Being late we had not been able to see Mehrangarh fort yesterday. The Mehran Terrace had left us with a craving to see the rest. So today morning the Mehrangarh story continued. We reached the fort right before the opening time and were amongst the first ones to get in. We took the lift to the topmost floor to get into the place from where the royal journey began. The fort was converted into a museum with numerous galleries housing a variety of royal assets used by the kings then. We went to every gallery to peep into, but more that the artifacts on display it was the architecture that was striking and grabbed our attention. We spent a lot of time gazing curiously at the designer windows, doors and the rest. Lost in the marvels of architecture, time flew by and we suddenly realized it was high time we left.
A km from the fort, was Jaswant Thada – a cenotaph built in commemoration of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. The striking monument yet another exhibit of fine art engraved in marble and a must visit on your tour to Jodhpur.
It took us around 11 am to get going. Nagaur was the direction we were heading in. The roads were good and the weather pleasant. Most of the patches were foggy even at this hour leaving us in the company of beautiful landscapes around. It was an hour and a half joyride to reach Khimsar – a quiet little town that boasted of an old fort. Obviously we had to rush in.
To no astonishment, the fort had been converted into a heritage property. Fort Khimsar was neatly done and run by the Welcom group. It was lunch time so we decided to walk in for a meal to get to see the fort. There was a full cover of INR 700 per person. We walked up to the restaurant that overlooked the city. It offered splendid views of the other monuments within the fort too. So we placed the order and while it was ready to be served we spent a little while trying our hand at photography.
The food that arrived had a great aroma and equally great taste. The Murg Khimsar and Khasta paratha definitely deserve a mention along with Lemon and Mint Soup. We had had a full 4-course meal and I must admit it was the meal of the trip. The icing on the cake was the poolside coffee shop that brewed me piping hot, fresh, rich and creamy coffee that titillated my taste buds. A lovely place to be if you want to be all by yourself and needless to mention good food!
Still savoring the taste, we got back to our original business – the ride. The road was smooth and it took us an hour to reach the bustling town of Nagaur. We got off the highway to enter the town and the mighty fort walls of Ahichhatragarh left us awestruck. We rode over a km in the city and the fort wall still followed. It seemed to be never ending!
We quickly checked into a hotel and in no time got back to see the fort. It was as huge inside as it seemed from outside. Inside the fort were a lot of monuments including the palaces, courtyards, and the royal dwelling places of the king and his queens. Every monument was an architectural masterpiece. More attractive was the water management system which our guide explained beautifully. It took us around 3 hours to see the fort closely. (For more info and photos click here)
The memory in the camera card was full and I was stuck. I thought I would buy a new one, but then there wasn’t any place where I could get it. Luckily I was carrying another card. I approached a local photo studio where a friendly guy helped me transfer the photos to another. We then peacefully got back to the hotel.
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