The Two and Half Hours in Mussoorie

Statutory Warning – This is a blog regarding my experiences for the time I was there in Mussoorie and mostly contains the review of food served at a famous oriental eatery called ‘Kalsang’. This blog is not about the tips about what to do, where to eat, what to see in 2.5 hours in Mussoorie. Oh yes, this is the right time…turn back…and read some useful stuff. What follows is a story of how a dream to spend a whole day (yes that’s when the daylight is prominent) went awry and was shrunk to 2.5 hrs (thankfully, in the daylight!)

So the Google Maps say that the distance from Haridwar to Mussoorie is merely 80.7 km and can be covered comfortably in 1 hour 49 minutes. For me, what matters is the distance, you can’t calculate time (on the contrary time calculates you!) Did somebody say….. time= distance/average speed? So stationed at Haridwar in the second week of April of 2012, I was contemplating about doing a day trip to Mussoorie. Since there are regular bus services from Haridwar to Deharadun and from Dehardun to Mussoorie, I was expecting myself to reach Mussoorie in 3 hours (base case scenario).

I don’t remember what went wrong…but I started late. I was waiting outside Shanti Kunj in the outskirts of Haridwar towards Rajaji National Park. So things start turning hostile when you mess up with them. I started late and now, I was waiting for the bus to arrive for more than half an hour. Finally, I got the bus at around 11.15 am and reached ISBT Deharadun at 12.45 am. There I was enlightened about the buses for Mussoorie departing from the bus stand at Railway Station, hain? So I hurriedly caught a 6 seater auto to reach the Deharadun Railway station (It was already 1.15 pm! L)

Thankfully, as I reached the bus stand, a bus to Mussoorie was ready (read as it was standing there with the signboard ‘Deharadun to Mussoorie’). I got the tickets and took my seat. I didn’t see a kitty crossing my road but still there was more than a half an hour delay (or right time?) to start the bus. But the only thing which was comforting me was the distance- mere 30 km. It was about 2 pm and somebody sitting behind my seat roared while having conversation with a fellow passenger “No doubt! We will not reach Mussoorie before 3.30 pm!” What??? 1.5 hrs to cover 30 km distance? I was almost in tears. I was hungry!

Finally, the driver of the bus arrived. I don’t remember how he looked but he was almost an angel who had transformed from a Satan I was cursing few minutes ago. After covering few kilometers briskly on the plain and well maintained roads of Deharadun, I had started doubting the ‘backseater’s’ claim.  But as our bus started ascending on the hilly road, I knew that the claim was right. However, the air turned cooler and as we kept on elevating the vistas were turning more beautiful. (Na na…not breathtaking..for that you have to be face to face with The Himalayas and that I experienced next day itself at Deoria Taal near Ukhimath!) So our bus came to halt at Mussoorie bus stand at 3.30 pm. My base case scenario had gone for a complete toss.

Look at the number of cars (visitors) even on a weekday  in Mussoorie and also, the Anand Bhojanalay near Bus Stand

Relieved, I finally CLIMBED to the Mall Road. Every other hill station in North India has a Mall Road, the busiest street and probably, the most avoidable during peak seasons (Actually I give you a good advice – AVOID POPULAR HILL STATONS DURING PEAK SEASONS!!!) Mussoorie though is referred as the queen of the hill stations. Thankfully, it was not a peak season and very few rumblings were happening on the mall road. A wedding celebration was going on in a nearby cultural hall. I couldn’t make it which wedding it was! It sounded like Nepali wedding with the song being sung there. It was about 4 PM and I had nothing since morning. L I earlier thought of visiting Chic Chocolates on Mall Road but skipped it and proceeded for Kalsang at the far end of the Mall Road (I had to hire a rickshaw puller as I was too tired to walk all the way!)

Kalsang is a very famous oriental (read Tibetan) eatery in Mussoorie and has got a tremendous patronage. The dekko oozes all oriental stuff. The red lanterns, crimson interiors as well as exteriors and the staff dressed in red mandarin suits assure that you are entering a genuine oriental eatery. As soon as I settled on the table, I was presented with a menu card with quite an elaborate menu. I actually had not thought about ordering specific stuff but was intrigued by my earlier day’s visit to Clement Town in Deharadun where most of the Tibetan restaurants serving Thukpa and Momos.

After flipping through the Chinese menu, I came across Tibetan menu. Well, for me, any day Tibet wins over China in any aspect. I had been to Namgyal Monastery in McLeodganj (HP) and have watched ‘Seven Years In Tibet’.  A wide smile on my face as both thukpa and momos were available. I ordered (as usual) veg versions of both these dishes and told the waiter that I would order main course after a while. He gave me a smile and told me that my order would be sufficient to fill the guts. Trust me, I am a foodie with serious appetite but this bowled me over. But I didn’t stop there. Let me elaborate!

Thukpa is a thick noddle soup along with lot of veggies (and yes meat too in the original format..happy?) If you ask me to nominate the soup I would like to have any day, there is no competition to Thukpa. Amazingly delicious, kindles almost all your taste buds on the tongue, the aromatic waft makes all the gastric juices ooze at the same time, the portion is very filling and a person with average appetite may even struggle to finish the bowl. Thukpa took my breathe (and my hunger) away!

God Bless You, Tibet! What an awesome Thukpa is this!

However, I couldn’t do any injustice to the momos which were served while I was enjoying Thukpa. Momos are the packets made of fine flour enclosing finely chopped veggies (for me) and meat (again in the original format!) and are steamed to perfection. Served with a tantalizingly pungent red dip/chutney, it tastes like jackpot. I mean your eyes roll to appreciate the taste. Nine momos served with finely chopped cabbage disappeared one by one from my plate. The waiter might have started regretting about suggesting to limit my order. He He! J

Veg Momos with delicious dip!

How a lunch could be complete without a dessert? Honestly, I don’t remember the name but I certainly remember the taste! J A huge block of vanilla ice cream supported at four corners by four extremely delectable banana fritters (banana pakoras) with white sesame on the outer layer of the fritters. Enough it was! I took out my pen and wrote a wonderful thanking note on it! Hopefully you’ll find it on the table just near the kitchen!  

The unusual dessert made of vanilla ice cream, bananas and white sesame! Yummilicious!

Now, it was 4.45 pm. I decided to walk the entire stretch of Mall Road to digest the heavy stuff. The air was crisp and cool. The Mall Road literally looked deserted. I sat on one of the bench alongside the road inhaling the beauty of the valley and the distant hills. It was time. I had to catch the bus to Deharadun at 6 pm. Luckily this bus left on time. J

Though the start of the day had been messy and almost squeezed my patience out of me, I was happy that I got to spend at least 2.5 hours in Mussoorie (and I got to eat the best Tibetan dishes I had till date J). Life loves you. Don’t worry! Even if the start is frustrating, you’ll be rewarded with one of the finest things you couldn’t have imagined. My belief in this became stronger after spending 2.5 hours in Mussoorie! 

Amritsar - The Food Capital of Punjab

Started in the morning at 9.30 am from Jalandhar to Amritsar with a slightly disturbed digestive system. The highway to Amritsar is a typical Punjabi set up with lush green fertile land with fields extending till horizon. Small hamlets popping up every 10 odd kilometer with the impeccable white glistening Gurudwaras and the houses of flamboyant Sikhs with the water tank essentially shaped as a football or a falcon. Falcon is an important bird associated with Sikhism. Remember the lines? “Chidiya naal je Baaz ladawaan taan Gobind Singh naam dharavaan” You are not an Indian if the Punjabi culture doesn’t impress you!

Mustard Fileds - The Essential Yash Chopra Movie Ingredients

Thanks to the Bollywood and Doordarshan, I have been hearing about these names since childhood – Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phagwara and how I was there! The verdant green fields, the fertile land, fresh air and the lively attitude of people immortalized by these lines ‘Khao, piyo te aish karo mitro’ makes your trip worth. Punjab as such doesn’t appear on Indian map as a tourist destination. But almost everybody in India knows that life flows in full fervor here. Find a Punjabi friend who has a house in the countryside of the rustic Punjab and you will know why Yash Chopra was so obsessed with painting his films yellow with the fields of sarason (mustard)

I had been to Amritsar three years ago but it was a very breezy encounter. I had approached the city from the endearingly beautiful Dalhousie in HP. Didn’t get time to pay respect to Harmandar Sahib and horror of horrors…didn’t get good food to eat. I left that day with a sunken heart and had decided to return with full vigour. And after 3 years, there I was with 3 days at disposal and a big list of eateries to sink my teeth and my heart too.

I spent the whole afternoon resting and essentially giving rest to my guts who had revolted earlier night. They had faced the onslaught continuously for 3 days and needed a break. The revolt was so bad that I had become slightly doubtful about my plan in Amritsar. But still I had faith in myself and was expecting a quick recovery.

In the evening, I finally decided to go ahead with the planned itinerary. I was still not feeling any pang in my stomach even though I had skipped my breakfast and lunch on that day. I said to myself – a milk should not worsen the condition and besides, what are you doing if you are in Amritsar and haven’t had the lassi at Ahuja Milk Centre!!! It was a no brainer. I hired an auto and asked him to drive all the way to the Hindu Mahasabha College near Beri Gate. Ahuja Lassi is famous since the auto guy dropped me exactly in front of this shop.

Lassi is thick creamy drink made from yogurt and sugar especially popular in the northern region of India. Lassi in Punjab is legend and that too in Amritsar..then it has to be Ahuja Lassi! I love lassi and have tasted it at few places. I have to say that by far this is the best lassi I ever got to drink. Since 1955 if somebody hasn’t gone wrong with his main product then it is least likely that he’ll go wrong today. The graceful and lanky Mr. Ahuja oversees all the preparations and is sure about maintaining the quality. The lassi is served since morning 7 am to 12 noon (because it is finished J) and the second phase starts at 5 pm. You gotta be there on time!

The original form of lassi remains the best in my view. It has simple ingredients of yogurt and sugar. Now it is being modified by adding fruit pulps and dubbing as mango lassi, strawberry lassi etc etc. I have also tried the famous ‘makhaniya’ lassi  at Janata Sweet Home in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. But honestly, Ahuja scores ahead of all the lassis. Every glass of lassi here comes with a dollop of cream. What a start to my food exploration in Amritsar! I managed to strike a conversation with Mr. Ahuja telling him that I had been travelling through Punjab for tasting food and heard a lot about his lassi especially from Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma. He was mighty pleased to hear that and lo and behold…I got an extra dollop of cream on my lassi. My stomach never regretted from this point onwards!

P.S. Some people especially from Mumbai or Pune region may come up with suggestion for the best lassi they have had in their own areas. Thanks in advance for your valuable inputs!

Ahuja Lassi, Near Hindu Mahasabha College, Beri Gate, Amritsar

Taste – 10/10  Ambiance – 5/10 Service – 8/10 Value for Money – 10/10 (INR 25 for this fab lassi!)

My next destination was the Harmandir Sahib or popularly known as the Golden Temple. Since I had stomach full of lassi for the evening, I decided to pay my respect to this wonderful temple late in the night. To build up the appetite, I decided to walk to the Golden Temple through the almost deserted roads at 10.30 pm in the night. As I started nearing the temple, the commotion started increasing. Even at that point of time there was sizeable number of devotees visiting the temple but I guess most of them were done with paying their respect.

The Harmandir Sahib

As I entered the complex, I was enthralled by the beautiful view of the temple at night. The Harmandir Sahib was glistening in the golden hue and it was reflecting in the calm waters of the surrounding lake. The place was peaceful with minimal amount of visitors. After paying respect to Harmadir Sahib, I sat on the banks of the lake trying to grasp the tranquility of the surreal atmosphere.

After spending some time sitting quietly, I made my way to the famous Langar of the Harmandir Sahib. Langar is the term used in the Sikh religion or in Punjab in general for common kitchen/canteen where food is served in a Gurudwara to all the visitors (without distinction of background) for free. This particular langar feeds almost 70 k to 1 lac people in a day. There is no discrimination - no poor, no rich, no Sikh, no non-Sikh, no Indian, no foreigner. All are equal and they sit together to be served by the volunteers of the Harmandir Sahib, right from the distribution of utensils, serving the food and washing of the utensils. That is the ‘kar sevaa’ offered by the devotees here.

Langar at The Harmandir Sahib

I went and sat in the row with my utensils. Soon the sabzi and daal were served and then came the roti. I first extended my right hand to accept the roti. I was promptly told that I should be accepting the roti with both my hands as what I am getting is the holy offering. Honestly, it was such a simple meal yet so delicious. I enjoyed every morsel. However, I didn’t like the attitude of many people enjoying free food. They take everything for granted and leave so much of food in the plate. That’s disgraceful. If you respect God then have respect for food in your plate also. Many a times God must be meeting you when you are hungry and you eat the first morsel. Don’t dishonor that meeting!

The sabzi was a simple potato preparation with minimum spices and daal was the legendary kaali daal with ample amount of garlic giving it a sharp taste. The rice kheer (rice pudding) was delicious. I also found the mechanical water dispenser very interesting as it didn’t have any human intervention maintaining hygiene. In fact, the whole premise of the Harmandir Sahib is impeccably clean and you indeed feel like visiting a holy place.

Rocky Singh put his verdict for the food at Golden Temple in a very apt manner – “God bless you, who are we to pass verdict on this one”

My food journey in Amritsar had started on a fabulous note! J

Bowing at The Top : Trek to Tungnath (The Highest Shiv Temple in the World)

Trek to the beautiful Tungnath Temple has always mesmerized me. I had been longing for my first encounter with the snow and it couldn’t have come better than in the form of the trek to Tungnath Temple and Chandrashila Peak. It didn’t take much time to decide upon the itinerary as I was in Haridwar at the time of scheduling and my friend, Ashish joined me from Mumbai after having an arduous journey in the air and on the rail tracks.

Deoria Taal and Chaukhamba

In the first phase, we explored the enchantingly beautiful Deoria Lake. Words were not sufficient to describe the beauty of this place. The mighty Chaukhamba peak with the fabulous Gangotri Range of the Himalaya reflecting in the calm waters of the Deoria Taal was one surreal experience. After spending a night at the Deoria Taal, we returned to Saari village by noon. A sumptuous Pahadi Lunch of rice, vegetables and special chutney filled our guts for our next project – Tungnath and Chandrashila!

For the uninitiated – Tungnath is the highest Lord Shiva temple in the world situated at an altitude of 12073 feet (3680 m). It is also part of the Panch Kedar group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Chandrashila is the summit situated atop Tungnath at the height of 13000 feet.

As we drove from Saari village to Chopta, the drop in the temperature was obvious. An uphill drive in the dense forestation of the Kedarnath Wildlife Conservaory with the red and pink hues due to rhododendrons was a sight which was unforgettable. Garhwal is more beautiful than Kumaon and how I was experiencing that! Finally, we stopped at Chopta and started our trek for Tungnath and Chandrashila at 2.45 pm. It was late by any standards for the 5 km trek till Chandrashila .

Red hue of Buraansh, Chopta

The trek to Tungnath though is longer than Deoria Taal trek but it is not as arduous as the same. The well constructed pavement makes it little easy in the initial phase as you pass through the thickly forested area dotted with numerous trees of buraansh (Rhododendron). We could see many people coming down as they were about to finish their trek and myself and Ashish were the only souls who were climbing. I didn’t check but many of them must have had a bewildered look in their eyes.

Bugyal on the trek to Tungnath

I got the first glimpse of the snow lying by the pavement. It looked as if a carcass of dolphin has washed ashore. Not very best of the comparison but I was still elated. All around me were snow strands and not exactly the way I had expected. But was a heady combo of rhododendrons and snow that energized us to trek further as new dimensions of nature’s beauty were unveiling in front of us at every turn. The next turn and we were gawking at a beautiful bugyal guarded by barren hills on one side. It had started drizzling at that time and the atmosphere became magical.

The snow started to appear prominently and vegetation was getting less dense. The air temperature shifted from cool to cold. Frankly speaking, we were not so well equipped for the snow trek and the change in the weather was making it worse. The weather in the mountain is unpredictable. The clear weather by noon changed with dark clouds gathering in the sky and we could see that it was raining heavily at a distance on few hills. I was wearing a simple t-shirt, a pair of jeans and sweater as if I was strolling on the Mall Road of Mussoorie. Ashish was wearing his all time favourite UCLA jacket. All I could vouch for were my all weather shoes.

Snowy Trek, Tungnath

The vegetation had now almost vanished and we rested at the last full bloomed buraansh before we proceeded.  The pavement was lined by snow though we were yet to see the glimpse of Tungnath temple. 

All of a sudden a mild hailstorm approached us. The tiny small ice pellets landed on the exposed part of my hand giving me momentary numbness. I quickly wore the sweater I was just tying around my waist.  In the meanwhile, we met a newly married couple who were returning to base and generously offered their stick to navigate through the snow at the top. Other two locals who were coming down warned us of the bad weather (which we could see and experience).

Tungnath, village buried in snow!

As I mentioned that we were getting surprised at almost every turn which was unveiling the newer form of beauty. After braving the hailstorm, we reached the point where we could finally see the glimpse of Tungnath temple and the beautiful paved track with snow on either side. Due to the open space at the top, the wind was now blowing with lot of gust and it was chilling too. Me and Ashish were tired and hence took a 5 minute break and grabbed a chocolate bar. All we were praying for was to have a cup of piping hot tea when we reached the colony at Tungnath.

Not a single soul, Tungnath

Lo and behold…we reached the Tungnath village (actually it’s a small colony) and not a single soul was present there. The whole village was covered in 3-4 feet thick snow. The residents had shifted to the plains after the festival of Diwali and we could see why. All the doors locked. Thankfully, we heard somebody repairing a roof of a house there. We approached him and ask if we could get tea. He seemed least bothered and asked to continue to visit the temple. Disappointment! No tea! It was tricky to make way through the snow and the stick came handy. Thanks to that couple who insisted that we should carry the stick!

Tungnath and Parvati Temple, 12073 feet

Honestly, the only thing which looked divine in the vicinity was the Tungnath Temple otherwise the whole village had an eerie look. We proceeded to the temple. The newly constructed blue frame at the entrance has numerous bells hanging. I rang the biggest and whoa…the echo was in the atmosphere for at least a minute. That was one amazing experience with sound (Generally we attribute it to the BOSE sound systems! J) Ashish braved and removed his shoes to enter the temple which had snow everywhere and I followed the suit.

Tungnath is the most beautiful temple I have ever seen. Probably absence of human beings took this experience to different level. We could feel the cold surface but we were simply admiring the temple and the surrounding beauty. Built in a typical Garhwali style, where the smaller structure provides the entrance to the main sanctum sanctorum has a striking similarity to the Kedarnath Temple, the main temple of the Panch Kedar group. The doors of the temples (known as ‘kapaats’ locally) were closed and are scheduled to open in the second week of May 2013. We said our prayers. We took a while to sink in the peace and tranquility of the surrounding. However, the fading light and the numbing peak started to give us the signal.

Evening glory on return, Tungnath

Chandrashila was another 1 km trek, very steep and arduous. Time was not on our side.  It was 5.30 pm in the evening. The weather had just improved and the distant snow peaks of the Himalayas which were little invisible due to haze appeared clearly. I would love to postulate and time and again it has been proved “There is nothing as beautiful as the Himalayas in this world”. We decided to start our return journey with a promise to ourselves that we will soon be standing at Chandrashila.

Nothing as beautiful as Himalaya!

Luck was on our side. We spotted a movement up in the snow. A slightly bulky silhouette of a bird. It was joined by a similar bird and both hid beyond a rock covered with snow. I was surprised to find such a bird at this altitude. Then one of them took flight right in front of us and went on another side towards valley. From that height we could see the span of the fluorescent blue wings and the brown tail. We were amazed by the beauty of that bird which looked like peacock. We were also taken aback by its ability to fly steadily looking at the bulky size. We had found the state bird of Uttarakhand, The Himalayan Monal. Similar to the peacock family, this pheasant is found only at an altitude above 7000 feet and is endearingly beautiful.

Himalayan Mouse nibbling in the snow!

We were little slow in descending. The tiny and cute, Himalayan mice were braving us, sometimes posing well to click a good shot. In the last phase of our descent, we were in dark, walking through the forest alone. Finally, at 7.30 pm we reached the starting point of the trek and straightway headed to the hotel serving tea. The tea in this situation feels better than the heady mocktail for which you may end up spending 1000 bucks. And once you start wandering in the Himalayas (Upper and Greater) then you don’t need anything to get high. But one should remember that even at the summits you have something to bow to and we bowed at the top!  

Jodhpur - The Mighty Rajasthani Breakfast and Meherangarh Fort - Day 4 - Royal Rajaputana Rhapsody

We started early in the morning from Jaisalmer. The Golden City was glistening in the first rays of morning but was still sleeping. We made a quiet exit from the city and marched towards Jodhpur which is the third important part of the Marwar Triangle (other two have already been covered- Bikaner and Jaisalmer). On our way to Jodhpur, we drove through Pokaran which is near to nuclear test site, Pokhran. India had performed nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1974 and 1998. I heard that because of the explosion, the dust was in the air at higher proportion leading to hindrance of sunlight for few days. We took a pit stop to have breakfast and had insipid aloo paratha. Was wondering about only us having breakfast there! The place of exorbitantly expensive for the taste of the food.

Makhaniya Lassi

We had still to cover 200 km to reach Jodhpur. We already had covered 140 odd km since we started from Jaisalmer. There is a stark difference between Indian travelers and foreign travelers. Foreigners love to be at leisure (for obvious reasons) and don’t push the journey beyond 200km a day and we Indians (for obvious reasons) have to keep it pushing so that we reach office on time the day our holiday is done with! Otherwise, boss gets angry! How I wish that we had the same culture of work in India where we have the luxury of roaming places for months. Near Pokaran, I saw a majestic peacock perched on a branch of a desolate tree. It was indeed a moment to die for and captured it by my mind. Sorry, I was not carrying the SLR camera with zooming lenses. The peacock was similar to the one we normally see in the paintings in palaces of Rajasthan. Plump, sitting with an erect glistening blue neck and the huge and extremely beautiful foliage curved in the direction of gravity. I haven’t seen such a beautiful peacock for years and no wonder it is the ‘national bird’ of India.

The Pyaaz Kachori

We entered Jodhpur at around 12.30 pm. This is probably the biggest city in the Marwar region. My agenda was clear about what to do in Jodhpur. I instructed our driver to drive all the way to ‘Janata Sweet House’ on Nai Sarak. (Thanks a lot Dear Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma) Once we entered the sweet shop, the madness prevailed for another half an hour and the taste still lingers on my taste buds. I got my hands first on the legendary ‘pyaaz kachori’ of Rajasthan. This puffed bread deep fried till crispy brown outside and stuffed with onions and other spices inside takes your culinary conscience to another level. I have all the sympathies for the lady pilot of Air India who overthrew the diktat of her seniors for the love of these pyaaz kachoris. J Next o the menu was the burly ‘mirchi vada’. The rajasthani mircha thickly coated with chick pea flour and deep fried is a must have snack when you happen to be in Rajasthan.

The Mawa Kachori

In the meanwhile, Anita who doesn’t share my enthusiasm for food was half-heartedly trying her hand at aloo tikki. She didn’t seem too pleased with that. I helped her finish it but yes indeed, it was not that great. Time to engage the sweet tooth! The Mawa Kachori – Probably the same batter for pyaz kachori but this time stuffed with condensed milk and dry fruits and soaked in sugar syrup. You ask me what heaven is and I will tell you the address! After polishing off the Mawa Kachori, I turned towards the special ‘Makhaniya Lassi’. Laced with insane amount of malai and dryfruits, this lassi can take care of your calorific requirements for days to come. For me…what calories???

Entrance of Meherangarh Fort

Trust me, you always have a happy time with happy belly. Never ignore it. So after pampering our guts at Janata Sweet House, we moved towards the iconic Meharangarh Fort of Jodhpur. For movie buffs, you surely have watched Nolan’s epic ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and if you remember the place from where Bruce Wayne escapes from the dungeon of Bane is nothing but the Meharangarh Fort of Jodhpur. Perched on a hill near Jodhpur, the Meharangarh Fort looks like a guard of the city.

Meharangarh is one of the most beautiful forts we came across in Rajasthan. With a splendid architecture and intricate art inside, it personifies Rajasthan’s royal history in a genuine manner. We somehow did a mistake of not hiring a guide and pushing through this fort on our own. Bad advice from our driver! Take my advice- If you are visiting such a beautiful fort with vast expanse then a guide is a must. It costs only few bucks but makes the visit worthwhile! We captured the beautiful vista of the blue city of Jodhpur from the fort. Most of the outer walls of houses in Jodhpur are painted with blue color and hence, the name Blue City. We had just covered the ‘Golden City’ of Jaisalmer, we were in the ‘Blue City’ of Jodhpur and in couple of days, we would find ourselves in the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur. We marveled at the grandeur of the King’s bedroom, walls with beautiful artwork and windows bedecked with colorful glasses. It must be difficult to sleep there. It is difficult to write about forts and palaces. I can use the words like grand, beautiful, vast, and intricate but you won’t get the feel unless you visit such places.

The Blue City of Jodhpur from Meherangarh Fort

It was past 3 pm and we were ready for another grueling drive of 150 odd kilometers till Ranakpur. And we marched. We had no choice. We had so many places to visit and so less of time. Ranakpur is a wildlife sanctuary and also famous for its Jain temple complex. By evening, when we entered the forested area, we feel relieved with the cool breeze of the air. We soon entered the premises of Ranakpur Hill Resort and got a lovely, cozy Swiss tent. A much needed cup of tea and a wonderful shower. Probably, the best place to stay in Ranakpur Forest. The restaurant of the Hill Resort serves nice food easy on spices. It was good for the palette and for the guts. After the tiring drive of about 500 km in the day, all we needed was a good sleep and we got it. I didn't wish to be in King's bedroom though!

The King's Bedroom, Meherangarh Fort, Jodhpur

             

A Day With The Thar - Royal Rajputana Rhapsody - Day 3 (February 2012)

The Camel Ride Begins, Khuri Sand Dunes

As against the choice of other guests, we had decided to skip the camel ride last evening. So we had an unfinished business this morning. After coming back from the sand dunes after spending the night, we were all set to go in the sand dunes again this time on the back of camels directly instead of the camel cart! We started our ride at around 9 in the morning as the Sun gets harsher towards the noon. The two camels named ‘Saaiya’ and ‘Bhoora’ were at service for us. Camel is indeed a wonderful animal. Perfected to weather the conditions in the desert. Still a thorough gentleman (and a lady if it happens to be a female! J). Never seen or heard a camel going berserk! Keeps on chewing leaves of bushes in the desert and is okay if denied to drink water for a while. So we started our ride with these two extremely adorable camels. In just 20 odd minutes we reached the beautiful sand dunes of Khuri.

The Thar Desert, Khuri, Near Jaisalmer

Beware, if you haven’t fallen in love with someone at first sight then the Thar Desert does the trick. It is just beautiful! In my childhood, I was scared of desert – the fear of getting lost, the fear of getting no water, the fear of the heat etc. I never knew at that time that I would fall in love with the desert in the future. Life, how indebted am I to you! The vast expanse of the Thar Desert is similar to that of an ocean. You can keep looking at it for hours and appreciate it (provided you have a heart who knows how to love!) Incidentally, we had few minutes with us to appreciate it.

Me with my camel, Saaiyaa :)

We took a halt at one point near an old temple in the mid of the desert. Me and Anita took a walk in the desert from this point without shoes. And mind you, it feels awesome..the sand is so smooth. I almost embraced the desert for some time. I had been carrying Anita’s ‘odhani’ around my neck since yesterday. We requested our guides to tie it as a Rajasthani Pagari (headgear) and it fit so well. I looked like an authentic Rajasthani guy! J

We came back by 10.15 am and were supposed to head towards Jaisalmer. However, we heard that all the people working at Mangalam and their family members are going to visit a temple 50 km away nearing India Pakistan border. I am always mighty thrilled to be near India Pakistan border be it Jammu, be it Wagha near Amritsar or now near Jaisalmer. This was the picture perfect journey. Desert on both the sides of this narrow and road was actually deserted. J Got the pictures clicked sitting in the midst of the road. And yes, saw a vulture in its natural habitat for the first time. Oh man, what a bird! The expanse of its wings almost covered the breadth of the road when it saw our car approaching it.

Anita with a local guy in Khuri

We reached Jaisalmer by 2 pm.  Finding the right restaurants was not a big task. Thanks to my icons, Rocky and Mayur, who are hosting the show ‘Highway on My Plate’ and have written the book with the same name. We entered the Chandan Shree Restaurant and ordered a Rajasthani thali  (that’s obvious!) but they do serve the Gujarati and the Bengali Thali (what’s that?) also. By this time, I have become an expert on Rajasthani Thali (yeah yeah…Veg ofcourse). At Chandan Shree, the ‘ker sangri’ (a Rajasthani vegetable) tasted different as it was fresh compared to other parts of India as it is produced in the desert only. ‘Gatte ki Sabji’ (Chunks of yellow gram flour boiled in a curd gravy) was not that great. I will still vouch for the wonderful Rajasthani Thali you get at Chetana at Kala Ghoda in Mumbai. That is the best I have ever tasted till date!

We were tired now and after gobbling up the unlimited Rajasthani Thali, all we needed was a good nap. We checked in at a hotel and surprisingly, we met our friends Eliane and Peter who were staying in the same hotel.

After a refreshing nap (this is generally the adjective used for nap, but honestly I was feeling drowsy), we headed towards the famous Sam sand dunes, 40 km away from Jaisalmer. Frankly speaking, I didn’t like the place. There was a congregation of tourists across the country making a lot of noise. You are attacked by the camel owners and coerced to take a ride. However, the bargain could be amazing here and you can ride camel at a minimal price. I rode on a camel named ‘Michael Jackson’ while Anita was on ‘Shahrukh’! J

The Jaisalmer Fort from a distance

My sincere suggestion to the travelers (and not the tourists) that if you realy wish to savour the sand dunes and the desert, Khuri is the place. Sam is not for you. It’s too commercial, noisy and intimidating. A small cup of badly prepared tea and we were on our way back to Jaisalmer. The sunset at Sam was though extra-ordinary. Bu too many cameras clicking and too many people with funny poses kills the surreal beauty of the sunset in the dessert.

Dusk was falling and by the time we reached Jaisalmer, it was dark. It was a cool evening. We couldn’t go to the Jaisalmer Fort though. We came back to our hotel. The rooftop restaurant of ‘Bharat Vilas’ was an ideal place to have a long dinner. I am sure it is loved by the people for penchant with alcohol. We though stuck to simple affair of spaghetti and Chinese noodles. A good sleep was necessary as we were about to cover 420 km on the road to reach Ranakpur Sanctuary near Udaipur.

The Night in Khuri Sand Dunes - Royal Rajputana Rhapsody - Day 2

After the sun set, we continued our journey towards Khuri village. It was quarter to seven in the evening. In another 30 odd minutes, we were stopped by a guy who waved at us outside the Khuri village. He was the guy from the ‘Mangalam Resort’ where we had decided to spend our evening and most probably, the night also. Khuri is one undiscovered gem near Jaisalmer and makes it a better destination than it’s cousin - commercial, crowded and noisy Sam dunes.

Mangalam Resort, Khuri, Jaisalmer

Our car made way through the village and all I was praying was to have our accommodation in the outskirts of this village and not in the village. We frankly speaking, had no idea about how exciting time was just ahead of us. In no time, we reached the Mangalam Resort. We tried meekly to negotiate with Jeetu, the soft spoken guy at Mangalam who was firm on the charges but assured that we would not be overcharged. I bought his words and from the next morning onwards I had reaping the profits till date, of the experience. J

Mangalam had a huge courtyard and bonfire was lit in the middle of it. The Indian sitting arrangements around it already had been occupied by other guests and we were the last couple to enter the premises. We settled at our place and were provided with some tasty Indian munchies.

The Fire Dancer at Mangalam Resort

The folk singers started their performance. The songs like ‘Kesariya Balam’ and ‘Nimbuda’ were familiar. In fact, since we were the only Indian couple amongst guests, the artists interweaved our names as the protagonists in few songs which were all about love. This was probably the best wedding anniversary we had till date. We danced and sang with them and so did our European friends. We simply had a gala time that evening. After burning few calories, it was the time to dig our teeth in the sumptuous Marwari food affair. The fresh ‘ker sangari’ along with rotlas was indeed tasty. We somehow happen to mention about our anniversary to Jeetu and wow…another surprise! We were presented with an extempore moong daal halwa ‘cake’ and we blew the candle to celebrate our anniversary. What a wonderful moment it was!

Peter and Eliane

After dinner, we unexpectedly were provided two options – either to stay in the hut cottages at the Mangalam Resort or to go in the mid of the sand dunes and sleep under the starry night of new moon. No prizes for guessing! In 5 minutes, we were on a camel cart heading towards the sand dunes inside the Desert National Park. Soon the lights were dim at Khuri and we were heading in the darkness. It was an amazing atmosphere which still gives me goose bumps – cool air, complete darkness and the lovely silence! In half an hour, we reached our destination. And surprise surprise..we were told that we would be sleeping in the open! Anita shuddered J No tents? And I was super excited! We had our beds arranged at a ‘safe distance’ from other couples ;) After a while, we lit the bonfire and invited our companions if they were interested in a chat. And I was not surprised when Eliane and Peter, the lovely couple from Belgium joined us. And we are good friends till date! J

As we were done with our talk around the bonfire, we retired to our beds. It was indeed a
thrilling time. We lied and what we could see were the zillions of stars twinkling. Shooting stars were making their appearance so frequently that we could have fulfilled wishes of our life time in one night itself. The other lights which were at a distance and were not twinkling were the lights on the windmills. The wind was now blowing with gusto. And Anita was uncomfortable. Yes the combination was nasty – a new moon night, silence, howling wind, no network on our mobiles and we people alone in the unknown sand dunes! We finally took shelter in a camping tent brought along.




The Desert Sunrise, Khuri Sand Dunes

 I got up early in the morning to capture the sunrise in the desert not knowing that the sun rises late in the desert (How similar to me!) It was cold. So finally the Sun God started appearing on the horizon by 7 am in the morning. In the meanwhile me and Anita were enjoying the desert, the feel of the smooth sand. A good morning to Sun and everybody else there! We were told by Peter that we had few visitors in the night – the deer or sambhar, we don’t know!

Life is full of surprises. I never expected that I would be spending such a spectacular new moon night amongst desert. This was neither on our minds nor on our itinerary. This just happens. And these things happen to your life. Because this is how you define your life. After 20 years (or even today) you won’t be telling stories of how you grabbed a seat in the local train in Mumbai. Talk about how you stared at the Himalayas, how you swam in the Ganga, how you felt the sand to your feet in Rajasthan and how you were in face to face with a Royal Bengal Tiger. Then people will inevitably say, “You have lived life!” J       

Day 2 - Royal Rajputana Rhapsody - Bikaner and en route Jaisalmer! - Feb 2012

The Junagarh Palace, Bikaner

What a wonderful morning to get up! The day coincided with the holy festival of Mahashivratri (Dedicated to Lord Shiva) and our wedding anniversary (dedicated to us J). The place where we stayed being a heritage property, we couldn’t resist but to click few photographs in the premises. After a sumptuous breakfast, we left the hotel and we were in a nearby Shiv Temple. I am not a big temple fan but this Shiv Temple was exquisitely clean. Anita offered an elaborate pooja to the God of the Gods and we were all set to explore the mighty Junagarh Fort of Bikaner.

Courtyard for the Queen, Junagarh Fort

At first sight, the grandeur of Junagarh Fort stunned us. Not that I haven’t seen a palace like this before but probably I was too young to appreciate the ‘grandeur’ of Mysore Palace when I was only 12 years old. From the entry itself, this structure starts impressing you. The whole fort has a red hue due to the use of red sandstone for its construction. An amazing courtyard inside built with marble to play holi for the queen and her friends gives us the taste of royalty. 

Golden work in Anup Mahal, Junagarh Fort 

The artistry in the fort goes to next level in the Anup Mahal and Karan Mahal where you find exquisite art pieces of golden work. Maharaja Karan Singh of Bikaner in 17^th century is believed to have revived this art. The Anup Mahal and Karan Mahal are the part of places for private audience. The Diwan-e-Aam (Hall for the General Audience) is very big but less craftier with carvings on red sandstone. From the terrace of the fort, the well maintained gardens and the expanse of Bikaner city are clearly visible.

We also paid visit to the museum which is in the premises of the fort. Good thing about paid entrances is – they are not thronged by every Tom, Dick and Harry. The museum is worth a visit which exhibits royal costumes, old manuscripts, palanquins, idols etc. A local young woman artist was showing her skills of henna design. Anita wanted to have one designed on her hands. It was costly at 500 bucks but it was our wedding anniversary, remember?

How I wish that we had been to the Karni Mata Temple or popularly known as the Rat Temple. Here the offerings are first tasted by the rats and then distributed as Prasad. May be next time (not for the offering though)!

We started our drive to Jaisalmer, the most famous city of the Marwar region of Rajasthan. We again hit an obstacle before exiting the Bikaner city in the form of railway crossing. The railway crossings across Rajasthan could be annoying at times as they normally slow down the pace of your journey. Sans the railway crossings, the roads across Rajasthan are in a very good condition.

Bikaner-Jaisalmer Highway :)

Specially to talk about this 331 km stretch between Bikaner and Jaisalmer is a driver’s haven any day (make sure that you are travelling in an AC vehicle during summer J) The lovely tarmac with visibility till horizon and miniscule traffic makes it one of the ideal roads. I was too excited and wished I was driving my own car. I kept on requesting Shib Kumar to let me drive for some distance but he was hesitant. Of course he should be! It was neither his nor mine car. But finally, I persuaded him and he allowed me to drive for half an hour till we took our first pit stop or lunch break at Jaswant Vilas Palace which is situated exactly in the mid of Bikaner and Jaisalmer.

Me with Mr. Dushyant Singh

We were fortunate to meet the owner of Jaswant Vilas Palace, Mr. Dushyant Singh. Son of an army brigadier, owner of coal mines in Chattisgarh and a wonderful human being, Mr. Singh appreciated the respect we paid to him. People of Rajasthan carry themselves with pride and they love it when one respects that. We had a long chat over our cold drinks. An hour flew by and Shib Kumar was grumbling. It was time to say goodbye to Mr. Dushyant Singh. He insisted that once in Udaipur, we should certainly dine at ‘Ambrai’ which is situated on the banks of Lake Pichola. He told us that the owner is his sister and we need not face any difficulty to get in even on a crowded evening. Look, how we keep on getting people who just think like us only!

Shib Kumar and his car! Tough task, indeed! :)

4 pm and more than 150 kms to cover to reach the Khuri sand dunes before sunset. A tough task indeed for a Maruti Dzire which has a run for more than 0.2 million kilometers and a driver who is weary of driving with speed more than 60 km per hour! Indeed, a tough task! Shib Kumar did his best and we reached Jaisalmer well before sunset. But Khuri is another 40 odd km drive and the road is not so good. Yes, the tough task turned out to be INDEED a tough task and we couldn’t make it to Khuri Dunes before sunset. L We stopped the vehicle on the way and kept on staring at the red sphere for a while!

Not to be disappointed…the dusk was falling and the evening had just begun! Here we come, Khuri!

The Sunset en route Khuri, near Jaisalmer