Rajasthan, through a rider's goggles

New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) Sand dunes, magnificent forts, heritage resorts, small villages, wildlife, your motorcycle and you. Come October and 30 bikers from across the country will undertake a 12-day journey through the rough and the smooth of Rajasthan.

'When people think of Rajasthan the first word that comes to their mind is deserts as well as sand dunes. However, there is much more to this place. It has a rich culture and there are so many things that one can discover there. A road trip like this is the best way to explore Rajasthan,' Kanwardeep Singh Dhaliwal, assistant manager of motorcycle brand Royal Enfield that is organising this event, told IANS over phone from Chennai.

'In fact Rajasthan is a very colourful land with rich culture, lots of wildlife, amazing traditional cuisines, and also one will be surprised to know that there are ghats (hills) as well in this terrain,' he added.

In the minds of motorcycle enthusiasts, Royal Enfield is the name associated with the 'Himalayan Odyssey', a 15-day road trip from Delhi to Khardung La in Ladakh. This is the first time they are organising the 'Royal Enfield tour of Rajasthan'.

On Oct 18, as many as 30 bikers from all over India will set off from Jaipur and ride through Mahansar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Mount Abu, Kumbalgarh, Pushkar and then back to Jaipur Oct 29 covering a distance of approximately 2,500 km.

Entry is on a first-come-first-served basis and the riders will have to pay Rs.18,000 each for participating in the event.

Ritesh Jain, a consultant from Mumbai who couldn't make it to the Himalayan Odyssey is one of the participants on this trip.

'I was late for the Himalayan Odyssey registration and when I came to know about this tour, I decided to go for it. After all I will be able to see the real Rajasthan.'

Delhi-based marketing executive Ashish Mohan wants to be part of the trip and is trying to convince his boss to give him leave.

'I have joined this company just five months back, but I don't want to miss out on this trip. Hence I am trying to convince my boss to give me leave,' Mohan said.

As this trip allows the riders to put up in forts and resorts, and the roads too are in decent condition, Royal Enfiled is encouraging couples to be a part of this tour.

'All preparations are done and good resorts and forts have been booked to give the riders an experience of a lifetime. It is all about discovering Rajasthan in the lap of luxury,' Dhaliwal said.

'Here roads are a riders' paradise. They won't be tough like roads one faces during the Himalayan Odyssey. It would be a different experience altogether,' he added.

During this trip one would also get the chance to witness Pushkar Mela (fair) and Dhaliwal revealed that it was a deliberate attempt to synchronise the dates of this trip with the fair.

Elaborating on the road trip he said: 'We are avoiding highways during the entire trip and would be taking village roads instead. This means that riders will get to see the real and rich culture of Rajasthan. They will also get to see the wildlife of the state.'

Registrations for this trip are open and entry forms can be downloaded from www.royalenfield.com

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