Memories Of Mori, Uttrakhand

A peaceful getaway in the lap of nature

 

Mori is a small village in north-west Garhwal region in the Uttarkashi district (Uttrakhand) at a distance of about 410 kilometers from Delhi. This is one of the best tourist destinations I have ever been to. All the major tourist destinations or hill stations you would find full of crowd, hotels, shops with tourist leftovers. But Mori was different, Mori is situated along the river Tons, it was a very quiet and peaceful hill station. 

On April 2009 that was the first time I have ever visited Mori and before that I had never heard of it. At first I thought it would be like any other hill station but when we reached there and I saw first glimpse of it, I was amazed. Wooded hills, lush green paddy fields, the Tons River, picturesque waterfalls, pleasant walks, yellow mimosas and pine trees, lakes etc made Mori one of the beautiful hill stations. The tallest pine forest in Asia is among the thickly populated forest in Mori.

It was like a small village in the midst of valley surrounded with the pine forest and a river (tons river) was flowing along the village. First, I thought maybe I was in another world because finding a place which was quite, relaxing, refreshing and with beautiful vistas and panoramic views.

 Our camps, where we had to stay, were situated at along the river tons and the view, from our camps, of the river flowing was mesmerizing.

The camps where we stayed were organized by Camp Megatons and they also provided the best campsites, camp equipment, best rafting sites, raft equipment, hiking equipment, best hiking trails and trekking sites, trekking equipment including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Apart from river rafting, guided nature-walks and bird watching, diverse flora and fauna are part of the enchanting experience. Trekking on the undulated hilly terrains, Camping, Rock climbing, Kayaking are the other activities.  

There were lots of places to see in Mori like, Icchari dam which is one of the main attraction in Mori and it is located on the Tons River. According to the people the river tons was born of the tears of the Shurpnakha, sister of the King Ravana. 

 Second is Duryodhana Temple which was constructed by the Pandavas and it is dedicated to Duryodhana (the eldest among the hundred Kaurvas). This temple was beautifully wooden crafted.

Lunagad Creek is another place to look for in Mori. It was 30 minute walk from Mori surrounded by Asia’s tallest Pine forest. It was a beautiful place with a narrow ravine and a cute pond with a small waterfall.

Netwar is another beautiful rectangular wooden structure temple devoted to Karna, friend of duryodhana. This temple was located approximately 11 kilometers from Mori.

That trip was like much needed dose to bring back refreshment in life.

Jakhol, it was a small village in the upper Tons Valley located at a distance of approximately 20 kilometers from Mori. Set amidst a canopy of thick deodar forests, the village has the only Duryodhan temple which boasts an actual idol of the lord.

     

Reliving the Childhood

“Running from something in hope to find one thing”, leaving behind everything… memories, scars, voices, talks…which you want to take along with you but don’t wish to.

Finding a realm where you would find the inner peace. The silence, where you can listen to your own heart beat. Sitting alone in a jungle surrounded with trees and rocks. Where you can smell freshness of air, can feel the wet and cold soil, can hear the voice of the river flowing in the mountain at a distant place. The voice of birds…Can hear the voices which are hovering in my head.

I have found the place I was looking for. Isoti, is a small village, 6 hours of drive away from Kotdwar. I have already been to this place many times in my childhood but that time I never got the opportunity to explore the place.  This village is surrounded by hills and forest. Isoti is my Mother’s native place and my nana ji and nanji (maternal grandparents) and their family used to live here. The house of my nana ji was at the top of the village and this use to be a very happening and reputed family.  Family of my nanaji was very big. He was the eldest one among four of his brothers. He had two sons and four daughters, so you can image how big his family was. During our summer holiday we all cousins use to come here to spend our holidays. We use to roam here and there and had fun. But now, since the death of my nana ji and nani ji this place has never been the same.

image courtesy: flickr-swetlana hasenjager

Once this was much happening place of the village now has turned into an abandon place. The place where the voices of kids surrounded everywhere now the voice of air passing through the trees is audible.

After the long gap of 10 years I came here again to relive all those moments of my childhood. Again walking on those pavements which once was difficult to cross now becomes very easy to walk on. Meeting with those old faces which use to be young once. Houses are still there but the people are missing.

There was one temple of goddess “Durga” at the top of the hill where we used to come. This temple was very famous and still is among the villagers. On every occasion like either marriage, birth of a child or at any festival they all use to come in a groups and worship here.  In the corridor of the temple there was one big tree of “Horse chestnut”. This tree was also famous among people and they use to gather around it and worship it. I also loved that tree a lot. Whenever we came to the temple I use to swing on the branches of the tree and climb over it.

To relive those moments again, I went to see the temple. When I reached there I found that the structure of the temple was totally changed. Now the temple which used to be very small and built of rocks only has been changed into one big temple. The small boundary of the temple now has been changed into one big wall. But the Horse chestnut tree is still visible from outside the temple. I got excited and to have a look of it from nearby I ran towards the temple.

The tree was still looking the same. Looks like not a single leaf of the tree had shed. I sat on one of the root of it and started looking around. I closed my eyes and after some time all the visuals of my childhood which I spent here with my cousins were appearing in front of my eyes.

That place was very quiet, calm and peaceful. I lay down beneath the tree and didn’t realize when I fall asleep. There is something in the air and environment of Uttrakhand which would take you far-far away. 

                

Exploring the Unexplored in Uttarakhand India

Have you ever had an urge to go somewhere, in isolation, in the midst of mountains, river and woods to get lost to find yourself? Have you ever had an intuition that Mother Nature is calling you to unbind the load of all social burdens and to conquer uncharted boundaries?

November last year I felt the same; I picked my bag pack put some clothes in it and started my journey towards an unknown destination. I did not know where I was heading to but I had an idea or some feelings that someone is calling me from the mountains.    

I boarded the metro from Rithala metro station and reached at the Interstate bus terminal (Kashmiri gate) and started looking for the bus which can help to reach my unknown destination. The destination isn’t very well known but the diamonds are hidden beauties, aren’t they? You just sometime stumble upon them unwillingly.

At ISBT I have found the bus of Uttrakhand Transport Corporation bound to Kotdwar. Kotdwar is situated in the southwestern part of the state and is one of the main entrance points in the state of Uttarakhand. At 10:00 pm I boarded the bus and reached the Kotdwar Bus terminal at 4:30am. From Kotdwar bus terminal I resume my further journey and boarded a bus bound to Chaubattakhal. At 5:30am the bus started its journey and plying on the road surrounded by the mountains. 

Once the first ray of sun falls upon the earth the view which was engulfed in the darkness of night lighted up like a diamond in the coal mine. All the mesmerizing view which was lost earlier became visible. The cool fresh breeze which was flowing from the woods when it touched the cheeks of mine felt like I am in another world and it’s brought the freshness in me. Mountains all around and the forest of pine trees spread all across the mountains and the sun rays falling through the pine trees.  

After 3 hours of journey bus halted at “Satpuli” a small market situated at the bank of the river surrounded by the mountains. The market has not much to offer but the air of satisfaction drools over the locals. I don’t know if that’s satisfaction or a silent dismal attitude towards life.

Tea is ubiquitous. There were many small stalls of tea everywhere serving tea along with the bread pakodas and the smell of freshly fried pakodas awaken my hunger and forced me to have a bite of it along with the tea.

After 30 minutes the bus resumed its journey. Now the view of outside had become much more mesmerizing. At 10:30 I de boarded the bus at Naugaun khaal which was a small market and very popular among nearby villagers to buy the daily usable necessary stuff. I started wandering in the market, walking around the village; climbing random small hills and figuring out ways while walking; ending up in a dead place end place with nowhere further to go; then finally sitting on the edge of a hill which seemed more like the edge of the earth and ceasing the moment.

Walking along the rice field surround by terraced hills, this was maybe the first time I climbed up the barren terrace farming hill, absorbing the fresh air, penetrating into the tranquility of the place. I had lunch at nearby local restaurant which was serving pahari food, some tea and explored the village where in some houses women were preparing spices and some were beating the corn. 

To be honest I cannot fabricate my experience in words because it was a place which you can just feel; carrying the feelings for the rest of my life; reliving each moment.

BAROG, A QUAINT HILL STATION IN HIMACHAL INDIA

We were looking for a place where we could find some peace and solace from the city hectic life in Delhi. We did some quick online research and zeroed in for a place called Barog in Solan District Himachal Pradesh India. It is small and quaint hill station with a tiny railway station for that lies on UNESCO World Heritage Site Kalka-Shimla Railway.

We took a cab on a Friday morning from Delhi and headed towards Barog. We drove for about 6 hours and reached Barog at about 2pm in the afternoon. On our way to Shimla we were confused on where to stop for Barog Railway Station as there are no clear sign boards. We had to stop at several places and enquire with the locals. At the point on highway we stopped there was a little hutment and parking space for only around 2 cars. We had to leave our car on the highway.

We had booked Railways Officers Guest House at the Barog Railway Station. We called our contact person at the station and he organized a person who came up on the highway to receive us. We had to climb down around one kilometer from the highway to reach Barog Railway Station.

Soon, we were shown our rooms. These were old and unmaintained rooms but very spacious. We quickly got ready for lunch as we were very hungry. We went to the Railways canteen. Choice of food was not too many. We had to settle with whatever was available. Food was expensive too compared to the quality being served.

Post lunch, we took a stroll around the station. It was truly a beautiful station tucked away in the hills surrounded by tall Pine trees. We sat and watched the toy trains halting, people coming out for refreshment, again boarding the train and leaving. It was a sight to be remembered for life.

Though we went there in summers, the climate was salubrious. We interacted with the local people in the station and surroundings and heard several stories about Barog.

Barog is named after Colonel Barog, an engineer involved in building the railway track in 1903. It used to be an important stop in the early decades of the century when the Kalka-Shimla toy train stopped here for an hour while the sahibs and memsahibs enjoyed a lavish lunch. Once a stopover to Shimla, it has now turned into an independent destination. Some private hotels and camps have sprung up. Several families from Delhi-NCR were staying in the Railway accommodation. It is not very far from Delhi and is situated at a height of 1600 meters. Climate in winters we were informed becomes very cold. Snowfall occurs but rarely.

Barog has the longest tunnel on Kalka-Shimla rail route. Barog, the engineer, designed the tunnel near the railway station. Sory goes that he commenced digging the tunnel from both sides of the mountain, which is quite common as it speeds up construction. However, he made mistakes in his calculation and while constructing the tunnel, it was found that the two ends of the tunnel did not meet. Barog was fined an amount of 1 Rupee by the then British government. Unable to withstand the humiliation, Barog committed suicide and was buried near the incomplete tunnel. The area came to be known as Barog after him. Barog Railway Station is immediately after the tunnel. It took around 3 minutes for our train to cross the tunnel.

Evenings got very pleasant at the station. We played badminton in the adjoining court. Nothing to do after 8 pm, we took our dinner at the same canteen and went to bed early.

Again the next morning those beautiful toy trains started bringing hoards of passengers on the station. Once the train left, the station again looked deserted. We enjoyed the calm and tranquility around. We took a toy train ride from Barog till Solan and back. It was a beautiful ride indeed!

Sunday afternoon we headed back from Barog with beautiful memories and recharged.

JANAKPUR, A MUST VISIT IN NEPAL

My first trip in Nepal was to Janakpur , the birth place of Goddess Janaki (Sita), daughter of King Janaka and wife of Lord Rama. Janakpur is located 128 km southeast of Kathmandu. It is closeby to Indian border Bhittamore, around 1 hour drive.Janakpur was the capital of the ancient state of Mithila, which used to be part of India. The Maithili language is spoken here. It has its own script
and is spoken by around two million people.

As Janakpur is the terai region of Nepal it’s too hot and humid with temperature of 45 degrees in summers. For the most part motorized traffic is banned from the city center and there is almost no tourist hustle. So it is a peaceful place. The main attraction of Janakpur is Janaki temple, Lord Hanuman’s (Bajranbali) wooden statue,Ram Mandir, Dhanus Sagar, Ganga Sagar and Sankat Mochan Temple. AnInternational Railway is situated at Janakpur. Two narrow-gauge lines end at Janakpur, one going east to Jaynagar, just over the Indian border, and the other northwest to Bijalpura. Both train lines are about 30km long. Taking a train is a nice way to see the countryside.

The BibhahaPanchami festival re-enacts the wedding of Rama and Sita. Over 100,000 pilgrims come for this festival. There is a procession with elephants, horses, and decorated chariots with beating drums. It is on the fifth day of the waxing moon in November or early December.

Rama Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama, in March-April, is an important festival that draws over 100,000 people. Dipawali in Oct/Nov is a festive time to visit. There is an annual one-day Parikrama (circumambulation) of the city on the full moon day of February/March. Many people offer
prostrated obeisances along the entire 8km route. It is at the same time as the Holi festival.The Janakpurdham/janakpur, an important tourist destination of Terai plain, is located in Dhanusa district of janakpur Zone within the Cenral Development Region. The historical town housing
ancient temples, monasteries, arts and craft of numerous deities is also regarded as an important center. The town that used to be the capital of the ancent Mithila kingdom is alos home to many important pilgrimage sites, Janakpur is the birthplace of the ideal woman of all Hindus, Mother Sita, consort of Lord Ram, the idea man. Each and every square of the town hosts at least on deity related to the epic Ramayana, which adds to the town’s attraction.

The huge Ram temple resembling the Mugal palaces of India has hundreds of rooms, stages, prayer rooms, store-rooms and sitting rooms. The temple adorned with exquisite artistry never fails to astonish the visitors. Apart from the Janaki temple, the Ram Mandir, Vivaha Mandap, Janak Mandir, Laxman temple, and the sarcred sagar (ponds) are the other holy sites.

There are wide range of hotels and lodges (inexpensive ones) so rest assured that you can test good food mostly the veggie.  Day and night buses are available from Janakpur to Kathmandu.

Prepare yourselves with warm clothes in December and if you have decided to travel in other months, light clothes is a must.

THE QUEEN OF SATPURA: PACHMARHI

We were a group of 4 people going to explore Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh India. From Delhi we went to Jabalpur, where a family friend was posted. We stayed with them for a day. From Jabalpur we arrived in a local train to Pipariya Railway Station.

From Pipariya we took a cab till Pachmarhi. Uphill climb begins moment we leave Pipariya. It’s a beautiful drive till Pachmarhi. There are some viewpoints on the way to Pachmarhi itself.

We arrived at the MP Tourism cottages we had pre-booked. The whole complex was beautifully done and quite spacious. We got a cute one bedroom cottage with a small verandah outside and a courtyard inside. Overlooking the cottage was a large garden area. It was a fantastic accommodation we all loved. Almost all the cottages in the row were occupied. For food there was a huge dining hall and alternatively, room service was available too.

Climate in the month of March was just awesome. We preferred to chill around within the complex on the first day. Second day, we hired a tourist guide and gypsy to take us around for sightseeing. Thick forest cover surrounding the town is home to many rare varieties of plants. Pachmarhi is better known as Satpura ki Rani ("Queen of Satpura"), a valley of the Satpura Range in Hoshangabad district.

Dhupgarh is the highest point (1,350 m) in Madhya Pradesh and the Satpura range. We had never seen such expanse with rich foliage, views and waterfalls before. Several sites with religious and mythological significance were dotting the entire area. For days, we felt like being in the heaven.

We learn from the local people that several dignitaries constantly visited Pachmarhi for health and wellness. Tourists visit Pachmarhi throughout the year. Apart from accommodation options by MP Tourism, there are several private hotels, mostly situated in market. Places of tourist interests are Bee fall, Silver fall, Pandava caves, Dhoopgarh, Handi kho, Jatashankar and Gupt Mahadev temple. This is the second highest peak. It is a pilgrimage site with Lord Siva's temple at the top. There is a Chauragarh fort there built by the king Sangram Shah of Gond dynasty. It is also a very well known spot for sunrise viewing.

Overall, Pachmarhi is a must see for all the travel and adventure seekers. It is one of the lesser known hill stations in India.  

THE FINEST WEEKEND GETAWAY FROM DELHI: LANSDOWNE

A friend of mine had mentioned to me about a place in Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand India. We decided to check it out. We started early in the morning at 6 from East Delhi on a cab. We were 4 of us husband-wife and 2 kids.
Early morning drive gave us clean entry till Meerut. Before starting our journey we had done our homework online on the route to reach Lansdowne. Little before Meerut we got alert as we had to take a right turn towards Bijnor and not head straight towards the Meerut town. We found the landmark easily and got on the right track.

Meerut-Bijnor-Kotdwar route wasn’t very busy but for some specific high population density pockets. Tractors and other slow moving vehicles were definitely a bottleneck. But overall the route is fine and traffic flows smooth. It started raining in the month of May. Though the sight was unusual but it made the journey interesting.

After crossing Bijnor green on both sides of the road suddenly brings smile on your face as it is something every city dweller craves for. We reached Kotdwar at 9am. Here, we decided to have some tea and snacks before beginning the uphill drive to Lansdowne. Kotdwar is a busy town with erratic traffic.

Immediately after a rest of around 20 minutes we headed towards Lansdowne. As the hilly roads meandered through the rich foliage we were getting elated with in connect with natural surroundings. Many jeeps and SUVs passed along carrying local population. We stopped at a roadside tea stall to breathe in open greens and enjoy a hot cup of tea. Soon we reached our destination- GMVN TRH at Lansdowne at 10am. We were made to sit at the reception for around 15 minutes till they were getting our family suite ready. It is a well maintained GMVN property at a very nice location. Our family suite had very good view from the window.

We immediately ordered some breakfast. There is a kitchen that only serves made to order food to the guests. Though the choice and variety is not much, food tasted quite home made.

After a heavy breakfast, we decided to go visiting some nearby locations. We went till the BhullaTaal. All of us enjoyed boating there and some nature walk. Climate was wonderful, neither very cold nor hot. Ideal climate for long walks. From here we drove till the market for lunch. There were a couple of restaurants in the market serving all kinds of food. But the quality of food was substandard compared to the price they were charging. We thought, it’s ok at a location like this.

We came to our room for some rest as it was a tiring day. At 7pm we ordered our dinner as the cook had asked us to place orders atleast 3 hours before dinner time. We again decided to go for a long walk. TRH staff advised us to go till the Durga Temple that is built and maintained by the army cantonment. We walked down till the temple. It was an amazing temple, very neat and clean. We sat in the temple for around and hour and walked back. It was dark when we were walking back to our guesthouse. There were very few people being seen on the road. We lost our way but an elderly gentleman guided us through. On the way we encountered some stray dogs barking at us but they proved harmless.  We came back to our TRH at 10pm.

As we came back, we informed the cook to serve us food. We asked for room service as we were very tired. The temperature had gone down and we were shivering by now. Post dinner we tired souls pulled up our blankets and fell off to sleep.

Next morning we decided to cover remaining site-seeing of the hill station. Post our breakfast we started our journey further uphill to the TIPINTOP. On the way we stooped at some old and new church buildings. TIPINTOP is the highest point at Lansdowne and throws up breathtaking views of the Garhwal hills. There is a GMVN guest house located even here. Some tree houses are also on offer. We had some snacks at the canteen and lots of site seeing. From here we went to the military museum.

Evening we came back to our guesthouse. Again ordered our dinner, took some rest and decided to walk till Durga temple. On the way we were feeling sad as this was the second night we had booked for and next day we had to check out. We came back and spoke with the manager to extend our stay in the same room for another day if possible. Fortunately we got the room for another day.

Next day on the advice of the TRH Manager we went for a trip to Tarkeshwar Mahadev, around 45 kilometers from our TRH. The drive was beautiful. The place has a small temple surrounded by tick deodar trees. We saw some young people coming over to this place for picnic and excursion. It was a gem of a place tucked away in the hills. We wanted to stay back here overnight but there were no accommodation available. So we had to leave by 5 in the evening. We came back to our rest house and called it a day.

This short journey to a nearby place from Delhi, about 4 hours easy drive, is unforgettable. Best part about Lansdowne was being a military cantonment, the whole area was neat and clean. No security issues and tourists can indulge in long nature walks anytime without fear. We found Lansdowne the best weekend getaway destination. It is a place for those who love quiet, natural surroundings for a holiday.

7 reasons to go visiting Patnitop J&K India

1. 

Patnitop, popular hill station in north India is well connected by national highway and the nearest rail head Udhampur. 

2. 

The beautiful hills are a part of Shivalik ranges and the River Chenab flows close-by.

3. 

The beautiful meadows and breathtaking view of the mountains enchant all visitors. The joy of Paragliding and High flying can be experienced from the take off points at Dwariyai and Natha Top till Kud (landing area). 

4. 

20 kms from Patnitop is Sanasar, its name synonymous with adventure tourism. Sanasar offers a range of activities like Paragliding, Camping, Trekking, Abseiling, Rock Climbing and scenic nature walks.

5. 

After winter snowfall Skiing begins, during the winter months from November to February.

6. 

Its an anytime of the year visit destination. Climate remains excellent even in the hot Indian summers

7. 

Good accommodation facilities available for all pockets

7 FACTS TO KNOW FOR A TRAVEL TO BIKANER

Bikaner is a sleepy district town in Rajasthan India carrying history of about 600 years of its existence. 

The neat and clean town with good roads and friendly people offers many forts and temples for visitors to behold and appreciate the Rajputana heritage. 

Junagarh fort is a marvel created, added and maintained by Suryavamshi Raghore Rajputs. 

It's one the finest forts in Rajasthan well kept, maintained with display of weapons, arms and artillery used in medieval warfare. The fort lends a character to the town. 

There are other forts like the one where the current generation of the royal family lives and part of it is turned into a heritage hotel. 

There are other medieval structures too, created with classic domes, arches and the jaali work. 

Apart from seeing and understanding these Rajputana heritage there is nothing else to do in Bikaner. 

2 days trip is sufficient to cover all the areas of tourist interests in Bikaner.