Bangalore is surrounded with weekend getaways for one and all. This comes as a relief for computer-staring, white-collar, IT folks who have migrated here from around the country and make a bunch of the city's populace. One such site is that of Savandurga, located 60 kms from Bangalore and makes for a hell of a trekking experience (was the toughest for me till date).
Me and a couple of friends set out from Bangalore on bikes late morning (couple of Avengers).
Me and a couple of friends set out from Bangalore on bikes late morning (couple of Avengers).
While other places have clubs, bars and underground racing. . . Jaipur has hills, forts and palaces.
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| Amber Palace |
Jaipur is a timeless city, with the past, present and future all co-existing and complementing each other. The old "Pink City" is still the commercial hub of Jaipur. There is one active palace inside the Pink City which acts as a residence for the "Royal Family" of Jaipur. There are three other forts in the neighborhood of the city which also are integral to lives of the residents. The Amber Palace, residence of the founder of Jaipur and his ancestors. Jaigarh, the war time fort for the residents of Amber Palace, thankfully it was never needed . . .
“The first thing I noticed about Bombay, on that first day, was the smell of the different air. I could smell it before I saw or heard anything of India, even as I walked along the umbilical corridor that connected the plane to the airport. I was excited and delighted by it… but I didn’t and couldn’t recognize it. I know now that it’s the sweet, sweating smell of hope, which is the opposite of hate; and it’s the sour stifled smell of greed, which is the opposite of love. It’s the smell of gods, demons, empires, and civilizations in resurrection and decay… It smells of the stir and sleep and waste of sixty million animals, more than half of them humans and rats. It smells of heartbreak, and the struggle to live, and of the crucial failures and loves that produce our courage. It smells of ten thousand restaurants, five thousand temples, shrines, churches, and mosques, and of a hundred bazaars devoted exclusively to perfumes, spices, incense, and freshly cut flowers… the worst good smell in the world. The next thing I noticed was the heat. I stood in airport queues, not five minutes from the conditioned air of the plane, and my clothes clung to sudden sweat… Each breath was an angry little victory… Then there were the people; warrior caste, Brahmin, and untouchable; Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Parsee, Jain, Animist; fair skin and dark, green eyes and golden brown and black; every different face and form of that extravagant variety, that incomparable beauty, India.” --Gregory David Roberts ("Shantaram")
A similar flood of emotions and thoughts strikes anyone who steps into this island of dreams. This city is a showcase of India and, indeed, the World. It has a strong flavor of the energy, spirit and aspirations of countless of peoples, most of whom are immigrants or their descendants. The world's poorest and the richest live here as equals, walking with the same stride, carrying the same pride, and riding the same locals. It is a city which lives on its own rules and with its own dynamics. This is Atlantis reincarnate, but unlike the mythical Greek city, even Gods have failed to shake it. This is Bombay.
'There is a saying in Tibetan, “Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.” No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster'
--Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama.
After a twelve hour ride in an HRTC (Him Pride) bus from Delhi, an overnight journey, we got off at Dharamshala ISBT late morning on a cool clear day. At first it seemed like any average town in the foothills of the Himalayas, but after a five minute walk we came across a Caucasian girl, the sight of whom is still vivid in my mind. She must have been around 25. She was tall, had grey eyes, and yes she was very pretty and had a charming smile. She was also donning a bright red kasaya (Buddhist robe), wearing a serene expression, and had a clean shaven head. Pun unintended, she exuded a particular radiance, associated with the monks of lore. We realized then that we have come to a different world, a spiritual oasis, secluded in this niche of the Himalayas. Dharamshala indeed.
No one is truly a gypsy. There is always that one place that you are tied to, and you can always feel a the pull towards it. Jaipur City was where I was brought up and have spent most of my life. So that's where I start from.
My house is in the very center of the city in the locality of C-Scheme. Within a mile from there is a famous landmark of Jaipur, a tall figure of the the city's founder with a royal canopy, made completely in white marble. The figure itself is erected on a major cross road and due to lack of other highly creative names, the point is known as Statue Circle. The Statue is that of Maharaja Jai Singh II, and the city too is named after him.
"Walking ten thousand miles of the world is better than reading ten thousand scrolls"
--Chinese proverb
I am a traveler of both time and space and I always wanted to make a travelogue of the many places I have visited, the people I've met and the adventures that naturally follow. . . and that is what this blog is going to be about.
About the title. It is an Urdu word simply meaning a nomad or a gypsy, a highly entropic person who chooses movement and randomness as his lifestyle. Why is it my title? Well, simply I like how it sounds... and also, I can strongly relate to it. By choice and chance, I have been places, I'm a jack of many trades, and I know a thing or two about a few things. . . well, you get the picture.
I guess that is how most of the travelers see themselves, vagabonds on a quest. They are always on a search. Search for new lands, new cultures, new cuisines, a new perspective or even a new life. Whatever it is, a journey is fuel for their spirit and a means of growth.
That's it for the introduction. Hope you guys enjoy the following posts. Stay tuned my friends and stay thirsty.
