Pushkar and Jaipur are always a photographer’s delight, and when Yo! Vizag photographer Kulasekhar Sampath (an engineering student from GITAM) took a trip there with his Instagram friends, he brought back some fascinating stories and many lovely pictures.
“I started my trip on the morning of 7th November, having packed with me food for two days. My journey was first to Agra, where I would meet my co-travellers and go further. The trip had been planned out with friends I had made on the social media of Instagram. Taj Mahal was closed when I reached, however I did enjoy the street food at the Agra fort station, and developed a special liking for the petha. The Agra fort was fascinating, and I could glimpse upon the Taj Mahal, and that sight of a structure built for love was delightful. Joined by another photographer friend from Ahmedabad, we didn’t feel the time fly by, and spent three hours being trigger happy at the Agra fort.
The next day we headed to Ajmer. Reaching there in the early hours of 3 AM, the three of us took public transport to Pushkar, where the annual camel fair was underway. The temple town of Pushkar is home to rich tales of history, and the annual Pushkar camel fair is much awaited. While one may wonder how a trading fare of livestock could be attractive, one has to see the riot of colours, across the cream sandy background to believe it. More interestingly for us, we could see a greater number of photographers as compared to the camel out there!
Walking through the streets of Pushkar, we saw many foreigners from different countries and photographers like us become part of the local fabric. Having captured the essence of the town into our cameras, we next visited the camel fair. With various stalls, and picture-perfect moments, we also had the privilege of watching the camel race. Pushkar is known to look stunning at night, and, we were back after a brief period of respite and recharging, ourselves and our cameras. The Pushkar aarti was perhaps the striking highlight of the night. The scenic view of the ghat at sunset, the lights, sounds, and smells, made the experience a vibrant one.
The food too was simply delightful. From continental food to the local specials of dal bhati churma, from the Rajasthani thali to the different kinds of roti, each meal was as good as the one before it.
Having spent another day meeting new people and visiting the town, we next started for Ajmer. Here we visited the beautiful and famous dargah and stopped for lunch. By night we were in Jaipur, where we visited the Nahargarh fort, and indulged in a superb view of Jaipur. It felt as if the canopy of stars had come down, and the stunning Jal Mahal was a sight to behold.
The beautiful pink city with its different gates, opens up a rich trip into history. I had the opportunity to visit five of the gates that night. I could make it to the Chand Pol, Suraj Pol, Ajmeri Gate, New Gate, Sanganeri Gate, Ghat Gate, Samrat Gate and Zorawar Singh Gate. We spent all of next day at the Amer fort before finally returning to Delhi. I still love the click of the sun setting on the Amer fort, that I could bring back.”
With a new set of people, we all came together with one common interest. And perhaps, that’s what added a whole new dimension to this trip. New people, new food, new places, the vibrant vibes of this experience has rejuvenated me, and I hope to be doing something like this again, hopefully very soon.
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