Hall of Heroes at the Mandore Gardens

I'm into folk tales and folk heroes. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of materials to find about North Indian folk stories in Manila. I should probably content myself with the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It's such a blessing then when, during my travels, I get to find places with attributions to these colorful, mystical stories.

Within the Mandore Gardens' compound stands a "Hall of Heroes", a decidedly guileless hall dedicated to Rajput folk heroes by way of a single piece of rock! Yes, a single huge rock has been used to carve out 16 figures dating back 17th to 18th century. The hallway is supported by white pillars. If you look at the roof, it's the same piece of rock displayed inside the hall. Such masterful work. How they were able to preserve this - when they've pretty much neglected the amazing rock terrace temples nearby - is also a wonderment.

These statues have been exquisitely conjured, coated with fine plasters, and painted with white or light brown (tan), a far contrast to the luridly painted figures of deities and Hindu Gods at the bigger hall (Hall of Deities aka Hall of Demi-gods) next to this hall. Earthy heroes, monochromes: check! Demi gods and Hindu deities, vivid colors: check!

In front of this hall is a grassy lawn with a shrub shaped like a camel and a solitary bench facing sideways. You could rest there but there's so many better places for introspection or relaxation in the compound than here.

It's an easy visit and it's free of charge! Nearby this simple building is a sparse working Hindu temple with few locals offering flowers and other stuff. It's comforting to watching people exercise their faith. We all have prayers to offer, and it's always an inspiring thought to know that people believe in a Higher Being. Otherwise, this sentient life is but an accident of nature. I'd rather not be one. I'd prefer my existence to mean something more than the vagaries of accidents.

This is the Eye in the Sky!


Hall of Heroes



A single rock to carve 16 statues.

















Ek Thamba Mahal at Mandore Garden


Secluded spot at the Mandore Gardens


The distance from Ek Thamba Mahal.

Mandore India - A Child and His One-String Instrument

IT TOOK me less than 20 minutes to get to Mandore. It’s roughly 9 kilometers from Jodhpur. But as a solo traveler, I had to carefully consider every side trips and detours. After all, I don’t have anybody to share the cost of hiring a CNG with me – which is really one of the very few disadvantages of traveling alone. You basically shoulder the whole financial burden of items that are otherwise shared by a group of passengers.

Upon reaching the grounds of the Mandore Gardens, which is really a park more than a garden, I made my way into the almost-deserted grounds. It was such a breather. Far from the madding crowd of fellow tourists. Not a second later, a little boy, clad in long white shirt and pants, started to hover before me. He was carrying this elongated one-string instrument, flipping its single string into an inaudible monotone. I was jaded and realistic enough not to expect an orchestral masterpiece coming from this boy of 8 or 9. One thing was sure, he wasn’t going to leave me alone until I hand him some dinero.

I reached down my pocket and found loose change of 10 rupees. He vigorously flicked through his string, as though flicking more notes would translate into more rupees. But hey, I have forgotten my money tree in some derelict train car! I walked faster until I seem to have lost him. An hour later, I was back near the park entrance. He ran up to me and once again hovered. “Didn’t we just do this earlier?” I said. A hearty laugh escaped me. Unfortunately, not all of persistence will pay off.

As I stepped into my CNG, I glanced back at the park gate. The barefoot fiddling child stood by the empty guardhouse, staring right back at me. His instrument perched against his left rib cage, standing almost vertically. I feel sorry for the little souls who are robbed of the joys of their childhood. I was a child once and i was a happy one. Aren’t we all defined by our past?


Spectacular detail in a neglected Mandore temple. Why neglected? Tourists don't even pay an entrance to visit this place, which is odd considering that foreigners ALWAYS pay extravagant amount to see anything in India. Even stock rooms and toilets within paid sites fetch considerable fees.


MANDORE WHERE?

The town of Mandore used to be a seat of grandeur and power between the 5th to 11th century – the crowning glory in the kingdom of the glittery Marwar rule. This was until its king - in his moment of illumination - decided to transfer the seat of power to the “blue city” of Jodhpur! As a result of this, Mandore has been relegated to historical relics and neglect. These days, Mandore - take a CNG! - serves as a mere afterthought from a busy backpacker’s itinerary. Whenever there’s a lull or an extra hour to spare, the few wanderlusts find themselves a pleasantly surprising off-the-beaten track. Even Lonely Planet writes very few items about Mandore.
N.B.

CNG - stands for compressed natural gas, the environment-friendly petrol used to run these 3-wheeled motorized version of tuktuks found all over India and Bangladesh. There are 2 types found in India. In big cities like Delhi, half of its population of CNGs runs with meters. Unfortunately, these drivers hardly use them when with foreigners, so you might as well forget the existence of such meters. For your own good.


This is the Eye in the Sky.