8: Jaisalmer - the Golden mirage

The very thought of Jaisalmer has my mouth salivating! It reminds me of the out of the world apple pie, with homemade vanilla ice-cream, that we savored at the ‘8th July Café’, one of the many homely cafes run by a resident of Jaisalmer fort. The cafe also served us with a sumptuous fresh and unadulterated (alphonso) mango juice. For hundred bucks a glass, the juice was like a glass of bliss.

Jaisalmer fort, like Chittorgarh, is a living fort; the entire population of Jaisalmer used to live within the fort at one point of time, and about a quarter of city's population still lives in the fort. So it’s not unusual to find such home runs cafes, handicraft and souvenir shops, and even beauty parlors, inside the fort premises for tourists.

This massive yellow sandstone fort is also called the ‘Golden Fort’ because it has tawny lion color walls that turn to a magical honey-gold as the sun sets, sometimes even looking like a part of the picturesque yellow desert. (Satyajit Ray’s film Sonar Kela or the Golden Fortress was based on this fort.)

The fort dates back to 1156 when it was built by Rawal Jaisal (and hence the name), on Trikuta hill, where it stands sprawled out along the golden stretches of Thar. The fort has three layers of walls. The guide explained that the outer or the lower layer is made out of solid stone blocks and reinforces the loose rubble of Trikuta Hill; the second or the middle wall snakes around the fort; and the third or the inner most wall was used by the Rajput warriors to hurl boiling oil and water, and massive round blocks of rock as missiles on the enemies when they got trapped between the second and the third walls. The defensive mechanism of the fort had been further enhanced by the 99 bastions, out of which 92 were built between 1633 and 1647.

We climbed the steep slope to reach the main pol (or gate) and the center of the fort, known as Dussehra Chowk, where the seven-storied Rajmahal is located. Rajmahal is distinctly divided in two prominent parts - Raja ka Mahal and Rani ka Mahal, and the difference between both is stark! Raja ka Mahal features open balconies and a huge open courtyard, from where the king addresses the public even today on every Dussehra festival (built on the lines of dewan-e-aam), whereas Rani Ka Mahal has covered balconies with intricately carved meshes to adequately cover the queen (Rajputs followed the ‘purdah’ system) while letting her take a peek at the outside world.

The interiors of these palaces, also museums now, house an exquisite collection of royal sculptures, weapons, Gangore dresses of queens, cooking vessels, coins, stamps, and other antique articles. A large part of the decor has been done in wood, to keep them cool in the heat of the Rajasthan.

At a stone throw's distance from Rajmahal, there are seven beautiful Jain temples of the 15th and 16th centuries, dedicated to 16th Tirthankar Lord Shantinath and 23rd Tirthankar Lord Parshvanath. (Jaisalmer also boasts some of the oldest libraries of India which contain rarest of the manuscripts and artefacts of Jain tradition, and there are many Jain pilgrimage centres around Jaisalmer like Lodarva, Amarsagar, Brahmsar and Pokharan.)

The fort has been unperturbed by many battles including the attack of Ala-ud-din Khilji in 13th century. When Khilji succeeded in capturing the fort, the Rajput women committed the only Jauhar held here in order to save themselves from dishonor. (Khilji held the fort for 9 long years). The second battle that the fort witnessed was in 1541, when Humayun attacked the fort city.

Jaisalmer, once a part of the SilkRoute, played a major role in the trade with Persia, Arabia,Egypt and Africa during the medieval times, so the city was home to many wealthy merchants such as Guman Chand Patwa. Patwa hailed from Oswal Jain community and dealt in brocade, gold and silver embroidery, and was also a banker with over three hundred trading centers from Afghanistan to China.

His ancient haveli (or residence), popularly, Patwaon ki haveli, is a popular landmark even today. The ornate five-storey palace that took fifty years to complete (from 1800 to 1850) and costed more than ten lacs, is divided into five blocks meant for each of his five sons initially. These havelis were constructed by Hindu and Muslim craftsmen hailing from Gujrat, Malwa and Sindh.

After the decline of the sea trade and growth of the port of Bombay, during the British rule, the city went through a major economic recession. So the Patwa family later sold the haveli to Bafna family for mere Rs 80,000 and migrated to Madras, Maharashtra and Bengal.

It was only during the first Nuclear test in Pokhran, when Indira Gandhi was heading to Pokhran, via Jaisalmer, that she recognized the cultural significance of this site as a heritage monument. Since then two parts of the haveli have been converted to a museum owned by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). On the other hand, the largest and the most splendid part of the haveli, bought over by Bafna family from the Patwas, has also been converted to a private museum and is probably the best amongst all. The remaining two parts house a shopping arcade and a private residence.

Nathmalji-ki-Haveli is yet another example of art in Jaisalmer. Constructed by another merchant named Nathmal in the 19th century, it continues to be a private residence for his descendants even today - and flaunts an ornamental facade with splendid carvings of flowers, birds, elephants, soldiers, a bicycle and even a steam engine. Salim Singh-ki-Haveli, another residence built in 1815 by the infamous Dewan (or prime minister) Salim Singh, now in ruins has beautifully carved brackets in the form of peacocks and murals on its walls inside!

‘Tummyful’, with these architectural delights and the delicacies served by the '8th July Cafe', we headed out of Jaisalmer, with a sweet taste in mouth and even sweeter memories!

- Namrta R (from my backpacking trip to Rajasthan)
Companions: Raghav and Lonely Planet

Also read about Pushkar, Ajmer, Ranthambore, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Mount Abu, Jodhpur and Thar
(View all pictures on Facebook)

9: Thar - the Sea of Sand

Our insatiable desire to explore the Great Indian Desert led us to the interiors where we spent a night by sand dunes. We camped on virgin sand dunes, beneath the clear, royal blue sky that was studded with diamond-like stars.

We rode on our respective camels, Raghav on Simon, and I on the gluttonous Dandar, who stopped by every bush to graze, for hours. Not minding the sun, we enjoyed riding on our camels and even learnt how to navigate them using the strings. A seldom painful, we did keep re-adjusting our positions but didn't halt for the want of exploring more of Thar. The scrubby terrain of the desert so reminded me of Clint Eastwood's 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'! We rode much farther than the touristy (and dirty) Sam sand dunes that flaunts a neat line of luxury Swiss tent, to reach these virgin dunes that were to be our base by the evening.

Leaving our bags and chappals, we goofed around the high and low landscape, eager to leave our footprints all across the sand, and watched the sun set behind the dunes! By then our spirits had also dulled along with the sunlight, and we decided to get some rest by sprawling out on the dunes.

Soon it was time for dinner, so we headed towards the hearth where our cook, who was accompanying us, had spread out a lavish dinner buffet and a local dessert. We were joined by Kate, Catherine and Ann, along with Mr Desert who had brought us a special Rajasthani dessert from Jaisalmer. As we ate to our heart’s content, by the bonfire, literally in the middle of no-where, Mr Desert collected the intruding beetles in a pot, feeding them some rice too, and entertained us with his stories about the desert.

A few minutes before midnight, we decided to hit our beds to wake-up in time for sunrise. So, we walked to the isolated sand dune where our beds were neatly laid, and were surprised to find one of the most fancy and clean linens! Huddled together in the quilt, we slept an unusually sound sleep in the serene sea of desert lit with moonlight – truly memorable experience!

The morning was very windy, and pleasant. We had toast and egg for breakfast, again cooked on the same hearth, on a neatly spread mattress aka dining table, while our camels drank plentiful of water. We sat there for a long time, by the calm, quiet sand dunes, in this sea of desert, admiring the no-man’s land, with no trace of anyone or anything!

By noon, the sun was shone bright and our camels longed to head back to their village, so we set out towards the city. After a long ride, we reached the rendezvous, and were greeted by our jeep driver. Hopping off our camels, we turned over our backs to cast a last glance at the splendid distant dunes, our abode for a handful of hours but memories of a lifetime.

About Mr Desert:

LN Bissa, aka Mr Desert, then a truck driver, won the title ‘Mr Desert’ for four consecutive times in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991, and received a paltry sum of Rs 500 as the prize money each time. The only criterion for selection was to look good in traditional Marwari costume. In 1991, he was entitled as ‘Mr Desert Emeritus’ and barred from participating in the pageant henceforth. (This was also followed by a rule that any winner wouldn’t be allowed to participate in the contest more than once.) Since then he has been on the selection panel of the pageant as a judge.

In 1991, Mr Desert’s friends recommended that being famous as he was, he should quit driving trucks and take to a more respectable occupation such as organizing safaris to Thar, a potential source of income in the touristy town of Jaisalmer.

For want of a name, since Thar Travels already existed, Mr Desert asked around for suggestions when he was told that there was another desert by the name of Sahara, which was bigger than his Thar. So, he rented a place near Jaisalmer fort to convert to a travel agency and named it ‘Sahara Travels’, as it exists even today.

As luck would have it, Mr Desert had no tourist or customer drop by for the initial two months, and he just sat at Sahara Travels fretting about how to feed his family. Like others, he tried visiting the railway station to catch the tourists as they get off the train, but couldn't be persistent enough as the other agents.

While he was contemplating to go back to driving trucks, suddenly around 10-12 guys from Mumbai dropped in and enquired if they could photograph him. He readily agreed, seeing no harm, and as luck would befall, the same group of guys came back after around two weeks with a contract to crown him as the ‘Marlboro Man’ of India. They even selected him as the face for their new cigarette ‘Jaisalmer’.

Soon he became a popular face in the country, with his pictures on hoardings and in magazines (or print ads), which also fetched him customers. In the meantime, he was covered by Lonely Plant, which also recommended his ‘off-the-beat’ safari, as opposed to the others offering a luxury Swiss tent around the crowded and filthy Sam sand dune. (That’s how we landed there!)

Today, Mr Desert has become a popular Jaisalmer icon in the Bollywood industry. He has gone on to do advertisement with Coke India Hritik Roshan and Tinu Anand, with Coke US which was featured during the World Cup 1996, with Asian Paints and one more with an international brand.

A simple, down-to-earth person, he continues to live a meager life even today, and operate from the same shop as back in 1991. I became the first Indian to join his fan-page on Facebook.

Thank you Mr Desert for the best night of my life!

- Namrta R (from my backpacking trip to Rajasthan)
Companions: Raghav and Lonely Planet

Also read about Pushkar, Ajmer, Ranthambore, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Mount Abu, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer.
(View all pictures on Facebook)

Random thought

My mind functions like a clock, 24/7, ah, restless me! And there are a zillion of things that I want to write about and share with everyone. Perils of having an opinion on every goddamn thing; regardless of the opinion being good or bad, right or wrong. Perhaps, I should maintain a 'To-write' list!

Blogging indeed is cathartic, it helps you voice 'it', be 'it' your opinion, observation, anything.

So Voice it,

-Namrta R

The beginning of another year

Here we go, bury our failures and cherish our successes in 2009, to look forward to a new year full of glee and peace! In this year, I am learning to ask myself at every instance - 'Will this matter after ten years?', and if the answer is yes, I am willing to fight for it, else I am just too eager to give-up! And well about my resolutions - to be open to new, and more importantly, different (than myself) viewpoints, and to lose weight (this one is my favorite and has been on the list for quite a while now :P)

Hugs 2010, embrace me!

- Namrta R

The dreamer is back!

The dreamer is back, after seven long months. One dream down, which is marrying "Raghav", the guy who I really love and long to spend my life with. Of-course a zillion more dreams to go :)

Life has taken some unexpected turns, and I am hoping to share some of the interesting experiences here, be it brands or non-brands :P, so do ignore some posts about random topics related to me!

Love.

- Namrta R

Wax 'em!

Get two women together, and either they will be an an instant hit or they will explode!

So, if they click then here are some of the 'hottest' topics of discussion, ahem! (Spare me gals)

• Boyfriends, or hubbies!
• Shopping!
• Waxing, ah well, any beauty-related stuff!

Often the top two also figure out in my top favorites, there speaks-up the gal in me! But the third definitely puts me at an unrest. Wax 'em, why? C'mon ppl, its normal, and its hormonal. Worse, others around tend to be more conscious, watchful, mindful, and remind-ful of your waxing, threading, and blah blah. C'mon ppl, its normal, and its hormonal.

Beautification is a personal choice, and not a necessity! If you choose to beautify, you should be welcome; but if you choose not to, its nobody's business, so nobody should give a damn or care about it! And none, what-so-ever, can form any opinion of you based upon your choice to or not to wax, thread, blah blah. To me, its more like being comfortable with who you are, what you are!

- A Feminist :)

The Orgasm Lane!

Call it the overtaking lane, the speeding lane, or simply the right lane, for really there is no specific name for it in India. And it’s amusing how the Indian guys just vie and vow to stick to it. But ‘why’ - an obvious question! Ah well, it sure must be the orgasm lane. Ahem. No points for guessing. So guys, c'mon, contend and contest, pull to the right, and sense the sensational orgasm.

However, I must confess that even I am guilty of this perpetual tendency to keep to the right, besides being an inadvertent spectator. Orgasm or no-orgasm, I subconsciously pull to the right to experience the euphoria. Jokes apart, I tried to discover and pen down my raison d'être for feeling safer in the right-est lane, an out of the 'so-Western' world feeling.

1) Lack of infrastructure for pedestrians, or the poor Walkability Index (read post ‘Treading the tough path’; label: Trends), prompts them to use the left lane for walking. And mind you, they seldom mind the honk.

2) Even on a six-lane highway, the left-most lanes on either side are usually the make-shift parking slots.

3) The probability of you knocking down a cyclist, appearing out of nowhere in the dark, is much lesser in the right lane.

4) Any keen observer would testify that the roads usually starts dilapidating from the left, am yet to discover the logic though!

Indeed, methinks, driving to the right is my biggest service to mankind. It helps me save the lives of hundreds of those fearless soldiers who couldn’t care less for their lives.

A toast to their lives, and my ‘right’ (pun intended) drive!

- Namrta Batra