So hop on a day train from Delhi to Amritsar, with a couchsurfer’s place to stay at (although if he didn’t answer, I would have spent the first night at the Golden Temple). In my “compartment” sat a man who looked like Stephen Ouimette from Slings & Arrows (one of my favourite tv series), and a family. The wife offered everyone around biscuits. I was pretty hungry since I didn’t have breakfast, and I had forgotten the advice not to eat food from strangers on trains, plus she was so insistent, so I took some.
A few hours passed and I started developing a bond with Harvinder – my adoptive train mother – so we exchanged contact information and she invited me over to her family’s town, Jalandhar, about 1.5 hours from Amritsar. I told her I might come for a visit after my stay in the city, but I wasn’t sure how possible that would be.
Eventually, the train reached Amritsar and I took an auto to my host’s place, which was some distance outside the city. The night air was chilly as we exited the city and neared Mr. Singh’s place, and I was thankful to be moving North. Soon, we pulled up to what looked a bit like a Mogul castle in the middle of nowhere. Loud music could be heard from inside the walls, two camels were tied just outside, white horses were in the stables, and men with turbans and rifles stood at the gate. It was pretty surreal.
As I was ushered inside, the loud music got louder, and more madness ensued. The place really did look like a castle, there was a pool with a stage, where dancers dressed in flashy Punjabi attire were performing – and a midget among them as well :P. A gypsy-looking woman with a big smile took me by the hand and guided me to a room. It was like suddenly entering a fairytale.
I dropped my bags and went back outside to join the people I could talk to; Mr. Singh and two other Canadian girls who were also surfing there. The music was too loud to have a proper conversation but I gathered that the girls had lived in Montreal for some time and one even studied at McGill. It was a strange blast from the past, and even more mind-boggling to meet them in such a setting.
Reshma – the gypsy woman – pushed us three Canadians on stage to dance with the Punjabi performers (and the midget! XD). I couldn’t help giggling at how absurd it all was. I love this kind of travel madness, but sometimes it’s a little overwhelming when you just want a few moments of peace.
The girls shortly retired to their room and I got a chance to chat with Mr. Singh a bit more. He had an air of deeply-rooted placidity and wisdom about him, which was soothing and could easily put one at ease. When he smiled, he reminded me somewhat of the Cheshire cat. As it turned out, he had hosted Arvind – my host in Bangalore – some years back. He had an excellent memory of him still, recalled Arvind’s intelligence, and also that he stayed in the same room I was given. Coincidences! Mr. Singh’s hotel was his family’s property for a couple hundred years, and he had been maintaining it and using it mostly as a space to hold parties and where locals could come eat. He lets couchsurfers use the rooms, but the locals don’t sleep there.
I was pretty knackered so I also went off to sleep, despite the loud music and dancing going on until 11pm. Falling asleep was more difficult than I expected, and not due to the noise. It was the first time since Hampi (about a month back) that I had a room to myself. I was not used to gliding into unconsciousness without some humanly company in the same room anymore. Being alone gets me thinking too much. And missing.
Photos: Punjabi Castle
A few hours passed and I started developing a bond with Harvinder – my adoptive train mother – so we exchanged contact information and she invited me over to her family’s town, Jalandhar, about 1.5 hours from Amritsar. I told her I might come for a visit after my stay in the city, but I wasn’t sure how possible that would be.
Eventually, the train reached Amritsar and I took an auto to my host’s place, which was some distance outside the city. The night air was chilly as we exited the city and neared Mr. Singh’s place, and I was thankful to be moving North. Soon, we pulled up to what looked a bit like a Mogul castle in the middle of nowhere. Loud music could be heard from inside the walls, two camels were tied just outside, white horses were in the stables, and men with turbans and rifles stood at the gate. It was pretty surreal.
As I was ushered inside, the loud music got louder, and more madness ensued. The place really did look like a castle, there was a pool with a stage, where dancers dressed in flashy Punjabi attire were performing – and a midget among them as well :P. A gypsy-looking woman with a big smile took me by the hand and guided me to a room. It was like suddenly entering a fairytale.
Reshma – the gypsy woman – pushed us three Canadians on stage to dance with the Punjabi performers (and the midget! XD). I couldn’t help giggling at how absurd it all was. I love this kind of travel madness, but sometimes it’s a little overwhelming when you just want a few moments of peace.
The girls shortly retired to their room and I got a chance to chat with Mr. Singh a bit more. He had an air of deeply-rooted placidity and wisdom about him, which was soothing and could easily put one at ease. When he smiled, he reminded me somewhat of the Cheshire cat. As it turned out, he had hosted Arvind – my host in Bangalore – some years back. He had an excellent memory of him still, recalled Arvind’s intelligence, and also that he stayed in the same room I was given. Coincidences! Mr. Singh’s hotel was his family’s property for a couple hundred years, and he had been maintaining it and using it mostly as a space to hold parties and where locals could come eat. He lets couchsurfers use the rooms, but the locals don’t sleep there.
I was pretty knackered so I also went off to sleep, despite the loud music and dancing going on until 11pm. Falling asleep was more difficult than I expected, and not due to the noise. It was the first time since Hampi (about a month back) that I had a room to myself. I was not used to gliding into unconsciousness without some humanly company in the same room anymore. Being alone gets me thinking too much. And missing.
***
As an aside, this music and show thing happened every evening. One night, there was even a company business celebration. They all got to wear traditional suits and turbans while the girls and I went in the kitchen and started learning to make chapati.
Otherwise, life at the castle was pretty sweet. I got to ride one of the horses, and even gallop by myself for the first time, weee! Hung out with Reshma who made some awesome drawings in my notebook. Witnessed a completely newborn baby horse being fed. Walked around the countryside villages, playing with the children. Stumbled upon fields of wild cannabis... wait, what? Yup. You know you've hit North India when you start seeing them everywhere.
Photos: Punjabi Castle
really you should keep a map track of your travels :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! I am so bad at keeping my blog up-to-date. These adventures are from March and April. Do you recommend any map-tracking website or software? Never tried before. At least if there's no blog posts, people can see the road :P
ReplyDelete