Vadodara - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer travelogue

My wife lived part of her life in Rajasthan before she married me.

She actually lived through various parts of Rajasthan with her family. My father in law worked in Rajasthan Ground water department. He had to go to places to search for water. Water is scarce in Rajsthan. So, she has seen West to East of Rajasthan through North to almost South end of it. Through this vivid past of heat, cold, love, study, history and geography of Rajasthan, I had my wife as complete a human being as one can be. And I have her stories of Rajasthan. She spent a lot of time in Bikaner among other cities.

I have seen her world through her eyes, mind and words. I wanted to see her in her own past, I wanted to see her walking in her own, known alleys, lanes, through lights and darks as she used to in her teens. We had an open date plan to visit Bikaner and Jodhpur for last 4 years or may be more. That plan sees a white paper to start when we landed in Baroda (Vadodara) and realised, we are not so far from West, North West Rajasthan.

Her forefathers lived in Jodhpur from times of kings. They were Vaid (doctor) of kings. One of those descendants have a son who is brother of my wife. Things fall in places. But, we had to settle for Jodhpur and Jaisalmer instead of Bikaner. Bikaner will be for the next time.

On 22nd December we started for Jodhpur at 5:15 am. Me the driver, my wife and daughter played the part of navigator, speakers of my queries for direction and above all worked real hard for speed control. We had a good 575 km to drive. Early morning road takes us easily to Mehsana by 9.30 am through a constant 90 kmph speed. I thanked myself to come to Vadodara. Gujrat has overall the best roads in India, no doubt.

By 3.30 pm we reached home of her brother. We had picked him at Sunderao, a place 100 km from Jodhpur (his workplace).

 A scooter rider through an auto rickshaw. Jodhpur's auto rickshaw's have a unique shape. They from the side looks like decorated head of an elephant.

 Life to me sometimes stalls, pause for us to take photos. For many blinking moments, life with all light, shadow, lines, shapes remains stored in our eyes. I just then capture them in sensors too. Here through dusty windshield of I10, Sun stared directly to us, life of those on the road moving or sitting or crossing had those silvery outlines of their body made by Sun. My India is poor with billions of people, but life shines here through grey.

 I came back to India to see myself. I was missing me in other's country. Daily routine of life to all and sundry are my subject of composition. Their force for living encourages me.

 Time sleeps by.....imagine someday all these will be changed. My daughter will remember these times through photos of these fleeting moments.

 Again, this composition forced me to shot this shot. Why there is this man sitting there with pole as if almost piercing him, a shadow of another pole cut through diagonally. Do we know everything about this world, light, shadow of it?

MEHRANGARH FORT.

 Those tall, very tall walls ending towards beautifull balconies talk about nature of Rajasthan only. Life is harsh here but is coloured wonderfully.

 Visitors to the fort.

 Me too.....

 Imagine yourself looking down the same way some 200 years back. It wouldn't be any different except the walkers and those buildings.

 Rajasthan is full of contrasting occurances. In this so old fort, a new age coffee machine was such a contrast.

 

 Door keepers are instructed to wear PROPER dress to keep the TIME. Contrast.....

That evening was to have Rajan-Sajan brothers singing classical vocals. I think viewers would have enjoyed sitting on wooden chairs or on thick carpets rather than these white jacketted steel chairs.

 If you ever been to these forts of India, just lift your eyes a bit, you will reach old times as it was...

 Sitting arrangement for Elephant top.

 The cleaners and visitors of the Mehranhgarh fort.

 Time and timely visitors.

Taanpuras of Rajan-Sajan Mishra brothers I suppose. Before the start of their programme. We could not wait, as we have to see places where my wife used to live, go and places of her relatives. A real down memory lane.

For ladies....

All of a sudden these local visitors changed atmosphere of the museum to actually what it was. Their dress, walks, poise, looks all brought back the time. I was not day dreaming.....just imagining.

Light, action, replay history...

Staircase arrangement inside the fort.

Tired security in the fort.

A hard day's security is about to end in the fort.

Extent of Mehranhgarh fort and the road to city.

Jodhpur city.

VIP seats for the programme in the fort.

Post sunset.....

The Jodhpur Blue city from Mehranhgarh fort.

Gate of Mehranhgarh fort.


We have then saw Jodhpur city through traffic, smoke, family visit and food. We had to take rest as fast as we can.

Because tomorrow, we have to drive to Jaisalmer city. City of golden stone. City of our favourite detective's story and movie - "Sonar Kella".


JAISALMER...........

 Which Bengali will there be who had not read or seen Sonar Kella if she or he is 20 years or more old.

From days of change over from half pant to full pant, making pistols from match box to writting love letters...Feluda (our detective in Sonar Kella) stayed with us through thick and thin.
And so did Jaisalmer in my mind as a place to visit....someday. So, Bikaner got replaced by Jaisalmer and here we start at 9.30 am from Jodhpur. We had some long wait for train to pass, long convoy of military trucks to pass..but in all the moments of this journey from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, one idea kept colouring all that I was seeing, that colouring of sonar Kella movie and story. close to Jaisalmer, road got a change in colour. It became Yellow from Black as roads there had used stones of Jaisalmer.

Roadside saloon. India, specially Rajasthan has so many places, where you will be struck with contrast of life so hard, that will keep its mark for life. Harsh Sun, sand and needs make life with straight lines. Colour still is brought in by people who stay there. That's why you see turbans of such vivid colours, you will see dresses of women with lavish colours.
Liked this place for its inherent compositions.

Here it is, all our Bengali's Sonar Kella .

Life has moved on in Jaisalmer. You will see today's cars with the background of Jaisalmer fort. If you look deep, you can still see children play those same games on the street. I always loved shadows that change meaning of the object. Here it takes your eyes to those childrens playing on their alley.

 We had a short stay in Jaisalmer on reaching there on 23rd December. We had to go for Sam dune desert, 40 kms away from Jaisalmer.

Here we are for the sunset view. Again situation that resemble surrealistic images makes me capture them. There are scenes that shows something else...like a godsend bless were those Sun rays.

Waiting for the sunset....

Locals taking tourist to a sunset place.

My daughter loves sand....with those lovely worm light...the whole days tiring drive evaporates seeing joy in her eyes.

Jethu....Tonu's father in law in a hotel in Jaisalmer.

Life on the other side of the road was going as ususal with cigerrattes, bidis and gutkhas. Rajasthan is full of contrasting existences. you can see poverty with wasteges of limited money on local alcohols.