माटी बांधे पैंजनी ,,,,,,
बाँगड़ी पहने बादली ,
देंदो देंदो बावड़ो ,
गोद मथोड बावड़ी…
In English it means :
THE LAND IS WEARING ANKLETS,
THE SKY IS WEARING BANGLES,
THE CLOUDS IN A HAPPY FRENZY HAVE TAKEN DIFFERENT SHAPES,
THE BEAUTIFUL REVOLVING AND ROTUND EARTH…
MORE ABOUT RAJASTHAN AND ITS GEMS
Yes, Rajasthan is true blend of royal heritage, culture, history, forts & palaces, temples, wildlife safaris and yes The Thar desert and it’s sand dunes. It is a very important tourist destination, and people from all across the globe come over here. It is the largest Indian state by area which constitutes about 10% of the total geographical area of India.
Rajasthan has many important places to visit but we decided to take Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner on our this Road trip in October 2017. It is a very common travel triangle of Rajasthan also known as the desert triangle of India. We love to do road trips otherwise you can also opt for a bus package or travel in trains which are well connected from all parts of India. Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner have airports as well. All these places are well connected from an International Airport at Jaipur.
HOW WE TRAVELLED
Our trip was for a week
Delhi to Jaisalmer –850 Km and 14 hrs (via Jodhpur) 3 nights
Jaisalmer to Jodhpur –300 Kms and 4.30 hrs (via Pokharan) 2 nights
Jodhpur to Bikaner –250 km and 4.30 hrs (via Nagaur) 2 nights
Bikaner to Delhi –470 Kms and 8 hrs (via Churu)
Day 1 ONLY TRAVELLING
With enthusiasm in the air, we started at around 4 AM in the morning because that was the longest distance we need to cover in our this trip. As the highways are very good we by-passed Jaipur at around 7 AM and stopped for some morning break with our homemade poori alloo. We took the Ajmer highway to reach Jodhpur as it’s a very good highway and we need to pick my brother en route. Another route to go to Jaisalmer is via Bikaner.
Jaisalmer was once an important city in the ancient silk route but was totally closed after independence. It has huge deposits of Gypsum and limestones which are transported throughout India. Jaisalmer is well connected via Road and Railways and recently has come up with an airport as well. We reached Jaisalmer at around 8 PM and had a stomach full of food prepared by my friend who stays there. We stayed at their home only.
Day 2 MORE ABOUT JAISALMER
Our morning started with a breakfast of Dal Pakwan and Kachori near the Jaisalmer fort and Neembu Soda. It’s a very famous place to have your breakfast in fort bazaar.
As we went on towards Tanot Mata mandir, we found lots of windmills around and we decided to go close to them. And got reminded of the lilliput story where we are so tiny in front of the giant windmills.
Bada Bagh Cenotaphs is another place where you can visit to admire the architecture.
Tanot Mata Mandir, also a heritage site, showcased its power during the Indo-Pak 71 war when even not even a single bomb exploded amid the heavy shelling. Tourists can visit Tanot Mata Mandir which is maintained by BSF.
Beyond Tanot Mata Mandir is Indo-Pak border, the general public is not allowed there, only if you have prior permission from BSF headquarters you can visit that.
One can also visit Longenwala post, but we couldn’t because of time constrain. Longenwala’s post has its very own importance during the Indo Pak 71 war but was very well spotlighted after the movie Border.
While returning in the evening we found some local sand dune which was far away from any commercial activities. We spent some time there as well to enjoy and play around.
Late in the evening, we went for dinner to a renowned Surya Garh fort palace turned into a hotel now.
Day 3 MORE AROUND JAISALMER
Now it was time for Jaisalmer Fort. Most part of it is still is inhabited by people thus giving it the name of the living fort. They have set up small shops and restraints. You get a wide range of local Rajasthani stuff to shop. Autorun which takes you further up to the fort. Even sometimes you have folk artist which will mesmerize you with their Rajasthani folk songs. Another place to visit is Gadisar Lake, we saw the lake from the top of the fort only as it was too hot to go.
In the evening we went to Sam 45 Km from Jaisalmer, a very famous place for the sand dune safari. The rola-coaster ride in the jeep, already with loud Rajasthani songs, was fun. You can also get down in between and spend some time there. You can find small tea stalls and locals performing on folk songs. After giving you ample time to enjoy jeep takes you back. Generally, people come to admire the sun setting in the dunes. There are also many tent accommodations in Sam, both luxury and budget which you can opt to stay.
We all decided to enjoy the desert more so instead of having our evening snacks in some restaurant we got our food packed, took our car on the dunes, sat and enjoyed with sand below and moon above. Another place famous for sand dunes near Jaisalmer is Khuri, it is equally beautiful but less commercial.
We went to one of the many rooftop restaurants for dinner from where you can admire the beauty of Jaisalmer fort at night. After dinner, we also went to the fort top again to have the view of the city at night.
Day 4 BYE BYE JAISALMER
It was time to head to Jodhpur, but before that, we went to War Memorial in Jaisalmer, we all saw a short film which is screened in short intervals. Also visited the museum which was very informative.
Road to Jodhpur was barren and not much of human inhabitants around. Babool and camels were the only things we could see around. Yes, one more thing we saw for the first time ever was a ‘Bhavandar’, not a big one but big enough to observe and experience for kids as well. Not much of restraints and public conveniences were there en route.
We also passed Pokharan where the first underground nuclear weapon detonation was done by India declaring India as a full-fledged Nuclear State.
We reached Jodhpur at around 6 PM and stayed in Nirali Dhani. We opted for this accommodation as they have huge playground for the kids to play around, swimming pool to beat the heat, evening cultural activities and camel ride and other evening games for the kids to enjoy. Their folk group was awesome. And the Rajasthani food was also very nice.
Day 5 JODHPUR- THE BLUE CITY
We headed for The Mehrangarh Fort after having our breakfast. It was huge, massive and magnificent. It is one of the largest forts in India built in 1459 by Rao Jodha. Once you enter you can also opt for the audio guide which helps you to have the in-depth details about the splendid fort. It is so big that you need at least 2 to 3 hrs to see and admire its architecture. They also have a museum, souvenir shops and a few snack shops as well.
Why is Jodhpur called as the blue city? We get the answer from Mehrangarh Fort as well. As it is made 410 ft above the city the view from here is all blue, the sky and all the walls of the houses below are also blue and so gelled up.
Later during the day, we went to the famous sarafa bazzar for the shopping of Rajasthani items. It was all colorful but crowded. We also enjoyed the famous mawa kachori and a variety of sweets. By the time we reached the hotel, we were too tired but the dip in the swimming helped all to feel fresh.
Day 6 JODHPUR TO BIKANER
After a wonderful breakfast, we went to Umaid Bhavan Palace. Part of this palace is open for public and part has been managed by Taj Group and converted into a luxury hotel. The rest is with the King and his family. Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the largest private residences. They also showcase the collection of Vintage cars.
On the way to Bikaner, at Nagaur, we came across a Goshala, which is maintained by some trust. We stop by so that kids could observe these things. This Shree Krishna Goshala is a state of an art hospital that caters to mainly cows which are abandoned or had some problem. It even has an ICU, an X-ray machine and an operation theater as well. It is huge and has several sheds depending on the conditions of the cows. Not only cows they even had few other animals as well. We went inside and see these things in detail. It is a very heart touching experience for us as well.
In Bikaner we stayed at Umaid Desert Safari, it’s an eco-resort that gives a pure Rajasthani feeling to you. It is around half an hour from the main city situated around a sandy area. After reaching there and seeing the place we were we were more than relaxed. We spent our evening just relaxing.
Day 7 BIKANER AND AROUND
The next morning we started our day by visiting Karni Mata Mandir, a famous temple of rats. Here you will find hundreds of rats and only 1 white rat. Seeing the white rat is very difficult but also considered as the lucky charm.
As soon as we reached the temple complex it was very crowded. We headed further and to our surprise, there were huge lines. On enquiring we got to know that it is some very auspicious day and devotees from all around have come to this temple to seek the blessings. We also joined the queue but it took 3 hrs just to reach inside but we were not lucky enough to see the white rat.
From there we went to Gajner Palace, it is a lakeside palace but the road to reach there was very rough. Not much to do there but a lot of greenery and calm place to relax. They also have a restaurant but very expensive. All of us were very tired so scrapping all other places to visit we went straight to our resort.
Since the market was en route so just stopped there to buy the famous bikaneri papad and nankeen. And since we have already seen many palaces in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur so dropped the idea of visiting the Bikaner Junagarh Palace as well. The area around the market is very crowded so it’s advisable to commute by autos or rikshaw etc.
By the time we reach back, it was late evening and preparations were on for the cultural evening. There were local singers and dancers. They mesmerized us with their traditional moves. We all were all energized again. We had a traditional dinner on a specially set area that had Chulha, seating arranged on a floor, traditional food and blankets to make ourselves comfortable with the slight dip in the temperature.
Day 8 BACK TO HOME
As it is only 8 to 9 hr journey to Delhi, we got up late, had our breakfast, and started back. The highway was very wide and newly constructed. One can also visit Salasar Temple by taking a small detour during your way. Salasar Balaji Dham attracts devotees from all parts as it is a famous Hanuman Temple. We couldn’t as we were not even aware that it is en route.
After 8 days and visiting the colourful, cultural and traditional Rajasthan we are back home around 9 PM
LET’S CONCLUDE WITH SOME IMPORTANT POINTS
- Rajasthan is a must-visit place.
- The best time to visit is from September to February.
- Nights are sometimes cold so do carry a pullover.
- Those who are allergic to dust should take proper precautions.
- With kids on board, do carry some food items because as fewer options available on roads.
TO CONCLUDE
Although we missed many places but yet cherished and enjoyed whatever we could visit. Eat their cuisine, sing and dance with them, admire the architecture, and be adventurous on dunes. We loved Rajasthan this way.
BEFORE YOU MOVE ON
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