SUNITASTHAN
Rajasthan through eyes of Sunita
SUNITA | August 11th, 2017
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Offbeat Trip around Jaipur
Rajasthan has been a favorite for its open-air markets, for a glimpse of the local culture, and the enthralling stories behind its majestic historical monuments and museums. We had covered Jaipur and loved everything about it but this time we wanted to explore some of the less explored tourist destinations of this vibrant and colorful Jaipur. After a lot of quarrel and research, it was Dausa we checked off our list of unexplored places in Rajasthan. Placed on National Highway 11, it is easily accessible and well connected.
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Our Experience
We left Delhi early in the morning and reached Jaipur pretty soon and since we were all hungry, we decided we could not go any further without savoring some Pyaaz & Mawa Kachoris from Rawat in Jaipur. After a hearty breakfast there, we started off for Dausa with a pre-decided stops and breaks to make on the way.
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Sanganer
Located just 12 kms from Jaipur, this place is famed for its exquisitely carved Jain temples, hand made paper, textile block printing and Jaipur blue pottery. We visited the Shri Digamber Jain Atishaya Kshetra Mandir and did some shopping. When here, ensure you have enough cash in your wallet because it will be hard to resist yourself from buying little tempting artifacts and textiles sold around the place.
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Dausa
We drove for another two hours and we were finally in Dausa! The place seemed quite and not many people could be seen around. However, as we moved further, the view was something else – the whole region looked like a regal but abandoned kingdom. Also known as Devnagari, Dausa had some great places and views we smugly brag about. It is also quite close to a number of tourist destinations like Abhaneri, Bhandarej, and Bhangarh and is also linked to the very popular Mehandipur Balaji temple. Other must see around the place are Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Harshat Mata Temple, Chand Baori and Bhandarej Baori. Bhandarej is the closest to Dausa, just about 10 kms. This village is popular for its 150-step Bhandarej Baori or stepwell and the Bhadrawati Palace, which reflect the splendor and grandeur the place must have had in its time. The region also houses carpet making artists; therefore you can find some good home shopping options here. Our next destination, Abhaneri laid another 25 Kms from Bhandrej. It is a historic village that holds the Chand Baori, another beautiful stepwell and the 10th century Harshat Mata Temple.
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Final Day
We travelled to Shahpura, a small town that stands 78 Kms from Dausa, popular for its ancient temples and cenotaphs. We then drove another two hours to reach Sambhar, located on Phulera road. This place has one of the largest salt lakes where one can simply relax and admire the beauty all around it. You can also catch a glimpse of thousands of migratory birds like flamingos, waterfowl, and Siberian cranes that flock here in the winters. When in Sambhar, we also visited pilgrimage sites including Shakambari Mata Temple, Devyani Kund, Sharmishtha Sarovar and also Naraina & Bhairana on our way here. A pleasantly reinvigorating trip overall, our immediate aim is to now explore the rest of this enigmatic state of Rajasthan.