Month / Sep 2019

by Aman Sharma

Chapter-5

“Nirvana”

Date-24/06/19

I woke up even before the alarm went off today, which was set for 7:00 am. This all happened because I am so excited about our last day of this trip. Since the day 1 of the trip it has been an amazing journey till now, with so much of new places discovered, trying out different foods, knowing the local culture and getting a step closer to the Mother Nature. This has been nothing short of a blessing. With so much things done already, this trip can’t come to an end without visiting- Chail. This place is absolutely a bliss, especially during the monsoons which arrive in the months from June to September. We are at the right time and moving to the right place. So here it is the final chapter of our journey to Solan.

~8:30 am~

We all are ready on time today, without any delays. This might be because of 2 Reasons particularly because, one that is it’s last day here and everyone wants to enjoy every moment of it and secondly, today we are going in a bus, no cab. So we need to be on time at least today. The bust stop is few kilometers from our hotel, so we pulled into an auto rickshaw till there. It took us around 20 minutes to reach the bust stop and another 10 minutes to wait for the arrival of the bus. The weather is pleasant today, one thing that has been on our side constantly is weather. It’s the monsoon month here but still the weather hasn’t disturbed any of our journeys till date. Fingers cross for today’s weather also.  It’s exactly 9:05 by the time our bus arrives, the passengers are only in few numbers so don’t have to worry much about our seats. The bus starts moving and still some people trying to catch the bus, passengers settling down. Chail is around 39 kilometers from Solan which will take us around 1hour 30 minutes to reach there.  We are on our way, seeing the breathtaking views outside while the passengers keep on loading and unloading from the bus. The way to the Chail is so beautiful, the road curves in and out of the forest, moving through some small villages and crossing over a river bridge. The little rainfall along it works as a glitter for the beautiful scene outside. After completing the journey of one and half hours, we are here in Chail. It has a small market, and if you look closely you can even count the number of shops which were I guess around 15 and about 3 or 4 Hotels. It is only a small town but it has a sublime atmosphere around it.

Chail bazaar

Clouds almost touching the ground and the fluency of the cool breeze making you believe that you are in the right place. The top three spots to visit in Chail are Kali ka Tibba, Chail palace and its local area. We haven’t done our breakfast in the morning, so now are moving to a food shop in front of us to full our stomachs before we begin our journey to fill our souls. We entered the shop and ordered pakoras, maggi along with the tea. The food was very delicious, we have been eating a lot from different places but I haven’t had this much good food in days. Ate the food, payed the bill and now are heading to our first destination of the day and that is Chail palace. Chail palace is around 4 kilometers from the main market and you can go there in a taxi if you haven’t come on any private vehicle. Taxi will charge around Rs100 per person, back and forth both ways. We booked a cab and reached the palace within 15 minutes.

Chail palace

The palace looks so beautiful and the palace has been well maintained. The surroundings has also been well maintained and kept clean despite of so much crowd that comes on regular basis. We entered through the check point of the palace, the entry fare is Rs100 for the public. From the very first impression the palace looks really impressive, it is the fusion of modern and classical architecture.  Built back in 1891 to till date, the monument looks absolutely astonishing. The palace is surrounded by lush green fields that have been kept well maintained, every inch of grass trimmed exactly to one level. Inside the palace has now been transformed into a Hotel, but you can still see the things used by the king. A specific area has been kept for tourists only. We explored different floors of the palace, viewed some exclusive stuff of the king. After spending around 30 minutes inside we came out clicked some pictures and walked around the palace to get the view from all four corners around. There is an open café in the palace, we ordered coffee there before we move on to our next spot. 20 minutes pass by and we head out of the palace. The rain in the morning still has its droplets covering the grass. So, the next stop for us today is Kali ka Tibba or Maa kali Temple. It is situated at the highest point of the mountain and it is the best place to visit in Chail. It is around 7 kilometers from Chail local market and will take around 25 minutes to get there in a car. No buses go there so either you have to book a cab or go in your private vehicle. We settled down in our cab and head towards to kali ka tibba. Some people also trek from Chail market to the kali ka tibba. We couldn’t do that because of two reasons- Firstly the weather is cloudy today, so you never know when the rain starts pouring and secondly the last bus from Chail to Solan departures at 5:00 in the evening so we need to come back by 4:40 positively. After that there are no buses until tomorrow. While in our journey we saw beautiful birds chirping around the road sides which you don’t see in cities. The road is covered from trees of various species, just a like a jungle. But the scenarios are absolutely breathtaking.

on the way to Kali ka Tibba

 I have never seen such a clear sky in my whole life.

From the journey.

After a 25 minute of drive we have entered the temple, it is so beautiful that words can’t express the real emotions. The whole temple boundary wall is made up of the white Marble that shines so bright when the sun rays fall onto it. The entrance truly makes you believe that you are entering into the heaven now. The driver pulled the car in the parking lot, we removed our shoes inside the car only.

Entering the Temple

We climbed the stairs and entered the temple and prayed the lord. As soon as we get to side and back of the temple, I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. I have never seen such a beautiful place in my life till now.

Kali Ka Tibba

 The surroundings were absolutely beautiful but at the same time unreal too. Clouds touched the ground and the mountains rising high from the clouds. We can literally see everything around us, we stood at such a high altitude that even the bigger buildings downwards looks just the size of a fingernail. We saw a small village up from there built up at a mountain, only a few homes there and by the looks farming looked their only occupation. So little yet so bigger.

View from the Temple.

I took a round of the whole place and tried to cover every scenario in my camera lens. We spent around 2 hours here. The temple is built beautifully and the surroundings adjoining the temple adorn it. My body has never felt this relax in ages. So purified- A bliss. I am so happy that I am taking so much of positive vibes along with me back home.

A small village located on a top of mountain.

We decided to get moving now because it was 4:00 at my clock and it will take around 25 minutes to get back to the bus stop. We loaded in our cab and went back to the market where will get our bus to go back. We arrived at the bus stop and got in our bus, At 5:15 the bus started moving and for one last time I looked back through the glass of the bus. I am taking a lot of memories back with me from the trip. On our way back, the rain started heavily with thunderstorms. It took us around 2 hours and 15 minutes to get back to Solan. By 7:30 we checked in at our hotel for the final night of trip. We rested for around 30 minutes and freshen up. We went out for the dinner, as it was our last night here so we went to a fancy restaurant today. Ate the best food. After that we walked in the market which was now closing down and stood beside a grill to catch a last glimpse of this beautiful town. Every day, every moment of this trip has been special to me in many ways. Tomorrow we will head back to our homes in Ludhiana.

This was much of my trip and I Tried to share most of its memories with you. I hope you all liked it and would definitely love to visit here again.

Thank you.     

by Aman Sharma

Chapter-4

The amazing rush

Date-23/06/19

Slightest of sunlight coming through my hotel room window wakes me up to this cheerful morning here in Solan. I get off my bed quickly and have a look outside of the window. Last night we talked to the receptionist about our today’s plan. He told us about the fair that is going to happen today. I glanced out from the window. Today there was more hustle and bustle in the city than the normal day but it was still not much to worry out. We planned our trip according to our schedule and decide to get ready on time. By the time we all ate our breakfast and got ready it was 11:00 am on the clock. The voice of the crowd outside suddenly started to increase and we just couldn’t believe our eyes, what we saw through our hotel’s main access. People covered almost every inch of space for this religious ceremony. It was simply beyond belief. I have been to Solan so many times but haven’t seen this much mass together.

People gathered on the road for the fest.

The people gathered around with a great enthusiasm. We came back to our rooms knowing that it wouldn’t be possible to get out at least for the next 2 hours. Our schedule for today was to go to the waterfall called the ‘Tiger waterfall’ or ‘Ashwani khad’. These two names were told us by the locals. It is situated at a distance of 7 kilometers from Solan. It will take us 20 min to reach to Salogra, and next 10 min to reach to the waterfall. The waterfall is situated below somewhere. But I can’t see us going out for the next couple of hours. My friends went back to the rooms to rest for some time. I and one of my friend has been seeing all the people enjoying out, through our Hotel lobby window. So, we decided to go out and join them. But it was only a matter of putting the foot outside, and then we didn’t know where the mass of people took us. A large wave of people came and took us along with them.

A band giving it’s performance on the street(s).

 Despite of this much crowd, there was no lack of enthusiasm in the people. The joy on the faces of the people was clearly showing for how long people wait for this festival. We are in the crowd, not knowing where we were going. The flock of the crowd was enough powerful to push the 10 trucks coming in row. If the crowded streets weren’t enough, you can simply look onto the windows or balconies of the roadside houses. Every one seeing this scene from their places and enjoying every single moment of it. It has been an hour in this crowd and it has started to move to its next stop, so it seems like we will be good to go in the next 30 minutes. We move back to our Hotel and start packing for the waterfall. After 45 minutes, our driver called us to tell that the road has now opened up and we can move to the place. We are in the cab moving towards our destination, in between we can still see the people on the road enjoying themselves. Eating the road side food and dancing on the regional music beats.

Inconsistent weather- on to the way of waterfalls

After a 15 minute short ride we have come halfway to the Water fall. Now from here we need to take the road that is going down.  We change our lane and are heading towards our destination. The view alongside the ride demands to stop by it, appreciate it in the most foremost way you can. The nature has shown its true colors here, greens and blues combining together to give your eyes a soothing. This is a perfect route for a short ride, a bliss.

View from Down the Lane.

Due to the heavy rain yesterday the gravel layer of the road has come out from some places, but that don’t seem to be bothering us. What I am actually concerned about is the walkway to the waterfall. The walkway to the waterfall is a little tricky one; we have reached the waterfall. On from here we have to go on our foot to reach the final point.

On the foot for rest of the Trek. The tricky part of the lane starts going down further.

As I was saying earlier, due to the rain there is just a little water deposit on the walkway. The walkway here is a tough one, so we need to watch our steps or else we fall. By falling it doesn’t mean threatening your life, you might scratch your arm or so. But anyways we all are going through the way slowly and steadily, it might be a tough trek but the surroundings around it are way bigger than the one’s own fear and not come here.

Way to Waterfall, You have go through this. But the end result is absolutely pleasing.

After a 7 min way down we have reached the waterfall, and words might fall short for what we saw there. The waterfall looks so alluring. Despite of heavy rain yesterday, the water level is normal. Birds chirping on the branches of tree, Sunlight cutting through the trees and laying it’s light on the rocks. The wind blowing and water falling from the fall and hitting the base, creating a harmonious atmosphere. I and my friends went into the water and enjoyed swimming for an hour or so. After that we just sat on the rocks, posing like doing some kind of meditation. Coming to places like these rejuvenates your soul and purifies your thoughts.  It helps in clarify your thoughts and one can focus onto the bigger things in life.

Two Visitors enjoying under the waterfall.

So now, we are done here and packing our bag packs to move back to our place.  We’ll be going back to Solan today as it’s the nearest place to stay and moreover our bodies has become Tired to carry out any journey.

~20 minutes pass by~

We are here in Solan again. Unloading our little bit of luggage from the cab, moving towards our Hotel room. One thing that absolutely loved about Solan is its – Weather. It might be a small town but everything has been planned accordingly. From the Historical temples to the modern civilization, from parks to the open recreational spaces, you will love everything about it. But now we just had finished our dinner, it’s 9:40 at night and we are heading back to our rooms. The streets still have the signs of today’s morning fest, most places still decorated with the fancy lighting and other materials. It was one the best day of the trip till now, but there is something special about tomorrow. You will get to know about that in the next chapter.

Thank you & Good Bye.

by Aman Sharma

Chapter-3

A Trek down the road

Date-22/06/2019

It’s another beautiful morning in Solan. It’s our Second day here and its 10:00 in the morning and we are ready to get out of our Hotel. We booked a hotel onto the main road of the city. It’s a perfect place to stay as it’s near the main hub of the city, just a 5 min walk down the hill and you are into the main Hustle and bustle of the city. By 10:15 am we are out of the hotel and marching on the Mall road of Solan. It is the main hub of the Solan.

A view of mall road of Solan.

The road is crowded and one can see the locals marching towards their work and tourists seeking the views. The weather is pleasant today, although it’s sunny today but it didn’t bother us much.  As discussed earlier we are in Solan only for the day and will be going to explore some local places. But most importantly a good day can’t start without good food. So we are here at a local restaurant to feed us before we start our today’s journey. The smooth flowing of the cool breeze stirring onto the body demands for a chai (Tea) along with a parantha (parantha is a type of bread or roti stuffed with potatoes, onions, cheese etc.), that was our breakfast and it’s time to start moving. Try not to eat too much when you have to cover more distance on foot. We are out of the restaurant and now heading towards the main market, exploring local area is always a good idea. If you ever go somewhere don’t be reserved to see only the historic or famous places, try to go through the local area. It’s been 20 minutes or so since I am exploring the market and I have already come through so many different things such as spices, handicrafts and also the natives performing different dances, these things might look small but these are things that take you close to their culture and how they earn their livelihood. After spending a couple of hours of going through the local area it’s time to move on the next thing. The next place I am going is a mountain or shall I say a small hill where we can find different species of flowers. The hill is downwards to the area named Sunny side and from main road it will take around 25 minutes to reach there. You can reach there only by foot. Its 2:30 in the noon and my friends are calling for  food, but I have been drinking water constantly today so my stomach is not craving for the food at the moment. But just for their sake, we stop at a bakery to grab some snacks. Being a Punjabi guy, it is very disrespectful to sit on a table with a company of foodies and not to eat anything. It literally becomes a crime, so just not to do so I ordered a coffee. After 45 minutes of fueling up ourselves, we Marche down to our next stop. The way to the hill is quite good, despite you have to climb around 30-40 stairs and going through the tiny streets, but the view you get along is simply pleasing.

Way to the Hill.

We are now here at the hill, the first words spills out from the mouth is ‘YES, we are here’. It’s a tremendous place to be, surrounded by the flowers and trees and in front nature showing its magic and playing with clouds. It is such a beautiful place. Most of the city can be seen from here and it even becomes more beautiful when stars start to cover the sky, truly magic.

The way from where we came to the hill top.

We spent 1 hour in clicking the pictures and sitting there admiring the beauty. It’s around 5:30 in the evening, the clouds have started to become grey. The weather is always unpredictable in the mountains and we need to get back to the hotel before it starts raining. Coming down a slope is too easy but now when we are going back up the hill it suddenly becomes difficult for us to catch our breathe.

Unpredictable weather , Clouds turning grey.

The backpacks suddenly puts a terrible burden on us. These steep slopes check your real physicality. After 35 minutes of trekking up on the main road, it’s finally a plain straight road. Our bodies seems to be relaxed here. The weather is continually changing and it is showing the signs of thunderstorms with heavy rain. So without any further delay we head towards our hotel. Going through the market, we can see the shopkeepers preparing themselves for the coming storms. Say it our Luck or whatever, but as soon we step into our hotel there is a cracking sound, like a cloud burst and its starts heavily raining. We feel lucky enough to reach the hotel before the rain. We loosen up ourselves, freshen up and got ready for the dinner. We had dinner in our hotel room today. After the Dinner, we went to our hotel lobby. We sat there looking out of the window, it’s still raining but it has reduced what was before. We talked with our receptionist about our plans for tomorrow, we planned to visit Ashwani khad waterfalls near Chamba ghat, few kilometres from Solan. I have went there before and its situated in such a beautiful place that words can’t express. The receptionist told us there is a fair tomorrow that is held every year here. There will be a huge crowd in the city, so it will be difficult to leave in the morning. He told us it’s better to leave by 1:00 pm tomorrow.  Tomorrow is ‘Mata Shoolini Devi’ mela which is held in Solan every year. All other things will be decided tomorrow after seeing the situation. Today has been a good day and we all enjoyed every part of it, but our body demands rest now. We head back to our rooms to end this day with a peaceful sleep. To be continued…

Thank you

Next Chapter unfolds on next Saturday in which we went to the Waterfalls.

by Aman Sharma

Chapter-2

 En Commute

Date-21/06/2019

8:30am

The thing occurred as always of which I was afraid of….I am already running late and just to make it worse, I need to get a haircut. I know this is a dumb thing to do before the morning departures but I need to get it done before leaving. I have informed my fellow travelers about this; but anyways I am done with my haircut now and its 10:30 and I am in the cab to take me to the bus stop. It’s a 15 min drive from here. We couldn’t find a suitable train timings for the journey so we decided to travel by a bus. My fellows are already waiting there.

Me- Hey!

Them- Aghhh! Not again, we decided to leave on your suitable time and you still late.

Me- I am sorry, I’ll explain it later but let’s get on the bus first and arrange our luggage.

Its 11:10 am by the time bus leaves for Chandigarh, our first stop for today from where we will change our bus for Solan. Now its 30 minutes into journey and I have my earphones on and looking through the window. I consider this as the best part of the journey, listening to your favorite music and viewing changing scenarios outside. It’s a non-stop ride to the Chandigarh bus stand and it will take around 2 hours or so to reach us there. It’s 2:30 pm and we are here in Chandigarh. We checked on our next bus and it was here for a stop for next 30 minutes. So we board our bigger bags in the bus and went to a nearby cafe, freshen up and ate a few sandwiches and fries. The best thing about travelling is exploring new places and trying out the food of different places. Although I have been to Chandigarh for so many times but with friends there’s always something new.

ISBT Bus stand Sector-43, Chandigarh.

After 25 minutes we are back on bus and ready to move onto our next step of journey. Solan from here is 65 kilometers and will take around 3 hours. The bus journey starts to become hectic after sometime when you can’t move yourself much, I’ll suggest you to either go by a car or train when you have to cover long distances. After spending 3 hours on the curves, and going through some breathtaking views we are finally here- Solan!

En Route To Solan, H.P.

The weather here is calm, cool breeze blowing. Its 6:20 in the evening and Solan has welcomed us with open arms and a pleasant atmosphere.

An evening in Solan.

We booked a cab and went to our hotel. By 7:00 pm we have checked in our hotel room, got freshen up and laying down in our beds. The journey has started to show its effects on us, but our empty stomach won’t let us sleep. It’s 8 at night and instead of ordering the food from hotel, we managed to get out and try food at a local nearby place. Although, it’s hard to go out after such a hectic journey but I always try to see the night life of the cities.  We had some momos(Dumpling), spring rolls and buns, that was all for our dinner tonight.

Night view of the city side from the hotel room.

It’s 10:00 at night and we are back in our rooms, tomorrow we have planned to spent a day here in Solan only, I am familiar with a few local places here so we are going to explore it tomorrow. This was much of our day today.

Chapter-3 unfolds on next Saturday, It will be more fun as i explore local areas.

Good bye, Thank you.