Conquering Dhauladhars

Tucked in quilts at the height of 2975mts with a cup of hot black tea and a spoon of rum to beat the cold while the whole valley is covered in mist, it was hard to believe that it would be 40 degrees plus back home in Delhi. 

A few adventurous souls decided to trek to Triund in monsoons when ways will be dangerously slippery and views hidden due to fog. We were told that the trek is 9kms and will take around 4hrs. Climbing up the rocky path, watching snails and moss on the way for around half an hour we reached Dharamkot. Got an interesting piece of information – the locals here drink these snails with milk for speedy recovery of fractured bones. Glad we were to have finished one eighth of the trek, when someone told us that trek actually STARTS here and that vehicles can come till here. Gathering our courage we started the “real” trek. It had been raining since yesterday and fortunately it was a clear day to start with.

Trekking up the Dhauladhars

The valley looked like a beautiful lady wearing green saree fresh out from bath... hair still wet, drops still resting on her sweet face with red bindi on her forehead. Glad we were to have done this in monsoons. On our right was the diminishing village making us feel we have climbed quite high... but soon we would find ourselves at the foot of another hill that is still to be conquered.

After almost 2 hrs of continuous trek on slippery rocks, passing through lush green Rhododendron and oak trees we all had different pace... some of us much ahead still managing a smile without effort... some struggling with their baggage and thinking why they bought that night dress, could have easily done without it but managing to smile with an effort and some tired to the core talking to every person trekking down and checking how much more they have to climb, their smiles vanished completely. I would not reveal which category I belonged to.

A quick break

Weather was good till now. To our relief we found a tea stall. The moment we stopped there for a quick lunch, it started raining heavily... as if weather God was watching over us. After half an hour of torrential shower it stopped raining. By the time we were reenergized with parathas, juice and chocolate. With even more enthusiasm we started the second leg of our trek. It took us around 6 hrs with breaks from Mcleodganj to reach Triund. 

The moment we reached up there, we forgot our aching toes, hurting back and paining legs.  We were mesmerized by the beauty of nature… standing on a natural green carpet in Dhauladhars with a wonderful view we felt out of this world. We were smiling down at the deep valley while mighty dhauladhars were looking down at us with a smile.

Nature at its best

The sky was clear blue now with white fluffy patches of clouds here and there. It was a perfect day for photography so we started capturing the beauty of the moment on our cameras. By the time we came back to our senses it was almost dark. Preparations started for setting up the camp. Triund is a beautiful camping site in Dhauladhars at an altitude of 2975mts.

Camping at Triund

It was amazing to see the beautiful day turning into gorgeous night. Sun sank deep into the horizon hiding the last gold of the miser sun... Slowly darkness took over the whole valley. We could see nothing but some glittering lights far below… music of silence playing all over.

We felt real proud and precious to be there in oneness with nature!

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Monsoon celebration with "Elites"

Monsoon celebration is in full swing. Recently visited Siliserh Lake with a lively group of senior citizens. It was the inaugural trip of CLG Elite, a new division of chaloletsgo! Its an initiative to bring together people who have just started their second innings and believe in making it even better than the first one.

The Team

With a group of seven cheerful people, we began our celebration. Singing, laughing, teasing... driving through villages, mingling with locals.. and partying was all we did.

Siliserh Lake, Rajasthan

Black clouds embracing the sky... rain drops falling on the lake... lush green surroundings... moist fragrance in the air. It could not have been better than this!

A Date with Nature!

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A Magic Moment at Dhankar

We had already visited many monasteries in the region while on our Spiti sojourn and I expected something similar at Dhankar as well. But I was totally taken aback by the beauty of this place. The monastery is dramatically located on a cliff overlooking the confluence of Spiti and Pin Rivers. 

Dhankar Monastery dramatically located on a cliff

On the other side of the mountain lies Dhankar lake. A well defined steep trail of 5kms will take you there. It is something not to be missed. There are some spots on this trek from where you will get spectacular views of Dhankar. It took us around an hour and a half to reach the lake. Sun was about to set when we reached the place. It was a dark and cloudy day.

Dhankar Lake

I was taken aback by the magic that happened as soon as we were about to leave. I still have a clear picture of that magic moment in my mind - Dark sky with black clouds... cool breeze coming from north... that time of the day when slowly darkness takes over the day and suddenly when we were about to leave the place magic happened... Golden light trickling from behind the clouds lit up the lake turning it from dark grey to deep blue with golden spread all over the place... as if some fairy has waived her magic wand! 

A dash of gold!

Wish Nature's magic could be captured  as is!

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The Road Ends Here!

We were looking for the Kingyupa Temple in the village Chitkul when we met this middle aged well built pahari guy. He was intrigued to see two strangers roaming around in the lanes of this small village of population not more than 500. It was he who approached us.

Chitkul - The last inhabited village of India

Just a 5minutes talk with the man and we were climbing the wooden stairs of his house. "Watch your head" he said while directing us to low lit room of his house all made of wood. There were just three rooms in the house - one that he directed us to, it had a loom in it with lots of wool spread on the floor, second where his wife was sitting with his daughter and mother and the third where we were standing now... kind of corridor connecting the other two rooms.

On talking more to the guy we learnt that he is the person who runs well known "Hindustan ka akhiri dhaba". I knew Chitkul only by this shop before I came here... Had seen a few pics of some bikers group. The road abruptly ends at his dhaba. Thats the end of India. Chitkul is on the foot hills and across these hills is Tibet. Looking at the crowd that is attracted to this small village now, he wants to convert his small dhaba into a hotel and a nice restaurant for travelers. 

With Om Prakash and family

A little more time talking to him and his whole family joined us. On asking his wife described how the loom works. She was making a shawl for an upcoming marriage in the village. Now I was curious to know how they dress in marriages. They took no time in taking the whole costume out and dressing me in it. More than me, they were excited

The Kinnauri women dress in Dohru which comprises of Chhalni, Gachi (waist belt), Pattu (shawl), Topi (cap) and men wear Suthan, Choba, Gachi and Topi.

Me in traditional Kinnauri dress on loom

The warm family bade us goodbye with a promise of having a meal with them on our next visit.

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Wish I were a bird too...!

I visited Palampur, my home town a few weeks before. We have a beautiful garden with variety of fruits and flowers... starting from Peaches, plum, litchi, apricot, mangoes, guava, pomegranate, papaya, strawberries... Roses, poppy, lily, Pansy, camellia and many more.... you name it and we have it all in our garden. And the garden is frequented by a great variety of birds and butterflies. This time I could actually see the birds in action as it is their breeding season. Various birds like robin and Barbet were busy making the nests for their young ones in our garden... Bulbuls singing and jumping around at times on litchi tree and at times on green grass... fruit trees either having fruits or bloom... sweet fragrance of flowers all around... chirping birds playing around... I could feel the romance in the air. It was no less than living in a paradise for a week.

Papa busy maintaining the garden

My day would start with a sweet call of a small blue bird. I would take a deep breath and head towards the garden to exercise on soft green grass breathing fresh mountain breeze... a look around and mind, body and soul would refresh. By this time even papa would get free from his day to day gardening tasks. We would together read newspaper, discuss subjects worth a discussion and then have healthy breakfast. 

Observing these birds through the day playing and singing and building their homes with such an effort strengthens my wish to be a bird. Male would diligently collect hay to build the nest and the female would observe lovingly. Then the pair would spend time flying around in the garden... on the trees... branches... playfully. How I wish I were a bird too...!

Watering the plants is fun

Evenings would be full of action. That's when maximum birds would be out. After watering the plants we would together start the bird chase. Papa on one side of the garden, Payal, my sis, on the other and me at the backyard. All busy chasing birds and discovering new additions. The ones for whom our garden was home were Bulbul, Robin and Black browed Barbet. The other guests who visited our garden while I was there were Oriental white eye, Purple Sun bird, a pair of Spotted Doves, Maina, Woodpecker and many more whose names I still don't know.  That black and white little bird who would usually come around sunset and sit on the top of arocaria almost everyday,  the blue bird who would wake me up with its sweet voice, that smallest yellowish brown bird who would never sit at one place as if teasing me and not wanting me to click it... They all became a part of my days there.

Robin pair busy preparing their nest in our garage, between a pole and tin roof. What papa's worried about was the young ones of birds will not be able to stand the heat when sun will warm up the tin. So the solution he thought is that he will put a damp piece of cloth over tin so as to avoid direct sun.

Robin

Black browed Barbet these days was busy digging up her nest in a trunk of an old tree. The process of digging it is very similar to how a woodpecker construct his nest. A hole with unbelievable perfectness. 

Black browed Barbet

Himalayan Bulbul I found them the most romantic of all. They would keep playing and singing around almost the whole day around their home and surroundings. 

Himalayan Bulbul

Chasing and clicking these sweet little birds is what I did the whole week and thoroughly enjoyed.

Now I am waiting for the Barbet to lay eggs. I really wanna see how cute li'l ones look and the sight of them being fed by mother bird is worth a visit to Palampur again. 

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Shivpuri - A perfect weekend getaway from Delhi

A place away from city not very far; relaxing as well as challenging; in the lap of nature with modern amenities; equally attractive for both young and old, kids and parents...!

Around 250kms from Delhi on the bank of River Ganga lies this place called Shivpuri. Stay in luxury tents, sit leisurely on the banks of river Ganga enjoying the cool breeze, open your stiff tired limbs and play volley ball or badminton, swim around, take a forest walk, involve yourself in adventure sports like kayaking, rafting, rock climbing etc in the day and relax with a can of beer, guitar and amazing nature around bonfire at night.

Families relaxing on a weekend at Shivpuri

I recently visited Shivpuri, it's my third visit. I wonder how the place has changed itself as per the demand.

My first visit was with my office colleagues and it was a corporate trip. Shivpuri then was a secluded place, the main attraction then to visit the place was Rafting. And you would mostly find adventure sport lovers visiting the place and staying in tents that provided the basic facilities.

River Rafting 

My second visit was with family and friends after around 5 years. I realized the scenario there has changed much. Number of tents in the area have considerably increased and so have the facilities in the tents. The first time I visited this place, the loos were a small pit in the sand in contrast to what I see today. Now they have English style comod with proper flushing system. People come to take a break from their hectic life in city and relax on the bank of Ganga while staying comfortably. Rafting is an option for those looking for some adventure too.

My third visit left me totally surprised... I was amazed to see how this secluded peaceful place has changed into a picnic spot. Families from all around north India have flooded the place. And why not, the place has everything that a good weekend getaway should have.

I would not call a trip to Shivpuri an adventure travel as most of travel agencies sell it... I would rather say its luxury travel that provides you the opportunity/ option to engage in some adventure sport as well. Tented accommodations have all facilities... Comfortable bed to sleep on, wonderful river view in front, jungle and nature so near, loos with all facilities including hot water for bathing and perfect wholesome meals. If you looking for a place to relax and you also like adventure sports, you'll love the place. There's a lot to do - Kayaking, River rafting, Rock climbing, Jungle walks, Trekking.

Kayaking on Ganga waters

Feel like taking a break and visiting Shivpuri? Contact me @9999731115.

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Bhangarh

 In Anticipation

Accidentally heard name of the place somewhere on net and apart from this the only information that we had was that this place is somewhere near Sariska reserve forest. So, after a rocky and enriching drive through the desert forest of Sariska on a lovely winter morning, as we set for the unknown and mysterious Bhangarh , we literally had no idea where we were heading to. Although, we had number of explorations in the past where we were not equipped with enough knowledge of the place, accommodations etc. but I bet this one was complete blank. Surprisingly none of the locals we asked around Sariska could give us any proper information about the place or distance……a desperate attempt to bind together the various broken information finally helped us heading for a supposedly right direction.

So real yet so strange

Four of us on the old and trusted friend my Alto LX started with the maximum speed possible. But very soon the ‘highway’ nature of the road turned into a slow bumpy ride. A sunny winter day, the more we went more we found population decreasing, only some occasional view of village women with their colorful attire carrying stones, sand and digging while some fat men sitting on chair smoking.  With the sun right on the top of our head we were felling hungry already. Still no sign of the Bhangarh at any of the direction board or milestone (hardly there were any) we stopped by a dhaba like structure after around two hours drive. As feared, here also the people have never heard about Bhangarh and we left just after a rather forgettable lunch with mixed anticipation.

As the Sun slowly leaning towards the horizon we found ourselves on a narrow country road, occasional camel cart and small village huts…….like a invisible magical wall we found ourselves driving through a completely different world…….right through the hearts of the day to day life a remote Rajasthan village …far away from the modern life and cities…..women busy in their day to day work….men and aged people chatting on the veranda …..under a monster tree a villagesarpanch with huge white mustaches talking circled by the excited villagers……and you can easily make out you are not in a Bollywood film-set and everything around is much so real and yet so strange and different from what we see in our regular life.One look at the meter and we knew out initial estimation of Bhangarh being around 30/40 km from Sariska went for a toss and we have already crossed over 30 km……..and I was sincerely doubtful how far the remaining petrol can carry us…..as finding a petrol pump amongst these tiny village paths was as good as finding kangaroo at Saiska forest….. (And moreover, we have not found even a tractor for the last 45 minutes.) A strange passion and anticipation kept us going and how I back my decision today, as we will always cherish that experience and feelings in life. One good thing came out by that time, we were ensured finally by a 10/12 years kid out to ride his goats’ that we were indeed going towards the right direction and all we needed to do was to find Ajabgarh first. Slowly , even the tiny villages and occasional villagers disappeared and all we had picturesque landscapes all around rocky uneven grounds , small grasses and age-old tress. 

Doomed Village on the way

As we drove towards Ajabgarg and beyond it, we spotted some house like structure from a distance, anticipating another small village on the way after a long time we were eager to find some people. And hardly had we known a unique experience awaiting us. Indeed, it was a village but with the entire village was doomed and devoid of any living thing. The houses made of clay and stones were all looking mystic and haunted and where ever there is a door left undestroyed was locked from outside.

Tired and excited a chilling wind passed through our spine as we drove passed a complete village without a single heart beating. Around 3 km from the village Alto 2807 was made a sudden stopped. There lied a ghostly tree, around 100 years old as it seemed, on a side of the road and this was not what made us stopped; but a very small kid was sitting below the tree out of nowhere. Finding someone and more so a kid so small at the given situation was so unexpected that we were thrilled. We were amazed to see the kid did not utter a word in spite of our repeated asking and probing. He stayed unmoved. Confused, after some clicks of him and the place we continued our amazing journey.

 The next stop was due to a over flowing local river, water flowing right across the road took us some time to decide weather our can take it…and as always it did not disappoint us a bit and crossed the location comfortably. 

And thus we reached Spooky Bhangarh

A good 72 km though that unforgettable journey finally enabled us to reach Bhangarh…..we were more than pleased to find a couple of more travelers and a few locals there. A place worth all those stress and hard work had every reason to be called the most hunted place in this south Asian country. Monkeys and Indian langoors had been living with a perfect symphony with the spirit (and spirits?) of Bhangarh for ages. 

An entire township planned somewhere in the pages of History, hidden at the most interiors of Rajasthan were truly magical. As the sun touches the horizon, a mystic light all around, you would definitely love to believe all those story and magic standing at the foothills of Great Bhagrh fort.

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2012 - An year of craziness

2012... when I reflect on the year that's gone... I see 12 months of total craziness. Travelling from hot to cold desert, from peaks to plateaus, haunted places to eternal pilgrims; Enjoying every weather to the fullest.. be it getting wet in rains or sweating myself to scorching hot sun in the desert... or shivering to the deadly winter I did it all. Every day of the year was different... every experience made me learn something new and every journey helped me find myself little more.

Apart from my travel adventures that includes gliding above Dhauladhar ranges... conquering the highest motorable road... finding mysteries at spooky Bhangarh.... mingling with tribals at Pushkar... getting wild in jungles of Bengal, there are many other milestones that made 2012 a significant year in the journey of my life. I officially started organising travels for likeminded people; got my travel stories published in various national and international publications including national geographic, Discover India, Terrascape, Alive and Women's Era; did my first independent photography assignment; organised photography event and much more...

Hoping 2013 to be even crazier!

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Auli - Land of peaks, forest and flowers

It was a clear day with sun rays warming our bodies that have gone numb due to the chill in the air. High snow clad peaks of Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Panch Chuli, Mana and Kamet bordered with Golden oak and deodar kissing the deep blue sky above, welcomed us to Auli.

After basking for a while on a natural green carpet, we started walking around.

High snow clad peaks bordered with Golden oak and deodar
kissing the deep blue sky above, welcomed us to Auli

Basking on a natural green carpet

An encounter with locals

Met Kunti devi, Lalita and Kuldeep on the way. Kunti, who lives in a nearby village, was going to deliver milk to families at Government quarters.  Far on the top we could see a potato farm that Kuldeep told us he is coming from.

Locals busy in daily chores

Not-at-all-camera-shy locals were all in for pictures

After spending some time talking to them we headed towards the ski resort of GMVN (Garhwal mandal).                

Golden Oak and Pine Forest

The resort looked like a labyrinth of stairs. On climbing to the top we discovered a car chair lift to the point where skiing is done in winters. There was an artificial lake constructed by GMVN to prepare snow for Skiing that Kuldeep had mentioned excitedly and told us not to miss. But for us city dwellers who live in artificiality day in and day out, it was not the attraction. We wanted go up and up and lose ourselves in the serene nature. So we decided to trek to the Golden Oak forest.

We trekked up further to reach the golden oak forest

Encircled by the snow-laden Himalayan peaks is a dense forest of Pine and golden oak, so serene and noiseless that you can hear the sound of rustling leaves under your feet. The unique thing about the forest was the carpet of purple lilies, the Sagebrush Buttercup and white daisies.

A glimpse of Nanda Devi National Park

After spending good two to three hours in the forest we had to return to GMVN as it started raining. Weather had changed its flavor, the sun has been engulfed by dark clouds and the sweet sun shine day had been turned into a harsh chilled breezy day. 

The water drops wetting us and cool breeze teasing by blowing even faster after the shower. Never before has rain felt so good.
Wet body, aching limbs and satisfied heart is what we came back with. After doing some photography here and there and teasing friends about the kind of place we are at, we drifted into the world of dreams.

Magical Sunrise

We woke up to a fresh morning and trekked towards a small temple on the top of one of the hills. It was still dark outside and not even a single soul was to be seen. We witnessed the first rays of the sun falling on majestic Himalayas.

Golden rays falling on snow laden mountain peaks

After sunrise at around 6.00am, some activity started. Few more wandering souls came out with their cameras, and some believers were out to offer their prayers and there was a lot of activity around the Indo Tibetan army base.

We came back with serenity of solitary forests, strength of Majestic Himalayas and simplicity of smiling locals.

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Himalayan Paradise - Kausani

One of my fond childhood memories is a visit to a small town with breathtaking view of Himalayan range. The picture of Snow clad Himalayan peaks rising to caress the sky, clouds hovering over the valley below, changing colours of the sky is still fresh in my mind. I was quite excited to visit Kausani after around 25 years. Has the place been able to preserve the beauty I witnessed then, has it changed its colours with changing world... there were many such questions lingering in my mind.
We were a group of five driving an Alto. Cutting through the dense fog enjoying the fulness of nature we drove through Hapur, Joya, Rampur, Haldawani, Kathgodam and Bheemtal

Serene Saat taal:

We had time in hand so we decided to stay at Saat taal over night. Welcoming owner, Cordial staff and perfect location made Maple leaf resort a good option to stay. Quickly the staff got the rooms ready. We were informed that there were heavy rains from past few days. After settling down we decided to go out for evening walk. We were cautioned by Mr Lalit, the owner not to go far off as there may be some wild animals roaming around and its not safe. But we, the explorers, were looking for some adventure. We could easily make out that the woods are full of activity that we could only hear in the dark night. We thoroughly enjoyed our walk through the mysterious woods with night sounds of wolf howling, frogs croaking and crickets chirping

Lovely quiet morning is what we could ask for after a tiring day and an adventurous night. Nothing can be as refreshing as morning walk through the full bloomed nature. Took a walk around, clicked some best pictures of the trip and then resumed our journey to Kausani at around 7AM. Driving through beautiful valleys, water streams and tiny villages, we reached Kausani at around 2PM.

Kausani ...beyond the horizon

We were mesmerized to see the pristine beauty of the place. It hasn't changed at all... A small town untouched by the modernity. Except for a few more hotels here and there (architecture in sinc with the simplicity of the town), the place look almost as it looked some 25 years back.

 That time I remember there were just 2 probable places to stay - the Government guest house and the Gandhi Ashram. I wanted to stay at the rest house where we stayed those 25 years back. And we were lucky enough to get the permission to stay there. It being monsoons, we were the only guests and that made our stay even better. Care taker, Cook, Mali, Variety of birds, Insects, Monkeys, a Dog were sharing the place with us.

That evening was spent sipping hot coffee and gazing at the snow bound peaks playing hide and seek with clouds. We started identifying the peaks - Chaukhamba, Nandachunti, Trisol, Nanda Devi, Panchuli ranging from the height of 21 to 25 thousand feet. The sun rays reflecting from clouds were creating a drama of colors in the sky. Slowly the darkness took over and turned the beautiful evening into a quiet night. The valley below looked like God has sprinkled sparkle on a black sheet. Home cooked dinner followed by a session of sharing spooky experiences over a drink in the dark night completed our day.


Baijnath, Tea gardens and more...
We woke up to a fresh lazy morning with a cup of hot tea and mesmerising view of sun rise over Himalayas.

The first half of the day was spent roaming around the town, talking to locals, and exploring the place. There are many old buildings with red and green tin roofs that adds to the beauty of the place. Thabli devi, mother of 6, working as mali in the guest house gets Rs 1500 salary and walks down for 2 hrs to reach her workplace. Life is not easy for her and many others in the area. But people here know how to live with limited means and being content with it.

In the second half we planned a trip to the tea gardens nearby and Baijnath. We were guided by Thabli Devi. She took half day off to roam around with us and get a car ride. Exceited she was to sit in a car for the first time. It was a bright sunny day with soft clouds here and there.

Our first stop was Baijnath, 19kms from Kausani town. This old group of temples consisting of main shrine of Lord Shiv and 17 subsidiary shrines is build in Nagra Style in 12th century AD. The temple holds significance because, according to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva and Parvati were married at the confluence of River Gomati and Garur Ganga. Situated on the left bank of the Gomti River at an elevation of 1126 mts, the temples are constructed in stone. The temple is approached from the riverside by a flight of steps made of stones.

Driving through cheer and deodar trees our next stop was a local government school. It being a Saturday, school was closed. Slogans, a map of Uttarakhand and one of India and national anthem writen on the walls of the school... The place reminded me of my childhood days.

Then was the much talked about tea gardens and the tea factory The tea produced here is rich in flavor and of export quality. Kausani is the only place away from the traditional tea plantation areas in India that produce organic orthodox tea. This high-flavored tea is exported to many countries, including Australia, Germany, Korea and the US. Quite impressed we were. Picked up few packets of tea from an outlet just outside the factory.

Tempted to go... check out our trip in May 2013 here

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Some family celebrations at Asansol and some magical moments at Mandarmani

We were going on a family trip to Asansol, my 'Sosurbadi'. Its 'Annaprashan' of my nephew Ishaan. Saturdays are not off for Ani, so we decided I, with all the luggage, will pick Ani from his office and will go to the station directly. There's a reason why I am telling you all this. In the rush rush of packing, calling a taxi, picking up luggage and Ani... I forgot to pick my most precious thing "Nikon D60". So a week long trip without my camera.

The celebrations were good - first at boni's sosurbari and then at mine, me and dear hubby being the chief guests at both the places. Its Mama's occasion. For those who don't know, 'Annaprashan' is the occasion when the infant is first fed with food other than milk and Mama is the one who feeds the child. Loads of food, 'Adda', masti.... it was fun. It is when I am in WB that I reget being a vegetarian. They seem to enjoy various preparations so much. And for us veggies its just dal, aloo bhaja and paneer. Anyways, the occasion ended well. Ishaan seemed to have enjoyed his first meal as much as we enjoyed feeding him.

We still had some time in hand, so thought of a short trip somewhere around. Sis in law took no time to decide the place and finalize the plan. We were going to Mandarmani, a beach resort in Medhinipur district of West Bengal. Though summers ia not the best time to visit the place we took a shot at it. Firstly, The place will not be too crowded due to off season and secondly we will get the accommodation in comparatively cheap.

Four of us Tiu (my sis in law), Chintu (her husband), Ani and me started off on a Wednesday morning. The journey was cool until our little driver bumped the bottom of the car on a speed breaker. The steering got locked. Luckily there was a Tata service stations nearby so we got it fixed. After going little further, there was a road blockage done by some protesting villagers. We were told to wait for 1 hr. Anirban's 'khurafati dimaag' started working immediately. He went up to one of the most intelligent looking person in the crowd and starting talking. We were just observing him from the car. One nod from that person and we were on our way again. On inquiring, Ani told us that he told the man that we are a group of travel journalists from Delhi and are going to Mandarmani to do a story on beaches of West Bengal. Part of the information is true huh! In India can you imagine to get work done without a little lie. And whats the harm in it if it doesn't harm anyone anyways.


After this eventful little journey we reached the place, but the beach is nowhere to be seen. As I was told by one of the friends it is a adventure ride, one has to go through the sea to reach the resort. I was getting impatient to experience that. and woww... one narrow road led us to the magnificent sea. We drove on the beach around 4-5 kms to reach the destination. That was a wonderful experience.

The place we stayed at was right on the beach, and our room window facing the beach. We were told that the sea waves come up till the gate of the hotel on a full moon day.

We din't take any time to change and jump into the sea. Loll on the sand, let salty water wet your body and sound of crashing waves touch your soul - thats exactly what we did. It was magical, we spent around 2-3 hrs wetting our body and minds.
The night was even more hypnotizing. It was a day before full moon night. the sea at its furious best. Almost full moon, huge waves crashing, strong wind blowing, we could feel the magnificence of the nature. We could see the huge waves crashing right at the foot of the raised platform we were sitting at.

The same lolling and wetting went for half of the next day, and then was the time to say goodbye to the wonderful place, Mandarmani, much more than what I expected it to be.

PS - The pics you see above are taken from my Nokia mobile phone.

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