The students of grades 7 & 8 visited Mewar on a tour to Rajasthan this year. It is not only a place with one of the best preserved heritage of Culture and Values but also has a unique history of Bravery and Sacrifice.

We started our journey to Mewar by road on the evening of 12th October 2015 after having our dinner at school. All the students were bursting with excitement and curiosity. The first halt was at Vadodara, where all the students were served fresh puff with cold drinks. After relishing the snacks, we continued with our journey to Udaipur and soon fell asleep. When we woke up the next morning, we were overjoyed to see ourselves in the midst of mountains and valleys. We soon reached our hotel “Bhairav Garh Palace” located on the outskirts of Udaipur on a mountain ridge.

The first day opened with a sumptuous breakfast. After completing the breakfast and a short break, students were then eager to jump into the swimming pool which was cleaned and kept ready for them. The luxurious rooms and swift service by the hotel delighted us. Students rested in the afternoon before we left for our first out-trek to ‘The City Palace’.

The City Palace is glorified by the blazing lightings every evening. Students were taken into the palace and were shown around by a professional guide throughout the palace tour. Unmatched architecture, royal etiquettes, unbreakable safety and security measures, strong portable cages for wild animals, captivating carvings and absorbing paintings were deeply appreciated by the students. We all were fascinated to see the perfect mixture of strength and beauty.

Boat ride was like an icing on the cake. Concluding the first day, all the students were taken to a long boat ride. Seeing the rare sights of ‘The City Palace’ and ‘The Eve Palace’ in the centre of the lake, from a close quarter, was an unforgettable experience.

The second day was dedicated to Kumbhalgarh Fort which is approximately 100 km away from Udaipur. It is a Mewar fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills. Students were given a thrilling Gypsy ride from the bottom of the fort till its main entrance. While learning about the history along the way, the students trekked through five out of the eight fortified gateways to reach to the top of the fort.

A knowledgeable guide was prearranged to explain the purpose for every little detail. Following his explanations, students asked him many questions and were curious to gain more knowledge about the past and the present of the place.

Reaching the top of the fortress, we were speechless to witness the majestic view of the entire Kumbhalgarh fort. Observing absolute peace and beauty of nature from the height of around 4,000 feet above the earth’s surface, was an exciting experience for all of us. Climbing down through rough paths, students visited the birth place of the great legend Maharana Pratap.

We all were keen to know the technology used during those days, like irrigating water without pipes, pumping water to the top without electricity and preserving it for a longer period of time!

It is the fort of pride and victory as it stands as a safe guard to Mewar. Its massive construction makes it the second largest wall on earth, extending to around 36 km! Students were enthralled to climb on this largest wall of India. It gave a remarkable view of valleys, mountains, ancient temples, immense fort and moreover it gave a sense of pride to all the students.

‘Kumbhalgarh Forest Retreat’ is a hotel situated at the midst of forest on the way down to Kumbhalgarh village. We were welcomed and attended fondly and served delicious Rajasthani lunch right in the interior of the forest. With a bellyful of lunch, we headed back towards Udaipur. In order to refresh ourselves, we had a long swimming session back at hotel. Taking rest and a superb dinner, we all were ready for the night show.

Pujeetbhai and Niravbhai had arranged a hall for Garba celebration. Students enthusiastically participated in the Garba dance. It was an uninterrupted and free session for all the students. The event continued till very late in the night.

The third day began infusing in us the energy and zeal to surpass the mountain top. Early in the morning, we all left for a Trekking Drill. Students were divided into teams of 10 and a teacher instructor was assigned to each team. Considering the safety measures, students had to walk in line of 2 supervised by the teachers time to time. Coaches, by making the way, led the teams till the top of the mountain. Students took rest at the peak and captured a lot of memories from the bird’s-eye view of Udaipur. We all were amazed to see the mountain caves, gigantic rocks, steep trails, red soil, beautiful wild flowers and above all, the amity of life and nature. After our lunch and a short nap, we all released our exhaustion through a refreshing bath at swimming pool.

Soon we left Udaipur and headed towards Atmiya Vidhya Dham (Bakrol), where along with Thakorji’s darshan, we relished pizzas in dinner. Following the treat, ice cream was served on the way at Vadodara. We were back with dozens of memories to cherish and were filled with a new vigour.

Written by: Chirag Sir