I first visited Rajasthan in 2010, I was there to trek through the Thar desert. It was a spectacular trek and I thought that was as offbeat as one could get in this overdone tourist destination. However, during the trek, a local camel herdsman let me in on a little secret, that the dry barren desert landscape transforms into a green haven every year just for few days during the monsoons! Being the monsoon chaser that I am, I never forgot those words, which is why I jumped at the chance when Suryagarh, a luxury boutique hotel in Jaisalmer, invited me to experience Monsoon Magic with them in the desert. I've got drenched to the core in the rains before, dealt with landslides, almost shivered to death on a mountain top and donated liters of blood to leeches in pursuit of chasing monsoons but this desert experience stands out as one of the best monsoons till date. After all, who would expect a barren desert to have anything to do with the rains or greenery? Before you go through the images below, I highly recommend you see pictures from my previous visit - here and here to see how different the same landscape looks in a different season. 

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It was a long day! We drove from Udaipur to the beautiful Jain Temples of Ranakpur situated in dense forest. The grand temple is built out of marble and supported by 1444 pillars, no two of them alike. The carvings on the marble were exquisite. But what interested me more was the forest surrounding the temple. I never imagined Rajasthan to have anything apart from desert, let alone a forest! But as one travels from north to south of the state, the difference is visible, the dusty surroundings slowly give way to greenery. There wasn't a settlement nearby. It was perfect - mysterious, beautiful and historic!

The afternoon was spent without realizing the day was coming to an end. Winters in Rajasthan meant sun would set much before 6pm. We still had a very long journey through surprisingly green and wonderful plains to the Mewar fortress at Kumbhalgarh. Situated on a hill top, this fort too is surrounded by thick forest. We arrived just in time to see the last rays touch the fort walls. Kumbhalgarh has a 36km long perimeter wall, broken but standing still. A walk along the wall could be interesting but that is for another day. Today we barely had time to see the fort, in fact we didn't, we just got to hang around the fort wall which looked splendid by the way!

Night fell by the time we started back to Udaipur. It was pitch dark, sitting in the front seat next to the driver my eyes were fixed on the night sky. Rarely, if at all, we would pass by small villages. About an hour later, we were passing by a group of 2-3 houses by the roadside. The streetlights were very dim and far apart. Between two such street lights and darkness, something suddenly sprung into the middle of the road. The driver applied the brake and the vehicle came to a screeching halt. It certainly looked like a cat, but in the darkness it was hard to tell. The cat lunged forward to briefly look straight into our eyes and the light from the vehicle reflected in its jewel green eyes! One more jump and it disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the road. Only when it jumped, we saw its huge tail and that confirmed it wasn't any ordinary cat, it was a leopard!

Well, this is not the leopard we saw on the road. This was a cute leopard cub from the previous day's safari at Bera with a flamboyant Thakur, but that story is for another day.  Because I am talking of a leopard, I thought you might want to see one!

What was more shocking than an encounter with a leopard on the road was the fact that this was a road by a village. There were houses by the road side right next to us and few men were walking just meters in front of our vehicle. The Leopard went into the village in front of our eyes! I imagined all the man - animal conflicts to be happening somewhere deep in the wild but this was shocking and very real. I wonder if the leopard managed to prey on cattle that night or if it was caught and killed like many other animals venturing too far into human territory or maybe it is the other way round. I'll never know but the glint in the green eyes will stay with me.

Did you say you need to see more photos?

Jain Temple at Ranakpur

Mustard fields in Rajasthan

Kumbhalgarh Fort

Beautiful country side of south Rajasthan

Let me tell you, Rajasthan never interested me as a likely place to travel. I always felt the state was just way too commercialized and the people were all cons trying to make a buck every which way possible. But the only thing that propelled me to even consider Rajasthan was the thought that the most famous landmark of India, if left unseen by me would deny me the credit of being a veteran traveler. With this thought in place, I always thought sometime someday I would make the customary trip and wouldn’t bother much about it. 

If you know me at all, you’d know I am a landscape person. Nature and wilderness interest me to endless means and that’s about it. I was never a people person and let alone a culture person. Rajasthan as I knew was just these two – people and culture, all the more reason to keep it for later. 

Then suddenly, out of the blue comes the intimation of the much awaited Desert Trek by Youth Hostels Association of India. Desert landscapes and sand dunes, you know who’d be up for such a thing. I registered for the trek without a second thought. And now, since I was going to Rajasthan already why not make the customary trip as well was the deliberation. Gujarat being so close to Rajasthan, I was itching to visit the exotic White Salt Flats of Rann of Kutch. That was arranged for and I couldn’t contain my excitement considering I was about to trek in the desert and visit White Rann. Amidst all this I also had a week to spend in Rajasthan sightseeing about which I was least bothered so far.

Found few people interested in the trip and soon the tickets were booked too. But I was still in no mood to do any bookings or chalk out the plan. I had a rough idea of the places and their location and the idea was to backpack and to see what we can get. If it were Himalayas I’d be going to, you should know I would’ve been neck deep doing research on locations and such but here I was least concerned. It is just forts and palaces after all, right? Wrong!

Rajasthan, as I discovered offers enough opportunities for the tourist and the traveler alike. There are popular, well known destinations and hidden jewels off the beaten track as well. Slowly a wealth of information on the lesser known places became known to me through facebook as I explained here - A Note of Thanks. We were just a week away from starting the journey when the detailed planning began and something very interesting began to take shape. I was beginning to like what I was finding. There seemed to places where the ethereal existed and where the blatant tourist didn’t invade yet. Now I was actually looking forward to the entire trip but somewhere at the back of my mind I felt I should control my expectations lest they be crushed under the weight of my unreal imaginations. But the need never be! Rajasthan fully lived upto my expectations and infact surpassed it too. 

There, the first impression shattered to pieces as I stepped into the royal land. A missed flight caused lot of (mis)adventures and also provided a glimpse into the world of backpacking. We traveled 27 hours straight in all possible means of transport ranging from luxury to ordinary to reach the destination. The roller coaster ride ended only 18days later. 

I found the people to be extremely hospitable and amiable. Once in their element, you’d be surprised by their kindness. This was the first time I interacted with so many people and most of them were memorable exchanges.

There was something special about this trip. I did not visit any of the tourist destinations in Rajasthan. It was an out and out off the beaten track exploration. 80% of the places I was in, were in rural Rajasthan. I did not see tourists for the major part of my trip. I loved being around locals and seeing their unpretentious lives unlike the tourist centered lives of their famous counterparts. Tourism has affected the lives of these people in various ways. They have completely adapted to the influx of foreign nationals visiting the cultural hub by the numbers. It may be for the good but I didn’t like what I saw. 

It was equally amusing and alarming to see a person who cannot read or write English approaching us with a heavy American accented English. I asked another such person for some information and I am amused by his reply.

Let’s call him spikes (owing to his funky attire and the obvious spikes).

Me – What are the available options to go from Nawalgarh to Bikaner?

Him (seriously looking into his mobile and suddenly rises his head up) – Waaassssuuppp?!!

Me - ??!!!!#@#@%%!! :O

Half the people we met in Jaipur had this accent. All of them could speak atleast 5 different foreign languages. This was very impressive considering their knowledge is one got through the interaction with tourists only. The American accent seriously baffled us though. But once we crossed Jaipur and headed up north towards Shekhawati, the people got nicer and nicer. Then we met even more local people as camp leaders at YHAI campsites who were absolute kind souls with much generosity. I probably never enjoyed talking to so many people as I did here. 

Then suddenly realization dawned. Two of us had covered Rajasthan on all possible means of transport – flight, luxury bus, sleeper bus, ordinary bus, motorbike, jeep, hatchback, SUV, in the bus, on the bus, on a camel, on foot, train, auto, phew! Amazing, isn’t it?

The painted havelis stole my heart though. The best part of the trip I’d say, three whole days exploring Shekhawati. Then commenced the Desert Trek which was a revelation. I loved the trek even more for taking us into the remoteness of Western Rajasthan into the Thar Desert. We went to remote villages and felt how the early explorers would’ve felt. The villagers were curious about us strange looking people. They asked us questions. I promised to send them their photos. Oh it was phenomenal. Then two days later I visited the most amazing dunes – unspoilt and pristine. I thought it couldn’t get any better than this.

But it did. The white salt flats of Rann of Kutch were nothing like I’d ever seen before. It was white all around and the most amazing sunset and sunrise I’d ever seen. I am a sucker for landscapes and something of such variety and rarity left me speechless. It was here that I met two more travelers – one veteran and one who just started. It was good time the four of us spent in Kutch discussing a thousand travel stories and experiences. This was the first time I was meeting someone who had traveled so much more than I did. 

The last two days at Bhuj and Ahmedabad turned out to be very very interesting with unexpected instances and explorations. Most of the trip was backpacking with not much of a concrete plan. We lived a life of nomads. Endless journeys, sleepless nights on bumpy bus rides, cold cold nights and hot and sunny days, dark alleys, crazy shopping, shabby hotel rooms, luxurious tents, dirty water at campsites, clear skies, spectacular sunsets and sunrises – I saw it all in 18 days. 18 days was the longest I was ever on move constantly.

At the end of it, I realized my true calling. I have to be on the move, forever, until I find my peace. Until then I don’t want to stop. I want to keep walking, forever and ever and ever. 

For I am the Wandering Soul!