It was a chance remark during a Diwali lunch that led to a wonderful trip to Bhuj, a place I’d long wanted to visit.
It was almost a month ago that I got onto a propeller plane at the crack of dawn with four other intrepid travellers to BHUJ After a short nap, I began noticing wind turbines and fields of Dragon Fruit and Date PalmsDesperately hungry we insisted on a hearty breakfast before setting out on the exhaustive tour organised by Mr Mithul Jethi of Jethi Travels The only breakfast available was on the street stalls and we greedily dig into a sumptuous Daal Pakwan , the regional specialty
3 km to the North East of Bhuj is the Khari Nadi gorge. This deep ravine created by water erosion thousands of years ago is worth a visit for it stunning rock formations The different layers of rock exposed by the erosion due to water . The gorge is easily accessible on foot but we were scared to start our journey with a fall or sprained ankle .It was cold even at mid day there was a nip in the air but it didn’t deter these two lovebirds from having a shoot down in the ravine. Our next stop was the maharaja chattardi, a park that has memorials built for the rajas of yore . This beautifully domed memorial with mosaic is one of the few left undamaged by the earthquake The memorial to king Lakhpat with his 15 wives who committed satee on his funeral pyre which took place a few metres away . A close up of the dome Despite its rich heritage the historical information is badly collated as can be seen from this signboard The remaining columns and beautifully carved plinth of the red sandstone chattardi of raja LakhpatAnother beautiful cenotaph damaged by the earthquake of 2001A water body alongside the Chattardi makes Bhuj a birder’s delight Hotel Hill View Resort is a well appointed hotel with a warm hospitable staff that even packed a breakfast for us before our flight back home ! Resuming our tour, we went to the city Museum that was formerly a prestigious Alfred High School However, we found the museum was shut on Wednesday so we sipped some cool coconut naturally chilled water on a cart across the road . Our next stop was a very disappointingly dirty and pretty unimpressive step well – Ram kund that was nearby the museum. We then went to the largest palace called Prag Mahal . It is situated in the same complex as the old Palace ( Aina mahal) and made in the Gothic style familiar to colonial IndiaThe magnificent Darbar Hall with its stained glass windows and Belgian chandeliers The Clock Tower is a replica of London’s Big Ben
After this we made a pit stop at the Excise Department to get a liquor permit as well as buy some liquor.
In case you want to drink in this dry state remember to take along your PAN, Aadhar and another Govt ID like a Driver’s License or Passport. Equally important is the boarding pass or train ticket to prove that you are a recent entrant to the city . Liquor permits are only issued within 48 hours of arrival so make sure you don’t dilly-dally.
Normally this job takes around 15 minutes (according to the resourceful Mr Mitul) but with our geriatric minds working in unfamiliar territory it took us a good 45 minutes that ate into our lunch time!
Eat your heart out
However, that didn’t deter us from enjoying the local flavours at JALEBI where the fine bajra rotis and crispy, hot jalebis were served by warm hospitable wait staff.
This sumptuous lunch was washed down by the local brew or CHAAS, a popular, watery buttermilk that is a favourite any time of day.
As we left the eatery we heartily rang the bell outside to show our satisfaction !
Mandvi : A shipyard and a Palace
The weather was still pleasant in the afternoon while we made our way to the sea. Suddenly we came across a half built wooden craft that reminded me Of the delightful book “Behram’s Boat” .These boats made entirely of wood are made in the traditional way and are sturdy oceanfaring commercial ships.
The magnificent VIJAYA VILAS palace set amidst a chickoo orchard has beautifully kept gardens and allows visitors a glimpse into royal life, replete with stuffed animals and well appointed living rooms.
One of the Chattris atop the palace. This palace is well maintained and truly gives a glimpse into a Royal lifestyle of tiger hunts, exquisite furniture and past splendour.
Mandvi is famous for another culinary delight the DABELI which sadly we were unable to try because we were stuffed to the gills.
So we made our way back to the Hotel for a night’s halt before we carried on with our trip.
[…] Actually this has been the best year ever for me as regards travel. I began the year with a trip to Bhuj. Towards the end of the year, I visited New York and then Egypt. All these trips were memorable and […]
Twenty- five Seven 
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