Tag: Rajasthan

TTL: Alwar: City Palace

It had been a hectic week for me. Shifting to a new city, Mumbai, finding a suitable place to stay, joining my job at L&T Realty, etc. But finally, tonight, I can catch up and continue.
So, after roaming about in Delhi for a couple of days, we booked a car, and were on our way to Alwar, Rajasthan.
Alwar, like most of the cities in Rajasthan, has a fort and a palace and a lake too. The city is famous for the City Palace, the cenotaph of Musi Maharani, Bala Qila ( a fort on top of a hill). Nearby places include the Sariska Tiger Reserve and a little further is India’s and Asia’s most haunted and the world’s 4th most haunted place, Bhangarh Fort.

We had a limited time and range, so we hit the city palace and on our way back, the idea was to go to the Neemrana Fort.

The following are some of the photos from the trip.

City Palace, Alwar, Rajasthan

Girl posing with a column at City Palace, Alwar, Rajasthan

The main structure of the Bala Qilla, Alwar, Rajasthan

Girl smiling on the Terrace of the City Palace, Alwar, Rajasthan

Distant view of the Bala Qilla, Alwar, Rajasthan

I must say, Tuhina, in her neo-ethnic dress fit in marvellously and looked stunning. I’ll admit, I must have missed a couple of amazing shots because I was too busy admiring her :p

Girl walking near the lake at Musi Maharani cenotaph, City Palace, Alwar, Rajasthan

Girl happily spinning near the columns, City Palace, Alwar, Rajasthan

Girl sitting and smiling at cenotaph of Musi Maharani, City Palace, Alwar, Rajasthan

The next photo, is one of my favourite photos. As she descended down the stairs, I called out to her, she turned, and smiled! Such beauty!!

Tuhina looking the prettiest

On the way back, we did go to the Neemrana Fort, to find it closed. It stays open from 1000h to 1300h on the days of operation. The minimum expense that one has to bear is ₹1900. Probably it would have been amazing inside, but all we managed to see was this.

Peacock roaming near the Neemrana Fort, Rajasthan

Neemrana Fort, Rajasthan

By this time, we were tired and exhausted and still had another 100kms of drive ahead of us. So, we turned and came back to Delhi.

The route to Alwar is pretty decent, with the roads in the Gurgaon area being quite amazing. The drive is a comfortable one in general.

We still had a few places to visit in Delhi, coming up real soon.

Cheers!!

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The ones that didn’t win – III

Here is one from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India.

During my trip to the desert the last year, I was there in June, peak summer, hence off season.

So, for a camel ride that costs about ₹1200 normally, I got it in ₹400. They posed too 🙂

Camel and Man in Thar Desert India shot in silhouette

The series continues, rest can be found here.

Cheers!!

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Empty and Eerie

Have you been to an empty house? The furniture covered, dust settled on them. Only the ticking of the wall clock. The floor creaks as you walk about and you get the feeling that though the place is empty, but you are not alone.
Now, imagine that being an entire village. Had it been thriving, it would have been the biggest village in the vicinity. Almost a hundred houses. All alike, and empty. No roofs remain, doors gone, and the people who called this place their home, have vanished.

This could be the perfect setting for some horror flick too. And this place exists very much on the map. I give you , Kuldhara. Dont be creeped out just yet.
A hamlet on the outskirts of the golden city of Jaisalmer, is this empty, and often referred as haunted village. There are more than a hundred houses and none of them are surviving in proper conditions. Folklore is that one night following decisions by the village elders, the entire village shipped out, with their belongings and also the temple idol, never to be found or traced again. All they left behind were the lores, the empty houses and a curse that no one will be able to stay in the village. True to the word, the village is devoid of any settlement, human or otherwise.
The feeling that you are being watched, is highly felt and a certain sadness fills you up as you see the ruins.

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All that remains are just ruins!

This is also an example of double exposure shots. More to follow soon.

Cheers!!

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TTL: Jodhpur

Finally, the last stop, Jodhpur, and from here, I turned back homewards.  I arrived at Jodhpur in the morning, around 7, and I had my train back in the evening. So, I didnt have a lot of time to spare. I chose to visit the Mehrangarh Fort only.

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Cenotaph of a sentry
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Fort architecture

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Boundary walls and Jaswant Thada
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The Umaid Palace

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The Blue city

I returned back with enough time to get some sleep and then the long train journey back home.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about this trip. Check out the other destinations here: Delhi I and II , Jaipur, Jaisalmer I , II and III.
For my travelogues, check out the category : TTL

The next trip, would be an interesting one, because I shall be shifting base to the western side of the country, to Pune, for pursuing my masters degree. Until the next travel post…

Cheers!!

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TTL: Jaisalmer – Kuldhara Village

Kuldhara, is a village on the outskirts of Jaisalmer which has not been inhabited continuously for more than 300 years at least. The folk lore is that the local king made life unbearable and everyone of the entire village left, along with their belongings and also the deity, all in one night. And since then, the place is abandoned. Some say there are spooky vibes, but for me, I felt sad. Sad, at the thought that this village, once thriving and home to so many people is empty now. There are 2 or 3 standing structures, the photos have been mainly shot from the roof of one of the remaining houses.

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The main road within the village.

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Rooftop view 1
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Rooftop View 2
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Rooftop View 3
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Rooftop View 4

There are at least a hundred houses in the village, and all except for the one I was standing on, are in similar ruined state. It is curious that all the houses are devoid of roofs, where as the roof seems very solidly built.

Within the preserved rooms, the names of many couples have been engraved in the walls in horrible hand writings, nevertheless, one way to let the world know of the undying love. There are signs of vandalism too.

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There must have been an Idol or something of value here

The place is protected under the local authority but is clearly not maintained. With time, Kuldhara would be engulfed by the vegetation and sand.

With a slight feeling of lingering sadness, we hit the road towards Sam Sand dunes. Coming up next.

Cheers!!

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Off Season Desert Travel

If you are in the northern hemisphere, and near the tropics, you ll know what heat is, during the month of June. And, in this summer heat, I decided to take an Off Season desert trip. This was pretty much my view and trust me, it was oddly satisfying knowing that this big ambling ship of desert will get me home safe, plus, the prices are almost 1/20th  of that of the peak time.

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Check out the other takes on Off Season.

Shots from New Delhi and three awesome cities of Rajasthan, coming up soon! Stay tuned right here.

Cheers!!

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Glimpse of Jaisalmer

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Panorama shot from the Jaisalmer Fort

More when I return home, in a week
Cheers

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