My first Rajasthan trip

Kamlesh happy in his bachelor days!

And it had to be my school buddy Kamlesh's wedding the reason for this 6 day trip. Routine was reaching an unbearable level of boredom and a long vacation seemed a must. It was a little difficult to get leave approved since it is the high revenue earning season in the business of my company. I somehow managed to convince my boss, citing the fact that this leave was earlier planned in May this year but got postponed. Yes, this wedding was supposed to take place earlier and had it been that time the weather would not have been suitable for a pleasant trip. Really fortunate to visit Rajasthan at this time of the year.

 

When this trip was being planned we knew we would need atleast 4 days and it would be a good idea to extend this and visit the nearest tourist destination. Kamlesh suggested Mount Abu being the nearest and we had everyone's consent for it. Kamlesh sponsored our to and fro tickets. Thus, we reached Bandra terminus on 16th Nov to embark our journey. 

 

Sai, the juari

Sayali, Shraddha, Sujata, Sai, Vikesh and me boarded Suryanagari Express. We settled on our  seats and soon took out cards for passing time. We had a brief game of UNO before switching to playing cards. I never really appreciated the variety of games we can play with cards. These are really the best means of passing time when you are in a group. Finally I learnt to play Mendi Coat and we also played Challenge and Prediction. We had to change trains at Ahmedabad. Kamlesh's elder bro was in the same train and he was being a wonderful host. He looked after our beverages, snacks, dinner and ice creams. By the time we boarded the second train it was midnight and we were sleepy. Kamlesh had mentioned us to have a good sleep on the way as all wedding related events would commence the night we reach. 

 

We all woke up pretty early next morning. This train would hault at all stations on the way. Shraddha and Sai thus got a chance of getting down on some stations, explore and click pics. We were having tea/coffee when Lalit bhai told us that we would reach by 10 am. We really wanted to reach soon, body was itching a bit and needed some cleansing. Somesar station arrived in some time and we got down, clicked a snap at the station while Lalit bhai was negotiating commuting charges with the Jeep drivers. Negotiations over, cameras back in their cases and off we were to Kharda.

 

Mahindra Commander Jeep took us in half an hour. It sure is a robust all terrain vehicle, though a little uncomfortable. Dry weather and barren lands were distinctly noticeable. We could notice the wedding environment from some distance before the halt. The entrance of Kamlesh's alley was well decorated and his house even more. It was a one storey house, with terrace. It had a peculiar gap in first floor and terrace, covered by iron railings which can be removed. It helps in ventilation and is a smart way of carrying heavy things within the house; you can pull up or push down things through this opening. Kamlesh's house did not have a toilet just outside the entrance, unlike other houses. But you notice a similar setup of all houses in the vicinity. This common peculiarity in various regions I have seen so far amuses me, makes me wonder how and what we humans do to be a part of a group. 

 

Anyways, we received a warm welcome. Kamlesh was looking cheerful, had a synthetic garland around his neck as part of their tradition. We met everyone, had our snacks and took our luggage to our allotted rooms. Kamlesh introduced us to his other friends Shailesh, Bhavesh and Bharti. Very soon we had our lunch, post which Kamlesh told us the program for the day. We knew that may go up to the wee hours so we guys chose to take a nap. Girls chose to be a part of wedding related events. 

 

We got up by 4 pm when most of the guests were being taken to a nearby Jain temple at Nadol. We joined in as well, girls received Ambassador service and it was Commander Jeep for guys, again. It was a beautiful temple, with Dharamshala in the vicinity. A very peculiar well attracted us. It was not a standard well; it had steps in a such a way that irrespective of the water level, one can go down and fetch water easily. Beyond this temple was a barren land which was a no-trespassing area. As told to us, most of the shooting stars and asteroids have fallen here, and astronomers and scientists do their research work here. We spent some more time clicking pics before leaving.

 

By evening we guys were up preparing our costumes for the upcoming event later in the night. Girls were lucky to get rajasthani ghagra choli to wear, thanks to Kamlesh's badi bhabhi and choti bhabhi. We had company of little ones, Kamlesh's nieces Khushi and Payal. On the way back home we had lots of fun with these two brats. 

 

As per tradition, the groom has to be on a horse and the horse will dance, some times stand up on hind legs making it a little uncomfortable for the groom at times. This is to test the grooms' ability to be in control even in tough times. It was a strong white horse, well trained; we named it Raja. It was called down from a nearby village, belonged to a Thakur. Before Kamlesh could hop on, he was made to dance on traditional rajasthani drum beats (the horse). It was fun to watch it and later when Kamlesh was riding it, it danced much better. It was made to dance on ground, then on a small hexagonal table and then on a khatiya. Kamlesh passed this test with flying colors. The baraat was taken to the temple, where Kamlesh was made to do certain rituals and back home again. On the way we all danced. Kamlesh's relatives performed their traditional rajasthani dance. Sayali, Shraddha and Sujata also made a decent attempt at emulating that dance. For guys, it was purely Ganpati dance! By the time all this was over it was well past 2 am. It was soothing to sleep below the star studded sky on the open terrace, something that I had missed since moving out of mumbai central house.

 

Next morning we woke up a bit late. We freshened up, had breakfast and were gearing up for bath when we were told that guys would be going to the farm. This farm was some 20 mins away from the house and it had a big concrete tub which was filled with well water. So we had an open air bath; girls accompanied us but were asked to stay at a distance. By the time we reached back, it was lunch time. We needed to be ready by 4 pm, to leave for Kamlesh's sasuraal for the wedding. I remember how we all craved for softdrinks there, as the local water was tasting really salty. After packing up, we all went to the nearest store and had limca, sponsored by Kamlesh's big bro Nitin bhai. Content with how we quenched our thirst, we now left for Kamlesh's wedding. It was a bus ride of close to 4 hours.

 

Kamlesh and a few close relatives reached before us, so the wedding related events were already in progress. We guys were asked to assist Kamlesh; he was in a nearby temple. We went there and the sight made us uneasy. It was 5 against 2. As a custom, bride' brothers and cousins feed sweets to the groom, and in really large quantities. Now the groom is not supposed to satisfy his appetite as he would be having supper with the entire family after wedding. So, groom' friends are supposed to be there for moral support, and also supposed to feed the bride' brothers and cousins. It becomes more of a competition for them, but very close to acidity for people like me. The sight made us doubtful, whether to enter or not. But we could not betray Kamlesh. Sai, Vikesh, Bhavesh, Shailesh and me had to eat whatever came Kamlesh's way to keep him stomach a little empty. I am not sure if this is typical to Rajasthan our Marvadis, but 2-3 people always shared a food plate, like the way Muslims do on their festive occasions of Ramzan Eid and Eid-e-Milad. The only problem with this is you dont know how much you have eaten! When the plate is filled, its done so for 2-3 people and seeing so much quantity makes you loose appetite, which makes you feel hungry later. So I had to visit the common dining area to look for some food later that night.

Gifts :)

Kamlesh's uncle had organized 'drinks' and we felt strange being sober, so we joined in. Lalit bhai comes looking for us in some time, as baraat had begun. We gulped it all and joined in, dancing a little bit as well. We reached the doorstep of bride's house which created a bottle neck. Exchange of garlands was the next bit of ceremony, which was done in a playful way. The groom is supposed to put the garland around the bride first and then the bride. So when Kamlesh tried to, Durga was dragged back a little by her relatives just to make it difficult to reach. Kamlesh being tall, it didn't take him much time. But when it was their turn, Kamlesh's relatives made sure they don't give in so easily. It took a longer time for the bride's side, so the round went to Kamlesh! Unfortunately, this did not go well with some of the relatives of the bride which led to a minor scuffle with Shailesh. Kamlesh's youngest aunty witnessed that and got really upset. It took some time to cool her off, and we really did not want any such thing to mar this occasion. Fortunately, things did not go beyond that. We all entered the common area in Durga's house where further rituals were taking place. These were followed by gifts. The bride's side were placing their gifts in a big dish. Pick of the lot was the bearer cheque in favor of Durga worth Rs. 100000/- Kamlesh's face lit up, so did many of his relatives, quite obviously! The rituals were done and we went back to our dormitory. 

Next day we were supposed to leave for Mount Abu in the evening but had not planned anything related to that yet.  After breakfast we went for some shopping in the nearby market place. Girls spent their time at a saree and dress apparel while we guys were taken to a nearby food joint by Nitin bhai. Lassi was the famous delicacy of that joint and we were savoring on it. We joined the girls in about 45 minutes or so and yet they were not done with their shopping. Girls, I tell you! Anyways, after another 30 minutes or so we left that shop, went about the other areas in the market and each one bought some or the other stuff. Done with shopping we headed back to the dormitory and started packing up. We had a late lunch, post which we gathered some intel about Mount Abu. Anil sa, Kamlesh's brother-in-law told us how to reach there, where to stay, possible room rates. He also mentioned to try rabdi, which was a specialty dessert there. Kamlesh arranged for a car to drop us to the bus stop. We bid goodbye to each and every member of Kamlesh's family, their hospitality was so heart warming! 

We got the bus destined for Mount Abu in some time. We guys got good seats, girls had to sit in the driver's cabin. We were told that Mount Abu was 2 hours away. Well it was much beyond that and we were yet to reach anywhere near. We were just gazing through the road, seeing dusty terrain, shepherd's with their flock of sheep and goats, some temples on the way, flock of birds coming towards us in the background of sunset (it was really beautiful, unfortunately we could not capture it) and a few lakes as well. I saw a lot of lakes in that area, not sure if that is peculiar to Rajasthan. After a point we got bored, so much so that we started clicking some wierd pics. After about 3 hours, we reached Abu road where the bus took a halt. We had the rabdi there, while the bus driver was having a drink. We did not see him doing that, but the girls sitting in his cabin realized it later when he was driving up hill to Mount Abu. It was a difficult terrain and I wonder how can someone drink and drive such road. Or is it the same thing which gives confidence to drive well on such difficult road? 

We reached Mount Abu by around 8 pm, safely! As soon as we got down agents flooded us with offers to stay at their recommended places. This is a common thing about Tourist spots in India, which I really don't like. Me and Sai went to explore one guest house, later Vikesh and Sai went to check some other one. Girls were getting a little impatient, it was getting late and turning really chilly as well. We got a nice place to stay finally, within our budget and very close to the market area. We stayed at Asoka Hotel, and I would really recommend this place for anyone visiting Mount Abu. Their hospitality and service is really good. By the time we freshened up and left for dinner it was already close to 10 pm. Shraddha wanted some medicines so I volunteered to accompany her, meanwhile these guys found a restaurant and ordered food. On the way back, we saw a Maggi stall. The chef was juggling it up very nicely, all the ingredients were on neatly display and Maggi in itself was too inviting, specially when we were already so hungry. Back there these guys were waiting for us, yet we couldn't resist the temptation! We approached the stall asked the menu. Maggi in egg curry seemed delicious so we ordered one. And it did not let us down at all, it was fabulous. We did not have our phones as well. But it was real fun not to be bothered about our conscience at that moment!

After thoroughly enjoying Maggi, we left back to the restaurant. To their bad luck, or should I say good luck, dinner was not good at that restaurant. These guys were getting worried for us and we finally showed up. There was a mischievous grin on my face, which caught their eye. We told them what happened and I did see a flash of anger run through their faces. But they somehow understood why we did it. We showered praises of that Maggi stall, these guys were already hungry so now we all went back to that stall. We ordered the same thing, and also some other dish. We ate to our hearts content and returned back to the hotel. The next day was going to be the best day of our trip, as we went to sleep without knowing it.

Next day we got up and got ready. Our hotel guy suggested us to rent bikes. We took his suggestion and rented a bike and two scooties. I, Sujata and Sayali would ride. Yes, Vikesh and Sai dont know to ride bikes! Vikesh chose to be my pillion, Shraddha was Sujata's pillion which left Sai to be pillion to Sayali. Later in the day Sayali had to cover herself completely so that people passing by don't realize that a girl is riding a scooty with a guy sitting behind :P We had breakfast, filled fuel and off we were to explore Mount Abu. First stop was the world's biggest Jain temple by the name Dilwara. It is a beautiful place which has 5 temples, all made of marble. The biggest temple has a beautiful sculpture from inside. One of the 5 temples is built by the artisans with all the left over marble pieces and left nothing to make it look any less beautiful. The guide mentioned an interesting fact about temples in that region. Back in the past, temples were being looted, so these temples were made in such a way that they looked ordinary from outside so they won't attract attention!

Next we went to Trevor tank, which is an animal sanctuary without any animals. It was a flop spot so we did nothing else than clicking some pics and left for the next spot. The journey was really nice, it was fun to ride bike in that terrain. The weather was cool and views scenic. As we were climbing up, the valley was looking more and more beautiful. It was tough for Sujata and Sayali to ride as climbing up with the scooty takes some effort. But it was worth it, as we all were having the ride of our life, so far! I had been miser, thanks to Vikesh, and filled slightly lesser fuel than required. So I was a bit worried if we had enough fuel to make it back to the hotel. Leaving that thought in status quo for some time, we now reached the top most peak in Aravali mountain ranges, the Guru Shikhar. 

Again a common observation, all the peaks I have seen so far during treks always had some or the other temple at the top, and Guru Shikhar was no exception. It has a small temple and a big bell. It was very cool at this point and the panoramic view was awesome. Perfect for some cool pics. It was around 5 pm that time so we decided to leave as we still had to cover 3 spots - Achalgadh, Brahma Kumari Ashram and Sunset point. Now we were descending and I suddenly thought we don't need our bike engines on to go the distance! So we all switched off our engines and suddenly the ride became more adventurous. We reached Brahma Kumari Ashram and explored it fairly soon. It's a big garden with beautiful flowers and plants, absolutely well maintained. 

We left from there and it was almost 6 pm. We were very sure we can visit only 1 spot so it was time to choose. We chose Achalgadh in unison, because Sunset point is available at many tourist destinations. Achalgadh, by it's name, also felt interesting. We reached there and parked our bikes near the footsteps. Sayali was too tired by this time, so she did not join us to the top. The top had a nice Jain temple and a small pond. Sun was about to set so I tried to reach the top most point there to click a snap. By the time I reached, the sun had set :( It was going to get dark now and our bikes were short on fuel as well. We wasted no time and left. By the time we reached half way, it was already dark. Sujata's scooty' headlight was not working. So I rode in the middle with Sayali in the front and Sujata behind. We reached our hotel in another 15 minutes safely and when I checked, we were really out of fuel. We did some shopping as well.

We were really hungry now and again chose to visit the Maggi stall. We ate to our hearts content, again. Maggi never tasted so good, and somehow I feel I have come closer to Maggi now. Today was our last night at Mount Abu so we decided to make the most of it. We picked up some drinks on the way back. Everyone gathered in a room, and we made our drink while shuffling cards. A few games, and a peg later, Sai was on a high. Little bit of cheating we were doing annoyed him and he even left the room for some time. We all were shocked with his behavior but he came back and then he was OK. We passed it off and very soon were in bed. Next morning, we had a late breakfast and then went on to check out Nakki lake. It's a beautiful lake with boating. We got those pedal boats, which can sit two people. We stuck to the same partners, poor Sai! A nice 30 minute boating with lots of pics. It was fun, I really don't remember the last time I went for boating.

We checked out and left for Abu Road. We had to hire a private car. There were these two guys along with us, who were drunk. Good for them they did not cross their limit otherwise they had had it from us. Sujata and Vikesh puked on the way down, but felt good later. We reached the station and locked our belongings in the locker room. We had 2-3 hours for our train to arrive so we had lunch without any haste. We preferred to eat something light, as we would be traveling. We then explored the market and enquired about the specialty snack/sweets which we can take back home. Gajak, a crisp and sweet snack was the local specialty so we bought some to take back home. 30 minutes for our train to arrive and we were back to the station. Packed our bags and were waiting on the platform where our train would arrive. So this was it, we were heading back to our routine lives.

We boarded the train and to our surprise Nitin bhai and his wife and kids were accompanying us as well. Infact, bhabhi sa had packed good amount of food for all of us. Thanks to the two kids, Payal and Khusbu, we did not realize how time went by. These kids found themselves new toys, my and Sai's camera, and went berserk clicking pics. Some of their clicks were really nice. We had dinner in some time and then went to sleep. The next morning we reach amchi Mumbai, from where we all depart to our respective home. Perhaps the first and the last outdoor trip of 6 of us. We really missed Leenanjali a lot. This trip is certainly on top of my best traveling experiences so far. I wonder how Goa is gonna be ;)