LOST & FOUND IN RAJASTHAN
Take a break from the usual suspects in Rajasthan and visit the hamlet of Narlai in Pali district. It’s a treasure lost in the folds of time.
PRICELESS specimens of old architecture, surrounded by nature’s bounty and imbued with the instinct to preserve regional heritage—all of this spells out a responsible and awe-inspiring holiday in India.
Having visited Rajasthan several times, I wasn’t expecting to come across an unexplored region in the state, but trust this royal state to surprise you when you least expect it. Two hours away from Udaipur and Jodhpur, I stumbled upon a tiny village near the Aravallis, called Narlai.
The drive to Narlai takes you through an enchanting forestscape and narrow roads, which are at times occupied by herds of cattle, who have to be slowly shephered out of the way. Quaint alleyways overrun by colourful bougainvillea and vibrant houses are the first features to catch my eye. I soon realise that this outlandish hamlet doesn’t offer boutique cafes and colossal historic forts; instead, it offers forgotten stories, lost in the sandstorms of time.
Cruising through the village, asking for directions, I was greeted with the typical ‘ khamma ghani’ (‘namaste’ in the Marwari language). Unlike its neighbours, Narlai is not accustomed to tourists, so when one does turn up, the local faces light up with an eagerness to help.
Though Narlai may not have the five-star grandeur that defines its more popular cousins in Rajasthan, this area is home to several caves, temples, and wildlife. In fact, there are over 350 temples from the 14th century in the region. Narlai also houses the 17th-century hunting manor of the royals of Jodhpur, the Rawla Narlai ( rawla means royal palace). A quick scroll through the history of the place will tell you that Narlai was a gift to Maharaja Ajit Singh from his older brother, the then king of Jodhpur. After years of neglect in contemporary times, this village and its heritage manor have now been given a makeover, with Singh’s younger son, Swaroop, lending his creativity to the project of reviving the rustic architectural beauty of Narlai. Rawla Narlai is now a heritage hotel giving tourists a taste of old times.
Narlai is situated in Rajasthan’s Pali district, which shares its boundary with eight regions—Barmar in the west, Jodhpur and Nagaur in the north, Udaipur and Rajmasand in the southeast, Sirohi and Jalore in southwest and south respectively, and Ajmer in the northeast. I learned from conversations during my evening walks in Narlai that the Pali region in the Marwar district was stamped out of Jodhpur. It continues to boast an affluent legacy and the present-day Pali is still recognised for its stunning forts, havelis, and Jain temples.
Elegant architecture and a sense of tranquillity greeted me at Rawla Narlai. Rustic brown walls, arches, pillars, and antique windows decked with Rajasthani linen, mirrorwork, and pops of colour—the heritage hotel makes you travel back in time.
With a soothing welcome drink in hand, I made my way to the Grand Heritage Room, my home for the weekend. As much as I wanted to turn in for an afternoon nap, the pristine swimming pool and the panoramic view of the hills beckoned. And so, I decided to check out a few experiences unique to Narlai.
HIGH TEA IN THE JUNGLE
Your stay in any hunting manor is incomplete without a trip to the jungle. In Narlai, you can experience the thrill of spotting a leopard just a few kilometres from the property, I was told.
I hopped on a jeep and headed to the forest in search of the big cat. The claims weren’t exaggerated—I spotted two leopards strutting across the thicket. As we settled down for high tea in the wilderness, another one turned up atop the nearby hill, framed perfectly by the glow of the setting sun.
MYSTICAL DINNER BY THE RAMPART
Post the surreal high tea, I headed back to Rawla Narlai to wrap up the day aptly—with dinner at a 16th-century
stepwell. Lit by nearly half a thousand earthen lamps, the stepwell looked ethereal under the starry sky. My ride for the occasion was an ox cart, which covered the distance of a few kilometers from the hunting lodge slowly. At the stepwell, folk singers crooned Rajasthani melodies as I was served authentic dishes from the royal era of the Rajputs.
Packed with zest, all the dishes impressed. Gatte ki sabzi, a dish synonymous with Rajasthani cuisine, is made in Narlai with steamed and lightly fried gram flour, tangy tomato gravy, spices, and buttermilk. Laal maas, one of the most famous meat dishes of the region, is red meat (traditionally deer or wild boar) slow-cooked in a fiery sauce of red chillies, onion, garlic paste, and curd. These days, this dish is generally made of marinated mutton. My personal favourite was ker sangri, prepared from a type of wild berry known as ker, and sangri beans. Of course, you can never have a Rajasthani thali without a serving of dal baati churma, the traditional dish of tempered lentil and baked dough dumplings of coarsely ground wheat cooked in ghee, sugar, and jaggery. When relished under the stars, by a rampart, dinner becomes nothing short of a heavenly experience. The meal came to an end on a sweet note, with balushahi (a dessert similar to a glazed doughnut) and ghevar (a disc-shaped sweet cake made with refined flour and soaked in sugar syrup).
SUNRISE WALK UP THE ELEPHANT HILL
As wonderful as eating dinner in a baoli (stepwell) is, the best place to catch a bird’s-eye view of Narlai is the Elephant
QUAINT ALLEYWAYS OVERRUN BY COLOURFUL BOUGAINVILLEA AND VIBRANT HOUSES PAINT THE PICTURE OF NARLAI.
Hill, one of the highest points in the Narlai. And so, even though I had slipped into a food coma from the lavish dinner, my morning the next day began as early as 5 am—to catch the sunrise from Elephant Hill. A guide accompanied me through the village to the foot of the rock. From there, I climbed a total of 756 steps to the top. The higher I climbed, the more spectacular the view got. At the top, a breathtaking view of the countryside greeted me. I sat there for a while, sipping piping hot tea, gazing at the extraordinary view from the foot of the elephant statue, from which the hill gets its name. Residents of Narlai consider this elephant rock their mascot, looking out for them since time immemorial.
IN AND AROUND NARLAI
The final day of my weekend in Narlai began with a lavish outdoor breakfast by a lake. It was the peak of monsoon, and the lake was filled to the brim, reflecting the picturesque hills around it. After the hearty breakfast, I set out to explore the village.
My first stop was the Jawai Dam, a spectacular spot to watch migratory birds and leopards. It is located on
rocky hillocks about 150 kilometres from Udaipur, over the River Jawai near the Varawal camp, and forms a basin that draws many drifting birds, like spoonbills, flamingos, cormorants, cranes, and herons.
From there, I made way to the Ranakpur Temple, the famous Jain temple carved entirely out of marble. Situated between Udaipur and Jodhpur in Desuri tehsil, the temple’s history is documented in Sanskrit on a copper plate that is inscribed on the shrine. The inscriptions say that the temple was built in 1437 CE by Dharanka, a devoted Jain. The construction continued till 1458. Close by is the Sun Temple, dedicated to the Sun God and lined by intricate sculptures made of white limestone.
Rajasthan has always had a unique appeal—with its vibrant heritage, intriguing history, and natural beauty. Narlai mirrors these facets of Rajasthan, but at the same time, it has beautifully carved an identity of its own, one that sets it apart from the likes of Udaipur, Jaipur, and Jaisalmer.
“LET’S GO TO Alibaug,” my friends deliberated for the nth time. Growing up in Mumbai meant taking frequent trips to nearby locales, for a break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Slowly but surely, we began to run out of such getaways. Just as we thought we’d seen them all, we stumbled upon a secluded beach, off the tourist radar, waiting to be explored. Bordi in Dahanu, Maharashtra was a pleasant surprise.
A four-hour drive from Mumbai on the Ahmedabad highway, Bordi is the ideal destination for a quick road trip. If you are a group of friends waiting to catch a break from the weekday routine, there is nothing better. We left the metropolitan views behind, and were welcomed by cool breeze, beautiful green vistas, and tiny villages.
With rumbling tummies and the thought of delicious Parsi fare running through our heads, we reached the quiet little town of Bordi after a journey of 150 kilometres. Though it is home to a big Parsi community, its culture traits don’t echo the fact. Most of the residents here are descendants of the Warli tribe, who still speak their native language along with Gujarati, since the Gujarat border is a short drive away. Houses with slanted roofs line the narrow lanes, their mud walls decorated with the famous Warli stick-figure art. The smell of fresh catch from the sea was overwhelming; Bordi has traditionally been a fishing village.
A walk through chikoo (sapota) plantations revealed how important the fruit is for the villagers. To call it their lifeline would be an understatement. Bordi organises a chikoo festival every year in January, and invites people to participate in games, learn more about the process of farming, enjoy local dance performances, and interact with the locals. But above all, you also get to sample various delicacies made from
chikoo— wine, chaat, finger chips, theplas, and much more. The creative integration of the fruit in different dishes makes you marvel at the ingenuity of the people.
While January is definitely a great time to visit Bordi and witness its culture in all its glory, we had come here for a peaceful beach getaway. Bordi Beach is probably one of the handful of beaches in Maharashtra that are not just devoid of tourists, but also supremely clean. It is roughly 17 kilometres long and has not fallen prey to the din of hawkers or watersports. A part of the ‘green zone’, Bordi has not made it to popular itineraries, which worked in our favour. Imagine birds flying on the horizon, the roar of the waves, and shimmering sand all around.
As we began walking along the seashore, we came across mangroves on one end of the beach. Here, the sea retreated and we easily ventured into the water for a kilometre and a half. This beach may not be great for swimming, but is absolutely amazing for those who wish to splash around.
The sunsets looked straight out of a photograph. The water and sand shone in the golden light. Soon, children came out to play, as water receded to the farthest point. Sitting there, soaking in views of silhouettes of fishing boats against a setting sun, was a magical experience.
One of my friends is a ‘boat enthusiast’. So, with clear instructions from a fisherman, we drove towards the Dahanu–Bordi stretch, where hundreds of boats in different sizes are parked after a day’s hard work. Now that is the kind of hustle you would want to experience, if the sight and smell of freshly-caught fish and the strong smell of sea don’t repel you.
Though I’d read of the Parsi influence in this region, we were told that the only way to relish authentic salli boti (a mutton gravy dish with thinly-sliced potato chips on top, traditionally eaten with local bread) was at a local’s home. We headed to a restaurant called Goolkhush run by a Parsi family, but were informed that the order needed to be placed in advance. Famished as we were, a plate of surmai fry (king mackerel) and sol kadi (kokum drink) came to our rescue, right next to the beach. The food here was cheap, and came with the natural ambience of the sea.
We hit the highway once again. I knew that Bordi had a lot more to offer, and that I would soon be making my way back here to know more about its Warli traditions, prawn recipes, and perhaps, even a fishing technique or two.