Mcloeadganj
Quaint but not quiet
Our quest for the quaint and an unending desire to escape the hustle-bustle got us onto a flight from Mumbai to Chandigarh. An eight-hour drive (including halts for lunch and refreshments) on wide concrete roads followed by an ascend on narrow but still concrete roads brought us to our first destination – Mcloedganj, a tiny suburb of Dharamshala, which also happens to be the headquarter of the Tibetian government-in-exile. This wonderful drive ended in to a long traffic jam and a congregation of people at a junction of five lanes, quashing all hopes of quaint and hustle-free. It is only the next day that we realized that the junction – called main square – was the actually the centre of action at Mcloedganj (and probably represented the entire suburb as far as tourists were concerned).
To give you a sense of the place, if you were standing at the main square such that you were not facing any road, but facing the valley, then about a kilometer to your left would be the Tibetian Musem / Dalai Lama Temple, a similar distance to your right would be the Namgyal Monastery / St. John in the Wilderness Church, whereas about 2kms behind you would be the Bhagsu Nag waterfall. These are mostly the touristy places that you would visit in Mcloedganj. Other than that, most people hang out around the square to shop and eat.
Located a few meters above the waterfall, Shiva café offered
magnificent views from around 1500 meters above along with some quality
eatables, warm coffee and notorious smoke-ables. A large open sit-out
complimented with trance and rock & roll made this an ideal place to spend
some quality time, absorbing the magnificent views (and psychotropic elements).
While there was not much beyond Shiva Café, we did hear that we could trek
further to reach our second destination; however, we were advised against doing
so due to the terrain being very difficult. Thus we headed back to our hotel
and decided to trek up to destination two the next morning. Oh, by the way,
there were a couple of water ponds at this place too; alas, we couldn’t escape
all of the enthusiasts that we tried to leave behind at the Bhagsu temple pond.
Of the remaining 6kms, the first 4-5kms was an easy hike
with beautiful panoramas for the Kangra Valley. Until here, we came across a
few cafes on the way which offered respite in the form of water (INR 20 for a
1litre refill of spring water), tea/coffee/beverages, and most importantly a
bowl of Maggi. Beyond the last café (magic view café), the trek turned in a
steep rocky climb with a number of tiring curves – 22 in total – in the last
one km along with heavy rains. This stretch of the trek was not just tiring, it
was a test of our endurance and lungs. However, the exhilarating, awe-inspiring
view after the 22nd curve made this effort worth every strained
muscle. Just as we completed the last turn and climbed up the last incline, we
saw glimpses of Mon peak, a snow covered peak of the Dhualadhar range rising
over the green crest of Triund. There are times when a spectacle can stun you
into being speechless – this was one of those moments, when time stood still,
there was nothing that we could hear and no pain that we could feel.
The Shiva trilogy –
Water, Food, and Substance
What most tourists do not cover are the most interesting
things that Mcloedganj has to offer, and both involve a fair bit of hiking. The
first is a small hike that starts at the Bhagsu temple – usually where the
visit ends for most tourists. The Bhagsu temple has a pond whereby an
underground spring delivers water from the melting glaciers. This is the main
attraction for tourists as the pond is open for a people to dip in. Once you
walk past this gory site (most men strip down to bare minimum clothing), you
come across the beautiful Bhagsu waterfall. From here you can hike up either
along the waterfall (in dry season) or along a paved trail to the top of the
waterfall. There are a number of small eateries on the way, but the best one is
at the top of the waterfall - a charming little place called Shiva Café.
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| Front view of the Shiva Cafe |
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| Back View of Shiva Cafe |
Triund & Mon Peak
If you are a nature enthusiast, then one of the prime reasons
for your trip to Mcloedganj would be for a hike to Triund. A ridge overlooking
the mighty Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas, Triund is situated at an
elevation of around 2,800 meters (over 9,000 feet). The overall trek from
Mcloedganj main square to Triund is around 10kms. However, the first 4 kms is a
motorable road and so we decided to book a cab from the taxi stand at the main
square for around INR 400. While, at first the decision to take the cab was
debate-worthy, we soon realized that it was a wise one, as in doing so, we had eliminated
a very steep uphill walk of around 4kms up to the Galu devi temple.
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| First Glimpse of the MonPeak |
At Triund, accommodation was not an issue as a lot of groups
had pitched tents that they offered on rent. There are couple of cafes on top
which serve tea/coffee/maggi/dinner/beverages. All the cafes tend to be pricy
(tea/coffee is usually INR 45-50, dinner is around 150-200), however, given
that they have to port all ingredients, including gas tanks, to the top, the
prices are justified. Upon selecting our tents at the edge of the valley
between Tirund and Mon peak, we spent some time absorbing the spectacle. If
there is anything that can undo the magic of nature, it is only one thing –
natures call. Now, the downside of wanting to spend a night in an uninhibited
place is that restrooms are usually behind trees or rocks – so began our hunt
for a space to discharge.
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| Tents, Valley and Mon Peak |
The rest of the evening was spent in trying to capture the
panoramas and the shades of the setting sun. Dinner was finally served –
sumptuous matar paneer and rice (nah!!! Food was really bad, but the exhaustion
and hunger from the climb helped us relish it). With that, we called it a day
and crawled in to our warm sleeping bags and passed out. I woke up around 2am
and checked my phone for the location of the milky way, and lo-and-behold, the
milky way was right in front of our tent. I jumped to catch a glimpse, however,
all I could see outside with a moon-lit peak covered in thick cloud cover.
There was therefore no chance of any views of the milky way. Disappointed, I
quickly dozed off.
The next morning started early with the break of the dawn
waking us up at 5AM. We wanted to watch the sun rise over the peaks that stood
in front of us, however after waiting two hours for the cloud cover to
disappear, we decided to start our descend. A little into the descend, we were
met by some army personnel – probably on a morning routine exercise; just that
their exercise involved running up and down the mountain. So while we treaded
each step cautiously, judicially balancing our feet on rocks, these guys just
zipped by. Everyone stood in awe as these men disappeared within seconds.
We spent the rest of the day mostly in bed once we reached
back to our hotel. The next day, we bid goodbye to Dharamshala and headed
towards Manali.
Bir Billing and The
Beas Encounter
The drive from Dharamshala to Manali was very scenic, with
the roads winding up and down the Dhauladhar and other ranges. On the way we
crossed the town of Palampur, the tea capital of northwest India. This town was
strikingly different from anything that we had seen on the way – with distinct
multi-storied concrete houses, gated communities, and a mall. Tea business is
good it seems!! An hour’s drive further from Palampur got us to a small village
called Bir. 15kms uphill from Bir is Billing, which is a paragliding launch
site at an elevation of 2400 meters (~7900 feet), while Bir happens be the
landing site. Together, Bir-Billing are amongst few of the world renowned
places to Paraglide, with the 2015 Paragliding World Cup being held here. There
are a few booking office at Bir which take you in their jeeps to the launch
site and train you for the glide. To our despair, there was a thick cloud cover
at Billing and despite waiting for two hours, we weren’t lucky enough to get to
run off the mountains. So we continued our road trip to Manali, with the
panorama helping us soon overcome the disappointment of not being able to
paraglide.
As magnificent the mountains can be, nothing can be as
splendid as a river fiercely gushing down the mountains. Ascending against the
Beas rivers as we were into the final leg of our journey towards Manali, we
couldn’t help but stop to admire its unrestrained current. Originating from the
Himalayas at a height of over 4361 meters (14,000 feet), the Beas river
traverses 470 kms through the mountain towns of Manali and Kullu to join the
Sutlej river in Punjab. The might of the this descending river is quite a
visual for the eye.
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| Beas River |
Manali
Old vs New
Our next stop was the town of Manali. In wanting to stay
with nature and away from the crowd, we had decided to stay in Old Manali. True
to its name, our hotel was a small 8-10 room property that was built on top of a
huge rock that stood by the pristine Manaslu river. Surrounded by mountain ranges
on all sides, will views of snow peaks in the distant and a pristine white
water flow underneath, our room had a dreamy view. On the touristy to-do-list,
Manali has a number of things like temples, nature park and a market flooded
with food stalls and restaurants. While some of us decided to explore these
places, some of us decided to sit in solitude by the river with a beer and a
book.
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| View from the room |
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| View from the room |
Evenings are usually very interesting in old Manali, with a
number of small cafes lined along the Manaslu river usually hosting live events
at nights. Sipping whisky, listening to the alternating sound of a flowing
river and un-plugged music, one of us called in their birthday at midnight at
café 1947. The food at most of these cafes is good, while the ambience is unique
for each, making you want to visit a new one each evening (we managed only two:
Café 1947 and Johnson's Café). These cafes, and small guest-house like inns,
all lined up along a river are the charm of old Manali. If you seek luxury and
ambience, maybe a hotel in new Manali would attract you. However, if like us,
you despise crowd and glamor, then old Manali is the place to be. Its old world
charm is aptly complimented by the modern colorful eateries, an unusual mix of
calm and gaiety.
A Pass and a Slide
On our second morning in Manali, we caught an early morning
cab to one of Manali’s most revered destinations – Rohtang Pass. At an
elevation of 13000 feet (~4000meters) in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas,
it connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys, and goes on to
Leh in Ladakh. In order to maintain its ecology, the national green tribunal
(NGT) requires that all vehicles going to the pass seek a permit. Such permit
is provided to only around 1200 vehicles (further broken down in to petrol and
diesel). Given these restrictions, tourists have to usually shell out a lot of
money to go to the pass. We paid a total of INR 5000 for our vehicle and the
permit (Rohtang is at a distance of 51 kms from Manali, so a total travel of
around 100kms less the permit which costs INR500 officially, implies an INR 45
per km charge for hiring the vehicle). Given how irresponsibly most of us
travel, in our opinion, the permit system is well justified. The car charges
are usually defended on the grounds of the steep slopes that car has to ascend,
usually in the first two-three gears.
Given the low temperature at the top, tourists are advised
to wear protective clothing; usually drivers take you to shops that rent such
clothing for around 1000 per person which includes a jump suit and rubber
boots. Woolen gloves and socks are charged extra, however, we carried our own.
The reason we started early is that once you start your ascend, you have to
pass through a checkpost which slows down traffic, leading to a long queue of
cars; thus the earlier the better. We witnessed a similar jam at one point
where a patch of the road was broken down (the tar cover had come off, leading
to a sludgy patch, which had to be flattened after every few vehicles passed
over it). While we witnessed a small jam at this place thanks to our early
morning departure, on the way back, we saw the jam extending for many
kilometers at a stretch. Thus, it pays to start early (5 A.M. is ideal).
Overall, the roads were smooth, despite the area prone to
frequent land/rock-slides. The roads are maintained by the Border Road
Organisation (BRO) and they do a commendable job. Every Tuesday, they undertake
repair works (in addition to the daily assistance they provide like smoothening
the sludge where we were stuck), and thus the roads are closed for tourists. As
you start gaining altitude, the winding roads provide beautiful views of the
valley, snow peaks and many a waterfall.
At around 11,000feet, a number of small eateries are lined
up offering meals, beverages, and magnificent sights. Beyond these, you drive
around glaciers and water falls to reach the top – a plateau that is used as a
parking lot.
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| Driving past a glacier |
If you are lucky, the place will be covered will thick snow and a
number of activities like snow scooter, skiing and mountain biking are
undertaken. We didn’t witness a lot of snow and therefore decided to drive a
little further, where the roads start winding down toward Keylong (we had to
shell INR 500 for going around 1-2kms further). Luckily for us, we found plenty
of snow only a little further down the road, with lesser crowd as most tourists
were parked at Rohtang. While there was snow running down a hill, it wasn’t
enough for any adventure activity to be undertaken. This is where we took
matters in our own hands; with a little bit of push from the back we had us all
sliding down the snowy slope a couple of times, until we inspired enough people
to try.
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| ready to slide down the slope |
History of Two houses
On the third morning in Manali, we set out to explore the
old Kullu-Manali route. Like every other routes, this one was also scenic,
although the roads were a little narrow. We crossed patches that were covered
by tall deodar trees – a sight that we had not seen often – along with a few
temples and monasteries. Our first halt was in a small village called Naggar –
the erstwhile capital of the Kullu kingdom. A sleepy village formed on the
slopes of the hills, overlooking the Beas river and flat lands, Naggar had a
true old world charm. It is probably for this reason that Russian painter,
writer and explorer Nicholas Roerich decided to settle here for the last 20
years of his life. His house, now converted in to a museum, showcases a number
of his paintings that were inspired by this region amongst many from his
extensive travels across Asia. Most of the private rooms of the house (on the
upper floor) and the dining area (on the lower floor) have been preserved as
is, and offer a good peek in to the colonial interiors. Also on the property
are Nicholas' tomb and an exhibit on the Roerichs' artist son Svyatoslav and
his wife, the Indian film star Devika Rani. A little further up from the house
is the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute (International Roerich Memorial
Trust) with further exhibits on the work of the Roerichs and their associates.
Around a km downhill from the Roerich house is a more than
550 years old castle called the Naggar castle. Built by Raja Sidh Singh of
Kullu around 1460 A.D., the castle is an architectural marvel, constructed
using only stone and logs. The doors and window panels have intricate carvings
all along, whereas the main door boasts of being made from a single tree trunk
using only an axe. In 1978, the castle was handed over to HPTDC who now run it
as a heritage hotel. While not comparable to the many privately run heritage
hotels in India, Naggar castle does make for an interesting stay. In fact, the
slowness of the village attracts a number of foreign visitors to Naggar, who
usually seek longer stays than tourists.
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| The stone and timber construction |
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| Carved wooden frames |
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| Main door made from a single tree trunk using only an axe |
Kullu
The final frontier
From these places of historic importance, we headed on to
Kullu, where we floated on raft over the Beas River. We were told that at
times, people tend to fall out of their rafts or a number of rafts turn over at
some spots in the river. However, we weren’t lucky enough. So we experienced
the ice cold water only when our raft would go down a rapid and some water
would come splashing in to the raft. Falling off in to the river would have
been quite some fun, but….
With this, we reached the final leg our journey, which was a
day’s rest in Bhunter (a town just outside Kullu), close to the airport. On the
way to the airport, we met the Beas river for one last time – this time when it
met the Parvati river. The ‘Sangam’ is an interesting one, as one can see two distinct
colored water flowing along each other – one from a muddy stream (Parvati) and
the other from a clear stream (Beas).
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| The Beas Parvati Sangam |
Words or picture cannot do justice to the magic that
Himachal has to offer. We covered only a small portion of the state, but we
were nothing short of astonished with every sight, during the day as well as at
night.
In Himachal, you are never short of a spectacle….
Itinerary:-
Day
|
Destination
|
Description
|
Stay
At:
|
|
1
|
Mumbai - Chandigarh - Dharamshala
|
Morning Flight
to Chandigarh, then a 5 Hrs 30 mins road journey to Dharamshala.
|
Ram Yoga House
|
|
2
|
Mcleodganj
|
Bhasunath
Waterfall, Tsuglagkhang (Dalai Lama's temple) and Namgyal Monastery (Tibetan
Institute of Performing Arts)
|
Ram Yoga House
|
|
3
|
Mcleodganj - Triund Trek - 8 km
|
Triund Trek
|
Tents / Ram Yoga House
|
|
4
|
Triund - Mcleodganj
|
Ram Yoga House
|
||
5
|
Mcleodganj - Manali
|
Go to Bir for paragliding
and onwards to Manali
|
Rock Top Café & Inn
|
|
6
|
Manali
|
Visit
Hadimba Temple; Vashisht Temple; Buddhist Monastery - Nyingma Monastery; Van
Vihar; Baes River; Manu Rishi Temple
|
Rock Top Café & Inn
|
|
7
|
Manali
|
Rohtang Pass
|
Rock Top Café & Inn
|
|
8
|
Manali - Kullu
|
Naggar
Castle, Roerich Museum, Rafting
|
V-Resorts
|
|
9
|
Kullu
|
Rest
|
V-Resorts
|
|
10
|
Kullu - Mumbai
|
Kullu
- Delhi - Bombay
|
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