Tungnath by Luck/ Ukhimath Revisited, Garhwal, India

I certainly looked happy but inside had been hiding sentimental feelings that I did not let come out. I had resigned and will be relieved in next 10 days or so. I didn’t do much reasoning with mind and asked Saurabh, if he wishes to come to a trip with me and, he readily agreed. Saurabh in his early 20’s looked quite thin and lean and was known to have aggressive personality than an average standard when it comes to presentations. Now that, I have known him for 2 years but we have not been on any trip. I first met him in his BBA class where I taught Business Strategy, and the exchange of communication thereupon grew on the classroom notes. Today, we leave for an unknown destination as I searched hard and zeroed upon choices what place should we visit? I had more than a week to dedicate while Saurabh had just been through with his internal exams and had days to dispose. He brought his bag in the afternoon to the institute and accompanied me to my place. I had my bag ready almost and soonafter at 7:30 pm we left for ISBT with still no clue to what place we shall be going? I recalled last time I had plans to visit Madhyamaheshwar but could not visit due to bad weather and less time at hand (due to which we also could not cover Deoria Taal) but never regretted that. So we decided to cover the place now. I had been to Ukhimath before with Gagan when we covered Tungnath (though we could not see Chandrashila due to the heavy weather), so the place was almost known to me and I thought to show Saurabh the mountain world while I look for known companions in the area like Chamola Ji - the Caretaker, Negi Ji - the Cook at GMVN, and Tiwari Ji – the owner of Anushri lodge and his nephew, whom I had promised to comeback.

DEVPRAYAG

We took Uttarakhand Transport bus to Rishikesh. I have been on this route more than any other route and could tell by peeping out the window about how much time it will take to reach the place from here. The bus had ‘less than seat’ passengers so Saurabh stretched out a little while like all times. We reached Rishikesh at 3:40 am as expected. It was the regular chill of early March and no auto-rickshaw was around at this time so we had to walk upto the Tehri bus stand.

DEVPRAYAG (The Abondon Bridge over Ganga)

It was really good walking fast with our bagpacks to heat up our bones and just when we had half a mile to cover, we saw the bus cross by. The driver slowed it down; conductor peeked out and then shouted on top of his voice ‘Joshimath’ looking at us coming out of the narrow lane opposite to the road. And I replied – ‘No’, Ukhimath.

RUDRAPRAYAG (Mandakini on (reader's) Right and Alaknanda on Left)

Next we were in this bus which had only last bench seat left to accommodate us; rest the bus was full with non-hindi speaking labours or seemed so from their language. The last bench seat on which we accommodated ourselves to my side along the window had window that would not shut to the full. The window kept sliding every now and then and sometimes I had to cover my ears for constant air bowing through the window inside. Saurabh also had more or less the same trouble. Well, soon we lay down to rest on the same bench dividing the sides to opposite windows though uncomfortably and tackling the window sliding problem at our both ends while our labour fellow snored at a pitch.

RUDRAPRAYAG GHAT

The sun was out as the visibility gets clearer. The time was 8:15 around and Saurabh was up too. As the locals started to commute, the driver puts up the break every now and then. Now the bus had few people standing. I offered my seat to an old lady and this gave me the opportunity to stretch myself. Saurabh sometimes look outside then closes his eyes and then opens up again, and it continued till we crossed Srinagar. He was still a bit sleepy and slightly unwell. This was his first time; hiking in the bus without break for last 12 hours and yet he showed no signs of disappointment or tiredness on his face. We reached Rudraprayag around 9:40 am and got down off the bus. The bus that was going to Joshimath shall take different route from here which would move along Alaknanda, while our route would move along Mandakini. Quickly we filled up, and set walking towards the bridge down. The idea was to spare some moments at the confluence. So we started walking down and reached the bridge, Saurabh clicked few snaps. And there came the Jeep from somewhere and the driver yelled at us ‘Okhimath’! And, we jumped inside taking the front seats.

I was wondering about my familiarity with the place, looking out and trying to recall the places that we had to pass to reach Ukhimath. We passed Tilwara, then, Chilayasaur. Both these villages are along Mandakini and quite much humid areas. The roads were bad as BRO works out to reshape and expand the rocky cuts with their big drills. This was the first time I witnessed the blasts too and saw the excitement of people running around and discussing the scene. The roads were better after we crossed Chiliyasaur and reached Ghat where the road divides into two – one goes to Kedarnath and the other one to Ukhimath which was some 20 kms from here and the jeep soon will begin to climb.

GHAT (from here the road divides)

We reached Ukhimath and like I had in my mind, we got down at GMVN which is some little more than a km before the bus stand. It was nice to see Chamola Ji and Negi Ji after more than a year and half long time. We exchanged greetings and the time was 12:15 pm when we passed across Anushri Lodge but Tiwari Ji was not seen around nor his nephew.
We filled up and around 1:30 resumed our journey on foot while looking out for jeep service that could drop us to Chopta though I was uncertain about the accommodation. The temple was months far to be opened in June while it was just mid March.
Saurabh could be seen sipping tea

Saurabh was in perfect mood. Taking pics and notes about the places. He seemed to be enjoying the oneness with nature and that anonymous ‘lost for words’ feeling. We walked with few school children – talking, laughing and singing. Contrary, I had tough time telling them why we were there?
After some time, some 4-5kms afterwards, we started to look aggressively for our staying option. We were tired and the fact was it was already 3:20 pm which means we need to find accommodation before the sun sinks and night crawls. I had no clue.
UKHIMATH (opposite is Guptakashi)

An old villager whom I asked for accommodation, recommended us to go to Duggalbhitta which he described the place that has a PWD and a local hotel, which belonged to a barrister at Rudraprayag. He said the jeep can be expected anytime now. He was right.

Around 4, the jeep came. It had few villagers and 3 associates of this private hotel named Mayadeep. Infact the jeep was popularly called as Mayadeep and at 5:30 we reached Duggalbitta at a crawling speed collecting the firewoods wherever they saw chopped wood and logs. I wondered who might have chopped them and left in so dense a jungle for these fellows to collect the woods. Anyway, it was getting dark, but we thought to first sip upon a tea with some maggi. Saurabh was suddenly unwell and begin to vomit. He felt ok after the tea.

PWD, Duggalbhitta

It was 6 past 15. We took a pack of biscuits from our bag and begin surveying the place. It was indeed very peaceful as we trailed inside the jungle area to see what route we are to take to reach Chopta. We clicked few pics and came back to our place, at 8pm, we took the candle light dinner and soonafter went off to sleep. We did not have slept much in the bus and for the last night and day were in travel continuously.

We had Maggi & Tea Here (Duggalbhitta), Me & the Nepali Caretaker

Next morning, we got up early, and prepared to leave the place at 6:45. I was disappointed to find that the caretakers were not up yet. We asked the Nepali chap who was one of caretakers, who happened to had served us the dinner, came forward and asked us if we could wait he could prepare us some tea. We readily agreed as it was quite chilling outside.

Mayadeep guesthouse could be seen behind Saurabh and the road also where we had tea (see huts). Just opposite to tea shop is PWD resthouse

Finally we reached Chopta, after crossing through the several steep passages and moist slippery surface amidst the wilderness – just two of us. This was best of the time that we had spent on walking together, talking aloud, clicking pictures and wandering whereever possible around the place. After all it was the moment after a really long tiring journey and the worse lodging of all times.
Moving towards Chopta

Soon we met the first patch of snow. Both were excited. The more was to come. I was sure that we would encounter some snow while in Delhi just when I was planning the trip but I was wrong. It was not the some ice. It was lot more ice.
We reached Chopta at 9:30, decided to have tea and paranthas at the only open shop. It started to downpour light as we finished up the breakfast and started to trek upwards for Tungnath. We just had walked some 800 mtrs and the snow started to appear on the serpent like hill path. As we keep walking, the snow got thicker and soon the snowfall started. It was a good day indeed!

First Snow View

It started to snow aggressively while Saurabh was enjoying the scene, pretty much lost in photography, I had the doubt in my mind – to go up or come down.

And, I asked Saurabh to walk a bit fast to reach ASAP. We really had to rush but too much of snow on the track and the blowing wind and snow fall was suddenly seemed hard to combat that is too when we two were the only souls climbing.

We reached the Ganesha temple amidst the knee deep snow and the snowfall reduced. We looked down at the open valley which was covered all white with the snow.

CHOPTA (Only shop at Chopta that offered breakfast ...and lodging in tents too)

The wind stopped too and we offered our prayer and started to click the views around. We were swept away by the enchanted sounds of Monals and flock of birds in the sky. We thought to rest a while beside the Ganesha, and the time was 11:20. After some 15 minutes of rest, we resumed our journey towards the temple of Tungnath, which stood now at some 600 mtrs.

Some scenes... slope we walked upwards using our hands, snowfall started and Me walking fast and telling Saurabh to walk fast too...

Ganesha Temple

As we prepared to walk, the weather started to get heavy again and the snowfall started again. This time it was heavier than the previous fall and we did not knew what route to approach.
First view of temple amidst heavy snowfall

By the time we were 100 mtrs to the temple, the visibility got too bad. We had all snow all over clothes and in the shoes. However, Saurabh seemed not be worrying at all but I was certainly thinking – one wrong move and we could end up losing the lives in the deep down gorge to our left. But, we had faith attached to us. The faith that appeared automatically and did not needed to be recalled in our minds in conditions like this. And, we were now more than reluctant to comeback without paying homage to the deity.

The determination grew hard with the ever growing white snow flakes from the sky and we folded our hands at the very first sight of the temple gates and the voice came within ‘Jai Bhagwan Tungnath’ that could be heard mixing up with the echoing sound of the hard blowing wind. We were almost there!

Second View (Almost there!!!)

We had to choose the route amidst the deep snow covered area to climb up using our bare hands. It was icy, pretty much but we moved up with all the adrenaline. We reached at the covered ‘kund’ that had water flowing through the lion’s mouth and some architecture built of stones. Snowstorm once more dazzled and rattled and suddenly slowed down to shut up. This was the divine sign, and Saurabh’s hand reached for the big bell at the temple gate which was painted blue (on pillar) and yellow and with red written ‘Shri Tungnath Mandir’ right in the middle.
This was the moment we were longing for and without saying a word to each other, there we were at the locked and sealed gate of the main entrance with our folded hands offering brief prayer.

Final View (from Front)

The gate was painted in stripes of 3 colours and was all made up of what it seemed big logs of stone carved out to make this beautiful ancient temple that holds great spiritual experience and the impressive historical relevance. The hood of the temple which appeared to be like an open wooden square window and painted of yellow, red and green chiefly, with white stripes on the top had a white flag on a golden pole over it. It was hard to interpret both – the coloured painting and the existence of the temple that survived more than 500 thousand years of Mahabharata age.

Besides the temple, on its left, there were small temples that symbolically represented Parvati (immediate next) and Bhairav with other unidentified deities in a row along the temple.

Soon we came to our senses and started to feel the chill of the snow. We had 2 paranthas rolled with some achar in an empty tea packet and some water left in the bottle which we consumed looking at the temple from a shed on the left to the temple from its opposite.

As we put on our bags and looked down from the main entrance gate – a different challenge was awaiting. It was – how to get down! Saurabh suggested following our footsteps and he was right. We came down the steepest of the bend slowly.

The Two Friends We Met (Barthwal Ji and Ramola Ji) Later we become friends at Deoria Tal Trek (the very next day)

There we met two fellows whom we first met at Dugalbhitta who were busy doing rounds of smokes and drinks at the same place where we had maggi and tea a day before. They also stayed at Mayadeep - the very place where we also stayed the last night. The only difference between them and us was – they smoked, drank and had bike to carry them over places while we were on foot. We chatted up for a while and then we left since we had to reach Ukhimath back again without the clue whether we would get the drop from Chopta or not.

Meanwhile Saurabh came up with the idea to get down fast. I was interested in HOW? And, he suggested that would skate on snow. I asked again how? I was close to understand him when he said we would slip down sitting and, to both of us the idea seemed fine if not ideal.

Downside view from the temple (the snowfall covered the whole trek quickly)

I went down first and surprisingly got struck in the middle and then had to row with my hands. That was silly. I had snow all over inside. Then he came before I could tell him… No! But even if I would have said no, he might not have listened. He thought it to be the fun, and he would not have listened to even God at the moment or later have blamed me for depriving him of his right to scroll and crawl into the snow. He came crashing down too and in the middle got struck just like me. It was life’s one of the white experience and the idea we rejected without questions.

Coming Down

We came down to Chopta and the clock struck 1:20 pm. The weather was rainy again. We had tea at the same place and soonafter started running down fast to Dugalbhitta as there was no chance for us to get a drop from here. We finally reached the place in at 3 pm with bright and beautiful lit sky with sun shine through the clouds and shadows of them all over the valley. We were quite much warm by now. We had finished almost more than a 20km trek since morning. We had our last maggi and fourth tea of the day and soon after we left for Makku Band some 2 kms more from the place we had our meal.

SLIDING DOWN

The downpour sometimes starts and then stops, and then resumes but we never bothered about it and kept marching, and discussing our degrees of experience, excitement and enjoyment.

I offered my gratitude to the deity for bringing me to Him again and to the experience that I never had consumed before.

First time, it was the sheer chance and this time planned by luck and hence, for sure I have now started believing these chance-luck theories.

© himanshu
For more pics please visit
www.flickr.com/myth_drinker

The Anonymous Feeling/ Narkanda, Himachal Pradesh

Manu called up in the afternoon just when I was about to enter the examination hall at the college where I was working for invigilation duty. He said, ok! Let’s leave today. Its been quite some days and I was longing for a trip which I shared with him, one of those days.

December was to enter its 3rd week and we leave tonight. Initially Manu was reluctant. He had just been back from some ‘trip’ and ‘state’. Left his job already and now when he had some hope to get an assignment, I asked him for this trip. Anyway, he seemed interested too. We reached ISBT and headed for the place from where the bus for Shimla leaves. It was a great rush at the ISBT. I had never been to Shimla before and I was not excited too. The picture i had of Shimla was of crowded hill station that has nothing to offer to somone like me.

NARKANDA (In December)

Rather I needed a quiet place to soothe my noisy ears filled with official talks in a much fabricated environment. I needed a break perhaps that is the reason for this travel. In the meanwhile we got the bus and the second seat on driver’s left. We talked for sometime, then Manu’s hands reached for his earphones and my eyes were filled with sleep soon after. At Pipli bus stopped for a while. We passed Chandigarh after crossing Ambala. And I was again off to sleep. I realized that bus was not moving. At Kalka, driver got down to warm up his old bones for a while at the sight of bonfire. It was around 4 in morning. When the public started shouting; the conductor pushed up the matter and the bus was started after small arguments. It was colder than those nights that I had spent on various trips abroad the bus. And, I was back to sleep once again. What amused me was I do not really used to ‘sleeping’ during the trips be it night or day! We reached Shimla at 6:00 around amidst the fog and wonderfull chill. Soon I got excited… excited than ever!We sipped upon tea at bus station.

Chota SHIMLA (alias Vikas Nagar)

Manu gave a choice – Should be walk down till Longwood or await the bus? Soon we were walking toward our destination. Manu had been many times to Shimla and Himachal overall! I was glad that he was with me to show the things around. I could not have imagined a better guide than despite his being a great friend though very moody by nature. There we were at the Sainik Bhawan, Longwood right at 7 am which we really covered at dead slow speed. God! It was too early to approach and that’s too without booking the rest-house. So we planned to take a walk but where possibly with our bags. And, we met Subedar Sharma Ji inside. He was gentle and polite. He enquired about us, asking our antecedents and Delhi whereabouts, and then agreed to give us room but after 10-11 am. His concern was do we have any identity that could associate us with Indian defence system. He made us tea and then we left for sight seeing around though we didn’t go too far.
There was something about the air, it smelled fresh and tasted good. I had my eyes got fixed on the view – the mighty mountains of Himalayan ranges. We chatted for sometime and returned back to Sainik resthouse. It was still not the time, SharmaJi had asked us to come at but he gave the room. The time was 8:40. Soon after we were out of our room for breakfast that he served with a cook assisting –parantha with tea.
SAINIK BHAWAN, Shimla
We filled up and retired to bed for a quick nap for the sleep. The room was really a delight – all made of wood with free ventilation and big glass windows stretched in length though there could hardly be seen any views from there. After one and half hour, we got up and came out in the sun.

We started off towards Mall Road. It was little more than 12 and the massive tourist flow could be seen roaming on the street for no purpose exactly like We had no purpose other than walking. But I was wrong. The mall offered most cheerful view though cluttering was a little annoying but that was all right with us.

Police Canteen (that was not!!!)

We were getting the feel. Manu offered to have lunch at Police canteen though later we came to know that canteen was private and never belonged to any police or army for that matter. It was a small setup that offered an eating joint. We ordered the food and started nibbling. It was worth a try for me. The lunch was followed by the tea. And, we prepared to leave to make a comeback to our resthouse after a brief walk through the heart of Shimla. It was 6 in evening, when we woke up after a brief rest. In our shoes again, there we started walking to the Mall again for an evening to make memoirs.

Later some times after, Manu got upset with me for the reason untold to me and I thought he wants to be alone for sometime since I knew he was more than moody. We came back without speaking to each other almost from half the way from Mall to the rest-house.

Then, later we both ate our dinner together cooked and served by Sharma Ji himself. It was a full moon night and we prefer to take a brief walk. Next day we got up early and by 8:00 around we boarded the bus for Narkanda which was some 60kms that covered some wonderful village scenery enroute like Fagu and Matiyana.

Opposite View from Mall Road, Simla

We ate at Narkanda at the Himalayan Dhaba costing bill to be nearing Rs. 200 but satisfaction was worth dollars. We marched ahead towards the Hatu temple trek soonafter. It was snow all over the place and all along the road. I liked it in my own way and my eyes and brain got – all white.

We started moving up in the snow, smiling, thinking and what we very often do – repeatedly appraising the scene. The other side of the hill had Sun shining bright and we missed the water bottle so settled for some ice instead which never the substitute. We enjoyed every bit of it atleast this is what seemed.

Church at The Mall, Shimla
Sometimes life is suddenly bright with thousand suns keeping you up and warm. And, I put down my bag and jacket along the road side to rest a while in the magnificent sun. The same sun that in Delhi I have often criticized for shining too hard and too near to skin.

Hatu temple was some 5-6kms uphill trek in Narkanda only. We almost had finished 4 kms of the trek and the time was nearing 5 p.m.

We decided not to go up further and plan our comeback afterall the accommodation had to be arranged though we had the talk with the PWD guesthouse caretaker in the afternoon itself for the night and had our one bag there only. So we moved down. The weather started getting bad or atleast looked so and it started raining a bit. It was more than chilling, the wind piercing down the bones hard as we ordered for a chowmein and momos plate at a small eating joint which had the fantastic view with the bonfire.

NARKANDA Bus Stand (and the Bus that dropped us here)
And, I remembered the Pink Floyd song “its good to warm my bone beside the fire”!

Me, resting along the roadside in the SUN

Manu "The Moody"

Forgiveness, forgiveness even if you don't love me... Anymore

(I kept singing this Don Henley Song which Manu had loaded on his phone)

The interesting SLOPE that we covered to trek to HATU (we never reached temple though)

Manu said, “Should we stay here or move to some place down for some warm comfort” which I surely nodded to at once and we prepared to move to Kumarsain for our night halt which was down the slope some 22kms on Rampur road. The time was 6:30 p.m.
Evening At NARKANDA

We have been walking since morning, pretty tired, and longing for bed. It was a quite a day but chill and thrill never existed together for long and we took the bus to our new destination which had no scope for chill atleast and we would not be surprised also if no thrills were to be found now. No seat in the bus, but standing as an option existed with us. Good news was, we reached Kumarsain, at 8 p.m and bad news that still 1 km awaits us to be walked to get to the place of the night halt. We approached the PWD as usual but nobody responded. Next we approached Forest rest-house but room was not available. We again went to PWD, but still nobody’s there.

Almost all shops were closed and all lights were off except the small local electricity supply office in a single room with four guys smoking, discussing political stances of elections that was about sweeping off the Congress or BJP or their allies whatever from the state. We saw the light and we were there in another minute asking for PWD chap. Well, they made us seated in that small room that had the heater by the side, and continued their political discussion with passion. After some 15 minutes, we looked at each other in surprise that these guys have no attention towards us so we interrupted in between and asked again for the PWD assistance for the night. Out of the four, one was the caretaker.

NARKANDA (View towards Shimla and also seen is Himalayan Dhaba to your right hand behind the car)

We got the room, the dinner was also arranged and we took out our all-wet shoes and socks that we have been wearing for past 4-5 hours. I took out the quarter of rum (alcohol) that I had purchased to combat the chill and tiredness of the day earlier at Narkanda before taking the bus. We both were though non-drinkers but the idea of rum was worthwhile and we had one-one and off to eat. We retired soon after to our bed after I had put the heater on to dry up our socks and clothes and discussing next day’s plan.

The PWD guesthouse was fabulous and seemed to be made recently.

KUMARSAIN

We set on the track again after paying Rs. 350 bucks for the night to the caretaker who never gave the receipt against it and we were neither concerned about that.

PWD Rest House at Kumarsain

Around 9 am we reached the place where we were dropped by the bus last night, and after half an hour got another bus to comeback at Narkanda again. The idea was to go to Sarahan, on Hindustan-Tibet road.
We reached Narkanda again and found the road to Sarahan was jammed with snow all over for making any sort of transportation possible to the place. We decided to spend rest of the day walking on the same road. It was again all snow, all over and I could feel my shoes and socks getting wet already. We went up a bit and decided to warm ourselves in the streaming sun. Next we unloaded bagpacks and sit silent sipping upon the remaining rum mixed up in the water bottle. God! It was smelling hard and tasted bad and yet no impact on our senses so we figured out it was a fake…

Seen here two roads, road with bus goes to Kumarsain, then Rampur (some 47 kms)and the Upper one goes to Sarahan.
At 3 pm, we started off back to Fagu. And, another troubled time started. No room at Matiyana PWD, another bad luck at Fagu PWD – all rooms were occupied, and then at 8 pm we settled for a room which was not a delight to be in but then we were more than tired and me even mild sick too. Next day we came back to Shimla again, same place, the same rest-house and the very much same room but while coming back I had all the memories of Narkanda with me. It was certainly the place to be at when you have a reason to be in a state of equilibrium.

Now as I sit silent to memorize the words, to describe my last set of feeling while leaving Narkanda, I tried hard but could not find any of the words in store, and even if I make claims to have found few, they might not make you understand my feelings for the place... because you are not ME!

© himanshu
For more pics visit
www.flickr.com/myth_drinker

Pincode 263138/Postcard from Mukteshwar

If you have ever been to Mukteshwar, a small hill town nestled in Kumaon hills some 50 km from Bhowali, you would actually understand how silence can scream. It is not the first time I have been to hills and experienced quietness. But here the silence was piercing down the ears with hardly people seen around or shops open or the women working on their grasslands. Unlike regular hill stations receiving heavy tourist flocks who love to shop around the mall roads, visiting tiffin-top and posing for snaps every 500 meters, I find this place absolutely abnormal.

But then I am abnormal too.

BHOWALI
Note: Mukteshwar is some 50kms from Nainital (via Bhowali) and some 350 kms from Delhi. It sits an altitude of 2286 mtrs and is quite a peaceful hill station. It has an open valley view to both its sides and snow clad Himalayan peaks can be seen all over.

I visited Mukteshwar on local villager’s suggestion that I met in a local bus while returning back from Nainital after a night’s stay at a friend’s place. It was 2:30 around in noon and I was waiting for the bus for Ranikhet at Bhowali, completely lost in thoughts about the Naini peak that I trekked early this morning. The small bus written Mukteshwar painted in dark red words in Hindi suddenly crossed before me and I returned back to my sense. I remember the words of an elderly local villager whom I had chatted with about Mukteshwar. But my plan was to visit Ranikhet with a friend insisting upon the same. The bus conductor shouted and the word Mukteshwar again hit me hard. I was thinking hard now which way while sipping upon my tea and ‘aaloo ki lauje’ – a sweetmeat made of potatoes, famous in the area. The bus blew the final horn and next moment I find myself approaching the bus. Inside bus, it was almost half filled. And we boarded after a brief protest by this friend along.

Seen here is the road that goes up to Mukteshwar Dham (temple of Shiva), Edward Hostel, KMVN, PWD House, and IVRI employee some places to visit.

The bus started off. I took the front seat facing the driver. The driver was an old fellow, looked in mid fifties and wearing sweater handmade. He was not much interacting. His eyes glued to the windscreen as he strained to see through the glass amidst the downpour. He showed no emotions, just driving. Within 10 minutes we were out of city and the pines and deodar plantations stretched all over could be seen all along the way. After driving up for some one hour and half the way, the bus stopped at Malla Ramgarh – another tourist spot with few shops around the roadside. We started off in next 15 minutes again and reached Khabrar where some colonizers are developing residential property for sale. After another 30 minutes we reached Kasialekh a village with both side mountain view. From here one road leads to left that connects to Mukteshwar.

Mukteshwar is the land’s end with so called resorts and bare minimum facilities on a slope uphill. The accommodation is costly all around wherever we checked. PWD guest house requires booking from district magistrate’s office in Nainital. Then we arrived at the IVRI PG hostel named as Edward Hostel. I was told about this by the caretaker Jagat Singh, of PWD guesthouse. At the hostel, Bhatt, the care taker, made us write the application for accommodation and then asked us to get it signed by the warden who lived just across down the hostel. We waited for this Bengali warden to come outside his residence but the wife said he is out and would be coming after half an hour. We were tired and not sure whether we would get the accommodation in hostel.

PG Hostel/Edward Hostel, IVRI

I again approached Bhattji. He offered his help and politely gave us the room that costs Rs. 60 and dinner at 9, for another Rs. 60 for two.
The next day I got up early and started surveying the place. Mukteshwar was the place I was longing for. As I took the stroll, I again met Jagat Singh. We shared tea while he described the scenery around about the Himalayas citing name of the peaks visible to naked eye. We had a long discussion from political state of affairs to social developments in the region of Kumaon hills. He is the man of knowledge though the evening when I met him, he was drunk and smelling of alcohol. He asked for apology for not giving us the place to stay for the last night and gave the reason that some High court magistrate was scheduled to come over who never came anyway.

PWD Rest House

His wife and son also did talked about land prices in Mukteshwar and the real estate developers and dealers mad about purchasing land and turning them to resorts. Our Delhi tops the list ofcourse. There concern were same as the concerns of another one crore population living in thousands of villages over the hills.
After a discussion I returned back to hostel, we took parantha with aloo ki sabzi and chai and left with our bags. Chauli ki Jali is the place where we sat for quite some time observing perfect peace and wondering what if all that becomes true about what all Jagat Singh and family talked about on land purchases, builders and so called resorts in the area.

Chauli Ki Jaali, Mukteshwar

As we prepared to come back to catch up the bus at 12 in noon from Mukteshwar, I purchased envelop from post office to write to myself and see when it reaches me. It was childish but something which I planned and very keen upon doing from a long time. The postmaster gave 2 envelopes costing a rupee. I was left with another one thinking how to use.

But I had nothing to write.

I remember on my return I wrote the very same postcard to Jagat Singh expressing my gratitude while I thanked in my mind, the unknown villager that I met in the bus for recommending me peace beyond peace. And, now, I await my postcard that I wrote from Mukteshwar to myself to arrive.

It says, May peace be bestowed upon hills!


© himanshu

For more pics visit

www.flickr.com/myth_drinker