61

Dear Readers,

                    Last weekend, I was on holiday to the only hill station of our beautiful state, Mount Abu. The picturesque green on dark rocks draped in white clouds makes one forget the fact that a few kilometers descend lands one into the treacherous desert. While walking up and down the hills on the top, one can feel the water vapor on his face when he/she literally walks into the clouds.

                    Of all the varied places that I visited, the most magnificent was the Achalgarh fort due to the volumes of history that it encompasses. The lofty mountain fort was one of the nine foremost castles of ancient Maruwad or the land of death. The remnants of this place should be properly examined for they store invaluable information about the darker periods of our history.

                   The most beautiful story that unfolded before my eyes there was the story of the lost glory of the Maharajas. One after the other, I visited huge summer palaces, kothis and bungalows built by the earstwhile Indian princes, thakurs, arsitocrats and nobility- signs of colonial influence and power at its peak. Whether be it the Jaipur house located atop a lofty cliff overlooking the Nakki lake, or the sprawling Alwar house which has been converted into a school, the rotten Leemdi house or the dilapidated Uniara house- one after the other, one sees remains of majestic buildings which once were abodes of power, gaiety and luxury. They appear to be standing numb as if in resentment to the ugly face of modern architecture and development.....