One weekend I find myself in a Shatabdi train from Delhi headed to Ajmer. The Dargah Shariff of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti has been on my radar for years. I have friends who travel from various parts of the globe to the shrine annually and I have always wondered at its pull for Muslims as well as Hindus.
We decide to combine spirituality with a dash of the royal--a trip to the shrine with a stay at a recently opened heritage property, situated 70 km outside Ajmer town, called Bijay Niwas Palace.
Haphazard, chaotic, noisy and disorganised. The township of Ajmer seems like many other overpopulated towns scattered over north India. Yet Ajmer is a centre of culture and education. The British chose Ajmer for setting up the prestigious Mayo College, a school exclusively for Indian nobility at one time. Today it stands as one of the best public schools in the country. Ajmer is also the base for visiting Pushkar (14 km away) that has the distinction of having the only Brahma temple in the world. The Pushkar Mela, an annual five-day camel and livestock fair, has also (don't know how and why) become a popular jamboree of music, dance, festivities and foreigners.
Suitably clad in salwar kameez and a dupatta that covers my head, we head to the shrine of Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz, a Sufi saint who came to India from Persia with Mohammad Ghori's invading army. We get into an auto and hurtle insanely through tiny lanes with open drains, pigs rolling in filth... hanging in for dear life, almost running down old women and almost getting run over by cars trying to navigate bylanes even pedestrians would be happy to avoid. We screech to a halt only to be whisked away by an already waiting guide or murshid to the entry of the Dargah, which is through a Buland Darwaza built by the Nizam of Hyderabad.
What follows is something that happens at almost every shrine in India, cutting across most religions: Chaos, crowds, emotional persuasion to donate generously so that we get generous blessings... After buying a chaddar and navigating some push and shove, gasping for breath, trying to clutch on to air, squashed from all sides, we find ourselves somewhere inside the hall that houses the Sufi saint's mazaar. Many panic attacks later we do manage to pay our respects and get out and spend some time admiring the beautifully carved silver doors around, the marble jaalis, a prayer room built by Chimni Begum, daughter of Shah Jahan, for women devotees.
We reach Bijay Niwas Palace after just over an hour's drive to be welcomed by Dushyant Singh of Masuda. This is no rambling palace or fort as one is wont to expect in Rajasthan. A very charming haveli-like building, it is set amidst manicured green lawns, surrounded by orchards and chirping birds. It is like entering a different world altogether, which is quiet. Very quiet. You can almost hear yourself breathe.
There are 15 rooms including two suites. Heritage floral painted walls, ornate ceilings, stucco work and photographs of royalty add a dabble of drama to the simple rooms. The bathrooms are huge and modern, added recently, and the hot showers we treat ourselves to wash away the dust and grime of chaotic Ajmer.
A bonfire and table has been set under the stars by the beautiful pool, which is lit up and looking very mystical, as tiny earthen diyas sparkling around vie with the twinkling stars above. We dig into some amazing sula kebabs and chat up Dushyant who gives us a dose of history. We are transported back in time as he tells us Bijay Niwas was built almost 100 years ago by Rao Bijay Singh, the 16th descendant of the erstwhile Masuda 'istimrardari' (a category higher than jagirdars of the then Rajputana), as a getaway retreat about the same time he founded the town of Bijaynagar, also named after him.
Masuda was the biggest istimrardari of the Ajmer-Merwar region, having 252 villages under it. Rao Narayan Singh, father of the present scion and owner, was the last to be right royally crowned 'king' before independence. There is homecooked style Rajasthani food for dinner, complete with Laal Maas and Gatte Ke Sabzi. It is a flexi kitchen where you can ask what you like and it is cooked for you. I drift off to sleep later at night, staring at the ornate fan on the high ceiling, dreaming of maharajas and princes.
We wake up to dancing peacocks in the lawns and head outside to sit sipping on masala chai and some gentle sunshine. There is nothing to do. Unless you count a bullock cart ride into a nearby village as 'activity'. I know, I know, it is village tourism oriented towards the firangis, but what the heck. The red turbaned cart owner flashes a toothy smile and we jump on to the cart couched under crisp white mattress. Off we go lumbering, soon followed by hordes of excited village children running alongside. We feel like a circus up for their entertainment.
Later we walk through the fields and check out a dried up river bed, meander through the fruit orchards with the wonderfully warm staff pointing out rare birds to us and all things bright and beautiful... The weekend has been a wonderful mix of the chaotic and the calming.
We decide to combine spirituality with a dash of the royal--a trip to the shrine with a stay at a recently opened heritage property, situated 70 km outside Ajmer town, called Bijay Niwas Palace.
Haphazard, chaotic, noisy and disorganised. The township of Ajmer seems like many other overpopulated towns scattered over north India. Yet Ajmer is a centre of culture and education. The British chose Ajmer for setting up the prestigious Mayo College, a school exclusively for Indian nobility at one time. Today it stands as one of the best public schools in the country. Ajmer is also the base for visiting Pushkar (14 km away) that has the distinction of having the only Brahma temple in the world. The Pushkar Mela, an annual five-day camel and livestock fair, has also (don't know how and why) become a popular jamboree of music, dance, festivities and foreigners.
Suitably clad in salwar kameez and a dupatta that covers my head, we head to the shrine of Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz, a Sufi saint who came to India from Persia with Mohammad Ghori's invading army. We get into an auto and hurtle insanely through tiny lanes with open drains, pigs rolling in filth... hanging in for dear life, almost running down old women and almost getting run over by cars trying to navigate bylanes even pedestrians would be happy to avoid. We screech to a halt only to be whisked away by an already waiting guide or murshid to the entry of the Dargah, which is through a Buland Darwaza built by the Nizam of Hyderabad.
What follows is something that happens at almost every shrine in India, cutting across most religions: Chaos, crowds, emotional persuasion to donate generously so that we get generous blessings... After buying a chaddar and navigating some push and shove, gasping for breath, trying to clutch on to air, squashed from all sides, we find ourselves somewhere inside the hall that houses the Sufi saint's mazaar. Many panic attacks later we do manage to pay our respects and get out and spend some time admiring the beautifully carved silver doors around, the marble jaalis, a prayer room built by Chimni Begum, daughter of Shah Jahan, for women devotees.
We reach Bijay Niwas Palace after just over an hour's drive to be welcomed by Dushyant Singh of Masuda. This is no rambling palace or fort as one is wont to expect in Rajasthan. A very charming haveli-like building, it is set amidst manicured green lawns, surrounded by orchards and chirping birds. It is like entering a different world altogether, which is quiet. Very quiet. You can almost hear yourself breathe.
There are 15 rooms including two suites. Heritage floral painted walls, ornate ceilings, stucco work and photographs of royalty add a dabble of drama to the simple rooms. The bathrooms are huge and modern, added recently, and the hot showers we treat ourselves to wash away the dust and grime of chaotic Ajmer.
A bonfire and table has been set under the stars by the beautiful pool, which is lit up and looking very mystical, as tiny earthen diyas sparkling around vie with the twinkling stars above. We dig into some amazing sula kebabs and chat up Dushyant who gives us a dose of history. We are transported back in time as he tells us Bijay Niwas was built almost 100 years ago by Rao Bijay Singh, the 16th descendant of the erstwhile Masuda 'istimrardari' (a category higher than jagirdars of the then Rajputana), as a getaway retreat about the same time he founded the town of Bijaynagar, also named after him.
Masuda was the biggest istimrardari of the Ajmer-Merwar region, having 252 villages under it. Rao Narayan Singh, father of the present scion and owner, was the last to be right royally crowned 'king' before independence. There is homecooked style Rajasthani food for dinner, complete with Laal Maas and Gatte Ke Sabzi. It is a flexi kitchen where you can ask what you like and it is cooked for you. I drift off to sleep later at night, staring at the ornate fan on the high ceiling, dreaming of maharajas and princes.
We wake up to dancing peacocks in the lawns and head outside to sit sipping on masala chai and some gentle sunshine. There is nothing to do. Unless you count a bullock cart ride into a nearby village as 'activity'. I know, I know, it is village tourism oriented towards the firangis, but what the heck. The red turbaned cart owner flashes a toothy smile and we jump on to the cart couched under crisp white mattress. Off we go lumbering, soon followed by hordes of excited village children running alongside. We feel like a circus up for their entertainment.
Later we walk through the fields and check out a dried up river bed, meander through the fruit orchards with the wonderfully warm staff pointing out rare birds to us and all things bright and beautiful... The weekend has been a wonderful mix of the chaotic and the calming.
FYI Only Brahma Temple in India: Fourteen km from Ajmer in the tiny township of Pushkar stands supposedly the 'rare' temple in India dedicated to Lord Brahma. Yes, surprisingly the Supreme Creator of the Universe does not have many temples universally, as opposed to the many thousands dedicated to the other two deities in the Trimurti, Vishnu and Shiva! The largest shrine of Lord Brahma stands in Cambodia's Angkor Wat. On Kartik Poornima, a festival is held at the temple, which sees thousands of pilgrims congregating to bathe in the holy Pushkar Lake. At a glance Getting there: The Delhi-Ajmer Shatabdi is the most convenient and time saving way to reach. Other cities can connect via Delhi.When to go: October to April, but the best time is perhaps around the annual Pushkar Fair in November. Must do StayLuxury: Bijay Niwas Palace, NH 79, 35 km off the highway on Bijaynagar-Beawar Road. Call Dushyant Singh; tel: 094140 04042; www.bijayniwaspalace.com. Cost: Rs. 5,000 for two. Affordable: Hotel Khadim, a basic RTDC hotel; tel: (0145) 262 7536; www.rtdc.in/khadim.htm. Cost: Rs. 3,000 for two. Eat: Rajasthani food, especially laal maas and sula kebabs. Shop: Beautiful bandhani sarees in a riot of colours. See: Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, near the dargah, built by Aurangzeb. Hot Deal Luxe for less: Rs. 7,999 for 2 nights/3 days at Bijay Niwas Palace. Includes stay for two people and daily breakfast. Call (011) 4603 5500 for details. |
No comments:
Post a Comment