Railway Station-Bhilwara
About 165 kms away from Udaipur on the Chittorgarh-Ajmer-Jaipur highway lies, Bhilwara, the town made famous by the teeming textile mills that have resulted in it being bestowed with the epitaph the “Manchester of India”.
Tribal women on the roads of Bhilwara
The origin of the name “Bhilwara” is obscure and there are many variants to why the town is called Bhilwara. But the most widely believed version is that once the town was inhabited primarily by the indigenous tribals of the region, the Bhils, who were subsequently vanquished by the settlers. In present day Bhilwara, the original citizens are a minuscule minority with the “Maheshwaris” and other business classes being the dominant groups.
The roads of Bhilwara
On the whole the city, especially the older part, is quite well planned as most of the roads are connected to traffic roundabouts (“chourahas”) which further lead to more roundabouts and getting your way through the city is that much simpler.
Chaos on the roads
But the traffic is chaotic and the traffic sense of the people even more so. You would be tempted to thank your stars even after conducting a basic thing like crossing the road, successfully.
Roundabouts of Bhilwara
Since, Bhilwara basically is an industrial and business town, the places of attraction in the city are few. One place that caught my fancy and is a wonderful place to visit if you are, even a little bit, religiously inclined and love serenity, is the temple of Harni Mahadev, a temple dedicated to the Hindu God of destruction, Lord Shiva.
The outer entrance gate of the Harni Mahadev Temple-Bhilwara
Located at a distance of around 6kms from the city in the village of Harni, the temple of Harni Mahadev is neither overwhelming nor awe-inspiring from the outside. In fact the entire temple complex is very simple and frugal in appearance. But lo, as you enter the main temple, the sight of the natural Shiva Linga beneath an uncut natural solid rock is a spectacle to behold and fills you with a religious fervor. The Linga of Mahadev has idols of the entire Shiva family for company and you could even bath the deities with water that is kept in buckets the sanctum of the temple.
The entrance to the main temple of Harni Mahadev
The Shivalinga of Harni Mahadev beneath an uncut rock
Harni Mahadev is the ancestral temple of the Darak family of Bhilwara, who are one of the richest and most influential families of the textile city. The temple complex buzzes with devotees during Maha Shivaratri and “Sawan” month when more than 10 lac people visit the temple in 3 days.
A serpent shaped religious structure outside the Harni Mahadev temple
Just outside the Harni Mahdev temple is a unique temple that is shaped in the form of a serpent around a Shiva Linga. This structure sure is an attraction of the place, especially for young kids.
Roadside non-veg joints near Railway station
Bhilwara could be a difficult place, if you are a carnivore by your eating habits. There are a very limited number of restaurants that serve you non-vegetarian dishes. Some roadside joints in the Muslim dominated area around the City railway station provide you with some delicious non-veg street food but if you are looking for some great non-vegetarian fine dining experience, you would be thoroughly disappointed. The roof top restaurant of Hotel Ranbanka is probably the only place where you could have decent food to satiate your carnivorous taste buds.
But connoisseurs of vegetarian food are spoilt for choice in the textile city. Mughlai, Continental, Chinese, Indian, Fusion and street food, you name it and it is all available in Bhilwara. People throng street side stalls that sell katchoris, samosas, pakodis with kadi and also go to restaurants like Saffron that serve you multi-cuisine vegetarian dishes. Even a small shop near the city railway station that sells buttered buns and tea, is full round the clock. A neat swanky restaurant, again near the railway station by the unimaginative name PFC (Priya Food and Continental) and Amit Palace Hotel on the Ajmer Road has an amazing variety of Continental cuisine on offer besides the regular Indian fare.
A terrific fusion sizzler at PFC, Bhilwara
Delicious Indian fare at Saffron restaurant
After meals, if you like to munch on a betel leaf, popularly known as “paan”, then Bhilwara has a very special place on offer, the JBB Pan Corner. Here you can get a variety of Paans, that range from INR 15/- to a mind boggling INR 1500/- per piece.
JBB Pan Corner near Bus Stand
The rate list- From Rs 15 to Rs 1500/-
All in all if you are a veggie, then Bhilwara sure could be a foodie’s paradise.
In a nutshell, the city of Bhilwara, in itself might not be very attractive at first look but it sure is a place that grows on you overtime…….
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