Camchain and tensioner seen up close in a cutaway bike engine

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The Aravalis Ride 2012 - By Arjun Uberoi

Arjun regails us with another tale and another set of delightful images. I can't decide if all of India is beautiful or if Arjun and his friends simply take amazing photorgraphs. Many thanks Arjun. (Ren - The Ed)

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A Short One Day Ride To The Hidden Aravalis Ranges:

The Aravalis Ride

"Whatever it is, it's better in the wind."

a warm dry indian road reflected in a motorcycle mirror
I feel all warm looking at this (Ren - The Ed)

Our Route

Gurgaon >>> 40 kms >>> Dharuhera >>> 40 kms >>> Tijara >>> 60km s>>> Alwar >>> 15kms >>> Siliserh Lake >>> 10 >>> Hanuman Waterfalls >>> 175 >>> Gurgaon.

08:00 hrs: - In this weather changing days of October, one tends to enjoy the early morning sleep as its nice and chilly. One enjoys the warmth in the blanket. It was the Saturday morning and I was not going to get up. Mr. Vishal Gupta bangs my door at 07:30 hrs breaks my dreams and pulls me out of my bed {Damn You! Could Actually Kill Him}, but he said we need to ride and he was sponsoring my petrol and food. So he survived {What else does a Biker Need}. Nevertheless I got up put my shoes on wore my aviators and started my bike by 08:00 hrs we were on the NH-8. A couple of guys on a bullet were also company. Hence we're two bikes four guys.

2 slim young indian men sat on an enfield set by a lake and hills
Friends on an Enfield (Ren - The Ed)

It was cold and hence we stopped for a “cup a tea” after 25 odd kilometers. Back on the roads we hit the diversion stuffed NH8 and reach Dharuhera. Getting off the NH8 and joining the state highway 25, built, maintained and taxed by RIDCOR (Roads Infrastructure Development Company Of Rajasthan), a pretty neat job. The highway is like a black carpet. Our stomachs went into reserve hence we again stopped for breakfast this time. Deadly Paranthas with Chai.

large empty except for one motorcycle dual carriageway bathed in sunshine
Imagine that...an almost emtpy road...mmmmm (Ren - The Ed)

11:00 hrs: - It was time to get serious now and reach our destination. Hence we decided to get off our bikes only at Siliserh Lake. Cruised our way to Alwar and the city to reach the Siliserh Lake. Now I’d been here five times with different people and now the sixth time yet again with a different group of guys. God knows what historical chemistry I share with this lake that it has brought me 6 times in the past year. The Lake was getting dirtier since my previous visits. Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC), was maintaining the lake and the Siliserh palace situated there, god knows doing what.

People keep throwing pooja materials into the lake. Come on guys God doesn’t want you to worship him and the throw pooja stuff into the lake and dirty the environment. Have a clean heart rather. Its like the great American Standup Comedian George Carlin Said “Tell people there’s an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure.” Though nothing can be done in my sweet religion driven country.

13:00 hrs Spending some time at the lake I was curious as what’s the story behind the Siliserh Lake. Well guess what there is a story to the Siliserh Lake and here it is:

The Siliserh Lake is spread to 10.5 sq km, with the Aravalli Hills as its boundary lines. The Siliserh Palace Hotel overlooks the lake. This lake was once a source of the Alwar's water supply and various fishes and water birds can be seen in this lake. The lake was built by constructing an earthen dam between two hills to store the water of a small tributary of river Ruparel.

History
The reservoir was created by Maharaja Vinay Singh in 1844 so that the water could be channeled to Alwar, transfusing life into its barrenness. and true enough, Alwar's landscape bloomed with luxuriant gardens. Vinay Singh named this new lake Siliserh in honour of his queen Seela, and also built her a small white palace set high upon a rise overlooking the waters. Siliserh grew into a favourite resort of the Alwar kings, particularly of the whimsical Maharaja Mangal Singh (1874-92).

The Tale:

Once when Mangal Singh went hunting, he wandered into the nearby village of Kishanpur. There he fell in love with the beautiful Silika, daughter of the village chief. Mangal Singh and Silika were immersed in deep conversation when the girl's father came back. He was infuriated at the sight, and insisted that Mangal Singh marry his daughter. The king protested, but on a little more pressing he agreed. Rani Silika lived happily at the City palace in Alwar for some time. But after the death of her child at birth, she wanted to go back to her parents in Kishangarh. The king thus prepared the Siliserh Palace for his queen to live near her parents. Silika lived in Siliserh for a few months, but soon died of a broken heart.

a white palace in trees at the edge of a lake

14:00 hrs We now headed for a water fall which we were told would be 10 kilometers far from the Siliserh Lake. Riding through some wonderful village homes and broken roads we reached a mighty huge mountain, really straight tall huge rock structures. The bike can go upto a Temple known as Garwaji Baba’s Temple there after it’s a walk on the rocky terrain to the waterfall which is known as Hanuman Waterfall. According to local belief, the water originates from under the root of a tree next to the Hanuman temple. The small trek through chipped stones and pebbles led us to the steep stone stairs that ended on the fold where the water fell.

arjun standing before sand coloured sheer cliffs
You not going to climb up Arjun? (Ren - The Ed)

16:00 hrs Getting back on our bikes we started to head homewards not before eating our lunch at the 7 days food court on the Alwar Sariska road. The waiter and the owner recognize me now and were asking about how my Mom was as last time I went with my mom. We stopped to capture the lovely sun set for a while on the state highway 25. We were home by 21:00 hrs.

Thanks & Regards
Arjun Uberoi

slim light tan coloured squirrel on a log

slim indian woman in bright clothes carrying a pot on her head, seen from the rear
Another or Arjun's "National Geographic" style pictures. Certainly has an eye for it. (Ren - The Ed)