Captivating landscapes and mystical sandy road sides make up the western most state called Rajasthan. You know you have arrived when you have granite bathrooms and marble lined walls on every other house! We landed around lunch time and were graciously welcomed with a “namashkar” as we sprung across the parking lot to our ride. Jodhpur is known as the blue city which is otherwise renowned for houses built of “red stones”. Their grandeur lies in their elegant stone carvings, large arches and ornate structures. The same afternoon we drove west towards Jaisalmer - a tourist hostpost, home to spectacular sand dunes, majestic hotels and heritage structures built entirely of “golden stones”. As we approached Jaisalmer, the countryside grew sandier with sudden spurts of vegetation - a vestige of previous monsoons.
Everything in Rajasthan is exquisite and royal. Be its local bird the very elegant “peacock”, the rich heritage, local cuisine, vibrant clothing or the large hearted people of Rajasthan!
Peacock is possibly the only bird species of which the males are prettier than their female counterparts. Peacocks seem oblivious of their own beauty as they occasionally strut across the roadside with surprising speed with their glorious tails threatening to slow them down. People completely ignored this gorgeous creature. Infact a sure shot way of distinguishing between the locals and tourists is the amount of attention they pay to these delightful creatures.
Our hotel in Jaisalmer was a majestic ‘haveli’ with a nice size pool which served as a bird bath. Each morning, I woke up to soothing music played by the hotel's flute wielding watchman. After a wonderful breakfast we set off into the desert, squinting in the sunlight. The desert has its own charm with miles of land and sparse vegetation and people. And yet every once in a while the desert managed to amaze us with patches of greenery and flower bearing cactuses.
After spending 3 days in the blinding sunlight and scorching heat of the desert, I could relate to people’s experiences of a ‘mirage’. The absence of a sea was sorely felt, especially next to masses of sand covering every inch of the land! In stark contrast late evenings and mornings were pleasant and almost compensated for the impossible hot day times that left us shrivelled and tanned making Rajasthan a sun bather’s paradise!
