Sojourning at Manali (En route to Ladakh)

Does the beauty of hills stations elude you? Are you attracted to reaching quiet and serene heights, capturing those miniscule yet scenic towns and villages in to your camera? Do you prefer mixing adventure with some solace in quiet mountains and cool hill tops? If you really do so then a trip to Manali in northern India before hitting Ladakh is the right destination for your family holidays. Welcome to the hill station of northern India that offers its tourists a pleasurable concoction of peace, tranquillity, romance and a thrilling adventure- Manali the ‘Switzerland of India’.

As you traverse your journey by road from the green city of Chandigarh upwards towards the Himalayas what you come across is a splendidly scenic grandeur that holds a classy display of natural beauty all over its hills. This is Manali, one of the classically popular spots for tourists in the Kullu region.  Famous amongst tourists and newly-married couples this hill-station serves as an ideal location for film shooting crews as well.

Spiritual and religious splendour

Don’t miss the Gadha Thekchoking Gompa which is located in the Tibetan area around the bottom of the Mall in Manali.  Built by the Tibetan refugees in 1960 this exquisite piece of religious art serves and amazes the tourists with its beautiful frescoes and a mid-size Buddhist statue.  If you are a hardcore India patriot then the list of martyrs killed in the war from 1987 to 1989 inside this temple would serve as a valuable piece of information and pride.

A four storey wooden temple of Goddess Hidimba Devi located in the middle of the forest comes as surprise attraction and an interesting place of worship.

Looking for a prowl in the wilderness?

Spread on the sprawling land of 3,180 hectares and a shelter to one of the most protected species, the Manali sanctuary is an important asset of the Manali wildlife authority. Ahead of this below the Chanderkhani pass, pops a small valley which is home to some few thousands of tribals living in this hilly region.   If you still haven’t satiated your desires for that thrilling adventure then take look at some known spots of Hanuman Tibba, chanderkhani pass, Deo Tibba and Rohtang Pass for Heli-Skiing.  The ideal time for you to carry out this sport is during late winters when the layers of snow have gathered making it favourable for it to be smooth and zesty.

As it is more convenient and advisable to use the helicopter service to drop the interested adventurers at the right height and spot, the cost is expensive and only fit for the ‘right’ people.  No wonder the sport is tremendously thrilling and invokes all the senses as the skier experiences the zing by rapidly zooming down to the white icy slopes.

A visit to the Indian ‘Switzerland’

Starting from the Manali town and at a distance of around 13 kms, you get to see the exuberantly attractive landscapes of ‘Solang valley’ encapsulated with snow capped mountains seen around and lavish green acres of curvy lands all around you.


Please note:  This article is now sold to an independent contractor and is not for sale
-Barkha verma ( Author).

we...The children of the village!

“What makes you come to our lands......we have not much to offer

Than smiles

With our red cheeks and running noses,

Some stars that suddenly twinkle in our eyes...

We only know that you come from faraway lands

With so many things studded inside your bags,

Pockets and .........mind...

What makes you come to our lands....out here you find only changing colours of sand,

Smooth and lonely sand, tall mountains hiding us from the world beyond

Its only sun that dares to rise and shine

Our only true visitor every day

Never misses his classes

What makes you come to our lands.....

Clicking our pictures every now and then...

Will you sell them to those angels

Who wish to know how we look? Or

Will you make fun of us showing them to

 those beautiful dolls or toys of the moving screen? or

You will keep them with you forever hidden somewhere

And show it to us when we have grown old.

Don’t ask our names for you will forget them

Don’t give us anything for we will be

unhappy after you have left

Just give us a handshake or a smile

Tell us about your lands of tall buildings,  big water tubs

And green lands.

Tell us a story so that we remember and tell them

To our teachers

For you come only once with your bags

To our land

From your faraway lands..............................

My window!

One fine morning
When I looked out of the window of my soul, 
I saw a beautiful road endlessly traversing
And touching unexplorable horizons.

Each and every sight was
 an experience in its own. 

Every miniscule part of it was seen
Stretching their arms out
to embrace me to their journey,
 an open invitation to the mysteries
 of the soul and its infinite route!

I froze for a moment,
 held my  horses
and 
closed the windows-
once again this time....this last time I thought.....-

 with eyes closed, still gazing at that road deep inside by the 'inner me'. 

One fine day
when I'm done
with everything else
I will jump out of this window
beyond the material boundaries

and reach out on this route
with no bags
no accessories
no tickets
no footwear
and no more 'needs or desires'

just me and this journey!!

Is Valentine approaching next month??

That element called ‘Romance’

The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender ~

-Emil Ludwig

                                  No wonder Love and Romance rekindles that energy within you and you turn out to be  all new as if born with wings and ready to take on the whole world with a blooming soul.   Life sometimes knocks with Romance and when you open and invite this guest called ‘Love’ it fills your life with true colours that were missing earlier. In love a person ‘deceives’ and gets ‘deceived’ for as we all know that ‘love is blind’! It gives you a sight which makes you see the ‘unseen’ makes you feel the ‘unfelt’ and awakes that feeling which has been sleeping all this while.  In more pristine terms it opens our eyes from darkness, awakens our spirits and takes us to a joy ride to heaven and the divine.  When you meet that someone who makes your heart tick faster or when in that first kiss you embrace life in its completeness then it’s this time when you have actually stepped in to happiness which you had never experienced before.  Worries run far away from your otherwise mundane and stressed life and tranquillity is the one who replaces it! 

With you and your spouse no matter however old you are ‘Romance’ keeps this heart younger and beautiful and the beauty grows as years pass by. It’s that old wine which you would want to cherish every second and let it grow older as ‘the older it would get, the richer it would become’!  Life today is so much badly affected with factors such as stressed work routine, a mundane life, artificiality and materialistic urges blowing bigger and selfish goals or thirst that is never satiated.  We have come far away from breathing oxygen.  It’s only this feeling which can bring us back from the dungeons of violence, treachery and aggression.  Giving time for your love, going out on romantic evenings and having sumptuous candle light meals together are sure de-stressors in our life.  Once in a week outing to some remote peaceful location with your loving spouse, giving her that special attention for which she had been waiting for can bring oceans of changes and happiness in her. And this charm will cast magical spell in your otherwise monotonous life.   Knowing your spouse better and sharing romance for a while can bring wonders to your love life. Why just that the very feeling of togetherness with your partner can refresh the whole personality of yours.

                           Often when you might hear a ‘cliché`’ such as ‘Hey! You are really looking charming today.....are you in love’? Has got some meaning in it. Love does reverse your age and make you look younger not only from within but also the external of you. So go ahead and bring back all those romantic vibes back in your life..............you will not remain the ‘same’ again!

Please note: This article is sold along with its copyrights to 'Zeeba writers Paradise'. It now owns the copyrights of the same.

-Barkha verma ( Author )

Wild greeters

A group of friendly inhabitants of the barren and sturdy mountains greeted us on our way to the famous Pangong-Tso.

            Well, Marmots are a lot more interesting creatures than what the Wikipedia explains it as. I guess the time when we saw them making hay in the sunshine was the one when these beautiful mammals are out from their hibernating burrows.

                Bigger than the size of a Persian cat and with a richer hair texture of almond brown they display themselves as one of the most alluring wild species which remain hidden from mankind. Their fur shone and danced on their wrinkly leathery thick skin as they moved towards us, quite a few of them though.  A bunny rabbit like twin teeth popped out as it moved closer as if wanted to display its most presentable walk and look for us ‘ugly’ ones.  A piece of cheese slice which I took out from my coat pockets was now neatly tucked between my fingers held towards in their invitation.  It did play its magic as several others popped out of their holes to bag their price of the splendid sunny show.  Within no seconds the complete family had surrounded us forming a gamut which surprised and attracted more tourists to sojourn beside us with their cameras and video cams.

        Although our provision of cheese was over the Marmots got some plentiful more from other admirers; in terms of nuts and vegetables. Quite a treat I thought!  And quite a shot too for all of us to cherish it along with my kids for whom this wild gift would forever remain memorable too.

Pangong-Tso

 A Lake from Heaven

Union with God is the only heaven there is and it begins here on earth.

                                                                               - Macrina Weiderkehr, A Tree full of Angels

                             As truly said there’s hardly drawing a line between the two worlds when the sights exude the same charm of beauty, spiritual solace and an infinite divinity.   The Pangong-Tso is one such creation which can even elude the Gods from heaven to seek pleasure of its magnificent sight that it offers we immortals here on earth.

As anyone would discover the geographical boundaries either from Google or various travel guides nearly 70% of its extension stretches in to the Chinese territory. But whatever remains in India is an asset to preserve with glory and pride. For the religious monks and people of Ladakh the lakes are as sacred as their own places of dwelling. The sanctum sanctorum of Buddhism allures people from all over the world. They come here and try to capture as much as they can to satiate their desires of such a combination of sanctity and pleasure.  Travelling a long journey of nearly 180 kms from Leh passing through colourful mountain passes and valley with the pristine rivulets accompanying us every now and then, the sight of the Pangong-Tso as our expected destination is a soulful experience that remains deeply embedded forever. The contours and various moods of the lake keep changing every now and then as you move your eyes around its vastness kissing the horizons.  Blue is not just ‘simply blue’ here! .......Its presence glamorizes and adorns itself beautifully blended with the reflections of mountains and clear blue skies as you watch the lake surface. With the sunrise and the rays falling in different directions on the lake  the shades of Turquoise, cerulean blue, Prussian, deep sea blue and much more give a  never ending sight for an artist to create or capture a masterpiece on his canvas.  I sat for a while near the shore watching those still pebbles glistening beneath the soft waves of the water.  Small fishes could be seen coming close towards the edge with graceful moves sometimes hiding or encircling those small white pebbles.  These living creatures are a part of the sacredness which the monks believe should be untouched or unharmed by anyone who visits them.  Tourists were seen spending some time with leisure undisturbed by the cold windy breezes blowing around the vicinity of the lake.  Near the lake stands a hill top which is said to be an excavation point for Garnet lovers.  Called as Garnet-Hill this one gathers attention from hikers and trekkers by the very fact that if offers raw crystals and rocks of dark wine or burgundy coloured Garnets which is a semiprecious stone often seen studded in the Ladakhi or any ethnic jewellery. 

With greed of collecting some myself I did reach to some h eight but the exhaustion and the lack of oxygen diminished my motives of further climbing up. However my queer intentions made me accomplish my goals a bit as I tucked in some few rough pieces of Garnets found while I declined down to the base.

A nearby army cafe sheltered us for a while as we sumptuously and hungrily gulped down the piping hot noodles and some over sweetened tea.  As the driver began to accelerate I gave a last glance to the lake bidding adieu as calmly as ever to all its visitors...................the still quiet and blue waters of the lake were speaking  just one note out to me...............We  will be here always !!

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NYOMA

A Hamlet in Oblivion

Visiting a quaint and quietly secluded place such as a hamlet was never on my cards until I discovered an essence of tranquillity while I stayed in Nyoma. On our way to certain attention seeking places such as the highest located astronomical telescopic observatory in ‘Hanle’, the famous hot water springs of Ladakh and the remotely located lake of Tsomorari, we decided to sojourn for a night at a small meagrely equipped place called Nyoma. While Nyoma is nothing more than a desolated village which fills in the needs of tourists like us for some shelter, it is o ne of the domains of solace after you have travelled a back breaking journey of nearly 200 kms from Leh.  With a population that will hardly exceed even 500, the village emerges chirpy and filled with liveliness as the sun dawns spreading its comfort rays all around embraces every corner of the hamlet. A small government clinic, a government school both for boys and girls, the BSNL tower and the Power and Water Department offices can be seen located close to the vicinity and in easy communication.  For the frequent mobile users and internet freaks who otherwise find it difficult to communicate due to poor network Nyoma comes as a surprising relief.

As for me I couldn’t wait moving out from my small guest room to seek the pleasure of sun basking even in the month of October. The village seemed to be blessed by a healthy air, peace flowing rivers of Indus, a monastery to experience divinity and its ever smiling people who would always exude a welcoming charm around you with their hospitable ways and helpful nature. School children would stop past my room and look forward to play with my two year old daughter. In return my daughter would insist me to take her to visit a nearby hostel from whence they came to share their smiles and laughter with us. She would be pepped up with such a lively entertainment thrown by villagers of all the ages.  Morning teas with plenty of herbs such as dried mint and basil brewed with ginger were the luxurious begins as I would sit perched on one of the open terraces of my rooms and silently admire the tall ice peaked mountains staring  me  from their static distance.  Local shops would sell everything from vegetables and fruits cluttered with woollen clothes, cosmetics, stationary as well as some medicines so one doesn’t have to prioritize what they need first to buy, just land in one of these shops and watch for a while........and you while find everything in these miniature malls to serve your needs.  An owner with her face covered leaving her eyes exposed and one of her toddlers tucked neatly behind her back explained that since the visit by tourists to their village is nearly sparse and only existed in summers they had to clog all kinds of items ranging from consumer to cosmetic in small place as it became easier for the customer and saved their time. Well indeed I thought....... for I nearly picked up some gloves, a sachet of a hair conditioner and a packet of noodles from one same shop!

Although my stay at Nyoma was just a few days it left a lasting impression on my mind as apart from other happening tourist spots in Ladakh, this one took me back to solitude and a world of its own where people were found to live with just one thing......harmony!!