Longer vacations are easier to plan when compared to the weekend ones. Last month, I was in Leh (my happy place) for over two weeks. On our way back, my husband and I had 3 days in Delhi before the flight back and had no idea what to do. A little bit of googling of the nearest places to visit from Delhi gave us an extensive list. We picked the most intriguing option from that and got ready for the unplanned trip.
The first image that pops into one's head at the mention of Rajasthan is Desert; the brown pearls shimmering over the scorching sun. Contrary to that, Rajasthan has its fair share of hills too. One such exquisite city in the lap of the Aravali hills is Alwar.
As the distance was just 160 kms from Delhi, we decided to rent a bike and ride. The weather prediction said little rain and pleasant weather, so we geared up in our jackets, boots and set off on the monsoon ride.
We started from New Delhi and hit NH 48, it took more time getting out of the city than reaching Alwar. Once on the highway, the roads were good and full of great pit stops. As we reached the city, we were welcomed by light drizzle which continued into the night.
As the sun rose the next day, we set out to explore the city which was once part of the architectural gem of Rajasthan. The first stop was the City Palace also known as Vinay Vilas Mahal, which currently is used as a government office. Although it is very ill maintained and has become partly a cow shed, the good news is that the palace is going to be converted into a heritage hotel soon. The marble pavilions and lotus shaped courtyard blends the Rajputana - Islamic architectural styles.
The entire area of the City Palace consists of Vinay Vilas palace, the museum and Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri. We spent 2 hours here taking pictures and walking around. The step well here is filled with fishes, pigeons flying around and the arches beautifully designed. The whole scenario changed when it started to drizzle again, everything looks so much better in reflections.
A short distance from the City Palace is Bala Qila. The entrance to the fort is also the entry to the Sariska Tiger Reserve. We paid 10 Rs for the entry fee and 20 Rs for the bike. The ride up to the fort was about 4 kms of winding roads, magnificent hills on one side and villages below. With lesser people and gorgeous views, it was one of the most cozy rides. We saw safari jeeps running up and down the road. I heard one of the travelers say that they spotted a Leopard. I only wished to not have an encounter while I was on the wheel!
It started to pour down cats and dogs by afternoon. Having our own bike gave us the liberty to just ride around the village. The outskirts of Alwar is so perfect, right out of a story book. We passed through many tiny lakes, hills covered in clouds, hamlets, people working in their fields waving at us. There was no destination, no google maps, just a bike, a camera and two people.
The ride to Alwar was relaxing and beautiful at the same time. This oldest kingdom holds the royal air in its lungs. It has beautiful architectures, multiple shrines and 5 star heritage hotels. The simplicity of Alwar was so refreshing in this modern era. If you live in and around Delhi, just take that trip.
Bon Voyage!
Signing Off rucksackdiaries
