Sleepless in Dubai - Chapter 1

Sleepless in Dubai - Chapter 1

It was my first international trip to Dubai. My flight landed at Sharjah airport early in the morning at 6:40 AM. The airport staff were very cooperative and friendly, and I was amazed to notice that some of them were even able to speak Hindi. Immigration was automated through face scanning, allowing the system to open the door for further processing. After collecting my luggage, I proceeded towards the exit gate. Just before reaching it, I noticed a mobile shop offering Dubai SIM cards at a reasonable cost. While speaking with the salesman, I learned that he was from South India, although he had never visited his native country. I suggested that he should consider visiting India to explore his roots. Quickly, I purchased a SIM card valid for three days and exited the airport. Near the bus stand, I found my office colleagues, with one of them arranging luggage for all the visitors. When he asked for my luggage, I realized I didn't have it with me. Frantically, I rushed back towards the exit gate. A police guard was stationed outside, to whom I explained that I had forgotten my luggage at a shop near the gate where I made a purchase. Understandably, he was skeptical given the security concerns, but after persistently explaining and even showing the shop from the other side of the gate where my luggage was visible, he finally relented. I hurriedly retrieved my luggage and left the airport. It was an adrenaline-pumping experience, reminding me why Dubai's tourism slogan is 'where anything is possible'. Marhaba Dubai مرحبا دبي !

 

 

Skyscrapers of Dubai

اليوم الأول : The longest day in Dubai – Day 1

 

I was visiting Dubai on a trip organized by my office, with my flight scheduled from Jaipur International Airport on May 13, 2022, in the early morning to Sharjah International Airport. Departing at 4:45 AM from Jaipur airport, my flight landed at Sharjah airport at 6:40 AM. After a smooth immigration process, I emerged from the airport to find several buses arranged to transport us to Dubai. While boarding my bus, I took the opportunity to call my friend and former colleague, Mr. Munib Bari, who has been living in Dubai for over a decade. Despite it being an early call, he was pleasantly surprised to hear from me and eagerly agreed to meet during my three-day stay. I informed him that I was leaving Sharjah Airport and would share my hotel details upon check-in. Subsequently, I reached out to another acquaintance, Mr. Pratik, a close friend of my wife, also residing in Dubai, to arrange a meeting during my visit. My accommodation was at Novotel World Trade Centre Dubai, situated in the heart of the city, close to notable landmarks such as the Metro station, Museum of the Future, Mall of Dubai, and Burj Khalifa. Upon arrival at the hotel around 9 AM, I found the lobby bustling with activity akin to a supermarket. At the reception, I was directed to a staff member coordinating with guests from India to learn my room details. Assigned to the 13th floor, my room was shared with a fellow traveler from the same bus we came from Sharjah. Both fatigued, we agreed I would take the first shower. After freshening up, I awaited my roommate's turn before heading down to breakfast. Arriving at the breakfast area around 10:30 AM, we found it nearly empty, with limited food options remaining due to the breakfast time having elapsed. Opting for a Tandoori Paratha paired with Baigan ka Bhurta and a hot coffee, I was pleasantly surprised by the delectable taste of the Bhurta, boasting the perfect blend of sweetness from the onion, tanginess from the Baigan, subtle smoky aroma, and vibrant pink color indicative of its expert preparation. It surpassed my expectations for culinary delights in Dubai. Later, I was saddened to learn of the passing of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan earlier that morning due to a prolonged illness, prompting a 40-day national mourning period, during which flags would fly at half-mast, and a three-day suspension of work in both private and official sectors at the federal and local levels of institutions.

My day one Breakfast

After finishing my breakfast, I stepped outside the hotel with the intention of exploring Dubai city on my own, using public transportation such as buses or the metro. Just to the left of the hotel, I noticed an air-conditioned bus stop. Upon entering the cubical-shaped bus stand, I found it pleasantly cool inside. A man sitting on a waiting chair, whom I greeted and learned was from Pakistan. I inquired about purchasing a bus ticket, to which he explained that in Dubai, one needs to buy a travel card instead. As I observed a few people standing nearby waiting for the bus, one arrived within a minute. They were all Indian tourists staying at the same hotel. I overheard the bus driver informing them about the travel card requirement. I then asked the man where I could obtain one, and he directed me to a metro station situated behind the mall adjacent to the hotel. I was delighted to learn that a metro station was conveniently located near my hotel. Hastening through the mall gate, I entered a spacious passage where I could even catch sight of the exit gate from which I had entered. Across from me stood a beautiful fountain, surrounded by bright red Bougainvillea flowerpots. Capturing a few shots of the fountain, I proceeded forward. To my right, I beheld famous landmarks such as the Museum of the Future, Burj Khalifa, and several towering skyscrapers, offering a breathtaking view. After soaking in these magnificent sights, I made my way towards the metro station. I must confess, I'll be liberally using phrases like 'Stunning view', 'Stunning Building', and 'Amazing place' in this article, as this city is brimming with awe-inspiring sights that naturally evoke such reactions. Upon arriving at the World Trade Centre Metro Station, I was struck by its impressive architectural design. The interior was impeccably clean, reminiscent of a luxurious 5-star hotel lobby, complete with beautiful marble tile flooring—a sight that left me truly amazed. At the ticket counter, I purchased a Silver Travel Card before proceeding to the platform.

On the way to Ibn Batuta Mall

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the metro platform signage was displayed in three languages: Arabic, English, and to my delight, Hindi as well. As the metro train arrived, I boarded the first compartment, only to discover that it was a driverless train. Peering through the glass at the front, I marveled at the stunning views unfolding before me as the train glided along its route. I sat in the first row, and my neighbor was a young woman wearing a sleek black one-piece outfit, which accentuated her appearance. I started a conversation with her and learned was from Pakistan with an American accent. I talked about the city and asked her which places I could visit during my three-day trip. She suggested a few places and mentioned that after a few metro stations, there is the Mall of Emirates, which is a nice place to hang out. She left after a few minutes and later I also deboarded at the Mall of Emirates metro station. While exiting metro train I was a policy man standing on the platform observing the passengers, it was slightly weird for me but later I understood that first compartment is dedicated only for Gold Card holders and rest are for Silver Card holders and if any person found in wrong car then there is fine of 100 Dirham (AED). After exiting, I walked across a footbridge to reach the mall entrance gate. From the bridge, I admired a large water pool and a lush green garden outside the mall, which looked incredibly beautiful. It was so big that it took me a few minutes to digest that Gurgaon, India which is known and famous for its malls it no where standing in compare of Dubai Malls. I noticed several English people inside the mall wearing revealing outfits, which gave the impression of being in a place quite unlike a typical Islamic country. All kind of stores was there in the mall, there was a hyper market bigger then any hyper marked I ever visited in India. I purchased few T-Shirts with “Dubai” printed on it and after hour or so I left back to my hotel where I took my lunch and went to my room to take some rest.

Around 4 PM, my wife’s friend, Mr. Pratik arrived at the hotel in his black GMC Terrain Denali, a luxury SUV. We exchanged greetings as it was our first meeting. He then took me to his house, where he lived with his wife, their adorable 7 year old daughter, and his father-in-law. We enjoyed cold drinks and snacks together. I expressed my interest in visiting old Dubai, but he informed me that it was quite far from his place. Instead, he suggested we visit Ibn Battuta Mall, which was conveniently close by. After that, we planned to visit the Mall of Dubai and Burj Khalifa, and he offered to drop me back at my hotel afterward. This plan sounded good to me. After spending an hour together, we headed to Ibn Battuta Mall.

Entrance of Ibn Batuta Mall

From the outside, it didn't resemble a typical mall building; rather, it looked more like a fortress. Inside, it was one of the most beautiful buildings I had seen, with six theme-based courts, each stunning in itself. We both roamed inside the mall, and I made some purchases while Pratik bought me a 1kg pack of famous Arabic Dates. After exploring this mall, we went to the Mall of Dubai, the biggest mall in Dubai. It was almost dark in the evening, and I was studded to see night view of Dubai, as I brief earlier my day experience of Dubai and trust me, Dubai looks more beautiful at night. All the buildings with amazing lightings. Pratik opened his roof of the car and I was able to take a peek outside view which was breathtaking. We arrived around 6 pm and headed towards the underground parking of Mall of Dubai. I was stunned to see so many car models which I had never seen before in my life, so my suggestion to all car lovers is to rather going to any car showroom in Dubai, go to Mall of Dubai car parking and admire all kinds of cars. This mall has seven floors, including two underground shopping areas. There are several spots in the mall that would amaze any visitor, like an Aquarium and underwater zoo, a Waterfall, Ice Skating, Kid's fun zone, VR video games, and a History zone. Such entertainment facilities are very common in Dubai malls, catering to every age group. It’s a huge from inside and it's impossible to see complete mall by walking in a single day. We went to few of the famous spots of the mall like Aquarium which was having several big and small fishes including Shark, also saw an artificial huge waterfall, it was wonderful. Every kind of shop are available in the mall, you name it, they have it. I purchased a small Camera backpack for myself. After roaming inside the mall, we went to the back side of the mall, an open area with a big musical fountain. From here, one  can see a clear view of the tallest building in the world – Burj Khalifa.

Traveller in front of Burj Khilafa Mall 

"Marhaba Dubai," the words came out of my mouth. This area was very crowded, and we hardly found any place to sit. We took several photographs of each other and of the building and other things. After admiring the ambiance, we left the mall and returned to my hotel. I invited him for some snacks, as we were both feeling a bit hungry by then. We went to the pool area of the hotel and ordered two plates of sandwiches, enjoying the Dubai Moon from this beautiful, quiet poolside spot. He left the hotel around 10 PM. I went to my room and took a cold shower which relaxed my body and tiredness. At 11 PM my friend Munib called me that he was coming to pick me up from my hotel in 15 minutes. I immediately got ready and went downstairs. After a few minutes, he arrived in the same car that Mr. Pratik also brought, although this was quite old. We were meeting each other after a very long time, more than 10 years. We were happy to see each other after a long time. He took me to a hotel ‘City Max Hotel’ a hotel chain spread across UAE by Landmark Group where he is working as a Head of the Training department. We went into the backyard of the hotel where a beautiful restaurant was present. He directly called the head chef and ordered a customized special Pizza for me along with the drinks. We spent an hour or so, we talked about old times when we were working together in Jaipur and about our old colleagues. We shared our current working experiences with each other, especially about his working experience in Dubai and about the possibilities of working in Dubai. Since I had Sandwiches a few hours back, I was not able to finish the whole pizza and he get it remaining slices of pizza packed for himself. After this, we left the hotel and he dropped me at my hotel around 1 AM. I went to my room and changed my cloths, then I checked Sunrise time on my mobile and accordingly I set wakeup alarm on my mobile and slept. That was end of my first day in Dubai. Which was stared from Jaipur early morning.

To be Continued...(in Chapter 2)

Mukteshwar - Gateway to peace in hills

It was December 25, 2021, and I was accompanied by my wife and her two younger sisters. Around 6:30 pm, we left our hotel in search of a cozy spot to enjoy Christmas Eve. Just a stone's throw away, we stumbled upon a charming café named Chandi Mati. From the outside, it resembled a small hillside cottage with its rocky walls. Inside, it exuded a quaint charm with its white interior and dark red wooden accents, reminiscent of an old heritage property. The café offered both indoor and outdoor seating options, but due to the cold weather, all outdoor seats were vacant, with a few people waiting near the entrance gate. Observing the reluctance on the faces of my companions, especially my wife Nupur, it was evident that none of them wanted to brave the cold. One of my sisters-in-law suggested checking the temperature on my phone. After removing one of my gloves, I retrieved my phone from my jacket and checked the current temperature. Suddenly, my hand began to shake from the cold, prompting laughter from my sister-in-law who remarked, 'See, Jiju can't even hold his phone due to the cold! Come on, Jiju, tell us the temperature.' Despite the chill, I managed to announce, 'Oh my god, it's -1 degree Celsius!' This revelation elicited screams from my companions, attracting curious stares from nearby onlookers. We couldn't help but laugh—it was a natural reaction, as none of us had ever experienced negative temperatures before. Welcome to Mukteshwar, the gateway to peace in the hills of Uttarakhand, India.

 

Jim Corbett National Park

For a quite long time, my two sisters-in-law Jyoti and Meenakshi were chasing me to plan a holiday trip in December to visit mountains as they wanted to see and experience snowfall in the winter season. Since they were living in Bhubaneswar which is located in the southeast part of the country which is a coastal line of eastern ghat. So, here is the itinerary plan for our trip – On the first day, we will cover the wildlife sanctuary at Jim Corbett National Park, second day will enjoy shopping at Mall Road of Nainital, third day we will be visiting Ranikhet to see natural beauty and the Himalayan Range and night halt at Mukteshwar to relax and celebrate Christmas. We hired a taxi for our trip and began our journey on 23^rd Dec at 7 AM leaving the concrete jungle - Gurgaon (Haryana) towards the natural jungle at Jim Corbett National Park which is India’s first National Park and first Tiger Reserve of the country. This park was established in the year 1936, named after famous British Colonel Edward James Corbett, located in Nainital district near the bank of river Ramganga. We reached Jim Corbett National Park around 1 pm and we decided to take a break for lunch, the place we halted was surrounded by the Jungle and a few restaurants were also present on the roadside. We entered one of them and burned our hunger with yummy ‘Aloo Parathas’, ‘Noodles’, and ‘Ice Cream’, and we were all set for our first adventure the Safari “Jungle Safari”. I have pre-booked our safari tour from the Gov. official website; as it was mandatory to book a safari online through the official Gov. site only. However, it was a little struggle to book a slot but I found it a very convenient and easiest way to book a safari. The Charges include Jeep costs along with tour guide fees. Contact numbers are also available on the website for any kind of assistance or help for tourists. I coordinated with the allotted tour guide and we reached the Garjiya zone gate to enter the park. After showing the permit ticket at the entrance, we all sat in an open Jeep. We all were very excited and thrilled for the safari. We clicked several photographs while sitting on an open Jeep before the beginning of the safari. The park is divided into six zones called - Bijrani, Jhirna, Durgadevi, Garjiya, Sitabani (Dhikala Ecotourism Zone), and Dhela Zone. As per availability, one case can be chosen among these zones for morning or day tours. Dhikala zone is one of the core zones and only a day tour is available for this zone. If someone wants a morning tour then one has to book for night stay at Dhikala which includes a stay in an old government Forest Guest House. I was not sure about the facilities and comfort, so I didn’t book this zone. Anyways our tour began at 1:40 PM along with the tour guide and driver we finally entered the Jungle. Despite it was mid of the day, we all were experiencing a cold breeze and even started shivering once the Jeep headed toward the dense part of the jungle. The jungle was very dense and untouched by humans. The moment we entered, from a long distance we saw a group of wild elephants also known as Tusker, who were eating Bamboo leaves, we also spotted deer and Nilgai as well. As a photographer, I was busy in capturing all of these along with the Flora and Fauna of the jungle. Later we reached the bank of the river Ramganga which was an open area. Our tour guide said that that Tiger usually get spotted here in the summer season but not in winter. We also spotted a wild Eagle who was sitting on a tree at a far distance. I completely zoomed my mobile camera and attempted to capture a clear image but no luck. It was nearly a four-hour safari which ended with another unluck without spotting a Tiger. Later at the end of the safari tour, my sisters-in-law complained that I was only keen to capture nature and not the nature beauties i.e., my sisters-in-law and my wife; honestly, I admitted my mistake, as it was true. Even today they used to tease me highlighting that I was more interested in capturing trees, clouds, bushes, leaves, etc., but not my wife and her sisters. After completing the jungle safari, we stayed in our pre-booked boutique resort, which was recently built. It was a big two-room Suit with a jacuzzi bathtub, interiors were pleasant. After getting in the room, we all took some rest and got refreshed ourselves. As the resort was located near the forest it was quite cold, so we asked our hotel to arrange a bonfire on the terrace of the resort.  I ask all the ladies to get ready and wear warm clothes as we are going to the terrace to have a bonfire party. The seating arrangement on the terrace was very nice; On one side, a Khatiya (a bed made up of wooden legs and Jute strings) was placed, and opposite was two sofa chairs which were made up of old tin round containers on which flat wooden plate was set so that one can sit without any discomfort and in the middle was bonfire which was fired and giving all of us enough heat to make us cosy and warm. I powered on my Bluetooth speaker which connected to my mobile phone and party was on. We ordered few snacks and drinks and we danced, eat, drink and we repeated the whole stuff again and again. That night was one of our most amazing as together, in the middle of the forest, on the terrace of the resort…it was an amazing experience and we all enjoyed it a lot.

·        

Nainital Lake

The next day our main target was to reach Nainital City but before that, I would like to show my sisters one of the most beautiful and lesser-known waterfalls called Jim Corbett waterfall and a Museum. Both these places were on the way to Nainital. If you are visiting this national park and have not seen this waterfall, you have lost one of the area's main attractions. It was beautifully created by Mother Nature and it is surrounded by several trees and a green belt. Although it's not a big waterfall, anyone who sees it will immediately fall in love with it. We also visited the Jim Corbett Museum which is also located near the waterfall. It is an old British-era building where Colonel Edward James Corbett used to live along with her sister and spend most of his life. This whole place is now converted into a museum for the public. There is a souvenir shop also present on the same campus which has several stuffs to buy including books written by Jim and other books on wildlife and places. We reached Nainital at noon time and checked in at our hotel. Our hotel was located near the lake and the view was perfect. We booked a family room which contains two rooms. Immediately after check-in we left our hotel and headed towards the lakeside for boating. A person we visited Nainital and didn’t ride a boat didn’t see Nainital. First thing first, we hired two boats, on one my wife’s sister sat, and on another I along with my lovely wife Nupur. It was a 30-minute ride and we took several snaps and clips and enjoyed and experienced the beautiful boat ride along admiring the view. It was 2 PM and after an adoring boat ride, we headed toward the rope car to reach Nainital’s top. There is a wonderful market out here, with several shops selling different items like winter clothes, home decor, and toys. There was a small kids' pay ground as well also a horse ride facility was also available. We spent almost 2 hours out here and finally reached downtown. We all were feeling hungry now and we decided to visit my favourite eating place ‘Anupam Restaurant’ which is famous for serving authentic Kumau recipes and combo meals called Thali, they also serve north Indian foods. I ordered my favourite Kumau Thali which includes all traditional recipes of the Kumau region including Bhang (Hemp) ki Chutney, which is made from Hemp seeds that have no psychoactive properties unlike its leaves. My wife and her sisters ordered north Indian food like Dal, Chawal, Roti, and Sabzi; I enjoyed my Kumau Thali.  After enjoying our meals, it was time to digest it, I mean walking at Nainital's famous market the Mall Road. How can a female live without a love of shopping? With loving siblings together, who will not enjoy shopping at a destination like Nainital's Mall Road? So we all entered the Mall Road one of the best shopping destinations at Hills My along with my wife and her two sisters. I was carrying my camera with me and I enjoyed a lot doing my all-time favourite thing ‘Street Photography’. We also got a chance to ride on twin bicycles, one by one I sat along with my wife and later with both of my sisters-in-law Jyoti and Meenu I rode these twin bicycles and we all enjoyed and created beautiful memories of the trip. We did lots of shopping A perfect day to enjoy pre-Christmas Eve.

·        

Sun rise at Mutkeshware 

After enjoying our breakfast and photo session we left Nainital city and headed towards Raniketh. Ranikhet is a small hill station and cantonment town near Almora Town in Almora district. We plan to just roam in the outskirts of the city and enjoy the sightseeing. We did exactly like this, we entered the city and halted at a few places, took photographs, and created a few short clips in slow-motion mode, especially of flying dry yellow leaves of trees in the air. The output of these slow-motion clips came very well; we all enjoyed these tiny, beautiful moments and had a light lunch on the way and finally reached Mukteshwar. Mukteshwar is a small village and tourist destination in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. Since it is located high in the Kumaon hills, it is surrounded by several hills, and on each such hill one can see a small bunch of homes, and huts are built where village people live, one can easily see such a bunch of homes from any of the mountain top. We reached Mukteshwar at 5 PM and checked in at our hotel Shri Shail Inn which is located on Bhatelia-Mukteshwar road. We all love the location of the hotel as it is built on the hilltop. When we entered our room, there were two separate beds and one washroom, the most exciting thing was a big window, and the feather on the cap was its breathtaking view. The view was so amazing that rather than getting settled in the room we gave priority to taking some wonderful shots of sunset and certainly of adorable ladies. We spent almost an hour enjoying its view. It was a special Christmas Eve for me as I was accompanied by my cute and beautiful wife along with my two cutest sisters-in-law. After getting settled in our room we all quickly got ready and came out of the hotel to enjoy Christmas Eve. Since it’s a village and that too on a hill, we must walk to see the village's beauty. We all started our walk and soon we found a beautiful cozy small restaurant called Cafe Chandi Mati. From the outside, it looked like a small hill cottage due to its rocky walls, and from the inside, it was completely white with wooden work painted in dark brown which made the entire place like an old heritage house where people could sit either inside or outside as per their choice. When we were at the entrance, we saw that all outside seats were empty due to the cold outside and a few people were standing outside near the entrance gate as they were waiting for their chance to get inside the cafe. I looked at all three and it was clear on their face that none of them was interested in sitting outside, especially my wife Nupur. One of my sisters-in-law asked me to check temperate on my mobile. Since I was wearing gloves, I first took off one of them and pulled out my mobile phone from the jacket. While I was checking the current location temperature on my mobile, my hand suddenly started shivering, seeing this, she started laughing and commented “See Jiju is not even able to hold his mobile due to cold, common Jiju tell us the temperature”. What I could say about this, it’s a cold climate out here, anyway, I checked the temperature and shouted “Ooh my god, it's -1 Degree Celsius”; when I announced this, all my three companions screamed, other people standing around us starting staring on us with a question face what went wrong with these guys. We all started laughing, it was a very natural reaction for us as none of us had ever seen or experienced negative temperatures in our lives. After a while we got to the table and ordered our meal one of the special dishes was apple pie which was deep-fried slices of apples coated with sugar-mixed flour, it was too yummy. Later we walked on the lonely streets of Mukteshwar, the sky was completely dark and we were able to view several stars, although due to festivities there was enough lightning which was disturbing the view. We all reached back to our hotel around 8:30 PM. Since we left our hotel at dusk, we didn’t notice the decorations and lighting which were decorated on the occasion of Christmas. When we reached the hotel location, we couldn’t even identify it as it was beautifully decorated with several colorful lights and since there was a big lawn on which several trees were grown, the hotel owner had taken full advantage of this and it was stunning. We took several photographs and headed towards our room. Although the hotel owner had also arranged a bonfire and invited us as well, we didn’t participate as the entire hotel people were gathered over there so we preferred to stay in the room it was freezing temperature outside. Since we already had our dinner, we only ended up with a few drinks along with a few snacks and slept quite late.

Breathtaking view of Mukteshwar from our hotel room window

·        

It was our last day, as usual, I woke first, it was quite dark in the room, I came close to the window and pep in the curtains and saw outside the window, it was the crack of dawn and the sky was light orange, I immediately realized that sun was about to rise. I straightway grabbed my camera and went outside, thank God! Sun was not raised and it was about to come up. I set up my camera settings and started capturing the moment. Sun came up and it was one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen. After some time, I realized my girls must not miss this moment, I went into the room and woke them all up. After seeing the sunrise, the only word that came out was “Wow…what a beauty!!!” together we admired the sunrise and its beauty and after having some good times we went back to the room. After having our breakfast we checked out from our hotel and headed to visit 350-year-old Mukteshware Dham Temple, which was 7 KM from our hotel. Since it is a very old temple hence it is well-recognized among the people in this part of the country. After visiting the temple we met a guide who told us that he would take us on a nature walk and also show us some beautiful spots from we could take our photographs. So we hired him on nominal charges and we all started our short yet good experience nature walk. Since the temple was located on the peak of a mountain we started going down and soon we reached a place where lots of tourists were gathered. It was the other side of the mountain where some big rock structure was satiated on which people were climbing and taking snaps. We all took advantage of this spot and quickly took our individual, group, and couple photographs. The best part of this location was the breathtaking view of the valley. But the best was yet to come. Our guide told us that there is a government hotel which is located around 2-3 KM from here which is the best location to view snow peaks, the Himalayas range. So, we quickly decided to go to that spot to explore and we didn’t regret our decision. Although cars cannot go exact location as one has to walk around a kilometre to reach the spot. At a certain point, we left our car and again we all were on our foot to reach our destination. This is a very old government hotel which was built in the English era by the Britishers. Due to a partially clouded day, we couldn’t spot all the snow peaks but trust me, it was worth reaching this place. We all admired the view took several photographs and enjoyed this movement.

This was the last location of our trip, we all were very happy and almost satisfied as we didn’t spot Tiger at Jim Corbett National Park and didn’t see snowfall. We are now planning for a similar kind of new trip in this year 2024.

Nawalgarh: City of Hawali's

Painting done on a wall, inside of Poddar Hawali

“I was taking position with my camera in my hand to capture a snap of an old building in a very narrow market street. I was with Surbhi (my cousin’s friend); and she was also gazing on the same building at that time. All of the sudden a cattle vehicle ran over my foot and the whole street became dusty. I dint understand what happened… as I was busy taking photographs of that building. Next moment I stepped backward and I looked towards Surbhi, expecting that she will tell me what happened, but there was no reaction on her face and then she started laughing… I realized then, what had actually happened, my foot was so close to the vehicle that I just escaped an accident. I was wondering, “Why did Surabhi not warn me about this?” She said, “She was also admiring the building when the whole incident happened, it was so quick that she dint get enough time to warn me about the approaching cattle cart”. God Graciously!!! I nearly escaped an accident, lucky me ….. Unfortunately I lost my sunglasses which were on my forehead…”

Careless travelling gives that kind of thrill which we cannot get from any other way…it’s full of fun, happiness and at the end it gives you peace of mind and also a kind of satisfaction which we cannot express in our words!!! My trip to Nawalgarh was full of careless traveling…

Close view of painting done wall of a Hawali

Nawalgarh is famous for its magnificent traditional Bungalow’s, traditionally known as Hawali’s. The specialty of these buildings is Fresco paintings done on the walls, main gates, windows and inside these buildings. These Hawali’s are also famous for their unique architecture and stunning main entrance. It was my first experience to see such a beautiful heritage site in the rural Rajasthan. Nawalgarh is 141 km away from Jaipur i.e. around 3:30 hours journey. It is located in Jhunjhunu District of Rajasthan State which is famous part of Shekhawati region. Nawalgarh is also the motherland of some of the great business families of India like – Poddar, Birla, Bajaj, Godrej etc.

I was there to attend a very special occasion, “The Wedding Ceremony” of my elder cousin, Abhinav Sharma. I accompanied my Mother and brother Shekhar on this auspicious occasion. We stayed at a local dharamshala (a Hindu Society Lounge) which had about 25 rooms with basic facilities. Before the wedding day, some of us planned to visit the Heritage Sites in the city. So, the next morning along with other cousins, Munna Mamaji and Surbhi didi I set forth to explore the city.

Every Hawali in Nawalgarh has its own dignity and status in the society. Their stories of glory and success are famous and narrated by old family members and locals. The fresco paintings on their walls signify their family’s culture, background, customs, values and beliefs. This is clearly visible in every painting done on the walls of these old buildings.

There are many old Temples, Gateways, a School and even a college located in the city and on every wall of these buildings fresco paintings are done in very details like – painting of old emperor’s, Hindu God’s, festivals, special occasions, mythological stories and many more. All these paintings reflect art & craft culture of the city. This means that Nawalgarh people not only built their houses for living but they also gave equal importance to their art & history by paintings them on their walls. It seemed as if some owners of these building gave full freedom to the artistes to paint the walls to the artistes’ contentment. I felt so because in some building I saw paintings of motor car, an English man driving bicycle, trains, vintage cars, British arms, elephants, horses and many such imaginary things.

These buildings not only consist of painting, but all these building also have state of art architecture inside. It is very much visible on the main entrance of the houses, like specially designed main doors, pillars, windows (Jhorakha) and many such things. Truly Nawalgarh is city of Hawali’s, I was stunned and amazed by experiencing beautifully painted old buildings, temples, which are present in every part of the city, and we just walked, walked and walked in the whole city and enjoyed a lot watching these beautiful Hawali’s. Nawalgarh is a must visit destination of Rajasthan...and don’t forget to bring your camera.

THE HISTORY OF NAWALGARH

 Thakur Nawal Singh Ji Bahadur (Shekhawat) founded Nawalgarh in 1737 AD at the village site of Rohili, before abolition of Jagirs in Rajasthan. Many great business families of Marwari community have their origins from Nawalgarh. Nawalgarh was encircled by the high Parkota (walls) consisting of four Polls (gates) in different directions, namely Agoona Darwaja (entrance gate), Bawadi Darwaja (in north), Mandi Darwaja and Nansa Darwaja. Each gate is very heavy as they are built from iron. There is also a fort build in the city called “Bala Kila Fort” which is situated in the center of the Thikana, another fort i.e. Fatehgarh Fort is situated outside the Parkota as an Outpost. The market place of the town and layout of the havelis indicate that the original city was well-planned before construction. Nawalgarh was considered to be the most modern towns of Shekhawati region.

GETTING TO NAWALGARH:

Nawalgarh is well connected by road and also through Meter gauge railway line. But the best option to visit the city is by road. Its distance from Jaipur is 141km which is around 3:30 hrs and from Delhi its distance is 260km which is around 5hrs journey from taxi.

By Train: There is a direct train from Jaipur to Nawalgarh which is 3-4hrs journey. Since these trains has no pre-reservation system, so it’s not advisable to go by trains as these trains are hugely crowed with peoples and there is also a chance of delay.

By Road: It is the best option to reach the city as several taxi services are available from all major cities like - Jaipur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, New Delhi, Agra, Alwar, Udaipur and Jodhpur etc. There are frequent daily bus services also available from Jaipur Sindhi Camp bus stand (Jaipur bus terminal) to Nawalgarh. Bus services are also available from all other major cities of Rajasthan like – Ajmer, Kota, Bikaner, Jodhpur and even Delhi.

By Air: There is no Air-port at Nawalgarh as it is a small town, the nearest Air port is located is Jaipur.

MUST SEE: Forts and Hawali’s: Anandi Lal Poddar Hawali, Nawalgarh Fort (Bala Kila Fort) and Fatehgar Fort, Roop Niwas Palace (1km from Bala Kila fort), Sheesh Mahal, Murarka Haveli, Bansidhar Bhagat Haveli and Chokhani Haveli.

Temples: Lakshmi Narayan Mandir (Built by Thakur Udai Singh in 1869 V.S.), Shri Gopinath Ji Mandir (Built by Thakur Nawal Singh), Shri Kalyan Ji Mandir, Gangamai Temple, Shri Ramdev Ji Mandir and many more.

EAT: There are several sweet shops located in the city where one can find snacks items like - Dal ki Kachori, Samosa, Pakoda’s etc. But Nawalgarh is famous for its one of a sweetest dish know as “KHEER-MOHAN”, it’s a kind of Rasgulla (famous bangali dish) but not white, its color is brown which means it is more cooked then rasgulla and it is more tight and trust me, it’s very-very sweet.

Personally I have not visited any restaurant in the city and I even doubt that there is any in the city, although there are few dhabh’s is the city to burn your hunger. There are few good hotels, they may serve for outsiders.

STAY: There are very few hotels in Nawalgarh and several times at peak tourist’s seasons, visitors have to compensate by arranging their stay in another cities hotels like at - Jhunjhunu, Mandawa or Sikar.  


Stay At Nawalgarh - Heritage Thikana, Club Mahindra Roop Vilas Palace, Welcome Heritage Koolwal Kothi and Nalagarh Resort are few good and decent say places at Nawlagarh.

At Jhunjhunu - Dundlod Fort, (8km from Jhunjhunu), Grand Haweli & Resort, Jhunjhunu, Hotel Shekhawati (Mandawa), Hotel Fresco Palace (Jhunjhunu), Hotel Heritage Mandawa, The Desert Resort (Mandawa) and Hotel Castle Mandawa are few options if you won’t find any rooms in Nawalgarh city.

Apart from these hotels, one can also stay at Dharmshals (Society Longue) but somebody has to recommend you (local repute person/family) as they don’t allow any strangers.


Written by Apurv
Edited by Surbhi Seth

Roaming in Alwar...

On the way to Alwar city, you will find second most famous national park of Rajasthan state i.e. Sariska Tiger Reserve better known as Sariska Van Abhyaranya. It’s a dry forest covering area of 800 sq. km and close to the forest there is a beautiful lake situated called Silished Lake. There are other beautiful monuments included Alwar Fort, temples etc one can visit within the city. You can call Alwar an adventure city..So, let’s begin our adventure…

I have been to Alwar around three times and at none of the occasion I got chance to visit any of these places, although I planned it several times but unfortunately till date it never happened. But few of my friends do visited these places and shared some good experiences with me. So here I am sharing my roaming experience in Alwar City.

Alwar is a small and peaceful town which is surrounded by Aravali Hills which makes this city dynamic in regard of location & climate. It was my official visit accompanied by my manager Mrs. Disha. We hired a taxi and begin our journey at 8am in morning from Jaipur. Initially you have to stay on Jaipur-Agra highway road and then later you have to change the direction towards Alwar. It was not even an hour since we started our journey our taxi tire busted, thank god we were slow and luckily we were close to a tire repair shop. We stopped there, by the time tire was getting repaired we enjoyed home made sandwich (made by Disha) it was tasty…within few minutes we again begin our journey. There are two routes to visit Alwar, one is a straight highway road (most preferred) and another route is from the middle of the Sariska Jungle (if you want to go direct to Sariska go for this one). We opted highway road, as our destination was Alwar (that to an official visit not travelling). Within two and half hours we reached Alwar.

When we reached the city, I was not aware of this that the city is surrounded by hills; I was in this impression that this is also as normal as most of the small cities in India are. We directly went to our office (ICICI Prudential Life Ins Co Ltd) which was located in a quite place of the city. Our office was on the first floor of the building and we were sitting in the back office cabin. Then at the lunch time Disha ask me to move at front desk to handle customers. At the front desk, there were glass windows installed for natural lights and the moment I sited on my chair & viewed outside the window, my mouth and eyes was kept opened for a while, there was a breath taking view of a big mountain from the window…I said to myself “Ohh my God…what is that”. That was one of the mountain range of Aravali Hills. So now I was excited and thinking of evening to come so that I can roam in the city and have a clear view of surrounded mountains.

I evening my priority changed from mountains to shelter as Disha has left to Jaipur and ask me to stay in this city for two more days as our work was not completed. So in evening I begin hotel hunting. There are several good hotels in Alwar and most famous & preferred one is “Hotel Aravli”, but it was a bit expensive so I opted another one “Alwar Hotel” located near to railway station at just Rs. 350/- per night. Since my stay was not planned earlier and due to financial reason I opted this hotel. Hotel was good enough; my room was of medium size with attached bathroom and a good & clean bed along with a TV…what else I want…

Alwar Bagh

In evening I find a good restaurant at back street of the hotel, who serves a complete meal plate (thali) in just Rs. 50/- with variety of dishes included like – Dal, Rice, Seasonal Vegetables, Salad and a Sweet. It was really economic restaurant with good quality food and surprisingly very clean. Post that, I went to see famous Alwar Bagh (Park). This park is very old, around more then 350 years. There is a small palace is also build within the campus which make is very unique in itself. All the trees, plants and grasses were very well maintained and giving awesome feeling. It was a great experience to my mind and soul…and to my stomachJ..a must see...

Personally speaking what I have observed in my career that working in a small city like Alwar, Jhunjhunu or Churu is much easier and flexible rather working in a big city. The main difference is that even you have huge work load on your desk, no one is there to monitor you...and you can work freely…good na…Truly speaking, while working in these small cities you are more relaxed and in a comfortable zone and one can give much better performances in compare to a pressure atmosphere in big cities offices…

Moosi Rani ki chattri

Next evening after office hours I went to see Bhagirathi temple, it was very beautiful structured and very famous too, post that I went to see “Moosi Rani ki chattri”, it’s a dome kind of structure which was built in memory of Moosi Rani, wife of Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh in year 1813 AD. It’s a magnificent structure.

So, my Alwar journey ends here, I am soon planning to visit Sariska Jungle, and also excited to convert my experience into another blog column…lets hope it will happen soon…

GETTING TO Alwar:

Alwar is located at northern part of Rajasthan state, close to Delhi. It is 160 km from South Delhi & around 150 Km from North Jaipur.

By Train: Railway network of Alwar city is well connected with Delhi, Jaipur Jodhpur, Mumbai and other important tourist cities of India.

By Flight: Jaipur (161km) & Delhi (163km), both Airports are equally close from Alwar and then one have to choose from road or rail to reach Alwar.

By Bus & Taxi: Alwar can be easily reached by road as well. There are well-maintained roads linking it to tourism destinations like Delhi, Sariska, Bharatpur, Deeg and Jaipur. Both Govt. and Private buses and taxies are available frequently.

Sarisk National Park

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Alwar is a bit lacking in terms of good hotels, still there are very few good hotels in Alwar to stay:

Economic & Mid Range - Hotel Alwar, Rajasthan Motel, Ankur Hotel, RTDC Hotel Meenal & Alwar Bagh (Heritage Hotel)

Luxury – Hotel Aravali & Clark Inn

Eat:

There are few good stops to burn your hunger strike in Alwar, they are:

Prem Pavitra Bhojnalaya (one of the most famous and oldest-1957, serves great and testy meals in very affordable price), Inderlok Restaurant, Thali House - New South Indian Café (the one where I went to eat, it is located opposite Gopal Cinama in main city area), Dawat Restaurant and Narula's.

Must See:

Alwar City Palace & Museum, Alwar Fort, Alwar Bagh, Moosi Rani Ki Chattri and Tal-Vraksh (Water Pond).

Places around Alwar:

Sariska National Park (36 Km), Pandupol Hanuman Temple (on the way to Sariska Forest), Sagar (Water Pond, behind City Palace), Silished Lake, Neemrana Fort (75 km) and Nogaza Shiva Temple (8 Km)

Udaipur City: Venice of East

Wherever I was looking there was only water…we were in the middle of a lake on a small boat. The boat shakes badly with even a slight movement of our body and our fun may convert into real life drama. But we were least bother of all those things as it was giving us tremendous thrill & fun. One must experience this if you in Udaipur. The city of Romance, beautiful Lakes, Palaces, Foods and Markets...there are several things one can do in Udaipur...

I was here with my office colleagues to attain our annual Rendezvous. Our stay was arranged at Hotel located at bank of renowned Jaisamand Lake. This lake is Asia’s largest manmade lake. Our journey begins from Jaipur. We all left Jaipur by train at 2000hrs and reached Udaipur early morning. A bus was arranged to take us to Jaisamand. Within in two hours we reach at the bank of the Jaisamand Lake. Here several boats were waiting to take us to another side of the lake, at our hotel. This lake is really very huge and I have never expected that Asia’s largest manmade lake is situated in my state i.e. in Rajasthan. And when the boat begins running…ooohooo…wow…that was very thrilling & amazing feeling for all of us as wherever you see, there is only water and water…Within few min. we reached our hotel. Rooms were big and spacious including bathroom. We spend one and half day in the hotel. We enjoyed a lot like disco dance till late night, food, atmosphere, climate, peoples, everything was just perfect. It was month of December and there was mild cold. The whole experience was amazing. Next evening we all headed towards Udaipur City.

Nehru Garden

We reached Udaipur City around 1600hrs, believe me it’s a beautiful city, known for magnificent palaces and lakes. We first went to Savage Garden restaurant to burn our hunger. The food was awesome so as the place and peoples…J.. Post that, we went to see the famous Fateh Sagar Lake, which is beautiful and big. It’s an artificial lake constructed by Maharana in 1678 and located at north-west of Udaipur. In Fateh Sagar Lake, there are three small islands; the largest of these is called the Nehru Park, the second island houses a public park with an impressive water-jet fountain and the third island is the address for the Udaipur Solar Observatory. Every year a festival called the Hariyali Amavasya Mela (Green New Moon Fair) is organized at the lake precincts, in the month of August/September.

We hired a boat to take us to the Nehru Park Island. Our boat was shaking very badly with even a slight movement of our body, and we all were laughing & enjoying, it was tremendous thrill moment for us. The island has very beautiful garden with lush green grass and several kinds of flowers. We spend an hour there and took a round of the whole island.

View of Fateh Sagar Lake side

After returning from the island we all took a long walk on the footpath, which is build all around the Lake side. There are several fast food shops besides the Lake. Every evening several tourist visit this place, both local and outsiders. As it was Sunday, there was no place to even walk properly, every shop and street was crowded badly. In the middle we also enjoyed tea. It was close to 1900hrs, we all then decided to take our dinner as we also have to catch our train at 2130hrs.

We went to Mewar Haveli Rooftop Restaurant which was located on the opposite side of the lake side which was giving us very beautiful lake view. The restaurant building was built in a traditional Indian style. There was also a water fountain installed on the terrace with light effect which was making the atmosphere more elegant. We all enjoyed traditional Indian food and said bye to this beautiful city Udaipur.

ABOUT UDAIPUR:

Udaipur is said to be a “city of lakes” or better known as "Venice of the East". It is also said to be India’s most romantic city. It is located at southern part of Rajasthan state and surrounded with good numbers of mountains. You will find Udaipur city very normal till noon time, but the moment evening arise, it turned into heaven, just because of beautiful lakes, Mountain View, delicious foods and wonderful markets.

GETTING TO UDAIPUR:

Udaipur is situated at southern part of Rajasthan state. It is 418 km from Jaipur which is 6 hour journey by road, 254 from Ahemdabad, which is just 4 hours journey by road.

By Train: There are daily trains from New Delhi and Jaipur to Udaipur like – Mewar Express or H. Nizamuddin from Delhi & Jaipur.

By Flight: Dabok airport, also known as Maharana Pratap Airport, is 24km from the city centre. There are daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur on Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines.

By Bus & Taxi: Udaipur city is well connected with most of the cities of Rajasthan and Gujrat and there are several regular AC & Non-AC buses are available, both Govt. & Private. Private Taxies are also available from cities like Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur etc.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

In Udaipur city, there are numerous places to stay, few names of good hotels are:

Economic - Hotel Padmini Palace, Krishna Ranch, RTDC Hotel Gangaur Palace, Mewargarh Palace and Hotel Kumbha Palace and many more.

Mid Range - Mewar Haveli, Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel, Mountain Ridge and Jaiwana Haveli and many more.

Luxury - The Lake Palace Hotel and The Oberoi Udaivilas.

MUST SEE:

Udaipur City

Like Jaipur, Udaipur City has ample of places to visit, and believe me, one or two day is not sufficient, one must stay here at least for 5 days. So, few places one must see are:

Palaces & Tourist Places - Udaipur City Palace (Pichola lake), Amar Vilas, Badi Mahal, Durbar Hall, Fateh Prakash Palace, Krishna Vilas, Manak Mahal, Mor Chowk (Peacock Square), Zenana Mahal, Rang Bawhan and Sheesh Mahal.

Lakes - Fateh Sagar Lake & Pichola Lake.

Other Attractions - Saheliyon ki Badi, Gulab Bagh and Zoo, Doodh Talai, Nehru Garden (Fatehsagar) and Bagore-ki-Haveli.

EAT:

Udaipur is a food lover destination, there are ample of good restaurants and resorts for your hunger like - Aapni Dhani, Mewar Haveli Rooftop Restaurant, The Whistling Teal, Savage Garden, Cafe Edelweiss and Bawarchi Restaurant. Apart from these, you can find several fast food restaurants and dhabhas in Udaipur city.