< Read previous chapter of the trip – Gujarat Chapter
Rajasthan Chapter I – Summary
Destinations: Shamlaji > Udaipur > Shrinathji Temple – Nathdwara > Rajsamand > Charbhuja Ji Temple – Garbhor > Kumbhalgarh Fort > Beawar > Ajmer > Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Period: 3rd March to 4th March 2014
Day 2 : 3rd March 2014 continued..
After having the feast of sculptures at legendary Shamlaji temple, we started our upward journey. Highway becomes more lonely and curvy in Aravali mountain range. After an hour run, we entered in realms of Royal Rajasthan. Rajasthan welcomes you with an iconic entrance gate.
” पधारो म्हारे देस ”
Rajasthan is my home town, route of my family. I felt like being at home..warm!
Appa was thrilled with feeling that we were in the third state on our route and on just two wheels! Rajasthan’s first bust stand is rightly located on the Rajasthan border. That was a perfect spot for our break. Every state transport’s buses are unique with their color and logos, Rajasthan’s is a green color.
And the next chapter started here. NH 8 needs immediate renovation in this patch. With the state, we saw change in the lifestyle, changes in the way homes are built, change the way people dressed..!
I must mention about a flyer which was stick on the wall of the dhaba near Rushabhdev. It was regarding lady bandits who rob the travellers and truck drivers on the lonely highway in the night. Actually, male bandits are wearing lady cloths to deceive the highway runners.
Well.. this was enough to terrify Appa again 🙂
By the time we reached Udaipur, it was full dark. One roamed around the city in the search of the electrical extension board. Mobile chargers, camera battery chargers..ohh we had trouble last couple of nights with one or two plugs in the hotel rooms.
Chittorgarh or Kumbhalgarh? wow..it took an hour, 3 mirchi vadas and 2 cup of tea to decide the further route. Kumbhalgarh won!
Udaipur to Beawar patch of NH 8 was under renovation and every one was suggesting us to take alternate route, but we stick to our newly baked plan and went ahead. As expected, it was patchy and almost lonely road ahead. Can you believe that we watched the “Dil” movie starring Aamir Khan and my favourite Madhuri Dixit for almost an hour at a roadside dhaba at 9pm 🙂 Oops. We were late for our destination.
We reached Nathdwara around 11 pm and the town was silently sleeping like baby. Rule of the night in unknown town – Either find an accommodation near the attraction or near Railway or bus stand. Did so! Delhi Dharamshala accepted as their guest. Missed our dinner, we found a Rabadi wala who was about to close for the day. A plate of Kalakand and a glass of Rabadi was enough to fill the empty stomach pots.Surely tired with long day run, we started running on dream highways in minutes 🙂
Day 3 : 4th March 2014
It was a wonderful cold morning of Rajasthan. I could smell Rabadi and other famous sweets of Rajasthan. Keeping calm and controlling the temptation was a man’s job! We moved to temple with the unique offering of fruits and vegetables. Devotees brings various ingredients which are used for cooking of Prasad and the maha bhog of the god. The uniqueness of the temple continues with devotees offering their services in various forms. Ladies work in the temple kitchen helping cooking and gents work towards the cleaning and other stuff. God is treated like a human and one can feel the lord around.
After spending couple of hours and having mesmerizing darshana of Lord Shrinath, we packed our armours at Delhiwali Dharamshala and got ready. Well.. We had tummy full breakfast of Dhokala Poha and Kalakand. I love sweets of Rajasthan.
Read more about Shrinathji Temple of Nathdwara
The best part of my trips is the People. During our tea breaks, we kept meeting and talking to wonderful people. Colorful attires of Rajasthani humans are just attractive. It’s just a whole new world for outsider.
The trip was getting more and more interesting and colorful now. As soon as we crossed Rajsamand, we took hard left for Kumbhalgarh..the birthplace of great Rana Pratap. It is a nice smooth and widen road which connects Udaipur with Desuri towan. I halted at Garbhor Charbhuja temple. The temple is famous in Marwar region and place of faith for hindus.
Read more about Charbhuja ji Temple
So far the day was busy and nice with Lord Vishnu darshanas in his different forms. Now was the time of real Rajasthan. The village road till the fort is curvy and full of natural beauty with lush green forest and ponds around. Kumbhalgarh is one of the most visited World Heritage site by foreigners in India.
“Kumbhalgarh Fort wall is the world’s second longest after China Wall!”
How’s that? Do you know this? The mighty fort gate welcomed us! Oh My God..that’s the only expression comes out with the first sight of the giant and almost 38 kms long walls of Kumbhalgarh..!
Hungry boys first searched for a dhaba sort of hotel inside the fort. Though the Aloo Parathas were amazing they costed us Rs.175 each 🙁 One can see many temples and small structures in within fort walls…even camels! Main palace is further placed on hill within the fort. Trust me.. we just enjoyed the view from the bottom.. poor tired boys!! It was an amazing experience for sure. I had been there for the second time but was amazed like I was seeing that for the first time. Best of all the forts I have ever saw!!
Nathdwara, Charbhuja ji and Kumbhalgarh..we had enough for the day! We started heading towards our night halt, the final destination of the day..Ajmer! On our way back, Appa couldn’t control his instinct to touch the ship of the desserts 🙂
Highway till Beawar was too patchy and under-construction, but post that town it was six lane expressway..! I Remember when we had our dinner at a dhaba, I couldn’t control my sleep and had power nap for an hour.
Around 11 pm, Samrat Prithviraj Chouhan’s town, Ajmer, welcomed us. As per rule, I looked for the lodge near to the main attraction, the dargah. Fun hadn’t ended.. I still can’t believe that both of us were watching a third-grade dubbed movie – Mere Gusse Ki Aag – almost till 3am 🙂
Read next chapter of the trip – Rajasthan Chapter II >
Keep Reading Pune to Vaishno Devi on motorbike trip story:
- The Beginning
- Gujarat Chapter – Swaminarayan Temple Bharuch, Gandhinagar, Shamlaji Temple
- Rajasthan Chapter I (You are here) – Shrinathji Temple Nathdwara, Charbhuja Temple Garbhor, Kumbhalgarh
- Rajasthan Chapter II – Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Pushkar, Merta City,Karni Mata temple Deshnok, Bikaner
- Punjab Chapter – Firozpur, Harike Barrage, Golden Temple of Amritsar
- Vaishno Devi (Jammu) Chapter I – Baba Dhansar, Vaishno Devi, Amar Palace Jammu
- Himachal Chapter I – Pathankot War Memorials, McLeod Ganj, St John in Wilderness, Dharamsala,
- Himachal Chapter II – Dharamsala, Chamundi Temple, Baijnath, Kangra, Jwalaji, Chintpurni Mata
- Haryana Chapter – Kurukshetra, Panipat
- Uttar Pradesh Chapter – Vrindavan, Mathura, Agra
- Madhya Pradesh Chapter – Gwalior Fort, Indore