For a moment, close your eyes and imagine a vast stretch of land with gleaming moonlight falling on its body and making it look like a white night right out of a mystical fantasy tale that could just exist in your vivid imagination.
But what if that came to life ? Watch the stars shining down on a land as white as snow, a place that’s a muse for the Hindi cinema and a getaway for flamingos; In the royal state of Rajasthan, lies India’s Largest Saline Water Lake – Sambhar. And yes, this place goes beyond your imagination and comes with a vista that looks like a picture postcard sans the greens and the hills 😉
Photo Credit – http://www.thehindu.com/
Elliptical in shape, with a length of 35.5 km and breadth varying between 3 km and 11 km, Sambhar extends in three districts of Jaipur, Nagaur and Ajmer. Sambhar lake is a magnificent array of bird life, both native and migrant, making it one of the best places in India for bird-watching, but most of all, just sitting out there in quiet and watching the sun go down as night draws itself into a white noise.
Like they say, the real magic lies not in the destination, but in the journey itself. The drive from Jaipur to Sambhar proves exactly that. While the road has surely gotten better, but as soon as you enter the village area, the ride is sort of bumpy, so fasten your seat belts and get ready for an adventurous ride to the salty terrain !!
Make sure you’re as alert as a chamois on your way to this water wonder, as roads take a plunge in the unspoiled countryside and amaze you with its pure beauty and hard life. A village lady donning neon orange saree, carrying water or fodder in a traditional pot or baskets is a sight often found in paintings of renowned artists, but here you will see it with your naked eyes along with some turban men riding cycle merrily along the country roads.
Waiting to meet you with open arms, are the kachcha roads which you can’t escape but have to cross to meet your final destination 😉
If you are even a little bit of a movie buff, the enormity of Sambhar will remind you of the war scene in Jodha Akbar and the controversial nude transistor picture shot of Aamir Khan in the first poster of PK 😉 And remember that scene in Imtiaz Ali’s Highway where they kidnap Alia Bhatt and she tries to run away on a land which seems to be endless ? Well that was none other than Sambhar. Also, the ‘Iodized Sambhar salt’ print ad? Where do you think it got its name from 😀
Sambhar is not just the largest salt lake but it also is the largest in India producing thousand tonnes of salt every year. Sambhar Lake has been producing salt for centuries and Sambhar salt is recognized for its good quality salt and you can see tractors moving around there loaded with heaps of salt 😀
With Rajasthan Government planning to start Light & Sound show at Sambhar, you have something more to look forward to as you plan a road trip to Sambhar next time you visit Jaipur, or just need a weekend getaway as a local of pink city 🙂
Jaipur Beat 