Having left Jamnagar: Dwarka and Bet Dwarka

Dwarka and Bet Dwarka

Having left Jamnagar and inching towards Dwarka, apprehension was over the duration of stay in the temple town as the issue of accommodation coupled with seamless transition from one point to another confronted me. Not discounting the fact that the commute from Ahmedabad to Jamnagar via Rajkot was a picture of comfort given the unhindered passages the different vehicles got and the apprehensive thoughts that had yet to float.

Had to vacate the seat in the initial part of the journey as the bus left the Jamnagar depot and headed towards Khambaliya. The woman was carrying and seeing no surge of interest from any side it was appropriate to vacate the seat i occupied. Having secured the seat later the apprehension had scaled down by a notch or two as the seat i occupied was instrumental in keeping at bay the probable frightening sights. And by the time i was in Dwarka, the tendency to strut with the luggage was a natural act followed by queries on lodges which could be durable to ensure the long-lasting durability. After frenetic search i could reach to a lodge next to ISKCON Temple and the stay proved uninterrupted for the next six days.

The next day after Dwarkadish Darshan, the next halt happened to be Nageshwar for which a covered Chakda commute i had no quantum of aversion. Amidst 10 people who occupied the Chakda hoping to reach their respective destinations, i was on the side where most occupants happened to be one comfortable with mobile and giving updates as and when they had been through their session of rile. Post Advent passage (i could not sight the movie they were running) it was the railway crossing that saw the gates closed and here there was a sample of vehicles that seem to be inching towards the destination and nearby. Most on this end and the opposite side comprised of Chakdas and other mini buses, content with the number of passengers they were ferrying and hoping similar numbers would time and again keep on appearing.

Having kept my tryst with Nageshwar intact, the hard part began from here when no Chakdas going towards Mithapur could be sighted. Sighting of Chakdas was possible plausibly made possible by the surging crowd but none appeared to be heading towards Mithapur bout. After much persuasion i latched on to a one that dropped me at Gopi Talab, perhaps illustrating the two- km stretch all i had to content with as agonishing wait was all i had to trend with. THere was a collection of young girls barely in their teens and all gung ho about going to Mithapur. The query pointed at me was the place i hail from and my poser on classes they were enrolled in saw them read out different numbers; some not even three and yet moved by outspoken nature of their compatriots and revealing they were in classes beyond breach. The crowd was not intimidated by chakdas which refused to take them on board and their no-hurry agenda showed they had enough time to float. Wished them best for their simplicity and i hopped on to a one that actually intended to go to Mithapur.

The stretch from Gopi Talab to Mithapur has been in a state of disrepair for long and perhaps by the time i try this again in future hope the road would be tall and sturdy enough to withstand the rupture the different modes of vehicles unleash. It was half past one and i was in Mithapur to take another shared auto towards Jetty. In Jetty by two in the afternoon, the amount of dirt that had settled on the face and head had to be emptied before i could make the next outing and declare free of fatigue. The stretch between Mithapur and Jetty has trucks and diesel emitting vehicles taking a repeated shot and if one is not appropriately covered the head to toe rupture one can find it difficult to subvert .

THE GMB canteen came handy and equally handy was the tap located in a corner which had ample water in reserve. The wait was another one and a half hours before the vessel made its intention to move. Intent to carry on board as many passengers it could load the ride was not patchy and by half past six i was back from Bet Dwarka rendezvous. That was the second day of my six-day halt at Dwarka and the passage to Okha and beyond the other days was not that patchy and still something that travellers like us would keep in their memory blast.