Day 9 – Train Journey and Udaipur, The Lake City
Day 8 – It’s 10:15 pm on Diwali night and we are standing on Platform 12 in Ahmedabad. We see a few passengers on the platform but not many. Our train – Adi Udz (Ahmedabad – Udaipur) express is stationed and scheduled to depart on time. Our bookings are in AC 2 tier (we hope that this will be a luxurious ride as AC 2 tier tickets are expensive and have comfortable seating).
To our surprise, the railway coach is quite old and has marked signs of wear and tear. It doesn’t look good so far. We ask if we can board the compartment but they deny our entry saying boarding will be allowed only 20 minutes prior to departure. We sit patiently outside while observing other passengers.
We soon board the train and find out that the AC 2 tier coach is the only one on this train and Indian railways is persisting with it as long as it can. There are no power ports inside (a connectivity must). We are sad and are no longer excited about the journey. Few minutes into the journey, we begin to find out more. This is a meter gauge railway to Udaipur and the AC operates only on battery so the AC will blast maximum while the train is on full speed otherwise it will blast just air. We want a refund (I shout) but who is there to listen.
Our co passengers are a South Indian couple with 2 kids traveling to Udaipur for vacation. We have a small chat but mostly keep to ourselves. Khyati and I continue to mumble in Kutchi at the utter poor condition of this train and how we should have taken a bus instead.
Train route from Ahmedabad to Udaipur
It’s 11 pm and we call it a night. It’s 7 am and I am woken up by one of the kids crying. The mother was trying to pacify the child but to no avail. I rub my eyes and stretch around. Udaipur is about to arrive in another 1 1/2 hours and we sit around chatting in the train.
It’s 9:30 am and our train halts at Udaipur, the last stop.
Udaipur station
During Diwali, most Dharamshalas don’t do pre bookings and similar was the case in Udaipur. We had called up a few Dharamshalas the day before hoping to get a room but the standard response was that once you arrive here, if a room is available – we will give it. We take the rickshaw to Jindat Suri Jain Dharamshala and try unsuccessfully as it is completely packed for Diwali. I pick up a few other telephone numbers and ring them hoping to find a room. Hathipol Jain Shwetambar Dharamshala has availability and we direct our Rickshaw there. Jain Dharamshalas are meant to offer affordable and clean space for tourists. This was no different and we were quite pleased that we found a room.
Dharamshala
It’s 1 pm and our stomachs are rumbling. Due to it being New Year (Sal Mubarak to my readers), the Bhojanshala was closed and we had to find food somewhere else. Luckily, there was a Jain lodge nearby and we had a sumptuous meal.
Back to our Dharamshalas, we rest in the afternoon deciding to tour the city later in the evening.
For those who have not been to Udaipur, it’s known as the lake city of India and has 3 large lakes and they were completely filled with water. We walk to Fateh Sagar lake and do some speed boating there.
Boating at FatehSagar lake
Opposite to the lake is Maharana Pratap museum and park. Maharana Pratap was a dutiful king and a strong ruler of Mewar region during the 1500s. He fought many battles and history has it that he never lost to Akbar and his vast empire.
Maharana Pratap on his Chetak
There is a light and sound show on his life and we catch glimpses of his life in this amazing show.
It’s 8:30 pm and we walk back to our Dharamshala grabbing some food on our way home. It’s starting to get a bit cold and you can feel the need for a sweat shirt. We talk to a few staff at the Dharamshala making plans for the next day.
Tomorrow, I will write about our visit to City Palace, Ropeway, Sunset Point and Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal folk and puppet show.
More soon, thanks again to readers for the companionship. I don’t feel alone writing when I know that many people read my blog.
Best,
Paras