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Safari In Rajasthan - Desert
Run
Warfare would not have been possible without
detailed planning, especially in this desert
region where all supplies had to be carried
when the armies came to pitch camp where the
battle lines were drawn. From the repertoire
of this experience were drawn the state processions,
inter-kingdom journeys and royal pilgrimages
when the families came out of their fortified
settlements to create alternate, moving cities.
Of this rich past were safaris created.
A safari
is journey into the desert, but one that is
accompanied with rudimentary comforts, and even
luxurious amenities. As each journey progresses,
there is the excitement of setting camp at a
new spot in the lonely wilderness of the Thar,
of being entertained by groups of wandering
minstrels, of coming in proximity of village
life in one of the harshest conditions of the
world, of enjoying splendid camp meals and sleeping
under the stars that hang suspended from the
sky like twinkling fairy lights. None of these
journeys are arduous because the organisers
ensure that all facilities are provided, from
entertainment to fine dining, and from setting
up deluxe camps to ensuring that your slightest
needs are met.
But eventually, it is the landscape
that is spellbinding. For miles altogether,
there is nothing but sand, but from this aridness
one can expect the unexpected as groups of women
appear and disappear in their colourful clothes,
apparently going nowhere. Just as suddenly,
medieval cities rise magnificent for their architectural
heritage, and are just as suddenly lost to sight.
Mirages? No, in the Thar, these are only too
real. |
