Udaipur – The Timber Trawler

Meandering in the Monsoons: Bijolia, Banswara, Arthuna and Udaipur

Continuing the tradition of the annual self-drive family trip, this year we decided to explore the lesser-known side of Rajasthan. Of course, this trip came about after having exhausted the roster of all the well-known Rajasthani cities, except Barmer, but it was really hastened by the incidence of the monsoons. It was now time to experience something different than the arid landscapes, desert expanses, and mountainous folds of the Aravallis. What better region than the south-western part of Rajasthan to soak in the splendour of the rain-sprinkled countryside?

The place in focus on this trip was Banswara, touted as the ‘city of 100 islands’—a place many travel bloggers exhorted to visit, specifically in the monsoons. However, Banswara, being a good 800 km from Gurgaon, necessitated stops, and the stops were better worth it. Those stops turned out to be Chittorgarh on the outward leg and Udaipur on the return, thus helping me fulfil my mother’s long-cherished wish of seeing Nathdwara and Ranakpur, and my own wish of showing my brother Kumbhalgarh. In fact, we did the latter three stops on the same day, surprising even ourselves!

As usual, we did not book accommodations beforehand, and simply let serendipity be our guide. That’s how I found myself at Chittorgarh Fort, at the same place, the same day I was 10 years ago. That’s how we beheld the beauty of a temple complex getting showered in a cloudburst. That’s how we chanced upon a temple complex with a waterfall, straight from the imagery of an Indiana Jones movie. That’s how we found ourselves meandering upon the low rolling hills leading to and adorning the course of the mighty river Mahi, with intermittent spells of monsoon rains for company.

Highlights of the road-trip

Mandakini Temple, Bijolia

This temple complex comprises three Shiva temples – the oldest being from the 11th century called Mahakal – and a water tank, and lay just beside our route to Chittorgarh. Just as we stepped out of the car, there was a cloudburst, forcing us to run inside the temple complex and take shelter under the roof of one the temples.

Main temple inside Mandakini temple complex, Bijolia

Menal and Mahanal temples, Menal

This was just an unexpected, happy accident that happened because my brother was simply scanning Google Maps on our way to Chittorgarh. The 11th century Shiva temple complex lies just beside the highway, nestled in a forest, straddling a stream with a waterfall dropping into a gorge. Across the steep waterfall is one of the temples, with an adjoining monastery in ruins, which one can access by simply crossing the stream before it drops into the gorge. Now, that’s truly a set-up venturing into Indiana Jones territory.

Menal waterfall with temple across the gorge

Chittorgarh

What can be said in a line or two about Chittor fort that would capture what it is, what it stands for, what legacy it bears, what history it has seen!

But what struck me most upon first visiting the place, and has remained with me since, is how it is a self-contained city spread upon a vast flat-topped hill, like on a plateau. The palaces and structures are far-flung, interspersed with water tanks and jungle. This is a place that is removed from the rest of the world that lies beneath, one that transports you to another era as a time machine.

Samadhiswara temple in Chittorgarh fort premises

Banswara

Banswara region lies in the Mahi catchment area in south-west Rajasthan, and is home to the massive Mahi Dam. The region is typified by low rolling hills undulating for miles, whose tops turn into meadows in the monsoons, evoking scenes from a Kashmiri landscape. This topographical feature has also led to formation of islands in the reservoir created by the Mahi Dam.

The road, winding across the ridges, leading to a village called Chacha Kota, affords a roller-coaster like ride with breathtaking views of the low rolling hills stretching to the horizon, as well as the islands in the reservoir. With overcast skies, you might even feel you’re gliding through the clouds.

Another point of significance is the long Maharana Pratap Setu (Bridge) over the Mahi River on the road to Ratlam, where the Tropic of Cancer also passes through.

Maharana Pratap Setu (Bridge) over Mahi River

Arthuna

Arthuna, also called Utthunaka, the capital of the Paramaras of Vagad in the 11th-12 century AD, was an important commercial centre at the time. Home to a complex containing multiple temples, from the same period, dedicated to Shiva, and a stepped tank. What is interesting is that outside this complex, there are ruins of even larger temples, and several mounds probably concealing even more structures.

Nathdwara

Home to the temple of Shrinathji, an infant form of Krishna.

Ranakpur

A 15th century Jain temple built entirely in marble sits majestically in the jungle at the Aravalli foothills. I would put this temple alongside the Taj Mahal as a mediaeval wonder of India.

Kumbhalgarh

Another historic fort, the birthplace of the legendary Maharana Pratap, and hailed as the fort with the longest fortification wall in India (2nd in the world) at 36 km. From the top of the main palace, aptly named Badal Mahal (or Palace of the Clouds), it is said, one can see the Marwar on one side, and Mewar on the other.

Rakt Talai (Pool of Blood)

As one crosses Haldighati pass, the region around which served as the battleground between the armies of Maharana Pratap and Akbar, and reaches Khamnore, there comes a depressed patch of land where a pond is said to have existed. The pond is said to have turned red with rainwater that trickled down into it, after mixing with the blood of those fallen in the battle of Haldighati on 18 June 1576.

Trip Summary

Day 1:
Gurugram to Chittorgarh via Bijolia and Menal

Day 2:
Chittaurgarh fort, and then on to Banswara

Day 3:
Banswara and thereabouts including Mahi River Bridge, Chacha Kota and Mahi Dam.
On to Udaipur via Arthuna and Dungarpur

Day 4:
Udaipur to Nathdwara, then on to Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh, and back to Udaipur

Day 5:
Udaipur to Gurugram via Haldighati and Bhilwara

Trip maps

Trip Map Part 1: Day 1 & 2 (Gurugram to Banswara)

Trip Map Part 2: Day 3 (Gurugram to Banswara)

Trip Map Part 3: Day 4 & 5 (Udaipur to Gurugram)

Trip statistics

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.

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.

Ranthambore and Chittorgarh: Wedding Shenanigans

November 2014: Ranthambore

In November 2014, my then-colleagues and I committed to attending our colleague’s wedding near Dausa. So, we took the opportunity to see Ranthambore, and had our tickets booked for Sawai Madhopur in the 7 PM Mewar Express. I took the day off from work and decided to go watch the movie Interstellar in the afternoon – I reckoned I could just go pick my stuff from Safdarjung Enclave, where I lived, after the movie and be able to make it in time to reach the Nizamuddin railway station to catch the train.

But by the time the movie finished, it was already 5 PM, and I figured halfway to my place, going back to pick my baggage was out of the question – so, I made an instant decision to simply head straight to the railway station, in the only clothes I was wearing and without my eye-glasses, although I had my contacts on. Anyway, as soon as I boarded the train – I became the butt of my colleagues’ jokes… but I wasn’t going to miss a good opportunity to travel with my colleagues-cum-friends for the world. Getting down at Sawai Madhopur at midnight, we checked-in at a resort.

The next morning, after we had fun in the pool, we took off to the local market, where I bought myself a change of house-wear, and a bottle of liquid for my contacts, with which also came a free lens case. With that and lunch done, we headed to the Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary for an afternoon safari. Making our way through the grasslands, and later, the dense jungle, in pursuit of the tiger, we passed by dried streams with pebbled beds and watering holes, and saw nilgai, sambhar and numerous birds, but no tiger.

Glimpses from the afternoon safari at Ranthambore National Park/ Tiger Sanctuary

At noon the next day, we set off for the trip to the Ranthambore fort deep in the Ranthambore forest. The ride uphill on the winding road through dense forest, with a stream running alongside, supplemented by sighting of deer and birds, made the ride memorable. By 2.30 pm, we were inside the fort, and one of first things we did was taking in views of the hillside and the valley from the many rooms on the fort wall. Then we trekked our way to see the numerous palaces, a 32-pillared cenotaph, a pond called Rani Kund and the adjunct Dargah, The Lakshmi Narayan temple, the Kali temple, and then passing by the big bathing tank, we reached the Annapurna temple and ended the tour with a visit to the Trinetra Ganesh temple that lies at the end of the fort.

Enroute Ranthambore fort, the road cuts through forest alongside a stream

By now, we had spent close to 3 hours, without realizing how quickly time had passed. When we rushed back to the entrance of the fort, we realized there was no public transport left to take us back to town! However, courtesy of an offer from a good Samaritan truck driver, we hopped inside the canopy-covered semi-trailer of his truck. As the truck rolled down the potholed uneven road in the darkness, with us getting thrown around like drums, we laughed and at the same time, prayed that we reach the foothill safely, which we did by 6.30 PM.

Next morning, we left at 6 AM for another safari, this time it was the morning version, at the Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary. With the early winter morning chill still hanging in the air, we saw deer, nilgais, sambhar, peacocks, and a host of jungle birds, but still no tiger. At 2 PM, we proceeded to Batodi, the groom’s native place, and accompanied the groom to Kothin, near Dausa, where he was getting married, reaching there by 7 PM. After the wedding, we caught a 3 AM train from Bandikui back to Delhi.

The forest glistens in the first rays of the sun

July 2014: Chittorgarh

The precursor to the aforementioned Ranthambore trip was actually another wedding-centred trip, that I had been on with the same group of colleagues, to Chittorgarh in July, that too on my birthday!

Taking the 7 PM Mewar Express from Nizamuddin, we had reached Chittorgarh early next morning. Freshening up, we had set off at 9 AM, squeezed inside an autorickshaw, to see Chittorgarh fort. So, somehow on my 28th birthday, I had wound up in my most favorite place, the second time in two years!

Attending our colleague’s wedding that night, we had proceeded to Udaipur the next day, where we saw the City Palace and the Maharana Pratap Memorial overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake. Later in the evening, we caught the Mewar Express again and reached Delhi the next morning.

Near the front entrance of Chittorgarh fort

While I had primarily been a solo traveller up to that point, I realized I could enjoy myself in a group trip too, with the right set of people – the people in these journeys might be ex-colleagues now, but ones I truly cherish as friends, and would give anything to be able to re-live those times.

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.

Following dinner, we took an overnight sleeper bus for Delhi, concluding a most memorable birthday weekend. I also found a new love – the Aravallis.

A Wandering in Mewar: Udaipur and Chittorgarh

March 2013. It was that time of the year again – the spring slowly receding to give way to the advancing heat of the Delhi summer. If I did not make my foray into Rajasthan now, then I would have to wait till the monsoons had gone. After testing the waters with a short venture to Jaipur the last year, I was now ready to take a bigger leap, and naturally, that leap would have to land me in Udaipur, the city of lakes, that I had heard so much about – Chittorgarh, that famed land of brave hearts, would be a nice addition.

On 29th March 2013, just like on my previous trip to Rajasthan, I boarded an ordinary road transport bus to Jaipur after office from Iffco Chowk in Gurgaon. Listening to one studio album after another, each from start to finish, of my favorite band Michael Learns to Rock, I reached Jaipur around 10 PM. After a quick dinner and some inquiring, I got on a private operator’s bus headed to Udaipur – in hindsight, I should have taken a state transport bus only, for the seat was uncomfortable, with pathetic headroom. I remember getting woken up more than a couple of times due to bumping my head into the hardwood baggage shelf above, leading me to some soreness on my scalp.

I remember the bus passing through Bhilwara in the middle of the night when I was yanked out of my sleep, and as the dawn descended, the bus cutting through mist that shrouded the less-than-usual vegetation and isolated huts and houses sprinkled across the landscape in an envelope of haze. The next time I opened by eyes, I was informed by the bus conductor that the railway station had come – that was my cue to get down. Soon, just walking a few steps on the road running parallel to the railway station, I checked in to a hotel. Not wasting too much time, upon advice of the receptionist, I booked a cab to take me around Udaipur for about 1400 rupees.

Seeing Udaipur and Nearabouts

We started by heading off to the outskirts of the city, to the Eklingji temple located at Nagda, the first capital of Mewar, 25 km away from Udaipur. The original temple dedicated to Eklingji, the ruling god of the Mewar princely state, was built by Bappa Rawal, the founder of the Guhila Rajput dynasty, who established the Mewar kingdom in the 8th century AD. The temple underwent cycles of destruction by Turkic forces and re-construction, most notably in 14th century by Rana Hammir, the progenitor of the Sisodia clan to which Maharana Pratap belonged, and in 15th century by Rana Kumbha. The last major re-building with installation of the current idol was done in late 15th century by Kumbha’s son, Rana Raimal, after the temple had been devastated by the Malwa Sultanate forces.

After offering my prayers in the temple, we drove through a valley in the hills, which I was told were the Aravallis, that seemed largely yellow but splattered with patches of green. After about another half-hour of driving through alternating patches of flat land, clusters of hamlets, flanked by the Aravallis, we reached the Chetak Samadhi, built at the location where as per legend, Maharana Pratap’s horse Chetak breathed its last after taking its master to safety in the Battle of Haldighati against Akbar’s forces on 18th June 1576. Just another kilometer further, the road cuts through a narrow pass in the hill whose sides are barren and coloured pitch yellow with an orange tinge – the is the legendary Haldighati Pass, located at around a distance of 44 km from Udaipur.

Retreating from the Haldighati Pass, near the Chetak Smarak, I checked out the Maharana Pratap Museum that depicts the life and times, the exploits and achievements of Maharana Pratap. Maharana Pratap, the eldest son of Udai Singh II who founded Udaipur, was crowned in Gogunda as the 54th ruler of Mewar in 1572, inheriting a kingdom that had been weakened by the 1567-1568 siege of Chittorgarh. His refusal to form an alliance with and become a vassal of the Mughals and conitnued conflicts with the latter led to the legendary Battle of Haldighati on 18th June 1576, which the Mughals won although they could not capture Maharana Pratp or his close family members.

Forced to flee to safety of the hills with a trusted coterie of warriors and loyalists, amidst annexation after annexation of most key areas of Mewar including Gogunda, Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh etc., Maharana Pratap led sustained attacks using guerilla tactics against the Mughal forces, and won back major chunks of Mewar, with an exception being Chittorgarh, leading to Mewar’s revival by 1588 AD. Celebrated as a folk hero in Rajasthan, Maharana Pratap’s legend later spread to Bengal where he became a symbol of resistance for anti-British revolutionaries, leading to him becoming a leading icon of heroism, alongside the likes of Rani Laxmi Bai, in India’s freedom struggle.

Again driving through the Aravallis, we re-entered Udaipur city, where I straightaway where we first stopped by the Fateh Sagar lake, and then proceeded to the City Palace where I dismissed the cab. The construction of City Palace on the bank of Pichola lake commenced in 1559 AD, when Rana Udai Singh II moved his capital from Chittorgarh to Udaipur on the advice of a hermit, much before the siege of Chittorgarh by Akbar in 1567-68. Successive rulers of Mewar, including Maharana Pratap and Maharana Amar Singh I, occupied palace adding more layers to it. The palace complex, built entirely in granite and marble, comprises components such as courtyards, palaces and balconies, with intricate mirror work, murals, marble work etc. are a fine representative of Rajput architecture.

Taking in the grandeur and aesthetics inside the City Palace, coupled with amazing views of the Pichola Lake with the Aravallis in the background and the city, I exited the City Palace to directly walk into the Jagdish temple. Built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651, where Lord Jagannathi in the form of an idol carved out of a single black stone is worshipped, the temple is a fine example of Māru-Gurjara architecture. Spending some more time by Pichola lake, and admiring the spots of illumination emanation out of the Lake Palace (Jag Niwas) and Jagmandir Palace lying in the middle of the lake, I walked through the streets and then the main roads back to my hotel near the railway station, following a day well spent.

Chittorgarh

The next day I pondered over two options – to go to Kumbhalgarh or to Chittorgarh. At that point in time, I knew only of Chittorgarh, being enamored by sketches of a tower called Vijaya Stambh that appeared in an issue of Tinkle magazine. Perhaps at the same time in the same magazine or later, I had read about the legend of Panna Dai, who replaced the prince with her own son when the prince’s uncle attacked. Later came the story of queen Padmini. With the image of the Vijaya Stambha and the name Chittor stuck in my head for so many years, and the prospect of seeing the Vijaya Stambha for real knocking at my doors, it was rather easy to choose which place to go to.

By 9 AM next morning, I was in a state transport bus headed to Chittorgarh, which I reached by 11 AM. There, I hired the services of a middle-aged autorickshaw driver who doubled up as my guide for tour of Chittorgarh fort – the package costing me 500 rupees. Right from where we started, I could see the fort wall streaming up and down over the rugged edge of the hill in the distance. As we drew closer and closer to the hill above which the fort lay, I saw the outline of several structures jutting out into the sky – a narrow vertical structure stood taller than the others, and I wondered aloud if that was the Vijaya Stambha, to which my guide replied, yes.

Soon, the autorickshaw was clattering up the winding road, passing through multiple stone arched gates, called pols, one after another. At long last, passing through a cluster of normal but old looking houses, looking very similar to a village, we came on to an open clearing on flat around where the ticket counter stood. Buying my ticket, we rode further on the road towards the south until we reached a crossroads with multiple structures occupying the space on all sides of the crossroads. A palace stood right beside me, which I learnt was Kumbha’s palace. A cluster of marble built Jain temples stood on my left side, while two stone-built Hindu temples stood diagonally opposite side.

I got down at the crossroads to first see Kumbha’s palace, and then proceeded a little to the south to see the aforementioned two temples, namely, Kumbhashyam temple and Meera temple, the latter being a Krishna temple where Meera Bai from Merta who had married into Chittor, immersed herself in devotion to Krishna. Back outside the temple complex, as I turned my gaze a little to the south-west, I saw that right in front of me at a distance stood a tower that looked eerily similar to the one I remembered from the sketch from the magazine – it was indeed the Vijaya Stambha. Without further ado, I beckoned my guide to head straight to the Vijaya Stambha.

Reaching the foot of the Vijaya Stambha, I beheld the physicality, the carvings and the design of the structure with glee and wonder that would only be elicited in a child that has finally seen something that it had seen in a dream or on TV. The Vijaya Stambha was built in 1488 by Rana Kumbha to commemorate his victory over the forces of Malwa in the Battle of Sarangpur. Dedicated to the god Vishnu, it is said to be visible from anywhere inside the fort, and also from the city. What is more – it was possible to climb up the tower using the staircase located inside the structure, which is what I did with sheer excitement. Reaching the topmost of the 9 storeys, I got a breathtaking view of the city underneath and other structures inside the fort on the hill.

Getting down from the tower, I proceeded from beside the Jauhar place to Samadhishwara temple, which houses a three-faced Shiva idol. Behind the temple is the iconic water tank appearing in most circulated posters of Chittorgarh. Descending the steps I went to a crevice in the hillside from where emanates a water spring from an stone opening built in the form of a cow’s (Gau) head (mukh) filling up the water tank, thereby giving it the name Gaumukh Kund. From there, I got back on the autorickshaw and moved further south past a water tank to reach the Kalika Mata temple. Then further to the south, I stopped by the Padmini Palace, where a legend, albeit with no historical backing, of Ala-ud-din Khalji getting a glimpse of queen Padmini through the reflection on a mirror, is rooted in.

The three-faced Shiva in Samadhiswara temple

Pushing further south, the road curved around a water tank with a deer park occupying the outer side, and turned 180 degrees towards the north, with thin jungle flanking on both sides. Now heading a couple of hundred metres, we came upon the main gate of the fort, which overlooked the sparsely inhabited valley below. A stony curving path led from the valley below to the gate, with a low flat hill stretching from one end to another in the background, while ramparts streamed along the edge of hill from both sides of the gate. Moving further to the north, we came upon a cluster of Jain temples, amidst which stood another tower, looking like a prototype of the Vijaya Stambha, called Kirti Stambha, which is dedicated to Adinatha and was built in the 12th century.

The restored main gate on the east side of the fort

Pushing further north for another kilometer or so, we reached the north end of the hill, where a full fledged village is located. Again turning a full 180 degrees, we were headed in the south direction again, first passing through the village and then, meeting the road by which we had first entered the village on our way up to the fort. As we rolled down the hill through the numerous gates on the winding road, I looked wistfully at the ramparts above me, a little dismayed that I had to say goodbye to the place that I had been fascinated with for so long. As we stumbled back into the city at the foothill, I took one last glance at the hillside that wore the the stone ramparts as a crown and supplemented it with structures as if bedecked with gems.

A parting shot of the fascinating Chittorgarh as seen from the foothill

It was 5 PM when I took a road transport bus back to Udaipur. After a quick dinner, I boarded a pre-booked 9.30 PM bus to Delhi, and fell asleep, only waking up when the bus arrived in Dhaula Kuan in Delhi the next morning.

Post-script

In the end, what struck me most after visiting Chittorgarh is how it is a self-contained city spread upon a vast flattop hill, like on a plateau. The palaces and structures are far-flung interspersed with water tanks and jungle. If you’ve read The Lost World, then imagine a place that is removed from the remaining world that lies beneath, and one that transports you to another era as a time machine. All said and done, Chittorgarh, a place I had loved since I was a child, since before I even set foot in Rajasthan, turned out to be place that lived up to and went beyond the hype and visuals I had created in my mind.