Rajasthan is famous for its forts. There is of course the Amber Fort of Jaipur and the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur to name a few. These are well-funded historical sights and enjoy government protection and funding. Traveling to them is a rewarding and interesting experience. One that is less well known is Taragarh Fort situated on the outskirts of Ajmer and built in the fourteenth century. It is a sight to behold in itself!
Last Sunday, I headed out with the teenage sons of my neighbors to see the fort in real life for myself. Arriving us there required us to take three buses and then hitch-hike up a long and winding mountain road. Traveling up the road was exhilarating. There are these moments in life when you feel that you are witnessing something amazing; that this is an experience that you will hold close to you for the rest of your life. Walking along the parapets of the ruins of the fort staring out into the cliffs below, I was taken back to a time of kings and castles. Simply put, it felt magical. The boys who had complained the whole way up the mountain suddenly went quiet, it became clear that they also felt what I had felt. Somewhere, the past, present, and future had fused.
At the top of the mountain, watching the city stretch out below felt poetic. It seemed to me to be the physical embodiment of the emotional growth I had experienced during my Fellowship. I felt this enormous sense of joy as I looked out on the city, reflecting on my accomplishments and feeling excited and proud to go on to my next challenge, my next adventure.
I had visited the fort at the start of my time in Rajasthan and my experience with it was different. On my first visit, I was less attuned to its details. I had noticed that the walls of the fort were cream in color but I didn’t consider how the builders would have carried the stones up the mountain, I didn’t consider the thoughts of those who stood in the same place I had stood over six hundred years ago. However, during my second trip, I was acutely aware of all of this. As I pondered about those who came before me, I felt a great degree of peace. I connected this with the people who did the Fellowship before me and the amazing impact they had created. To hear about their work the first time during the Fellowship’s Orientation conference in October was different. When I think about that now, the feeling sinks in and I am full of gratitude for all of them. I also find peace knowing that the work I have done during my Fellowship will stand the test of time and will be relived by the Fellows that come after me, just like this fort.
