The 4-nights trip from Mumbai to Kumbalgarh, in February 2015 was characterized by history, culture, spirituality, leisure and shopping. An overnight train journey from Bandra Terminus Station, Mumbai brought us to Falna Station in Rajasthan at 10.30 am. A pre-booked car was there at the station to pick us up. Our first stop was The Ranakpur Temple but on our driver's suggestion, we stopped at a place to eat lunch before we arrived at the temple. The plan was to have authentic Rajasthani food but wood-burn pizza sold next door at a midway in the highway of Rajasthan was too tempting and refusing it would be like denying hot cocoa in Iceland.
The zero- stop at weaver's studio.
An experienced driver can make a great difference to your trip, Ram Singh was one such driver, he introduced us to Sataram Prajapat a weaver at Pali- a polite, soft spoken man who single- handedly wove, displayed and sold the carpets, available in all sizes. The prices were fair and the designs interesting and I had a new carpet to take home.
An experienced driver can make a great difference to your trip, Ram Singh was one such driver, he introduced us to Sataram Prajapat a weaver at Pali- a polite, soft spoken man who single- handedly wove, displayed and sold the carpets, available in all sizes. The prices were fair and the designs interesting and I had a new carpet to take home.
The First Stop- La Pizzeria- Real Wood Fire Pizza
True to its name, the pizzas were freshly made and scrumptious. The Pasta was served in a generous portion, very saucy and full of herbs. Definitely the most expensive meal of the trip but definitely worth it. Meal for two 1000 Rs
True to its name, the pizzas were freshly made and scrumptious. The Pasta was served in a generous portion, very saucy and full of herbs. Definitely the most expensive meal of the trip but definitely worth it. Meal for two 1000 Rs
Ranakpur Temple
The temple is located at a distance of 35 km from Falna station ( closest station) and about 90 km from Udaipur. There are good roads that get you at the doorstep of the temple. You have to liberate yourself from all leather articles that you are carrying before you enter the temple. Please do keep some change in your pockets for entry fee and camera fee. Also carry your photo id proof as a security for the audio device otherwise be ready to shell out 2000 Rs as security for the audio device. I recommend the audio device for this tour.
Read more about the temple in the Spiritual section
http://joyfultravelpie.weebly.com/spiritual
The temple is located at a distance of 35 km from Falna station ( closest station) and about 90 km from Udaipur. There are good roads that get you at the doorstep of the temple. You have to liberate yourself from all leather articles that you are carrying before you enter the temple. Please do keep some change in your pockets for entry fee and camera fee. Also carry your photo id proof as a security for the audio device otherwise be ready to shell out 2000 Rs as security for the audio device. I recommend the audio device for this tour.
Read more about the temple in the Spiritual section
http://joyfultravelpie.weebly.com/spiritual
By the time we checked into the resort it was early evening. The weather was mild cold and a hot water bath at that time need not have been in the itinerary. The resort had organised traditional folk dance from Rajasthan typical of the Marwar style for its guests. The women were dressed in colorful attires (ghaghra- choli), they wore bangles that went over and under the elbow joint, which was a common practice not a prerequisite for a dance. The one near the elbow fitted so well that I wondered how they managed to take it over their elbow. Well a trained hand can do that and in this case it is a very heavy hand.
A scrumptious dinner and a walk under a sky of million stars gave me a feeling of being out of this world literally, I was away from my world in Mumbai and I did not mind that, not a bit.
This holiday felt like a holiday! There was no hurry next morning, ample time before and after breakfast to enjoy the freshness in the air. The soft breeze teased the rustic mountains which stood motionless, it made the leaves rustle with happiness and when it reached me, it gave me a message from the environs of Rajasthan, the land of Marwar and Mewar.
The Kumbalgarh Fort
The travel desk at the resort advised us to leave at 3.30 pm to visit the fort. The light and sound show at the fort was scheduled for 7 pm (winter timing), according to them that would give us enough time to see the fort and the palace. The entry tickets were as follows
Adult Child
Monday to Friday 75 40
Saturday & Sunday 100 50
Foreigner- All day 200
The travel desk at the resort advised us to leave at 3.30 pm to visit the fort. The light and sound show at the fort was scheduled for 7 pm (winter timing), according to them that would give us enough time to see the fort and the palace. The entry tickets were as follows
Adult Child
Monday to Friday 75 40
Saturday & Sunday 100 50
Foreigner- All day 200
A brief history:-
This hill fort of Rajasthan was built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th Century A.D, strategically between Mewar and Marwar. Kumbha decided to build the wall of the fort, where remains of an empire built by a Jain Prince lay. All attempts to built the wall failed, a spiritual guidance was sought by Kumbha and he was told that a human body has to be cut off at neck (voluntary sacrifice), a temple should be constructed where the head falls and the the fort where the body falls. The mighty fort was constructed on a rocky hill at 1100 meters above the sea-level, it witnessed and won many wars, it provided protection and shelter to Prince Udai of Marwar and was the birth place of Maharana Pratap.
This hill fort of Rajasthan was built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th Century A.D, strategically between Mewar and Marwar. Kumbha decided to build the wall of the fort, where remains of an empire built by a Jain Prince lay. All attempts to built the wall failed, a spiritual guidance was sought by Kumbha and he was told that a human body has to be cut off at neck (voluntary sacrifice), a temple should be constructed where the head falls and the the fort where the body falls. The mighty fort was constructed on a rocky hill at 1100 meters above the sea-level, it witnessed and won many wars, it provided protection and shelter to Prince Udai of Marwar and was the birth place of Maharana Pratap.
With a 36 km long wall and 360 temples, The Kumbalgarh Fort is singularly the most remarkable fort in India. The immense entrance ( Ram Pol) resembling the curves of elephants transcends you to a different world. One entrance leads to the other, Hanuman Pol is the gigantic entrance to the fort. Suddenly you realise there is very little time and there is so much to explore. These towering gates along with the palace on the top of the fort ( Baadal Mahal) does not make you feel small but gives you mammoth energy as you trek towards the sky. There are fantastic views of the fort-wall, temple structures and Aravalli Ranges and such a pity that you have to hurry. You have to finish all the sightings and be seated for the 7 pm- Light and sound show. I regretted not having reached the fort earlier and relying on the travel desk.
Badal Mahal- Palace in the Clouds was constructed by Rana Fateh Singh in the 19th century. True to its name the palace gets you close to the mountains and provide bird-eye view of this historic city.The palace is full of windows that act like natural air-conditioners and bestow views from varied angles and different degrees of zoom. The palace is erected in two-levels and a narrow flight of stairs bring you to the top where you can go close to the domes and see the wall of the fort. Though you cannot see the entire wall of the fort and all the temples from this height but you surely get a taste of it.
The Light and sound show- Precinct Of Shiva Temple
There are few permanent benches that sits few people so we took a seat 20 minutes before the show was to start, but in just a few minutes, hundreds of chairs were laid and people just mushroomed out of nowhere. It is not a rarity in India, people here can outnumber anything even molecules of oxygen in the air. I will not say much about the light and sound show, I enjoyed it a lot because I went with no expectations and I want the same for you. joyfultravelpie highly recommends a visit to the fort and watching the show.
There are few permanent benches that sits few people so we took a seat 20 minutes before the show was to start, but in just a few minutes, hundreds of chairs were laid and people just mushroomed out of nowhere. It is not a rarity in India, people here can outnumber anything even molecules of oxygen in the air. I will not say much about the light and sound show, I enjoyed it a lot because I went with no expectations and I want the same for you. joyfultravelpie highly recommends a visit to the fort and watching the show.
Dinner at Gorbandh Pure Veg Restaurant
What a end to this fantastic day! The restaurant served authentic Rajasthani food like Daal Baati Churma, freshly baked, golden with few black spots here and there, daal- tangy and spicy with aromatic spices. The Aloo bhaji, gatta saag and rotis were to die for, my stomach is crunching as I write about it.
What a end to this fantastic day! The restaurant served authentic Rajasthani food like Daal Baati Churma, freshly baked, golden with few black spots here and there, daal- tangy and spicy with aromatic spices. The Aloo bhaji, gatta saag and rotis were to die for, my stomach is crunching as I write about it.
16th April
Kumbalgarh National Park
Kumbalgarh National Park
A trip to a national park is a trip to unknown, which justifies the excitement that ran in our spine that day, we insisted that we want to reach the park at 5.00 AM, to improve our chance to see the nocturnal animals but we were told that the park opens only at 6.00 AM. The vehicle picked us up from the resort and brought us to the gate of Kumbalgarh National Park only to be welcomed by howling dogs. We waited for more than 15 minutes while the driver got a rusted key and a very thin, shivering old man who was to be our guide.
Read more about it in the wildlife section
17th April
Trek to Parshu Ram Mahadev Temple, Hamir Ki Tal, Kelwara Village
Trek to Parshu Ram Mahadev Temple, Hamir Ki Tal, Kelwara Village
Parshu Ram Mahadev Temple is in a cave which falls in between Mewar and Marwar. The center point of our trek was this Shiva Temple and the day of the trek Mahashivratri. We decided to trek from Mewar side,the starting point of the 2.5 km long trek was 5 km away from the resort. The driver warned us of notorious monkeys that we would encounter on the way and advised us to carry long sticks which were lend by the shopkeepers at the starting point. It was a climb down for us as we started the trek at around 10.00 am; the weather was gorgeous, it felt like 6.00 am of Mumbai, the energy levels soared as high as mountains all around us. A large part of the way was made by abrupt stairs, at few places the path was rocky and steep, we reminded the kids that they have to go at a steady pace and not tire themselves by jumping around as coming back would be tiring. The monkeys kept away from us not sure if it was the sticks or something else. The mountains became closer and closer as we went down and unlike oceans they looked more beautiful from close.
We reached to the base of the high cave where the deity rested, the temple was not at all crowded, just a few people( less than 10 ) that surprised us. On questioning a priest stationed in a room at the base, we were informed that there are lots of Shiva temple in vicinity so the crowd gets distributed. Around 50 high and narrow steps needed to be climbed to get close to the deity, we left our long sticks down and started the climb. A regular follower walked in front of me with some flowers in a small packet in his hand. A monkey came from no where and tried to grab the packet from his hand and the man tried to hold his hand back negotiating and explaining there was no eatables in it but without a wink the monkey grabbed it and evaded. I clinged to my sling bag and tried to hide it with my arms. The cave was dark and the rock touched my head. My husband carried a knapsack on his back, he walked infront of me. As he started going down the stairs I saw a monkey from other side tell the monkey on our side to grab his bag. I saw that and called out loudly to my husband, but by that time the monkey was already there to grab his bag, he shouted, ducked try to scare it but the monkey was too determined. The man whose flowers were grabbed was going down next to him, my husband cried for help but they stood still and laughed saying why did you carry a bag. My kids and me stood at the top stair watching all this in utmost fear but my husband pushed the monkey hard and ran down the stair as though a ghost was behind him. Well a packet of potato chips would have costed us three cell phones and two cameras if my husband had not acted like Tarzan. I could have not taken any chances after witnessing that, I took off my bag, put it inside my top and ran.
We had anticipated the 2.5 km of climbing up to be difficult but by the time we thought, we had come 60%, we were already at the starting point. We treated ourselves to fresh lemonade and sat in the car for the next stop.
We reached to the base of the high cave where the deity rested, the temple was not at all crowded, just a few people( less than 10 ) that surprised us. On questioning a priest stationed in a room at the base, we were informed that there are lots of Shiva temple in vicinity so the crowd gets distributed. Around 50 high and narrow steps needed to be climbed to get close to the deity, we left our long sticks down and started the climb. A regular follower walked in front of me with some flowers in a small packet in his hand. A monkey came from no where and tried to grab the packet from his hand and the man tried to hold his hand back negotiating and explaining there was no eatables in it but without a wink the monkey grabbed it and evaded. I clinged to my sling bag and tried to hide it with my arms. The cave was dark and the rock touched my head. My husband carried a knapsack on his back, he walked infront of me. As he started going down the stairs I saw a monkey from other side tell the monkey on our side to grab his bag. I saw that and called out loudly to my husband, but by that time the monkey was already there to grab his bag, he shouted, ducked try to scare it but the monkey was too determined. The man whose flowers were grabbed was going down next to him, my husband cried for help but they stood still and laughed saying why did you carry a bag. My kids and me stood at the top stair watching all this in utmost fear but my husband pushed the monkey hard and ran down the stair as though a ghost was behind him. Well a packet of potato chips would have costed us three cell phones and two cameras if my husband had not acted like Tarzan. I could have not taken any chances after witnessing that, I took off my bag, put it inside my top and ran.
We had anticipated the 2.5 km of climbing up to be difficult but by the time we thought, we had come 60%, we were already at the starting point. We treated ourselves to fresh lemonade and sat in the car for the next stop.
Hamir Ka Tal
This side of Rajasthan is very green, and this lake nestled between the mountains is a proof of it. It was a very scenic drive to the lake and though the lake was dirty at many places the kids had a blast feeding scores of Catfish. We carried biscuits to feed the fishes( as suggested by the driver) finished in no time. A local family was there who had got lot of dough and were happy to share with us. The kids had a blast feeding the fishes for a long time. These were very greedy fishes who opened their mouth very wide as kids aimed balls of dough directly in their mouth
This side of Rajasthan is very green, and this lake nestled between the mountains is a proof of it. It was a very scenic drive to the lake and though the lake was dirty at many places the kids had a blast feeding scores of Catfish. We carried biscuits to feed the fishes( as suggested by the driver) finished in no time. A local family was there who had got lot of dough and were happy to share with us. The kids had a blast feeding the fishes for a long time. These were very greedy fishes who opened their mouth very wide as kids aimed balls of dough directly in their mouth
Kelwara Village
The main street of Kelwara Village had shops on both sides. There was no crowd on the street and the shops had no buyers. It was two in the afternoon and I felt sad for the shopkeepers who seem to wait endlessly for buyers. I entered a couple of garment shops that had colourful fabrics on display. We had Rajasthani lunch at Karni Palace Hotel located at the market place. The food was delicious served at the terrace providing beautiful view of trees in a green lawn.
18th April- Nathdwara Temple, Haldighati,
With a heavy heart, I left the proximity of Kumbhalgarh Fort, though there was a tinge of excitement to explore new places, after all there was an entire day of sight-seeing planned.
The first stop en route to Udaipur from Kumbhalgarh was Nathdwara Temple (Shrinathji Temple). The temple is very auspicious for Hindus and very significant for followers of Krishna ( Re-incarnate of Vishnu), though we do not belong to this category, candidly speaking we stopped for curiosity and culture. There are precise slots within which one is allowed inside the temple and on all days of the year it is crowded if not over-crowded. Our driver knew somebody who would take us in from the back gate, it seems many drivers knew many such people as the back gate was also super crowded. The staunch followers began singing in the praise of Lord Krishna and in no time you had to stand in one foot space.
The first stop en route to Udaipur from Kumbhalgarh was Nathdwara Temple (Shrinathji Temple). The temple is very auspicious for Hindus and very significant for followers of Krishna ( Re-incarnate of Vishnu), though we do not belong to this category, candidly speaking we stopped for curiosity and culture. There are precise slots within which one is allowed inside the temple and on all days of the year it is crowded if not over-crowded. Our driver knew somebody who would take us in from the back gate, it seems many drivers knew many such people as the back gate was also super crowded. The staunch followers began singing in the praise of Lord Krishna and in no time you had to stand in one foot space.
The second stop was Haldighati-the famous battle site where Rana Pratap- king of Mewar heroically faught with Man Singh- General of Mughal Emperor, Akbar. In this battle the loyal and lion-hearted horse of Rana Pratap valiantly rescued him. He carried the emperor on his back and ran away from the war site. The peculiarity in the event was that both the horse and the emperor were injured. Chetak was stabbed by a sword which an elephant held in its nostril, the knackered horse jumped over a stream of water to bring the master to safety. Chetak has ever since remained immortal in the minds of Indian People.
The Haldighati is a pass between mountains of Aravalli Range. It gets its name from the yellow soil which is found in the mountain. As we walked on the narrow strip between the mountains on two sides it felt as if we were a part of a picture that a child drew in the art class. Indubitably that late morning the road was a perfect spotless grey and the mountains on two sides so approachable that even as i write i can sense the immense excitement I felt.
Maharana Pratap Gufa ( cave)
A little ahead of the mountain pass is a cave which is very symbolic to Maharana Pratap as he would congregate with his counsel members there. The cave is intact today. one can go inside this 20 meter long cave but the outside cannot be anywhere near what it used to be. A concrete road gets you at the entrance of the cave, and there are temples and Hindu idols place near the cave.
A little ahead of the mountain pass is a cave which is very symbolic to Maharana Pratap as he would congregate with his counsel members there. The cave is intact today. one can go inside this 20 meter long cave but the outside cannot be anywhere near what it used to be. A concrete road gets you at the entrance of the cave, and there are temples and Hindu idols place near the cave.
Chetak Samadhi- Memorial Of Chetak
A little ahead of Haldighati, there is a small garden which is the site for Chetak's memorial. It has a very interesting 4-faced sculptor which has been placed in an outer structure resembling a temple. There were fresh flowers on the sculptor signifying that prays are offered to it on daily basis. Outside the memorial there was a sugarcane juice vendor, an excellent drink to have on a hectic day.
A little ahead of Haldighati, there is a small garden which is the site for Chetak's memorial. It has a very interesting 4-faced sculptor which has been placed in an outer structure resembling a temple. There were fresh flowers on the sculptor signifying that prays are offered to it on daily basis. Outside the memorial there was a sugarcane juice vendor, an excellent drink to have on a hectic day.
Maharana Pratap Smarak ( statue)
A sign board opposite the Chetak Memorial read Maharana Pratap Smarak, there is a gate and a fort like wall but the driver told us that he could not take his car through the gate as it was a steep climb. Reluctantly he promised to take us through another gate (He was hoping that we would not ask to go). The driver needed a little bit of prodding to take us to this spot, for some reason he was in a hurry to take us to Udaipur.
A broad flight of stairs led to the high statue of Maharana Pratap sitting on Chetak, also there was fabulous views of Aravalli Range and its settlements to savor.
A sign board opposite the Chetak Memorial read Maharana Pratap Smarak, there is a gate and a fort like wall but the driver told us that he could not take his car through the gate as it was a steep climb. Reluctantly he promised to take us through another gate (He was hoping that we would not ask to go). The driver needed a little bit of prodding to take us to this spot, for some reason he was in a hurry to take us to Udaipur.
A broad flight of stairs led to the high statue of Maharana Pratap sitting on Chetak, also there was fabulous views of Aravalli Range and its settlements to savor.
Haldighati Museum
An adult ticket is for 50 Rs and child ticket is for 30 Rs, you have to wait in the waiting room for a guide, who will take you through the museum. There is a documentary film on Maharana Pratap, there are life-size depiction of Pratap's story from birth till his heroic death,. A small, but interesting museum to visit.
An adult ticket is for 50 Rs and child ticket is for 30 Rs, you have to wait in the waiting room for a guide, who will take you through the museum. There is a documentary film on Maharana Pratap, there are life-size depiction of Pratap's story from birth till his heroic death,. A small, but interesting museum to visit.
Museum shop
Along with this museum is a handicraft shop, actually it is a shop's shop! a very comprehensive collection of all specialties from the state. It is because of these kind of shop that this trip became a shopping trip for me. I brought some bulky stuff which they promised to courier me.
Along with this museum is a handicraft shop, actually it is a shop's shop! a very comprehensive collection of all specialties from the state. It is because of these kind of shop that this trip became a shopping trip for me. I brought some bulky stuff which they promised to courier me.
Udaipur
Rajasthan Museum shopping Complex at Saheli Marg
Rajasthan Museum shopping Complex at Saheli Marg
Back to back shopping but no complaints as what I missed in the previous shop I picked here. This one had a fine collection of fabrics in the form of saris, bed linen, duvets, quilts. I picked a medicated pure cotton king size duvet and some jewellery.
An oasis in the desert, the Aravalli side of Rajasthan has optimum conditions for plant life to flourish and Udaipur is one of the most beautiful cities in India. Blessed by lakes it is called The lake City. The city was established by Udai Singh, father of Maharana Pratap.
Sahelion Ki Bari
The second stop that early evening was this beautiful garden. What differentiates it from other gardens that I have been to, is the flaunting water bodies, water fountains and marble pavilions. Beautiful flowering plants, rare trees and green shady walk-ways give it a spring feeling throughout the year. Situated at the bank of Fateh Sagar Lake, I can imagine the queens with their maids having a royal- resort time at this heavenly garden once upon a time. A guide is also available if you are keen to know the princely stories.
Sahelion Ki Bari
The second stop that early evening was this beautiful garden. What differentiates it from other gardens that I have been to, is the flaunting water bodies, water fountains and marble pavilions. Beautiful flowering plants, rare trees and green shady walk-ways give it a spring feeling throughout the year. Situated at the bank of Fateh Sagar Lake, I can imagine the queens with their maids having a royal- resort time at this heavenly garden once upon a time. A guide is also available if you are keen to know the princely stories.
Fateh Sagar Lake, Nehru Garden
There is speed boat and a water taxi at your disposal to experience the lake. We took a ferry which was not a great idea because it was too crowded and it smelled of fuel that made me queasy and water sick at the same time. We stopped at the Nehru Park for just a few minutes as after being to Sahelion Ki Bari this garden did not feel like a garden, only plus was that it provided some great views of the lake and city.
There is speed boat and a water taxi at your disposal to experience the lake. We took a ferry which was not a great idea because it was too crowded and it smelled of fuel that made me queasy and water sick at the same time. We stopped at the Nehru Park for just a few minutes as after being to Sahelion Ki Bari this garden did not feel like a garden, only plus was that it provided some great views of the lake and city.
Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal
Situated very close to Fateh Sagar Lake, this is a museum with an auditorium that host cultural shows typical of the state of Rajasthan. We were just in time to see the 6pm-7pm Puppet Show and Folk Dance. It was 250 seater comfortable auditorium and the puppet show was outstanding. One of the best I have ever seen.I highly recommend the show to all Joyful Travelpie Readers.
Situated very close to Fateh Sagar Lake, this is a museum with an auditorium that host cultural shows typical of the state of Rajasthan. We were just in time to see the 6pm-7pm Puppet Show and Folk Dance. It was 250 seater comfortable auditorium and the puppet show was outstanding. One of the best I have ever seen.I highly recommend the show to all Joyful Travelpie Readers.
Dinner at Amantra Comfort Hotel and a train back home.