Garhwal was, is, will remain beautiful!

A travel to Garhwal awakens the purity in you…

Dense green pine forests, blue cloud-patchy  sky, cool breeze, all add to the beauty of  Garhwal!   

Terrace farming in #Bungdhar, a village on the way 

to  #Bhagwati Taliya 

Note these: Dancing trees, fresh breeze, green stepped paddy fields, unsullied  water flowing through round and oval stones in the rivers, white temples crowned with red flags and their respective boundaries adorned with chimes & bells, snow covered Himalayan range, blue sky at times coupled with gossamer clouds and the beautiful people of #Garhwal!

The Chhoti #Deeba temple, built in 1650

Yes.. all these elements are more than enough to inject energy-by-nature into ones’ veins. Visiting #Garhwal for me is getting rid of the urban hustle- bustle, and what best could be the time than a long official holiday. This time, it was the Holi weekend.

A walk through #Deeba hills! 

On March 23, 2016, we left from our home in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad at 5 pm in our car and reached Ramnagar at 10 pm. The idea was to stay overnight and relax our muscles; also, as we had two kids and senior citizens (my parents) travelling with us. We re-started the journey towards our native place (#Bhararidhar, a village in Pauri Garhwal) at 4:30 am. 

My roots, my beautiful village #Bhararidhar!

We crossed #Corbett National Park, Mohan and Marchula, and moved up the hills touching places like Jadaukhand, Dhumakot, Deebakhaal, Deeba Dand, Baijro, Kanera, Chaukhal and finally, reached Bhagwati Taliya at 10:00 am to put the final breaks to the car and pull up the hand breaks.

The full-moon night made our travel all the more special, bright, cheerful and well-guarded. 

There were two best experiences, which not everyone is lucky always to encounter, while driving up the hills.

Moon is setting. It’s 5:30am

 How Moon goes to sleep and Sun wakes up?: The serpentine road travel offered us a chance to see the unfathomably hiding moon in the west and the eloquently rising sun in the east. This occurred between 6 am and 6:30 am.

Sunrise: frame-it moment! It’s 6:15am

It was an experience to comprehend; how darkness ultimately translates into brightness, how untainted breeze brushes through your soul and mind, to bless you with clarity & wisdom and resonate a human, a #Buddha, in us. The entire family was out of the car to capture the beauty and inhale the purity. Sumptuous indeed, it was!... to see how moon hid in the sky and sun rose far off behind from the mountains.

Wild goats grazing the green patches: The white and black wild mountain goats, numbering up to 150 plus, manned by just two, grazing amidst the pine jungle, was a sight seen once only, in a lifetime! Though, my husband was blessed enough to see it the second time. “Last time, about six months ago, these goats had blocked my road for almost 10-15 minutes”, he said.

A herder tending mountain goats counting more than 150. I loved the sight!

Ashok and I, holding a kid! 

First it showed restiveness, 

but later  it felt comfortable;

 it understood the warmth 

that we tried to extend.

But I bet, the exquisiteness of the latest display by the goats was unparalleled! And, the drive through the jungle with sun sprinkling its lustrous rays through dense sky rocketing pine trees, quenched our thirst for the nature!

Naisha clings to her Nanu to reach out

 to a bell in premises of 

The chhoti #Deeba Temple;

 the echo of the bells was soul-soothing

 ……We drove further.... for 3.5 more hours from #Deeba Temple to #Baijro, then #Chaukhal  and eventually reached #Bhagwati Taliya, a central place that serves about 25 villages around it, with shops for grocery and other necessary items, a higher secondary school, government hospital and beautiful ‘Maa Bhagwati’ temple. To reach my paternal village #Bhararidhar, we had to climb up small hills and pass through terrace fields, which demands 20 min to 30 min exercise on foot.

#Bhagwati Taliya, which hosts to a small market, a school, 

medical facilities and labour hub

I can’t express enough my contentment the moment I put my feet on the pious land. I hand reached my destination. How I wish I were to spend my rest of life here only…. I would have felt accomplished! It feels heavenly getting back to your roots. Everyone looks equal, though still living a pastoral style of life. Yes, people get up as soon as the first ray of sun touches them; they are done with their breakfast by 7:30 am; and could be seen on fields around 8 am. Besides, cattle rearing and livestock management go hand in hand.

Mom and I relishing the beautiful moments!

I loved being pampered by all my near and dear ones in my village. What I all did was- Eat, sleep and enjoy the beauty with long walks climbing up and racing down the hills, while capturing everything… every mood and sight I could. 

Kids playing #holi! Hrishit, Naisha and my cousin Pappu (right)

My kids were all by their own, I didn’t even have to worry about them as they were in their secured native premises. Even the sight of snakes didn’t dampen their spirits. Yes, they collectively saw a cobra of 3.5 feet and then a very small one of about half a foot.

Nothing feels scary..... as the Gods and Goddesses of this holy land are meant to protect every one, visiting and residing here.

What I didn’t like? Not as many people are living in Garhwal as once used to be. Reason? People have migrated to cities for better livelihood.  And, without people, villages give a sad look.

Parched Terrace fields

Besides, I hated looking at various parched and barren fields; they give an awfully gloomy look. Schemes like #MGNREGA have caused more damage than benefiting the villagers. Roads are being built across villages for better connectivity but the quality is not at all satisfactory. People leave their fields to find employment at the road construction sites. Resultantly, neither the fields are flourishing, nor can the newly built road infrastructure boast of durability. …And gullible villagers are becoming more gullible in the process as they feel rewarded earning nuts while laying roads.

Also, I didn’t like the modified flat roofed cemented houses that most of the villagers have built now, losing on the aesthetics of traditional #slate roof structures.

A plain area - the first #helipad of Garhwal;

 the place is called #Dhumakot;

 the area behind encloses

 the Intermediate College 

List of Must Experience Places/Sights – On way to Bhagwati Taliya from #Corbett National Park- (Bhagwati Taliya is 145 kmts from Ramnagar)

Temples- Badi Deeba (Deeba Khaal/ahead of Dhumakot), Shivalaya and Maa Bhagwati Mandir (The latter two temples are near Bhagwati Taliya)

River- Any small tributary can give you the feel of a pristine river harbouring ice-aged water

#Sunrise and #Sunset Points- The best scenic point could be seen in Kaful Gair village and Jogi Mani Village

Snow covered Himayalan range- The sight looks best from the Jogi Mani Village

Visit to a villager’s Kutcha house – Any; check with your hotel person if he could help

Cowshed- Any

Helipad- Dhumakot, is the place that marks the first helipad of Garhwal

Sumptuous chole; we savoured them at a

 roadside stall in Jadaukhand village

What is must to eat/drink?

• Butter Milk laced with garlic and green chilly salt – Try anywhere
• Eat Black Bread (Kode ki roti) soaked in Ghee with green chutney – Try at a villager’s home, if possible
• Chullha cooked daal and rice  - Try at a villager’s home, if possible
• Cholle, topped up with chopped onion, are a must try – A small shop, on the road, in Jadaukhand village (On way to #Baijro from #Ramnagar) is famous for the cholle
• Egg Samosas- They are a speciality of a shop in Dhumakot market, forgot the name (Sorry)
• Tea- It tastes god at any roadside stall/shop.  

Accomodation

There are only a few small hotels/resorts on the #Marchula road, but that’s quite ahead of our final destination #Bhagwati Taliya. If one plans to stay at Marchula, then one won’t be able to explore the beauty of main Garhwal and understand people & their culture as Bhagwati taliya is about five hours journey   from  Marchula.

If you aren’t a native of the place then you need to be sweet-smart enough to find an unadvertised lodge/small room for your stay ..... on the way (passing through villages like Bironkhal, Dhumakot, Baijro, Syunsi, Chaukhal, Bhagwati Taliya etc).

Caution: If you aren’t a nature lover or a bag packer, please go somewhere else! For this part of the world, you need to believe in yourself/your God, be a risk taker and a charmer to charm a villager/shopkeeper who could organise your food and stay. This needs to be arranged during the day light; the moment it is dark, the villagers are enclosed within the four walls of their homes.

Route

Ghaziabad (NH24)-Moradabad-Kashipur (NH121)-Ramnagar-Corbett National Park- Garjiya- Mohan- Marchula-Salt Mahadev-Jadaukhand-Dhumakot-Bironkhal-Deebhakhal-Syusi-Kanera-Baijro-Chaukhal-Bhagwati Taliya

Time taken (Ghaziabad to Bhagwati Taliya)

8-10 hours by car; 12-14 hrs by bus

For any further info

Write to palash.india@gmail.com