Padharo Mhare Desh! Rajasthan is calling tourists and I couldn’t stop myself. Their colorful ads, rich cultural heritage, delicious cuisines, attractive attire, and everything became a reason for my Jodhpur trip. After a long 6-month break, my husband & I decided to embark on a bike trip to Jodhpur.
We started our journey at 6 am from Ghaziabad, which is around 633 Kms from Jodhpur. Taking only a few tea & snack breaks, we reached Jodhpur around 6 pm. It took us almost 12 hrs to complete the journey. The highway is smooth and offers scenic views on entering Rajasthan.
What I love the most about Rajasthan is the ‘sunset’. I have not seen a sunset in any other part of India as dazzling and as astounding as I have witnessed in Rajasthan. I am sure I am yet to witness many more, but these are the best so far. On entering the Jodhpur road, we were welcomed by the setting sun.
I booked a room at Bijolai Palace, which is nearly a km away from the city. It is situated close to the Kaylana lake. The look-&-feel of the resort has a tinge of ethnicity as well as modernity. Some parts uphold the magnificence of a palace while some boosts contemporary look. The main attraction of the resort was the terrace restaurant which offers a lake view. Apart from all the positives, the only negative was the ‘not-so-friendly’ staff.
We went to the railway station road for dinner and tried Daal Baati with some chilly garlic sauce and buttermilk. It was undoubtedly yum! And then, we walked around the market area to get the true essence of the city. It’s beautiful, colourful & undoubtedly lively.
Next day, we checked out of the hotel at 10 am and left our baggage at the reception because we had to visit Mehrangarh Fort, which is one of the largest forts in India. The fort is royal and offers a marvelous display of bravura. One has to walk a lot to see every part of the fort. It took us more than 4 hrs to embrace the splendor of the fort, to click photographs and to turn the chapters of the past.
It is quite enthralling to feel how the Maharajas, Ranis and their workers used to live in the fort, which offers a full view of the Jodhpur city. They had their celebration halls, discussion rooms, bathing rooms, waiting rooms and many other big separate rooms decorated creatively. They were more advanced than us, considering the resources and technological limitations they had.
We toured the fort and got free around 4PM and then we had onion kachoris and cardamom tea. Kachoris were okay, but the tea was mind-blowing. I am a tea lover and it’s always a treat for me to get good tea. It refreshes me. The tea seller made a special tea for us, knowing we are a tourist, and I really appreciate their warm gesture. Small things altogether create a huge impact.
After having tea & snacks, we started our journey to another beautiful place, which is some 70 km ahead of Jodhpur. It is Osian Village (spelled as Osiyan). Just as we got close to the village, we were again welcomed by striking sunset and a beautiful rainbow. We clicked a few pictures and continued toward the village.
We booked a night stay at Camp Thar. On the straight road of Osian village, there is a railway crossing on the left that takes you to Camp Thar. Just as we passed the railway crossing, we started seeing sand dunes. We were overwhelmed and mesmerized to witness sand dunes for the first time. A lot of activities happen in that area like jeep safari, camel ride, biking on the sand dune etc.
After crossing that happening area, we moved for around 3 km to reach Camp Thar. The property is huge, well-built and bordered by fort-like walls.
It offers camps as well as rooms. The rooms are spacious and even they are given a feel of camp. The interior is decked with white net curtains and white fabric having a golden print for the fairyland touch.
I would recommend staying at Camp Thar if you wish to spend a night or two away from the hustle bustle of city life. But, if you want to enjoy the most, then make sure you take your group of friends because there may not be many guests in the camp. Tourists, other than from Rajasthan & neighbouring states, are not well aware of Osian village.
Osian village is also named as the ‘Khajuraho of Rajasthan’ for its beautifully carved temples showing great art. The village has around 18 temples and ruins of around 100 temples dating back to 8th century. The most popular temple is Osiyan Mata temple which is also known as Sachiya Mata Temple. A trip to Osian village is incomplete without visiting this temple.
If you don’t have time to visit Jaisalmer to enjoy the Thar desert, you can visit this unexplored place in Rajasthan to have a similar kind of experience under budget.
Unlike the desert of Jaisalmer, you will find vegetation, small bushes, and trees amid the desert nearby Osian village. The land is fertile and not completely deserted. So, go fully prepared not to have too high expectations of a typical desert.
We enjoyed the folk dance at night and Sufi songs well sung by Rajasthani bhai-sa. The person attending us in the camp was very cordial and treated us well. We would like to visit the place again, but in a group, as it seems to be a lonely planet and we felt that we could have enjoyed the place more with friends.
After fully enjoying the night by dancing & rejoicing in Rajasthani style, we left the camp for home at 8 am. We had breakfast in the village and just after that, it started raining. We waited for 10-15 mins but then, we sensed it’s not going to stop.
Wearing raincoats and securing our gadgets, we continued our return journey, enjoying the rain showers all through the day. We also realized that it’s not safe to ride a bike at night on a highway, especially in the rain. So, we decided to avoid driving at night time on highways.
Wet & tired, we reached Ghaziabad around 12 am. We had tea and maggi in dinner, prepared by Chef Husband. And then, recalling the beautiful journey, we slipped into bed for a good night’s sleep.