Gujarat Visit (Part 2) : Dwarka, Somnath And Gir Lion Reserve

JyotirLinga

Click here for Part1
Click here for Part3

It was around 8:30 PM when we reached Dwarka, rushed directly to the hotel room, relaxed for an hour , packed our bags and left the hotel room to catch our bus to “Somnath”. We didn’t have time for dinner plus there was hardly any place available to sit and eat, Dwarka was overly crowded that evening. I went to the travel agent’s office got the tickets which I booked early morning. This time it was in a local travel and it’s not a sleeper coach. We boarded the bus; I brought two vegetable sandwiches, few packets of potato chips and 2 big bottles of water. All seats in the bus were full, and then happened the drama. The travel agent sold more number of tickets then there were seats, many more people boarded the bus, conductor gave them small plastic stools to sit on in the aisle and confirmed their seats. This was the first time I saw something stupid happening in Gujarat in last two days. Passengers who were sitting on the regular seats started shouting at the bus conductor and travel agent and also on to the passengers sitting on the plastic stools about this mess. It was a 2 + 3 bus which now became a 2 + 1+ 3 with loads of luggage kept on the aisle it now looked a Transports instead of “Tour Travels”. I am not hesitant to say that such local travels sucks, to tell you the truth even their bus seats were lousy, smelly, full of dust and shaky and filthy. Before, you ever book your tickets through such travel agents, think twice. Well, whole night went uncomfortably, felt very sorry to my mom and dad about this jungle ride, but then there was no other option.

roadside @ Somnath

We reached “Somnath” “the holy land of Shiva” before 4 AM in morning; I had no idea where to go at this very wee hour. The bus stop was not great, but there were few tea shops open, people like us sipping tea around them. I asked Mr. Gupta where to go now. Gupta ji is of my age, has family business in Ahmedabad, now travelling with his wife and 5 year old kid. We were in the same bus to Dwarka, in the same boat to Bait Dwarka, and now we were in same boat of confusion and finding rooms. All Guest houses and hotels are booked for next couple of days, we found; there is no single hotel room available. There were a few very big guest houses in the same location owned by “Somnath Trust” a charitable trust indeed but every placed was flooded. We tired; walking half asleep entered one such guest house, spread out a bed sheet on the cement floor in front of the gate, and lied down on it to relax our back and legs. Thanks to Gupta family who were at least carrying this bed sheet. By this time our two families had gelled well together, we decided even if we get a single room we all could share it. Just forgot to tell you we are actually very close to the main “Somnath” temple hardly ½ km away. I thought , I really enjoyed this early morning madness, sipping roadside teas back to back at 4 AM, relaxing on this concrete porch in open air with others and later asking everyone, “Hey, Do you know if there is any room available ?“ we even tried adding emotions by saying that we have two ladies and a kid with us. I felt stupid for not booking a hotel room or a guest house in advance; I could see a hairline crack in my fool proof plan.

Temple

Jay Somnath

 a park nearby

roadside@Somnath, Prabhas patan, Veraval

beach@Somnath

Gupta ji and I came out from our concrete porch, in search of at least one room, Jab we met one “Auto Rickshaw” uncle who said, he can definitely show us some rooms if we want. We jumped inside his auto and he drove it like a pathfinder in those narrow lanes in this place called “Prabhas Patan”, which is adjacent to the main temple’s premises. He showed us many rooms in residential houses, the owners rent out their rooms in such a peak season. It was anyways a normally looking old colony with very narrow lanes where everyone dealing with tourists for rooms. We finalized Raju Bhai’s single room for 1400 Rs for one night. Auto rickshaw uncle asked 100 Rs and left saying his name as Javed, interesting.


Room was not very big, but we adjusted somehow atleast we got a room to get fresh and sleep. The owner Raju Bhai gave us three more mattresses and clean bed sheets. I slept immediately for around 4 hours and got up at 11:00 AM. Within next 1 hour we were ready for Darshan of “Lord Shiva” the “Aadi Jyotirling Shree Somnath Mahadev”. The temple premises are just a hundred meters away so it took just 5 minutes. We went through a long queue, arrangement to control the crowd, the devotees are better here than they are in Dwarkadheesh temple. The temple is located right on the Arabian Sea’s shore; the waves in the sea, to me appeared as a great wall paper placed at the temple’s background.

The current temple was re constructed post independence, when “Sardar Patel” decided to bring temple’s glory back, which was seen as an attempt of reversal of past injustice done to Hindus in India. I hope you know the sad history behind it; the same temple was destroyed several times by many Muslim Invaders and later reconstructed by Indian Hindu Kings. As per Wikipedia in 1701 CE, the temple was finally destroyed by “Aurangzeb”, who built a mosque on the site of the temple; the Hindu sculptural motifs remained visible in the mosque. Finally around 1783, temple was rebuilt again at the same site, which reconstructed by Sardar Patel and later M.M Munshi (started after 1947). It’s past glory, Hindu legends and importantly the unfortunate history of so many demolitions and reconstructions forced me to visit Somnath this year. I was rather angry and frustrated than happy being at Somnath at our history previous generations, kings, Indian Rulers who were always divided among themselves and could not stop invaders from looting this holy Land. Even in 2011 today things have not changed much , the current rulers the political parties are virtually doing the same thing, the invaders are still here…

Well, we finished our Darshan, took our lunch and returned back to our room at Raju bhai’s house. Meanwhile we lost Gupta Family in the crowd, could not contact them till evening as their cell phone got discharged. In the real world India was playing ODI home series against England, luckily we had a working TV in our room. In the evening, we three went to Chowpati , the beach, adjacent to temple.

roadside

Did I tell you that Somnath temple comes in “Prabhas Patan” area, which is in Veraval town, which is under “JunaGrah” district? When Gupta ji & family returned around 10PM in the evening they narrated the places they visit during afternoon “all nearby temples, “Bhalka Tirth”, Diu and the safari at Gir Lion Forest reserve.

beach@Somnath

beach view

camel ride @beach,Somnath

They met an interesting person who was the Cab owner and driver and showed them these places. We booked the same cab for next morning till evening to visit nearby temples in Somnath, Gir Forest and “JunaGarh”. From JunaGarh, next day we have our late night bus to Ahmedabad. Our second day ended calmly without any more surprises. “Chandu Puri Goswami” the cab owner, will give us a call at 6 AM next morning. Goodnight and till then “Jay Somnath”.

link for Part1

~bhupendra

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