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  Rakesh Ranjan 2:09 am on January 1, 2008 | 0 | # |
  Tags: Har-ki-dun, Trekking India, Treks in India, Uttarkashi

  Off all my trips to Offbeat places, I would rate my recent trip to Jakhol as the best. Walking in snow was always a dream, which became reality this time.

  So to begin with, Jakhol is around 75 Kms from Purola in Uttarkashi district. Situated right in Govind Pashu National Park. One needs to take permission from forest office at Dehrudun or Purola before entering this National Park. The permission is a small formality because they need to keep records of people entering the National Park and in case of any emergency, they would be able to get in touch with your family.

  We were planning lots of places before we zeroed in for Jakhol. Fortunately for us we were not disappointed, the village had around three feet’s of snow and it was just great to be there. Most surprisingly people Opt for a difficult trek Har-ki-dun that is quite near to this place, without knowing that it takes a lot to trek. First and the foremost is the stamina to walk and that too in snow. So for beginners I would recommend to do a trek like what we did. Just 5 Kms trek from Jakhol to Sirga top. Here is my trip report.

  Day 1 : We started at 11.15 PM from Hazrat Nizammudin station by AC Special train to Dehradun.

  Day 2 : Reached in morning around 5.30 AM at Dehradun, I had one of my friend Bhagchand who is also a local guide waiting for us at railway station. We booked an Ambassador car till Purola Costing Rs 1800. The Journey till Purola is quite picturous, going through Mussourie, and then Kempty falls. We had breakfast at Kempty falls and then we moved on. You will come across small towns like Nainbagh, Damta, Naugaon and then Purola.

  On the way there is a place called Lakhamandal, which is said to be the same place where Kauravas tried to burn Pandavas in a Wax built Castle. Well I couldn’t believe this but that’s what people say..

  After reaching Purola, we took a halt. I went to see the forest officer and took permission for further journey. From Purola Jakhol is around 75 Kms, and you will come across Jarmola, Mori, Netwar and then Jakhol.

  All through the journey, you will be following river Tons and will find beautiful location for river rafting at Mori. Jarmola has Asia’s biggest pine tree as per my knowledge, the entire area is covered with thick pine forest. At Netwar two rivers meet river Rupin and Supin which form river tons and which later meets river yamuna. Netwar also has King Karn’s temple, many people go there to visit, we didn’t had much time so we moved on.

  It was around 5.00 PM now, and we could see fire on hills. Our driver told us that local people put that fire to burn older grass. We thought otherwise the entire forest could be on fire this way. At Netwar we saw snow on the hills for the first time and everyone was delighted to see that.

  From Netwar the roads condition is in pretty bad shape, only Mahindra’s Trax and jeep can make their way. At some places the roads are very narrow with gorges on one side and Steep Mountain on other. Only experienced driver advised. We reached Jakhol at 6.30 PM and the village was full of snow. As soon as we stepped out of our jeep we realized how difficult is to walk on hard snow. It was quite slippery, we took our luggages and we went to our friend’s home for stay. In the night we had good dinner and we slept waiting for next morning, as we knew more excitement was waiting for us next day. The night was chilly.

  Day 3: We got up early, and thought to have a morning walk. As soon as e stepped out one of my friend slipped twice. We had a good laugh but rom there on we were careful. We packed our lunch items for the trek. After the breakfast we started for Sirga top, which is around 5 Kms from Jakhol. We were six people in all including three local guys, they kept telling us lots of local jokes and stories about the place.

  The entire trek was full of snow; we were like completely bowled over by the natural beauty. Check out some of my photos of the trip. At around 2.30 PM we reached the top passing through dense pine forest and snow. One of our friend prepared food for us and we had good lunch sitting on snow. We took lots of snaps, guys giving their best poses.

  At 3.00 PM unwillingly we decided to come down as the day is quite small during these days. On the way we decided we would again come here during summers.

  We reached village at around 6.00 PM, my friends purchased local handmade clothes. We decided to leave the village in night so hired a Jeep for Rs. 3000 till Dehradun.

  We departed at 7.00 PM from Jakhol after saying thanks to all friends and their family members who were very helping and took care of us.

  Just when I was about to get on to the jeep, I slipped and hurt my shoulders. Hmm happens when you think and walk on snow. I still have that slight pain but I am enjoying it, as till I have that pain it will keep me reminding of that wonderful trip.

   

• Rakesh Ranjan 10:47 am on November 7, 2007 | 0 | # |
  Tags: Amritsar, Dhramshala, Jwala Devi, McLeodgunj, wagah

  It all started on Friday night when one of my colleague who was frustrated with loads of work said he would like to go for a trip to somewhere for a break, destination not decided yet. Seeing an opportunity of excursion I too showed my willingness to join him. While We were just planning some more colleagues joined the discussion and they too were interested for an outing. So it was all set definitely for a trip but still no one knew where we would be heading for. Someone said Tehri Dam, a few said Nainital, Mussourie, Some suggested corbett. Since one or the other friend had already being to these places no one wanted to visit the same place. Finally we zeroed in to wagah border to watch Beating Retreat ceremony held everyday evening.Next day Saturday, we had change of plans we were going to Dalhousie after Amritsar. Why leaving hills when we would be so close to them. So finally we were all set and we booked Quallis looking vehicle “Rhino”, I was seeing this vehicle for the first time, Very similar to Quallis.

  We thought to brief our driver about our trip route, Delhi-Amritsar-wagah-Dalhousie-Delhi. He had some suggestions, he told Dhramsala would be a much better place than Dalhousie and first we should be heading for Dharamshala and then Amritsar the drive would be much easier and we would be able to see a lot during the trip. So we agreed to his suggestion and now the trip was to Delhi-Dharamshala-Amritsar-Wagah-Delhi.

  So finally we started at around 9.00 PM, We were at Murthal around 12.00 PM for a dinner at dhaba, there is tough competition among so many dhabas in row. The food was good and spicy as usual, i guess all dhabas have more or less same taste food. We started again, although it’s very difficult to sleep in such vehicle we some how took nap. Early morning we were in beautiful valley, and the driver told us we are heading a temple called Jwala devi first then we would turn for Dharamshala. We stopped in between for having breakfast and getting fresh.. As expected the dhaba was not having a good toilet.. So i looked at my colleagues and said “Boys, I am in no mood of going to this toilet.. Any
  one for fresh air”. They all readily agreed and we had good time after that

  We reached Jwala devi at around 11.30 AM, After visiting the temple which is very beautiful and full of devotees from all across the northern cites, we decided to head for dharamshala.The valley is so beautiful that you will have a desire to stop at every 100 meters to watch and get mesmerized by sheer natural beauty. We couldn’t stop ourselves at a location were there was a stream flowing with two bridges across. We decided to take bath and have some fun here. We all rushed to the water, and here once again i was feeling sorry that i didn’t knew swimming. Other colleagues who knew swimming were enjoying in deep water, while me and some other stayed in less water although it was fun here too.

  After all this fun we were in Dharamshala, and soon we realized there is nothing in Dharamshala as such we have to move to McLeodgunj which is still up. And driving is very difficult in this route but our driver managed it very nicely and we were in Mcleodgunj at around 2.00 PM looking for a hotel. And found no hotels as they were all booked for a convention day later to be held at Dalai lamas temple. Someone suggested to look at hotel at Bhagsu lane, fortunately enough we got rooms at Bhagsu and would advice you all to look for rooms in bhagsu if you are looking for a budget rooms. We stayed at hotel Namgyal, the cost was Rs 400 per night, and the rooms were okay cant say they were too gud. After taking some rest we were out in main street enjoying beautiful evening. There are three places to watch Dalai lamas temple, Dal lake and Bhagsunag temple. Since we didn’t had time we just visited Dalai Lamas Temple.

  It looks like entire town is weaved in threads of spiritual feeling and also a mission to free Tibet. Almost all the restaurant has a poster for freeing Tibet and the latest news at Tibet. Dalai Lamas temple is just a beauty to watch. On the way we had nice coffee and we all talked about the mother nature and beauty around.

  The town almost closes down at 8.30 PM, we were quite surprised as we were in mood of taking some more strolls in the streets. But we returned to our hotel and had dinner and they a nice sleep.Next day we got up early and headed for Amritsar. We took the route Via Pathankot and it was a bumpy ride, as the NH is under construction for quiet a few distance. We reached Amritsar around 3.30 PM, and we offered prayer at beautiful and serene Golden Temple. If always a good feeling to see kar sewaks performing their cleaning activities with so much of enthusiasm although i never got a chance to do that. And now we were feeling hungry so what other better place than langar at Golden Temple itself, were thousands of people were having delicious meals and I must admit I have never seen such a organized way of serving people. Also the most important thing is people from all caste and creed sit together to eat.. What a feeling..

  Now we went to Jalianwala bagh, were thousands of innocent freedom fighters were killed. And still you can see the bullet marks on the wall. Cant describe the feeling you get at this place.Now it was time to head for our final destination at wagah border to watch the flag ceremony, We knew its Sunday so there will rush so without wasting anytime we reached wagah border around 40 KM from Amritsar, But to our surprise there were already so many visitors before us. Anyways after some effort (pushing and pulling) we were able to find a place for a us.The atmosphere was charged with patriotic songs on both side of the border, With Indian side playing a mix of patriotic songs and some latest hits, while Pakistani side played some religious tunes (That’s what i could make out). On the Indian side people were dancing and shouting while Pakistani’s chose to keep their cool. People were given tricolor to run with, even some foreign tourist also ran with Indian tricolor, Crowd cheered them and Army personnel were encouraging people to make more noise and enjoy. We were also shouting on top of our voices. Well we had great fun to see how the flags of both countries are brought down and kept each day. Everyone should watch this ceremony atleast once, its a great feeling.Once we headed back for New Delhi, It was a tiring journey back and we had to attend our office but we had the memories of such a great trip and good enough reason to plan next trip.

  check my trip photos at :http://www.flickr.com/photos/travinf…7601919592246/

   

• Rakesh Ranjan 2:53 am on July 22, 2007 | 0 | # |
  

  Very often people request that they would like to visit any Offbeat place.. Away from the tourist crowd and specially touts. I am too fond of such places.

  I decided to visit a small place called “Bateshwarnath” near Kahalgaon, Bihar around 44 KMS from Bhagalpur the “silk city”. Me and my brother-in-law decided to go there on Bike, as we knew we would need to travel through area’s where we might not get good roads (Although to our surprise, the condition of rural roads where much better than National Highway(NH-80), thanks to pradhan mantri gramin rojgar yogana)..

  Bateshwarnath is a place which just looks like a picture postcard.. River Ganges is in full flow and miles till you can see..

  Now the surprising element, when we reached there..we could see some tunnels in the hills.. we inquired from the locals about them.. and came to know that they are mines which were used by British People to take stones for make porcelains, ceramic materials. I got more information on internet the company was bengal potteries..and the mining was done extensively during 1919-1936.

  We were very eager to go inside and we took a decision.. but nobody knew how long are they and is there any danger inside.. Anyway I used my camera’s flash to get some inside view ..We didn’t dared to go beyond 50 Meters as it was pitch dark.

  We came back and I took some photographs of nearby places and started for ruins of vikramshila, which is around 2 KMs from there.

  Again its hard too believe but the ruins of vikramshila have been carefully maintained.. A very good and well maintained museum which tell you about the history of this place..

  No wonder why the kings choose such beautiful places for universities. King Dharmapal established three university.. Vikramshila, Nalanda and one more is in Bangladesh..

  Now the problem of such offbeat place is like no arrangements of food and water, Even no transportation..That’s pretty sad..

  If one needs to be at such lovely places, he would need to arrange all these before and don’t expect anything from the such places then only he would be able to enjoy such places.

  I have uploaded some pictures of my trip.. will be uploading more soon..

   

• Rakesh Ranjan 10:47 am on March 14, 2007 | 0 | # |
  

  San (Sandeep) and me (Rakesh) had been planning many a times to be at Corbett for long but for some or the another reason, we were not able to make it ..

  Finally we thought lets leave planning and set off.. We thought of catching train Ranikhet Link express.. but Since we left late in the evening we missed that. That didnt let us down as we had made up our mind any how we will reach there.

  So we rushed to Bus Station, you wont belive we had missed the direct bus also.. So we were left with with the option of catching a intermediate destination “Moradabad” bus and then catch a bus from thier to Ramnagar. And we did the same. Luckily for us the UP roadways bus was not having that many passesgers so we could use the vacant seats to lie down. Till the time we woke up we were in Moradabad. We took a connecting bus to Ramnagar and reach at around 7.00 AM.

  Now the biggest shock. we came to know that the parks main area is closed. and a smaller portion is open. That was quite a shock but since we were there we decided to go ahead with what we had..

  We checked-in a decent looking hotel and two a double bedroom.. it was quite comfortable then we set out for an outing and went to Girjya Devi Temple.. and San and I enjoyed a lot..The river Kosi is flowing with a very fast pace and its great adventure to cross it with foot.

  The next day early in the morning we went for the Jeep Safari.. Only early morning and evening trips are allowed so we took the morning trip, the cost is around Rs 1000.

  The next shock was to see the open jeep, how can they take us to the jungles without a cover, the guide laughingly told us the animal are more scared of you. But i soon realised the fun was in open jeep only, they took us around 20 KM deep in jungles and although we narrowly missed to see a tiger but we did managed to see lots of deer, lagoons, different kind of birds and ofcourse elephant too..

  The safari was amazing, we retured and spent the whole day on the banks of river kosi and were very happy to be there, planning for our next expedition..

   

• Rakesh Ranjan 1:28 am on March 7, 2007 | 0 | # |
  

  - By Howe Rokofsky (www.rokofsky.com)

  In the name of brevity, I will simply relate to you some of the impressions and how their effect has enhanced my life. After the first few days in Delhi, I was already thinking to myself „How I wish this Indian experience was behind me! Let me go home already!“ It was more about survival than enjoyment. The poverty was all around me, the innumerable touts trying to scam me out of some money, the poor cows languishing all over the city, the stray dogs looking weak and hungry, the stench of urine pervasive. If it weren’t for all the business meetings I had there, I would have left Delhi immediately and made my way for the villages, away from the touts, at least.

  Then I bought a 21-day train pass and began my travelling in earnest. Every couple of days was a new destination, a new place where I knew no one, where I had to find accommodation, get familiar with the new surroundings, and find someone to wash my clothes. Travelling around Rajasthan, then to the Taj Mahal, then slowly down south to sultry Kerala, I saw everything from camels to elephants, birds of prey, met countless people with countless agendas (most of them just happy to talk to a white man, several inviting me home to meet their families, many wanting to take a photo with me, and, of course, others trying to extract money from me). Although I got lonely at times, travelling alone made it easier to meet people and learn so much about this ancient and incredibly diverse culture.

  When the train pass ran out, I enjoyed a few days’ repose on the beaches of Varkala, not far from the southernmost tip of the sub-continent. However, after just three days of lying in the sun, I felt again the urge to move and get back inland, to the „real India.“ So I took a 26-hour train ride up to Bombay, where I am now. I’m glad I came here a couple of days early; Bombay is so much like New York, so unlike Delhi! Thanks to the hospitality of a Jain family I met on the internet, I am staying in their home, eating home-made Gujarati food, and my new friend Samir has been answering so many of the questions in my mind about what I’ve seen around India. Still, there are more questions I can not even venture to formulate! It will take another visit to India to get a better grip on the way things are done here.

  No, I did not do the „spiritual trip“ of doing yoga or meditation here; many Westerners come to India for that reason; as far as I’m concerned, those things can be done at home. There is just too much to do and see here!

  As for the business end of things, I don’t mind mentioning that several „partners“ have been wooing me to come and offer my services to their clients. And, if some of the business meetings materialize into business doings, I will be back very soon.

  As strange as it seems, I have not had even one case of belly cramps or anything of the like. Not that I was overly careful either: without actually drinking any of the tap water, I did not avoid it when brushing my teeth or drinking fresh juices out of less-than-clean glasses on the street. And, as much as I tried to live as an Indian wherever possible, I managed to avoid stepping into cow dung on all but three occasions. Not once did I step into one of the innumerable (and deep!) potholes and twist my ankle, a feat I consider extremely lucky. I came here insured to the hilt against illness, injury and theft, but have not had any such incident to speak of.

  What have I gained from this unlikely experience over the past 6 weeks? Survival is something no one should take lightly: it benefits the soul more than most people realize. One becomes even more adaptable; everything is so different: my imagination did not fathom such things as I’ve seen here. Surely my senses have been heightened: in addition to avoiding traffic (you take your life into your hands every time you cross the street, even in small towns), it is noticing the little things that make the Indian experience so unique. And I can now appreciate so many things I’ve taken for granted my whole life: 24-hour electricity, traffic rules, sit-down toilets, paved roads, a roof over my head, and so many other things that will enter my mind once I am home and have had the chance to reflect more deeply. Without hesitation I can say that these 6 weeks have been some of the most educational and enlightening of my entire life. If one can deal with the strange and unusual things in India, one can get through trials and tribulations anywhere, save for war zones.

  „India rewards those who go with the flow“: these words are in the Forward of the Lonely Planet guide book. When I originally read that, it seemed trite. But now, I can say that truer words were never spoken…

   

• Rakesh Ranjan 11:49 am on February 27, 2007 | 0 | # |
  

  In the west, and other developed countries, they call it Farm Tourism, as it largely offers a ‘back to nature’ experience. Rural Tourism, the nomenclature India has adopted, goes far beyond the western concept. India, it has been aptly said, lives in its villages, and that is where a visitor can get the feel of the real India. The official booklet on the subject says it succinctly. “The rural heartland of India”, it points out, “is home to an array of endowments, each distinctive, with lifestyle redolent of art, craft, culture and natural heritage. Rural tourism thus connects the visitor from the frenetic present with the traditional assets of communities whose domain lies off the beaten track. It recognizes the role of women in civil society, the primacy of human development and the preservation of heritage”. This country has more compelling reasons to aggressively promote rural tourism. One, is the immense potential for employment of rural youth, the other, is that it could check the rapid rural migration which is having an adverse effect on cities. Besides, rural tourism could not only revive pride in rural life-styles, but also help improve the quality of life in villages. And so, this segment of tourism, though new to India and well established elsewhere, fits in with the government’s avowed policy of improving the lot of the rural masses.

  The tourism ministry has since launched a major rural tourism project, covering the whole country, in association with UNDP (United Nations Development Fund). Some fifty villages have already been chosen, where access and basic infrastructure like accommodation, food and guides are being provided. To quote again from the official booklet, “virtually every corner of rural India possesses a craft or traditional skill, preserved and passed on by the gurus to their pupils……Patachitra painting and Gotipura dance in Raghurajpura, Ikat style weaving in Pochampally, metal mirrors and Vaastu Vidya in Aranmula, the Chanderi weave in Pranpur, embroidery in Hodka ….. the list is endless”. “For the visitor”, it adds, “rural tourism will add value through packaged programmes in art and craft, imparted by skilled local artisans. And village entertainment groups will unveil local history, and cultural, natural and oral treasures.”

  Even before the tourism ministry had stirred in a big way, Haryana State, bordering Delhi, had made a pioneering effort. It came out with a colour brochure and an evocative theme. Opening with the famous quote from poet Rabindranath Tagore on his brush with nature, it asked, “When was the last time you chased chickens, roamed in the fields with pure wind on your face…found yourself jiggling up and down to the thrills of a bullock cart or a tractor ride?” “Rural tourism,” it added, “seeks to awaken the child in you …to experience the unforgettable whiff of the countryside…to plant baby seeds…enjoy the delights of organic food and experience many spontaneous joys of nature that you may never have known before.”

  Initially, Haryana tourism began its foray into rural holidays in association with a dozen or so farms around Delhi. They are located in the Faridabad, Gurgaon, Rohtak and Karnal districts. To take just one example, there is the Surjivan Farm, close to the Classic Golf Resort, 50km from Delhi. Spread over fifty acres, it is based on the concept of ‘back to nature’, which the Haryana brochure says “includes nature living, nature food, nature care and nature farming, with a breathtaking variety of plants.” For accommodation, it has ethnic huts, a dormitory and even conference facility. There are day packages, overnight stays and group tariffs. Activities include a choice of organic farming, herbal park excursions, orchards and vegetable gardens, a village safari, cattle feeding, cow milking, camel rides and bonfires. Golf and rock climbing can also be arranged.

   

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