The road less taken
A convoy of explorers and a map with a thousand trails takes us to the finest Rajasthan has to offer
THE TOUR-DE-THAR IS A five-day expedition unlike any other centred around getting away from the everyday grind of the city and enjoying traversing the back roads of Rajasthan. With entry open to all, as long as you have an appetite for adventure, you can experience Rajasthan at its best and sample some delicious local cuisine too.
We were to follow a circuitous route that started and ended in Jaipur. But before that we witnessed a breathtaking cultural performance, a Kachchhi Ghodi dance performance. Right after that, the convoy of vehicles left the highways and set course for the dusty, muddy and undulating landscape of India’s driest state which, was a little tricky for our 2WD Toyota Fortuner. The Tour de Thar took us to several palaces and forts steeped in history. Adding to those were the variety of cultural performances, culinary delights and stunning sights that we came across on the five-day roadtrip.
Although, it is difficult to enlist all of the amazing things that made the Tour de Thar a triumph, one particular memory stands out. We were surrounded by the rich history of the fort “Junagarh” in Bikaner. But there was something tempting that lay a short distance away. The sand dunes with the sun setting on us just provided that opening for the Fortuner to unleash its true potential. But unfortunately, the Fortuner and some other SUVs got stuck in the sand. It was certainly enjoyable getting the Fortuner unstuck. We got some well-deserved rest and stayed at a heritage property called Dera which was the house of a ‘Jagirdar’, in the erstwhile princely state capital. The morning that followed saw us sipping tea at the top of the dunes, overlooking the spot where a number of SUVs had got stuck the previous evening. We were put up in a palace beside a lake and conversation, with like-minded adrenaline junkies, flowed. With the 4x4s on the sand dunes, and folk artists performing with a bonfire to keep the cold away, we couldn’t have asked for more. We felt like ‘Kings in the land of Maharajas!’.
The Tour-De-Thar is an experience that no one should miss. From the undulating plains to the sense of tranquillity and peace at night on the sand dunes, it is truly mesmerising. It is a very well-curated expedition and stays true to its tag line “Padharo Marudhar Des” ⌧