Author: Juhee Mehta

Literally, see characters of books in every person she meets. Apart from eating, she is found adventuring and talking to herself. Believes in magic and escape reality through words. If she possibly knows you, you might find yourself in her poems.

Categories
Places to Visit

Places to Visit in the City of Hills – Dungarpur

The city of hills – Dungarpur is a casket of beauteous places that have some very interesting historical events associated with it. On the foothills of Aravali range, Dungarpur is situated at a distance of around 103 km from Udaipur. For all the Udaipurites, it can be the best getaway destination and the experience of visiting each of these places would be simply amazing. The exceptional architecture of its palaces and royal residencies built during the times of Maharawal Shiv Singh (1730-1785 AD) attracts an ample amount of tourists every year. Some of the places that you can consider visiting this weekend are listed below.

 

Udai Bilas Palace

Source: Yatra

Named after Maha Rawal Udai Singh II, the Palace follows some classic Rajput architectural style that can be clearly seen in its stunning balconies, arches, and windows. The palace is divided into three sections namely Raniwas, Udai Bilas and Krishna Prakash which is also called Ekthambiya Mahal. Today, Udai Bilas is functioning as a heritage hotel.

 

Juna Mahal

Source: World-Monuments-Fund

The word ‘Juna’ means old and Mahal means Palace. The apparent old palace was built in the 13th century. The seven-storeyed Mahal is built on a high platform constructed by the Pareva stone. The carefully constructed fortified walls, watchtowers, narrow doorways, and corridors will literally take you back in time. You will be left absolutely spellbound by the beautiful murals, miniature paintings, and delicate glass and mirror work.

 

Surpur temple 

Source: Pilgrimaide

Dungarpur is pretty rich when it comes to temples and for the same reason, you’ll find umpteen number of temples where Surpur is one of them. Located on the banks of the Bangdi river, this ancient shrine contains some other attractions too such as Bhulbhulaiya, Madhavrai Temple, Hathiyon Ki Agad and several inscriptions.

 

Gaib Sagar Lake

Source: Tour My India

Gaib Sagar Lake is famous for its shrine of Lord Shrinath Ji which rests on the banks of it. Apart from the core temple which is Vijay Rajrajeshwar Temple, there are some other exquisitely carved temples too. The ‘shilpkars’ or sculptors of Dungarpur have shown their great craftsmanship at this temple of Lord Shiva.

 

Government Archeological Museum

Source: Rajasthan Tour Operator

The museum was meant to house the sculptures collected mainly from the Vagad region by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Rajasthan. The royal family of Dungarpur has a great contribution in this museum. The family gifted the land for the museum along with some of its personal collection of sculptures and historically important inscriptions.

 

Badal Mahal

Source: राजस्थान पर्यटन

Badal Mahal is located at the banks of Gaib Sagar Lake and it is another Palace made with Pareva stone. The fusion of architectural style of the Rajputs and Mughals offers an interesting twist in the design of the palace. It has 2 stages, 3 domes, and a veranda where every dome consists of a carved half ripe lotus and the middle one has three.

 

Beneshwar temple

Source: The blog of Dungarpur city

Formed at the confluence of river Som and Mahi, Beneshwar temple is the most revered Shiv Linga of the region. It is believed that the Linga at the temple is self-created. Every year a famous tribal festival is held in the month of February which holds a great significance amongst the Bhil tribe.

 

Shrinath Ji temple

Source: Tour My India

This temple was built in the year 1623 by Maharawal Punjraj. The main attractions at the temple are the idol of Shri Radhikaji and Goverdhan Nathji. Other than that there are other shrines dedicated to Shri BankeBihariji and Shri Ramchandraji.

 

Weekend at Dungarpur, anybody? 

Categories
History and Culture

Mautana: Rajasthan’s Strange Ritual of Money Against Death

We live in the 21st century where everything is easily accessible, even justice. And at times like such, the above theory backfires giving rise to rituals like ‘Mautana’ and ‘Chadhotri’.

What are Mautana and Chadhotri?

‘Maut’ means death and ‘ana’ means money and the word together means money against death.

While we are talking about the ritual, let’s start from the beginning. Back in the early decades, the tribal communities like Bheel and Garasiya were situated in hilly terrains of Southwest portion of Rajasthan. These tribals did not live in colonies and instead of that, they were scattered in the forest. The groups of these tribes were not aware of the agriculture and so, they were mainly dependent on the forest by product and forest animals. And for resources, they used to attack the other groups and amidst all this, people lost their lives. Sometimes, they even killed each other in pure anguish.

Source: Sarita Magazine

To get control over the situation and spread brotherhood around the communities, they made a ritual of Mautana where if someone kills a person, the entire community will support the victim’s family by making the suspect’s family pay the price. They used to put the dead body on the doorstep of the murderer or the suspect and demand for grains and other resources. In case they deny, the victim’s family would destroy their houses and kill them which is called Chadhotra. The price given by the suspect was then distributed to the entire community.

 

Modern Practices of Mautana

Modern technology and strong law system have helped the urban part to develop to a large extent. But when we talk about the rural part of it, people are still suffering mostly because of the practices shrouded in the name of religion and customs. The problem is that even law is least concerned about such matters.

One of these problems is Practice of Mautana and Chadhotri. It is most active in the tribal regions of Udaipur, Banswara, Sirohi, and Pali. With time, the concept of the ritual has modernized too. What started with the idea of justice and spreading brotherhood grew poisonous with time.

Source: Hello Banswara

Today, the reason of death could be anything but it is blamed on someone else in order to demand money. If the family refuses to pay Mautana, they are looted, killed or forced to migrate, in some cases their houses and shops are burnt by the victim’s family or community. And even if they do agree, the amount is so high that the family has to sell everything they have and they become ruined. The money ranges from 5000 to 15 lakh depending on the social status of the dead and the accused.

The first case of ‘Mautana’ was reported at Mandwa village in 1971 in which 101 people were arrested. After that, the cases have been increasing and along with the tribal communities, communities in the remote area adopted the ritual too.

 

Some devastating incidents of Mautana and Chadhotra

  • This is the incident of kaucha village of Udaipur district where a lady got bit by a snake while she was working at her farm and eventually died. After her death, her family blamed her in-laws saying that the snake was from their side and so they have to pay the ‘Mautana’.
  • Kheroda village of Udaipur witnessed one more Mautana incident where a worker got injured by an electric shock. He was then taken to the government hospital of Udaipur and during his operation, the man died. The family of the man then started demanding Mautana from the Doctor itself.
  • In May 2014, a 36-year-old youth of Nichli Aanjani village came to meet his sister in Bhoojha village. He never returned home and after a month his mutilated body was found on the hillock of the village. The body parts were then taken to a deserted school building where it was hung for more than a year because the Mautana didn’t settle between the family accused and the victim’s family.
Source: Udaipur Times

Poisonous rituals like Mautana and Chadhotri this overpowers not just the law of the government but the humanity too. They initiate the feelings of greed and hatred in the humankind. Now one question that still remains is ‘Which side are the authorities on?’

Did you like the article? Share your feedback with us in the comment section below or write to me juhee@udaipurblog.com.

Categories
News

Amore Gourmet Gelato is Set to make Udaipurites Fall in love with Gelatos

Ice cream is the all-time favorite dessert among people of all ages. And so, after 8 successful franchise outlets in Udaipur, Rahul Jain, founder of K9 Enterprises, has brought another destination to put an end to the ice cream cravings of all the ice cream lovers. On 3rd September 2018, the first outlet of Amore Gourmet Gelato got inaugurated at Celebration Mall.

Amore Gelato is a chain of Gelato parlor which has spread its roots all across the country. It was first started in March 2006 in Mumbai. Today, Amore Gourmet Gelato has 23 outlets across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Surat, Pune, Lucknow, Sikkim, Baroda, etc. After wooing all these cities with its exotic and yummy flavors, Amore Gourmet Gelato is now set to make all the Udaipurites fall in love with it.

What is Gelato?

Gelato is the ice cream made in the Italian style. It is made with a base of Milk and Sugar. To all the health conscious people out there in the city, here’s a good news. Gelato has much less amount of fat as compared to other ice creams and frozen desserts. Where ordinary ice creams have around 15-20% of fat, Gelato has just 6-8% per serving.

With an ample number of flavors such as chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio, raspberry, mango, pineapple, etc. Amore Gelato serves the finest gourmet Italian frozen dessert made from fresh and natural ingredients.

On this occasion, Amore Gourmet Gelato is offering a 10% promotional discount to every customer valid for a month. Hurry up and try all the lip-smacking flavors of Amore Gourmet Gelato now.

Reach K9 enterprises here.

Categories
News

Zip Lining Accident in Udaipur – Are we Really Equipped for Adventurous Sports?

Udaipur – the City of Lakes has lately earned a well-deserved fame in the minds of tourists all around the country. The scenic beauty and the appreciable hospitality has never failed to enthrall not just the locals who experience something new in the city very frequently but the people from other parts of the country too.

One thing which has grown at a fast pace amongst the citizens is adventure sports. With time, people are getting more interested to try their hands on adventurous activities in Udaipur some of which are kayaking, tree walk, zip line, camping, etc.

Image Courtesy: Pramod Soni for Patrika

On 3rd August 2018, the ‘Valley of flowers’ was inaugurated at Chirwa Ghat near Udaipur. Apart from the stunning ecosystem that one can witness around the place, some other activities were incorporated into the valley too, one of which was zip lining.

The news of Zip lining spread like a wildfire in the city. The reason was it being something new and unique to the people of Udaipur. Seeing the city grow with such a rapid speed is really appreciable. But the question is are we equipped sufficiently to carry on such adventurous sports?

Recently an incident took place which raises the similar bunch of questions in the minds of all the Udaipurites. Carelessness of operating official at the zip lining site resulted in the crash of two individuals’ midair. The incident took place on the weekend when one of the persons namely Bahadur was about to finish his zip line but due to the reverse movement of wind, he stopped midway. Meanwhile, the careless officials released one more rider, Rajesh, who had his 4-year-old daughter tied to him.

In a panic, both of them turned their back towards each other (so that there would be no injury to the little girl) and the impact was so immense that one of them turned upside down and he had to hold the rope with his hand which caused severe cuts on his hands.

Such incidents don’t just jolt us but it should mortify the authorities too. Later it came into account that there were no trained officials present at the site and the lives of people were being risked like anything. Growth and development are good enough but the question is ‘Is this growth sustainable?’

It is important that the authority take all the safety measures while carrying out such activities. Because at the end of the day, it is the matter of people’s life.

Categories
Places to Visit

Every Jain should know this Interesting Story Behind Muchhal Mahavir Temple

A Jain temple located at a distance of around 70 km from Udaipur is a land of intricate architecture shaped up together to form a temple. Ghanerao is the name of the village which houses the temple. The main idol in the temple is the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, Lord Mahavir.

As you enter the stunning temple you will find two gigantic statues of elephants welcoming you and when you go further there will be a beautiful 120 cm long and white colored idol of Lord Mahavir sitting in Padmasana posture.

Source: Glory of Rajasthan

Although the antiquity of the temple is not measured it is believed to be very old. The last renovation was recorded back in the Vikram era, the year 2022 when the idol was installed.

Along with that, a very interesting story is associated with the temple. It is said that Once upon a time, a Rana (king), who was on a hunt, visited the temple. There, the priest offered him some Prasad (a devotional offering made to a god, typically consisting of food that is later shared among devotees) of Lord Mahavir. While eating the Prasad, the Rana found a strand of white hair in it which must have fallen from the priest. Mocking the priest, the Rana asked: “Does your lord has a mustache too?” Having been intimidated by the sarcastic comment of the Rana, the priest affirmed in the fear of getting killed. Rana further making fun of the temple and priest said that today he won’t pay respects to the lord and will come back in 3 days to see the mustache of the lord.

Source: tripoto

The priest was completely puzzled to be able to think about how he will he show the mustache of the lord to Rana. Thus, he spent the next two days in the prayer of the lord in the hope that he will get a way out. After seeing no results in the condition in any way, the priest finally decided to commit suicide rather than getting killed by the king. As soon as he picked the dagger of Bhairon to run it around his neck, the Lord appeared in front of the priest and instructed him to cover the head of the idol with a cloth when the Rana comes and ask him to uncover it only when he is finished his prayers.

Next day, when the king came, the priest did exactly what he was told. When the king saw the piece of cloth covering the head of the idol, he became furious. But the priest explained that he should uncover the face himself once he is done with his praying. The king agreed and when he lifted the cloth after his prayers, he didn’t just see the mustache but a dense beard too. The king instantly regretted having made such an insulting remark and sought forgiveness from the priest.

After that, the mustache and the beard disappeared but the name got stuck and since then, the temple is known as ‘Muchhal Mahavir’.

Did you like the story? Share your feedback with us in the comment section below. If you have any story of your own which you want to share with the people, send it to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.

Categories
Social

Vrikshabandhan- A bond beyond festivity

Why celebrate a festival the normal way when you can give it a whole new dimension? Vrikshabandhan by Pukaar was initiated with the tenet to create lasting bonds beyond festivity.
Social Media platforms were incorporated to receive plantation requests by the locals of Udaipur city. In this three day event, 50 volunteers went to different requested areas all around the city to plant 40+ species trees from Aravali that involved Mulberry, Moringa, Neem, kikar, Baheda, Kachnar, Karanj, Aam etc.
The endeavor did not just aim towards planting trees by volunteers but also made families partake to develop an emotional attachment. People vowed to take care of their trees like one would protect their sibling. And to take it to another level, some even gave their plants names like Varsha (rain) and Ritu (season) etc.
The number of tree plantation applications received by the Pukaar team was more than 500. Moreover, an ample number of organizations such as UdaipurBlog, MDS, Mercy league, Robin Hood Army etc. supported the event.
In Udaipur, around 200 trees were planted and safeguarded not just by tree guards but also by the ones responsible for their care. The event was made succesful from the combined efforts of more than 40 people from Udaipur who enrolled themselves to volunteer in it. Team of Pukaar at Banswara also celebrated the event in their city. It was delightful to see the response and involvement that people showed towards Vrikshabandhan. This was Pukaar’s way of connecting humans and trees with an indiscernible thread.
After the massive success of Vrikshabandhan, the citizens showed their love to mother nature by contributing volunterly as ‘VRIKSHDAN- Donate for Trees’ for Pukaar’s future endeavours.
Do you have any such story which you want to get shared amongst the citizens? Send it to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.
Categories
Events

Fitness Challenge Event by Forum Celebration Mall Tested Shoppers’ Strength

Fitness, looking at the modern lifestyle, is a necessity and not a luxury. And just like any other part of our daily chores activities related to fitness should be incorporated into our lifestyle too.

Purple Run by Forum Celebration Mall took a whopping initiative to spread awareness about fitness being an integral part of our day. Purple Run is an upcoming event that is planned to be Udaipur’s biggest running event to spread awareness about Alzheimer’s disease. With 6 other malls across the country, this year Purple Run is set to elevate its magnitude on 30th September 2018.

One of the pre-events of Purple Run, Fitness Challenge Event was held on 25th August 2018. Spreading awareness about Alzheimer’s is the main motive for the event. However, with the current pattern of lifestyle, another major motto was introduced to the shoppers – to make fitness a prime part of their lives.

The event achieved an appreciable éclat when a myriad of shoppers participated and marked the beginning of bringing fitness routine into their lives. In association with Healthline Fitness Studio and SADA dance academy, all the active participants were put forth a number of fitness challenges by the trainers from Healthline Fitness Studio. These challenges involved squat challenge, pushup challenge, battle rope challenge, tire flip challenge, cone stacking challenge and a lot more.

In this way, the participants’ fitness status was tested and not just this but people who were commendable in these challenges were awarded some exciting gift hampers too.

When we talk about fitness, most of us find it difficult and a bit tedious to practice it on a daily basis. And so, some interesting and fun laden ways were introduced to the shoppers. SADA Dance academy performed some exciting exercises in their dance moves of Zumba workout for those who want some unconventional methods to achieve fitness.

In case you have missed it and want to get another chance to become a part of the magnanimous event, do not worry, another pre-event of Purple Run is awaiting you which is to be conducted on 1st September 2018 followed by the main event on 30th September 2018.

Brace yourself to be the part of Udaipur’s Biggest Running event!

Register for the event here

Categories
News

Love the Dug-Dug sound of Your Bullet? It’s Bad News for You!

One thing those bullet lovers are absolutely fascinated by their bullet is the thunderous dug-dug sound of their bullets. And why wouldn’t they? It makes the heads turn of every bystander on the road. Now whether these heads turn in awe or agony that still remains a question.

Nonetheless, if you are one of those who gets irritated by this blasting sound of a bullet then Congratulations! Your ‘acche din’ has arrived.

Police in Udaipur is taking a campaign level action against those bikers whose bullet bikes makes deafening cracker like noises on the streets of the city. 25 such bullets were caught yesterday by the traffic police. Traffic inspector, Netrapal Singh said “The natural sound of a bullet bike is normal. But the owners of these bikes later modify the silencer of these bikes into the one that makes the cracker like noise from the bike. This kind of bike riding is put under the category of dangerous bike riding and due to the same, police is taking required measures”.

Source: Udaipur Times

In case you are wondering what happens once they are caught, these bikes are confiscated by the police and just filling the challan won’t help you to release your bikes. While your beloved bullet is at the station, you have to get the modified silencer replaced by the original one after which you have to fill the challan of one thousand rupees. Only once you are through with the entire process are you allowed to take your bullet back.

This might be too disheartening for some bullet riders in the city but safety is more important than fancy.

News Source: Dainik Bhaskar 

Do you have any such story which you want to get shared amongst the citizens? Send it to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.

Categories
News

Direct Udaipur-Lucknow Flight Starting Shortly

Direct flight to Lucknow is going to start soon from Udaipur. However, the official schedule for the flight is still awaited but it is expected to start in October.

This flight will be operated under RCS which is the Regional Connectivity Scheme whose aim is to provide affordable flight charges. Most of the ATR flights are operated under RCS where flight charges are around Rs. 2500.

Source: Reddit

This flight is going to get operated by Jet Airways. Although the announcements are yet to be made, Jet Airways may also start the flight from Lucknow to Chennai and Hyderabad, unlike Udaipur that is going to start in October.

Categories
Events

Purple Run by Forum Celebration Mall is All Set to Test your Strength this Weekend!

Forum Celebration Mall Udaipur, which is the part of Forum malls, took a great initiative to create awareness about the disease Alzheimer’s. The year 2017 marked the beginning of this inordinate initiative called ‘Purple Run’. The event covering 7 malls in 6 cities achieved humungous success with 10,000 runners across the country.

This year, Purple Run is planned to be Udaipur’s biggest running event where more than 2000 city based runners in 4 different categories will run for a single cause – to create awareness about Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a type of disease which causes thinking and memory problems. A victim of Alzheimer’s loses the ability to carry on a conversation and adjust according to the environment.

We all frequently visit celebration mall for shopping and have a leisurely time with our loved ones. But this time, it has given us the opportunity to join in for a cause. It is the time that we reach another milestone in the History of Udaipur.

The first pre-event of the ‘Purple Run’ focuses on some physical challenges that will test the strength of the participant. These fun loaded physical activities will involve planks, pushups, pull-ups, etc. Moreover, the best performers in all the activities would be awarded some exciting gift vouchers. This pre-event will be conducted on 25th August 2018 followed by another pre-event on 1st September 2018.

There are absolutely no registration fees to participate in the event. Thus, anyone and everyone can participate in it.

So, are you ready to Stand Up for a Cause?