Rajasthan diaries - Part 7

End of the Rajasthan sojourn

Whatever goes up, must come down. The law of Gravity never seemed to make more sense than now. Our soaring spirits also had to be brought down, albeit perforce. The project was getting over. We got busy in typing & compiling our reports. Endless hours of dictation, typing, comparing notes. Finally, we were through.  Our hosts prepared  a wonderful farewell dinner comprising of Rajasthani  delicacies like Gatte, Rice, Dal, Baati, Choorma laddu  Finally, we packed our bags, signed the bills, gave away some gifts  & bid a teary eyed goodbye to Bharatpur. The last leg of our journey had begun.

   The Keoladev  Bird Sanctuary, houses, temples, thatched huts, countryside whizzed past us. Beautiful memories for all times to cherish. We sat in silent contemplation when the loud shrill of my mobile broke the reverie. Our other batch mates had called to fix up a meeting place in Jaipur for shopping prior to reporting back in the hostel. It seemed like a great idea. We decided to meet up at Bapu Bazaar. All of us were desperate to indulge in the renowned Jaipuri bed sheets, quilts, cushions, readymade suits, jutis, jewellery.   

   On our way back, we spotted the famous Birla mandir. Built of white marble, it stands beneath the Moti Dungri Palace. Exquisite statues of Laxmi-Narain adorned the temple. We participated in the aarti  & continued with our car journey. Our driver updated us on the history of the place.  Moti Dungri  means Hill of Pearls.  The Palace believed to mirror a Scottish Castle, belongs to Late Rajmata Gayatri Devi. It houses a temple of Lord Ganesha which is open to the devotees. 

   We reached Jaipur around 3.00 p.m. Halting at a nearby fast food joint, we gorged at pizzas, burgers & colas. Our batch mates  met us at  Bapu Bazaar.  After exchanging greetings, we began shopping. It was almost a research project with shopkeepers detailing  intricate  patterns, colours, dyes, mirror work, gold & silver zardosi, bandhej, kundan sets, etal. After hours of discussion & bargaining, we emerged with bulky packets in arms.   With all this achieved, our caravan moved to other markets, Nehru Bazaar, Johri Bazaar...

   We were the last ones to reach the hostel. Our entire group had already assembled.  After placing the stuff in the rooms allotted, we came down to the dining hall for dinner.  It was a chaotic scene, with everyone narrating their experiences to the others & no one actually listening. The group leader took this opportunity to inform that the next day was a busy one. He had been requested telephonically by the authorities to ensure that everyone was up & about by 6.00 a.m the next day. There were two items on the agenda before the final departure to Delhi. The first was a visit to Akshay Patra & the second to Amer Fort.

   Akshay Patra is an NGO which provides mid-day meal to more than 13 lakh children  studying in Govt. Schools  at 18  locations in 8 states. These include Jaipur, Mathura, Vrindavan, Ahemadabad,  etc. The kitchen at Jaipur is completely mechanised.  While grains are stored in huge metal containers, food is prepared in large cauldrons. Proper care is taken to maintain good hygiene by minimising human handling of food.  Meeting the dedicated organisers & staff was a humbling experience. The delicious & nourishing meal  was served to us for breakfast.

   The bus then proceeded to Amer Fort. Built by Raja Mansingh in the 16^th Century, it is a magnificent edifice made of red  sandstone & marble. The lake Maota  on the edges of which the Fort stands, reflects its splendour gloriously.  Elephants can appear unusually large face to face.  This was my first thought when confronted by a pack of these creatures. It turned out that one could tour the Palace seated atop an Elephant or on foot.  The idea appealed to some of us.  Feeling like royals of the 16^th Century, we parked ourselves comfortably on the numbered Pachyderms. The Mahaut (local guide) carefully manoeuvred the trained animals on the ramp of the Fort.  The Fort has exquisite carvings on the walls & the ceilings. Diwane-am, Ganesh Pol, Shila Devi Mandir, Jai Mandir, gardens, are breathtakingly beautiful.

   The afternoon saw us packing our purchases in suitcases, posing for group photographs, exchanging addresses & phone numbers. After meal, we were summoned to the Conference Hall for the farewell speech.  We submitted the preliminary reports of our observations to the Coordinators & thanked them profusely for the hospitality. Vans dropped us of at the bus station.  The Bus came on time & our return journey commenced. The group was unusually silent.  Everyone seemed to be reliving the wondrous experiences.  The adrenalin flow seemed to have ebbed. We touched Delhi at about 10.00 p.m.

   Our Reports were submitted  a week after arrival. We threw a small  party for the Resource persons. That was the last time the whole group was to be together. We departed with pleasant  memories etched in our minds forever...

.......see Rajasthan diaries - Part 8 ........