Regal Rajasthan

something magical in the air as I landed in Jodhpur. After we landed, I got a felling of déjà vu, although of course, I had never been there before. Maybe I have a connection with this place from another era, but who can ever be sure? And there was the army jonga waiting to pick us up. It was quite a nostalgic experience to stay in an Army Mess after so many years.

Not only called the Sun City, Jodhpur is also called the Blue City. It might have a little something to do with the unique open sand and sand dunes greeted us, as well as breathtaking sunsets. This vision will be etched into my memory forever. We then visited one of the villages and met with the people who lived there. In the middle of this desert is a well that never goes dry, and provides the villagers with safe, sweet drinking water all year round. The whole adventure had the feel of a Bollywood flick. It culminated with a camel ride, eating an authentic Rajasthani meal, and watching a traditional Rajasthani folk dance.

After all my shopping was done in Jodhpur, our next destination was Mount Abu. Travelling by road, through the small Rajasthani villages, was like something out of a National Geographic road trip. Our driver took us to a Bishnoi village and the shrines there. I got to see peacocks and deer, and even a black buck. Quite the Indian safari indeed. He spoke to us about the shooting of a black buck by Salman Khan in the area, and the outrage that this created among the Bishnoi tribe.

Mount Abu was definitely a change of scenery, as we went from the desert to the chilling hill station. We visited the age old Dilwara Jain temple. This temple is made up of 5 marble temples, and has exquisite architecture that dates back to the 11th century.

Guru Shikhar is the highest point in Rajasthan (5676 feet) and has a temple dedicated to saint Dattathreya. The temple has a massive bell with 1411 inscribed on its frame. And you get an amazing bird’s eye view of Mount Abu from the top. As the sun was lowering itself, the sunset point was completely crowded with tourists. Luckily, we managed to get a good spot on the ledge of a hill. In a span of 2 to 3 days, I had the unique opportunity of watching that glowing ball of fire disappear before my very eyes, first into the sand, and then in between the mountain ranges. You can’t but take a moment to marvel on the beauty of this entire universe in moments like these. You are but a spectator.

We left Mount Abu in the early hours of the morning, and headed towards Udaipur. Before reaching the city we stopped at Moti Margi