AN UNPLANNED TRIP

 

There is a place called “Sardar Samand” about forty kilometers from Jodhpur which was on my bucket list. There is a property of HH Jodhpur which has been converted into a hotel overlooking a dam.

 

The water reservoir was an attraction, hoping to find ‘migratory birds’ which congregate in winters at various lakes in large numbers at water bodies around.

 

A friend of mine gave a hint that he wanted to go there and I latched on. We decided to go this morning. Luckily, the batteries of the camera were charged and ready for a shoot. It was a maiden trip so the two of us would be good company. He is a birding enthusiast too.

 

With CNG topped up, we were all set to steer the course for the lake. How to reach it was the issue. We had to branch off the main road onto a village road with ‘revars’ (herds) of cattle, goats and sheep claiming the right of way.

 

Google Aunty was with us but then she was showing a different route. We knocked at the Maharajas entrance gate; it was locked and no one answered. We rang the telephone number of the hotel but no one responded. It was time to explore the lake on our own.

 

We changed the navigation mode from google aunty to ‘ask a herdsman’. Thank God we both understood Marwari. We were told to park our car infront of a veterinary hospital there and walk about a kilometer to the lake, which we willingly did.

 

What caught my attention during the drive was the greenery in the farms and fields. Lush and as green as it could get. Mustard fields stared at us like yellow carpets. Chana grew in abundance. Wheat, which was unheard of in Rajasthan, was swaying with the breeze for miles.

 

The reason was water in the Luni River and its tributaries. They still had water in them. Well irrigated fields gave rise to lush green crops.

 

All we could catch were birds sitting in and around the small stagnant water bodies as we climbed the embankment of the dam. The first glimpse of the lake gave us a hint of its enormity. Huge is appropriate to describe it.

 

The only issue was the ‘haze’. Fog and mist had still not cleared. The light was not very ideal for photography. There were deer and blue bull droppings in abundance but we could not spot them.

 

On our way back, a bitch and her pups got the better of us. Two of them were so friendly that it took us some time to get them off our backs. The worry was that they were clinging to my feet and got under the car. I distracted them and ran to get in the car but those cuties were so much in love. It was with great difficulty that we could finally drive away without hurting them.

 

It was time for a chai break on our way back home. It was also time to chill for a while.

 

What caught my attention were the ‘sakroras’ (small earthen cups) lined up on a table on a roadside tea shop. The earthy smell of a garma garam chai in a clay cup is just out of the world. Two passersby were already enjoying a bonfire. It was cold no doubt but this is a ritual of ‘aag taapna’ in rural India.

 

Another bitch and her pup showered their affection while we enjoyed the tea. The taste of that tea was out of this world. I couldn’t help but praise the super tasty hot cuppa tea which no five star can ever dish out.

 

The owner was such a manganimous man who felt so good that he said, “kaain baat kar di saab. Ek kop chai Mahri ore-un aapre waaste”. Only village folk can have such a big heart.

 

My day was made. My friend gave a packet of biscuits to the bitch and her puppy which they gobbled as fast as they could.

 

I glanced at the roadside board of the shop; it not only gave out the menu but also advertised for Bhajans and stage programmes. I liked the concept of advertisement.

 

Just as one was about to pay the shopkeeper off, a very unique ‘jugaad’ caught my attention. It was a ‘chulha’ which was attached to a hand driven wind pump. Today, it was ‘Methi ra haag’ which his wife was picking while sitting on a charpai on one side.

 

It was time to head home. We zipped through the village roads which are now like highways. I sat down to key in my thoughts.

 

https://youtu.be/pxQejmxIZTI

 

An unplanned outing turned out as good as a planned one. Have you guys tried one? I wonder!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND
©® NOEL ELLIS