We had booked the tickets in the Ranikhet
express without even making up our minds on our final destination. Nainital
was the choice made finally more after a game of elimination. And keeping
up with our 'better to be safe than sorry' attitude, Alka the Lakeside
hotel was also booked. And the week leading to the Nainital weekend was
may be one of the most tumultuous ones that we had experienced in Gurgaon
over the last couple of years. But at the end of it we were on board Ranikhet
express on the 7th of February night. Debarghya did not sleep too well
and coupled by the fact that the train reaches Kathgodam on the wee hours,
our moods were not that upbeat when we boarded our pre booked car at quarter
past five in the next morn. But as we started to move up along the winding
roads, so did our spirits! We made a stop-over for an early morning tea
and reached Alka at 6:30 am; still pretty dark as the sun was yet to peep
in. Sleepy little Debarghya was still a bit confused about what part of
the day it actually was; and he was quite hungry as well, and hence he
was repeatedly asking for dinner to be served!! But as per social norms,
it was an early breakfast which arrived at our room a quarter of an hour
later. After that we were at Nainital by all means!
After a bit of rest we booked a car and went on a day trip of Nainital. And the first point we touched was the snow point, and it was an amazing experience. The snow clad peaks were so clear and sparkling that even the local people there, which included our driver and the pesty guides cum 'durbeenwalas' were as much awe struck as we were! The horizon and our view became so wide and deep, that it seemed almost within touching distance. And it needed confirmation from the camera and the zoom multiplier to gauge the real distance. We spent some moments there without really understanding the amount of time that had lapsed. Our next stop was curiously called 'Mango Point'; only because the whole Naini Lake was visible from there, and somehow the shape of the lake from there could be compared to our national fruit! What an improper comparison; a lake which has been named after the eye due to the shape now gets compared to a mango!
After a touching a few more normal(!) tourist spots (regular places on any hill stations) we were dropped off near the rope way. The ride in the rope way was short and sweet but the destination was very disappointing! We sipped some soft drink and quickly came back down to earth!
The next item on our tour was lunch, and we headed for Mirch Masala just by the lake. The view from the place was very good; the food quality though was not in the same category. We walked backed to the main square and ventured into the Tibetan market. And from there we moved on to our next agenda: boat trip in the lake. We arranged a normal boat for one round trip at the lake. The day was on its finishing lap, and the day light has started to wane a bit. And in that dreamy atmosphere the only sound that persistently disturbed total silence was the rhythmic splash of the oar at the still water of the lake. And it was often punctuated by the distant chime of the temple bells, or the unknown squeak of some migratory bird. The three quarter of the hour was over too soon. The last quarter though was spent listening to a well thought out lecture by our oarsman on the vagaries of tourism and its effect on the ecological balance and pollution! And at the end of the ride, we were taken back to earth again, literally. The day had almost ended by that time. The light had decreased; and the chill had increased at the same rate. But we promised ourselves that moment to repeat the boat ride once more during our stay.
Back in the warmth of the hotel room; sipping a cup of warm tea, the spectre of nightfall on the lake as visible from the hotel window was awesome. Dinner followed soon; and it was time to finish off for the day. The first day at Nainitaal was definitely spent well, well beyond expectations.
We had planned the next day to take off from Nainitaal and venture towards Mukhteshwar. To be honest Mukhteshwar was our preferred location, a bit more than Nainitaal, especially after hearing the travel stories of Tulai, my younger brother, who had been to Mukhteshwar just a few months back. But it was a little to quiet a place, and hence not so much suitable to us. But a day trip can always be done. And so we were ready for Mukhteshwar after our breakfast at the hotel.
The drive was peaceful and we reached our first destination after almost an hour’s drive. It was just an inconspicuous location along the state highway, and the name of the place is Gaggar. But what we saw there was more awesome than what we had experienced a day earlier. The day was equally bright and sunny. But it seemed that we had travelled a few kilometres towards the Himalayas. And the mountain peaks seemed more touchable. As usual we gazed on in amazement at the snow peaks for some time before we could continue on with our journey to Mukhteshwar.
We reached Mukhteshwar temple after crossing the veterinary research centre around eleven in the morn. And we bypassed the small group guides, stopped for a small bout of refreshment before starting our ascent towards the temple. I do not find the essence in me for which people generally visit temples in general, but beyond this conflict of beliefs the temple was a beautiful place. Situated at the highest point in that region it not only provides a vantage point to peek at the Dhauladhar peaks, but also it was beautiful in itself. After our temple trip was over when we were looking a bit confused on what to do next, we were almost 'picked up' by our guide, whose name, I am very sorry to say, I do not recall now. But the tour he provided was an awesome one. As per him we had started the trip in the wrong way, as people generally take the tour and then reach the temple. But we didn't mind the deviation. We walked through the dense vegetation, which could pass as a forest on any given day, and one by one visited the suicide point (which was a cliff with a steep drop of around a thousand feet), the 'chauthi ka jaali' (a naturally created hole in a hanging rock with some local myths of providing fertility to women when they pass through the passage on an auspicious day each year), the snow point (needs no definition) and the 'naag fun' (a rock shaped like a snake hood). All the while our guide had been adequately vocal in providing the facts and fictions; and also taking numerous pictures in my camera, which he had almost made his own during the tour. He dropped us near our car after almost an hour and half. And we were driven (!) to our next stop from there.
Our next destination was the Golu Dev Mandir, and the claim to fame for this temple was the countless number of bells that it houses. The temple is of an old king who used to rule over the place some time back; and he was known to be kind and just ruler. So much so, that after his reign was over, the locals had put up a temple in his commemoration. And as per local folklore, anybody who ties a bell in the temple gets his or her wish granted. The effect was definitely visible. There could not a proper comparison on the state of affairs there with respect to the number and the variety of bells there were! And there were a few which were quite enormous, gigantic to be precise. And the story behind them is, once the population of bells grows beyond control, one gigantic one is prepared melting down, may be, a few thousands! We bought ourselves two bells, one hopefully is hanging somewhere in the temple now, and the other hangs in the rear view mirror of our car reminding us the good times we had in Nainitaal, or in a much bigger prospect, in our life till date.
We started our journey back towards Nainitaal, and stopped over for a late a lunch at a roadside diner, the name of which unfortunately is also lost in oblivion now. We were very hungry by now; hence we entrusted the all time favourites of stuffed parathas to arrive first at our table, before we ventured out to try out a few local delicacies. So the Mandve ka Roti and the Bhatt ki Chudkaani arrived! And it was delightful; a pleasant afternoon, a rooftop view of the deciduous vegetation and snow clad mountains as the back drop and a warm delicious lunch made with curious yet moth watering local cuisine.
We asked the driver to drop us at the main market area and as per our request we were also provided with the guidance on the best Mithai (sweet) shop and the most famous sweet of the area. So we walked our way through the meandering crowded lane towards Mamu’s Sweets, the most famous shop of Nainitaal. We tasted the local atmosphere of Naiaitaal and also the local sweet Baalmithai (which is actually a local sweet from Almora), packed a few kilos for home, could not resist the hot jalebis off the frying pan and then decided to return back at the hotel.
The next morning was free to us, no plans and no prior obligations. After breakfast at the hotel we checked out of our room around ten, deposited the bags and baggages at the cloak room and ventured out for a last look at Nainitaal.
As we had promised ourselves earlier we went for our last minute boat ride in the lake. The sunshine and the effect of morning on the lake were equally brilliant. After our trip we ventured back to the local Tibetan market. My shopaholic wife enjoyed herself with lot of bargaining and an aweful lot of window shopping. It well past noon and we were famished after our morning adventure. We went to the Sher-e-Punjab and ordered a bountiful of north indian delicacies. After bellyful lunch, we somehow managed to trudge back to the hotel. The car for dropping us at the station was already there. We started back home. The travel back as always was less exciting and luckily for us less uneventful as well. We reached the station well before time. The chair car coach was though pitiful, yet the overall travel was not so bad. We reached Anand Vihar Terminus on time; and our pick up courtesy Baldevji was there waiting for us. We reached home with plenty to spare, and with a lot of refreshed vigor and energy in our mind and soul. We all had gala time there and I had already started to make plans for a return trip sometime later in our life.
After a bit of rest we booked a car and went on a day trip of Nainital. And the first point we touched was the snow point, and it was an amazing experience. The snow clad peaks were so clear and sparkling that even the local people there, which included our driver and the pesty guides cum 'durbeenwalas' were as much awe struck as we were! The horizon and our view became so wide and deep, that it seemed almost within touching distance. And it needed confirmation from the camera and the zoom multiplier to gauge the real distance. We spent some moments there without really understanding the amount of time that had lapsed. Our next stop was curiously called 'Mango Point'; only because the whole Naini Lake was visible from there, and somehow the shape of the lake from there could be compared to our national fruit! What an improper comparison; a lake which has been named after the eye due to the shape now gets compared to a mango!
After a touching a few more normal(!) tourist spots (regular places on any hill stations) we were dropped off near the rope way. The ride in the rope way was short and sweet but the destination was very disappointing! We sipped some soft drink and quickly came back down to earth!
The next item on our tour was lunch, and we headed for Mirch Masala just by the lake. The view from the place was very good; the food quality though was not in the same category. We walked backed to the main square and ventured into the Tibetan market. And from there we moved on to our next agenda: boat trip in the lake. We arranged a normal boat for one round trip at the lake. The day was on its finishing lap, and the day light has started to wane a bit. And in that dreamy atmosphere the only sound that persistently disturbed total silence was the rhythmic splash of the oar at the still water of the lake. And it was often punctuated by the distant chime of the temple bells, or the unknown squeak of some migratory bird. The three quarter of the hour was over too soon. The last quarter though was spent listening to a well thought out lecture by our oarsman on the vagaries of tourism and its effect on the ecological balance and pollution! And at the end of the ride, we were taken back to earth again, literally. The day had almost ended by that time. The light had decreased; and the chill had increased at the same rate. But we promised ourselves that moment to repeat the boat ride once more during our stay.
Back in the warmth of the hotel room; sipping a cup of warm tea, the spectre of nightfall on the lake as visible from the hotel window was awesome. Dinner followed soon; and it was time to finish off for the day. The first day at Nainitaal was definitely spent well, well beyond expectations.
We had planned the next day to take off from Nainitaal and venture towards Mukhteshwar. To be honest Mukhteshwar was our preferred location, a bit more than Nainitaal, especially after hearing the travel stories of Tulai, my younger brother, who had been to Mukhteshwar just a few months back. But it was a little to quiet a place, and hence not so much suitable to us. But a day trip can always be done. And so we were ready for Mukhteshwar after our breakfast at the hotel.
The drive was peaceful and we reached our first destination after almost an hour’s drive. It was just an inconspicuous location along the state highway, and the name of the place is Gaggar. But what we saw there was more awesome than what we had experienced a day earlier. The day was equally bright and sunny. But it seemed that we had travelled a few kilometres towards the Himalayas. And the mountain peaks seemed more touchable. As usual we gazed on in amazement at the snow peaks for some time before we could continue on with our journey to Mukhteshwar.
We reached Mukhteshwar temple after crossing the veterinary research centre around eleven in the morn. And we bypassed the small group guides, stopped for a small bout of refreshment before starting our ascent towards the temple. I do not find the essence in me for which people generally visit temples in general, but beyond this conflict of beliefs the temple was a beautiful place. Situated at the highest point in that region it not only provides a vantage point to peek at the Dhauladhar peaks, but also it was beautiful in itself. After our temple trip was over when we were looking a bit confused on what to do next, we were almost 'picked up' by our guide, whose name, I am very sorry to say, I do not recall now. But the tour he provided was an awesome one. As per him we had started the trip in the wrong way, as people generally take the tour and then reach the temple. But we didn't mind the deviation. We walked through the dense vegetation, which could pass as a forest on any given day, and one by one visited the suicide point (which was a cliff with a steep drop of around a thousand feet), the 'chauthi ka jaali' (a naturally created hole in a hanging rock with some local myths of providing fertility to women when they pass through the passage on an auspicious day each year), the snow point (needs no definition) and the 'naag fun' (a rock shaped like a snake hood). All the while our guide had been adequately vocal in providing the facts and fictions; and also taking numerous pictures in my camera, which he had almost made his own during the tour. He dropped us near our car after almost an hour and half. And we were driven (!) to our next stop from there.
Our next destination was the Golu Dev Mandir, and the claim to fame for this temple was the countless number of bells that it houses. The temple is of an old king who used to rule over the place some time back; and he was known to be kind and just ruler. So much so, that after his reign was over, the locals had put up a temple in his commemoration. And as per local folklore, anybody who ties a bell in the temple gets his or her wish granted. The effect was definitely visible. There could not a proper comparison on the state of affairs there with respect to the number and the variety of bells there were! And there were a few which were quite enormous, gigantic to be precise. And the story behind them is, once the population of bells grows beyond control, one gigantic one is prepared melting down, may be, a few thousands! We bought ourselves two bells, one hopefully is hanging somewhere in the temple now, and the other hangs in the rear view mirror of our car reminding us the good times we had in Nainitaal, or in a much bigger prospect, in our life till date.
We started our journey back towards Nainitaal, and stopped over for a late a lunch at a roadside diner, the name of which unfortunately is also lost in oblivion now. We were very hungry by now; hence we entrusted the all time favourites of stuffed parathas to arrive first at our table, before we ventured out to try out a few local delicacies. So the Mandve ka Roti and the Bhatt ki Chudkaani arrived! And it was delightful; a pleasant afternoon, a rooftop view of the deciduous vegetation and snow clad mountains as the back drop and a warm delicious lunch made with curious yet moth watering local cuisine.
We asked the driver to drop us at the main market area and as per our request we were also provided with the guidance on the best Mithai (sweet) shop and the most famous sweet of the area. So we walked our way through the meandering crowded lane towards Mamu’s Sweets, the most famous shop of Nainitaal. We tasted the local atmosphere of Naiaitaal and also the local sweet Baalmithai (which is actually a local sweet from Almora), packed a few kilos for home, could not resist the hot jalebis off the frying pan and then decided to return back at the hotel.
The next morning was free to us, no plans and no prior obligations. After breakfast at the hotel we checked out of our room around ten, deposited the bags and baggages at the cloak room and ventured out for a last look at Nainitaal.
As we had promised ourselves earlier we went for our last minute boat ride in the lake. The sunshine and the effect of morning on the lake were equally brilliant. After our trip we ventured back to the local Tibetan market. My shopaholic wife enjoyed herself with lot of bargaining and an aweful lot of window shopping. It well past noon and we were famished after our morning adventure. We went to the Sher-e-Punjab and ordered a bountiful of north indian delicacies. After bellyful lunch, we somehow managed to trudge back to the hotel. The car for dropping us at the station was already there. We started back home. The travel back as always was less exciting and luckily for us less uneventful as well. We reached the station well before time. The chair car coach was though pitiful, yet the overall travel was not so bad. We reached Anand Vihar Terminus on time; and our pick up courtesy Baldevji was there waiting for us. We reached home with plenty to spare, and with a lot of refreshed vigor and energy in our mind and soul. We all had gala time there and I had already started to make plans for a return trip sometime later in our life.
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