Aravalli – The Timber Trawler

Aravalli Archives: Rajsamand, Rayta and Ranakpur

This August, we made a quick getaway to Udaipur, with the intention of exploring the Aravalli hill ranges in and around Udaipur. It was in the vicinity of Udaipur, while returning from Mount Abu, that I had fallen in love with the Aravallis. Though on my last trip to Udaipur – the only one since the Mount Abu trip – we had ventured into the Aravallis on our excursion to Kumbhalgarh, the fact that we had limited time and little influence over the cab driver quashed any hope of indulging my love for the Aravallis and exploring the hill ranges in and around Udaipur.

Nevertheless, now that we drove our own car, we would be constrained only by time, not by ability or ambition. So, starting off around 6.30 AM from Gurugram, taking the Ajmer Expressway, we had bypassed Jaipur by 11 AM, stopping at 12.30PM for a break just on the outskirts of Kishangarh. Resuming the journey, we had to make a choice between going by the Ajmer-Deogarh-Rajsamand route using NH 58 or through Bhilwara using NH 48, the latter being the one with greater average speed. However, my main interest being in driving by the Aravallis, we chose the one through NH 58 after ascertaining from locals about the condition of the road. And were we amply rewarded for the same!

Our brush with the Aravallis started from near Ajmer, and by the time we reached Beawar, where we stopped for lunch, we were already being accompanied by continuous ranges of the Aravallis. As seen from the satellite view of Google Maps, a long chain of the Aravallis begins from below Beawar and stretches in the south-westerly direction all the way to just above Udaipur, where again there is a pass in the hill ranges nestling the historic town of Gogunda. Another chain of Aravallis starts after this pass and stretches some distance into Gujarat, ending with the Polo forest.

So, as indicated by Google Maps, we were soon running alongside the foothills of the Aravallis after crossing Beawar. We slid up and down the undulating road and swerved left and right on the roading curving around the protrusions and along the cavities on the hillside. Patches of green clothed the yellowish-brown hillsides, while patches of green pasture interspersed with small and large ponds and punctuated by the occasional hamlet dotted the slope on the other side of the road. The road cut through the hillside at many places, but seldom bent into hairpin shapes. Crevices snuggling in the hillsides held dainty pools formed of rainwater, bearing blooming lilies and lotuses floating on a carpet of leaves.

The top oblong red oval encircles the top stretch of Aravallis. The bottom irregular oval marks the bottom stretch of Aravllis that runs around Udaipur and end in Gujarat. Beawar and Rajsamand are also marked.

Around 5.30 PM, we reached Rajsamand, a city lying 67 km before Udaipur on the foothills of the Aravallis, home to an expansive lake carved out in the hillside and fed by water dammed on the Gomti river. The construction of the Rajsamand lake was started by Maharana Raj Singh in 1662 AD, ending in 1676AD, and is the oldest known famine relief work in Rajasthan. The lake also served as a sea-plane base for Imperial Airways for its route from London to Sydney, and as an auxiliary base for the IAF during the Second World War. A marble pavillion-cum-garden called Nau Chakki adorns a section of the lakeside. Adjacent to it, lies a building called Maharana Raj Singh Panorama depicting a brief history of Rajsamand and glimpses from Raj Singh’s life while also displaying a part of a metallic chain used for anchoring the sea-planes in the lake.

A pond by the roadside on the way to Udaipur

As we approached Udaipur, with the Aravallis reaching majestic heights while wearing cloaks of green with stripes of yellow, the scenery became even more picturesque. Before long we had entered a tunnel near Chirwa, and were promptly stuck in hour-long traffic, finally reaching Udaipur at 8 PM. Following a failed attempt at dining at all of the lakeside restaurants on the Ambrai Ghat, we had dinner at a restaurant in the city, and retired for the night.

The next morning, we drove our way to the outskirts on the south-west direction of Udaipur, crossed a stream and then climbed up a narrow road winding around the hillside to reach a large flat expanse of meadows on the top of a high hill called Rayta. Amidst gusts of a cool breeze and chirps of birds, we were treated to breathtaking views of swathes of green reminiscent of images from Kashmir Valley, with the landscape rendered even punchier due to the monsoons. Leaving Rayta at around 12.30 PM, the descent from the hill was equally eventful as the scary ride up, thanks to the narrowness of the road forcing us to make a couple of crossing of vehicles coming from the opposite side with supreme caution.

Crossing a stream on the way to Rayta hill

Driving on, first by-passing Udaipur and then turning left towards and crossing Gogunda, we took a state highway running into the interiors of the Aravallis, reaching Sayra, where we reached a fork in the road – with the right leading to Kumbhalgarh, and the left leading to Ranakpur. From Sayra, we climbed higher up the Aravallis, subsequently crossing the crest of the hill range, and came upon a descent passing through jungle, given company by and criss-crossed by a couple of rivulets. Then negotiating a 15-minute descent comprising numerous steep curves and hairpin bends, we reached the base of the hill range, where lay a place had been sitting in my wish list since 2013 – Ranakpur.

Ranakpur, located on the side of the Maghai River, is home to the 15th century Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara, or simply called Ranakpur Jain temple, built entirely in marble. Construction of the temple dedicated to Adinatha, the first tirthankara, was commenced in 1446 AD by Dharna Shah, from the Porwal community under the patronage of Rana Kumbha, and ended in 1496 AD, fifty years later. Three other temples dedicated each to Parsvanatha, Neminatha and Mahavira stand in the temple complex, while a 13th century Sun temple sits outside the complex right at a cusp of the river. Sitting majestically in the jungle at the Aravalli foothills, this temple can easily be put alongside the Taj Mahal as a mediaeval wonder of India.

At 4.30 PM, we left Ranakpur to ride back up the series of steep hairpin bends to reach our abode for the night located on top of the hill range – a resort called Aranyawas. The resort comprising cottages built in multiple tiers is located on the side of one of the rivulets that I mentioned above, which in turn is a tributary of the aforementioned Maghai River. A deck at the back-edge of the the resort affords views of the hills across the rivulet and the surrounding forests, along with that of an anicut built on the rivulet. Later, taking a curving bridge we reached the large swimming pool that stood at a higher level as compared to the rest of the resort, providing a great 360-degrees view of the place.

In the morning, we took a tour of the kitchen garden nurtured amidst the jungle inside the premises of the resort. At 10.30 AM, leaving the resort, we again passed through Ranakpur taking highway running through Pali, on the side of the chain of Aravallis opposite the one we had taken on outward journey on the first day. By 2 PM, we were in Beawar again, choosing to have lunch at the same place as on our outward journey. At 4 PM, we reached Kishangarh, where we choose to take a little detour to see the Marble Slurry Dumpyard, which lends itself to a stunning landscape resembling that of a snow yard, with greenish pools of water scattered all over it.

View of the Marble Dumping Yard, Kishangarh

Moving on from Kishangarh, adventure still awaited us, since midway to Gurgaon after crossing Jaipur, we were met with traffic jams brought about my multiple stretches of road construction. At around 10 PM, with a final one hour long jam staring at us right before Bawal, an alternative route popped up on Google Maps diverting from right where we stood. Based on eye contact and a couple of lines of verbal communication with another person driving his family in his car, we took the diversion following one another, venturing into the desolate countryside. Thankfully, after a 15-minute drive through the potholed, sometimes, muddy interior roads, we were back again on the highway, having bypassed the traffic jam! By 11 PM, we were home.

A Decade of Exploring Rajasthan: Jaipur 2012 AD to Jaipur 2022 AD

In April 2012, my first ever trip to Rajasthan was solo – by public transport, with the destination being Jaipur. In August 2022, I rounded off a decade of exploring Rajasthan by reprising the solo trip to Jaipur – only this time it was by driving on my own. A 700km self-driven solo adventure!

As always, it is rarely about the destination – and so off I went wandering through roads I had not trodden before, exploring a bit of the Aravallis in the Shekhawati region, while the sun and rain played hide and seek, and folds of hills lay in the distance in front and around me, their peaks crowned with fluffs of cloud.

I plead guilty to the charge of scooting off to Rajasthan every chance I get, even at the risk of inviting ridicule. ‘Why don’t you try out some other place this time – why not Himachal, Uttarakhand, UP?’, I have been asked. I say, some people love the mountains, some the beaches – as for me, I yearn most for the desert, the Aravallis, the forts…

Growing up in Odisha, I had had a fascination with Rajasthan long since I could remember. In Grade 4 – the black-&-white picture of the Hawa Mahal in a textbook, and the mention of the Thar around Bikaner and Jaisalmer, images of the Vijay Stambh at Chittorgarh and the Dilwara temples at Mount Abu were imprinted in my head. A General Knowledge book addressed Jaipur as the Pink City, and Jodhpur as the Blue City. I always wondered looking at those black-and-white pictures how the cities might look like in real life in their famed hues.

Some years later as we were embarking on a train journey, Dad let me pick up a thin paperback from the book stall on the railway station- it was called ‘Folk Tales of Rajasthan’. While on that train, in my mind, Rajasthan turned into a place of magic, of kings, bards & princesses, of Pabuji, star-crossed lovers & clever thieves, of camels & shifting sands…I was enamoured.

Rajasthan was always just too far away though, and little did I know I would later land up at the gateway to it – Delhi. Little did I know as time progressed, I would reside at a place, on the outskirts of Gurgaon, where I could simply lug a backpack on my back and in half an hour, be inside Rajasthan. Little did I know I would once also drive solo to Rajasthan…

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On this trip, instead of driving directly to Jaipur from Gurgaon, I took a detour midway, towards the north and drove through some of the most exotic sounding places – Kotputli, Neem ka Thana, Udaipurwati.

Udaipurwati

A quaint little town nestled within a gap in the Aravallis, is home to an excellent resort called The Tree of Life Inderpura.

Lohargal

Near Udaipurwati, within a crevice in the hills is a holy spot with a natural spring feeding a bathing tank and ancient Sun Temple. According to myth, weapons and armour of a Pandava army that camped here after their victory, dissolved in the water, giving the place its name: Loha (Iron)+Gal (To melt).

From thereon in Jaipur, I visited a couple of places that I had not seen before, both nestled in the Aravallis.

Rani Sisodiya Bagh

A hidden gem of a garden built by Sawai Jai Singh II for a princess of Udaipur, who agreed to marry him only on the condition that she be made the main queen of Jaipur.

Galta Ji

Home to a bathing tank fed by a perennial spring and a temple dedicated to a hermit named Galta ji, along with temples dedicated to Krishna and Ram. At the peak of the hill is a 350 year old Sun temple, reached after a hike of about 1.5km. The first rays of the Sun reaching Jaipur apparently fall on the idol in the temple. Views from the hill are outstanding.

Trip Summary
Day 1:
Gurgaon to Udaipurwati via Neem-ka-Thana & Patan -250 km, 6 hours
Udaipurwati to Lohargal – 15km, 30 min
Lohargal to Jaipur via Udaipurwati & Reengus – 160km, 3 hours

Day 2:
Jaipur sightseeing of Rani Sisodiya Bagh and Galtaji – 25km, 2 hours
Jaipur to Gurgaon – 230km, 4 hours

Total – 670km

Adventure in the Aravalli: Indor Fort, Mewat

Ever since I moved to the suburbs of Gurgaon amidst the work-from-home regime, I have suddenly been presented with immense possibilities for indulging my wanderlust. On one recent weekend afternoon, I set out on my scooter in pursuit of a place called Rundh Indor which seemed on Google Maps to be home to a fort. Nestled in a cove of the low-lying Aravallis on the Haryana-Rajasthan border, Indor is a non-descript village, accessible by a narrow road that is flanked by the Aravallis on both sides beyond strips of agricultural land and a hamlet or two. The area is not so remote as it is sparsely populated.

Once at Indor, from the road, I could see a long fortress wall and the domes of a few structures stretching across the left-side Aravalli hills. Tantalising as it seemed, I still did not think of accessing the fort till I came across a rubbled track that looked like the approach road to the fort. After some dawdling, I finally gathered the courage to ride up the approach road till I came upon the base of the hill, where a young duo was contemplating accessing the fort themselves. In what was already quite a desolate location, my only chance at setting foot in the fort now hinged on me joining forces with a couple of rank strangers!

Wary of any untoward incident, I followed the duo on the trek uphill using goat tracks. Once atop the fortress wall, the vastness of the fort immediately dawned upon us. Sprawling across at least one or two square kilometres of the hillside were disparate structures – palace-like havelis interspersed with domes and grand arched gateways – all in dilapidated condition and swamped in typical Aravalli vegetation. And nary a living being in sight! We waded through the thick jungle from structure to structure, with the fear of snakes, wild animals and miscreants writ large on our faces. However, the fear was amply compensated by a breathtaking sight of the Aravallis stretching endlessly on the opposite side of the fort.

It was only when the sunlight began to dim that we realized it was already 5.30pm and we had advanced a long way into the fort area. Turning, we were confronted with tracing an uncharted path back just like our way up. Luckily, climbing atop a crumbling wall gave us a clear line of sight to the place where our scooters were parked. Treating the direction as sort of a North star, we trekked down the hillside until we reached a huge depression – our final hurdle. The fortress wall swerving around the depression was broken, making access through it precarious too. Crawling over the broken portion of the wall, we were finally outside the fort precincts. Within minutes, we were back riding on the way home even as the sun set behind the Aravallis.

Diwali in Mewar: Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh and Chittorgarh

Inspired by the experience of spending Diwali in the hills the previous year, I decided to spend the Diwali this year too at an interesting place. The place was not very hard to choose, as I had been planning to take my parents to Udaipur soon, and thought it would be wonderful to see Diwali over Lake Pichola.

Accordingly, a fortnight before Diwali, seeing a great deal for the day, for which most hotels were already booked or overpriced, I booked a room in Hotel Thamla Haveli that stands right on the bank of Lake Pichola exactly opposite the Gangaur Ghat. On the other hand, not getting tickets on the Chetak Express, the only train connecting Gurgaon and Udaipur, I improvised and booked tickets on a 2 PM train instead from Jaipur, which we would reach by bus.

Day 1: Off to Udaipur

On the day preceding Diwali, we reached our designated pick-up point at Rajiv Chowk around 6 AM, only to learn that we had left behind the food Mother had painstakingly cooked and packed for the journey. So, I rushed back home, which thankfully was only one-and-a-half kilometers from our bus-stop, to pick up the food, and was back in time to catch the bus.

Relishing the views of the Aravallis and the countryside on the way, we reached Jaipur at 12, catching the train to Udaipur as planned. This being a day train, we had the opportunity to see the landscape the railway line passed through, including the topography of areas around Ajmer, where I felt a strong pang of desire inside me to visit Ajmer sometime soon. We reached Udaipur around 9 PM and soon checked-in to a hotel near the railway station.

Day 2: Diwali in the City of Lakes

The next morning, i.e. on Diwali day, after breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and moved over to Thamla Haveli, checking-in around 11.30 AM. We were quite pleased to know that the window of our room opened to, and in fact, hung right over the Pichola lake – if you fell from the window, you drop right into the water! Then, we checked out Ambrai Ghat, which was only a 200 metre walk from our hotel and gave us an exhilarating view of the City Palace sitting across the Pichola Lake.

Morning at the Ambrai Ghat on Lake Pichola, Udaipur

After that, we hired an autorickshaw to show us around Udaipur the whole day, and first proceeded to Sajjangarh Palace, a monsoon palace that stands on the top of a hill, overlooking the city and the Fatehsagar and Pichola lakes. From the terrace of the palace, we also got breathtaking views of the Aravallis. Descending from Sajjangarh Palace, we had lunch near Saheliyon ki Bari, an early 18th century garden, which we visited next. Next up was the City Palace, which I was seeing for the fourth time in as many visits. We ended the day by visiting the Jagadish temple, which stands right on the road that the Palace tour exits to.

Back at the haveli, from our window we were treated to the electrifying sights that we had hoped to see – the fireworks going over the skyline across the lake, with their reflections sparkling over the lake’s surface. As we climbed to the rooftop restaurant for dinner, we were rewarded with even clearer views of the Diwali celebrations. We finally went to sleep, as Diwali celebrations drew to a close.

The city and sky are lit up on Diwali night, as seen from Thamla Haveli, Udaipur

Day 3: An Excursion to Kumbhalgarh

The next morning at 7.30 AM, we walked to the Ambrai Ghat again and were mesmerized by the views of the city palace bathing in the morning sun. Soon after, I booked an outstation Ola cab after some struggle, to take us to Kumbhalgarh. Starting at 11 AM, we drove for about two hours, mostly through the Aravallis, to reach Kumbhalgarh fort which was taking forever to appear. However, given the scenic beauty on the road, the drive was not that boring after all.

This being our first ever visit to Kumbhalgarh, we took the guided tour savouring every nook and cranny of the palaces and every bit of information dished out by the guide. From the rooftop of the Badal Mahal, we beheld the most magnificent views of the Aravallis and the Marwar plains beyond. Before we realized it, we had already spent two hours.

Descending from the palace, after a quick light meal at one of the shanties located inside the fort premises, we checked out the Vedi temple, and other nearby temples, and capped off the fort visit with a walk along the famed fortress wall of Kumbhalgarh, from where one gets a clear view of the palaces sitting on the hilltop.

By now, it was already 4 PM, leaving us with little for the next stop on our itinerary, Ranakpur. In any case, any possibility of seeing Ranakpur was nipped in the bud shortly, when our cab driver refused point-blank to drive through the hills to the famous Jain temple, on account of the impending darkness, compounded by the fact that the temple closes by 5 PM anyway.

So, we had to leave Ranakpur for another day, another trip! Returning to Udaipur by 7 PM, we checked in to Broadway Hotel near Saheliyon ki Bari, and retired for the day after dinner.

Day 4: Exploring Nearabouts: Eklingji and Haldighati

The next day began with yet another struggle to obtain a confirmed booking for an Ola outstation cab, which I managed to get after attempting for about an hour. Given the dire circumstances, we had to leave out Nathdwara temple from the itinerary, opting instead to go to Eklingji. We finally managed to hit the road at around 10 AM, heading to and reaching Eklingji just in time for the darshan starting at 10.30 AM.

From the Eklingji temple, we proceeded to Sahasra Bahu temples at Nagda, a couple of kilometers away, which comprises a pair of 10th century Vishnu temples. The site seemed to be a popular spot for pre-wedding shoots. Thereon, we drove on to Haldighati Musuem, where we went through memorabilia related to Maharana Pratap, had our lunch, and proceeded to the Haldighati Pass. Turning back, we got down at Udaipur railway station , where we caught the 6:15 PM train to Chittaurgarh, reaching the latter after two hours.

Day 5: On to Chittorgarh

Next morning, I was back again at the place that I love most in Rajasthan – Chittorgarh, for the third time, but it still felt like I was coming here for the first time! We booked an auto-rickshaw whose driver doubled up as our guide, and took us around the fort area which in itself feels like a self-contained region, with a populated area on one side, and the remaining area covered with forests, including a deer sanctuary, and sprinkled with palaces, temples, towers and water tanks.

We started off with the Kubhashyam and Meera temples, then rode over to Vijaya Stambh, then saw the Jauhar kund and Samadhisvara temple. For there, we moved to the to Kalika Mata temple, and then Rani Padmini Palace. Then taking a wide curve, we switched to the other side of the hill, where we saw the fort’s main entrance gate, Suraj Pol, while also being treated to a breath-taking view of sparsely populated valley below. We then went over to a handicrafts shop, where we bought some scented silk fabric items.

By 1 PM, having completed one full round around the periphery of the fort, it was time leave, with a heavy heart, as far as I was concerned. Nevertheless, down in the city, we had a Rajasthani meal, and were in the railway station at 2.30 PM.

Chittorgarh fort sits atop of the flat long hill, as seen from Chittorgarh railway station

With part of our return train journey happening in daylight, we were again able to enjoy the interesting landscape, especially as we neared Bundi, where the railway line descended to the barren escarpment below. Then entering a tunnel, the train emerged out to amble along the edge of a reservoir on the other side of which ran the Aravallis. As we reached Kota, night had fallen, and when we opened our eyes early next morning, we were already approaching Gurgaon.

Aravalli Archives: Alwar, Bhangarh and Sariska

For many years I had seen the name ‘Alwar’ – on other buses while I waited for the bus to Jaipur or on road signage on my many forays to Jaipur. I had even passed through Alwar on one occasion on a bus, and had memories of a city glaring under the sun against the backdrop of yellowish, intermittently green hills. Alwar, despite being three hours away from Delhi, gets overshadowed by the names of bigger places, but now in October 2016, since I had ticked the big names off my list, I turned my attention to Alwar. And am I glad that I did!

Part 1: Alwar Calling

My friend and I caught the bus at 8 AM from Dhaula Kuan, from where I had boarded the Rajasthan or Haryana Roadways buses headed to Jaipur on all of my previous Rajasthan solo trips. By noon, we were in Alwar, where we had lunch near the bus-stop, and gathered information about places and access modes in Alwar. The Bala Qila (Alwar fort), perched on the hill overlooking the city and clearly visible from where we stood, beckoned to us – it was a no-brainer as to where we should start our Alwar sight-seeing with.

Hiring an auto-rickshaw, we headed off to Bala Qila, for which we took the fort road that winded around the side of the hill, passing through jungle, accompanied by a sharp drop into the valley on one side. We were pleasantly surprised by the size and condition of the main palace which was largely intact – the palace may not be the size of the palaces in the forts of Jaipur or Jodhpur, but the fort in itself was self-contained and seemed to possess every characteristic typical of a Rajasthani fort.

The origins of the fort date back to 928 AD, when it was built by Parmar Rajputs, however, it was resconstructed in 1521 AD by the Khanzada rulers who had wrested the fort from the Nikumbh Rajputs in 1492 AD. We explored the many floors of the palace and were smitten by the verdant vistas of the Aravallis from the arched windows of the palace. Later we walked on the fort wall towards a watching platform that provided a clear view of the city below.

View of Bala Qila from the fort wall leading to a watching platform on the south side

Descending back to city at the foothills, we checked out the City Palace or Vinay Vilas Mahal, built in 1793 AD, with a part now converted to Museum and the other part housing government offices. The beautiful Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri, a cenotaph for Raja Bakhtawar Singh and his queen Moosi Rani, built in 1815 AD with marble roof and red sandstone pillars, stands adjacent to the City Palace, on the bank of water tank called Sagar Jalashay, which is fed by water flowing down the Aravallis at the foothills of which the tank lies.

Our next stop was the Siliserh lake, an artificial lake built in 1845 by Maharaja Vinay, nestled in the Aravallis, a little outside the city, providing a picturesque view of the rounded tops of the Arvallis kissing the sky. Enjoying the gentle breeze along with the views, we took a boat ride exploring the length and breadth of the lake. Thereon, we headed to the Jaisamand Lake, another artificial lake not very far from the Siliserh Lake but a little closer to the city, notable for a series of chhatris (cenotaphs).

Part 2: An Unplanned Extension

Our plan for the second day was to take a morning safari of the Sariska National Park that lies about 33 km from where we stayed. Waking up quite early in the morning, and starting around 5.30 AM, we walked about a kilometre to the main road leading to Sariska, hoping to get some sort of conveyance to Sariska. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, as the chances began to seem slim of us making it to Sariska in time for the safari, an autorickshaw driven by a Sardarji (a turbaned sikh man) drew alongside us . We negotiated a price for the half-day trip to Sariska and were soon headed to Sariska with renewed hope for the safari.

Passing through the road sliding up and down, curving ever so slightly to the right and the left, along the foothills the Aravallis, with the cool breeze hitting our faces, we soon encountered a narrow valley in the Aravallis which we crossed alongside a narrow river. In this stretch lies a place called Natni ka Bara, where a bridge stands connecting the main road to a white-coloured temple with a narrow tall spire on the other side of the river. In the early morning mist, the sight of the bridge and the temple standing in the middle of the valley was etched in my mind.

By 6.50 AM we were at the Safari Booking Office at entry gate of the Sariska National Park, where we were promptly denied entry because entry for the morning safari had already closed. We should have been there before 6.30 AM, they said, not relenting despite multiple requests, suggesting that we come back by or wait till 2.30 PM for the afternoon safari. As we were staring at a long wait, a safari guide who was hanging around suggested we do some more sightseeing instead of waiting, Bhangarh fort being his topmost recommendation.

Now, I had already been to Bhangarh fort – touted as a haunted place – and retained very fond memories of the same, but my friend had not, and I would not mind visiting Bhangarh again just to relive the aura of eeriness I had felt on my earlier visit. We calculated that we should be back to the park gate well in time for the afternoon safari, as we had five hours in hand. However, our autorickshaw driver did not seem keen at all, because it would be a 100 km round trip for him. Nevertheless, the safari guide, on account of being a local convinced him to take the ride, sweetening the deal with extra money, of course.

By 7.30 AM, we were on our way to Bhangarh, in an autorickshaw, of all things! From there on, we never lost sight of the Aravallis, which alternated between running alongside us and sliding away only to return. We hoped to reach by 9 AM, if not for the second half of the route where the road was under construction sending billows of dust in all directions including inside the auto-rickshaw as the vehicle plodded through. Soon we passed through Ajabgarh, where abandoned houses flank the road at one end of the village. Just outside the village, a compact fort sits atop a hillock against the backdrop of taller hills, while the road winds around a lake, called Jai Sagar, filled with a cover of lotus and lilies. At long last, by 9.45 AM, we were in Bhangarh.

Part 3: All is Well That…

At Bhangarh, we began by exploring the ruined marketplace and residential area near the main entrance. Then walking further flanked by a series of ruined shops on both sides, through the stretch called the Jauhari Bazaar, and crossing a stream, we entered the fort enclosure where sprawling lawns, numerous temples and the main palace welcomed us. Walking through main palace gate, we approached the first layer of buildings having two wings in the form of long pillared hallways on either side of the passage. Both wings had indications of occult practices being conducted, further bolstering the sense of haunting around the place.

After enjoying the views of the Alwar district countryside accentuated by the Aravallis standing like long flattop platforms from the top of the existing structure of Bhangarh, we walked back to the parking lot, where the auto-rickshaw driver was waiting. After another two hours of riding through the dust clouds over the under-repair road, we were back at the Sariska National Park gate by 1.15 PM, where we were faced by the next challenge – finding 4 more co-passengers for the jeep safari, else we would be paying the fees for 6 passengers for the jeep. Luckily, we ran into a family of 3, consisting of another (!) Sardarji and his wife and kid – who readily agreed to share the ride with us.

Walking through Jauhari Bazaar, Bhangarh

After a quick, light lunch at the canteen near the safari booking counter, we set out on the jeep safari on a trail that took us deep into the Sariska forest. We sighted sambhar, deer, peacocks and countless birds, complemented by thrilling sights of watering holes, and streams cutting through the jungle. Though we did not see a tiger, I would still count this as a very memorable safari in terms of the density of wildlife seen.

Sambhar laze around in a stream, Sariska National Park

By 5 PM, we were back on our way to Alwar, with a thick layer of dust having settled on our bodies. When the sardarji finally dropped us off at the place where he had picked-up, he wore a long face, as he grappled with the sight of the coating of dust shrouding his auto-rickshaw – surely, he regretted having picked us up in the morning, and more so, for having agreed to the impromptu extension of the ride to Bhangarh. As if on cue, I handed him a couple hundred more rupees, hopping to alleviate his dejection.

Now, as we wandered around looking for conveyance to the bus station, we were approached by a couple who looked like students on separate two-wheelers. Lo and behold, it was another Sardarji (!), who along with his apparent girlfriend, offered us both a ride on their motorcycle and scooter respectively. By 8 PM, as we boarded the bus headed back to Delhi, it struck us that we had encountered the grace of good Samaritan Sardarjis every time we faced a difficult situation the whole day!

Post-script: My first trip to Bhangarh, September 2014

My first trip to Bhangarh happened by virtue of a day-long trip with a travel group called ROOTS. We had started around 6 AM from Delhi, passed through Sohna and then Alwar, and reached Bhangarh by 1 PM – a journey of almost 7 hours, a testament to the condition of roads that prevailed two years ago.

In any case, I had been awestruck by the atmosphere and ambience of the place, with the setting of the lawns and the fort etched at some height in the hillside seeming like a leaf out of a fairytale. When the tour of fort had ended, I found myself yearning more.

Leaving Bhangarh, we had then stopped by Ajabgarh, where we were intrigued by the sight of the abandoned houses lining up both the sides of the road for quite a stretch as we entered Ajabgarh village. Later, we had hiked up the hill to explore the compact fort even as darkness was falling. The hilltop also afforded a view of the expansive lake, called Jai Sagar, abounding in lotus and lilies, below by the roadside.

One of the many abandoned houses at one end of the village

By then, it had already been 6.30 PM, with the twilight looming over the village, imparting it with an even eerier character. In the darkness, we had passed through the Aravallis with the moon smiling from behind the clouds, and the silhouettes of the hills accompanying us till we had crossed Sariska.

By 1 AM, we were back in Delhi, the journey turning out to be way longer than originally scheduled, but at the same time ending up being more memorable than I had ever expected.

Aravalli Archives: A Birthday in Mount Abu

Having done one solo trip every year for the last four years now, and with almost half the year already passed, I decided to schedule this year’s solo trip on my birthday in early July, and booked a train ticket two weeks in advance to Abu Road by Rajdhani Express, to see Mount Abu, a place lying on my wish list for a long time. In the week leading to my birthday which was on the coming Saturday, my friend from college who lived near Rewari, called me up asking about my birthday plans, and I invited him to join me. So, booking a waitlisted ticket on the same train, he boarded the train at Gurgaon railway station, from where we shared a single berth till our destination.

Getting down at Abu Road around 5.30 AM, we caught a public transport bus for Mount Abu. As we ascended through the hill road, we were immediately swimming in a cover of green, with an abundance of date palm trees dotting the roadside. As we gained height, I saw, through my sleepy eyes, that we were submerged in the infinite clouds of mist or actual rain clouds, which was it I am not sure. As we approached Mount Abu town, trying very hard to keep awake, I was taken in by the sight of ponds surrounded by denser forest. The many times I forced myself out of my sleep to see the scenery outside, I was reminded of my the scenery on the way to Ooty and Kodaikanal on my college trips.

At Mount Abu town, after quickly checking in to a hotel room, we set out for a South Indian breakfast at the city centre. Then, renting a scooter, we set out on the tour, the planning for which my friend entirely left to me on account of it being my birthday. So, we started off with the famous Dilwara Jain temples, the temple that had been synonymous with Mount Abu for me since I was in school, where I had read about the temples in textbooks. The Dilwara Temple complex comprise five primary temples made purely from marble, with two dedicated to Adinatha, the first tirthankara, and the other 3 dedicated to Neminatha, Parshvanath and Mahavira, were built in between 1026 AD and 1582 AD, and serve as an important pilgrimage for Svetambara Jains.

Entrance to the Dilwara temple, photography inside the temple premises is not permitted

Next, ascending further up the hill road, negotiating mumerous hairpin bends, passing by ponds and patches of forests, we reached Achalgarh. At Achalgarh, climbing up a stony road by foot, we reached the marbe-built Shri Vishnu Jain temple, which also provided breathtaking views of the Aravallis. From there, we rode further up to Guru Shikhar, where we climbed the long flight of stairs to reach the highest point of the Aravallis at 1722 metres. Nearby is the Mount Abu Infrared Observatory (MIRO), which is visible from Guru Sikhar and nearabout, along with green cover on all the nearby peaks and troughs of the Aravallis.

Turning back towards Abu, we stopped whenever some view or location caught the eye, the first such stop being at Lover’s Point, from where we got a picturesque view of the Aravallis nestling the Javai Lake. Then descending a little below after manoeuvering a few curves, we reached Javai Lake itself. Rolling further down, we came upon a water-filled fissure on our right side, where getting down, I sat on the rock for a while experiencing an extraordinary state of calm. A little further, we took a short detour to reach the Mini Nakki Lake.

View of Javai Lake nestled in Aravallis, from Lover’s Point

The stop that we made next was at the remarkable Trevor’s Tank, an artificial waterhole, tucked away in the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, which we reached after taking a kilometre-long diversion. Carved on the side of a barren rocky hill to breed crocodiles by a British engineer after whom it is named, the tank is surrounded by native flora including an abundance of cacti and ferns. The location of the tank could serve both as a picnic spot with family as well as a retreat for some solo contemplation. A trek up the hillock also provides a wider view of the picturesque tank. While this place may not be on most sight-seeing itineraries of Mount Abu, I highly recommend a detour to Trevor’s Tank.

As we neared Abu town, I made a quick but steep and long climb up 360 steps to see the temple of Arbuda Devi, a form of Durga, after whom Abu town is named. It being 6.30 PM, by the time I descended from the temple, we rushed to the Nakki Lake, located at the heart of Abu town. Swami Vivekananda lived for a while in Champaa Caves on its bank, and Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were also immersed in its waters. On the hillside, which gives excellent views of the town as well as of the Aravallis, there is also natural rock formation resembling a toad, aptly named Toad Point – interestingly, the same rock looks like a tortoise when viewed from another angle from afar. After watching the sunset from the banks of Nakki Lake, I retired to the hotel, where my friend who had skipped the trek up the Nakki Lake hillside, joined me.

With our whirlwind Abu tour coming to an end, we pondered about how we would get back to Delhi, as I had not booked a return ticket, and had reckoned I would be easily able to get a bus back to Delhi from Udaipur, which was the nearest city to Mount Abu. As it turned out, there were only a couple of buses plying from Mount Abu to Udaipur, the earliest being at 8.30 AM. Thus, the next morning we were headed to Udaipur, again passing through the mist, delighted by views of the hillside shrouded by clouds at eye-level. Sights of streams and ponds ensconced in thick vegetation or surrounded by palm trees, were the icing on the cake.

Floating through the clouds…on a bus, on the way down from Mount Abu

Reaching the base of the Abu hill range, the bus still passed through the lower ranges of the Aravallis, especially as we approached Gogunda, where the sight of the yellowish sides of the hill which had been cut through to make way for the roads, triggered some sort of a reaction in my brain. That is the exact moment I knew I would want to have more of the Aravallis – these sights combined with the images of the flora I had seen back on Mount Abu, and the previous year in Jodhpur, supplemented by memories of the hill passes at Haldighati, struck a chord somewhere in my heart. What was more, the Aravallis propped up the fantastic forts that I had taken a penchant for over my journeys to Rajasthan over the last four years.

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So, for the third year straight, I found myself in Udaipur. I drew up a quick itinerary for us as it was my friend’s first visit to Udaipur. Starting off with a tour of the City Palace, we headed to Sajjangarh Palace, a monsoon palace whose construction was started by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1884, atop a hill overlooking the Pichola lake. The marble palace is an ideal getaway from the humdrum of the city below, and also affords panoramic views of the city and its lakes, along with picturesque views of the Aravalli hill range behind it. We wrapped up our half-day sojourn at Udaipur with a boat-ride on the Fateh Sagar Lake.