Twenty-two years ago in 2001, in Sept./Oct., Satish, Armstrong, and I went on a tour to the western part of India. Alas, it was the only trip we had ever taken.
Arriving by train early in the morning is the best time of day to reach a historic place. However, evening time is also a good time. We reached Aurangabad and checked into a nearby budget hotel, just a short walk from the train station.
The air was chilly and even, believe it or not, a little bit misty, not due to any pollution but because it was a seasonal occurrence at that time of year. It was tranquil and calm as Satish, Armstrong and I walked behind one enthusiastic messenger who would be at the train station bringing in potential guests for the hotel he is jobbing for. Early in the morning, there was scarcely any traffic on the road. In 2001, Aurangabad city traffic wasn't as chaotic as it might have become today; the scourge of traffic now affects practically every part of our deep and vast country.
The hotel was in a bylane. The double room allotted to us was decent. It contained no expensive essentials (as it was a budget hotel for tourists like us preferring to stay only for 1 or 2 days max): except for the TV, which we never switched on during our 2-day stay there, three decent beds (one of them on an extra-person charge) covered with nice clean white sheets and pillows; a wooden wardrobe and a dresser; and small narrow bathroom (not designed for tall (like me) or heavy-set people (like Satish particularly!) with a sink minus the usual countertop around it and an Intercom. Armstrong didn't mind much about the small bathroom or the smallish room we had been given. Eager to enjoy the day ahead, he declared groggily, "Guys, we're on a budget, remember? Now let's get on with it already!" The restroom's modest size inconvenienced Satish and me, but we didn't really groan or complain about it!) And the best part was that there were no hidden charges when the bill came! So therefore, "Jo hukum mera akaa!" Fair enough for three bachelor souls who had embarked upon a friendcation of a lifetime, starting from Aurangabad as the first stop in our travel itinerary.
First, on our travel itinerary: we walked into the MTDC Aurangabad hotel, which was also nearby from where we were staying, and stepped inside its on-property restaurant to grab a quick breakfast of sliced bread toast with butter and surprisingly freshly prepared hashbrowns made of Tapioca (or Sago, Sabudana) and tea, which was pleasant to sip and served in sparkling white tea cups and saucers.
Thereafter, we booked an MTDC bus to visit the Aurangabad caves, the Daulatabad Fort, and other tourist getaways outside the city limits. We explored some famous sites such as the Bibi ka Maqbara mausoleum, which amazingly resembled the Taj Mahal, a miniature replica of the original tomb at Agra, Panchakki, the Tomb of Aurangzeb, and the magnificently mesmerising rock-cut Buddhist cave complexes of Ajanta-Ellora, which are only an hour and a half drive from the historic city.
We enjoyed ourselves while touring Aurangabad; clicked several pictures. The following day, we travelled to the beautiful town of Nashik on an MTDC intercity bus. The bus ride through the Aurangabad countryside was herky-jerky but not unpleasant, allowing us to catch up on life for a bit. From there, we transited through the beautiful countryside to Trimbakeshwar, a temple town with an ancient shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, the origin of the river Godavari, the location of one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in India.
After visiting the sacred bathing ghat called Ramkund, where Lord Ram, Sita, and Lakshmana bathed in the holy waters of the river Godavari alongside it during their 14-year exile (Aranya Kanda), we headed towards Panchavati, where they stayed. Nearby, we visited Sita Gupha (meaning Sita’s cave) through a narrow staircase leading up to it. It is believed that Sita was abducted from here by an enraged Lord Raavan bent on taking revenge for his sister Surpanaka when Lakshman cut off her nose. Due to time constraints, we had to forego visiting other places nearby. Afterwards, we took an auto-rickshaw to the Pandavleni Caves (also known as Nasik Caves), situated atop a sizable mountain.
When we arrived at the caves, we decided to eat lunch before ascending a steep flight of stairs that led to the Pandavleni Caves. We munched on bread and bananas we had purchased in Nashik city while seated at the base of the massive Pandav Leni mountain. While we had lunch, we spotted the Dadasaheb Phalke Memorial situated just close by — at the foot of this picturesque hill, with its dome and landscape garden visible from where we sat eating lunch. However, time was of the essence, so we skipped the visit to the Memorial but chose to trek up the mountain instead. Meanwhile, as we explored the ancient Pandev Leni Caves, we took numerous pictures there: one with all three of us posing next to a rock face with the setting sun shining behind our heads, giving the appearance of a golden halo stand out. The experience of being there high up on the mountain was nothing short of spectacular; it was truly unforgettable. Afterwards, we made a return trip under the silver moon to downtown Nashik’s Central Bus Station, where we boarded a state transport bus for the final leg of our tour, which took us to the temple town of Shirdi.
Spending two days and a moonlit night in a modest hotel in the middle of the sparkling, bustling local bazaar/market adjoining the temple compound of Shirdi Sai Baba was a magical experience. Thanks to the excellent spot of our hotel room, we soaked in the sights and sounds of the market area below, right next to the main temple from our first-floor balcony where we all three stood captivated with breathless wonder and delight — a breath-taking view, so wonderful to behold in the gentle evening breeze.
It was a yatra — not a religious pilgrimage of the sort pilgrims go on, but rather a short tour or a pleasure trip of the sort friends embark upon — we were eagerly anticipating when we boarded an express train at Secunderabad Railway Station to travel to Aurangabad, then to Nashik, to Trimbakeshwar, and finally to Shirdi. An amazing journey!
~~~
Tall guys usually take the top bunk to get some sleep or something nearly as possible, so I opted for the upper perch. Armstrong climbed onto the middle berth and quickly glanced upwards to look at me in the act of untangling my limbs, err ... stretching my legs down the entire length of the sleeping berth I chose. He chuckled delightedly. I could tell he was trying to have some fun moments while he looked at Satish and me resting our bodies on the bunks, so I giggled along. Satish was grinning away so much while laying his heavy self on the lower bunk that watching him made us giggle even more. It was a giggling match we indulged in, oblivious to other delighted passengers in the compartment. Soon after, I asked Armstrong, who was in the middle berth, to check on Satish: how he was doing down below on his lower bunk. At that moment, we both turned our heads downwards to see our friend Satish positioning the entire circumference of his mighty girth on the lower berth in what seemed to be an extremely comical manner we were not so accustomed to seeing. It was such fun, and appreciably he played along. We heaved a sigh of relief when we saw Satish satiated (and satisfied) with the homemade meal we'd all finished eating a while ago and preparing to sleep now for the night on the train. As we prepared to sleep in our bunks, I thought to myself: if Satish is feeling fine, everything is fine, and we needn't worry about anything, all is good. This wonderful four-day, four-night tour was one of the most important events that significantly shaped our personal lives in the years to come.
~~~
The tour, which we went on about 22 years ago, is something we'll never forget. It was a nostalgic trip of a lifetime: an incredible journey to remember for the rest of our lives. Though 22 years is a long time and memories fade, I recall being so moved by it that I wrote about it in one of my blog posts titled 'A Journey to Remember, a Short Story,' with a heavy heart that felt even heavier on our return trip home so many years ago. Unfortunately, another journey like that never happened again. Armstrong had us promise to return, but we couldn't. By Arindam Moulick
Dedication:
To Armstrong and Satish, two of my best friends since the unforgettable 1990s. What lovely days they were.