Jaisalmer - this city has been our hub for the last three days. We have travelled in and around this city, to different destinations, but the only place we knew about this city was the highway. Cities have their own private lives, rooms, stories, people, joys and sorrows, but you need to step off the highway and get into it, be in it, to know it. This was our day with Jaisalmer or the golden city.
Sonar Kila, or the golden fort dominates the landscape of this city and the golden yellow color is as ubiquitous as the sky. The yellow sandstone used for construction of fort, palace, havelis and even the roadside homes for the poor is the reason. The stone, the golden colour is the unifying factor.
Ben, TBK and I had a sumptuous and filling breakfast at ‘8 JULY’, where we found the ‘madam’ who runs the place to be quite a friendly, caring and warm person. Her smile and care took our eyes off the right hand column of the menu card and focus on the taste of the food and juices and our respective stories. Ben, was to head northwards from there to Bikaner and we were to head southwards to Udaipur. ‘This where as I go’ as Ben would put.
TBK helped Ben figure out his road plans and stop-overs in the state of Uttarakhand on his way to Nepal. The English say ‘Nepal’ in a way that sounds chic as compared to the ‘desi’ way we do!
The traveler knows that he will find a way. How? When? , are questions that do not deter his will or delay his start. His start is a call from within that has to be answered, that will not leave him, that will find cessation only when it is answered and he is on The Way. Help, comes: at the right time, from some infinite source of all good and beauty: he knows that. He is thankful for the help, but more responsible that he has to return to the infinite balance.
I was never good at goodbyes. Couple of hugs and ‘byes’ were exchanged and we had not said good bye! Ben was still there, a smile on all three faces, looks were exchanged. I started to have a conversation with the manager and discuss local politics to avoid the exact moment when we say good bye. Ben was still there, saying goodbyes to the managers of their restaurant.
‘Will see you at Delhi’ I said and looked the other way.
‘Sure!’ TBK and Ben echoed.
That helped.
TBK and I resumed our photography cum culture cum touristy cum explorer cum adventure cum fun trip in the city.
Shopping was added to the list. I was the first, but not the only culprit!
Wonderfully colorful kurtas, capris, trousers, skirts, hats, Rajasthani safas (to be worn as pagdis) were bought during the day. We had global cuisine on streets and continued our visit. Jaisalmer is a ‘phirangi phriendly’ city, as are Rishikesh, Dharamshala, Bundi, Benaras and many more in India. These cities have restaurants where you will be hard pressed to find Indian food and if you ask for some, the waiter will give you a look which would resemble his counterpart’s in Iceland, being asked for Sambar and Idli.
We visited some havelis of the rich Jain merchants who has contributed significantly for the construction of 80% of the forts 99 bastions. They also financed the beautifully sculpted Jain temples in Jaisalmer. The architecture of the temples stole my heart. I belong to Orissa where temple architechture is taken to levels which is paralleld only by devotion withing those temples. Even I, was mightily impressed.
'The havelis could give the palace a run for its money' TBK said.
'Well, this is where the money came from' I laughed as I said.
One of the unplanned 'Things to do' was to tie a Rajasthani safa or pagdi. A 9 meter starteched cloth is given a shape of a beautiful turban. I did not do bad for my first attempt in guidance of a teacher-cum-seller. We then got to know, how the style of tying the safa could tell which community you belong to.
We headed back to our hotel for a brief pause called ‘taking a shower’ and then to explore the rest of the city. ‘Taking a shower’ in the midst of a road trip and especially if the trip is in the middle of the sand, sweat, dust and heat of the ‘desert city’ or ‘gateway to Thar’ can have an effect like a pause in eternity, a moment that you would want to remain.
We rode on our bike for our the rest of the day. We also witnessed wind-cutting, fast-tracked (at 70kmph!), innovative advertising – bikers chasing bikers for desert safaris, tent stays and other attractions of the desert. These young ‘agents’ would chase you down, if you are on a bike or car to and from Jaisalmer and speed up to you and urge you to stop. If you do not, they had you out ‘visiting cards’ and shout ‘50%-60%-70% discounts’ ‘only for you’ etc.
The Bada Bag Chhatris was our afternoon destination and yet another Sunset for TBK to capture.
(Watch video)
We spent the evening watching earthen lamps floating on the Jaisamand Lake and a puppet show, though the highlight was the young singer who stole my heart with his smiles and singing, both of which he enjoyed.
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