Mar 24 2008

Shekhawati Short & Sweet

“Reached the highest point the ‘Burj’ of the fort. It provided us a birds eye view of the entire town which was magical, we could feel the sense of tranquility and placidness in everything there.”

It happened finally on the 23rd of Feb 2007, the much planned and talked about ride to the Shekhawati. Infact, a number of plans around this circuit were made, remade and polished, unfortunately execution missed for whatever reasons. It was decided on the previous night and we did not discuss it with other fellow riders due to the fear of it getting ‘jinxed’. Lady luck smiled on to us and the program was sealed with a confirmation over a SMS to my pal Shuja Ghazi Khan an ardent rider from NOIDA. On the NH-8 near Rajeev Chowk, Gurgaon at 8:00 am in the morning, I was frantically waiting for Shuja to arrive as I was itching with anxiety to ride my ‘Black Commando’ after a brief gap of a couple of months. The hunk finally arrived,….. infact two of them…the Bull & Shuja himself , standing at an enviable 6’3″makes an impressive rider, the likes of Arnold Shwarzenegger in Terminator. Anyways, we shook hands and zipped off on the cool NH-8 towards to indulge ourselves on the Shekhawati circuit. Shekhawati belt in Rajasthan derives its name from Rao Shekha who annexed large pieces of land in this region. The region comprises of the districts of Churu, Jhunjhunu & Sikar of Rajasthan. Hungry we were, so we decided in unison to halt at our favorite dhaba near the Bilaspur toll booth on the NH-8 for some parathas & chai. The stuffed parathas topped with local butter was a delight to the taste buds, over the hot tea, we lit cigarettes and discussed how this ride finally happened. We were back on the road cruising comfortably at 70 kmph. It was around 10:00 and and we crossed Narnaul, from where we took the road to Singhana. It was an approach road after Narnaul with heavy vehicles just not ready to budge & we being left with no option but to slide down on the rocky patches along the road. Since, it was just two of us, we could maintain an average cruising speed of about 60 kph. At around 1:00 pm we reached Chirawa a small town from where we turned right from the state highway towards Suraj Garh. About 18 kms away set amidst small houses and thatched roof huts, the place looked so good and placid. We rode straight to the Suraj Garh Fort owned by Tikarani Shailja & Tikaraja Asihwarya of Lambargoan, Kangra (H.P.). The expanse of the fort have now been converted into a commercial property catering to guests. We relived the bygone era of Rajas with long moustaches (even I sport one), ample of attitude, style and all that jazz. Wow! Was all we could wind it up in. The caretaker of the property, Mr Dinesh took us around and even permitted to take out the vintage swords from their sheath & have a feel of it. We were back on the road cruising towards Jhunjjhunu, the body clock alarmed us for a lunch break and we put our bikes in abeyance and indulged in a typical Shekhawati lunch at Ridhi Sidhi restaurant in Bagar, near the famous Ridhi Sidhi Hanuman Temple. The meal comprised of Kari Pakoda, Kaer – Sangri, sata roti, bajra roti & missi roti all laced with very generous helpings of pure desi ghee………..uuuhh!! the aroma still is fresh in my nostrils. Having spent a meager Rs 150/ for all this exotic stuff, we lit our cigarettes once again before getting airborne. Many heads turned all through the way to have a look at our machines which I guess they found intriguing and magnetic. So many plastic bikes are being launched each day but the recognition which a Bullet gets even today is amazing. We were now approaching the last leg of our journey – Mandwa. The road was single but amazingly exotic…..large expanse of sands on either sides with small hutments sprinkled here & there, small patches of ‘kikar’ added on to the natural beauty of this mesmerizing place. It was 4:00 pm & the bulls were now roaring inside Mandawa town, a small sleepy hamlet. We stopped in the local market and the shutter bugs took on the finesse of this town, each house or gate seemed customized par excellence by intricate masonry & carpentry. Having walked the town, we barged into the Mandawa Fort and reached the highest point the ‘Burj’ of the fort. It provided us a birds eye view of the entire town which was magical, we could feel the sense of tranquility and placidness in everything there. Having taken some rare frames, we decided t o call it a day and started back for Gurgaon and finally reached back at around 10:15 pm.

Route taken: Gurgaon–Rewari–Narnaul–Singhana–Bagar– Chirawa– Jhunjhunu-Mandawa

Distance Covered : 570 kms Timing – 8:00 to 10:00 pm (back to back)

Expenditure : Breakfast for 2 – Rs 70/ Lunch for 2 – Rs 150/

Mar 22 2008

Yeh Pyaas Hai Riding Ki !

Before June 2003 my routine of going on rides on my Bullet was like monthly. But this time it was the longest gap of nine months and exactly after nine months I delivered a beautiful ride. The labour pain started early Saturday morning. But I could make it to the operation theatre only at 10:00 am. Soon as I crossed the Delhi border at 11:00 am, I delivered the ride. You can understand the feeling the road generates when you ride after a long time, especially for married men. I was in hurry to reach the mountains, to see the deep valleys, to feel the freshness of pine trees, to ride on the ghats…those lovely sceneries! My “Lady in Red” (Electra) was also in hurry and responding very well. I didn’t want to stop, so I crossed Karnal without any stop and when the road became two-way after Ambala, I stopped for a brief break. It was 2:00 pm. I had tandoori rotis with dal tarka and a glass of lassi. Within 25 minutes, I was again on the Bullet. Reached Chandigarh around 3:00 pm, spent around 20 minutes in a cyber cafe at Chandigarh to update the 60 kph Club about the ride and started again for Swarghat. I reached Ropar, then Kiratpur. Whenever I start riding on the Himalayas, I always feel excited like a kid. But the ride came to an end just after 18 kms on the ghats. Reached Swarghat at 6:00 pm and went directly to HPPWD rest house. The same old caretaker looked at me and smiled. ” Babu abk key to bahoot din mai aye”. Saley nai jatey hi jaley par namak daal diya. I was not tired, so I just kept the luggage (tool kit and a towel) in the room and started off again. I just didn’t want to miss the sunset. I looked for an appropriate spot and reached just in time. After spending almost two hours, I came back to the rest house, had dinner and slept. Sunday. I woke up around 6:00 in the morning, went for a walk and finally started my ride at 7:30. Reached Naina Devi, around 20 km from rest house. It was the first Navratra, so there was lots of rush. I parked my bike around 2 kms before the mandir. After Darshan I left for Bhakra Nangal that is around 25 kms from Naina Devi. What a ride! I was in no hurry, I was just cursing on my Bullet, stopping again and again. For the first time I felt that having a camera on rides is a nuisance. You spoil the present by trying to capture the moment for the future. It reminds me of a very interesting principle which the hippies followed, travelling with a camera was considered “not cool” and non-hippie because it was all about living the moment. Bhakra Nangal is a lovely damn. People told me that in summers when snow melts in the mountains, it looks more beautiful. I another hour there chatting with the locals, walking or just sitting around. Had aloo ka paratha with curd started again. Came back via Ananthpur sahib, reached Ropar and Chandigarh. Just after crossing Ambala, I saw a huge rush at a dhaba. People were jumping and shouting – an India – Pak match was in progress. I stooped immediately. This is the only plus point with people like me without any work… we don’t have to bother about tomorrow. No office, no work. So, I decided to watch the whole match at the dhaba. I started again after having dinner at the dhaba, it was 11:00 pm and Delhi was still 170 kms away. I reached home 4.00 in the morning.

Ride: Delhi – Chandigarh – Swarghat – Naina Devi – Bhakra Nangal – Ananthpur Sahib – Delhi (795 kms)।

Mar 22 2008

Jaisalmer republic

This story is picked up from one of my good friend Hirak’s Archive. Writting style of Da always inspires me.
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“Heads turned as the headlights went on and a German couple exclaimed, ‘ah, its a Royal Enfield’!”

It happened in a jiffy. As I planned, there were nearly 4 riders to accompany me to Jaisalmer for the long Republic Day weekend this year. On the D-day at 4.30am in the morning I waited near Radisson. Soon it was 5.30am and still nobody in sight. The police checking was so bothering that day but I guess it was for our own safety. At 6.00 am, I knew, it was time for ‘ekla chalo re’. Driving slowly in the winter chill, I went ahead anticipating someone would catch up. That was not to happen. The sun was bright, its rays kissed me and my Amigo, but that brightness meant nothing after the speedometer crossed just 50. I knew enough was enough and Amigo started a hearty chat with the winds after Neemrana. At 10.45am, I was nearing Ajmer, breakfast and tea inside my belly. Driving is a pleasure when you are your own boss. And boy, I was elated at luck. My first ride of 2006, that too a solo, for four whole days, was an awesome feeling. I left NH-8 at Beawar and was on NH-14 for only 26 kms before setting on the State highway at Bar. Surprisingly, the SH was a fine road and it didn’t take me long to breeze through inside Jodhpur at 6.00pm. Ah, the magnificent, majestic Mehranagarh fort was a marvel to watch as the skies turned golden when the sun bid me and Jodhpur adieu for the day. I decided to explore the city by night and boy, India has some nightlife! Unfortunately everything was closed all around, except some good local eateries and my eyelids. I knew I had to get on moving to my destination really early to see the sunset at Sam Dunes of Jaisalmer the next day. After loitering around with Amigo upto 1am in the night, I was inside the cozy comfort of my bed. Surprisingly I was up by 5am but it was still very dark. I ordered tea and when it arrived I went to my hotel balcony and knew it was going to be very cold ride indeed. This feeling reminded me of what my dear friend Pritam Shitoot told me once, ‘Kya Sir, the Ladakhi chill couldn’t down you and you are feeling cold here in Rajasthan?’ I smiled. Sometimes words spoken in history can be so inspiring, comforting and touching. I decided to wait till 6am and took a quick hot shower. What better luxury a biker can ask for on the road? My journey towards Jaisalmer made me wonder how beautiful and diverse India is. I have been to so many places, and I have so many things to see, still nothing connects like being an Indian. How quickly the food changed, terrain changed, the appearances and the clothes changed, the ‘pagdis’ changed, could see gazels running amok in the middle of the road, and their territory shared by ‘junglee’ camels. The greens were finally disappearing, as the land turned golden in color. Soon I was in Pokhran. I don’t have words to describe how the patriotic sense overwhelmed me at that point. I saw army guys training, tanks running all around in training and military border flag marches told me I was nearing Jaisalmer. My phone rang and suddenly it was my friend Jitender, Station Engineer of the All India Radio Jaisalmer, “Kahan Ho?” he asked. I told him I was not very far away and that his sweet from Jodhpur – the famous Janta Sweet mithi kachoris and many other stuffs were safely in my custody. When I finished talking, there was this soldier on the highway standing by my side. It was a pleasure to drop him to his barracks. He offered me tea, but I excused (oh! such a waste of an opportunity) but I had the Sam Dunes and the sunset in my head. 2.30pm I was inside the AIR station, Jaisalmer. Suddenly there was this producer who was awestruck that I was doing solo and when he heard it was something that it was my passion, guess what came to me on the platter? A 30-minute interview on the occasion of Republic Day! Amigo was proud too, as children outside the station boarded it, jumped from it, and discussed vehemently the power of a Bullet. Later, after a quick lunch I was heading towards the Sam dunes and believe me, it was all so very worth it. Every drop of fuel spent, every drop of sweat, every breath jumped while riding, all were worth it as the sand slowly turned golden and then it was the turn of the skies to change color; fire up for a while, mesmerizing me and Jitendra. ‘Do you come here regularly?’ I queried. ‘Nope, don’t get much time bro, you will know how things are once you are married’ and smiled. Some people are just plain unlucky I guess. The sunset saw hordes of big, swanky imported cars and Sumos and Qualis zip their way towards the city but what stole the show was the thunder of Amigo. Heads turned as the headlights went on and a German couple exclaimed, ‘ah, its a Royal Enfield’! The next morning I headed towards the Pak border but I was asked to go back since I didn’t have permits. As I drove back towards the city, I received a surprise call from Shekhar Patil, a good friend and a travelling partner, saying that he was already in Jodhpur and heading back towards Delhi via Bikaner. I told him that we could have some drinks and dinner at Bikaner, it’s a date! I bid adieu to my friend Jitender and his lovely cute babycake daughter, promised her a 100 times because she extracted it from me that I would be back soon, and then headed towards Bikaner as a sandstorm gathered momentum and even shook my bike. The storm was cutting the highway. I prayed for safety, but wanted to see the sandstorm because I have never seen one, but Mother Nature’s generosity eluded me here. I caught up with Shekhar midway and then we headed towards Bikaner and checked into the YHAI-affiliated guesthouse. With only two guests there that day, that too Bulleteers, the owner, a lanky youth with royal lineage, made a bonfire for us as we opened our vodkas and had dinner around it and chatted on. What is a sand dune all about? Who better than Mohammed, our guide, could narrate and explaine so critically? We loitered deep inside the Bikaneri sand dunes with our guide and took lots of photographs, of villagers, their flock, the gazels and of course, our bikes in the heart of the dunes! We hit the highway after an hour, thanked and paid our guide and headed towards Shekhawati – the land of mesmerizing havelis. Story has it that when business was down many years ago, the Marwaris of this area left their families here and went to Mumbai and Gujarat to establish themselves. They earned a lot there, and a better part of the fortune was sent back to Shekhawati, where the families built exquisite and exotic havelis. The Birlas, the Goenkas all have their havelis here, but the area is facing monumental neglect and I hate our system to be so callous towards our national heritage. We left for Delhi after spending about an hour and a half in the Shekhawati region. When we crossed the Delhi border, it was well over 11pm in the night and the only other thing that bothered me at that hour was the call of the cubicle next day! Believe me guys, Jaisalmer on bike is ‘jadoo’! Do it! I am even contemplating my honeymoon there (on bike). You will never want to miss it.