Kasauli Calling

 Let me start by saying that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This was becoming the case with me. Every day doing the same things makes you wonder that is there anything more to this life or not. Especially, for the past 1 and a half years since the last time we had gone anywhere outside. So this time we decided that to break this monotonous and dull lifestyle, we have to go somewhere that would enlighten us both spiritually and bring a change in our lives that would be everlasting and unforgettable. Also, this time we decided that it should be adventurous also along with the normal thrills. You wouldn’t believe it was adventurous enough! I mean for us at this age.

We had been planning to go to a hill station this time since December of last year. But due to unforeseen circumstances, this could not come to fruition. Up until March, when we decided to go to Kasauli, in Himachal Pradesh. We had done our research and gone through many exotic locations before settling down on Kasauli. Moreover, neither of us had been there earlier. So after a lot of deliberations, we decided to book our tickets from the ‘Kashmere Gate’ bus terminal, the Inter-State Bus Terminal on the 10th of March. I had already informed my family, relatives and some of my friends about our plans. They too were somewhere happy for us. After eagerly waiting for the designated date, which was the 18th of March, it was time for our adventure to begin.

I had called for an OLA to take us from Faridabad, Haryana to Kashmere Gate, Delhi on the evening of 18th March. It had started raining also that evening. Perhaps the weather also was in with us to make this journey enjoyable and adventurous for us. So we boarded the OLA in torrential rain and began our journey. The route which the OLA driver took was circuitous and somehow we landed up in Noida, U.P.! That too without our knowledge! The best part was even the driver was confused and to top it all up he asked me where we were currently. I was as dumbfounded as my wife. We looked at each other and exchanged confused glances with each other. Somehow, the driver understood our bewildered expressions and said “sahaab, mai pata karta hoon ki yahan se kaise nikalna hai.” Then he got down and asked a couple of mechanics who were working underneath a truck. They too were surprised that despite GPS location, how could we have landed up in Noida? Anyways, they quickly gave the driver instructions and warned him that he might be charged extra at the Toll Booth for being a vehicle of Haryana, roaming in U.P. Hearing this driver got a little bit nervous and wanted to get out as quickly as he can from that situation. So with mounting trepidation in both the driver and us, we managed to cross the border without much hassle. Finally, we reached our destination, which was Kashmere Gate around 8:00 P.M. in the night. Carrying the luggage we hurriedly reached the platform from where we were supposed to catch our bus to ‘Dharampur’ at 9:30 p.m. The man at the counter looked bored, tired and frustrated at answering the same question so many times. So naturally, he glared at me when I asked “Dharampur waali bus yahan se jaayegi kya?” He looked up at me and said “9:15 ke baad aana yahan pe aur bus number mil jaayega.” So we had an hour to kill at the platform. Now we were also feeling hungry since we had a light lunch and only a cup of tea before the start. So I bought us a couple of samosas, a sandwich for my wife, two teas, and also a cold drink to kill the time. By the time we had finished, it was already 9:10 p.m. and there was quite a throng of people who were waiting for the same bus. At last, the bus arrived exactly at 9:25 p.m. and we were given the bus number. We then asked the bus conductor what time it will depart. He was a tall lanky fellow and looked at us with some annoyance and answered that it will leave at its designated time. The driver was true to the time and started the bus at 9:30 and thus started our adventurous journey. Just because it was dark outside so nothing could be seen except the long queues of honking vehicles stuck in traffic jams due to the rain. Although it had stopped raining by the time we left ‘Kashmere Gate.’

Though I had expected that we would stop for dinner at midnight; the driver surprisingly stopped at a roadside ‘Dhaba’ at around 11:00 p.m. for dinner. The so-called ‘Dhaba’ looked ultra modern with all the modern facilities and also looked like a roadside food court. The most beautiful thing was there it had a group of musicians just at the entrance welcoming all the tourists. Anyways, we again had a light dinner and took our seats. The next time it stopped was around 2:30 a.m. for around 10 minutes. The conductor woke up everybody by announcing that we could refresh and relieve ourselves here.

The next stop was ‘Dharampur’. You wouldn’t believe that we were dropped off at around 4:40 a.m. at ‘Dharampur’. It’s because the time taken from Delhi to Kasauli is around 6-7 hours by road. We were just shocked to see that there was no one around at that time. Naturally, my wife was a bit scared of being at an unknown place and time. She even mentioned her apprehensions to me but I was busy trying to find someone who could help us. Now, you wouldn’t believe me when I say that even gods took pity on us seeing us like that. I wouldn’t consider it less than divine intervention as the next few events unfolded mysteriously as we were pondering our predicament. All of a sudden out of nowhere a big fat street dog materialized in front of us and came quietly and sat down near my wife. Empty It seemed as if it was reassuring that nothing untoward will pass towards her. Especially, when there was no one around and both the streets were completely dark, except for a few buzzing private vehicles and tourist buses. So this was kind of reassuring for her. A couple of minutes later, I saw a milk delivery truck standing up ahead. I went up anticipating any kind of help. As the hotel guy whom I had called up had said that there was no he could send at this time and we had to fend for ourselves. Luckily, I found that there was a guy at the back of the truck who was unloading some milk cartons. So I approached him and asked him “ bhaisahaab, yahan pe koi conveyance milega kya hotel tak jaane ke liye?” He looked me up and with a smile said “ sirji, iss time pet oh nahi milega, kyunki ek aaj Sunday hai, aur taxi waale aate hain lekin thodi der mein aayenge.” Then I asked him about the hotel and he said that it was a little bit behind where the bus had dropped us. Although this gentleman was truly helpful and said that if we can walk a bit for around 15 -20 minutes we will reach our hotel. As the bus had dropped us a bit ahead from our hotel. So realizing that there was no immediate help coming from any quarter we started walking carrying the luggage with us. One thing which I forgot to mention was that being a hilly station, we were feeling a bit of chill so early in the morning and we had not taken any warm clothes with us. This is the moment when I say that it was a divine intervention. As we were walking we suddenly saw a van approaching us and stopping right in front of us. The driver jumped out of the driver’s seat and asked us “kahin drop kar du sir?” At first, we were a bit hesitant but the driver won us over by saying that he knew the hotel and would drop us exactly at the front door. So we reluctantly boarded the van and he was true to his word and dropped us exactly at the front door of the hotel. He even informed the people at the hotel who were asleep that their guests had arrived. It was around 5:30 am and it was still dark. The most frustrating thing was that since the hotel had a policy that check-in would be done at 1:00 p.m. only and not before that, so we were again left in a quandary by the hotel management. It looked as if we had to wait for the whole period outside but then one of the hotel employees politely asked us to come inside and took us to a room where there were big sofas positioned. He asked us to make ourselves comfortable by giving us a quilt and some water. He regretted the inconvenience and said that he will make sure that we wouldn’t have to face any more difficulties. However, spending those 8 hours on that sofa was torturous for us but somehow we managed till the time we did not get the room. In the meantime, my father had also called up and enquired whether we had reached there or not. So I said yes we have reached and are planning to go out somewhere.

After resting for an hour or so my wife said let’s visit the famed ‘Kasauli Mall Road’ which was around 6-7 kilometres from the hotel. She also suggested that I should call up the guy who had dropped us at our hotel in the wee hours of the morning. The driver was helpful enough by giving us a visiting card and he picked up the call on the first ring. He said, “15 minutes me gaadi pahuch jaayegi sir.” Again, he was true to his word and within 15 minutes this Alto was waiting outside the hotel. So we boarded the Alto and went on our first outing in Kasauli.

 

Here, there are some amusing moments while travelling in the Alto. Every time, this guy’s phone would ring, a sexy feminine voice would announce “Mr Chandra Mohan, aapke liye call hain.” At first, we could not stop smiling but could barely control our laughter when this continued for the next few minutes. Anyways, the journey to Kasauli Mall Road was breathtaking and awesome. Lush green valleys and mountains greeted us every step of the way. After a long time, I felt that I was in heaven. This feeling would for the next three days also. On the way we even saw the famous ‘Lawrence Sanawar School’, this school was set up by the British in the early 19th century. At first, it used to be a military school but during the mid-19th century, it was turned into a co-ed school. It is said that many ‘Maharajahs’, who were friends of the British had sent their children to this school to get their education. It was and still is considered an elite school from where famous military leaders, politicians, actors and actresses have done their schooling. ‘Kasauli Mall Road’ is a paradise for people who have visited a hill station for the first time. With little shops perched precariously on cliffs and winding roads, it gives you a sense of adventure and thrill. We were just awed and dumbstruck by this sight. We would continue to remain so for the next three days. After spending an hour and having food there as both of us were very hungry, we went to the ‘Heritage Market’. This place is said to be the heart of ‘Kasauli Mall-Road’, and is said to display the cultural history of Himachal Pradesh. We bought a couple of sweaters and I also bought a small replica of a handcrafted metal bike. You know I am a connoisseur of such items. We went back to our hotel at around 5:30 p.m. At around 8:00 p.m., we thought of going outside for dinner, but then changed our minds and ordered dinner from the hotel only. Thus our first day in Kasauli was over and what a day it was! The remaining 3 days would also prove to be so exciting, adventurous and thrilling.

The next day, the first thing on our agenda was to visit the ‘Baba Balak Nath Temple’. According to local legends, it is believed that if you wish to have a child, you should visit this temple. Furthermore, it is said that if the deity is happy with your prayers, he would shower all his blessings on you. However, we could not have a ‘darshan’ of the Lord as according to the temple authorities; we could only have a ‘darshan’ on the 23rd. This was the day I was supposed to return. Feeling a bit disheartened we went on towards our next stop. However, both of us had a feeling that ‘God’ would not disappoint us. This feeling came true on the same day and the second last day also. The next stop was both enthralling and enchanting. There are no words to describe what we witnessed. Although the whole journey towards this particular place was as awesome and beautiful with lush green mountains, winding roads, deep valleys and gorges. It seemed like a scene out of some ‘National Geographic documentary. The most beautiful aspect of Himachal Pradesh and its people is they are always ready to help each other and tourists, and this they do with a genuine smile on their faces.

Nestled at a height of 6,500 feet, ‘Monkey Point’, or most popularly ‘Manki Point’ is a treat for tourists, nature and photography enthusiasts. This also serves as an ‘Air force Station’ of the Indian Air Force; earlier it was said to be a ‘British Radar Base’, as recounted by the driver. One thing here I would like to mention is that when you visit this place, you have to deposit your phone, camera and valuables at the security checkpoint. This is done considering the sensitive nature of the place. Our driver-cum-guide, Mr Neeraj Gabbar, is truly a gentleman. He was a constant Wikipedia and gave constant commentaries on the places we visited. We handed over our phones, camera and purse to him, knowing that it would be completely safe with him. As I said this is a delight for nature lovers and photography fans; however, all this exotic beauty can only be seen and captured as unforgettable images in your mind only. It was raining heavily that day and mist rising from the ground made it more thrilling. Now, it is said that if you visit ‘Monkey Point’ and not visit the ‘Lord Hanuman Temple’, then you have missed something that you would regret your life. This ‘Hanuman’ statue is approx. 300 feet high and you would have to climb all the stairs specially made to facilitate devotees. Although the climb is tiring and exhausting, there are benches placed after every 15-20 stairs. So that devotees can stop and get their breath back. Once we reached the top, it was extraordinary, and it all looked so exciting in this rain. In this temple, you can feel a sense of being present in front of the magnificent and powerful ‘Lord Hanuman’. Do you know that there is a popular legend attached to this place? According to legends, ‘Lord Hanuman’s feet touched the peak of this mountain while returning with the ‘Sanjeevni Mountains’. People come here from far all over the country and the world. It was truly a magnificent feeling. The whole experience took around 2-3 hours. By the time we came down, it was already around 1:00 p.m. and we were thoroughly tired. Coming down we had our breakfast at a café and then decided to call it a day. Returning towards the hotel, I bought our lunch and dinner from a restaurant which was being run by an ex-colonel, according to Mr Neeraj. This day was truly thrilling for us.

21st March was especially important for me because it was my wife’s birthday. So on that day, we did something momentous and thrilling for us. Even Mr Neeraj wished my wife and then we made our way towards ‘The Timber Trail’; this is a place which is famous for the ropeway. We had never experienced the magic of ropeway travel. So, today, we decided to experience this. Friends, as I have mentioned earlier, mere words cannot describe any of the experiences we had. Particularly, ‘The Cable Car Journey’, was exhilarating, exciting and thrilling. Looking at the gorges, valleys, greenery and the ‘Sutlej’ river down below was something that is recommended for everyone who has not had the experience yet. The view from above of the ‘Sutlej’ snaking its way forward through the valley was something beyond this world. I mean you just have to experience it to understand it. Also, it was breathtaking when the cable car stopped for a second in the middle and then accelerates towards its endpoint at the other cliff. We started capturing videos and photos of this wonderful trip. On the other end, we had our breakfast at a restaurant which kind of reminded us like as if we were in some British ancestral country home or chalet. The waiters and waitresses were dressed in white clean dresses and gave us the feeling as if we were some kind of royalty. From here also, the view of the mountains and the valleys was enchanting and awesome.

On our way back, Mr Neeraj took us to an old British cemetery which was overlooked by most tourists. Perhaps many people don’t know about this place. Here again, you can feel and experience utter calm and serenity in the company of the dead of the old colonials. There was a grave which was protected from all sides. There is a legend attached to this particular tombstone which states that whosoever takes a little bit of soil from this holy grave site, will have all his or her wishes fulfilled. Naturally, people had desecrated this place for this very reason and now it was protected by a fence. Mr Neeraj was constantly updating us on the history of the place, and also showing us various places from where we could get good photographs. Although the journey was a bit arduous it was worthwhile. Here we solemnly looked at those century-old graves where the colonials and some early Indians were lying peacefully and undisturbed. It reminded me in death there is no class distinction and no discrimination among the various classes, religions, creeds or groups.

Now, comes the last day of our stay in Kasauli. That day we went to visit an old ‘British Jail’, called the ‘Dagshai Jail’. It is said that the prisoners were kept standing in a tiny cubicle with no space to move left or right! According to historical records, even ‘Mahatma Gandhi, was also kept in this jail for some time. The most beautiful aspect of this colonial jail was it was spread over a huge area, and there still were remnants of the colonial period like an old pump, an 1849 British-era bench etc. The architecture of this whole place was simply amazing. The way the whole area was designed and is still standing is an exemplary example of brilliant colonial design and architecture. Now the climax of our trip was our visit to ‘Bhureshwar Temple’. This temple is dedicated to ‘Lord Shiva’. It’s situated 25 km from Kasauli. The journey to this place was as breathtaking and exhilarating as the previous days had been. Situated at a height of 2500 hundred feet, this temple is simply magnificent, brilliant and beautiful. Here, again you have to climb a whole lot of stairs before you reach the actual temple site. But that’s okay. As I have always believed and still believe and will continue to believe that ‘Lord Shiva’, ‘Mahadeva’ is the greatest ‘Superman’ of supermen. So, a little tire is nothing compared to falling asunder in front of my ‘Superman’ completely surrendering ourselves. After offering our prayers we toured the outlying areas and it was an experience of a lifetime. The whole area looked absolutely beautiful from that height. You know, there is another very popular legend attached to this temple.

According to them, ‘Lord Shiva’ used to have a ‘bird’s –eye’ view of the ‘Kurukshetra War’ from up above. Furthermore, it is also believed that only the temple priest and people who are working in devotion to ‘Lord Shiva; in this temple are adept at climbing the jutting rock and cliffs of this mountain. It is said that a few years ago, a woman tourist tried to climb one of these outlying rocks and she slipped and fell to her death 2500 feet below. According to locals, her body has still not been found! Also, it is strongly believed that if a coin is thrown with a desire and utmost devotion towards the Lord’s rock and if the coin stays on that rock; then all your wishes would come true and your journey would be considered successful and blessed. I hope our coin did land on the rock! One thing which I wanted to share is that the journey to this calm, divine and magnificent temple was like getting salvation for me. Mr Neeraj also said this temple was his favourite place during his school days. We were very happy that he brought us to this place and he was glad to see our happiness. Next, we had to buy a jar of pure Ghee, which he had promised would help us in buying. He even took us to a village for this purpose. The winding roads of this village were empty and felt kind of eerie even in the daytime also. However, we could not get any ghee from the village but Neeraj promised us that he will get it at any cost; which he did. All kudos to Mr Neeraj. We had to book return tickets also and which we did through the tireless efforts of Neeraj. Now while returning to the hotel, I again packed our lunch and dinner together.

Thursday was the day of our return. So as per our prior discussion, Neeraj was supposed to pick us up from the hotel at around 10:00 am for the bus stop. However, he said he would be a little late. This naturally heightened my anxiety as I did not want to miss the bus. But he arrived with a smile and presented me with an exquisitely carved wooden ashtray. I had expressed my desire to get one of these and he had made it his mission to get one for me. This he did and gave it to me as a parting gift.

Finally, we boarded our bus for Delhi at around 10:30, which started from Shimla at 10:00 am. Neeraj exchanged greetings and a promise to meet again. The return journey was not much as both of us were a bit sad and depressed at leaving behind such a lovely place. However, as per ‘Freddy Mercury’s song, ‘The Show Must Go On’, we had to return.

So, here was the story of our adventure in Kasauli. Hope you liked it. Here I would like to share a secret. I have made a secret promise that I will once again return to this beautiful and exotic place once more. Sshhhhhhhh……………………………………… Don’t tell anyone!