My first visit to this arguably oldest metropolitan town was in April 2016, and yet, it was not until the recent solo week and meeting about a dozen more people in one of the most celebrated religious pilgrimage towns of India, that the unique peculiarity of Varanasi became apparent to me. There is so much more about Varanasi, that one can well spend an entire lifetime reading and telling stories and moments about the temple town. Everytime I have visited Kashi, there’s been a few new stories to tell….
Jhalawar
My confidence on the MapMyIndia GPS device was gradually on the ebb, when we conceded to ask for directions to passersby. As I stopped by a corner, rolled down the glass and was about to ask the two burly local cops for directions to Jhalawar, my friend Dr. Mitra promptly quipped – “These people must be the rehabilitated bandits from the Phoolan Devi gang”. …
Jhalawar is a small town in East Rajasthan, about 30 kilometers before reaching the Madhya Pradesh border on the National Highway 27. Every year the locals of Jhalrapatan celebrate the Hindu festival of “Kartick Purnima”. The inauguration begins with a long procession of different groups of people like students, boy scouts, stage actors and above all cordially invited tourists. The tourists who travel from the farthest of places are accorded more importance.