Picturesque Rajasthan

 Journey to the romantic paradise Rajasthan with its magnificent forts, aesthetic palaces, artistic temples, vibrant textiles, and immense deserts is mesmerizing. The rustic charm of the well-preserved culture gives a real picture of the bygone era in Rajasthan. Dry and arid land comes alive with bright coloured dresses and sparkling trinkets. The rugged environs yet inviting culture make it a tourist paradise. The architectural wonders and the number of tourists visiting the place uphold the pride of people in their culture.

 

While driving through the long stretches of arid land, one sees habitation. The indistinguishable pink-coloured shops and houses, lined on either side of the road, impart the Pink City, its unique feature. Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, Amber Fort, trademark blue pottery, and its regalia of precious stones market are some of the treasures of Jaipur. 

 

 The iconic Hawa Mahal, a spectacular palace of breeze overlooking the busy Bazaar, is an artisan’s masterpiece with its over nine hundred sandstone latticed jharokhas emitting sunlight all over the place. The small windows of the façade and the cooling effects in the chambers show the mastery of the architects. The sunlight glimmering out of the colored glass looks enchanting. The fountains enhance the beauty of the place. The Jal Mahal, built in the eighteenth century and located amidst the Man Sagar Lake overlooked by the Nahargarh Fort, is an architectural masterpiece that was used by the royals for duck shootings. The charm of the city is still alive and appreciated by one and all.

 

Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur is an architectural marvel atop a steep hill, commands rugged mountains, valleys, and the Blue City. The cooling blue color, a mix of the local limestone and indigo, is painted all over the city. One enters the fascinating world of the fort by the captivating music of the colorfully attired folk singers. Darbare Aam, Sringar Chowk, and Seesh Mahal in the fort complex are the work of great artisans. One cannot miss visiting the splendor of Umaid Bhawan Palace and museum with its lush greenery and glorious history.  

 Standing tall like a citadel in the middle of Thar Desert, intricately designed interiors, antique Jain temples, yellow sandstone Havelis, and a narrow winding bazaar full of artifacts is the Jaisalmer fort. Nature is merging beautifully with glorious history. Velour becomes a synonym of Rajasthani people when you hear the accounts of numerous battles. This fort has always remained in the limelight, initially built for security purposes, later its importance in trade, and now as a tourist destination. The Jain temples inside the fort, built in Dilwara style, are divine creations. This golden fort gleams like melting gold on sunset.

 On the outskirts of the Jaisalmer is a haunted village Kuldhara, abandoned overnight some three hundred years ago. The legend has it one of the ministers of the king wanted to marry the girl from this village, which was unacceptable by the people. They overnight left to an undisclosed destination. The eerie silence in the temple amongst rows of half-built houses makes one believe the saga.

 The sunset in the massive recurring dunes towards the border of the state has magnetism, a perfect way to conclude a memorable trip. The Sun and sand merging at the horizon look divine. The moonlit silvery dunes with musical performances add an aura of romanticism to this desert state.

 The experience in this spell-binding place will reverberate and reside forever in memory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                            

   Come spring, come Srinagar beseeches you

“Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto” (If there is heaven on earth it is here, it is here, it is here), exclaimed Emperor Jahangir when he visited the valley. He must have surely sojourned during spring.

After the dreary and cold winter comes the refreshing spring, the emerald green -grass emerges from the melting snow, refreshed after a long wintry sleep. One look at the emerald green meadows is soothing to the eye and refreshing to the mind. Everywhere there is a riot of colour-the dancing daffodils, majestic tulips, and eye-catching irises, smiling pansies, the vibrant roses, and the lively dianthus. The dainty daisies and the dandelions are smiling through the ground. The pristine natural beauty of Srinagar, with its indulging landscape, gushing water springs, and misty air, gives one sense of peace. William Wordsworth’s poem comes to mind,

“I wandered lonely as a cloud,

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

 Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

 Fluttering and dancing in the breeze”.

Drooping willows and the young leaves of the poplar dancing to the orchestration of sun and wind takes one’s breath away. The majestic chinar trees swaying in unison are enchanting. The apple, almond, apricot, and cherry trees are bursting with blossoms adding charm to the magnum opus of the Supreme Being. Nature has woken up, refreshed after a long spell of cold winter with its rainbow colours. Birds and butterflies are cherishing the sparkle of spring and are out enjoying it. It is as if all the elements of nature are in play to complete the symphony of nature. The intoxicating fragrance of night flowers hangs low and heavy in the dense night air is blessings from above.

 This vibrancy of nature reflects in humans. They are joyous, relaxed, and in tune with nature. This cheerfulness is shared by young and old in their way. From morning walkers to joggers to people going to work or those enjoying the walks in the late afternoon sun, there is a sense of refreshment on their faces. 

 

The Jhelum River with Dal Lake and the beautiful Mughal gardens surrounded by the Zabarwan Range of the Himalayas with Shankracharya temple on a hilltop add to the jewels in the crown of Srinagar. The serene waters of the Dal Lake dotted with quaint houseboats, flowers laden shikaras is a sight to behold. Badamwari and Baisakhi mark the onset of spring. The festivals bring the people to the world-famous gardens along the Dal Lake.

Shalimar Bagh, created by Emperor Jahangir for his wife Noor Jahan, is a work a genius with its gardens laid out along the shady trees and fountains. The Nishat Bagh, planned by  Asaf Khan, is a spectacular garden around the Dal Lake.

Emperor Shah Jahan’s Chasmeshai Garden is a picturesque place with freshwater springs, fountains, layered gardens full of vibrant flowers. 

New era Tulip garden with rows and rows of brilliant tulips is a tourist spectacle.

 Cheerful people in the gardens remind one of the famous poet Rumi’s words, this outward spring and garden are a reflection of the inward garden. Srinagar truly is a sublime, resplendent city.

 

Spring, a season of hope and renewal, brings in the optimism of the return of peace to the valley. The guns and the gory bloodshed are not only against man but violate the tenets of bountiful and magnificent nature. The locals have renewed hope each year with the onset of spring that their lives will be free from brutality and filled with contentment.