Planning the Trip #
A week earlier, My university has maintainance power cut which by this time was too frequent in our campus. Straight for 2 days every 15 days we lived without electricity in National Institute of Technology with our placements on head. Under the power cut, I and my friend decided to spend the weekend going to a trip. However, The thought was late for the week and finding best plan quickly felt difficult. Parallely, He received the call from one of his other friend and then striked the mutual trip plan which got finalized on the Indian State of Culture and Heritage - Rajasthan. We decided upon two cities, Kota and Jaipur. Kota is the hub of education for IIT JEE Entrance Examination and both of these boys had studied in Kota and had their memories woven. Jaipur is capital city of Rajasthan and has many sites of tourism discovered by UNESCO World Heritage. We booked the tickets and time flew by and finally the trip have happened actually.
Departure and Train Journey #
We left the hostels earlier and using the BRTS (Public Transport Bus Service in Surat, Gujarat) we reached Railway Station. Sitting in the waiting room was all about observing the people around from whole spectrum of society. There were people with kids shouting and howling, Some with quiet kids, Few sleeping on three seats all together, some sleeping below on floor, sleepheads and energetic uncle with high bass while being on call. There were people wearing attires of their own religion and a couple who seemed like newly married. And then there was us.
As time went by, Train was expected to arrive on Platform 2 as shown in one of the mobile application. But, In real the platform was different and we have to change the platform. As soon as train arrived, We boarded on train. But There were some people with Waiting tickets and they were sleeping on floor too. I was on the upper berth and when I went for the first time over there, The experience was horrifing. My body is bit big than average size and thus, I was fearful of the toppling force either on me or my luggage because, I had heavy luggage and my heavy body, which could harm the person sleeping below. But as train proceeded, I got used to and understood that the train coaches are designed with mechanical experts and it will never harm in most practical cases. I was comfortably adjusted.
A moment of appreciation of one best feature I saw in train coach designed by mechanical engineers working behind. The arrangement of 3 fans in a section of coaches. Indian Railway has this arranged such that all three sides of berth : Left, Right and Frontwards will get air. And they are also placed spatially such that you can decide your head position either frontwards or backwards depending on whether you want straight air on face or not.
I somehow got runny nose ;') due to drastic temperature drop just the day before our journey.
A Day in Kota #
Finally, On the fine morning we reached the Kota station. We left the station after our daily cores in waiting room. We first left for a spot called "Jag Mandir". The temple is just in between the water. Motor Boats takes us in middle of the pond to the temple. We took an auto and stopped in middle of the way somewhere to eat the special item over there called "Pyaaj Kachori" (Onion stuffed Shortbread).Since we reached earlier than expected, We explored nearby "Swarn Mahal and C.V. Park". The area was heavily ruled by Monkeys. And in middle of the city, on our trip I and my friend made arrangements to turn in an assignment which we were expected to submit by end of the day. We roamed for good time in C.V Park and then we got into motor boat and reached to temple when it was open with motor boat service.
We wore our guards and broom broom, Here we go. In the journey we saw 7 wonders park from far away. Then we reached to temple and it was quiet place. We were the only people over there. On the ground floor, We saw many cutiiess bunnies. I loved them. Cute bunnies awwwww... Kawaiii. We then came back from the pond towards the shore.
We then left for another area called Rajiv Nagar which was the real education hub in Kota. We took an auto and also we were supposed to mean other two of our fellow tripsters over there itself. As soon as we reached there, It was clearly filled with childrens all over chasing their dreams with passion and livelihood. My fellow friend got too nostalgic with the moment he lived into this city. He then showed me a shop where they used to eat Mayonese Pattice and we tried it. It was pretty good in taste justifying the cravings of students. After eating the street food, We both explored the streets with him being nostalgic and showing me his hostel, his crushes hostel, his friends, his coaching, different fameous coachings, rates, fruit shops and streets in general. I was brain dead in hot sun with no emotions attached but I can feel his words somehow and just choose to listen him and keep hitting funnny taunts about negative news coming from Kota due to excessive study pressure. We drank Pineapple juice in the corner of the street.
After waiting for moments, Finally we 2 became 4 with other two tripsters joining us along the way. As mentioned earlier, Out of us 4, 2 of them were part of the Kota coaching factory. They were nostalgic and lefted out of us 2 were just walking with confused brains. Then they ate food and we left for the hostel of cousin of my friend to keep luggage over there. On our way, We saw some vanity vans of actors who were shooting for TVF Season-4 Kota Factory. We kept the luggage and then we went to city mall. I have had a mutual friend with miku chan (An anonymous name to my little senpai) and she studied in Kota too. To make her feel nostalgic too, I took pictures of her coaching institute, Resonance. We Played Bowling in GameZone, I was looser with excessive strength and least brain power. At Burger King we sat and ate some meals to satisfy our stomach. We then went for OxyPark (City Park) and trust me this is the best part of Kota. This park is natural beauty of the entire kota city and was well preserved by the ruling government.
After that, We went back to streets of coaching where both of the friends studied and then ate some more "Pyaaj Kachori" but they got over, So we had a plate of samosa. The couple of us friends have brought some namkeen (salty snack) of Channa which was overly spicy. I just ate a pinch of it and it poofed my esophagus. They were cutely fighting over about having it by blaming each other. Then we left after taking the luggage and went to Railway station. In station, We played UNO and ate pizza and then left for our train to Jaipur.
Jaipur - Pink City , Preserving Indian Cultural Heritage #
Early dark morning, We reached Jaipur, The capital city of Rajasthan and also called as Pink city due to colours of its building and other infrastructure. We did our chores in Railways station and booked our rooms in Hotel Nahargarh which was just in front of Nahargarh fort. The place where we stayed was really good place with foreigners as guest too and beautiful inner infrastructure. We kept the luggage, Played uno, got refreshed and left the room sharp at 12 noon.
We took an E-Rickshaw and went for again eating some of the Pyaaj Kachori, Jalebi, Dal Pakwaan. Moving ahead, We reached City Palace. On student entry we got wavied from extra charges and got the entry tickets at minimal prices. The city palace is beautifully maintained place of "Maharaja Jai Singh" and the city Jaipur is named after him. The monuments are just amazing, I cannot stress more on the beauty of it. We roam here and there and then in a place which was the "Sabha Niwas" where the kings used to sit with guest like Lord MountBaten or Sardar Vallabhbhai etc. where the photography was prohibited we were roaming and I was unmasking my ADHD skills by reading and raising unconcerned questions and it raised feeling of insecurity for mutual existence (Sorry for complex language, I want to remember this incidence like the way it happened but I want to keep this private with my own language to not allow anyone to judge anybody from the trip and the surrounding).
After coming outside of the "Sabha Niwas" we roamed the rest of the palace and there was a marketplace where I was trying to buy a Jumka to be given as gift but the were almost of the bugdet of more than my train and hotel stay being in royal palace. I have dropped the idea to buy it. We quickly moved over the entire palace and went to Jantar Mantar.
Jantar Mantar is a cosmological clock infrastructure developed by Kings over there and their novel ministers. It has its own ways to deal with horoscope signs and clock timings. There is a whole movie room where they explain about how the entire thing works. After Jantar Mantar, We ate Kulfi (The real rajasthani kulfi) and left for Hawa Mahal which was just a kilometer away from it. Outside of Hawa Mahal there is a shopping market called Trifola Market. We explored the market for shopping instead of inside of Hawa Mahal. All of us bought some or the other things for our loved ones or self. And after shopping we went for Chowki Dhani.
Chowki Dhani is the best part of entire trip. I have made up my mind for sure, The next time I visit Jaipur with anyone, I am definately bringing them here. This is an entire village themed in Culture and Heritage of Rajasthan and Old Akandh Bharat in general. There are animal rides, Sand, Farms, Bullocks, Cow Shed, Temple Clones, River Clone, Boating, Folk Dances, Magic Show, Resturant, Shops, Markets, Free Pottery Stands, Sugar Candy stand, Munchies and what not. I was in pink love with this entire place.
I learned how to do pottery and made a pot, Learned how to made sugar candy. Although my pot broke due to heat when we tried to heat it under coal fire. I had an replacement of it later. Sugar Candy was tasty especially it teaches you principles of center of gravity and mass.
We then went for dinner, The people serves us in real village style and it was beautiful. They were too generous in serving and wanted each one of us to eat full stomach. They kept teasing skinny people and gave them a lot to eat. They were too friendly and caring and it was in their reflex action to give anything you ask them for while eating. The couple with us was the main target for them and then they had their own masti to serve us. Lovely people. After eating, We drank jaljeera and then we went to different shops just from outside and left for the hotel back.
The very next morning, I had my interview with the CTO of an startup firm (Will announce soon, If I get selected XD ). The hotel staff wanted us to checkout at 10 AM. I somehow tried to convience them and they allowed upto 11:30 AM. I gave my interview and I feel the CTO was more interested in RustLang and my exploration behind RustLang. After interview, We checked out from hotel and kept our luggage there in common room and left for Amber Fort. It was a beautiful place located in mountains and at intersection of three forts Jaigardh, Nahargardh and Amber fort. There were historic creations of Bathrooms and Rooms and other facilities for royal family living few centuries back. Most attractive part about this was "Sheesh Mahal" (A monument made entirely of mirrors). We explored the entire fort in different sections and exited from the main city. From here we went to Central Park and then back to Tripola Market and finally back to hotel and then we departed our ways apart.
The journey was really important part of exploring the country about which I was not well aware. I am now convinced that I will go to other countries for career only if needed and for a period where my age is less than 35 years. I want to spend my mature adult life in India and explore this nation.
While our way back from the Fort to Central Park the Auto guy has kept some cringe local music which was cringe by words but the tune had the pure vibe which made all of us shake our heads for atleast once.
Only two things where I was a bit uncomfortable in the city was rough driving and a bit of littering everywhere on streets. This can eventually be improved with stricter rules.
I would like to thank all my fellow tripsters for making the journey beautiful. For the very first time in a group trip I have not felt lefted out or being in a situation where I was just there as a body with dead brain. Looking forward for another such trip with the group sooner. :)
Rajasthan has now won my heart <3
Some Amazing Pictures from the Trip #