Sunday, July 25, 2010

Bikaner-A travelogue

One good feel I get by working for my company is I get to explore so many remotest locations of India, which I shall never do otherwise. Bikaner is beautiful in its own inexpressible way. I am staying in a Hotel Jamna Nivas which looks like a simple single storey, un cemented building from outside. But the food is good, homely and simple, something which is difficult to get in these parts. People here add a huge amount of oil in everything they cook. Reason: Rajasthan has water scarcity. Oil films the thirst and keeps body cool for considerable length of time. You can start the day by visiting the Karni Maatha temple, the famous rat temple.It is 35 km from Bikaner railway station. I felt irky at first to see 1500 odd rats, ambling about the temple, sipping milk by forming the periphery of a "parat"(a wide circular two inch depth plate), eating laddoo from pujari's hand, the remnants of which is distributed as prashad to the devotees(I did not eat it though). Jerry time: a must visit place, makes me wonder how so many rats live in harmony with people without any record disease.

Next stop: Camel park. Camels at various stages of development. Some were beautifully adorned in traditional camel clothes , a feast to eyes. Camel bone keychains are available at low prices. A good buy. Camel milk kulfi, sluuurrrrppp :)

Kundh Sagar: Minarets of the entire dynasty of Bikaner kings who had ruled for 300 years. Beautiful monuments made of rich marble, arranged in a neat matrix. Maintenance however is not very good.

Chotu Motu Joshi: You will curse yourself if you go without visiting this place. World's unbeatable lassi in such a huge stainless steel glass, can easily make up for breakfast. Big things come in small packages. So true when it comes to this place.

Return to hotel by 7 p.m., calling it a good memorable trip. Getting geared up for Monday morning blues already.
PS: Shall upload pics sometime later. Poor net connectivity.