Jubbal a weekend getaway

Jubbal is a princely state which is in the east of Shimla and near the valley of the Pabbal River. It has the newest refurbished palace turned heritage property. It is in the midst of a rural outpost hidden from the world. It is the place for apple orchids on the slope and the river nearby. And then there is the temple of Durga and Shiva.
This Fairy tale palace is perched in a little hollow amid the hills, and it looks like ginger bread enough to eat and is remarkable for the enormous masses of deodar timber used in its construction. The modern wing, where guests are put up was built in the 1930’s older section dates back centuries. The timber frame proved perilous when a fire in the 1960’s destroyed a large part of the original structure, but its being slowly restored. The modern wing is however well preserved. The elaborate wooden ceilings are stunning. It also has all the ancient weapons, ranging from cannons and swords to muskets and shields. It has just started giving out rooms to tourists.

Then there is Hatkoti were there are few temples and is named after the goddess Hatkeshwari also one of the Lord Shiva’s names. The Pabbal River is a perennial river arising in the Chansal Range just south of Kinnaur and is born of snow and spring fed lake called Chander Nahan or Chandar Naun. There are various smaller streams joining it on its short journey to Hatkoti where it meets the rivulet Bishkulti and the Rai Nala.
The cuisine here is Indian and to its way if you stop at Chhaila you will get the excellent snack of fish, caught fresh from the river and batter fried whole on the spot.
This place is still to wander and especially the Jubbal Palace which has been recently open to the tourists.

Find driving directions from Delhi to Jubbal here

Kasauli, weekend getaway

There is nothing practically to do in Kasauli, just to lie down, trudge the surrounding hills, comfortable walks in the nature. It is a perfect weekend destination from Delhi people. It has not been exploited as Shimla; it still lives with its charm. Stroll down through Upper to Lower Mall and around the Sanatorium. We followed the upper mall and wandered up to the Monkey Point near the Air Force base. The 4 km hike to the Shri Baba Nath Temple on the top is a bit stiff. People praying for the blessing of children visit the shrine. We didn’t have such issues so we enjoyed the splendid vistas from this vantage point. Across the forested hills and deep ravines is the sleepy town of Dagshai. We also catch the sparkle of the Sutluj River curving lazily along the plains in the far distance views of the snow clad Dhauladhar Range and in the north east, the choor Chandni Peak.

We went for a picnic in the virgin Woodlands; it was for the town’s British residents over 50 years ago. We were able to view the humming birds, flycatchers, minuets and many, one of my friends got lucky and spot a deer and hyena too loping through the undergrowth. But we were not able to see them. The locals told us that there are leopards too.
The overall stay was just to relax and chill out with friends. Everything was naturist. And like all the hill station malls it also sell things like Kullu caps and some wooden work things.

Find driving directions from Delhi to Kasauli here.

Dharamshala, home to Dalai Lama

Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh is surrounded by a stretch of the Dhauladhar Mountains, overlooking the Kangra Valley. I went to meet Dalai Lama because of whom Dharamshala was put on the world map. The famous Kotwali Bazaar is in Lower Dharamshala and the Upper Dharamshala is more residential with the elegant bungalows and the cantonment. Only a distance of 10kms separated these two communities. And a short walk away was the Mcleodganj.

Kotwali bazaar consisted of a number of shops selling woolens including the locally woven Kullu and Kinnauri shawls on both the sides of the roads, with little cafes where I had a cup of hot tea with my friends and went shopping. Then we went to see the Kangra Art Museum but our bad luck it is closed on Sundays and Mondays so we were not able to see its wonderful collection of miniatures. So we went to see the Yol Camp where Italian prisoners of war were lodged during World War II, and also the War Memorial nearby, which commemorates the sacrifice of Himachal war heroes. Next day we went to a walk in Upper Dharamshala which was the most amazing part of our journey. The road passes through the deeply wooded Forsytheganj with bungalows set back from the road. And just ahead was the St. John’s Church which was a pretty stone building that holds Viceroy Lord Elgin’s Memorial, who had died here in some 1860’s.

And a couple of turns brought us to the main chowk of Mcleodganj. The Dalai Lama’s Tibetan settlement was full of colour and life. I found everything from monks to feisty restaurants, shop owners and hippies. As I took the wooden trail the prayer wheels and carpet shops fade into the distance to Gelugpa Monastery, where Dalai Lama residence is. However the monastery to me was little disappointing at first as was built in a government building but inside it the great statue of Buddha, the thankas and other ritual and votive objects soon distract from its severe symmetry.

At sidhpur on the Yol road was Norbulingka which is a center devoted to the preservation of Tibetan arts and crafts and was set in a Japanese style garden, Norbulingka had a temple, shops, the Losel Dolls museum, thanka painting centre, tailoring section and a café. I enjoyed shopping at Mcleodganj more as there were Tibetan carpets, thankas, wooden masks, metal votive objects, paper drawings, beads and many interesting things. I stayed at Chonor House where the celebrity such as the Hollywood Star Richard Gere stays most often. And then there is Hotel Bhagsu and Clouds End Villa.

Malshej Ghat, up where you belong

When we reached Malshej ghat we did not required the sign board. We entered a short regular tunnel, little expecting the light at the end of it to fall on waterfalls cascading down as if the set designer of the ghats was suddenly overcome with recklessness and decided to see how much beauty one place could handle.

The drive up was beautiful enough, but when we got the first view of the backwaters of Pimpalgaon Joga dam, the picture has the kind of ethereal quality that marked our breath catch in our throat.

Malshej Ghat is a wildly beautiful haven of towering peaks and bottomless valleys, home to a hundred different kind of flora and fauna, and mountain air so fragment and pure, I wished I could pack some to take back home.

Perched on the very edge of a plateau, the MTDC hotel, managed by a private party, is gifted with the best location. But just 160- odd ft from its restaurant, in the hotel’s very backyard is lands end. A gentle rain blows in a tired breeze as we walked to the edge. As we looked down to the valley, the drizzle changes its route; it begins to rain upwards, from downwards. As we trekked up the hills we saw again a giant waterfall that rises up into the air instead of falling down into the valley, such is the force of the winds in these ghats. Malshej what I discovered is for long walks down twisting mountain trails, for plucking wild flowers for your beloved, for shouting something into the valleys and waiting for affirmation.

In the monsoon, Malshej has series of waterfalls. One or two falls generously right on the state highway taking a bath and having hot pakoras is a ultimate start away for a weekend in a Malshej ghat. Right at the point where the falls makes a mess of narrow curving state highway is what the government calls the Nature spot. While on one side of the road water gushes out from the hilltops, the other side is a huge empty expansion of white mist and bright green. Malshej is very wet in monsoon as it rains from all sides here, even from below as we have seen.
We stayed as the Flamingo Hill resort, and then there is Sushant Holiday resort

Palampur, Darjeeling in Himachal

Palampur is in the Kangra Valley, criss crossed by streams and brooks which make Palampur pulum word for water in pahari, ideal for tea plantation. According to my guide the British were so obsessed by the aroma of the leaf of the Chinese origin that they began to plant tea bushes wherever land was suitable. The fame of Palampur lies in this British desire to have more tea than they could drink and export the rest back to a thirsting Europe.

While you enter Palampur you would come to know that it is surrounded by dense forest of oaks, pine and deodar making it ideal for those who enjoy long walks. For me the green valley also makes for enjoyable drives with my family and for those who are more adventurous, plugging off course to nearby destinations can be pretty rewarding.

Baijnath Temple also known as Kigram, was once the capital of the Kirat kings of Kangra as told by our guide. The early 13th century Shiva temple here is most unusual and looks as if it has been lifted from Puri in Orissa and dropped in the Kangra Valley.

The Tibetan monastery of Tashijong is one of the many built after the Dalai Lama settled in McLeodganj. We buyed carpets of delicate weave, Buddhist thanka paintings and other Tibetan arts and crafts, which were available here for our friends and relatives.

My destination was Neugal Khad close to the five centuries old temple of bundlamata. Also rising tall behind the chasm are the mighty Dhauladhars where we had a cup of tea at the HPTDC café nearby enjoying the views of chasm, temple and mountains all together as leisure.

Then there is a palace of the crescent moon Taragarh, heritage property build by Nawab of Bahawalpur and was named after the glass pleasure pavilion he built here which is now converted into a temple. However now it has been turned into Taragarh Palace Hotel.

Sherbing is a gigantic monastery also home to the pre- eminent Tal Sti Rimpoche. There are huge stupas and grandly conceived monastery in the middle of the forest. The Buddhist temple here contains an immense statue of Buddha. The Rimpoche allows the people between 2 and 4 in the afternoon; everyone is welcomed for the darshan.

We stayed at Hotel silver Oak, which offered us home-cooked food and horse rides, however there are many other hotels to stay like Hotel T- Bud, Sath Camps and many more. There is no dining choice in Palampur outside the hotels. Only Joy in town is famous for its veg food.

Nandi Hills, weekend destination from Bangalore

Nandi Hills

Nandi Hills are flat surroundings plains just outside Bangalore. The hills get their name from the beautiful statue of Nandi standing guard outside the Yoganandeeshwara Temple atop the hills.

Reaching the top is easy as there’s a good, mortable road going all the way up. Nandi hills are the place where laziness can be perfected into an art form. The most strenuous activities here are long ambles along the walkways meandering along the hills.

Tipu’s drop, a near 2,000 ft- high sheer cliff has a gory past. It is the place from where convicted prisoners would be hurdled to their death by Tipu Sultan’s decree. From here you would be able to view Bangalore in the distance sparkling beneath you like a giant rangoli decorated with diyas.
Yoganandeeshwara Temple is the abode of Shiva the ascetic at the top the hills was build by the Cholas. This ancient temple also has an inscription in the name of Sambhaji, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Amrita Sarovar is a large tank fed by perennial springs and is called the lake of ambrosia. People visit it in night when it shimmers in the moonlight. Nearby lies the chabootra or platform where Tipu Sultan used to pray.

Nehru Nilaya is the house where Nehru lived in, however now it is a guest house belonging to the Horticulture Department.

Bhognandeshwara Temple is at the base of the Nandi Hills. Nandi hills have only two accommodation options one is the Hotel Mayura Pine Top and the second one is Nehru Nilaya.
Nandi Hills is blessed with a pleasant climate all year round.

Matheran, weekend destination from Mumbai

Matheran

Matheran is a true adventure destination for trekkers to get up the forested slopes from Neral to the tiny hill station on top. There are also many ways of making the journey now apart from trekking, including on horseback, in hand pulled carts and its very own toy train. For preserving this ecological sensitive zone, the Maharashtra Tourism thankfully has banned motor vehicles from the town limits and making it a beautiful hill station and a perfect gateway for Mumbaikars in weekend.

Matheran has a thick cover of evergreen forest which acts like a giant air- conditioner, keeping this hill station cool and walker’s paradise. Although small has about 38 designated lookout points.

Panorama Point, almost 5 km north of the market, is a trek that can be refreshing though long in the rains and in winter, but quite grueling in summers. You can view the Neral town and even on a clear day Mumbai in the west is also visible. Hart Point and Monkey Point are undisturbed and densely forested, these area are also recommended for birdwatchers. Crowds gather at Porcupine Point for the sunset. Louisa Point, to the west of the market offers a view of the ruins of Prabai Fort and also other grass- topped hills. One Tree- Hill Point is a truly scenic spot, especially after monsoon and has only one tree. From it a footpath leads southwards to Shivaji’s Ladder. And from Rambagh Point you can view Khandal and Karjat, from Alexander Point you can view Chauk Valley. The most visited place is the Charlotte Lake fringed by the forest and Pisharnath Temple at one end.

Matheran as a hill station of Maharashtra is again famous for its chikki’s. Salted channa and fresh honey are other must-buys from the bazaar, which runs along the railway station road.

There are many resorts and hotels like Richie Rich Resorts, the Byke Retreat etc. There are all sorts of restaurants available in Matheran however the best for Guajarati thali is the Gujarat Bhavan and Shabbir’s a small eating place famous for its mutton and chicken biryani and the local bakery also produce great bread.

Ladakh A Spiritual High

Ladakh A Spiritual High

Ladakh is a high altitude plateau at India’s furthest frontier, bordered by POK and Tibet. To the west is Kashmir and to the south Himachal Pradesh. The Indus River bisects the plateau and by its banks is Leh, the capital of Ladakh. The vast land, dry and dedicated, swells and billows into great tiers of snow-crested peaks. Arching over it is a sky, pure blue, benign, sheltering. The river bisects the floor of the valley. The best season is from May to the end of October. Winter in Ladakh is bitterly cold. If you plan to travel by road, keep in mind that the Rohtang and Zoji La passes are open only between mid June and early October.

Dominating Leh from its vantage on the northern crag is the Leh Palace, a diminutive Potala. In the late afternoon, the wind picks up, riffling the prayer flags, carrying snatches of the deeply- intoed homage to Manjushri.

The mountains, snow-capped peaks and fortress- like monasteries provide a dramatic backdrop to the many roadside cafes, restaurants, beer bars, carpet and curio shops, and trekking and rafting agencies. It is full of trails that connect remote villages spread across ancient trade routes, and there is no better way to absorb this fascinating land and its culture than to trek through it.

Leh Palace is the imposing nine- storey Palace of Sengye ‘Lion’ Namgyal dominates the city. Explore its dark passages, making your way to the top floors to get a brilliant view of the Indus Valley. Further beyond the palace is the Tsemo Gompa.

Shey is the old capital of the Ladakhi kings. It is a pretty spot with numerous chortens and graceful willows that dip their leaves into pleasant artificial lake. There are extensive remains of a fortress on the hilland a palace, incorporated into which is a temple with a handsome copper and gold Shakyamuni Buddha. Around 300m away is the Thiksey Monastery, which housesa huge three storey Maitreya Buddha.

On the beautiful Leh-Kargil road lays the earliest surviving monastery of Ladakh known as Yung-drung, or the Swastika. Its site, perched on a rocky promontory high above the Lamayuru Village at the valley.

On the high southern bank of the Indus, in a lush, quiet oasis across the road from Saspol is the ancient center of learning. Alchi Choskhor. One can happily spend the whole day studying the frescoes and loafing under its verdant apricot trees. There are two high altitude lakes Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso.

Leh abounds with places to stay as almost every house being converted into a guesthouse ranging from Rs. 300 to Rs. 3000. There many hotels like Shambha La and Lharimo, which offer, heated rooms and lovely view. The Leh area has restaurants, cafes and bakeries catering to all budgets that run the entire range of cuisines from authentic Tibetan fare to European to Kashmeri to Israeli.
A successful trek in Ladakh requires you to acclimatize well. Spend a few days in Leh, go for gentle walks and get used to the altitude.