Built in the year 1881 by the British, this 820 meter long bridge has stood the test of time. Over the past 132 years it has endured floods, earthquakes and several other natural calamities, and as a testimony to the British engineering, is still functional, allowing cars to pass and providing a great alternative for transport, especially for the people of Bharuch and Ankleshwar. Another highlight was the sightings of the ever present Wild ass. The well built ass, painted with shades of golden brown on a white body was witnessed in hordes on the streets of Bharuch and Ankleshwar, roaming around nonchalantly in the hour of the dead.
We managed to touch Ahmedabad by 5:45 am. Unfortunately, our friend, whose place we wished to catch a wink at and travel to Udaipur with was located at the other end of the town. While there wasn’t much traffic on the city roads in the morning, a lack of familiarity with the streets meant we managed to reach our destination in Ahmedabad only by 6:30 am.
A few hours of sleep later, we hit the road again, heading for the city of lakes, Udaipur. On our way out from Ahmedabad, we came across some really gigantic chimneys, which I suspect belong to a power plant. While I still don’t know what they were, I do have some pictures to share with you. A little search on the Internet throws references to Torrent Power plant. I would appreciate if any readers from Ahmedabad could throw some light on the subject.
The drive from Ahmedabad to Udiapur during monsoons is incredibly scenic, especially the part closer to Udaipur. Known for its arid deserts, and dry, hot weather conditions, Rajasthan shows its flip side to you on this stretch. Pristine grass covered hills with manicured shrubs running across them look beautiful. The gorgeous weather, along with the structured flora made us think for a moment as though we were travelling through some European country. The beauty of this part of the country during the rainy season has to be seen to be believed.
We reached Udaipur in about 5 hours, driving at a leisurely pace and taking breaks along the way. We had already made our bookings, and we were using Google’s smartphone based navigation system to get to our hotel. As streets started getting increasingly narrow, we were a bit perturbed. Our worst nightmare came alive when we were told by the locals that the hotel we booked, boasting a plush rooftop swimming pool didn’t have space for parking.
Driving through the extremely narrow streets of old Udaipur, we managed to take the Superb where no other man has dared to take a big car. However, very soon we realized it would be extremely perilous to carry out the feat again, as oncoming two wheelers wouldn’t have cared two bits about scraping the paint of the car. We decided to park the car at a place suggested by the hotel staff, where the cars of other star hotels are also usually parked. We followed orders, deciding to travel locally using auto rickshaws and use the big Superb only for traveling to places out of the city bounds
The view from the hotel rooftop was astonishing to say the least. The massive expanse of the waters of Lake Pichhola with the pristine white Taj Lake Palace (arguably the best five star hotel in India) and Jag Mandir spawning out of it added significantly to the visual enchantment. That view from the rooftop itself made the trip worthwhile. While on one side we had the beautiful Pichhola captivating us, the other side offered the palatial Oberoi Udai Vilas and Leela hotels for a view, adding tremendously to the heritage look of the city.
Numerous old style terraces overlooking the lake with foreigners sitting and getting bedazzled by the astounding view made our chests swell with pride. If only this place was situated anywhere else in the world, it would have been one of the top global destinations for honeymooners and romantic couples to holiday. Yet, even with the government’s indifference towards promoting this place, the city has an unrivaled charm, and would bring a wide smile on your face with its traditional Rajasthani architecture, natural beauty and old worldly allure.
Far away in the distance, behind the assortment of some of the most luxurious hotels, you have the majestic Sajjangarh palace overlooking the city from a lofty hill. The beautiful palace built on the edge of the cliff makes you travel back in time. Towering above the world, keeping a vigil at the picturesque city, the palace instantly reminds you of Gondor, as represented by Peter Jackson in the motion picture depicting JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
On the opposite side of the lake, the grand City Palace peeks out from the cityscape adding further to the visual delight. As if there was anything left to complain about, you have several steeples of temples rising out on the horizon to add some more seasoning to this delectable visual delicacy.
With a marvelous view, amazing weather and some rare hospitality from the hotel staff, a memorable evening was spent with family and friends over a few glasses of beer and a variety of dishes which kept disappearing one after another all evening.
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