The bird is black with a white crest and a red beak. The lotus leaf is its emerald island, Gaibsagar Lake its sea, and Dungarpur its preferred universe. The water ripples because of the waves created by your feet and the kikar trees on the nearby shore. The bird, still perched on the lotus leaf, avidly catches insects and eyes the small fish. The temple com­plex stands nicely blackened and ancient across the road from the lake, and the prayers emanating from there float imper­ceptibly on the water surface. The sur­rounding foothills are low and stooping, as if trying to imbue a sense of the countryside. The sounds of Dungar­pur drift in indolently in the mild breeze — the daily grind of the autorickshaws, the rush of the local bazaar and the resonant bells of the temple.

Before that, as you approach Dungar­pur, through the rocky, craggy terrain dotted with cacti bushes, mimosa trees and teak forest, the first sights will be typical of a small town. You will see jeeps heavy with men and boys hanging out from their doors, loud autos tumbling across the town and markets full of chemists and mechanics. You go past these, also past a small dam, and reach the newer palace of erstwhile Dungarpur kings — part of which is today a hotel — and settle in their lakeside, poolside open-air restaurant. Now you notice the surroundings again, and the town is not very far but appears distant. The tract is surrounded by hills, low hills but hills all the same and the name ‘Dungarpur, the City of Hills’ now makes sense.

Later, with some difficulty, you will tear yourself away from the soothing waters of the lake and visit the old palace. Then the very old past of the not-so-well-known kingdom of Dungarpur will slowly emerge from the closed cupboards and the forgotten recesses, enchanting you with its colours and its stories.

ORIENTATION

The Udai Bilas Palace is situated right on the south bank of the lake. On the west bank is the dam that created the lake, now the notional centre of the town. Across the road from the dam is the Srinathji Temple. The old palace, called Juna Mahal, is 4 km south-east of the Udai Bilas Palace, and is approached by a bumpy road. The old fort is located on a hill rising above the Juna Mahal. Below it is the old Dungarpur Town.

Your hotel is the best place to ask for a taxi; the charges are Rs 1,000-1,300 for a day for places around Dungarpur. In good weather, a taxi in good condition can manage the steep half a kilometre climb up to the fort. Autorickshaws can be found in the market next to the dam; they don’t run on meter but the fares are usually Rs 25 for Udai Bilas Palace and Rs 50 for Juna Mahal.