Rajasthan, the land famous for its forts, palaces and desert safaris, was something I had set my sights to explore on my motorcycle since a really long time. I had seen photographs of the charming sand dunes and always was mesmerized by the desert. Moreover, I was already in love with Rajasthan ever since I explored Udaipur during my return from the Bhutan-Nepal ride (more about this ride in a separate post!) because I was awestruck with the extent of astounding beauty and breathtaking views it offered.
Finally, along with 5 other rider friends- 5 Versys 650 and 1 Z800, I decided to go on a Desert ride to Rajasthan. I was supposed to meet all of them in Mumbai so I rode down from Pune to Mumbai a night before our actual ride started and spent some time with my family there. The next day i.e. 24th December, we started off from Andheri, Mumbai at 5 am.
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Meeting point in Mumbai at 5 am
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The ride on the Ahmedabad highway was relaxed as usual and we were able to maintain decent speeds. Got a chance to click a few photographs on the way!
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The majestic Swaminarayan Temple at Bharuch
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Re-group near Vadodara!
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Since it was planned as a ride to
relax and explore, we decided that we would not cover excessive distances in a single day. Mehsana was decided as the halt for day 1 because the ride
from Mehsana to Jodhpur had to be done in broad daylight- for the simple reason
that it is considered one of the most scenic routes with beautiful changing
landscapes.
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Group picture after we checked into our hotel in Mehsana, Gujarat!
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Since I had the zipline tour of the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur booked at 3 pm the next day, I had to check into my hotel in Jodhpur by 2 pm under any circumstances. Hence, I decided to ride solo on this day. I started my ride after breakfast the next day and it was pretty relaxed as the distance to my destination was only about 400 kms. This indeed turned out to
be one of the most beautiful stretches I have ridden on; probably the pictures
will do more justice than words possibly can!
I stopped an umpteen number of times to
click photographs of the bike because the backdrops were such. This route
included the beautiful towns of Palanpur, Abu Road, Sirohi, Sumerpur and Pali.
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All set to start my ride to Jodhpur!
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These were the roads the ride to Jodhpur started on!
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And it just got better!
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After reaching Jodhpur, what awaited me was something even more fabulous- Mehrangarh Fort. And boy, the views when I was zipping were extremely breathtaking!
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Mehrangarh Fort
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Isn't that a cool way to explore a fort!
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Another zip, another amazing view!
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Post some more local sightseeing
which included the Umaid Bhavan Palace and the Jaswant Thada, I decided to try
out some authentic local specialities
such as gatte ki sabzi, ker sangria and daal bhaati because I hadn't found any time to grab lunch and luckily found an amazing
joint in the city centre serving this- thanks to the amazing cabbie! (Oh yes, I did my local sightseeing in Jodhpur in a cab because of the immense amount of traffic and crowd and absolutely no private parking!)
Next
morning, it was time to start chasing the desert and begin our journey towards
Jaisalmer via Osian and Pokharan. Again, the beauty of this state is such that
you cannot ride for even 50 kms without stopping to click pictures. It was evening by the time we entered Jaisalmer and the perfectly illuminated Jaisalmer
Fort welcomed us.
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Just before Pokharan
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Somewhere near Osian
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Sunset enroute Jaisalmer
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Entering Jaisalmer
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Next morning, we explored Manik Chowk, which is the main
market place, visited the Gadi Sagar Lake and Patwon Ki Haweli and then started
off our journey towards the Indo-Pak border. This was the most exciting part of
the trip because we were going to ride up to the last village on the border. As you exit Jaisalmer & ride in the middle of the desert, you will feel as though you are far far away from any kind of civilization and very much at peace.
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Jaisalmer Fort
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Finally made our way through Manek Chowk to the entrance of Gadi Sagar Lake
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Gadi Sagar Lake
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Gadi Sagar Lake again
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Exiting Jaisalmer
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BRO boards never fail to amuse you!
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That's how the roads opened up outside Jaisalmer!
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Visiting Tanot and Longewala was a long unfulfilled dream which was finally
getting realized. And visiting these places fills you with a feeling of
gratitude and pride for the people who play such an important role in ensuring
that we lead a comfortable life. It is due to the constant efforts and
sacrifices of the Border Security Forces (BSF) and the Indian Army that we live
the way we live. We rode to Tanot Mata Mandir through Bada Bagh, another tourist attraction in Jaisalmer, and Ramgarh and then on to Longewala.
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First point where we felt Yes, we are surrounded by the Thar Desert!
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Enroute Tanot
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Tanot Mata Mandir
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The size and intensity of the sun enroute Longewala from Tanot
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Another one!
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And another one!
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Trying some pose in the middle of the desert!
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Desert desert everywhere!
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Finally, at the last Indian village
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Longewala entrance
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Captured Pakistani tank during the Battle of Longewala
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BP 638- India Border Pillar
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Tribute to sons of the soil who laid down their lives!
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We had decided
to spend the night inside the desert amidst sand dunes and had accordingly
booked our accommodation at Sam Sand Dunes. With that kind of wind chill and
extremely cold weather, having a bonfire and everyone chilling and relaxing is
different fun altogether. Early morning the next day we drove inside the desert
in a 4x4 Thar at 6 am to find the perfect spot to watch the sun rise. And
again, it was a sight to behold with all those camels around us.
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Desert Safari
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Sunrise begins!
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A sight to behold!
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Our accommodation inside the desert!
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The desert was too much for the Versys to handle
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Struggling to get the sprocket out of sand but still managing a pose!_
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The next day
was the start of the long journey back home. We decided to halt at Deesa, 150 odd kms before Ahmedabad, for the night because there were too many cattle on the road, loads of speed-breakers, narrow roads and absolutely no daylight. It wasn't worth taking the risk by riding all the way to Ahmedabad under such circumstances. Instead we proceeded to Ahmedabad on the next day which took us a little less than 2 hours. We also got to enjoy the love and affection shown by a fellow rider Vikram Goyal's parents when they invited everyone of us for lunch! That was the tastiest meal we had on the entire ride. We also met another fellow Versys rider, Divyesh Sejpal, a lawyer based in Ahmedabad who joined us for lunch.
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Bidding Adieu to everyone in Ahmedabad
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Overall, I ended up covering 3200 kms from Pune to Pune- another successful ride with no
technical difficulties or any major incidents. As for the weather, it was
pleasant throughout but early mornings were chilly. Precisely what makes
Decemeber the to-go month for Rajasthan.
The desert landscapes, palaces and fortresses & the mountain ranges that line the roads throughout Rajasthan will enrich every kilometre of your motorcycle journey and are guaranteed to leave you wanting for more. I have tried my best to capture the moments through words and pictures. However, the only way to experience it in its totality is to visit these places and live it for yourself!!!
Our
itinerary was as follows:-
Day 1: 24th
December: Mumbai – Vadodara- Ahmedabad- Mehsana
Day 2: 25th
December: Mehsana – Palanpur- Sirohi - Jodhpur
Day 3: 26th
December: Jodhpur – Osian- Pokharan - Jaisalmer
Day 4: 27th
December: Jaisalmer- Bada Bagh – Ramgarh – Tanot – Longewala - Ramgarh - Sam
Day 4: 27th
December: Sam - Deesa
Day 5: 28th December Deesa- Ahmedabad
Day 6: 29th December: Ahmedabad – Pune
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Route Map for the ride
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Happiness is a ride successfully completed!
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Great write up Guru. Keep up the rides and motivating writeups to inspire many more.
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