Brij Mehta Diaries

My father retired as a Sub Clerk and was granted an Honorary Commission as Lieutenant in 1964. Soon after, he was appointed Assistant Recruiting Officer at Ajmer, and later Administrative Officer with the 6 Rajasthan Battalion NCC in Jodhpur. With this posting, he made the decisive choice to relocate our family from Khanna to Jodhpur—leaving behind the roots we had nurtured since partition.

The journey itself was memorable. Our family traveled in a First Class compartment, while my younger brother and I, without rail concessions, rode in a third-class bogie, joining the others only for meals. The departure from Khanna station was emotional, with Madan and Kshnakh Tayaji there to see us off. As dawn broke, dunes and deer signaled our approach to Jodhpur, and the majestic Umaid Bhawan Palace came into view from as far as Banar, near Jodhpur Cantt. Banar’s airstrip, once used by the Maharaja of Jodhpur, occasionally hosted a Dakota aircraft before being handed over to the Army as a depot.

We arrived in Jodhpur in 1966, the famed “Sun City,” known for its abundant sunshine and striking sandstone architecture. Father’s NCC staff received us and escorted us to our new home in Shri Ram Building on Mahamandir Road, near Nagouri Gate. This house became our residence for nearly 16 years, until I joined the Army in December 1967.

Life in Jodhpur was shaped by the desert climate. Summers were harsh, with scorching sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., while sandstorms frequently covered roads and outskirts. Yet nights were cool and pleasant, and sleeping under the stars on the terrace was a joy. Most houses had basements to escape the heat, and sandstone was the preferred building material. The city was still developing—Ratnada, Shastri Nagar, and Choupasni were sparsely built, while Bhagat ki Kothi was largely barren. Despite the hardships, Jodhpur was safe and its people humble and respectful. Women could travel at night adorned with jewelry during weddings without fear. Bicycles, tongas, and tempos were the main modes of transport, with no city bus service at the time.

Water supply was irregular. Our first-floor house received water only once every 2–3 days, for half an hour at low pressure. I often fetched buckets from a public tap across the road. Each house had underground tanks to store water, essential for large families like ours. Father, ever mindful of responsibilities, worked after his NCC tenure as Manager of the University of Jodhpur Canteen, remembered by students as a humble and well-mannered manager. Our family formed close friendships, such as with Mr. Ramchander Sharma, an architect in UIT Jodhpur, and his wife, who became a dear companion to my mother. Together, they often traveled by tonga to Ghanta Ghar market for groceries. My brothers got admissions in a nearby Sumer School and sisters in a Girls School at Mahamandir.

Rail journeys between Delhi and Jodhpur remain etched in memory. The metre-gauge trains, pulled by steam engines, ran on single tracks. From Old Delhi Junction, trains departed at 7:30 p.m., reaching Jodhpur by noon via Rewari, Ratangarh, and Merta Road, with numerous halts. On return, trains left Jodhpur at 2:30 p.m., arriving in Delhi by breakfast. At Gotan, trains halted to refill water for the steam engine, and passengers watched the process patiently. The journey through sand dunes, with antelopes, deer, and nilgai leaping alongside, was unforgettable. Monsoon travel was delightful, though summers were miserable without AC. My mother always packed parathas and pickle for the journey, while trains to Delhi offered the added attraction of a dining car. I often hopped off at Merta Road or Degana to grab tea or a meal from the pantry car, rejoining my coach before Ratangarh, where the dining car was detached. Seasonal rivers often swelled during heavy rains, once delaying us by half a day, with the train reaching Jodhpur late in the evening, nearly empty.

Father encouraged me to pursue a Civil Engineering diploma at Jodhpur Polytechnic. I traveled alone to Jaipur for counseling, spending the night at the railway station, where beat constables questioned me until I showed my call letter. Though I joined the Civil stream, financial hardships forced me to discontinue after the first semester. My younger brother Surender, meanwhile, enrolled in the Corps of EME as an Armourer from Jodhpur Recruiting Office in 1966. I briefly returned to Khanna to clear a Physics compartment exam, staying with my grandparents. The rail fare between Khanna and Jodhpur was just Rs. 20/- , though even that was difficult to manage and had to be borrowed.

Recognizing our financial struggles, I told my father I could not continue in Polytechnic and should instead seek employment. He agreed, appreciating my resolve, and suggested I explore recruitment in the Grenadiers Regiment at Nasirabad. Determined to fulfill his dream of me becoming an officer, I met his former colleague Havildar Clerk Anti Ram Jakhar (later Subedar Major and Honorary Captain), who facilitated my enrolment through the Centre Commandant’s quota. After medicals and documentation, I returned to Jodhpur and began recruit training on 28 December 1967, with a monthly pay of Rs. 91/-