[phamilyman]

By the way, the tree against which you have taken your scorp's pics enroute to ranakpur - I have also rested under that very same tree. Thats' the part when the good road starts and the ranakpur isnt too far? I somehow remember

[maddy42]

Ramkya1 this is like the first time i am reading your entire travellogue and wow its wonderful with all details and also road conditions and great pictures. I really love the way you keep taking trips once to TN, Hyd and now Raj. Great way to spend time with your family.

[ramkya1]

Maddy: Thanks, its just that we're road-heads and love to travel. In fact my eldest son is finding it difficult to get time off from his 12th std. studies, next yer perhaps he'd be in some hostel, making time together impossible, we're trying to pack in as much as possible now.

Phamilyman: The road we took away from NH8 was small one, if you look at my trip log attched, you'd be able to calculate the distances. This fork is between Nathdwara and Eallinji. Guess the whole this region wold be as good as this during the rains.

Ashish: More coming your way soon, very nice ones too..

--Ramky

[ramkya1]

Hai Behram,

I can imagine how difficult that would have been.

I remember my trip North on a Santro in 2002, when the 4 laning work was going full on between A'bad and Udaipur; we were almost crushed by a dumper and it took us 7 hours to do this 250 kms. The stretch from Udaipur to Jaipur thro Ajmeer, 400 KM also took about 10 hours, so doing Gurgaon to Borivilli must have been tough. Which year was that?

--Ramky

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Ramkya1 - hello to you once again. The road photographs, especially the ones you have taken between Shamlaji / Ratanpur border and Udaipur reminds me when I did 1475 kms in one day (Delhi / Mumbai) when there were no double roads at all. I took exactly 17 hours then. Rajdhani Express takes 17 hours today. Maybe now I can finally convert one of my dreams to reality - BEATING THE RAJDHANI EXPRESS FROM DELHI TO MUMBAI (GURGAON OUT TO BORIVLI). Hmm. A Scorpio or something better from the same stable + Hella Rallye 3000 yellow driving lights + full night full blast "chamcha" (means accelerator). Sooo interesting.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

(Sapne mat dekho - Sapne kabhi sach nahin hote - mera baapu kehta tha - lekin maine sapna dekha - the dialogue from "Guru"). Hmmm.

[sudev]

@ramkya1 : What the pictures do not reveal is that almost all the carvings are out of a single block and without any joints. Plus most of the roof carvings have "3D" sculpting that can only be viewed first hand. Some even have spehere inside a sphere inside an outer sphere and all are carved beautifully.

Why not the Lunch / Langar at the temple itself? I remember sitting cross legged on the floor and partaking that.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by sudev

@ramkya1 : What the pictures do not reveal is that almost all the carvings are out of a single block and without any joints. Plus most of the roof carvings have "3D" sculpting that can only be viewed first hand. Some even have spehere inside a sphere inside an outer sphere and all are carved beautifully.

Why not the Lunch / Langar at the temple itself? I remember sitting cross legged on the floor and partaking that.

Yes, you're right. The vaulting domes specially are carved out of a singe block and so are the pillars, I missed the spheres!!!!

The lunch / langar gets over around 1, so when we reached there by 230, it was too late.

[snaronikar]

The temple pics are really come out good. The carvings are marvellous. BTW, whatz the history behind this? Who built this temples and was any special stones used? The pillars and other things appear to be shining.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by snaronikar

The temple pics are really come out good. The carvings are marvellous. BTW, whatz the history behind this? Who built this temples and was any special stones used? The pillars and other things appear to be shining.

All the stones were marble, this is poetry in marble and hence shining.

As for the history, my travalovue has some details.

Happy reading, when you get the time.

--Ramky

=========

[arunforu1]

Originally Posted by ramkya1

arun: I think the Jaipur - Udiapur stretch thro Ajmeer is equally good, about 400 kms ?

--Ramky

Yes Jaipur-Udaipur is fantastic route, but lot of toll plazas enroute. I had to ask only once, at ajmer bypass, as during my last visit(Delhi-Ajmer-Mountabu-Ahemdabad) in 2004 ajmer bypass was under construction.

[ramkya1]

Here's the final part of the Udaipur / Ranakpur Travalogue with some pictures.

16-08-2008: Wake up late at 10, breakfast and we head out to Sajjangarh, my friend Guru / Delhi, (GD here) had suggested. We had been to Udaipur earlier, have missed this place and would have missed it again if Guru had not directed us. Its about 8 kms from the town, on top of a hill, the road to it steep but well-maintained. You have to get a pass for the car, camera etc., but its worth visiting because of the clear view of Udaipur town and all around it. The Scorp has no problems climbing, does it in grand style most of it in 3rd and 2nd. One word of caution to those going there, soon as you reach there, turn the car around immediately, parking is outside the palace, very unorganized. On the return, I had a difficult time to turn the truck around in the small space betwen all other cars.

Sajjangarh Palace, 3100 feet above MSL, was built by Sajjan Singh as an observatory to see the wild life around the place, its the Sajjangarh WLS now. Its a photographers delight, was a cloudy day, windy and we spend about 90 mts there taking photos and just sitting on the garden bench. It wa full of tourists, we took some photos with a friendly 71/2 feet tall, Australian, Jack, he's on his tail end of the Golden Triangle circult. We head back to town for lunch @ the Bavarchi restaurant; a friend said its good, turned out to be so-so. We hit out hotel back @ 315 pm and take a nap.

At 6, we head out to Fathe Sagar, hire a boat for a round and a visit to the garden in the middle of the lake, spend 2 hours watching the water-scooter ppl and their antics, it was pretty crowded there, but good photo oppurtunity on the well maintained gardens. We again reach Sukhadia circle by 8, early dinner with fast food and watch a movie we had with us in the room.

17-08-2008: 8 AM, last day in town, wake up earlier, children still sleeping, me and wife go the the Mahdhev Temple nearby, by the time we reach back, the children are ready and hungry for b'kfast. Finish breakfast, settle bills and bundle out @ 12 noon. One last chakkar of the Fathe Sagar, its about 8 kms, head out towards NH8. After 30 Kms, I saw my wife looking longingly at the wheel so I ask her, "do you want to drive?", she says, "you bet", I stop, hand over the wheels and watch the rolling hills flash by. We cross the check posts, Paduna, Kherwara, Guj. border and reach Shyamalaji Temple turn, its only 3 pm, thought we wold give it a try. Turn off the NH, turn into the parking lot; surprise, thin crowd!!!! We have a great darshan and are on our way, all within 30 minutes, there are times when you have to stand for 3 hours for a darshan, we did that in 10 minutes today. Pass Himmatnagar, Chiloda circle after 250 kms, I take the wheels back and nose it thro. Ganhinagar. We're back home again @ 520 pm after a gret short trip.

Some more pictures at:

Picasa Web Albums - ramky - UDAIPUR AUGUS...


--Ramky
============

[gd1418]

Great travelogue and amazing pictures Ramky. I had visited Sajjangarh way back in '82.

When I passed through Udaipur again in '06 enroute to Mumbai, I couldn't make it to Sajjangarh due to paucity of time.

The Oberoi is incidentally more famous as Udai Vilas. Roshun stayed there with family last year.

[sudev]

The roads have greatly changed and improved from the time when Amby/Fiat were the kings. Wonder how long those suspension would last with smooth roads? I first visited Udaipur area in 1975 driving down in an Amby and roads were no fun.

Lovely narrative.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by sudev

The roads have greatly changed and improved from the time when Amby/Fiat were the kings. Wonder how long those suspension would last with smooth roads? I first visited Udaipur area in 1975 driving down in an Amby and roads were no fun.

Lovely narrative.

Thanks Sudev,

I know how hard the old roads and driving the Amby is. Can't imagine driving an Amby in 1975 and on those roads; driving then is what I would call an adventure, akin to driving to Ladakh now-a-days. There would have been safety issues also, an old-timer said the ghat section between Ambaji and Udaipur was dangerous way back and they used to travel only in day-time.

Had an Amby in 1988, was a great racy BMC engine; every weekend used to do up-down from Cochin to Palghat, used to feel tired doing that, NH47 was nothing like what it is today. No power steering, lousy A/C, radiator water to be check on and off, fit and finish terrible and the heat from the engine would practically burn your feet!! Switched to a Fiat and that was a sea-change was so driver friendly; those were enjoyable days !!!!!Compared to that, driving the new-age cars is a breeze, one could do 1000+ KMs a day easily.

GD:

Yes, thanks for that addition, you're right, its more popular as Uday Vilas. I know Roshan is one of the few lucky ones who could afford a stay at Uday Vilas; last time I scouted inside for an official meet, they said it's booked out for the next 6 months and after that its 27,000/ per day for their ordinary room. We scrammed fast as we coud.......

--Ramky
---------

[vkochar]

Great Travelogue and fantastic Pics. I was there after Holi this year in March. SOme good memories those were.

See my detailed travelogue on Udaipur & Jodhpur here -

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ravelogue.html

[ATL_BOY]

I am missing Rajasthan .. Very nice shots .....