By Parth Yadav
YAAR BAHUT PAHAD HO GAYE, ISS BAR REGISTAAN CHALTE HAIN!!
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” ~John Muir.
“Of all the trips you take in life, make sure one of them is in a dessert.” ~Author.
“Mad! You are!” said my Mom, uncles, aunties, cousins, friends and basically anybody and everybody who came to know about my plan of travelling to Jaisalmer in the month of ‘June’. Yes! You heard it right, ‘June’ it was! But then as they say, there is a difference in being a tourist and being a traveler. I, fortunately or unfortunately fall in the latter category. Hence, the less-mainstream the trip, the better it is. And keeping this motto in mind I alongwith a friend booked our tickets for DLI-JSM Express. A week later we were at Old Delhi Railway Station boarding the train. There are a couple of trains directly from Delhi to Jaisalmer, tickets of which are generally available. For those travelling by Air, there are no direct flights from Delhi to Jaisalmer. Nearest airport is that of Jodhpur, from where one can take a train/bus/cab to Jaisalmer. There aren’t even any direct bus services from Delhi to Jaisalmer. One has to change the bus either from Jaipur or from Bikaner, whichever seems feasible. Author’s Advice: Travelling by train is a really good option. Though, the train takes almost 17 hours to reach Jaisalmer, yet, one gets to travel across most of the Rajasthan and the train (no matter how late it gets in between!), generally reaches the concluding station on time or as in our case, before time!
On the way, one can actually feel Jaisalmer coming closer as the trees start turning into shrubs and bushes and the soil into sand. Finally, the next morning at around 11:30, we reached Jaisalmer. And you realize you’re gonna have an epic trip, the moment you touch the Jaisalmer Railway Station. Believe me! I haven’t seen a railway station more beautiful and cleaner than this one. Kuddos to the Station Incharge and the railway authorities, even other Indian cities should take a cue from this Railway Station!
YAAR BAHUT PAHAD HO GAYE, ISS BAR REGISTAAN CHALTE HAIN!!
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” ~John Muir.
“Of all the trips you take in life, make sure one of them is in a dessert.” ~Author.
“Mad! You are!” said my Mom, uncles, aunties, cousins, friends and basically anybody and everybody who came to know about my plan of travelling to Jaisalmer in the month of ‘June’. Yes! You heard it right, ‘June’ it was! But then as they say, there is a difference in being a tourist and being a traveler. I, fortunately or unfortunately fall in the latter category. Hence, the less-mainstream the trip, the better it is. And keeping this motto in mind I alongwith a friend booked our tickets for DLI-JSM Express. A week later we were at Old Delhi Railway Station boarding the train. There are a couple of trains directly from Delhi to Jaisalmer, tickets of which are generally available. For those travelling by Air, there are no direct flights from Delhi to Jaisalmer. Nearest airport is that of Jodhpur, from where one can take a train/bus/cab to Jaisalmer. There aren’t even any direct bus services from Delhi to Jaisalmer. One has to change the bus either from Jaipur or from Bikaner, whichever seems feasible. Author’s Advice: Travelling by train is a really good option. Though, the train takes almost 17 hours to reach Jaisalmer, yet, one gets to travel across most of the Rajasthan and the train (no matter how late it gets in between!), generally reaches the concluding station on time or as in our case, before time!
On the way, one can actually feel Jaisalmer coming closer as the trees start turning into shrubs and bushes and the soil into sand. Finally, the next morning at around 11:30, we reached Jaisalmer. And you realize you’re gonna have an epic trip, the moment you touch the Jaisalmer Railway Station. Believe me! I haven’t seen a railway station more beautiful and cleaner than this one. Kuddos to the Station Incharge and the railway authorities, even other Indian cities should take a cue from this Railway Station!
We were already in talks with the Manager of one, Hotel Payal, for our stay and hence he had already sent a cab to pick us up from the station. Being a travelers’ delight, Jaisalmer has plenty of hotels and resorts suiting all pocket sizes.
Author’s Advice: Do pre-book a hotel in case you’re planning to travel during the peak tourist season of September-February, because during this time Jaisalmer takes the shape of a Mini-Europe, with almost every third person you get to meet, being a European! And hence hotel prices shoot upto triple the actual cost of the room.
After almost 17 hours of non-stop train journey, one does feel tired and exhausted, hence the moment we checked in our hotel, we took a shower, had lunch and dozed off! Jaisalmer is a small town which can mostly be covered on foot, hence a proper rest to your feet is kind-of required. By the time we got up, it was already late and hence most of the markets were about to close. We hurriedly went to the nearest restaurant, had food and started our next big search… A THEKA! :P Getting the shock of our lives, we got to know that the liquor shops in Jaisalmer closes at sharp 8 PM! Now what? Authors Advice: You can still get it but in an illegal manner till 10 p.m :P
Next morning, as per the itinerary we made in consultation with the Hotel Manager and affcourse, Google, we started off on foot for our first destination… the huge and magnificent JAISALMER FORT! Built in 1156 AD by the Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, from whom it derives its name, Jaisalmer Fort is one of the largest fortifications in the world. It is a World Heritage Site. The Fort stands amidst the sandy expanse of the great Thar Desert, on Trikuta Hill, and has been the scene of many battles. Its massive yellow sandstone walls are a tawny lion colour during the day, fading to honey-gold as the sun sets, thereby camouflaging the Fort in the yellow desert. For this reason, it is also known as the Sonar Quila or Golden Fort. The Fort is located in the very heart of the city, and is one of the most notable monuments in the locality. The most interesting fact about the Fort is that initially the entire city of Jaisalmer was located inside the Fort only. Or in other words, the Fort was the Jaisalmer City! It is with time and growing population, that people started making houses and markets outside the Fort. On visiting the Fort, you will actually feel that the Fort is a city/town in itself.
The Fort is all about the beautiful and massive Rajput architecture. Inside the Fort Muesum, you get to see massive weaponry, from swords, which in themselves weigh 30-40 kilograms each, to all sorts of guns and air pistols used in those days. There were guns, so huge, that 2 men were required to operate a single gun!
To be continued........
About Parth:
Currently pursuing his bachelors from National Law University, Lucknow is a bibliophile and an avid fiction lover. Travelling is not just his hobby but his passion. He likes to explore the unexplored and does things which aren't mainstream. Mountains, "supposedly" haunted destinations and bike trips are what attracts him the most. A certified trekker by the Youth Hostel Association of India, he dreams to cover the Himalayas on his bike someday!
2 comments:
Such a beautiful memoir! Along with sound advices ;) Looking forward to reading your next travelogue.
Thank you! -)
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