Surajkund Reservoir
Usually when your travel plans don’t work and you have no good reason to stay back at home, the best idea is to go exploring your city. I did the same this weekend when my plans turned out to be sour and the place I chose was Surajkund in Faridabad, Haryana–an ancient reservoir of the 10th Century as it is known to be.
Surajkund is known for its traditional crafts Mela, held every year. The fair attracts people from across the world and is popular for handicrafts. You get to see a blend of various regions across India with the displayed artifacts, people draped in traditional clothes, traditional dances and songs that keep you mesmerized and a whole lot of fun.
The place is fun to be at this peak time. However, I decided to visit it now, i.e. in August, when I wasn’t really sure how the place would look like without the crowd, colorful shops and painted faces charming you in their unique way.
Surajkund at its Best
On arriving the place I realized that I never noticed the beauty and tranquility of this place. The place was so sumptuously crowded at the time of its famous handicrafts mela that you’d tend to miss on the intrinsic beauty and detailing of the place.
The Surajkund Village Entrance
Danteshwari Devi Gate, Madhya Pradesh, 1992
On reaching the destination I realized there were two entrances to it. One on the right hand side and the other on the left hand side. Without realizing the difference, I chose the right entrance over the counterpart and this turned out to be the Surajkund Village. The main gate with unique artwork from Madhya Pradesh since 1992 is named Danteshwari Devi Gate. These were some eclectic pieces welcoming you at the entrance and leaving you in awe to explore further. There’s a huge main gate in the form of a lion that would endure you to take you in.
Vishnupur Gate, West Bengal, 1990
A little beyond these oeuvres was another huge gate named as Vishnupur Gate dedicated to West Bengal since 1990. This particularly has fine carvings representing traditional dance forms and structures. Beautiful in red, the entrance welcomes you in full grace.
The Enchanting Beauty
Captivating Beauty of Surajkund Village
The captivating beauty of this place is worth seeing. And, this cannot be done at the time of Crafts Mela. The lush green trees, hatched huts giving the amazing sense of a village that holds beauty of its own. The craftsmanship encapsulating the uniqueness of different states, be it Badrinath Temple of Uttarakhand, colorful house from Goa, Replica of Shah Hamdan Dargah (J&K Gate, 2000), Gujarat Gali (Gujarat 1997) and more. The place is well kept and have farmers and villagers taking care of it.
The Smiling Faces
The villagers welcome you with a warm smile if you get a chance to speak with them. Their sweet and welcoming conversation would make you feel like spending more time and being around.
Villagers at Surajkund Village
Monkey’s Paradise
The place is absolutely a paradise for monkeys. You’ll see plenty of them in every nook and corner. They look healthy, happy and completely in love with the place. Jumping here and there carelessly from one tree to the other, I was bewildered to see how none of them were creating chaos or disturbing the visitors. They were happily engrossed in their various activities and one of them was actively swinging to and fro, holding a straw from the roof of a hatched hut. It was a delightful view indeed and I tried to capture it somehow.
Marching together
At a swing of straw
Posing
After spending some good time in the village, I decided to move to the next entrance that was on the left of the parking area. Now, this was actually the Surajkund reservoir. I was quite excited to see this as I’d never seen or much heard about it before.
Entry Ticket
The entry ticket of Rs. 10/- is applicable only for this part of Surajkund i.e. Surajkund reservoir and not for the village entry. In fact, there were no additional parking charges.
Surajkund Reservoir
On entering the main gate of the reservoir you will have an impression that it’s just a well kept park that you are going to visit. However, after a few steps up the slope you’ll see a marvelous sight of the steps around the huge circumference made of rocks. The steps are interestingly laid down that adds beauty to the entire site. You can step down, walk along the circumference or even run on some of these steps as they give you ample space and are broad enough. The view is completely breathtaking, especially at the first sight as it comes as a surprise to you. You can also sit on the stairs and spend some wee hours with your friends and family. Truly an amalgamation of beauty and serenity.
All in all, it’s been a great experience. If you’ve to experience the quintessential charm of this place, you must visit it on any day but on the days of Surajkund Mela. Surajkund Mela has a fascination of its own that’s undeniable. But, the true beauty lies in the first time experiences of the things that are untouched and unexplored. So, plan your visit soon over a weekend and would like to hear your views as well. Hope you have a great weekend. To find more images of Surajkund visit: http://tinyurl.com/pwnd4y8
APPY TALES 