My Encounter with Haunted Bhangarh of Rajasthan

Rajasthan is a very famous heritage site which fascinates the most to the travellers. Amer fort, Hawal Mahal, Nahargarh Fort and many other palaces and forts ignite an endless thirst for visiting these places. The beauty and elegance of their architecture freeze the feet of onlookers.  What more compliment a place can attain!

Since I see haunted places as the most thrilling places, I continue to explore such places in Rajasthan. I booked Jaipur tour packages and asked my guide to take me to the adventurous trip. To answer my request, he had three names. These were Bhangarh, Hawa Mahal and Jodhpur. So, I decided to cut my Jaipur trip short and drove to Bhangarh. For this, I swapped my tour package with Rajasthan tour packages from Delhi.

My encounter with Bhangarh

Archaeological Survey of India has prohibited visiting to this place after sun set and before sun rise. It is located at the foothills of Aravalli, that is 220 Km away from Delhi. This fort has havelis, temples, market and entry gates. But almost all are in urgent need of revamping. It is completely abandoned.

This prohibition sparked desire in me to see this site with my own eyes. The people whom I met during my short stay at hotel got terrified when they came to know about my trip to the haunted fort. One said, “Beware! It is under the grip of eerie and evil spirits.” The shades of scare were floating in his eyes. He also narrated why it is possessed by spirits.

He called the fort as ‘Bhoot Bangla’ or ‘the house of ghosts’. This made me more curious. On asking for exaggerating the account, he narrated, “The fort is occupied by the spirit of a Tantrik. Before becoming an evil spirit, the Tantrik was a body of flesh and blood. He had a huge crush over the beautiful princess Ratnavati. When she came to know about the Tantrik’s intentions, she rejected him. The Tantrik, thereafter, attempted to cast spell through ‘itr’ (fragrance). He sold the spelled itr to her maid. The princess sensed it and spelt it against the tantric. As the bottle struck the boulder, it crushed the Tantrik to death. Before dying, he cursed that none would be left alive after his death. ”

His story went further, “The words of Tantrik proved true. Around 10,000 people were massacred in the battle with the nearby king. Princess, too, died. Since then, buzzing goes on that her spirit is caged by the evil spirited Tantrik. And only her rebirth will free them from his evil spell.”

I had goose-bumps when I was listening to this folklore. Subsequently, he added that so many incidents occurred thereafter, as of three boys who visited this place. One out of three boys got injured there. And while taking him to hospital, all the three boys met a severe accident and died.

I found this story as ‘made by heart’. But visiting it, for sure, showed me what the fear is actually.

Foreigners Attraction - Incredible India

Incredibility lies in India’s diversity. This land of culture and Aryan’s civilization is a special attraction for the tourists from across the globe. Fraternity is a thread that ties various religious communities, like Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christians, Parsi and Jain, united. The travellers are contributing to the explosive boom in India’s tourism sector by enjoying incredible India tour. The anticipated statistics state that its potential growth will be 7.9 percent till 2023 which is much higher than any other sector of this country’s economy. What make it more incredible are its heritage sites, like the Taj Mahal, beaches (especially of Kerala and Goa), cuisines like Ghewar, Idli and Vada, Ayurveda and many festivals. Ayurveda has been making its presence felt since ancestral age when saints used to heal people. It causes no side effects but uproot the diseases inflicting an individual. Apart from these, its custom and traditions can be viewed at the time wedding when all near and dear ones get together for witnessing this auspicious occasion.

Rajasthan-the Home of Handicrafts

Tradition has been flourishing at every nook of Rajasthan. The soil of this land carries the fragrance of culture. When its tradition and culture are blended together, the actual beauty takes birth which reflects in the handicrafts, folk dances and folk music. This is the foremost reason that this state, especially pink city ‘Jaipur’ gets maximum hits of the tourists from worldwide.

Handicraft Fair:

In Jaipur, Jawahar Kala Kendra had organized a three week long fair of handicrafts. The fair was thronged by the reputed personalities along with the tourists, who came through Rajasthan tour packages and the locals. Handicrafts’ exhibition was enriched with the handmade items, accessories, decorative masterpieces, furniture, carpet, sarees and ceramic goods etc.. And, it is unbelievable fact that all the exhibited items were prepared without taking aid of modern technology. Those were the pure manual efforts. The hands behind those precious crafts find workplace at their own huts and villages. They truly blow life to the clay, wood, stone, leather, ivory, silver, brass and textiles. The flocks of visitors certified how much attracted they were. 

Growth of Handicrafts export:

It is worthy for accolades that these regional men’s handicrafts are exported worldwide. It eventually turns out as 25 % growth rate approximately this year. Praise always brings appraisal. Likewise, the artisans indulged in this crafts have grown in numbers in the current year as per surveys. They have reached around 6,00,000 in Rajasthan alone. Around 2/3 of the GDP is contributed by this handicraft business alone.

China posed as the daunting challenge

It is true that Hindus worship idols. The craftsmen have been carving stones and wood into the marvelous statues of Hindu gods and goddesses. But another fact is also undeniable that China has been posing the greatest threat before Indian craftsmen. They have craftsmen in its every nook and why not this is to be? The Chinese government has always patted its people to go ahead and showcase their master skills. As a result, they have started trying their hands in crafting India’s deities’ idols also. The rule of market is too simple. The cheaper product fetches the maximum customers if it shows a little bit of quality. The same happened here. Now, export of idols from the neighbouring China is on rise as happened in case of smartphones.  The country has started grabbing the market.  

A ray of hope

The decline in quality products, 10% hike in Yuan rate, and rising wages in China have shown a ray of hope for Indian artisans. This has given a chance to Rajasthan’s artisans to maintain their rhythm in their crafts. Today, Rajasthan holds the second position as the largest hub for handicrafts. And if their earning from this art will continue to expand, they will be boosted-up automatically which is a symbol of upcoming prosperity and cherish in the life of these craftsmen of Jaipur. 

8 Unique Festivals of Jaipur

The rainbow culture of colourful Rajasthan outshines at world’s portal. It is not only the land of royals but also, the place where the actual incredible India gets its fame. The vivid glimpse of its pink city ‘Jaipur’ is a ride of its beholders to its enriched insight and traditions’ overview. The gusto and cheer are reflected through unique festivals celebrated here. The vibrancy of Jaipur can be penetrated by undergoing the celebration of diverse and unique festivals. Where Gangaur , Kajli Teej, Sheetla Ashtami signify the devotion in its natives’ heart, there Kite, Elephant and Donkey festivals reveal what an unprecedented civilization flourishes here. The grand fair of men-of-wits sails the tourists to the world of dreams and imagination where thinkers, philosophers, writers and lovers of literatures enjoy their get-together.

    

Irresistible Rajasthani Folk Dance!

Which place storms to your mind when asked for the most astonishing royals’ heritage? It’s Rajasthan where flocks beautiful cities, like pink city ‘Jaipur’. The leftover architectures of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh & other royals are still standing afresh there. Tourists around the globe opt for Jaipur tour packages for exploring their lavished lifestyle & for living life to its fullest. 

What about entertainment through folk dance moves! Believe me! I have witnessed when I booked Jaipur tour packages from Delhi how excitement & delight make the foreigners irresistible to twirl around on the folk dance moves. Folk dance in the company of folk music & tunes gives everyone’s soul a kick to splash in the fun. Letting the gay mood in, this beautiful fusion swaps the tension with stock of laughter.   

Bring out net savvy in you and check Rajasthan tour packages to know the enriched & unique dance forms of this state. Let I give you imagery of its few very famous folk dances that can be seen anywhere in Rajasthan:

• Gair Folk Dance: Thanks to Bhil tribal that gave ‘Gair’ folk dance that doubles the excitement of ‘Holi’ fest! Men & women, together, play sticks (dandiya) in conventional style attired in traditional costumes.
  
  
• Kalbeliya Folk Dance: This dance form of Kalbeliya community (of snake charmers) dashed you in amazement. The lady in black skirt (ghaagra) moves round & round swaying acrobatically. To more, as the tempo goes on hiking, her quick spinning matches it.    
                
• Kachi Ghodi: The man gets fixed-in a dummy horse to narrate the story of Bhavai Bandits’ exploitation. Both put in beautiful traditional dresses. On the tunes of flutes and drumbeats, the dancer shows rhythmic dance moves swaying naked sword in hand.   
  
  
• Ghoomer Folk Dance: Taking gracious turns around (pirouette), the elegant females in traditional lehengas don’t short of energy while matching beats.  
  
  
• Chari Dance: In traditionally styled lehengas, the ladies dance not in ordinary way but balancing brass pitcher on head. The eyes can’t miss the picturesque site when the same pretty ones create illuminating patterns through alight cotton-seeds on the urn. 
  
  
• Bhavi Dance: What a mouth-widening performance it is to watch the pretty lady swaying perfectly on beats while carrying 9 to 13 brass urns on head. It is bet you would shriek ‘OMG!’ as the lady perches on sword or glass or thali while doing so.

Rajasthan hides an endless list of these dance forms. Watching these with your eyes will take you away straight to heaven. 

How Beautiful Jaipur’s Bagru Printing Is!

What drives us to diverse places? Have you ever given a thought to it? So many interesting answers start jamming your mind if you ask your heart. Happiness, joy, bliss, ecstasy, adventure, curiosity, thrill and enriching knowledge bank will be the commonest replies. How about getting these all in one? Feeling exciting! Tour to north India has guarantee of these, I wasn’t aware of it.

To let you catch what I felt while going through visit to top 10 travel destinations in north India, you have to aboard the ship of my flashback. What should I call it less than LUCK BY CHANCE that north India excursions overwhelmed my heart with true delight! I booked Delhi tour packages for getting an interview with historical places, like Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Humayun Tomb & Akshardham Temple. But Delhi pottery tour left me twinkly eyed. After that tour, I kept on daydreaming for satisfying my thirst for more crafts from artisans. The magic of potters’ clay gripped my mind, body & soul. This strengthening desire met its end when my friends, all of sudden, rang me to inform that I had to accompany them to Pink City ‘Jaipur’.

Curiosity started ringing in me to search if there is any villa of handicrafts. My eyes asked for ‘PARTY’ while informing my brain that there was not one but hundreds of craftsmen’s villas.  Within a second, I nodded for Jaipur tour packages from Delhi to my friends. Why not should be so?  My daydreams were going to be true very soon.      

  

My dating with Amer Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal made me fallen in love with all these places. But still, my heart was searching craftsmen’s masterpieces. Granting my request, all my friends took seat in the car and drove to Bagru. I was where the ‘Bagru’ designs get printed. What I saw there was fantastically amazing. I rubbed my eyes twice & thrice after knowing that my simple yet stylish ethnic Kurti began its journey from the very place where I was standing.  Because of that outfit, I had thousands of compliments in my pocket.

How those artisans draw delicate lining of intricate designs-it was worth watching.  Washing, harda dyeing & block printing emboss beautiful motifs on fabric. Thereafter, washing in cold water & boiling water respectively keeps the chippa community busy in this printing work.  The popularity of this centuries-old fabric printing has made its way to celebrities’ wardrobe also.

Now, I have realized what my eager heart was looking for. It’s the appealing, affordable and stylish printing of bagru.

An Awesome Day in ‘Hawa Mahal’

Have you ever got slap from wind? Astounding! Like you, I, too, was when I heard it. Well, it’s a miracle of incredible India where such happens. Rajasthan has been the hub of Rajput royals. The capital city ‘Jaipur’ has not one but so many landmarks that define the beauty of Mughal & Rajput architectures’ marriage.

I had trespassed many states in India for excursions. Booking North India tour packages had always opened gateways of north Indian sites, such as Delhi tour packages, Haridwar & Mathura tour. But this time, my curiosity was to feel the crispy punches of gusty wind. And this became possible through Jaipur tour packages from Delhi. My curious soul wanted to witness ‘HawaMahal’. But I live in Delhi.

As its name suggests as it is built. The punches of gusty winds did not let even a drop of sweat to come out of my skin pores. That’s why we call it the ‘palace of wind’. It is tremendous architecture has contribution of Lal Chand Ustad who carved red & pink sandstone to make out masterpiece.

Through 953 latticed windows (Jharokha), the wind travels making every ‘Jharokha’ its passage. Mughal & Rajput architectures fused to give the resemblance of honeycomb of beehives during the dynasty of Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. But actually, it was an inspiration taken from lord Krishna’s crown.

        

Standing at the epicenter of city Jaipur, the gusts pass through multitudes of latticed windows. And at one latticed window, it was me that got its crispy slap on ear. However, the wind seemed healing & soothing but alongside, the fact behind it haunted me a lot.

Poor Queens! They had to stay completely cut off from the public or laymen. Can you ever imagine that the king of Jaipur did not wish his queens to go in open-street and got mingled with common men? How rude he was! That’s why he built this palace with so many channels of air. These provide oxygen to the suffocative life of the queens. This suffocation was of ‘purdah’ practice in which the Rajput queens had to resign to.

  

But now, the way rickshaw pullers pester there, it seems pure STALKIKNG. On the contrary, laymen’s heart is full of kindness. Every person seems ready to offer you at least water to show hospitality.

I must say Pink City Jaipur is really snazzy.