My Travels in Corona Kaal

 Hello all

It has been quite some time since I last posted. Now I am back and let me give you a detail of my travels in Corona Kaal.

Till November 2019 ( last travel post on this blog) to September 2020 there was absolutely NO travel......ONE full year of sitting at home. Even moving around in the city was an issue. 

October 2020

Visit to  Tata Trust Site and a short trek with Jitendra Bhai 

 

 

 

 

December 2021

Visit to  Himalayan Club Hotel Mussorie and Tata Trust Site

 

 

 

 

January 2021

Visit to  Tata Trust Site for Wall Mural Project

Thati Dhanari- Back in the heart of the Himalayas

 This is almost after a year that I was back in the heart of the Himalayas, which is like my second home.

I was headed to a village called Thati Dhanari, where a new Goat Village hideout ( my mother’s work) is coming up at the top of the mountain.  

The Thati village turned out to be a historical gem, full of old ruined heritage houses and two chaukhats/ panchpura, one of which even had  a deer head as a trophy. It was capital of the kingdom of the Panwar family , who once ruled the place. This place is also the family home of current Army Chief Bipin Rawat, who had visited the village sometime back..

 Now the trek to the hill top to the proposed Goat Village hideout. It was quite a steep uphill trek of about 4 km through bushes and forests. For about two hours we were climbing, climbing and only climbing. We climbed through an afternoon which surrendered to evening and finally it was quite dark by the time we reached the hideout, which is actually a chaani, a farm houses where people stay while they take their animals to graze during summer.

The place had no electricity and we were completely in the heart of the jungle, surrounded by the strange sounds of the night. Dinner was cooked on wood fire by the bhaiyas who had come with us from Thati village.

It was a magical experience listening to their stories of the land and jungle. 

After dinner, we retired to our room where sleeping bags had been laid out on the floor. In the night If I had to answer Nature's Call, I was forbidden to step out beyond the verandah as leopards are known to frequent the place almsot everyday.

True to their words, later in the light while I was cocooned in my sleeping bad I heard a lot of strange sounds,  One them could have that of the leopard, who knows!!!

Next morning, it was time to return from paradise to home, to studies with longing for the next trip to the mountains. I am enclosing my mother's site visit report below. It will give you an idea of the place very comprehensively. 

A delightful holiday at Dhangal

At Devidanda with Dig Uncle

In the last fortnight of December during the long awaited winter vacation, we visited Dhangal , a small village located on the edge of the Rajaji National Park. On the way we passed by Yamkeshwar ( Yam = God of death) temple located on a lonely cliff. Spirits are said to frequent it , especially after sundown and before sunrise. People come here only in groups. Maybe there is some truth in that- because both the times we passed by it, I could not spot a single soul going or returning from the temple. You too please study the picture below and see carefully if you spot someone.

Yamkeshwar temple

 Now, coming back to Dhangal. It was grown quite dark by the time we reached Bhrigukhal where 2 persons sent by Digambar Uncle ( our host in Dhangal) were waiting to guide us. The last 2 kms was a full rocky drive on a  mud track and through deserted farmlands. We crossed a small river bed and the ride ( on 4 wheels) ended besides a deserted building. The last half km to the house was an uphill trek on a stony path, through bushes (which seemed like jungles in the dark) and glow of fireflies ( which seemed like animal eyes). We walked quietly and heaved a sigh of relief as we reached Digambar Uncle's house.

Dhangal is a very small village with a handful of houses. Digambar Uncle's family owns the most of them. Behind the village, a densely forested hill rises steeply.  All the houses are laid in one long row with a courtyard in front ( see the pic below) where leopards at times prowl in the dead of night. The toilet is in the courtyard, so going there to answer nature's call deep in the night could be quite an adventure. My mother's students have been staying in the house for some days ( for doing measure drawing) and I asked them if any of them had seen anything at night, I was deeply disappointed when all of said NO.

Lunch in the sunny courtyard 

Dig Uncle has a very charming personality and I enjoyed his company  a lot.  I spent major part of the evening talking and listening to him. That night after dinner there was a camp fire with local songs and a bit of drums. A local person sang the songs while I played the drums and later joined Vikas  bhaiya in dance. I think we created enough ruckus to scare away the leopards for that night.

 Next morning Dig Uncle took all of us to Devidanda,  a temple located on a hill top . I walked up with Dig Uncle, conversing with him all the way up. My mother''s four students too were on their own, enjoying and taking pictures. I sat with Dig Uncle on the hill top, soaking in the splendid views and enjoying his company immensely.

After returning from Devi Danda, it was time to pack up and head home once again with golden memories of the last two days well spent in the company of Dig Uncle. Oh yes, he also gave me 500 rupees as a parting gift, just like my own uncles. I am looking forward to meeting him again.

To Devi Danda with Dig Uncle

Saur- Simple and Salubrious

In September end, after my First Semester Exams FINALLY ended , I felt I really really needed a break and so was the case with my parents. Instead of spending time in the city, I decided to accompany my mother to one of her project sites- Saur. Saur turned out to be a simple but very scenic and salubrious village tucked in the mountains. My mother is working on The Ramola family house ( picture above). It sits on a mountain terrace with light green fields in front and the dark green mountain as the backdrop. It is almost 100 years old.

Though we had earlier planed to reach by daylight, my father refused to go beyond Dhanolti without stopping for a quick chicken curry roti at his favourite restaurant in Dhanolti. It got dark soon after we crossed Jhadipani and to add to our adventure,, it became misty and began to rain.
Somehow after a few phone calls from Sanju bhaiya of Saur, we managed to reach our destination.

Stepping into Saur gave the feeling of having gone back to the old times,. The rooms in the dimly lit  house had the old world feel. To add to the feel of adventure , the bathroom was one storey down and had to be reached by a  creaking wooden staircase. 

Next morning, after carpenter bhiaya had left after meeting mother, Sanju bhaiya took us around the village. Last year, many young artists had painted Life Lessons on the walls of the village, making the place look really stunning. I walked up and down, chatted with village aunties who had all time in the world to answer all my questions. Mother is planning a museum in the Ramola House and she met many villagers to enquire about the lost customs and fading practices. During the conversation, one village lady brought out an antique hookah, which was once the heart of village social life.

 Sanju bhaia also took us to village gharat which is still used for grinding corn and millets by diverting the flow of fast flowing stream water.,

By now morning had given space to afternoon and it was time to pack my bags and head home with renewed energy. I left behind the serene greens, the sprightly stream ( Saur Gad) with sweet memories and a longing to visit again.