Trip to Rajasthan - Day 2: Jaisalmer - Kuldhara and Desert Safari

On our way to Jaisalmer we crossed the iconic Ramdevra station. With plenty of daylight and throngs of people, it did seem very different from the mysterious place that I had always imagined it to be after having watched Satyajit Ray's Sonar Kella. Our train reached Jaisalmer at 11.40, right on time. We were to put up at Hotel Helsinki House, and they had sent us a car to take us to the hotel. The city seemed much quieter than Jaipur, with very few people and even less traffic on the road. And if Jaipur is 50% pink, Jaisalmer is 100% golden. Almost all the buildings are made from sandstone and the city dazzled under the afternoon sun. And soon at a distance we caught the first glimpse of the fort, sitting pretty on top of a hill.

On check-in we were welcomed with a cup of tea and ushered into our room. The large bed was very inviting, but we stayed clear of it. A whole day of exploring was ahead of us. The hotel staff were kind enough to organise the desert safari for us; the plan was to have lunch and then drive some 75 kms for the sand dunes with a detour to Kuldhara. The day was to be rounded off with an evening of Rajasthani folk music and dance and an elaborate, but vegetarian, Rajasthani buffet dinner.

For the lunch we decided to have it at the rooftop, with the fort as the background. We did take our time to have our meal as there was still some time for our cab to arrive. And given that we had a long day in the desert ahead of us, we decided to have a relatively light lunch -- roti, rice, vegetable jalfrezi and chicken curry. Around 2pm we were off for the desert safari.

Our driver was quite friendly and kept us engaged with stories ranging from his personal life and the Rajput courage to the  general state of Rajasthan and the greatness of Indian army. What I can vouch for are the roads connecting different parts of Rajasthan, and in no time we were at Kuldhara. Legend has it that about 300 years ago the prime minister of Jaisalmer wanted to forcibly marry the daughter of the head of the village. The families in the village held a council and decided to desert the village overnight. Since then Kuldhara has enjoyed a reputation of being haunted among the locals. However, recent studies have indicated that the reason could have been shortage of water or an earthquake, but such theories don't make good stories. Surprisingly, our driver's Rajput courage  had abandoned him. So leaving him behind at the car park we headed to the village. It seemed parts of the village had been restored to attract more tourists, though the major part of it did indeed seem to have remained untouched for centuries. While most of the visitors were hanging around the central building (apparently that of the village head) and the temple (every tourist spot in India has one), we wanted to explore other parts of the village. The dimly lit rooms were now homes to bats, the narrow passages seemed to be hiding mysteries at every turn, and the walls, in their deadening silence, seemed to be holding on to tales that are supposed to remain untold. The sky was spectacular and offered opportunity for some great photos. 

Next we were heading to the Sam Dunes for a camel ride. The further we headed west the land got increasingly barren and now both sides of the road were dotted with various forms of cacti. Also visible at a distance were hundreds of windmills with their blades slowly rotating, like tired but diligent workers, doing their thing without asking questions. In about an hour we were approaching the dunes and we could see the place got busier with camps along the street and guides trying to coax prospective clients. Our driver took us to the camp our hotel had a deal with and soon we were on a camel for our one hour ride in the dunes. Truth be told, no matter how much we laugh at Jatayu's exploits and how cool Feluda plays it in the movie, camel rides are not comfortable. The initial 5-10 minutes were particularly awkward and on top of that the guide who was tugging the camel along insisted to make it run as apparently that will be more fun. Both of us protested at the top of our voice and after some stern words he relented. With time we got used to the pace and movement of the camel and could start enjoying the magnificence of the desert. The setting sun was painting the sky in different hues of red and orange, while the gentle wind caressed the sand leaving new patterns on it. Our guide, for an additional tip, wanted us to take to the where we had our border with Pakistan a few decades back, before the Indian military pushed it further west. We were not particularly interested in the border, but given that we will have some extra minutes of camel ride, we agreed. By the time our ride came to an end the sun had set beyond the horizon but the last rays of it still lit up the sky. We took some time to take in the views and reflect on the bigger questions that life poses at us. 

When it was completely dark we headed back to our cab and were taken to a camp where arrangements had been made for some traditional local music and dance. The music was quite exceptional and the whole ambiance under the stars added to the effect. The tune of some of the songs were very familiar as many Hindi movies had used them for their hit numbers, often without due credit to the original composers. The dance routines were more about acrobatics while we were probably expecting something different. I guess the artistes also design their programmes based on what they think most of the audience will enjoy. After about an hour and a half dinner was served and this was my first experience of dal-baati-churma.  The dal is cooked using five varieties of lentils, while the baati is a hard wheat bun. To add sweetness to the meal you have churma, which is nothing but crushed baati flavoured with sugar syrup, cardamom and nuts. When made well, it is as tasty as nutritious. Our first experience though was somewhat flat. There was other vegetable fare as well, though nothing was remarkable, and we had enough not to go hungry during the night.

It was already quite late and time to head back to the hotel. The drive back through the absolutely dark highway, only lit up by the headlights of our car and occasional vehicles crossing us from the opposite direction, was quite thrilling. Adding to the atmosphere were stories of ghosts and apparitions narrated by our driver. Soon we were back in the city, welcomed by the brightly lit fort, as if waiting for our visit. That was scheduled for the next morning. Now it was time for some much needed rest.