Kuldhara – The Deserted Village of the Desert

A few years back, after spending an exquisite night under the star lit sky of the Sam Dunes, Rajasthan, we were sailing down the desert highways of at a steady speed of 140 Kms/hr when our driver decided to take a turn right on a deserted by road unannounced. Given that Jaisalmer was still a few Kms away we were surprised to say the least. Our driver only replied with a mischievous smile that the detour would be worth it. I suppose we should have been alarmed but we could smell adventure already. A short drive away on a few bumpy dirt roads we reached a “parking lot” and it was grandiosely announced that we had reached the deserted desert village of Kuldhara by what looked like the lone occupant of this village – a old man with grey beard clad in white. Clichéd and eerie in itself. 

So what was special about this place? It was deserted and in ruins. Again, what’s so special about that? Well as the old man was more than happy to dramatically explain, legend has it the entire village along with a few more in this locality decided to abandon their houses and cleared out without a trace overnight, a few centuries ago. Till date no one has any clue how they managed to completely disappear overnight or where they went to settle down. According to the old man, the prime minister of the kingdom was an incredible mix of evil and powerful and besides every other corrupt act, was coercing the entire village to marry the beautiful daughter of the village head by force. The villagers decided to protect the lady and preferred to stealthily move out in the cover of the night than to give in to the wishes of this man. But, what is more interesting is, before leaving, they put a curse on the village that no man will be able to inhabit the village ever again and that is how an entire village with perfectly good houses still lies crumpling away – barren, dissolate and unoccupied. People who tried to stay in this village were apparently chased away by paranormal activities – something not too hard to imagine – an isolated village in ruins in the middle of nowhere with a cursed history no less – not the best place to spend the night.

We walked into the village to a lone temple standing amongst ruins and found some workers busy restoring the temple and painting away cheerfully. Finally something about the place that seemed ordinary and normal. Further exploration of the place took us to the roof of the temple from where the panoramic view of the village in ruins was breath-taking. A few scattered bushes only added to its rustic feel.  From above we could see that some other houses were in the process of being restored. We stayed on the roof taking in the sight for quite some time and then followed the old man through the ruins of what used to be houses of the occupants of the village with some of the walls still standing and still patterned with paint. Quiet signs lay scattered around to help your imagination that this village was in fact a thriving one at some point of time. Finally, after a thorough good examination of the place that tool longer than it should have, we rode back to Jaisalmer excited with the new find with a gloating driver for company.

A ride through the desert roads with the windows down is one of my best memories. Add to that the inky sky covered with millions and millions of stars, it is hands down one of the best places to be. And when you are there, look for Kuldhara – the locals will be more than happy to direct you towards it – for an eerie, out of place experience in a deserted and forlorn village even in the middle of the day.  Even the bravest of the brave will surely feel a twinge of tiny panic at some point or the other.

Also, now it is completely restored and a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. Definitely well worth the detour.

Read More

Top Bollywood movies that inspire us to travel in India

Bollywood movies are always being an inspiration for many people from all walks of life. They provide you with a push which can make people do things they really wanted to do. Movies like Highway which amused us with the locations from Himachal Pradesh, Gujrat and Dil Chahta Hai with locations from Goa.

Let’s have a look at the movies that have inspired procrastinating travelers to explore exotic Indian destinations.

Piku

For a person who loves the road, Piku is a gentle reminder of the saying: the journey is more important than the destination. And often, the journey is the destination. Piku, her slightly eccentric father and driver-cum-transport business owner are on a roadtrip from New Delhi to Kolkata. What happens on the way is a bonding that no ordinary experience can create. This movie tells us that travelling together may well be the finest way of created the strongest bonds.

Highway

This movie was about the sense of freedom that travel can introduce one to.
As the name implies it was filmed mostly on the road and it does portray the concept of a road trip beautifully. The road trip covered Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Kashimir.

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

The film was about the relationship of two characters Naina (Deepika Padukone) and Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor). Through the ups and downs of their lives audiences are taken through some stunning locations. Apart from the mountain trekking sequences in Himalayas, the film was also shot at various other locations including Udaipur and Gulmarg.

Chennai Express

Featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, this movie takes on a journey across India from the North to the South, enticing youwith beautiful visions of the countryside en route like Munnar, Goa and so on.

Barfi

 You get to see the most exquisite and still highly unexplored locations of Darjeeling, It takes us through the hill-station's misty mornings, muddy slopes and beautifully fenced pathways. The clock tower, the famous Glenary's Cafe and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Barfi presents the hill town at its best. The nostalgia resulting from the small town feel of the movie might just make you look for your next long weekend and plan a trip to the nearest hill station.


Jab We Met

The entire idea of shooting the movie in some of the breathtaking locations is so essential to the plot of the movie that you fall in love with the movie, the characters and the locations all at the same time. Along with Shimla and Manali at Manali Castle in Himachal Pradesh, the movie also shows some amazing view of the Rohtang Pass which lies on the Manali – Leh Highway.

3 Idiots

3 Idiots is shot across several scenic locales across India. From Chail Palace in Shimla (shown as Javed Jaffrey's residence) to the campus of Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (depicted as the Imperial College of Engineering, Delhi), the film is peppered with realistic locations like Leh Manali Highway. Shot at the Pangong Lake, the climax flaunts Ladakh's daunting peaks and turquoise-blue lakes.

Dil Chahta Hai

Dil Chahta Hai is a trip down memory lane and perhaps the single biggest reason everyone in India has gone to Goa with his friends at some point or the other.

Read More