Moving up the hilly trek we would feel to have reached the highest point and our destination but it would meandour into another hillock which would raise its head from nowhere. Though we would be disappointed but the challenge that nature put before us would make us accept it. To compensate and to more than make up for the tiredness was the pristine and seemingly untouched nature’s splendour opening up its coffers before us.

Every scene was more beautiful than the other.

We felt like having been transported to an altogether different world where the mundane problems, of the world that we had left behind, simply evaporated. The delicate meandouring path among the greens would suddenly give rise to solid and rocky path and we would be transforming ourself to face the changes. Is it not what the life as well does to us?

My Maa, in her early seventies, surprised us all by her mental and physical strength. She walked all the way despite her weak heart! I could see where I have got this physical and mental strength. Its all in genes. The Lake was nowhere in sight and we were dead tired but up we treaded like a pack of excited small kids on their first outing! Every new step heralded a step towards the goal, howsoever far that may be!

Walking along the deep green meadows we talked about all that anyone of us would share about the deep jungle around us. The anecdotes, though hard to believe, added to the feeling of awe that ruled our hearts. The verdant green seemed enigmatic, daunting and mystic. Yes, these are the feelings that the verdant green surroundings filled our hearts with when we looked around the dense pine jungles with thick vegetation sprouted with big solid rocks in between! Was it not this very jungle that saw the aircraft carrying the then Governor of Punjab going down. In 1994,  Punjab governor Surendra Nath -- who was also officiating as governor of Himachal -- and nine members of his family were killed in a plane crash on the Kamrunag mountains, bordering Kullu and Mandi districts. Call it a coincidence, but Surendra Nath was going to Kullu from Chandigarh and accompanying him was his younger son, Vikram Malhotra, who was then the deputy commissioner, Kullu. The accident occurred on July 9. The unfortunate mishap took the lives of three generations of the 68-year-old governor's family.

I tried to imagine a complete family in a happy mood going down in flames amid these very trees. These trees seemed  to have watched it all. The tragic death of the twelve members of his family and also the crew made headlines in almost all the newspapers at that point of time. The rumours by the local people that the jungle was littered with cash and ornaments added to the mysticism of the accident. The local people have a tale to tell about  the unfortunate incident. The hearsay is that the Governor wanted to purchase some land in the adjoining area and was on a visit to pay for the land. The local deity had not assented to such a deal and this was the way to stop the deal. The tale justified the scattered cash and ornaments in the jungle. Enigmatic godly interference! No one would ever know the truth of the tale. We looked at the deep thick jungle and the verdant green around us fand the sight filled us with enigmatic, mystic and daunting feeling. 

   A Panaromic View of the Road to Rohanda

01 July, 2008

Tuesday

The first thing that I did on the morning of 1^st July, 2008 was to look at the sky. The sky, blue and shining, seseemed to smile at me. It was clear of the clouds that filled it last evening. The sun peeping from behind the mountains seemed to rejoice at the childlike enthusiasm that filled my mind with. I was excited and shouted aloud to everyone in the family to get up. Suddenly the silent and sleeping home came to life and was filled with commotion as everyone was up and about. And why would they not be as today we were going to trek all the way to Lake Kamru Nag, but only if the sky would not be cloudy! The only stumbling block would had been an overcast sky with impending rain following it!

The month of July is the month of heavy rains in Himachal and curiously the legendary Kamru Nag is the god of the rain for the believers. I had prayed hard to the god the previous night to save us from rain in the mornig and the god had listened to my prayers. I was filled with gratitude and hoped that it will surely listen to my other prayers and bless me with his benevolence. With a heart filled with rekindled hope, I started making preparations---preparations to trek to Lake kamru Nag. I packed some Paranthas, fried potatoes and some pickle as working lunch as  I had been told that there is no shop at Kamru Nag lake.

 Starting early we travelled by vehicle from Mandi to Sundernagar a distance of about 24 Kms. And from there we took Mandi—Karsog road. The trek would start from Rohanda that is about 50 Kms. from Sundernagar. We started the trek from Rohanda and when we looked down; the panoramic view of the valley looked majestic. I marvelled at the look of the road that seemed like a serpent from this place. I marvelled at enigma of the nature and also at man's ability to reach the unreachable! The undying spirit of can-do attitude!The verdant surroundings added to our enthusiasm and we moved ahead with a thrill in our heart and with a can-do attitude we started the ascent!

Dharamshala attracts a large number of tourists from all parts of the country as well as from outside India. To accommodate visitors, Dharamshala has numerous accommodation options including deluxe hotels, budget hotels and many others.

Some of the hotels in Dharamshala include:

Surya Resorts, Mcleodganj, Dharamshala; Karnika Resorts, Dharamshala; Hotel Welcom Heritage Grace, Dharamshala; Hotel Hunted Hill, Mcleodganj, Dharamshala; Asia Health Resorts, Mcleodganj, Dharamshala; and Hotel Asian Plaza, Mcleodganj, Dharamshala.

Hotel Annex, Mcleodganj, Dharamshala; Anand Place, Bhagsunag; Dharamshala; Royal Palace Resort, Bhagsunag, Dharamshala; Him Queen, Mcleodganj, Dharamshala; Hotel Sahiwa, Mcleodganj, Dharamshala; and Kareri Lodge, Mcleodganj, Dharamshala.

Air: The nearest airport linking Dharamshala with other parts of the country is at Gaggla: located at a distance of just 13 km from the town.

Rail: The nearest railhead for Dharamshala is Pathankot, which is located about 85 km from Dharamshala. From Pathankot, Dharamshala is just a three-hour drive.

Road: To reach Dharamshala, one can take advantage of bus services available from Manali. One can also choose to drive from Delhi to Dharamshala via Chandigarh, Kiratpur and Bilaspur.

Dharamshala is located at a distance of about: 514 km from Delhi; 239 km from Chandigarh (a planned city and favorite tourist destination); 55 km from Dalhousie, 197 km from Jammu, 18 km from Kangra, 214 km from Kullu, 253 km from Manali, 35 km from Palampur, 322 km from Shimla.

Due to its location, located at an altitude of about 1250 m to 1600 m in Himalyas, Dharamshala experiences a pleasant weather that makes it one of the favorite hill stations in India.

During summer months, the temperature in Dharmshala ranges between a maximum of about 33 degree C and a minimum of about 22 degree C.

During winter months, the temperature in Dharmshala ranges between a maximum of about 15 degree C and a minimum of about 0 degree C.

Dharamshala receives an average annual rainfall of about 320 cm.

The best time to visit Dharmshala is the period between the months of April and June and then from the month of September until the month of November.

Dharamshala, one of the most famous hill stations in India, is a town in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Dharamshala acts as a municipal council in Kangra district.

Located in the Kangra valley, in the Dhauladhar ranges, Dharamshala has an average elevation of about 1457 m and spreads over an area around 29 sq. km.

The beautiful town of Dharamshala is divided into two parts: Upper Dharamshala or McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala—the business center. Upper Dharamshala or McLeod Ganj, which is located at an elevation of about 1,700 m, is at a distance of about 9 km from the second part of the town—Lower Dharamshala by road.

According to the India census 2001, the town of Dharamshala had a total population of about 19,114: 55 per cent males and 45 per cent females. The main languages used in Dharamshala are Hindi, Punjabi, Pahari and English.

This place is so peaceful and energizing, that you will never feel like leaving it. There are lot of Tibetans and Europeans (mostly Israelis) in here. Nearby Villages are populated with Europeans. I have heard that there are villages nearby McLeodganj, where lot of Drugs and illegal stuff is available. I don't know if it is true or a rumor.

I like this place so much that I have been there so many times. Luckily, my father designed couple of shops and restaurants at this place. This helped me make dozens of trips to McLeodganj in past 5-6 years.

It is situated near Dharamshala. Infact, sometimes, it is also called Upper Dharamshala. There is a small road, from where, McLeodganj is only 2 Km from main Dharamshala market. This road is very steep and reaches the Dalai Lama Temple. The other way is lot longer, but safer. This road reaches the other end of McLeodganj.

But this route, the longer one, is much better as you get a chance to see more scenic views. A very nice place on way is the St. John's Church. This church, located in Forsythganj, popularly called Church of St. John in the Wilderness, is the final resting place of Lord Elgin, a British viceroy of India (19th Century).

This church is in a really peaceful place hidden under trees. Its view from road is so magical that you can't resist visiting it.

The main street of McLeodganj is crowded and loaded with Tibetan shops. You will find almost every Tibetan handicraft item and Tibetan/Buddhist souvenirs. Besides, everywhere you will see people in traditional maroon dress of Buddhists everywhere.

One must visit this place for peace of mind. There are lot other places to visit nearby. If you read this blog, you will find that most of my posts are from Dharamshala, and McLeodganj.

Do check out...

About 3 weeks back, I went high into the hills with Nandini and couple of other friends, the trip was amazing I wrote a couple of posts on it here and here and have managed to upload the photos today..

Albums

• Into the Hills
• Into the Hills 2
• Into the Hills 3
• Into the Hills 4

When I went there in 2007 with my friend Vinay, we decided to stop for a cup of coffee outside the temple. When we finished our coffee, we saw hundreds of  Buddhist monks coming out of the temple. We felt so sorry because we had missed a chance to see the ceremony and wasted 30 minutes. We could have probably seen Dalai Lama as well.

Here are some pictures from that mighty place...

There is this nice museum outside the temple. This museum contains many artifacts and literature from Tibet. The walls of this museum are covered with banners telling the sad story of how China attacked on Tibet and conquered the land.

Tibet was having very small force. These peace loving people were forced to fight against huge army of china. Then the Tibetan government, including Dalai Lama, were forced to leave their homeland. Indian government then gave them place in Dharamshala, and today, this place is as peaceful as heaven.

A Must Visit Place...

07 August, 1986

The Historic Picture: The First Raising Day of NIT Hamirpur

Today is a day to celebrate—a day to reckon with but I am really sorry that no one cares to even remember of the importance of this day! This is the day when the present NIT Hamirpur, the then REC Hamirpur, was inaugurated. I don’t know how many of you remember of this historic day. I owe it to this day whatever we have today in the present. This post is a humble way of paying homage to all those who have in one way or another paved the way for our present!

7 August, 1986

The year was 1986 and the day was 7^th of August when the then Chief Minister Raja Virbhadra of Himachal Pradesh inaugurated the first Engineering College of the state. It was a proud moment for all the Himachalis who had been waiting for this momentous and historic day! The Picture above shows the first Principal of the college Dr. R. C. Chauhan delivering a speech at the historic moment.

 The classes for the Regional Engineering College, Hamirpur, were initially started at Government Polytechnic building, Baru Hamirpur who were magnanimous enough to provide us with a few class rooms and space in their hostel for the First batch boys as well. We all knew about the campus being developed at Anoo, which was at that time a thick jungle full of pine trees. Such was the ambience that people were afraid of walking alone through the jungle and the grassland that were bountiful in this place.

It was in the year 1987 that some small buildings were constructed at this new campus and we were really elated as now we had a place of our own! Vivekananda block was the first building to come at what we call the NIT campus today. The small three rooms, single storied structure, in red bricks, captivated our heart. Could any building be more beautiful---red tin roof and surrounded by lush green pines—the best setting for an academic ambience!

I was so happy to see the building where I would be, henceforth, taking the classes of the First year students. Even students were so happy as they were the kings of the jungle they inhabited in. I call it jungle as there was no road, electric lamp posts and the entire modern infrastructure that you today take for granted on the campus.

The access to this Block was from the road that connects Hamirpur to Awahdevi as there was neither the Check post No. I nor the Check post No.II or any interconnecting roads. We would take HRTC bus from the bus stand and would get down at a place somewhere near to the present day Sports ground and would walk through meandering jungle paths to reach this place. Many a times the HRTC buses would not stop at this point and we would have to walk for a long distance to reach the campus. Then a bus stop came up at this place and I remember the words “on request” written on the sign board. We felt so happy as this sign board heralded a recognition for REC so far as the HRTC’s local bus routes were concerned! Not a mean achievement keeping in view the number of passengers that availed this Bus stop!

It was while walking towards the Vivekananda Block, in a single-line as the jungle path provided only this much width, that we saw the remnants of the burnt logs of wood and our enquiry from the local people revealed the fact that the place we walk through everyday was in fact the cremation place for the local people. You can imagine our state of mind—it sure was horrifying. I could not sleep that night thinking of all that I had heard about the cremation grounds! The girl students also felt horrified as they, too, had to take the same route. Looking at the present scenario, I really think—we have come a long way indeed!

But apart from these small happenings, life at this new campus was blissful. Sitting out in the open, after the class, I remember having read a good number of books as there was nothing to distract attention. And the relationship with the students was at its best perhaps for the reason that we sought their companionship and they, in turn, sought our companionship as human company was the most difficult thing to be found in that jungle!

There was a tea shack, housed in a small room, which catered to our needs for some refreshing beverage! It sure was fun sitting there and discussing and dreaming about the good days to come when we would have a better place to sit. 

The buildings coming up gradually and Vivekananda Block still stood proud and erect where classes were regularly held. The Tagore Block housed our library. It was a library in the pure sense as the setting was perfect where silence was not enforced but was a part of the ambience—the overall ambience of the environment!

More to come under this nostalgic journey backwards….

Unfortunately, this entire complex was destroyed in a very major earthquake, that almost devastated entire Kangra valley in 1905. Archeological Survey of India has tried its best to save this place. In 1914, this place was declared as a national monument.

You can find debris of this majestic Temple all around the complex. One can image, how beautiful this place might be around 1200 years ago, when people were not advance enough to work on such huge projects. This could have been the wonder of that time.

It is a real sad thing to see this nice place destroyed due to earthquake .

In the center of the complex, stands the principal and the most elaborately carved shrine, the thakurdwara, enshrining the black stone image of lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, facing east. I must mention that at this place, I saw the largest lizard in my life. I first thought it to be a small Comodo Dragon, but later realized that it is just a large himalyan species from lizard family.

This place is few Km away from the main Kangra City. It lies in a village called Masroor. It took us around 2-3 hours to reach there from McLeodganj (Dharamshala) by car. We passed the Main Kangra Bus Stop and Kangra Airport on way to this place.

Dr. Y. S. Parmar, The architect of Himachal Pradesh. He is also the first Chief Minister of the State.

If you are going to visit Shimla please reserve your hotel rooms otherwise you will suffer room shortages despite of the fact Shimla has got over 1000 hotels. The best time to visit Shimla is from Apirl to June summer days of India because temperature in Shimla is ideal in summers. Summer festival is organized every year where you can enjoy singing, dancing from various artists of India. You will find both taste Indian classical, light and western.

Ice- Skating is the main attraction and popular sport of Shimla. If you want to enjoy Ice-Skating do plan to go in January because Ice-skating Carnival is organized every year by Ice-skating club. The other attractions are Shimla adventure sports and sightseeing. The hill attractions are Prospect hill, summer hill, Observatory hill, Jakhoo etc.

]]> http://vikramjits.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/galu-devi-temple-near-dharamkot/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:25:34 +0000 Vikramjit R.Rai http://vikramjits.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/galu-devi-temple-near-dharamkot/

I went there in 2007. When you start from McLeodganj towards dharamkot, you will find a pleasant scenic view. Soon you will reach Dharamkot, which is a really nice place to be. You cross dharamkot and reach at a height of 2130 mts. and find yourself in a ridge covered with high trees and hills. A small temple of Galu Devi stands there. This is the place, where vehicles stop, and a tough journey of Triund starts. This time, we came back from Galu Devi, but I hope, that next time, I will reach Triund. Here are few pics from this nice small place...

This picture is of McLeodganj, as it is seen from Galu Devi Hill top

Ah, picture I took on way to Dharamkot. The road is very narrow, but it is a different experience all together. You will surely love it.

A special thanks to Varun and the Himvani team for hosting the blog on Himvani server.

Don't forget to change your bookmarks!

All these stories are now available at the new blog. Please leave your comments at www.nityin.com for older stories

I have made it a point that whenever I go to McLeodganj, I visit this remote place. It is roughly 2-3 KM. from the town. We easily get taxi or rikshaw to there, but I prefer walking along the road.

My best two visits to this place were with my friend Vinay and with my cousin Satpal. We had real fun. The trekking from McLeodganj to Bhagsu is very interesting in itself. You continuously get a view of Kangra valley as the hill is facing towards Dharamshala. When me, Vinay and one of our other friend were traveling on this lonely road, we found several nice spots to stop and click. There are very small tea stalls and snack shops after every few short while.

Once you cross the small market of Bhagsu Village, you will find yourself at a gate built by Army. Next to it is Lord Shiva's Temple. When you cross the temple, you will find yourself at  a small water pond, and people bathing in the cold water.

Once you cross this Water Pond, you will see a very beautiful scene, that will hold you there for a long time. Fall is at distance, and the way is breathtaking.

We had real fun while climbing up the rocks through that small path constructed several years back. Stones on that path keep slipping into deep trench. This path is not for weak people, or for those who fear height. But let me tell you, it is not difficult to climb it. Its just that you need a little courage and energy.

Once you reach the heart of water fall, you find crystal clear water, with green shadow from trees all around it. Water is very cold and so wonderful, that you can spend several hours in it. In-fact, the journey will make you so much tired that you will find this water to be the most precious reward you were working for.

When you are done with the cold effect, the best thing to do is to have a bowl of maggi noodles or a cup of nice coffee.

Now look at this picture. The hut vinay is pointing to is actually more than 1 Km. away from this place and it is where you start you trekking.

After that point, you won't find anything to eat or drink unless you reach the top. When you reach Bhagsu Fall, the broken path vanishes completely, and you have to climb couple of rocks to reach the top.

But this easy climbing is more interesting then entire journey. The only problem is when you start back because you are already so tired, and after this long rest, you feel like sleeping. You are not in a position to climb back. But there is no choice, and you must walk your way back through those same rocks and cover the long path.

In a nutshell, this is an indispensable place for tourists.

Happy Voyage

“We will recommend Daleep Singh Rana, more popular as ‘The Great Khali’ for the national Padamshiri award for his exploits at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) bouts, Gulab Singh Thakur, PWD minister said at public function in Nahan on Tuesday evening that was held in honour of the wrestler.

Khali, better know as Daleep Singh Rana in the villages of Shillai is coming home after over three years as a much acclaimed wrestler who has challenged and beaten the best in the game at the WWE bouts.

At the function, the administration also facilitated, Jawalu Ram Rana, father of Khali and Tandi Devi, his mother, who are on the special guest list.

On arrival in India on May 2, Khali had his appointment list packed which included a meeting with President Pratibha Patil and celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar and Priyanka Vadra taking time out to get their children to meet the giant of a man.

In between, Khali has even done a film shoot for a Bollywood film.

When apprehensions were cast about Khali probably not being able to make it to his native village during this tour, he had rubbished it saying that he ‘was longing to eat food cooked by mother hands’.

Back home today the family today is celebrating the return of a son who has become an international star.

The villages and towns like Paonta, Sataun, Kamrou, Kafota and Shillai through which Khali passed thorough to reach his native village Dhirayan had made special preparations and held festival like celebrations.

Mangal Singh, brother of Khali, disclosed of having made grand preparations for hosting a feast for over five thousand people on his arrival in the village for today.

Sohan Singh, a resident of Shillai disclosed that Khali had donated each house in his native village with a satellite TV set, so that they were able to watch his bouts at WWE as the quality of reception from terrestrial and cable TV was poor.

The hero from Sirmaur also has a new house ready that now can accommodate his 7 feet 3 inch frame. The house also has a custom built double bed that was specially prepared by a furniture factory at Nahan.

When you head for McLeodganj from Dharamshala through the long route (not from the shortcut that goes from within the market), you will find a very wide elbow turn. On the edge, there is a sign board of the Tea Plantation of Dharamshala. At 10 mins. walking distance, you will reach a place, covered with dense green leaves and filled with magnificent aroma of fresh tea. I have been there twice. One with my cousin, and other with one of my best friends Vinay.

Tea gardens here are not as wide spread as Assam or other North-East states, but they surely are nice enough to keep you busy for hours. Imagine small rocks in between and slope slanting towards a nice green trench. The steps of hill will take your breath.

I have decided that I will go there again on my next trip. When I went there last time, I was coming from Company Garden at Dharamshala, and moving towards Naddi. These two are also very mesmerizing places, that I will elaborate in my future posts. Dharamshala surely has many spots for tourists. Places around Dharamshala and McLeodganj can keep you busy for months. Several tourists are hanging out in these hills for years, and never even think of going back to their native countries.

This is one must visit place

Trigarta (Kangra) was one of the most powerful hill state of Punjab, and this fort made it undefeatable. Entire kangra valley is occupying the lower parts of Beas and its tributaries and during pre-mohammadan period, it made a part of kingdom of Jalandhar (Punjab Empire). The Kangra Fort is renowned for its strength, stability, strong fortification and impregnability. The walls stand upwards covering a 4 KM circuit, occupying a long narrow strip between Ban Ganga and Manjhi rivers. The cliff along the wall is 300 feet deep.

The only entrance to Fort is from the city side, and that too is very narrow for anyone to pass without encountering hidden soldiers. The long pathway is also having enough room for small army divisions to hide after every few meters.

This fort has nice engravings on all walls and has a small temple also inside. Besides, there is a big temple at the City Entrance.

Unfortunately this place was destroyed in early 1900 due to a massive earthquake, that destroyed entire Kangra Valley. There are several debris and broken walls that you can see. But this fort still stands as the crown of Kangra.

If you are visiting this place, don't miss the museum at the foot of fort.

(Residence of S. Sobha Singh at Andretta, Palampur. The street is called S. Sobha Singh Marg)

His murals are displayed at the Indian Parliament. Once of his creations is gracing his residence's entrance...

(Prithvi Raj Kapoor, created by S. Sobha Singh)

His most famous painting include Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal and Sikh Gurus. All his work is shown in his little house, that his daughter is now taking care of. One of his paintings, that is now no where to be found was once painted by my dad, when he saw it in a news paper. Unique thing about this picture is that in this, guru nanak is not wearing a turban. Instead, he is having a selli topi on his head. Most sikhs may not be pleased with this picture, but we must not forget the fact that Guru Nanak actually blended into the place where he went. He dressed like locals and gave gurbani in the local language.

When we reached Sobha Singh's Art Gallery, after crossing mesmerizing tea gardens of Palampur and heavenly valley of Kangra, we were greeted by S. Sobha Singh's Daughter, who now takes care of her father's work. She was very kind to show us his work. There is a room full of this original work and a live size statue of him. There is one unfinished painting with a color dipped dry brush in his bed room. On the wall, hangs his honor, that President Giani Zail Singh gave him. I don't remember if it was Bharat Ratan or Padma Bhushan.

I saw some really nice things in there, and recommend all art lovers to visit this mecca of artists.

Another cop had the guts to tell me le-de kar khatam karlo. which really pi$$ed me off. I was damn furious. First of all, I was not at fault and then these guys were asking for a bribe. I asked him to prepare a challan and the cop looked at me beliwered as if asking what sort of guy was he talking to. I went to the Sector 29 office and paid the challan amount. Even the clerk, there told me - le dekar kam khatam kra dena si. One can guess how well oiled the machinary is..!!

I wonder how in Himachal we guys are so hospitable to the people coming here as our guests. The police here is so accomodating to the tourists and makes it a point not to harras them. On the other hand it is quite the opposite in Chandigarh especially to the Himachal drivers. A million dollar light appears on there face as soon as they see a HP numbered car with the crooked grin. Being a center for education and medical facilities and now recently having come up as an IT destination, Chandigarh is the most visited place by Himachalis. If this is the way people from Himachal are going to be treated in Chandigarh, then one day there could be some serious backlash. As such Chandigarh as a city is inhabited by the retired.. doling out  living from the govt pension funds and their children having moved to Delhi or far away. The city has no vibrancy and it is where the cops come in for the kill. Probably they also know they won't get anything from the city oldies and look for the Himachalis to make a fast buck.

The least I had this satisfaction that I did not gave into the demands of the cops and bribed them

This serpentine road view is from my balcony. It is a bye pass connection between Dhalli and Kusumpatti. This is the place where I use to go for a drive at the times of leisure. No hustle bustle, no crowds, no calls, no boss only complete relief.