A hidden Jewel in Rajesthan - the Oasis of Keetchen

Phalodi, the Oasis town in Thar

Ninad D Sheth

Phalodi isn't quite on the map. At the edge of the Thar Desert this oasis town is a wonder that's worth a visit.
It has in its havelis some of the best Rajasthan architecture, in its 8th century temples some of the oldest places of worship to survive the Islamic conquest of India, in its vegetarian food a tour de force of culinary excellence.

And since we are in Rajasthan there are plenty of legends as well.
The town, 160 km from Jaisalmer is on the long-standing Arab - Marwar -Sindh trading route.
In the olden times, before the Karachi port opened an alternative quicker route, for over 400 years this was a busy trading outpost. Here tax and trade created wealth that fuelled the Marwari community's fortunes and supplied monies to the house of Jodhpur.
Phalodi is a place of money and mystery. It was here that a massive sand storm is said to have buried the treasures of Humayun who was fleeing from Sher Shah Suri.
Even now coins turn up in the sand stretches near the town that bear the mark of the early Mughal period.
We have taken the long road from Delhi a good ten hour drive. A night halt at the government guest house in Bikaner is important.
The night halt makes the trip less of a rush. The guest house is truly basic - but this being Rajasthan the service is top drawer and the rest - after a 7 hour drive - refreshing.
Reaching Phalodi we choose a remarkable place to stay. A heveli built in 1750 called Lal Niwas. As the name suggests this is in  red sandstone and  that has been painstakingly restored.
The artifacts on the wall, old chandeliers the odd weapon and lather opium boxes all take you well back in time. '
But what is truly extraordinary about the place is that the other half of the haveli is left undecorated with bat droppings, cobwebs and the like. So in one surreal step you go into medieval Rajasthan - an experience which lends a true perspective.

We prepare to tuck in a right royal seven course feast that includes the traditional dal bati choorma and katdhi.

Day two is about getting up fresh and early and a 4X4 ride into the Rajasthan desert. A half hour later we are at the oasis of Khichan. The oasis - like the rest of the topography is a shallow pane with sand dunes of modest height surrounding it.
At first you do not see the birds - only hear them busily feeding. You walk over the curved dune and suddenly over the sand duned horizon rise an estimated 3000 demoiselle cranes. It is a heart stopping sight.
These migratory birds from Europe and Russia are one of the smallest of the crane family.

The birds, with black legs and bills of yellow, green and pink have feathery gray areas on their head that ranges from the crown to the nape. A white kajal-like line from the corner of the eye extends to the back of the head.
This is the magic of the desert - a flock of more then three thousand birds flying in unison is awesome. You forget the long hours that took you to get there.
The next one hour is spend in the company of Japanese and French birdwatchers gazing at the graceful birds they soar over the desert horizon. You reflect that Indian tourists have yet to develop bird watching sensitivities.
We come back strangely overwhelmed at this experience of seeing so much birdlife in so desolate a place.
Though there's much more to do even in that tiny town -- as varied as a great Jain temple and an intriguing antique shop -- Phalodi is the place if bird watching is on your mind and Rajasthan is in your heart.