Rajasthan – TRAVELTRUNK.NET

November 11, 2022November 11, 2022

Along the Lohit on the Long Road to Walong

To cross over to Tibet from India one envisages traversing across snow bound passes. Nigh impossible in most seasons. But there is one all-weather pass which the Chinese used in the ’62 war for entering India to reach Walong. It was a maw so fiercely defended they called it the Tiger’s Mouth. Here in the eastern most Indian valley of Namti, the Himalayas part for the gushing, rushing Lohit. To call it a mere tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra is an exercise in semantics. There is nothing mere about the ferocious and unforgiving waters, cradled by steep ranges, covered in a canopy of evergreen forests constantly being fed by the rains and rivulets. Into this fecund land of excesses we take a driving holiday.

We have waited for the monsoon to retire but well into October and it seems to be on climate change steroids. And now cyclone Sitrang is heading our way so between Mechuka (where no flight will go for the next 2 weeks), Dzukou (trekking in the rain is not my idea of fun) and Walong, the safest(haha…!) bet is to sit dry in a vehicle and drive!

Tezu: A Foot in the Hills
There is a light drizzle when we start and it keeps company through the day. The pot-holed bypass of Tinsukia is familiar till we take a better option through Makum. Crossing into Arunachal sees a dramatic improvement and we breeze past Kongmu Kham or the Golden Pagoda where expansion work is on in earnest. The Lohit before Tezu is a latte coloured meandering mass. We hit the hills in the quickly fading light post lunch at Tezu, a little town wedged between the hills and the river where the silversmiths are masters of upscaling (much before it was even a word) silver coins from all over the country into tribal jewellery for the Mishmi tribe whose land this is.

Read about intrepid merchants in-Bikaner’s Merchants and Their Mansions

The road narrows as the foliage gives no quarter. Looking at the transmission line climbing up the steep slope past a rock face makes me wonder for the nth time how is it laid! The jungle camouflages the road entirely as we make our way past that rock face in a bit! A newer, more level road is being constructed around the hill but it is pretty much still a dirt track with umpteen slips. So we climb up and down the looping road through Hawa Pass in the dark. Although its just about 5 in the evening, night has fallen with a strange ambient glow. The black hills are silhouetted against a charcoal grey sky as white clouds float in the valley.

We cross Tidding bridge on its namesake river and climbing up on a broken village road masquerading as a highway we hit truck traffic! Very soon it is no more than a slushy track when suddenly a landslide halts us. A boulder has landed in the middle of the road. In the dark the only sound is of running water on the slope bringing more stones clattering down. Heavy duty machinery swings into rescue and a short walk across a mound of sliding silt and a change of vehicle has us in Hayuliang warming up with a brandy in hand as the rain now drums on the roof.

Travel on a better road lesser explored in –At the Darwaza of a Road Less Travelled

So long Hayuliang
As we start for Walong Sitrang swirls around gently the next morning too, making the little overgrown village of Hayuliang a blur. While we wait for another landslide to be cleared, standing in the drizzle, we watch the river froth over gentle rapids at a bend where trees dip their green fingertips into the water. The clouds are constantly on the move. Skimming the water, wafting through the trees.

The road here onwards is a dream run mostly. Only at Moody nala we come to a screeching halt. The bridge is not yet complete and Moody nala is in snitty spate. A change of vehicles into a higher 4/4 and we plunge into the teapot tempest. My latent ostrichness come to the fore and I shut my eyes and start praying. I had been willing to walk across the very short bridge!

Vehicle and driver prevail but not before I glimpse almost half the vehicle submerged in rushing, swirling water! The rest of the way to Walong is on a gentle road along the river through ranges covered with thick tropical forest and peaks lost in the clouds.

Explore-Mandu and Maheshwar in the Monsoon Mist

On steep slopes, houses of thatched bamboo pop up now and then, with signs of ‘slash and burn’ cultivation around. Swaying footbridges connect the two banks. We see a magnificent specimen of a Mithun, the prize possession of the Mishmi tribals. Ramshackle wooden shops line the road now and then, their window sills bare of wares and then just as suddenly from one hill to the next, the deep evergreens give way to a reddish brown burnt slope of pine and grass. The range curves and the valley widens into a bowl with Walong on a side.

Walong is a Grove of…
Walong meaning a place of bamboo groves in Mishmi still looks like a big village… with groves of unripe oranges trees and an airstrip! A memorial at one end of town on the road reminds us of the battle for Walong. The Chinese came over the mountains into the valley since they could not make their way along the Lohit.

We drive up 18 km after lunch to Helmet Post, site of a fierce battle where till years later clothing and battle gear still emerge in the thick undergrowth. We startle a family of pheasants out for an early supper into flight. Across the valley the rising clouds thinly thread through tall pines. Nobody has seen much wildlife around. Frankly speaking when every inch of land is covered in foliage, if it didn’t want to meet you, you wouldn’t even know its there…

Kaho in a Corner
In the land of sagging, swaying bridges we walk across the biggest one to Dong village the next morning…aptly called MSB or Mule Suspension Bridge. If it can take a mule it can take me….The FSBs I refuse to put a foot on! Dong village, comprising all of five to seven huts from what I can see, is famous because a small meadow on a nearby hill called Upper Dong is where the sun’s rays first fall in India.

Where do you come from, where do you go?

From there it is a drive under hidden waterfalls and across the ripening mellow yellow fields of Meshai village to reach Kaho. India’s easternmost village is inhabited by the Buddhist Meyor tribe, now divided between two countries. We meet the Gaon Burra or village head and a few other villagers at the simple temple on one end of the village. Other than a lack of educational opportunities they seem a contented lot. The GB proudly shows us his homestay. A simple long wooden house with bright geraniums lining the veranda. He will find many takers…we crossed quite a few soaked bikers. At the far end of the village disappearing into the trees are white flags…prayers in the wind for departed souls. Across the Lohit a sheer rock face seems to have a road running across..can’t be…

Another border village and unforgettable river-Chushul &Chumathang – Hello Indus & Iridescent Colours!

Watch out at Wacha
We are crossing that rock face and I have my heart in my mouth again as I look down the sheer fall into the river below. The drivers by now have my vote though. We reach the BPM (Border Post Meeting) ‘hut’ at Wacha. Its like a fancy resort… I go to the loo.. It is a fancy resort! This is where the Chinese and Indians wine, dine and show their cultural prowess during their border meets. Its a complex of AC conference halls and glass huts etal under pine trees beside the Lohit. A lone soldier keeps vigil by the river, oblivious to the never ending drizzle.

Kibithu’s Cookies Melt in the Mouth
After a night at Kibithu, a tiny hamlet of wooden huts perched on a flattish hill with a bird’s eye view of pristine waterfalls and on a clear day of a long TAR valley we make an early start back. Not before we visit the bakery run by local women. They’ve been helped by the army and trained by an NGO from Pune. We find fresh faces offering fresher coconut cookies and chocolate muffins for the journey back.

The long drive back is without hiccups. At Namti an Eurasian Krestel chases a pair of tiny birds into the pines ringing the ‘plains’. The window sills of the shops enroute are now stacked with pineapples and the wizened old lady I had glimpsed earlier with a silver pipe has vacated her chair outside a hut for a younger, cigarettes smoking woman. Men on bikes whiz by sporting traditional waistcoats armed with dahs, a common accessory, sometimes even a rifle. A Mithun now and then lumbers across the road. Tiny goats in an inflated sense of self doze in the middle of the now dry road. The clouds are lifting and the sun warms the wings of giant black butterflies with flashes of blue and red. The Lohit bends one last mountain before leaving for the plains, stretching its arms wide….

Fact File–

Distance- Its approx 363 kms from Dibrugarh to Walong.

Hayuliang to Hawai is 56kms.

Staying- Hayuliang has one odd very run down hotel. It is better to stay at Hawai, the district HQ. It has a Circuit House and an old Inspection Bungalow.

Walong- Has a PWD IB and a few basic homestays.

Tilam about 5 kms ahead of Walong has a Government tourist lodge. It has a hot spring nearby too.

Kaho- The Gaon Burra has a simple homestay with a bedroom and dormitory. Its on a first come first serve basis till now.

Coverage-

The mobile coverage is very patchy ahead of Tidding bridge. There is no mobile coverage ahead of Hayuliang. Infact your phone timing will jump about 2 hours!

Discover-Disconnecting with the World on a Mountain Isle at Shaama

September 25, 2022September 25, 2022

Discovering Digboi’s 3 Must-Dos

The pachyderms with their famed elephantine memory won’t be thanking one of their own anytime soon in Digboi, if the local lore is to be believed. It goes that sometime in the 1860s, out of the steaming jungles at the foothills of the Patkai Mountains emerged an elephant, its leg wet with mud mixed with traces of oil. An observant employee of the Assam Railway and Trading Co pounced on the prospect of black gold. Soon the labourers were being exhorted to ‘dig-boy-dig’…and the rest is history…

Assam is what I call river country. It is also tea country and what a lot of us forget the original oil country. The first mention of oil here was made by army officers and geological surveyors way back in the 1820s. It seemed to seep out and mix in the waters of the Dihing River. Within years of the first oil well being dug in 1859 in the USA and decades before the sheikh’s of the Middle East’s desert discovered their wishing wells, the first oil well was hand dug in Digboi. Making it not only India’s oldest but Asia’s first oil well. Its to this oil town nestled on the fringes and mounds of tropical forests, the traditional elephant corridors now cut off by walls that we headed to.

Read about Rajasthan’s wells in- Harlequin Holi at Todaraisingh

Verdant Valley Burns Bright

Stormy clouds follow on our heels as we drive to Digboi through a flat valley. The wind blows every shade of green around us. The bamboos creak and bend, the paddy fields flatten out and streams ripple as the water is hurried along. The locals here are accused of being laid back. A passing sight paints a complete picture- In front of a neat little thatched hut is a pond with ducks grooming themselves. A small lush paddy field is lined with slender areca nut trees. What more does a man need? A little distance ahead a strange vision appears in a vast field…a fire rages in a brick house with no roof. I doubt any roof would survive that blaze! (On the way back we see a drilling rig parked nearby.)The open fields end as we hit the small town of Digboi, it’s center dominated by the curving high walls of India’s oldest continuously running oil refinery since 1901. A road skirts along and on the other side of the road bumpy hillocks rise, covered in thick foliage.

Digboi’s Date with Destiny

I’m not a museum person but I have encountered the most passionate people in museums. Digboi’s Oil Centenary Museum is no exception. The person incharge walks us through the deserted museum lovingly pointing out each archaic piece of machinery on display. He is clearly an Anglophile. (Only to be beaten by the even more passionate incharge of Margerita’s Coal Museum. As far as he was concerned no progress has been made after the Brits left Margerita…ironically named after an Italian queen!)

Hear another queen story when- A Bard Sings a Story in Jhansi

In the museum’s center, life size figures recreate a throwback scene of towering trees, an elephant and a thatched oil well. Bric-a brac of everyday life, pictures of social life, of momentous events and visits, of Joymala- a giant elephant at work, line the walls. Outside apart from machinery and a filling station scene is the 1^st oil well. The smell of oil faintly permeates the air as it seeps from the ground to make rainbows in the puddles of water. A tall narrow pipe behind the trees nearby spews fire…an oil well I suppose. The legacy continues.

A Course Par Excellence

After overeating a dinner which starts with crisp finger sized fish had whole and ends with melt-in-the-mouth caramel custard (The caretaker nodded his head in approval at the choice of pudding. The not-so-secret Anglophile society rules Digboi!) we need an early morning walk. The sun is blazing down even though it is just 7:30 in the morning. (My clock is set at Mirzapur Standard time! Cannot wake up at 5:30..) We stroll down from our guest room at the Patkai Manor crossing similar gorgeous colonial bungalows to the rolling 18-hole green golf course sandwiched between the forested slopes and the rail terminal.

A 3-dimensional emblem of the Assam Oil Co is doing a mock charge at some lovely lilies in a pond near the entrance. After a cart ride through the undulating fairways where flocks of egrets reluctantly take flight to make way (makes me feel like I’m in a Jurassic Park movie!) we have tea in the huge veranda of the Golf Hut. The clouds over the blue Patkai Mountains in front are dissipating in the heat. A traditional elephant corridor to the mountains has literally hit the wall of the rail terminal in front. For the elephants they are mountains too far…. A tree trunk nearby is stained bright orange with lichens thriving in the mugginess of this place. I’m already wilting….

Discover- A Tale of Two Veiled Valleys: Part I- Shangarh’s Meadows are meant for Musing

Vestiges of War

After breakfast and another round of leisurely tea in the deep wooden veranda, which I loathe to leave, we head to the war cemetery just outside town at the edge of the forest. Adjoining it on a mound is a pagoda styled temple. Many graves have been shifted to this place from nearby towns and in the 1950’s the entire graveyard was relocated from its original hillock location.

The cemetery is a small somber affair laid out in perfect symmetry. A square stone arch at the entrance is the only construction. A giant cross stands at the other end and in between, neatly laid down, are rows of gravestones. They tell short stories of soldiers from across continents and religions. Even unknown ones acknowledged in death. Plants grow beside each stone. The Burma campaign during World War II had seen the Allied Forces fighting against the Japanese and sometimes nature, to prevail. The Stilwell Road constructed during World War II to aid the Chinese starts from Ledo near Digboi and it is said to have cost a man a mile to construct.

Read about people- At the Darwaza of a Road Less Travelled

At Digboi, bountiful nature on the surface and from deep within is on show. But it is also where it is starkly obvious that when nature gives it extracts its pound of flesh too, from man and beast alike.

Fact File–

Getting there-

Mohanbari airport at Dibrugarh is appox 65kms.

Tinsukia at about 36 kms is the nearest major rail junction, although trains from Guwahati come to Digboi too.

Staying-

We stayed at the IOC’s Patkai Manor. There are a few small hotels and guest rooms in and around town.

Timings-

1. Digboi War Cemetery-

Summer- 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Winter- 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

2. Digboi Centenary Oil Museum –

9:00 am – 4:00 pm. Monday closed.

April 1, 2022April 2, 2022

Part Two- What Not to Miss on a Weekend Vacation in Shekhawati

Chances are that when you search for places to visit in Rajasthan the 3Js will dominate the itinerary circuit. But Rajasthan’s treasure chest has more gems waiting to be discovered apart from flashy Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and maybe Udaipur. Having sampled the visual treat that Mandawa offered our appetites were totally whetted to try out whatever else the Shekhawati region had to offer. After much debate and ifs and buts we settled on Nawalgarh, Dhundlod, Mehansar and Ramgarh Shekhawati. Perfectly packed itinerary for a weekend vacation of discovering fascinating frescoes and haveli hopping!

We try to make an early start from Delhi and the highway is intermittently lined with mustard fields covered by a thinning mist as we make our way to Mandawa to pick up Om Ji, the guide from our previous trip. Through the drive to Mehansar the discussion veers to the trading practices of the merchants here. Apart from trading in opium, cotton etc, the shrewd businessman seemed to have literally extracted his pound of flesh through exploitative money lending practices from the hardy and poor farmer of this region, where the crops depended solely on the liquid benediction of the moody monsoon.

Read- Batalik – A Tribute to the Human Spirit to discover another lot of tough people living in a cold desert.

Mehansar’s Oh My Moment!

We stop outside a wayside unpretentious haveli at Mehansar. Here the room where business was conducted, in a deviation from the norm, opens into the street instead of a courtyard. An uncovered veranda lined by a drain sits between the room and the dusty street. Om Ji gets the keys from the caretaker and opens a rather small door typical to this area. As the lights are flicked on we gaze up and around in amazement. It’s a room meant to awe the visitors and marvel at the owner’s refined taste. Every inch is painted in a rich palette.

The motifs on the walls are in crimson red but its the 3 sections of the roof which are the masterpieces. In one section the Yamuna is a broad thread of dull molten gold running through the story of Krishna’s life around the roof. On the other side it’s the Ramayana with a ‘Sone ki Lanka’ in burnished gold. The 180 year old ‘sone ki dukaan’ as this room is called seems like a miniature version of the fabled kingdom. But its not just the use of pure gold in the paintings that is stunning, it’s the finesse with the which the miniature paintings have been done. The world outside looks infinitely drab after that stellar show!

I saw a show like no other at- Tarsar Marsar : A Trekker’s Take

Ramgarh Shekhawati’s Remarkable Chattris

The drive from Mehansar to Ramgarh is a short blur and we wind our way past numerous wells and chattris enclosed behind high walls to come to the Poddar chattris. Built from 1872 onwards these airy pavilions have mandirs tucked inside in the ground floor which often doubled up as serais or inns. Wide staircases lead up to domes surrounded by arched balconies in this cluster of elaborate structures. The setting sun seen through the arches shines on the domes which have frescoes where Krishna multiplies himself endlessly to dance with each gopi around the roof. A Rasamandala. One can imagine these chattris making a dramatic backdrop for a cultural extravaganza. Unfortunately right now they’ve been usurped by someone who is using one of the arched structures as a cowshed. The cow’s kismet!

History and more dwells in- 3 Churches in Mhow: Discovering Obscure History and Outstanding Carols

Traditional and Nouveau Art at Nawalgarh

As testimony to its wealthy past, havelis are scattered dime a dozen in the winding bylanes in Nawalgarh. We head for the Morarka Haveli. Outside the mansion, under an eave, a portrait of a slightly forlorn looking Jesus is pointed out to us. I suppose his expression is borne out after years of looking at the dismembering happening in the panel below! In the outer courtyard a man plays a one stringed instrument, his voice rising to a melancholic crescendo. The music reverberates in the courtyard.

The inner door has bubbles of Belgian glass lining it. Stunning wooden arches hold coloured glass panes. The light filtering though makes them glow. A portrait of a young woman with pencil thin brows and a bindi with wings peers into the distance in a scalloped arch above a carved window frame. From the first floor one glimpses the pristine white and red lined domes of chattris across the lane.

Discover winged visitors of Rajasthan in – The Bird-book of Bikaner

A lane away the Poddar haveli being run as a museum is a beautifully built, lavishly painted not to mention a very well maintained mansion. The first courtyard has more traditional elements and is covered with frescoes. The arch above the inner door is a piece of work where the owner and his business share space with various deities. A panel on a wall catches my eye where on one end a woman in a gown and parasol seems to be having a rendezvous with a young man.

On the other a rather irate looking white man in front of a steam engine is haranguing with a local holding a red flag. Their expressions and details are priceless. A parallel panel above depicts a world apart with scenes of the local revelry and the gangaur festival. The upper floor in pale lime green finish has inverted carved arches holding up slender cream pillars. The rooms inside showcase various aspects of the local culture right from styles of turbans peculiar to each community to various houses of Rajasthani miniatures.

A place like no other is- Chushul -Chumathang -Hello Indus & Iridescent Colours!

The Doors of Dhundlod

The final stop of the day is another museum depicting everyday life with life sized figurines at the Goenka haveli in Dhundlod. A wide ramp leads to the massive door of the haveli. The inner door is carved and studded with tiny pieces of ivory.

But the truly drool worthy, to have by hook or by crook are the exquisitely carved doors inside. Embellished with beaten brass each one is unique. The arches above them painted with gods and perhaps members of the household. In a room with a big swing made of wood and inlaid with glass for a tiny bal gopal lie tattered catalogues and brochures with swatches of cloth en vogue in Calcutta in early 20^th century. The inner courtyard wall has a small niche to holds a tiny throne to keep a saligram. The primal representation of god deserves one.

A place like no other is- Pangong Tso -The Gems in the Crown

Satiating all the Senses

Heading back to Churi Ajitgarh where we are putting up we stop to pick up some raj bhog rasgullas. The giant caramel coloured sweetmeats are supposed to be a specialty and to balance out the palate we add the ubiquitous mirchi pakoras and kachoris, served here with an interesting chutney of tamarind and curd. Sights done now its time to indulge in the smells and tastes of the land!

A must on a foodie’s plate is- Nasirabad’s Kachora: More than a Savoury Story

Shekhawati is a visual smorgasbord laid out for slow sampling and one needs to come back to the table again and again to appreciate its artful presentation and idiosyncratic ingredients. This vast region dotted with towns and hamlets is a bit like the rich rasgullas we had… one has to squeeze out some excess syrup to get the full flavor.

Fact File–

1.Itinerary-

Day 1- Drive from Delhi to Mandawa and visit Mehansar and Ramgarh Shekhawati.

Day 2- Visit Nawalgarh and Dhundlod.

From Jaipur one will reach Nawalgarh first. So plan accordingly.

1.Staying-

We stayed at Vivaana Culture Hotel at Churi Ajitgarh. It is about 9 kms from Mandawa. It comprises of 2 adjoining havelis.

There are a few options in Mandawa, Nawalgarh and Dhundlod.

2.Entry Fee-

All the places we visited charged anything from 50/- to a 100/- INR.

3.Getting there-

The best way is to drive from either Delhi or Jaipur.

January 28, 2022January 29, 2022

Part One – A Day Meandering in Mandawa

‘Stop, stop! Oh my God!!’We are navigating the winding lanes of Fatehgarh enroute to Mandawa and at a time when I should be looking out for the next turn on the map; I have been waylaid by the facade of a haveli. The resolutely padlocked tall door is crowned with a carved wooden frame but it’s the arch before it which looks like an art aficionado’s wet dream. The stone canopy in pastel colours with portraits in stucco lined oval frames and designs is a masterpiece in itself. On a side, the veranda’s wall has jumbo sized elephants on a march, safe behind a cast iron grill with Queen Victoria’s profile. Welcome to Shekhawati! Where the mansions lining the dusty lanes don’t hold art but are objets d’art themselves.

Time and Space Warp

The drive to Mandawa is dotted with lush golden green mustard fields. The colour of eye tonic in a desert! Driving into a charming market street tells us we have reached our destination. Our guide for the day is waiting for us outside the most prominent landmark of the town- the fort. Acquaintance made, we dive behind Mr. Om Shekhawat (Can’t get away from them in this land!) into a narrow path outside the fort wall and emerge beside a tiny well preserved haveli. The frescoes look fresh but the imagery is old and on the arch flanking Ganesha on one side the marriage scene of Shiva-Parvati plays out and on the other Rama is dealing with Shiva’s bow at Sita’s swayamvar. Nearby another haveli has been refurbished into a small hotel. Outside the fading frescoes show a man in riding boots and hat on a chair while a woman plays a gramophone on a veranda with a peacock pecking nearby. Inside I find framed prints of mythological figures with reference to a trading company in Manchester. Time takes a quantum leap in a short space. We discover through the day that time and space has a kitschy co existence on the walls here.

Time stands still at- Mystic Maheshwar : At the Center of the Universe

Timeless Template

The Chokhany double haveli turns out to be the ancestral property of a classmate and is set inside a joint compound. One is being restored. It is an introduction to the architectural template of havelis. A ramp leads up to the main gate. As one steps through and into the common area, next to the stairs leading up to one haveli there is a room with a veranda. With wide doors this room is where business was conducted and guests received. A solid iron safe sits next to a door like a doorkeeper. There are small balconies within where the women could discreetly join in and eavesdrop. The punkhawala sitting outside whose entire purpose of existence was to keep his master cool had no such insights into the dealings. Preferably he had to be deaf to do this job or at the least the ears would be plugged with cotton.

The carved door to the main haveli has torans hanging on them. Put up during a daughter’s wedding for the groom to touch before being let in, I thought they are taken down subsequently, but not here. Inside is a courtyard surrounded by bedrooms, common dining areas, kitchens and a narrow room to keep the most precious commodity here-water. The walls plastered with crushed shells are still lustrous and cool to touch. In an old system of rainwater harvesting the drains around the courtyard fill up a tank below. The servant’s quarters are on a side in the base and they open into a big courtyard for livestock at the back where the colours of the curving corbel have weathered the vagaries of nature beautifully. The twin haveli is a mirror image.

Experience living the Shekawati life at- Dera Jaipur: A Homestay for Stellar Style and Exceptional Experiences

Well Watered

Driving in this region one has often glimpsed wells marked with pillars. At a place near Jhunjhunu the pillars were shaped like slender spires of a temple. Mandawa is dotted with these tall markers. Four columns denote a public and two a private well. A rambling walk with glimpses of artists restoring a recently bought up haveli brings us to Mandawa Kothi. There is a private well opposite it. Like the houses here it has a high plinth and seems fathomless. There are small chattris on all corners and small tanks with spouts to store the water drawn up by animals. It would be an ideal place to congregate in the evening. It’s steps look invitingly perfect for a cup of coffee this winter morning too.

Discover the colours of a stepwell and others in- Harlequin Holi at Todaraisingh

Oh so Opulent

An art deco building near the Jhunjhunwala haveli looks like a movie set has been transported straight from Marine Drive. The owner of the Jhunjhunwala haveli, to show he had arrived, lavished not only riches but attention on the interiors of his ‘business room’. Every inch is painted in rich hues with ethnic motifs and designs. Family portraits vie for attention with mythological ones touched up with real gold. Account books still lie stuffed into niches.

A niche experience by itself was –Disconnecting with the World on a Mountain Isle at Shaama

Italian Hangover

Opposite the Goenka haveli with its contrived chaos full of bric-a-brac inside and interesting frescoes outside stands the Robin eggshell blue Murmuria haveli. The eaves have sceneries from much greener pastures with lakes, conifer trees and sunsets over mountains. It stands apart as a whimsical piece of art with an Italian hangover. A slightly defaced Nehru/Bose astride a horse waving the tricolor in the courtyard would beg to differ. It’s owner visited Venice once and described it to an artist who probably never stepped out of this area. In a testament to the artist’s imagination, as fertile as his paintings, he reproduced an entire brochure of Venice complete with St Mark’s Square etal above the pretty arches in carved stone of the veranda. On another wall a beautiful woman stares the world down, far from the coy and comely images here. I wonder who she was to be immortalized so….

A Bard Sings a Story in Jhansi – To immortalize another woman…

Fate Nails Some Fails Some

One of the Goenka double havelis adjoining the Murmuria haveli has recently been opened after decades. A long train with all manners of assorted passengers makes for a panel just below an overhang. In the neglected years a peepal tree has thrived in the inner courtyard where the fine woodwork and arches can barely be concealed by the blackened walls. Outside a fresco with a chillum smoking elephant ready to go on the rampage is being touched up. Today, only the bulls are loose in the lanes and the man has had to show off his matador toes occasionally to avoid being flattened like a cow pat!

In the main market we cross a cobbler with his orders in Urdu nailed to a tree and come to a haveli now housing a bank. It has a side show of the wonders of modern inventions in faraway lands enthralling the locals. I really doubt the Wright brothers flew over Mandawa! Unfortunately the wall is also defaced by modern contraptions of today.

There are havelis waiting to be explored still in the meandering wide lanes of Mandawa but even on a winter noon the sun is now beating us back into cooler confines. Another time, other places to continue our sojourns to Shekhawati….

Fact File-

1. Distances from Mandawa-

Delhi- 250 km

Jaipur- 170km

2. Places to Stay-

There are some havelis which have been converted to small hotels.

Mandawa Fort has an upscale hotel called Castle Mandawa.

3. Most havelis charge an entry fee now, varying from 50/- to 100/- per person.

4. Best time to visit- Nov to Mar. The nights will be cold and days warm.

5. Keep the walking shoes on even if you feel they will spoil your Insta pics!

January 14, 2022January 14, 2022

Sojourns to Shekhawati

What will we do with a door? The man asked for the nth time. Hang it above our bed like a canopy! I replied somewhat irately. On a flying visit to Jodhpur many moons back I had only one agenda. On the hunt I fell for these doorframes refurbished as bookracks. Stunnnning! (Someday…) This tall Gujarati door with its edges finely carved caught my eye. (Yeah, free guide to the doorways of India thrown in!). In the last warehouse, tiny doors connected these gargantuan halls, much like Aladdin’s cave interconnected in parallel portals. Stepping through to enter the last one something leaning on the wall behind stacked up furniture caught my eye. I made my way to stand in front of my door. A Shekhawati I was told. Since the territory had been the bulwark of the Rajput kingdoms to its south against marauding forces, diminutive doors made entry difficult and the metal embellishments reinforced their strength. A bit of a tall story about the small size…The tall gates of the havelis of Shekhawati, never mind the forts, would tell the small door to get back inside where it belonged and let them do the job of defending.

Year of the Backyard

Living in Shekhawati’s neighbourhood, through the Year of the Backyard as I call 2021, we had decided to stick to exploring places in our vicinity. One day sifting through some Facebook (it does have some redeeming features) pics I chanced upon stunning visuals of the havelis of Shekhawati. Wow! Art, architecture, history! Throw proximity in the pot and the recipe for an outing was complete. But let’s delve into the story of the region before we embark on a walk though the dusty hamlets and quaint towns that are a living art gallery.

Backyard also includes- Bikaner’s Merchants and Their Mansions

The Territory, Thikanedars and Traders

Shekhawati, the land of Rao Shekha and his descendants, was established as a separate principality when Rao Shekha declared independence from his Kacchawa clansmen at Amber in 1471. Over centuries it expanded to cover much of present Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu. His descendants and brethren constructed around 50 forts and palaces in this region and established their own fiefdoms or Thikanas like Nawalgarh, Mandawa, Dundlod. Shekhawati I am told means ‘Garden of Shekha’. I don’t buy that story. Garden is definitely not what this arid, sandy and drab territory can remotely be described as, where the only colour that blooms adorns either the attire of the people or the buildings made by them. It is also the land where the trading routes criss-crossed from Delhi and Kannauj to Sindh and Multan and towards Gujarat. The rulers depended on the merchants traversing through to pay jagat or transit dues to fill their coffers while the latter would get protection to carry on their trade safely. In time many moved and settled in these thikanas. Well known business families- Poddars, Goenkas, Birlas, Piramals to name some, trace their roots to this region.

Discover-The Gardens of Delhi – A Walk Not Only on the Green Side but Through History Itself

Being House Proud

What a fort or garh is to a king or ruler in Rajasthan, a mansion or haveli is to a merchant. In a land where iconic forts like at Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer draw the tourists, in Shekhawati its the havelis which hold their own. Here the merchants upstaged the rulers and their forts. In a ‘have it flaunt it’ attitude the merchants, as they prospered trading in cotton, opium, spices and silks, became patrons of art making their mansions not just more ornate but more opulent inside out. Once they were done with their own dwellings they moved on to making chattris, wells and ponds. But money is a Pied Piper. They followed it here and eventually in time trailed behind it to Calcutta and Bombay where new rulers set up bigger trading posts. Now most of the havelis lie forlornly neglected.

Camels walk- At the Darwaza of a Road Less Travelled

Artful Architecture

The havelis have a set template when it comes to architectural style with generally two courtyards and two storey’s. Massive arched doors make impressive entrances. The intricate woodwork of the doors and windows makes them a collector’s item. But it’s the frescoes adorning every inch of the building at times which are the piece de résistance. These encapsulate mythological and historical figures and tales, folk tales, flora and fauna, decorative designs, erotica and not the least the Britishers and their devices. Some depict faraway lands, few fanciful scenes, and occasionally plain hilarious ones. Gold leaf and Belgian glass is often a glittering embellishment. The richness of material and descriptive details were meant to shock and awe and they do, still!

Read about nature’s shockers in- Barot And the Serendipitous Catch in the Uhl River

Once on a visit to the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi we were told it is nigh possible to see everything in it in a day. Shekhawati’s treasures too are scattered over numerous little towns and hamlets all vying for unhurried and close attention from discerning travelers to truly reveal their hidden facets. So what not to miss on a visit to a region which is a living art gallery where exceptional architecture provides a canvas for many a masterpiece?

We’ll begin with Mandawa…coming up next.

December 17, 2021December 17, 2021

Bikaner’s Chattris: Royals in Repose

If one wants to meet our dearly departed where do we go? In our culture, no particular place it would seem, but there have never been any absolutes. So we find cenotaphs or chattris in many parts of the country, especially of the royal families, built to honour the memory of the nobles. The first cenotaphs I explored were at Orchha. Like breathing gargoyles endangered vultures sat on the eaves of the humongous monuments made in the typically Bundelkandi architecture, rose bushes faintly scenting the air. There also a few generations give each other company in their walled enclosure.

Read about the Chattris of Orchha in- Part One- On the Wild Side of Outstanding Orchha

At Bikaner the cenotaphs of the royal family are located at Devi Kund Sagar. Here too on the outskirts of Bikaner the chattris are clustered around in a walled space. But unlike the handful at Orchha, here generations of men, women and children are neatly placed, precisely dated and relations clearly catalogued like a family tree spread in a garden. A requiem in stone. We head there one evening with the sun descending, ready to call it a day. The place is clean and paved thankfully since we have to take off our footwear at the entrance.

Discover – The Gardens of Delhi – A walk not only on the green side but through history itself

There is some open space as we enter and to a side a small one is being constructed. I wonder how it works …are they made in anticipation according to the wishes of the alive for their ever after resting place or is it left to the whims of the descendants how best to honour the memories? The first one on the right, also the last to be made in 2003 of Maharaja Narendra Singh, is a small chattri in red sandstone, a throwback to the oldest ones at the far end. Two across it are incongruously ‘modern’ and look out of place. They invoke a socialism influenced spartan look somehow in my mind.

There is nothing spartan about- Bikaner’s Merchants and Their Mansions

Majority of the big ones in between are of creamy marble with beautifully carved pillars and arches. Some of the domed roofs have stunning artwork on the inside. One follows a limited but eclectic black and blue colour scheme to depict gods and goddess. Another has Radha Krishna in a circular sequence. At the far end they are mostly made of red and pink sandstone with high and beautifully carved floral plinths. The oldest belongs to Rao Kalyanmal, the 5^th ruler of Bikaner who died in 1571.

Explore the hues of Rajasthan in- Harlequin Holi at Todaraisingh

A small one between the big marble and sandstone chattris stands out not only because it belongs to a woman (the board along the wall says Madan Kunwar, 1826) as denoted by the small feet engraved on the marble piece but also because of its distinctive architecture. The eaves curve and sweep down like boughs of a weeping willow.

A man rides into his afterlife with his women.

Someone explains the exact iconography in the chattris. The ones belonging to the menfolk have vertical slabs whose edges are beautifully scalloped and carved, engraved with either a man seated with a woman on a throne or alone on a horse, attendants around. Below within a wreath of carved and twisted leaves things are inscribed. . The ones on horseback we are told denote whose wives committed sati on their death. From the first ruler, Rao Bikaji to the thirteenth king, Maharaja Zorawar not only wives but concubines and at times attendants and slave girls too were expected to commit sati. No wonder women pray for their husband’s long life! There is a temple near the end dedicated to Satimata. It is has a lot of visitors. The barbaric practice might have ended but the idea still is romanticized and worshipped.

Where a woman is literally worshipped – Mystic Maheshwar : At the Center of the Universe

On one end are the chattris of the women in red sandstone. They are smaller and many are devoid of the ornamentation visible in the men’s. Most have a single pair of tiny feet made on a marble piece, boards alongside clearly mentioning their names and that of their husbands. One near the end has four pairs of feet. The board gives three names of women and one of a man. There are 4 different dates mentioned so I don’t think they are satis or a sato, a rare but recorded occurrence where men commit the act too. The family has had a few instances of them. There are memorials of children too called nada. It’s a simple plinth with no canopy.

Reviving past glories and – Satiating Nostalgia Under the Winter Rain at Junia

The sun is a ball of blazing orange visible below the arches as curiosity gets the better of me and I unlatch one of the many small wooden doors lined up on the wall, one before each cenotaph. They all open to a sloping ground with broken tombstones, littered with a bit of rubbish ending with an embankment holding back a big pond lined with lotuses. A glossy black cobra slithers amongst the tombstones. As it disappears behind one nearby I hurriedly step back through the door. Latching the door I turn to see the moon has risen and its almost a full moon bathing the monuments in its luminescent light. It is going to be a beautiful night for a family get together.

May 31, 2021June 4, 2021

Bikaner’s Merchants and Their Mansions

There are mansions and there are havelis and then there are the havelis of the merchants of Bikaner who traversed the fabled Silk Route. Merchants, traders….travellers of yore. Peddling their wares in far off lands and returning with exotic treasures. What stories they would tell… of fabulous cities visited, small yet intriguing places crossed, strange people encountered, the adventures they had…all in the pursuit of the scent of fortunes to be made. To come back home to their families, to befittingly beautiful havelis made with the riches of trade.

Discover the story of original nomads at- At the Darwaza of a Road Less Travelled

The Rampuria havelis of Bikaner named after the owners, the richest merchant family of Bikaner in the 15^th century or so, line a winding maze. There are no fancy grounds, no gate or garden, not even a shred of a shrub! Perhaps they don’t need the superfluous adornment of gardens or land to add to their grandeur. So nothing prepares you for the facades…. There is no build up. Along with the sensory overload there is a physical reaction to them–the jaw slackens, eyes don’t know where and what to take in- the structures, the chiselled Dulmera stone relief, the carved and shuttered wooden windows painted eclectic green and blue, the jharokas or the panels? There is no let up and yet each element comes together perfectly.

Magnificent workmanship is like..- An Ode to Ancient Life in Stone- The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ajanta & Ellora

A slightly haphazard lane lined with new banal construction brings us to a little town square of sorts. The main haveli presents its closed haughty profile much like the famed ‘Bani-Thani’ of Rajasthan. But a bass relief closer still, on a wall in the most amazing shades of peeling pink distracts us first. King George with his handlebar mustache and two horses at his ears looks down at us a tad comically. Next is a Queen Mary, his wife, with a pair of horses again. The third is intriguing- there are lions at the ears this time and the queen with a double chin wears a big nose ring and looks Indian and self-conscious. Semi-circular balconies with a distinctive European feel crown the bass relief. It was probably the last one to be made in the 19^th century.

Find the story of another queen in- Mystic Maheshwar : At the Center of the Universe

The most photographed face of the entire lot of the havelis presents itself at an angle. In the narrow spaces between the building thanks to its location, it’s the only one which allows a complete picture. It again shows an European influence with brick finish, shuttered turmeric yellow-brown wooden arched doorways, windows and coloured glass windows on the top floor. The narrow alley is empty even though its way past the morning golden hour. An odd nearby resident walks past with a milk pail and massive cows/bulls saunter around. Waiting to be fed not milked!

Step through these doors to another time.

Standing in front of the yellow doorway one gets the best view of one of the most elaborate facades. The workmanship is stunning in its detail I don’t know where to begin. The green wooden windows vie for attention from the protruding jharokas, the panels with simpler carving provides some relief and the only stone parapet painstakingly carved through stands out, as does the tall, narrow entrance. The slight angle and blue doors replacing the green and just a shift in the carving makes me realise there are two havelis adjoining each other.

Read about the stunning stories of Orchha in- Part Two – The Old Gold in Outstanding Orchha

The green Jonga parked nearby, a relic of the past, looks like its been on long journeys over dunes and if I let my imagination run wild, over wind-swept passes all the way to the Steppes of central Asia….the long Silk Route and it survived to tell the tale…. I know its old but not that old! If only it could talk…. It might cough and splutter a lot to begin with…

Travel on another road in- Chushul &Chumathang – Hello Indus & Iridescent Colours!

As we walk a few steps a small wooden board next to a padlocked door announces an address in Calcutta. The trade trail crisscrossed the country with the power-centre and trade shifting.

We have to crane our necks to look at the stunning workmanship of the havelis here on either side of the constricted lane. They are all made from the unique pinkish-red Dulmera sandstone found nearby. I find myself looking at rounded, bulbous overhangs, supporting jharokas whose unique shapes with narrow windows at angles make me gape! And I realise that the best haveli(don’t know their individual names) is the least visible and so what if its façade is just that, as a side view lets out the secret. Beauty can be skin deep and when its so beautiful…who cares.

Neighbourhood Gossip Corner & Safety Perch

As I am taking in the side profile with a pretty lamp to light it all up at night the cows have finished their promenade and are congregating nearby. I had noticed the massive wooden takht or platform where the street widened out and marveled at this local hanging out contraption. As one of the bulls gets too close for comfort looking for a treat I scramble onto it. Sitting in safety and admiring the haveli like a roadside Romeo I fancy its pink- red colouring is rather like a permanent blush thanks to centuries of awe-stuck admirers.

Discover the other attractions of Bikaner in- The Bird-book of Bikaner

April 30, 2021May 2, 2021

Picture Postcards from Bikaner’s Bylanes

The pandemic has put paid to my travelling plans and right now travellers are not in my good books. I will not confess at having even an iota of envy as I incessantly scroll through their Insta stories showing skiing trips to virgin glaciers only accessible by puny gliders or Facebook updates of morning walks under scarlet rhododendrons lining bridle paths snaking up a mountain side. Its not been a year to perform or perish, rather one of transform or perish, sometimes quite literally, unfortunately. So this year, the year of the backyard as I call it, has seen me transform from a traveller to an explorer. Health is where the hearth is, to give a new spin to an old saying.

Read more about the transformation in – Same Place, New Attitude

Hearth now is at a place which is not up there on the tourist circuit despite being home to some well preserved treasures and no, I’m not talking about the bhujia! I mean as snacks go the crispy, mildly spiced bhujia is firmly in the category of safe savior/emergency tray filler. Nobody is going to salivate at the sight of it. One wickedly wonders how exciting can a place, word associated with the bhujia, be? Bikaner has always been seen as the poor country cousin to the more flamboyant Jodhpur with the jet-set crowd well jet-setting in and out of it, a romantic Udaipur- a honeymooner’s magnet, Jaisalmer with its commanding fort and pristine but fast disappearing sand dunes or even Jaipur offering most accessible sampling of all things Rajasthani. But as is the wont of country cousins, what they might lack in chicness they make up in oodles of charm.

Savour tales of Rajasthan’s food in- Nasirabad’s Kachora: More than a Savoury Story

Bikaner’s founding ruler Rao Bika set off from Jodhpur around 1472 AD to a vast land which, despite being on the trade route from Central Asia to Gujarat, was so desolate and uninhabitable it was called Jangladesh. Ironically, there wasn’t any love lost between the two erstwhile states, the maximum battles over the centuries being fought to fend off the probing Jodhpur forces while Rao Bika’s pragmatic descendants managed to keep the peace with the Mughals and the British. Bikaner was way more progressive than any of her neighbouring princely states at the time of Independence and was the first to sign the Instrument of Accession to the Indian Union.

Scroll though another series of postcards starting with – Picture Postcards from Bundelkhand

At the center of of it all- Junagarh Fort

So what does Bikaner serve up apart from the Junagarh fort which showcases some of the finest examples of the rare and opulent Usta artwork and houses palaces with names like Badal Mahal, Phool Mahal which faithfully reflect successive architectural influences? To be found here also are-Jain temples in all their carved glory, cenotaphs of nearly sixteen generations of royals clustered serenely near Devi Kund Sagar, havelis of uber rich merchants putting up an intricate and haughty facade to hide their inner desolation, a successful conservation story at Jorbeer’s vulture sanctuary and Karni Mata, the only temple in the world where rats are worshipped, to name a few. So much to tell over some drinks and Bikaneri Bhujia!

Explore the natural side of Bikaner in- The Bird-book of Bikaner

Coming soon….

Bikaner’s Merchants and their Mansions

Putting up a haughty facade to hide the lonely stories.

April 11, 2021

Harlequin Holi at Todaraisingh

Holi was a day of colours alright, as natural and organic as the landscape could provide. Morning dawned a blemish free blue as we headed out. The fields of wheat between Junia and Todaraisingh were a blinding gold, ripe to be shorn. We crossed giant quarries showing seams in more than 50 shades of grey granite but nature isn’t about to write paeans about her bondage scenes anytime soon.

Read about memorable holi scenes in – Disconnecting with the World on a Mountain Isle at Shaama

Sitting pretty in a sloping manicured garden with lush trees for company, the 12th century Hadi Rani ki Baori at Todaraisingh was an oasis of green, inside out. The water within emerald, and she playfully threw back dappled sunlight at the arches on a side. A lesser cormorant dried its shiny black wings as a wagtail warmed its belly on the stone steps. Much like we would have, if we had been dousing each other with water. We admired the precise geometry of the steps that make up three sides of the stepwell and explored the cool arched recesses, which make up the fourth of this rectangular structure. The baori was made in memory of a newlywed princess who chopped off her own head, to ensure her hesitating husband had nothing to hold him back from a battle, which he went on to survive only to follow his dearly departed wife in a similar fashion. A story as macabre as it was heroic but then we are in a land where such tales echo off the walls of scattered memorials. There are other smaller stepwells around Todaraisingh, an overgrown village with a catchy name.

Discover stepwells and other stories in –Mandu and Maheshwar in the Monsoon Mist

Savour the best Kachoras in the world in – Nasirabad’s Kachora: More than a Savoury Story

After a picnic breakfast there, of packed crunchy kachoris and stuffed mirchi pakoras, we made our way towards a dam that seems quite vast on the map. The green scraggly shrubs with splotches of yellow flowers provided relief from the dullest indeterminate colour of the winding range of hills but it was the flame of the forest holding up their flowers like torchbearers in a hunt, in shades of watery to fiery orange, that dotted the forested hills with increasing regularity. The flowering tree reviving memories of childhood holis, where the flowers added to giant tubs tinted the water orange, for us to fill our pichkaris or simply dunk someone in! As we rounded a bend on the road snaking at the base of the hills, their line broken every now and then by gullies emptying nothing but broken boulders, we spied an ocean of azure blue. What a sight the people living in those huts along the pebbly shore must be waking up to! The sky and the Bisalpur reservoir gently filled their pichkaris with blue, feeding off each other, so entwined at the horizon, that you couldn’t make out where one ended and the other began.

Dive into the colours of another lake in –Pangong Tso – The Gems in the Crown

The 12^th century Bisal Deoji temple, worn with age and holding within it stunning carvings, sits proudly at the water’s edge and watches them play, not inclined to join in the revelry but left with no choice as the sky blue waters lap at it’s feet. It was on higher ground but the water has inundated it all, not even sparing the temple courtyard in the wet season. The interiors reveal the remains of stunning Maru- Gurjara or Solanki style of architecture with richly carved and in one instance, inscribed column. The higher figurines have been spared the disfigurement meted out to the lower ones. The cool shaded hall with its concentrically carved dome stands in stark relief to the bright openness of the lake with a golden sandy island nearby turning green.

Explore distinct architecture in – Part Two – The Old Gold in Outstanding Orchha

Sitting proudly and watching the play of colours.

Back home the tikkis of magenta put by the lady of the house at Junia Niwas rounded up the colour palette for the day. Nature’s harlequin canvas giving us a holi to remember in technicolour.

Fact File-

Tonk is 48 kms from Todaraisingh and is the nearest big town.

Todaraisingh is about 114 kms from Ajmer.

Bisalpur dam is about 126 kms from Ajmer.

February 26, 2021February 27, 2021

The Bird-book of Bikaner

Right now I am in that category, if there is one that is, before the amateur birdwatcher. The ones who get mighty excited but have little clue which bird is it that has got them excited. It does not help that a lot, and I mean a lot of birds are just brown or grey and these two colours look just that- brown and grey! The man is of a similar species and together we are a pair of excitable things flapping our arms whenever we see any remotely unrecognizable feathered friend.

So while Bikaner is not a place that pops up on the birding map rather it typically conjures up visions of camels, palaces and gastronomical offerings, Covid restrictions have ensured we are yet to sample any of these visual or palatable delights. The past year has been one of rediscovering the great outdoors and Bikaner has ample of that. What we are also discovering is that Bikaner is pretty much a pit-stop for anyone travelling through or over Rajasthan. Our landing coincided with the winter birding season. Two places we were told about and the others we discovered while hunting for picnic spots.

Read where all the camels get to in- At the Darwaza of a Road Less Travelled

Kolayat–

The town’s claim to fame is the ashram of the sage Kapil muni, a fair, ancient temples and now probably the mines around. The day we decide to go dawns a grim grey. The plan is a picnic at Gajner but we find no suitable place so Kolayat it is. Enroute we see giant mounds of the earth’s insides dredged and lying piled up. The temples and their ghats are lined up on one side of the lake which is overrun with dormant lotuses, ie, all twigs and no flowers or leaves in sight. They make for surreal pictures. A little egret muddies the water further with its toes near the banks trying to get its lunch to rise from the lake bed. The only birds clearly discernible are the Pochards and the Grey Francolins. They are literally at our feet, coming out of the bushes for an afternoon drink. It’s a day of the greys.

Lunkaransar-

The Demoiselles have been sighted I’m told and I’m itching to see these daintily named cranes. When we finally do make it, its a foggy morning again! The water is murky in the ‘lake’ hugging the road. The hazy morning ensures the light is not conducive to any great photography. As it is the subjects are grey, black and white mostly, with the teals breaking the monochrome setting with flashes of eclectic green and burnished gold. Most of the birds are snoozing, one leg tucked in, beaks buried in their back feathers. There must be a yoga pose named after this stance… the spinal twist perhaps?? The Demoiselles on an island, looking down gently at the ducks waddling between their legs, make a poetic grayscale Japanese painting but the man is not impressed. These grey bearded things? He prefers the Pied Avocet with its upturned curving beak. From the flat pans beyond some cranes take flight en masse, stretched silhouettes clouding the sky further.

Jaimalsar-

The massive water filtration reservoirs near Jaimalsar are newish but the distinctive Bar-headed geese seem at home and are a delightful surprise. I see Dalmatian pelicans for the first time and the solitary pair has impressive wingspans as they skim the water. The grey herons get the man excited. I suppose for herons they are big but obviously the cranes had come up short!

Read about the geese’s summer home in- Chushul & Chumathang – Hello Indus & Iridescent Colours!

Jorbeer-

Birds of different feathers….L-R: Egyptian vulture, Imperial and Steppe eagles

‘People go straight in and get a shock’, says Dr.Jitu Solanki as he gently eases us into the Jorbeer carcass dump turned vulture sanctuary. I had reservations with visions of gore and stench but thank god we asked him to show us around. The naturalist’s passion has made him come on a Sunday morning to show us this unusual place and his knowledge on all things natural and native to this region elevates the entire experience. By the time we enter after getting an eyeful of the Cinereous and Egyptian vultures from across the boundary wall, we’ve had a crash course into the pecking hierarchy of the raptors and other birding tidbits and are too hooked onto the birds to notice their meals. Coming away I hope I’ll be able to spot a Himalayan from a Griffon vulture, although the golden crown of the Imperial eagle may be too subtle for an amateur needing a blingier beacon. I would have gone cuckoo trying to identify the Variable (true to its meaning!) Wheatear and would never have spotted the teensy Desert Jird. One thing is definite, the mild revulsion has totally given way to dreaming of a juvenile looking right out of Jungle Book as he looked over his shoulders, his chocolaty round eyes saying don’t come closer or I’ll have to move and its too early and cold to leave my perch.

Those chocolate brown eyes and that steel beak of a Cinereous.

The other great adventure in Rajasthan was at- Ranthambore Alert -Ticketing Trials and Tiger Trails

Gajner-

Overlooking a small lake the ornate shikarbari of old is now a hotel. It isn’t a birding place as such but it makes a pretty sight with the black bucks chasing each other and the wild boars foraging with their piglets in the background, and closer a few Grebes, a lonesome Bar-headed geese and a solitary Eurasian spoonbill with its thick chopstick like beak sweeping and shifting the shallows complete the picture. Across the lake a massive Bluebull emerges from the thicket sending the coots scurrying. A few Demoiselles keep to themselves far away. There is a wide canopied boulevard of banyans lining the embankment and probably houses owls but right now it’s alive with the cacophony of a bazillion parrots all wanting to have their say, two of whom so entangled in their fight don’t realize they have now fallen literally at my feet in a mass of screeching green, feathers flying. I don’t know who is more taken aback!

Discover monuments and endangered birds cohabiting in- Part One- On the Wild Side of Outstanding Orchha

If this season’s sampling of the avian smorgasbord is anything to go by Junagarh fort might soon be replaced by Jorbeer at the top of the local attraction pecking order. Thanks to Dr. Solanki, an avid birder, biologist and herpetologist we know there is a packed natural calendar year to look forward to in this underrated town.

Fact File-

Distances from Bikaner-

Lunkaransar – 72 kms.

Jaimalsar – 51 kms. Entry into the Water Treatment plant is restricted.

Kolayat – 51 kms.

Jorbeer -12 kms. The Jorbeer Conservation Reserve is supposed to be open from 7AM to 6PM. But we went at 8AM and it opened half an hour or so later.

Gajner- 29 kms. The entry to the sanctuary is through the hotel gates only and there is a charge of Rupees 250/- per person.