We started at Mehsana at 10AM; 412kms to our destination in Jodhpur (Sardar Market). The previous days were spent on the beautiful flat roads of Gujarat and Rajasthan was unknown territory to us. I expected the drive to last for atleast 8 hours. Boy were we proved wrong!

The road from Mehsana to Jodhpur heads northwards towards Rajasthan and is billiard-table smooth with great banked curves all through. To add to the experience, the sky was a clear blue all through, with some patches of a great clouds.

As it happens with us every single time, we managed to get lost even on those roads. Around 240kms from Jodhpur, there is a V-junction that splits between Mt.Abu and Jodhpur. We took the turn towards Abu. Of all the mistakes we made on this journey, this was the sweetest one. The road opened up to a unbelievable 6-lane highway on the darkest of tarmac leading us through a stone quarry. Before we blinked we were doing over a hundred and eighty on the speedo, with nothing in sight - in front of us or in the rear-view mirror! It wasn’t until we blasted a signpost which said “Welcome to Hilltop View, Abu” that we realized we were on the wrong way; but hey, that’s a great mistake right there!

The last stretch to Jodhpur was slowed down due to the Baba Ramdeoji march. This march, performed by thousands of Rajasthani folk and a few Gujaratis as well, ends at the Baba Ramdeo Template at Bikaner. It starts every year right after Rakhi. The march is a tribute to the folk-deity’s belief in the equality of all humans, and the most interesting aspect is the way it brings together Rajasthanis across the land. The marching hoardes get support from locals at every village and town, irrespective of their strata, caste or creed. This is one of the most colorful sights to see on the roads in Rajasthan and though it held us up, we were more than happy to just shift down to 4th gear and cruise along taking in the sights.

Despite the delay on the road, we reached Jodhpur by 631PM, just in time to catch a great shopping experience at the Sardar Market. This was by far the best interstate experience on this trip! Rajasthan rocks!

In love with Jodhpur
How does one not fall in love with a place as beautiful and charming as Jodhpur? Our first stop in the city took us to the busy and chaotic Sardar Bazar. After parking the car on the main road and ensuring that it wouldn’t get towed by the authorities, we walked through the main gate of Sardar Bazar towards the old Clock Tower. Established by the late Sardar Singji of Jodhpur at the base of the humungous Mehrangarh Fort, this market is known for the variety of spices and handicrafts it offers. Buzzing with activity, the color and smells can intoxicate the most reluctant shopper. After buying some knick-knacks for our homes, I dragged Joe towards some colorful handicraft shops. All this while he was busy taking pics of the beautiful clock tower that had been illuminated by bright lights that changed color every few seconds. Soon we were picking floor cushions, wall hangings and bags, it sure was weird to see Joe trying to match the shade of his curtains back home with the cushions covers!!  

We did run out of funds though and Sunil, a member of our support crew, rescued us with that new Rs.500 note!

In love, in Jodhpur

The auto rickshaws added to the romance of the city, with their bright colors, shiny interiors and loud himesh reshammiya-style music blaring away, they sped through narrow lanes and alleys that lead away from the old city towards the posher Ratanada. Their bumper stickers and filmi posters declaring their undying love for our popular actresses, these drivers sure wear their hearts on their sleeves.

The great turning radius comes to help!

Standing out

Horsing around

Auto!

In Jodhpur, with love

Jodhpur marked the beginning of our travel through Rajasthan, the smooth roads, polite people, their colorful attire and the green.. yes.. green country side had us completely hooked! Hope to come back to Rajasthan soon and discover Jaisalmer, Bikaner and some sand dunes.

Lunchtime, Day 9. Indore.

Time to show you guys some of the really interesting meals we’ve had along the way. We have had lunch on 5 of the 9 days on the road so far, and apart from the in-car lunch at McD’s and the great seafood at Daman, these are the three others.

Woodland Palace - Cocktails with Leopards, Sheoganj, Rajasthan. 150kms from Jodhpur.
This place is famous for the “Guaranteed Wildlife sightings” but lesser known are their amazing items on the menu.

The leopard that hunts at the buffet table

Wildlife pee all the time, we bring you some special Piss Cary - green gravy is a bonus!

If you hate mallus, you can punch some kuttys right here.

Next stop at Midway Megh Malgarh, enroute to Ajmer
Nothing interesting here except some very tasty Dal Tadka, Paneer Bhurji and yummy Tawa Rotis!

Yesterday, enroute to Indore, the heavy rains made us stop at Guna - Metro Resort

This was the ROCKSTAR of all highway joints!

First off,

1. Vegetable Pullow (similar to the pillow but with some pull in it)
2. Egg Faried Rice - the one made by all the fairies of Guna
3. In case you think Kuch Kuch Meetha Hain, then you’re definitely the sort who loves some Scotech Ice Cream (with added Butter!)

Now, the Specility section (very italian!) gives us

1. The unforgettable Painapple Raita - sure to haunt your memories and bowels for a loooong while!
2. The Fruait Raita, very international too!
3. Or just have the Chana Rostead, instead!

The main menu gives us,
1. The Stuff Tomoto, for the japanese tourists
2. The Kuju Curry, the gujju kaju we presume
3. The Bread Omlate, the delayed Omelette!
4. The Readish, for the avid readers who like their radish with some words in them
5. The Matter Paneer, the scientifically cooked up Paneer! Woohoo!

Thirst quenchers!

1. Bournbeeta - the red beetroot version of bournvita!
2. MLNRAL Water, for the SMS junkies
3. The Cannad Juice, for our friends from down south!

If you reach here early, then you have some great CHICES for Breakfast!

1. The Eggs Coked To Order - specially brought to you by the hippie folk of Rajasthani!

...and the kicker, the Menu card itself is customized for the place!

Have a great lunch folks, followers, fans, family and our companions for the trip!
Joe & Namrata

After my first romantic tryst with the Taj, we ventured to the timeless monument in the morning - albeit a bit late at 8AM.

The gates for the Taj are thrown open for visitors at 550AM everyday and by 730AM the place is flooded with tourists from all over the world. Entry is through the East Gate with a lot of security scrutiny - the guards were wearing masks for the swine flu.

Electric vehicles, rickshaws and horse-carts ply people from the main parking lot to the East Gate. This was the trusty electric auto that took us around!

The ticket counter that opens at 530AM!

The East Gate

Security

A trip to the Taj is not complete without getting haggled by the sellers and the kids who leave no stone unturned to ensure you pick SOMETHING atleast! One of the kids sold us his “Rs.100 Taj Mahal Projector” for all of Rs.10, while another guy spoke in english and made a great impression on Namrata with his grammar and articulation. So we ended up buying 1100 rupees worth of Taj artifacts from his shop. :| Johnny was his name but all I remember is Namrata going “look Joe, soooo cute!” :D

That’s Johnny to the right

Anyway.

The magic of the Taj still remained in our morning visit but the soaring UP temperature quickly drained our energy. The walk to the Taj takes you through avenues with lush green lawns occupied by stark white cranes. Steps from both sides lead you to the elevated platform on which the Taj is built, going up these steps lets you catch a beautiful sight of the minarets peeking out through the top.

The green and white and the eternal white

Namrata catches a glimpse of the minarets

The marble floors are a lot more crowded in the mornings

...but the details are clearer in the mornings too.

As we reached the mausoleum and looked at the Yamuna flowing peacefully inhabitated only by a few cranes - the natural kind. We contemplated getting the car to the roads running along the Yamuna but learnt that the road’s blocked for visitor entry now. My planned emulation of Raghu Rai’s photography of the Yamuna river, the people who live their lives there and the beauty of the Taj in the backdrop, was out of the window now. (Radhika, Bharath - I envy you guys! Great backdrops and even better stories from the lesser known side of the Taj!)

The birds in and over the Yamuna…

Apart from the “wildlife”, there was enough entertainment on this side of the shores as well.
Everyone tries to grab a funny pose with the Taj, while some just dress funny for the occasion…

..while some others look for it in the wrong places!

Some take rest in uncommon places…

...and some others get no rest, whether at 7AM or at 7PM.

Of course, our friends from Bond shoes have prohibited vehicle entry into the Taj…

...but we did not forget our third team-mate.

That three-pointed diamond star is what brought us here and the photo above pretty much sums up my experience with the Taj over two visits. It’ll always be a blurry wistful memory of the place, the excitement of the people who are seeing it for the first time, the looks of the photographers seeing it for the nth time but still wanting to go back with a new perspective, the nonchalance of the people who see it everyday, the persuasive skills of the sellers, the eerie cleanliness of the whole area, the great company of a patient friend who’d sit through all the photographic madness, and the car that got us there.

Over 2800kms in one car that again and again manages to silently slip into the background and let us enjoy ourselves. If we haven’t spoken much about the Cedia till now, it is only because it manages to take us to destinations without uttering a single murmur along the way, it lets us have conversation and make stories without adding any drama whatsoever, and it always ensures we’re left with enough energy to tell those stories to you at the end of the day.

Still in love. With the Taj. And with that magical diamond star.