by Sanjana Rajaram Chandre
PureTravel Writing Competition 2023
Traveling can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection; how true these words are! I am a resident of Nanded, a small city in Maharashtra, India. One fine day, my parents and I set out for the largest city in the Marathwada region, the city of gates, a city that hosts world heritage sites—formerly called Aurangabad, now recognized as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Our primary reason for traveling was not tourism, but my dad’s visit to a doctor at CIIGMA Hospital in Sambhajinagar. We departed from Huzur Sahib Nanded Railway Station at 3:40 AM and arrived at 7:00 AM.
Upon arrival, we met a wonderful rickshaw driver named Damu Uncle, who used to drive an auto-rickshaw for his livelihood. He was one of the kindest and most honest people we’ve ever met. He took us to the hospital, and after the doctor’s consultation, we left. Our return train was scheduled for 11:45 PM, and Damu Uncle suggested we visit some popular tourist places to pass the time. He became our tourist guide for the day.
First, we went to a nearby hotel and had idli for breakfast. Energized and ready to explore the beautiful city, we set off on our journey. Although I was not typically a travel enthusiast, this trip inspired me to see myself as a carefree vagabond. Our first stop was the most admired place—the Buddhist shrines carved out of basalt rock during the 6th century. These spectacular caves are among the most impressive in India. After marveling at the architecture, we headed to the famous monument “Bibi Ka Maqbara,” a burial mausoleum for Emperor Aurangzeb’s wife. This structure is an imitation of the Taj Mahal in Agra and is often called the “Taj of the Deccan.” I was mesmerized by the place and found the quote relatable: “We must travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us.”
After spending an hour there, Damu Uncle took us to another fascinating site—the monolithic Ajanta and Ellora Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. These remarkable caves include a beautiful showcase of Buddhism in the Ajanta Caves and 17 Hindu, 12 Buddhist, and 5 Jain caves in the Ellora complex. Here, I felt the glory and evidence of co-existence and religious harmony. Truly, India is a land of unity in diversity. We spent 2-3 hours in this peaceful and refreshing place before heading to the Shivaji Maharaj Museum. This museum is dedicated to the great warrior of the Maratha Empire and showcases weapons of war and a coin collection.
After quickly touring the museum, we visited another fort in the western part of the city, known as Daulatabad Fort or Devgiri Fort, and the Salim Ali Lake. The most fascinating part of the city is its 52 gates, built during Mughal rule, which gives the city its name, “City of Gates.”
By this time, it was almost 5 o’clock, and we were quite tired and hungry. Damu Uncle took us to the remarkable educational institution, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. He then graciously invited us to his home for a meal. We were touched by his kindness and hospitality, allowing us to rest until our train departure time. He then dropped us at the station.
The visit to this place and our spontaneous decision to explore it gave us many wonderful experiences. We had the opportunity to meet a kind-hearted, pure, and helpful soul like Damu Uncle. Despite being a poor rickshaw driver, his richness of heart was beyond that of billionaires. The entire day reminds me of the famous Saint Augustine quote, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” Since then, I have decided to visit, travel, and explore many more beautiful places because traveling enhances one’s awareness of life, widens the mental horizon, and teaches us so much.
With a little bit of nervousness but a promise to Damu Uncle that we would visit again, we said goodbye to the great city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and returned home with hearts full of wonderful moments and bliss.
Photo by Priyanka Singh on Unsplash
