Anniversary in Alwar

I knew my wedding anniversary for the last one year but call it ‘Just in Time’ management that I managed to plan a trip just one day in advance. Yes – and the place we decided to visit was Alwar, a bustling city about 165 Kms from Delhi.

The frantic search for a good hotel started with all the Neemrana properties; but nothing was available – not even the honeymoon suits. Next on the list was the RTDC hotel on Siliserh Lake which was completely booked too. One last ditch effort in Google led me to Clark’s Inn – the resident manager promised a good deal with a room upgrade when I played the anniversary card with the hope of making it special for my wife Vaishali.

The accommodation in place we packed in a hurry and left by 6:30 pm on the 10^th of July, which was a Saturday. It was already 8 by the time we could cross the toll plaza near Haldiram’s on NH8. This was our first drive to this city and though I had gone through the map thoroughly, we needed quite a few directions. Over the years I have come to admire the Google maps app on my Blackberry as it gives current locations and also quite an accurate road map to most destinations. The map kept us on track and we arrived at our destination by 10:45. The hotel was nice and the upgraded room looked cosy and comfortable.

11^th July 2010 – Our 2^nd Wedding Anniversary

The day started with a late breakfast, and a few negotiations with a local cab driver. We wanted to see some interesting places around and shortlisted a few from the tourist brochure available with the hotel.

We stopped at a local Police Station where I had to submit an application for entry into Bala Qila – its restricted to visitors unless you have a written permission from the local police station. Our cab driver knew where to get it.

Alwar City Palace

The first on the list was Alwar City Palace. It’s a huge palace situated in the heart of the city – which now houses a few administrative offices. There was an eerie silence when we entered the portico which was later dispersed by the high pitched voices of some local boys who were just wandering around. The palace showed the trademark neglect which can be seen at most places of historical importance in India. 

City Palace - overlooking the tank

The architecture was beautiful and reflected the splendor that these walls had seen centuries ago. The palace also houses a museum with collections of arts and artifacts of the Alwar rulers. The museum had a nominal entry fee of `5 per person. Behind the palace is Moosi Rani ki Chhatri – this was built by Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh in memory of his wife Moosi Rani. The chhatri looks upon a huge tank which took 9 years to complete. The entire place had a magnificent view surrounded by the Aravalis on 3 sides.

The Queen looks over the city

Our next destination was the Bala Qila, otherwise known as the Alwar Fort. Built in the 16^th century, this fort had many owners, right from the Mughals, who built it, to the Marathas, the Jats and finally the Rajputs. Situated at 1000 feet above the city of Alwar, it has a magnificent view of the entire city and the valleys of the Aravali range. The entry to the fort was closed due to construction work to restore it to its formal glory, but we got in after some requests to the site officer.

Enjoying the view - Bala Qila

The balconies had an awesome view and the breeze was just amazing. Both Vaishali and I could not help but sit and let our senses absorb all that they could feel. The fort at some time housed huge canons which were used to fire at any enemy incursions. These canons were later brought down into the city and one of them can be seen at the ‘Bhawani Top’ crossroads – close to circuit house (the location of our hotel).

Siliserh Lake Palace

Though we carried some snacks, our stomachs felt the need for some good food to stop the rumbling inside. Siliserh lake palace hotel seemed a good place to grab lunch and enjoy the beauty of the lake. I was a bit disappointed by the time we actually stepped into the hotel restaurant. The place was shabby with every guest complaining of shabby service and we were witness to a high pitch quarrel between the hotel staff and a family which was there to have lunch. The RTDC administration hasn’t done justice to the beautiful palace on the hill-side overseeing the lake. There is an entry cover charge of `30 per person which gets adjusted against your bill in the restaurant.

We had some snacks which took ages to be served and managed to click a few snaps under the scorching sun. After making a mental note of the room rates printed on a shabby banner I made a decision never to call them for a booking.

It was 4 by this time and we decided to stop by the Jagannath Temple and offer prayers before heading back. The temple is situated close to the city palace and had a beautiful idol of lord Jagannath. We took along a sweet which is famous in Alwar – the milk cake. This is also referred to as Kalakand by the locals. After praying for a happy life for the remaining of our lifetimes, we left for our hotel.

Sariska Palace

On returning to the hotel we inquired with the staff for some good options to eat out – we dint want to have our anniversary dinner in the hotel restaurant. We wanted to go some place special; and special it was – the Sariska Palace Hotel. Deciding to take a short nap before the evening outing we hit the covers, only to be surprised by the hotel staff that brought us a cake for our anniversary. Thank you guys for making it special for us.

Sariska Palace - At night

Situated just at the edge of the Sariska wildlife reserve, this palace was built in 1892-1900 and was the hunting ground for the rulers of Alwar. Sariska Palace was 40 Kms away from our hotel. The drive was smooth for the first 35 Kms but the last 5 was absolutely horrendous. The road was lined with huge pot-holes and the 3 bridges we crossed had minimal railing. With no lights around, any vehicle at higher speeds could easily end up in the valley below – dangerous.

We managed to locate the palace although it was shrouded in darkness with just a few lights glowing. I assume there were not many guests as the wildlife reserve was closed for the rains and the animal’s mating season. We were guided to the restaurant which was housed under a huge verandah used for organizing cultural gatherings. The food was fine, the cutlery was good, and the wife was happy! What else can you ask for.

We hurried back to our hotel with the intention of watching the FIFA world cup finals. Vaishali was excited about the entire day and was looking forward to end it with a good soccer match. But little did we know that our eyes and mind would not be willing to do some overtime after what I would call a field day.

The drive back home was quick as the roads are pretty smooth. Signing off with the hope that i will plan my next anniversary well in advance :)

Alwar: Directions from Delhi

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Encounter with law and cleanliness - Singapore

I landed in Singapore on a rainy morning with thunder showers lashing down hard on the plane windows. I wasn't too sure if the weather was safe for landing, but i guess i was unnecessarily worried with my past experiences with most Indian carriers. The landing was uneventful and as luck would have it, the rain gods relented; the shower stopped by the time i could come out of the airport. Having exchanged the forex, i was all set to explore the land of 'Merlion'. Pleasantly greeted by the cab driver, i alighted a cab and tried giving the address of my hotel. He quickly dived into his directory and looked up the address. We reached the hotel after some hard searching around and finally managed to locate it. Here came my first encounter with the manager who was a stickler to the rule book. I had taken an early flight and had no where to go i had but no choice to check in a couple of hours early. Though the room availability was not an issue, i was asked to cough up extra dollars for reaching early; most hotels i have visited are quite accommodating with their guests in such circumstances, but not this one. Not able to sleep the previous night in the flight, i decided to take a quick nap before going to office at Robinson Road.

Two hours later i was all set to soak in the Singapore sun, which had now shining from behind the thin clouds. Having experienced the costs involved in travelling by cab, i decided to opt for a more greener option - the underground MRT. I was guided to the nearest station, about a kilometer away. The thing that appealed to me most 5 minutes into my walk was the discipline in traffic. We in India are known for our uncanny traffic sense; disruptive as it is; equally baffling is the seamless way in which vehicles ranging from hand pulled rickshaws to noisy state run buses co-exist. I was also amazed by the variety of car models available - Honda specially. India is one of the largest small-car market (10th largest to be precise) in the world and its only since the last two years, manufacturers have started launching new models. Fifteen minutes later i landed in one of my most embarrassing moments - buying a MRT ticket from an automatic wall mounted dispenser. Now i consider myself quite savvy with technology, but i found myself struggling with the many slots and touch panel map on the machine. I decided to pretend smart and stood a foot away observing how its done. Two passenger usage later i got my savvy touch back - i knew how to get a ticket !! The day was dull and mostly spent at office. I called up a New Yorker friend who had lived in India for almost to years and had worked with me for sometime - Jenny Steeves and her husband Dave. We met in the evening and decided to explore a new vegetarian eating joint in China Town. With their keen sense of direction Jenny and Dave led me to this unique restaurant - it serves vegetarian food prepared with tofu which looks and tastes like non-veg. I was taken aback for a minute with the names of the dishes and wondered if today was the day i would lose my dharma :). But that was not to be; we had a wonderful time and enjoyed the food.

By the time i returned to the hotel i had walked as much as i would usually do in about 3 to 4 days back home. Man, it was tiring, the humidity dint help either. getting back to my room , i realised i had exhausted my supply of drinking water. When contacted, the room service informed me that each guest is entitled to only 2 small water bottles of 500ml per day. I was aghast as drinking water was never in such ration anywhere in India - well, i guess we could face such a day, if we don't use our resources wisely - but that's not the Indian way, we love to waste water!! So, i had to order for a $12 bottle of water and feel quite disgusted about it.

The next day was going to be interesting as i had to attend a day long conference at Sentosa organised by Google for the Publicis groupe. Well, i work for an agency which is a part of Publicis. I felt quite over dressed in a tie and suit. People around were dressed in formal casuals and it was only later that i realised, it was the normal dress code in Singapore - always research before you visit a country for the first time, specially for business. The conference progressed and soon it was lunch time. There were a few Indians in the audience, vegetarians! We could not find a single veg dish except for fruits and salad. Seeing our anguish, the manager approached us and offered to get something made quickly. Lalit, my senior colleague and I sat at a table anticipating something exotic till we were served fried Eggplant sandwiches :D. They only tasted good till we were really hungry. Tomato pasta was something we saw another vegetarian attendee eat and cursed ourselves for not thinking about that earlier. We still had some time before the session resumed and decided to have the pasta - it was good, far better than the eggplant sandwich.

The day passed quite slowly and by the time it ended, i was already thinking of the possible places i could visit. Mustafa shopping mart was recommended to me by quite a few colleagues and so that's where i decided to head after changing at the hotel. It was by far the largest congregation of Mallus and Tamilians i had seen in one shopping area - little did i realise i was in Little India. Mustafa is famous for its wide variety of items available to tug back home. I was disappointed though. A colleague wanted me to get a Canon digital SLR for her but the cost difference was negligible and it dint offer an international warranty - risky buy. Roaming through the many floors and maze like aisles throughout. I managed to pick some stuff for my lovey wife back home and was quite satisfied with this accomplishment.

I had some free time the next morning and i decided to visit the Merlion park, the only place i could visit, thanks to my tight schedule. The day was extremely hot and i almost felt dehydrated. I was sweating like a dog and liked the cool subway better. Finally I managed to reach the park for a quick look see and after the symbolic picture session i had using the camera timer i rushed back unable to tolerate the heat and humidity any longer. Taking a much needed shower i checked out and headed towards office. We were returning by the evening flight and I was soaking in everything i had seen in these 3 days on my stay on my way back toe airport. I encountered the rule abiding citizens, the striking cleanliness (a sight not seen in India) and the punishing weather, not to forget the interesting food and restriction on water and the sexy cars ;)

I loved the city and would love to spend some more time the next time i visit. This was too short a trip to explore the beauty of the real Singapore.

Indore - Ahilya Bai Holker's City

I had the pleasure of visiting the city of Indore in the month of March during Holi. It's a live example of a B class city turning a new leaf replete with concrete structures that compete with any of India's top metros. Apart from being an interesting city it is also my sasural (in-laws place).

We reached on the day of Holi and i was quite surprised to see the fervor and spirit lacking among the locals. I assumed it was the water scarcity that made the good citizens decide against playing holi this year. But the reason was something ealse as i realised 5 days later.

We made a visit to the famous Rajwada of Indore from where the famous queen Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar ruled the Malwa region. The area around the rajwada immediately reminded me of the old markets in Hyderabad and Lucknow; which i have become so used to visiting in both cities. The marketplace was bustling with noise and street vendors lining the roads urging every passer by to take a look at their wares. It was also a place where the street food stalls crop up once the regular shops close for the day and goes on way past midnight. The variety and flavours of the food available is simply amazing. It is heaven for people with a good (read big) appetite.

Among its most famous locations, Indore also has a big temple of lord Ganesha. The temple situated in Khajrana was a 10 minute drive from home. I had a nice time enjoying the cool breeze on my face riding pillion on a bike - it had been a while since i rode on a bike. The temple closes down for just a couple of hours in the night stalling the otherwise continuous beeline of devotees. It was quite an experience getting into the inner sanctum sanctorum and performing the pooja. Even better was distributing more than 50kg of laddus.


Five more days passed and i finally figured out why i did not see many people playing holi in Indore - it was because they celebrate Rang Panchami. It comes 5 days after Holi and is celebrated with more fervour and gaiety. We were supposed to return to Delhi the same evening but could not escape getting drenched in colour. I had mixed feelings - happy for being able to celebrate Holi and angst as i had to return home and the colours would not wear off quickly - its quite evident from my face.

Thus ended my first trip to my in-laws and to the land of history and food.

Delhi - Metro comes to a Metro

The metro construction in India’s metro capital has been one of the finest showcase of India’s engineering and rail link capabilities. It’s moving at a brisk pace with deadlines being met with months to spare.

I wonder somehow how much of an impact it will make to the landscape of the historic capital. Though some portions of the system are underground, it would have been a great idea to make the whole system deep below the foundations of the city. Mumbai was the first to get its own local metro rail system followed by Kolkata, which was an underground network.

I guess it will be some years before we look at cities like London and New York where the majority of the network is underground and has multiple tiers of tunnels catering to different routes.

Though the whole exercise will be fruitful in a couple of years, how much have we lost while in transition – numerous traffic jams, wasted petrol, honking vehicles, heightened angers all this in a city which is not very well known for its pleasant attitudes especially on the roads.

I have been a victim numerous times and curse myself each time for taking a road which I feel would otherwise be free flowing for traffic. It doesn’t matter if I leave for a meeting one hour early or two, I eventually end up making it just in time – its either a road freshly dug up, or a diversion due to construction or a trailer-truck offloading huge concrete moulds. It’s a necessary evil the people of Delhi have to put up with.

Just wonder if all this will ease the congestion on the roads once it’s done…I have my doubts!

Magnet Magnet Pull Me Away

I was sifting through my stack of videos to clean my drive and found this gem. This was shot when i was in Leh on my honeymoon. Nothing kinky...but really cool!

On NH 1D, which connects Srinagar to Leh, is a marvel of natural forces. Running around the deep gorges of the Indus river stands a 'Magnetic Mountain'...that right; the entire mountain has magnetic properties. It was apparently discovered by engineers some decades ago when the arduous task of building the road was underway in this treacherous but exotic land of the Himalayas.

The video explains it all, but for those who like to read a preview, here is how it works: The road which leads to the mountain is on one side of the valley and bends away further. A box is marked on the road where, if you park any vehicle with engines switched off and brakes released, it moves automatically towards the mountain uphill. I was just absolutely amazed to see our Toyota move at such brisk pace on its own uphill, defying all laws of nature.

The magnetic mountain is just one of the many marvels which you can see in and around Leh - a must visit place in my list.