The best part about living in Delhi is the number of options available for a weekend getaway. We had been planning to visit Chittorgarh for quite sometime now. A day is probably enough to cover the fort at Chittor. So, we decided to sqeeze in time to visit Ajmer and Pushkar as well. Having been to Ajmer and Pushkar before i knew that apart from the Ghats and Temples, Pushkar and Ajmer do not have too many places to visit. We had booked our train tickets and were all set for a hectic weekend.
We could only manage to get tickets for the Sleeper class in the Ahmedabad Mail and were a little ill prepared to face the coldest weekend of the season. We reached Ajmer at 5 in the morning and even though I had put on every kind of winter wear available in my bag, I just couldnt stop shivering. Braving the cold, we hired a rickshaw who helped us find cheap accommodation (500 bucks for a room). After lying down for a few hours we went out for a quick bite and then headed straight to the Dargah.
For security reasons, cameras and bags are not allowed inside the Dargah. The narrow lanes outside the Dargah is filled with tea vendors and small shops selling flowers to be offered at the Dargah. Various groups inside the Dargah are engrossed in singing Qawali and the mix of sounds emanating from different corners simply has a soothing effect on the mind and makes the place worth a visit.
Next, we headed out to the bus station to catch a bus to Pushkar. On our way we also bought the famous Sohan Halwa. Pushkar is only 15kms away from Ajmer and takes around 40mins to reach.
Pushkar is famous for it's laid back lifestyle and is flocked by foreign nationals who find peace and visit India every year to enjoy the spiritual journey. The Brahma temple in Pushkar is the only temple in the world which has an idol of lord Brahma.The Ghats at Pushkar is filled with pandits who are more than eager to help you get rid of your sins. There are a lot of cafes in Pushkar which offer Italian cuisine and cater to the needs of the huge foreign audience. We were very hungry and wanted to hog on authentic Rajasthani food but to our surprise were advised to try out the Pizza and Pastas in Pushkar which turned out to be strictly ok, nothing great. Having spent sufficient time at the Ghats and the temple, we decided to take a bus back and reach Ajmer just in time to board the bus to Chittorgarh. At the bus stop in Ajmer we decided to try out the famous Kacori with Kadi. The Kachori turned out to be extremely spicy and I could only manage a few bites.
Chittorgarh is 190kms away from Ajmer and it took us around 4 hrs to reach our destination. At Chittor, we found cheap accommodation close to the bus station and enjoyed a sound sleep to wake up early next morning, all set to explore the Chittor fort.
The fort at Chittor encompasses an entire village and is considered the largest fort in Asia. The fort is famously known for the Lake palace where Rani Padmini used to reside in the 13th century. In the annals of history, Padmini is defined as the most beautiful queen of those times and her husband Raja Ratan Singh had to relinquish his throne to Ala-udin Khilji who saw Padmini, combing her hair in her lake palace, on the mirror in the Chittor fort and decided to go to war to win her over. Having lost the war, Padmini and her servants committed suicide (johar) rather than fall prey to the evil Khilji. The Jain temple at the Chittor fort has beautiful carvings on the outside which have been restored by the ASI recently. Kirti Stambh and Vijay Stambh are other places worth visiting within the Chittor fort. Both offer a vantage point from where you can get a complete view of the Chittor city and are symbols of victories in the great wars fought in the 13-18th Century period in the district.
Last stop in the itinerary was the main entrance to the fort. This entrance leads to the palace where Meera Bai resided and also leads to the secret tunnel where the servants of Rani Padmini had committed suicide (johar). People are not advised to visit this place during the night as it is considered to be haunted...:)
The day finally came to an end. It was yet another long and tiring day for us and it was time for us to rush to the Railway station and board the Chetak express.
This was a brief sojourn and I would certainly love to come back to Pushkar to enjoy a more relaxed and extended holiday in the future.
We could only manage to get tickets for the Sleeper class in the Ahmedabad Mail and were a little ill prepared to face the coldest weekend of the season. We reached Ajmer at 5 in the morning and even though I had put on every kind of winter wear available in my bag, I just couldnt stop shivering. Braving the cold, we hired a rickshaw who helped us find cheap accommodation (500 bucks for a room). After lying down for a few hours we went out for a quick bite and then headed straight to the Dargah.
Next, we headed out to the bus station to catch a bus to Pushkar. On our way we also bought the famous Sohan Halwa. Pushkar is only 15kms away from Ajmer and takes around 40mins to reach.
Chittorgarh is 190kms away from Ajmer and it took us around 4 hrs to reach our destination. At Chittor, we found cheap accommodation close to the bus station and enjoyed a sound sleep to wake up early next morning, all set to explore the Chittor fort.
Last stop in the itinerary was the main entrance to the fort. This entrance leads to the palace where Meera Bai resided and also leads to the secret tunnel where the servants of Rani Padmini had committed suicide (johar). People are not advised to visit this place during the night as it is considered to be haunted...:)
The day finally came to an end. It was yet another long and tiring day for us and it was time for us to rush to the Railway station and board the Chetak express.
This was a brief sojourn and I would certainly love to come back to Pushkar to enjoy a more relaxed and extended holiday in the future.
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