked Gungun and Mannu some riddles. “His own grandchildren must have cornered him with these,” I guessed. Gungun and Mannu could not solve any of them. Nor could the four of us elders, pretending not to be part of it. When he won hands down thrice, Gungun and Mannu bounced back with their own riddles. He felt ill at ease, and discreetly turned to us to broach politics.

Whatever foolproof travel arrangements one might make, we should always be prepared for something less. Ashutosh had insisted on a Toyota Innova with a carrier on top at all pick-up points. But here we got one without a carrier. Consequently the suitcases had to be stuffed into the rear row and Gungun had to make-do with them for the rest of the day. Mannu was transferred to the middle row.

Jaipur was the solitary travel point where we did not check into a hotel. Ashutosh had earlier argued, “We don’t need to, because all that we need is a shower, freshen up and set out for our last leg at around 9 am.” So he made arrangements with his cousin at her place. She had set aside a room and two bathrooms for us. We had plans to have breakfast outside, but she just wouldn’t let us. We had some matchless parotas - alu, gajar, and gobi, followed by two kinds of home-made sweets. 

It was now stock-taking time before we caught the evening flight. The ladies realized, much to their dismay, that there were still a lot of items for shopping. Therefore the focus for Jaipur would be shopping, shopping and shopping. No more fort other than just the Amber or Amer fort. This involved an uphill drive. The old jeep would stop often at high elevations to give way to the downhill traffic. Fear gripped my mind whether the tyres would lose grip and roll backwards. Sitting in front with the side open, I held the handle tightly - almost a cliff-hanger feeling. By the time we completed a round of the fort, it was 2 pm.  “Over to LMB (Laxmi Misthan Bhandar),”  announced Ashutosh, meaning the recommended restaurant. After a wait of about fifteen minutes we were accommodated to have our last lunch in Rajasthan. Thereafter it was time for shopping till 5.30 pm. Ruchi and Amma were more active during this session, as Ashutosh and I helped them carry their new acquisitions. 

During the drive to the airport, we heard the ladies whispering, “I think we should come to Jaipur once again. We just could not do justice to shopping.” At the airport, I opened my medicine kit and helped myself with a paracetamol tablet. Amma too. Ashutosh saw us and said, “Give me one too.” We said it was not Cadbury’s gem, but a tablet for headache and fever.” “I know, and I need one.”

While waiting at the lounge, mentally we were already in Bangalore. “Tomorrow there is this couple’s cricket match in Srishti. We must get up early,” Ruchi and Ashutosh told each other. “Also class test for Gungun…”  Amma said, “I have to attend Narayaneeyam recitation tomorrow morning,” “Yes, I too have to sleep till 9 am tomorrow, and give the morning-walk a slip for a week to overcome the strain of fort-climbing at all places.”  I was surrendering more to the dictates of my mind (my worst enemy), than to the body which reassures me unfailingly, “just give me a good night’s sleep, and I am back in action the next morning.”

We reached Bangalore at 10.30 night, opened our door with a Home Sweet Home feeling.  We were happy equally that no fans, lights or the water taps were on - a doubt that always haunts our minds when on a tour.

Jaisalmer - the Golden City (31 Dec 2015)

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan

RAJASTHAN CALLING  -  Part 7

Jaisalmer - the Golden City (31 Dec 2015)

Every night, after dinner we chalked out the next day’s plan before retiring to our respective rooms. But after a hectic camel ride, a long sand dune walk, and a swerve-packed drive back to hotel through the sand, everyone was dead tired and swore, ‘we won’t get up before 9 am, come what may’. And so we did.

Varun Bajaj, Poonam and their cute little daughter Avani (of B-202) had independently planned a trip to Rajasthan with a different itinerary. Their first day in Rajasthan was Jaisalmer, coinciding with our penultimate day. That was the only day the three Srishti families would be together. So Gungun and Mannu insisted we do the outing together. Accordingly, we met them at the Jaisalmer fort at 10 in the morning.

In the other cities that we visited, a portion of each fort is occupied by the the descendants of the erstwhile Royal family. But in the Lalgarh Fort in Jaisalmer, about 5000 families reside - the common man variety. Intricate art work is the highlight in all the monuments - even in the present day constructions. The Guide showed us one that was constructed as late as 1993 - but in the same century-old style. The tour of this fort in itself took us more than two hours. 

We were then shown Salam Singh’s haveli that was famous for a wrong reason. Salam Singh was notorious for the atrocities he committed with ladies in the14th century. Earlier, we had gone to a far off village which lay abandoned since his time. Around 84 Brahmin families inhabited the village leading a peaceful life. One day Salam Singh saw one young daughter in her teens visiting the nearby temple. He told her Brahmin father that he would like to marry her when she came of age. The father, mortally afraid of telling a direct ‘No’ to this criminal, conveyed to him he would consult his Brahmin community for this out-of-caste marriage and let him know the next day. That very night all the villagers assembled together, decided and deserted the village en masse. To this day all these houses lay barren, with a temple nearby. This has been the spot for several Bollywood shootings, like Sarfarosh.

The Guide then took us to a popular shop that ran by the name, “National Handloom…” We were given to understand it was a Government undertaking (only to be corrected later by a Government-run shopkeeper in Jaipur that it was not). They sold quilts, Rajasthani dress material, sarees, etc. The ladies ransacked the shop before picking up some items. Despite their best efforts they could not take the figure to Rs 10000/- which qualified them to get the goods despatched to Bangalore free of cost. They missed the target by a narrow margin.

It was now time for lunch. We were told that Desert Bite served good food. As usual it was crowded, but after a while, when a few seats became vacant, the hotel staff re-arranged the tables for the gang to sit together. A sumptuous lunch in the form of Lachha parota, Alu parota, Gobi parota, and matching vegetables followed. 

We drove from there to the lake - Tilon ki Pol, gateway to Gadhisar Lake. Before we could get close to the lake area, the ladies spotted on the sides leading to the lake several ladies in native Rajasthani dress getting photographed. Yes, one could adorn a Rajasthani attire on hire and the shopkeeper would take snaps and deliver within an hour. The ladies and the kids preferred that option to the lake. They were busy the next hour getting dressed and photographed, asking me, ‘Uncle, please take care of our belongings’.

I was looking for some space to sit with bags hanging all over. A boy who was selling wheat dough balls to feed fish in the lake (Rs 10/- per ball), saw my plight, and told me, “Uncle, you please sit down here, I will sell standing.” He was Swaroop, attired in school uniform, studying in 7th standard. His father ran auto rickshaw. “So how many rupees do you take back home?”  “About 300 to Rs 500/-uncle, But today I have sold only for about Rs150/- so far.” There was his friend at ten feet away, also selling the same product. So there was a competition going on between them, fortunately a healthy one. In one instance, Swaroop marketed the product and convinced the buyer. By the time the customer made up his mind, he was already close to the other boy, and other boy promptly sold one. Swaroop was literally in tears, that he did the marketing and his friend bagged the order. The other boy consoled him. But fortunately for Swaroop, minutes later a lady came by and gave him a fifty-rupee note and asked him for dough balls. He gave her just three and looked at her, and she said okay. After she left, I asked him why he didn’t give her five. He said that she was his Chachi. Apparently she had bought it just to encourage Swaroop. 

I asked him what he wanted to become when he grew up. “Uncle, our Pradhan Mantri Shri Modi ji was selling chai in the railway station. So I will not give up hopes easily. But I have not yet made up my mind what I want to become in life.”  As I left the place, I gave him a twenty-rupee note and asked him to keep it, but he insisted I take the dough balls in return. “You feed them to the fish,” I said and joined the group.

Now it was time to catch the evening train. We said good bye to the Bajajs. Avani was very sad to bid farewell to her didis. She clung to them. After thanking profusely our driver Vishnu and tipping him suitably at the station, we got into the train for Jaipur. At midnight a hullabaloo with lights switched on woke us up. We heard a countdown, “7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,” and then a loud “Happy New Year”. Yes, the year 2016 had dawned and everyone in the adjoining cubicle, probably traveling as a group, was hugging and wishing one another. We too didn’t want to lag behind, and at the same time didn’t want to give up our quota of sleep. So we wished one another in a somewhat audible voice, still curled warmly under the blanket.

(Next and final: Part 8: Over to Jaipur and onset of home-sickness)

  

Off to Jaisamler - the Golden City

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan

RAJASTHAN CALLING  -  Part 6

Off to Jaisalmer - the Golden City (30-31 Dec 2015)

Breakfast at Mandore Guest House starts at 7.30, but we had to leave at 7. So the previous night, with great apprehension we requested the owner, an Amrish Puri look-alike, if he could make an exception, and serve us earlier. “I see you have children with you and I have to agree.”  Moral: Appearnces can be deceptive.

We were happy we had the best driver in Vishnu for the longest part of our trip (from Udaipur to Jodhpur to Jaisalmer). He was polite, knowledgeable, and actively participated in our various time-pass verbal games during the drive. Thanks to his extensive travel experience, he was at his best when we played the ‘name cities or towns’ from the ending letter of the last city cited. When we got tired of games, Vishnu played his MP3 CD featuring duets of Kishore Kumar with others - mostly the evergreen ones of of RD Burman, SD Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji…. Most of us hummed along, as Ashutosh whistled through. Personally, this session had a humbling effect on me. Till then I though I could identify the picture or the music director’s name of any old song. I found to my dismay that I just managed in 30% of the cases.

We stopped at a wayside restaurant for a masala tea. It was a little saltish, probably because of the water. Anyway what attracted me most was that normally one finds in such places the photos of current or past film heroes hung on the wall. But here we saw Prakash Raj’s photo adoring the hall. He is no doubt a multifaceted and spontaneous actor having acted in all the four southern languages and Hindi. But a villain seldom finds a place, I thought. Maybe he too stopped by for tea on his way for shooting. 

Time passed quickly. Vishnu announced that we were nearing Jaisalmer. In fact we had just arrived at the War Memorial, just a few miles away from the city.The Memorial depicted the Kargil War. Several of the captured enemy tanks, trucks, aircraft, were on display on mounted platforms. There was an undue rush among visitors to climb up and to get photographed standing, with one hand on the tank and the other raised high with a triumphant look as though they had personally captured it. 

We checked into the Lalgarh Fort Hotel in Jaisalmer with just enough time to freshen up. The Safari jeep pick-up time was 2.30. It was a one and a half hours by jeep and another 1-1/2 hours  of camel ride to reach the sand dunes (not the customary Sam Sand Dunes, but another one). Each of us, from age 10 to 76, were mounted on a separate camel. We were told that once we mounted, the camel would stand up. At that time we should lean back for better balance. Everyone did well. Mine was the tallest camel. It got up a little before I had fully climbed. So impulsively I just bent forward and hugged the camel tightly lest it could throw me off. The hug proved costly; the camel apparently had not had a bath for days, Anyway, safety first. All the others took the ride for the full 1-1/2 hours but, because of this unceremonious start I gave it up after 30 minutes. The jeep that carried vegetables and other items for the evening dinner, picked me up to the final destination.

Several tourists booked with this agent arrived at the venue in different batches. I welcomed ours, as I was already at the venue - a selected open desert. We were served snacks - chips in unlimited quantity, and pakoras, somewhat rationed.  They asked us to walk along the sand dunes to get a better view of the sunset from one of the top ones. We tried to run, and found that even just walking on sand was difficult - at each step the loose sand pulled our feet by at least six inches. We managed, took some snaps, enjoyed the sunset. In that open desert, what if you had shouted on top of your voice,’Yahoo’, like Shammi Kapoor in Junglee, would you have alerted the Pakistani solders at the other end of the border? No not exactly. The border is 80 kilometers away.

With the sun having set and darkness creeping in, we returned to our spot to find ‘dinner’ ready. They had prepared it on the spot: rice, chapati, dal, one vegetable, pickle, and rice pudding. It was as best as it could be under the circumstances. We all got into the jeep. Passing through a dark desert amidst dry plants, bumps, and no route marked was an experience in itself. Sitting by the driver, I watched if there was any beaten track. No, none. I wondered how he could figure out the route. To add to our woe, the driver stopped the vehicle occasionally to check the right front tyre. Unlike in other rides, this time there was absolute silence inside the jeep. No one spoke a word - probably busy praying for a safe return to hotel. Once the jeep touched down the main road everyone heaved a sigh of relief and conversation re-emerged. As the driver dropped us at the hotel, I saw Ashutosh tipping him heavily.

(Next: Final Day at Jaisalmer, and Off to Jaipur)

Jaunt to Jodhpur (28-29 Dec 2015)

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan

RAJASTHAN CALLING  -  Part 5

Jaunt to Jodhpur (28-29 Dec 2015)

When we talk of Rajasthan, two things stand out  First, the cities are named after the kings who built them - Udaipur, by Udai Singh; Jodhpur, by Jodha Singh, Jaipur, by Jai Singh, and Jaisalmer, by Rawal Jaisal.
Second, each city has a color associated with it. Udaipur is called the White City, owing to the white buildings and houses. Jodhpur, the Blue City, due to the vivid blue-painted houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. Jaisalmer, the Golden City owing to the yellow sandstone and the yellow sand used in almost all architecture of the city. And, Jaipur, the Pink City, because of the color of the stone exclusively used for the construction of all the structure.

We drove to the famous Shrinath temple, of Lord Krishna.  The divine form of Shrinathji is said to be self-manifested. The idol of the Lord Krishna was being transferred to a safer place from Govardhan to protect it from Mughal ruler Aurangzeb who was on a destruction spree. When the idol reached the spot at village Sihad or Sinhad, the wheels of bullock cart in which the idol was being transported sank axle-deep in mud and could not be moved any farther. The accompanying priests realised that the particular place was the Lord's chosen spot and accordingly, a temple was built there in 1672. We had a good darshan although we had to labour hard.

We made an impromptu stopover at two historical places, viz., Haldighati, and Kumbal Garh Fort on the way. The Battle of Haldighati was fought between Maharana Pratap and Akbar's forces led by Man Singh I. Maharana Pratap's horse Chetak jumped a 21 ft wide river in order to save its master, but was fatally wounded. Maharana Pratap erected a small monument for his horse at the place where Chetak fell. Chetak was believed to be a 9 ft high Arabian horse. A fifteen-minute documentary depicts very well the battle. In addition, visitors pass through a dark cave-like area (a la Disneyland) to witness re-enactment of the whole battle with sound effects and light. It was one of the best places we visited.

Next it was to Kumbal Garh Fort. It was where Rana Pratap was born and brought up. Surrounding the fort, it has the longest wall which is next only to the Great Wall of China. It required a lot of climbing, hence some of us preferred not to venture beyond a point, and helped ourselves with snacks from the nearest shop, as the others toiled their way.

By the time we checked into our hotel in Jodhpur it was 5.30 in the evening. Mandore Guest House looked like a farm house with several small huts built in it with all modern facilities. We had a candle-light dinner at their restaurant before we called it a day.

Next morning it was the turn of Mehran Garh Fort, Jaswant Thada and Umaid Bhawan palace. The Mehrangarh fort was built in 1460 and is  410 ft above the city. It is one of the most well-stocked museums in Rajasthan. The Jaswant Thada was built in 1899 in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh. The mausoleum is built out of intricately carved sheets of marble. Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the world's largest private residences. A part of the palace is managed by Taj Hotels. Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, this edifice has 347 rooms.  A part of the palace also houses a museum. All well worth a visit.

By now Gungun and Mannu had become a little restive, muttering, ‘fort, Fort, and FORT’. Ashutosh got the hint, and announced. “Well, how many of you would like to go to a movie - Bajirao Mastani?” All of us raised our hands. And there we were in the theatre watching the movie - though king, queen, warrior, battle, all over again.

We went to bed early so as to leave at 7 next morning and reach Jaisalmer in time to be picked up from our hotel for the camel ride, etc.

(Next: Off to Jaisalmer - the Golden city, sunset city or the Indo-Pak border)

Final Day in Udaipur (27 Dec 2015)

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan

RAJASTHAN CALLING  -  Part 4 

Final Day in Udaipur (27 Dec 2015)

“What we missed in Ajmer we would make up in Udaipur,” we had promised ourselves, when we left Ajmer hotel in haste. So next morning, we walked up to the locally famous Kachori and Jalebi shop for a sumptuous breakfast, and bought some for the rest in the hotel. The Hare Krishna devotees were doing the morning Nagar Bhajan with all accompaniments and a portable public address system too. The lead singer was one from outside India, His intonations were impeccable. Must have been here for quite some time. 

After the ‘pet-puja’, we walked to the City Palace, close by. It was built about 400 years ago. According to the Guide, it is the second largest palace in India, the first being the Mysore palace. There was however no doubt that it was a wonderful structure, an architectural marvel, and several feet above the ground. The present descendant, now a common man, holds a portion of the palace (should run into several acres, I guess) for his personal use. The rest is a well maintained tourist attraction. It took us full two hours to cover all the places - Diwane Khas (King’s meeting hall for VIPs), Diwane Aam (for the Common Man), a vast underground rain-harvest water tank underneath the place where the common men assembled; provision for Hamam bath with hot water supply through natural means, jacuzzi, the king’s bed room, separate enclosures for the royal ladies to watch the Parliament in session, secret escape routes stretching into several miles, etc.

A word about the Guides in general. These days when you buy the entrance ticket, they ask you if you need a guide and collect the fee for him if you opt for one. And they allot you one by turn. We learn the Tourist Department invite applications for the post, ask them to appear in a written test, hold an interview for the successful candidates, and give them extensive training before entrusting them with the job. In other words, the guides are quite knowledgeable. (The guy in Jodhpur confided in me that he was teaching Hindi upto the 10th class before he switched over to this profession).

After the City Palace, we drove to Shilpa Gram - a handicrafts and hand loom fair in which artisans from all over India participated. It was a great annual attraction among the locals. After an extensive ransack of the shops around, Ashutosh and I carried the items that the ladies had bought, and dumped them at the rear of the SUV, much to the discomfiture of Gungun and Mannu. But they never grumbled.

Now it was time for lunch. Earlier, while checking in at Jaiwana Haveli, we had asked the Manager to recommend some good restaurants for breakfast and lunch, aside the tourist attractions. “Well,” he replied, “we have our own rooftop restaurant where we have a good menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But if you happen to be in the city around lunch time, you could go to Natraj Restaurant for a an elaborate Rajasthani or Gujarati lunch.” We headed for that place. After a wait of twenty minutes, we got our turn. We rushed in as though it was now or never. Yes, it was already past 2.30 afternoon. And the children had been so well adjusting. We enjoyed a hearty meal which reminded us of the lunch at Rajdhani in Bangalore.

We did some final shopping at Udaipur. Thereafter we had time either to visit the Monsoon palace on top of a mountain, or have a boat ride along Lake Pichola. The consensus was for the boat ride. Here too the last trip, at 5 pm, was full. But again because of the heavy tourist rush, they arranged one more at 6 pm. This was a blessing in disguise. We could see a temple in the midst of the lake fully illuminated and the drum and cymbal beat to denote evening Aarti. Also the lake hotel (not sure if it was Taj) was very well lit and decorated. We learnt the place was regularly let out for marriages, and it was a marriage ceremony that was going on.

The drop-off place at the lake was by the side of our guest house. So we walked to our hotel. Some preferred to skip dinner thanks to a heavy lunch, while others took a lighter version before returning to our respective rooms to pack for the next early morning drive to Jodhpur.

(Next: Jaunt to Jodhpur, the blue city) 

Off to Udaipur - the City of Lakes (26-27 Dec 2015)

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan

RAJASTHAN CALLING  -  Part 3 

Off to Udaipur -  the City of Lakes (26-27 Dec)

The morning departure from Ajmer was not without its quota of misadventures. We were all set to do justice to a complimentary buffet breakfast before boarding the 8.45 train to Udaipur. Among the row of  dishes, we found the supply of puri and alu subzi a bit tardy. Idli, Sambar, Vada, were in plenty and were the chief attractions among the locals . But we had sworn that for us it would be only Puri, Kachori, Samosa, … as long as we were in Rajasthan; and would resume contact with Idlis and Dosas back in Bangalore. So Ashutosh reminded the bearer, “Bhaiya, we have to catch a train at 8.45 to Udaipur. Can you please hurry up with Puri?” “ I beg your pardon Sir, if it is for Udaipur, the train arrives at 8.20 and leaves at 8.30, not 8.45. The timings have been revised.” We thanked him for this alert and made a hasty job of our breakfast, of course without puri, and reached station at 8.20. On the way, we heard Ruchi murmur that she won’t be able to visit her grandma’s home near the station, which she might have if the train had departed at 8.45. 

As the SUV dropped us at the station, Ashutosh said, “Ruchi, you still have just ten minutes to visit your grandma’s house and make a hasty return, We will be at platform 4 or in our compartment.” Apparently he wanted peace back in Bangalore. Amma and I  thought he was joking. No. Ruchi and children jumped into a waiting auto nearby and sped. Ashutosh and the two of us engaged a porter and hurried to platform 4 where the train by now had arrived.  To add fuel to the fire, it was a day for cleaning the platforms. The staff opened the hose to full throttle and splashed water with gay abandon, making the platforms very slippery. On top of that, the porter on his part is always in a hurry to finish the job at hand to look for the next. So he was way ahead of us, and Ashutosh with his half-marathon-run background tried to catch up with him. We two were way behind.

On the way, I swore that should Ruchi and children fail to turn up on time, Amma and I would board the train with all the luggage which by now the porter in any case would have loaded into the train. Ashutosh could wait for them and catch up with us at Udaipur station through whatever mode of transport he could lay his hands on. We got into the train, and just organized the luggage when we saw behind us a gasping Ruchi with her kids, having just managed. 

“So, did you see your grandma?”  No uncle, she doesn’t live there anymore. long back she had sold her house. I went just to take a snap of the house from the front as a memento. See, here it is.”  “Oh, my God. All for this. Anyway, all is well that ends well,” I said to myself.

                          

On arrival in Udaipur, we checked into our hotel - Jaiwana Haveli. It is a small, family-run hotel, facing Lake Pichola. Two young sons in their late twenties aided their mother run the show. The mother showed up once in a while. They have a roof-top restaurant which serves good food within 15-20 minutes of order. 

With the remaining time left of the day, we went around the market on a pre-investment survey and identified products to buy later, which we never did. Then we visited the Jagdish ji temple (a beautiful marble structure) of Lord Vishnu with several steep steps. It is a major tourist attraction.

It was now time to book tickets for a show at the Bagore Ki Haveli, near Lake Pichola. It has 138 rooms and numerous corridors and balconies. In the evening the Haveli lightens and stages enjoyable performance of traditional dance and music of Rajasthan. It was houseful for the last show of the day at 7 pm. But seeing the ocean of tourists thronging at the counter, the organizers arranged impromptu an additional show at 8 pm. We were glad we did not miss it. It was perhaps one of the best parts of our trip. 

During the dinner at the roof top of our hotel facing Lake Pichola, we chalked out how best to cover as many places in the remaining one day for Udaipur.

(Next: Final day at Udaipur - City Palace, Shrinathji temple, Boat ride…) 

Destination Ajmer

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan

RAJASTHAN CALLING  -  Part 2 

Destination Ajmer (25 December 2015)

It was 10.30 in the morning when we drove from Jaipur airport to Ajmer. Mannu and Gungun, the two ‘princesses’ of the Ashutoshs, seated themselves at the rear end of the SUV, to be in their own world; Ruchi, Amma and I in the middle row, and Ashutosh by the driver, to guide him. Since it was a little over two-hour drive, we decided to do it non-stop. 

Ruchi, dormant till then, suddenly became alert as the vehicle bordered Ajmer city. She was keen not to miss the institution from where she graduated - Sofia College. “Stop, stop. there it is,” she said, in the Eureka style, after a while. “My God, it has totally changed. There used to be a …..” she said in total surprise.  Then with equal suddenness she corrected herself, “No, no, this is not the one, because next to the college is the city’s Jail.” In her eagerness not to miss it, she erred a couple of times more before she finally identified it.

The college was closed for vacation. Ashutosh talked to the security chap, got his clearance for an ex-student to visit the college to satisfy her nostalgia. We all followed her. As we passed through, Ruchi showed us, “This was our …..class, and the one over there, …., etc. Then she took us to the playground, a vast one. It was situated right at the foothills of a mountain. What a scenic beauty, we told her. Then we accidentally met the Principal. She was overseeing the Christmas celebration arrangements for the evening. Ruchi told us later, “She taught me …….. subject.” Ruchi had a chat with her for a while, and then as we walked Ruchi met another lady, her senior by a year. She is now the Vice Principal. The two together had a long chat as rest of us busied ourselves emptying a plateful of Christmas cake and a few other eatables that had been offered to us. By then the Principal joined the two in an operation-recollection drive. She initially had difficulty in placing Ruchi. “But I do recollect your look-alike, Anjali; she used to bring me honey bottles from Naini Tal, but not exactly you. “Oh Sister, it was I who used to bring you those honey bottles.” That was enough for the Principal to unfold a series of common incidents involving them. Exchange of email IDs followed. It was going on and on with Ruchi least willing to leave the premises. But Ashutosh politely reminded her that their hosts, his cousin and family, should not be made to wait indefinitely for lunch, a reasonable delay was okay. Before leaving the institution, we passed through the venue with Christmas tree and the other decorations for the evening celebration.

At Ashutosh’s cousin’s place, we were welcomed with warmth and hospitality, and the table was almost laid for lunch, as we were already late. A delicious lunch with two desserts - rasagolla and hot gajar halwa - awaited us. The hallmark of the brief sojourn was the outpour of love and affection from the hosts. Kapoor Sahib, the senior member of the family gave us timely tips on how to manage our way at Ajmer Dargah (to pass through Gate No. 6, and take his name if needed), it being a Friday; again at the Pushkar temple, as also at Shrinathji’s temple at Nathdwara the next day.

We headed for Pushkar temple, made a hasty retreat after two kilometer to pick up the backpack that Ashutosh had left behind. We engaged a guide, who explained the significance of the place. While I can’t vouch that I understood fully his delivery at 160 words per minute, here is what I have pieced together from Google on the importance of Pushkar.

Brahma, the Hindu creator God, saw a demon trying to kill his sons. He immediately slew the demon with his weapon, the lotus-flower. In this process, the lotus petals fell on the ground, creating a lake: the Pushkar Lake. Brahma then decided to perform a yajna (fire-sacrifice) at the Pushkar Lake.  However, while performing the yajna, his wife Savitri (or Sarasvati in some versions) could not be present at the designated time to perform the essential part of the yajna as she was waiting for her companion goddesses Lakshmi, Parvati and Indrani. So Brahma married Gurjar girl, Gayatri, and completed the yajna with his new consort sitting beside him. When Savitri finally arrived at the venue she found Gayatri sitting next to Brahma which was her rightful place. Agitated, she cursed Brahma that he would be never worshipped, but then reduced the curse permitting his worship in Pushkar, and Pushkar alone.  Endowed by the powers of yajna, Gayatri diluted Savitri's curse, blessing Pushkar to be the king of pilgrimages. We did puja and tarpanam by the lake and later had darshan at the temple.

Now it was the turn of Ajmer Sharif Dargah. A Dargah is an Islamic shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Ajmer Sharif Dagah is a pilgrimage centre for the shrine of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. A R Rahman, the famous film music composer, is an ardent devotee of Sufi Saint Khwaja, as far as I know. He has bought a house near the Dargah and visits the Dargah every year with his family. There was a lot of crowd that evening, it being a Friday as well. As advised we went to Gate 6, and Ashutosh telephoned his contact who came in and took us inside without much trouble. We offered prayers carrying a basket full of flower petals as per the custom. 

As we were bidding good-night to each other at the hotel, Ashutosh said, “So we could visit a church (sort of), a temple and a Dargah in one day. In other words, a day well spent.” All of us were dead tired and hit the bed soon. Also, we had to catch a train to Udaipur the next morning.

(Next: Part 3 - Off to Udaipur, the city of lakes)

Rajasthan Calling (25 Dec 2015 - 01 Jan 2016)

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan 

RAJASTHAN CALLING 

25 Dec 2015 - 01 Jan 2016

The trigger

When Ashutosh and Ruchi, our neighbors, walked into our home one day three months ago, we guessed it was for an informal chat. No, they had come to tell us, “Uncle, Aunty, we have booked air tickets for end-Dec to Jaipur. We plan to visit places of interests in Rajasthan for a week. We would like you to join us.” We politely declined. We wanted them to enjoy with their kids and make the most of the vacation. But we found ourselves unable to stick to our stand. Finally, Thatha and Patty agreed to join the fun, and booked our tickets, before we changed our mind -  a norm with us.

On the go

Ashutosh and family left for Jaipur earlier so that they could meet a host of their relations. Two days later, on Christmas to be precise, we left. Ours was an early morning flight. So, to provide for the early-morning-syndrome of cab drivers to report later than instructed, we indicated 4.30 am so that after accounting for that delay we could leave home at 5 am. But lo, he was in our premises on the dot, and we were found wanting, giving finishing touches - close all windows, switch off electrical points, transfer the Hawaii chapels in legs to the plastic cover and shuffle them in the bag, keep the wet and dry trash cans outside lest the home welcomes us back with a stink; and above all, recheck if we have closed the gas burner. Often, instead of beginning our journey on a happy note, this has played a spoilsport in our travels from home to the airport or railway station. Ultimately, we left home at our marked time, viz., 5 am. Moral: Don’t always blame the drivers.

It was a treat to watch the Bangalore airport fully illuminated - not for us but for Christmas. The grandeur was no less than one had seen in any European airport for the occasion, re-establishing that  we in India are indeed secular, and we celebrate festivals of all religious faiths with equal enthusiasm. And the vacation rush? Well, you have to see to believe - it looked as though the airlines have announced a one-time free ride for all.

As we were sipping tea leisurely at the lounge to celebrate a trouble-free check-in and security-check, our particular flight details at the Arrival-Departure Board began  blinking, “Boarding”. Yes, twenty-five minutes before the indicated time. Good sign, we said to ourselves, and gulped the rest of the tea in one go, and hastened towards our gate, which had been changed at the last minute.  The captain of the aircraft, a lady, announced: “Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of myself and my second in command, Mr ………, I welcome you to this flight,” signaling the funeral of male chauvinism, in yet another field. One of the drawbacks of an early morning flight during Dec-Jan is that the timing tends to change because of fog - either at the starting point or the destination. Our flight too took off late, but thankfully we didn’t have a connecting flight to catch. 

A beautiful sunny morning   blended with a little chill welcomed us in Jaipur airport. Ashutosh gave us a call where we should head next to be at the Toyota Innova in which they were waiting. After an initial fiasco, we did spot them, and got into the vehicle to begin the first leg of our journey together to Ajmer.

(Next: Destination Ajmer)