Visit to Chakrata

A quick dash to the Himalayas was just what the doctor ordered. So off we went to Chakrata, a little-heard-of cantonment town in Garhwal Himalayas, 90 km from Dehradun. Chakrata is a one-horse town, with a quaint charm—very different from typical hilly destinations like the bustling Mussourie and Nainital.

After an eight-hour journey from Noida, the 6700 ft Chakrata welcomed us with dazzling views of the snowy Himalayan peaks and fresh mountain air. We had opted to stay at the Himalayan Paradise hotel, rejecting Snowview Hotel. A bad decision, as we soon found out, considering that Himalayan Paradise is 8-9 km below Chakrata town and has absolutely no view of the snowy peaks.

But Himalayan Paradise had its own treats. The food was quite good and the hospitality excellent. But a couple of experiences made our stay there unforgettable. The first was watching the moon rise behind the mountains. We were lucky to hit Chakrata around full moon. On our first evening there, dusk deepened into night and we were settled inside our rooms, since it was very cold outside. Suddenly the dark mountain silhouettes facing our windows lit up with an unearthly light. Slowly, the full moon rose from behind the mighty mountains, a huge yellow disk, bathing everything around with its dazzling light. None of us can ever forget that haunting experience, Himalayan Paradise                                                 as we stood shivering outside in the cold night air, gazing at the mesmerising scene.

Next morning presented us with another stunning view. As we went outside to have an outdoor breakfast, we found that the hotel was actually built with a backdrop of sheer craggy mountains. We craned our necks up and saw some trees far, far above the rocky mountain sides, where a solitary villager was making a precarious excursion for firewood. His only companion was a lonely buzzard, spreading its wings wide and soaring in the cloudless blue sky. We were enveloped in a quiet stillness that urban creatures like us have forgotten can even exist.

Strolling around Chakrata

The town of Chakrata is quite tiny but has a steady flow of army personnel. The narrow cobbled streets are surprisingly clean and here and there pink blossom-laden trees make their appearance. These look quite like cherry blossoms. We made our way to ChriMiri Neck, which is a table-top like clearing, giving a beautiful view of not only the Himalayan peaks, but also the rolling valleys surrounding the heights. We also made an abortive attempt to

visit Deoban, a place some distance from Chakrata at a height of 9000 ft. Our car deserted us mid-way and we had an impromptu climb with the junior-most (13 years) and the senior-most (81 years) members of our group, all having a go at mountain-climbing! Here the senior-most member beat everybody else hands down, having made a steep ascent up the mountainside along a mule-track. And descending the same way, without acquiring a single scratch!!

We decided to return to the plains via Mussourie since the Chakrata-Mussourie route is famed for its beauty. We started along this route on a bright, sunlit morning. The bounty of nature we witnessed along the way surpassed our expectations. As we rode along, the majestic Himalayas revealed more and more of her snow-capped peaks till a long unbroken range was clearly visible, dazzling us with its beauty on that cold, brilliant morning. Beautiful, too, were the deep, rolling valleys we passed and the ‘necks’ where we crossed from one mountain to another. There were gorgeous pink

blossoms on trees in full bloom, bright yellow patches of mustard growing by the hillside. We glimpsed low houses with sloping, grey-slate roofs, bonny children standing the doorways with their pet goats. Somewhere along the way, the river Yamuna had started keeping us company. A snaking silvery ribbon to begin with, it steadily seemed to become wider as we descended. We came down almost to the level of the mighty river when the ascent began once more, this time the road taking us to Mussourie.

And Mussourie? Yes, it was great to come to a bustling town with its shops and lights and mall and cable car. But while we were lapping up the comforts of the hotel, as well as the varied cuisine that was available, we silently remembered the solitary moon among the majestic mountains in Chakrata.

Tanuka Bhaumik Endow