Kaila Devi 2023

Kaila Devi Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Kailadevi village of Karauli district, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. My family has worshiped goddess Kailadevi for more than five generations and there is a strong sense of faith and belief to date.

Only a few hours away from Kaila Devi Temple is my grandfather's birth place - Shahpur. Shahpur is a small village where people still live in brick and straw huts with an unreliable electricity connection and no air conditioning or televisions. This close-knit community of cattle herders is made up of a few dozen families scattered across vast green(ish)land on a rural hilltop. Here sanitation is still a foreign concept.

My grandparents moved, 750 kms away, from Shahpur village in Bayana district to Vadodara, Gujarat over 70 years ago. They were married as kids and were on their own as young teenagers, in a completely new city in a completely new state, with hardly any belongings. There, they worked hard and found comrades to bring up 9 children, including my dad.

Vadodara is my dad's birth place and mine. It is also where my family now lives in India. It is tradition in our family for everyone to visit my grandparent's birth place and pay homage to the gods they worshiped for the duration of their life.

To get from Vadoadara to Kaila Devi, one must make the long haul journey by train, which is an experience in itself.

Indian Railways

Indian Railways is a blend of many different first and third world features, a truly indulgent, surprising and unique experience. Train stations are normally dirty, loaded with passengers and vendors. Trains are usually late and the platforms that they are supposed to arrive on, can and do change at the last minute. Trains stop for quite a long time because journeys are long and people do not follow any order when getting off or on. And yet, everytime, people are getting off a moving train and running to catch a train that has been at the platform for a while (not sure why people wait till the very last minute, it is almost a cultural quirk).

Often, multiple people travel on a single ticket and hope to get away when the TC (Ticket Checker) comes. Another popular train crime is people traveling without a ticket entirely, hoping to crash on empty seats or near the toilet. Trains are refueled and toilets are somewhat cleaned at the platform itself, the process is manual, labor intensive and quite unhygienic. Vendors will usually run alongside moving trains and try to sell stuff through open windows or enter the train through slim doors. It is not illegal but it is dangerous. They will try to sell hot samosas, chai, coffee, water etc.

There are many ticketing tiers and sometimes, bookings cannot be confirmed until the very last minute. Each type of ticket has quotas (not known to the common man) and there are many tickets that are reserved for "important" (corrupt/rich) people. You almost always want to book months in advance. Otherwise, you are relying on a combination of luck and connections with people that can get you a ticket somehow. Not all coaches are air conditioned. Not all coaches get you comfortable seats either. Obviously, the more you pay, the better you get.

Stories

After getting off the train and visiting the Kaila Devi Temple and some other temples nearby, we drove to Bayana district and stopped for refreshments at an extended family member's place. We then drove to Shahpur village and trekked to the top of the hill where there was another temple. The trek itself was an easy walk but the scenery was interesting - lots of stray dogs, cows and buffaloes and cow dung 🥴. Upon reaching the top, we saw a beautiful lake with ample lotus plantations and an ancient fort-like structure where the temple of Vichar Baba has been preserved for many centuries. It was crazy after all these years to hear about the charitable contributions my grandfather made during and after his passing 4 years ago. A lot of infrastructure and popularity for the small, once unknown temple, has come from the donations made by my family and the events organized there to provide food to thousands of people has made it a well visited location (it is also on google maps!).

After completing the rituals, we were talking to the head priest (Pujari) and the head of the village (Sarpanch). They clearly remembered my grandfather and recited some epic accounts. After so many years, it was tear jerking, but unsurprising, to see how much people still respect him and the image he has created lf himself, from nothing. I still cannot believe how a young teenager, having lost both his parents before the age of 14, started from scratch as a vegetable vendor and grew into a local hero to help everyone around him.

Food

Speaking of vegetables, the next best thing to happen on the trip was a revision of absolutely delicious North Indian cuisine.

From the moment we got off the train, we enjoyed great treats. First, we had chai at 4.30 am at a stall outside the train station - served in clay tumblers called "kulhad". The chai is cooked for much longer on slow heat. The whole experience is uplifted because of where and how you are having it as well.

For brunch, we had a variety of street food.

Chhole Bhature - Chole Bhature also known as Chana Bhatura is one of the most popular Punjabi dishes liked almost all over India. Chole stands for a spiced tangy chickpea curry and Bhatura is a soft and fluffy fried leavened bread.

Kachori - usually a round ball made of flour and dough filled with a variety of stuffings. In Gujarat, stuffing is made of yellow moong dal, black pepper, red chili powder, and ginger paste. Kota Kachori from Rajasthan is probably the most famous kachori in the state. The Pyaaj Kachori (onion kachori) is also very popular. Kachoris are often served with a chutney made from tamarind, mint, or coriander. My favorite is Jhol Kachori. Jhol is a curry made of boiled potatoes and tomatoes and a few simple spices. Mix it with Kachori and there is a flavor party in your mouth. Jhol Kachori is not found at all vendors!

For dessert, we had Rabri and Ras Malai - two condensed milk mammoths.

Rabdi, also called Rabri, is a classic North Indian treat that’s rich, creamy, and perfectly sweet. To make the Rabri recipe, milk is cooked until it reduces to a thick pudding-like consistency, then is flavored with cardamom, saffron, and your favorite nuts and dried fruits.

Soft and spongy cottage cheese patties in dry fruit laced with saffron flavored creamy milk Rabri, Rasmalai is a dessert originating from the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent. The name Rasmalai is the Hindi cognate of Bengali: Rosh, meaning "juice", and malai, meaning "cream".

On the way back, we got off at Ratlam station where the train stops for a few minutes to get some more chai and Poha. Poha is made by mixing flattened rice with spices, curry leaves and seasonings. Optionally, you may add onions (Kanda Poha) and/or potatoes (Batata Poha).

Closing remarks

From what my parents tell me, I haven't been to Kailadevi since I was a little kid. I also haven't traveled on Indian Railways for almost a decade now and I haven't eaten authentic Rajasthani street food for about as long. In a strange way, I felt connected and curious, and apprehensive yet confident about rediscovering these experiences as an adult so naturally there were a whirlwind of emotions throughout the day. I spent 17 years of my life using Indian Railways and eating street food before moving to Australia. Although I have been away for the last 8 years, it didn't take much to rekindle the connection with my hometown. The muscle memory kicked in and it was like I never left.