Bundi- A perfect little escape town

Me and my friends were lucky to have a free week during the semester and eager to visit a unique, peaceful and undiscovered historical location. I had read about Bundi in one of Satyajit Ray’s short stories titled “Fritz”. Somehow I felt it would be nice to discover a town not many tourists visited. We took a bus from Ahmedabad to Kota, and Kota to Bundi.

As soon as we reached our destination, we knew we could not have chosen a better place. It was an unpretensious and peaceful, but lively little town, cut off from the rush and modernity of the city. Like an unexpected lonely destination on the road. We felt we had arrived at a place where time stood still. Although there were signs of urbanization; the colourful compact houses, temples, narrow roads (some so narrow u had to squeeze through even while walking), street cows and the surrounding mountains dominated the elements of modernity and imparted the feel of a little toy town away from reality.

Me and three of my friends stayed in a beautiful apartment we booked via airbnb for a very nominal price. Reaching by 12 noon, we immediately ventured out to explore the town. Although auto rikshaw services are readily available, there is no better way to commute than walking. The town is very small, and you can easily navigate your way by communicating with the locals who are very friendly. I fell in love with the bright blue colourful houses, the old fashioned shops, the extremely dynamic and playful streets, the heritage houses and the beautiful murals painted on almost every home. Keeping my earlier advice on commuting aside, it is really fun to try atleast one auto rikshaw ride through the town. We experienced an adventurous one as the driver sped through town, squeezing in between cows, narrow lanes, steep lanes, never for once slowing down. I vividly remember me and my friends holding on tighly to each other and silently screaming.

It was day 2, and time to visit the tourist attractions of the place. Bundi boasts of more than 50 stepwells, some of which are examples of exemplary architcure and embellishment. Some stepwells or Baoris were very unique and mesmerizing, such as the Raniji ki Baori. It was not just the carved sculptures and motifs of it but also the concept behind it that had been conceived so well a long time ago. It is said that Bundi had more than a 100 stepwells before the British sealed many of them. It is high time we begin recognizing the importance of conserving heritage.

Bundi also boasts of beautiful lakes. Many picturesque spots are present near nawal Sagar lake where good restaurants are available. All the local restaurants in Bundi served us homemade fresh food. This took a lot of time for preparation, but it was made with love and care and that was what mattered.

The 84 pillared cenotaph was also a wonderful location. Originally constructed by Raja of Bundi Maharaja Anirudh as a memorial for his foster brother, it is now a Shiva temple. It is considered a unique feat to have spotted all 84 pillars of the temple. There is a trick to be decoded for finding the last 4. It was fun counting all the pillars. But we surely couldn’t find the last 4. One of my friends was successful in spotting them and the answer was also confirmed by the pandit of the temple. It is better not to reveal it now, for the fun lies in the discovery.

We also visited the Sukh Mahal, where the renouned author Rudyard Kipling had stayed during his visit to Bundi. It is a beautiful and tranquil location on the periphery of Jait Sagar lake. He is said to have written his novel”Kim” during his stay here.

Among all the places we visited, the highlight of our trip was no doubt the Taragarh Fort. Instead of having planned to spend 4 to 5 hours in the fort, we went on to stay there for a full day and a half, yet not tired exploring it. Thus, i leave it for the next post to do justice to the place.