Thursday, May 25, 2006

Ooty, Wellington, Coonoor

I had a 10 day break in between jobs. And what would I do with all the time. I spend 5 days with my parents and the other 5 days traveling.

I had not visited Ooty. People always told me about commercialization, crowded bazaars, dirty lake full of plastic covers, so every time there was time for travel, I opted for other places and left Ooty for a later.

I have never visited a tea estate, though I am a tea drinker.

So, during the 5 days that I had, I decided to go to Ooty. The plan was to stay outside Ooty so that we are away from the crowd. So, I chose a place in between Ooty and Coonor, called Wellington. Wellington is about 18 kms beyond Ooty, if you are driving from Bangalore. Also, it is about 8 kms ahead of Coonoor.

So, there is more to Nilgiris, than just Ooty. There is lots to explore at Coonor and Wellington.

Me and Aravind love to drive. The route is Bangalore – Mysore – Masinagudi ie Mudumalai Wild life sanctuary – Ooty – Wellington – Coonoor. It is about 290 kms and take 7 hrs to reach if you drive non – stop with minimal number of breaks.

We left in the morning at 7. When we plan long drives, we ensure that the car is well serviced, petrol tank is filled and air is filled. My zen performs better with Speed and Power petrol – it is meant to be that way is it not. Mileage is better.

The Bangalore – Mysore highway used to be nightmare. When I went to Kabini river lodge before 2 years we were cursing the government for all the gotalas and scams. Today, the road is nice and it is scenic too. My favorite, is still the East Coast Road.

We reached Kamat Upachar at 9.20 am. We had our fill and decided to zip it to Ooty. Check post outside the national park creates a new excitement.

After signing in at the National park entrance in a register, we roll down the windows and start driving. I love driving through the jungles – the greenery, the loneliness on the road, there are usually too few vehicles or they are so scattered that you may feel that you are the only one around. Also, the sighting of a peacock, a bison, langur or some deers fills me with so much joy. It is a great feeling to see these animals in their natural habitats, that in the confines of a zoo.

It was mid January, but, I found Mudumalai sanctuary very dry with full of dry leaves and zero green leaves. Nagarhole and Bandipur are a lot more greener. May be the season is a dry season, I don’t know.

We drive straight, enter Masinagudi town, and we know we are just getting close to Nilgiris hills.

My friends kept telling me that after Masinagudi there are about 27 hair pin bends. There was a bet, that a santro can do the hair pins better than the Zen. The drive on the curves was smooth, and in no time, we had completed the ghat section.

Ooty was just a few kilometers away. The road was good, mountaineous, and the smell of fresh air was captivating.

The friends were right. Ooty is dusty, noisy and was almost like a large crowded city. The entire mountain side is full of buildings, and there is hardly any greenery left. Lake view, mountain view, pond view, pine view, valley view – hotels with all possible names, all in one place. I am glad I avoided Ooty for the stay.

We drove ahead to Wellington. Wellington is about 18 kms beyond Ooty. It is a army cantonment , and the British army regiment has been here for a long time. We could see our Hotel Riga Residency from the main road, and we drove straight to the hotel.

For the record, after a extended break fast break, lunch break, and 2 tea breaks and break to locate a water fall from a water fall view point, and a few breaks to nature’s call, we reached Riga at 4 pm.

Riga has 2 types of rooms. The room that we stayed at was called deluxe room, had nice comfortable beds, nice bathroom, hot shower, tv with remote, but, without ac. We din’t need ac in any case. It was January and was cold. Heaters would have been better. The charge was Rs. 800 per day. It was a nice bargain. What was a let down was their restaurant, the menu options were limited, and no place was close by, to go and have a good meal. So, ended having the same mushroom fried rice and egg omelette every meal.

The view from the room was awesome. The Wellington railway station was right in front of my hotel room window. I could also see the small market area in Wellington. So, from my 3rd floor hotel room, the view of the market area with the childrens school, play ground, temple, mosque, church, the surrounding mountains with tea gardems, the railway station, etc was all very beautiful.

The Nilgiris toy train is a World Heritage site. It is a movable world heritage site along with the Dargeeling toy train. The main stops on the route are Mettupalayan – Ooty – Wellington – Coonor. It goes through tea estates and a lot of mountain valleys, tunnels and makes the Ooty trip memorable. Due to time constrains, we dint do the toy train trip. That is the problem, if you have your own transport. You , simply don’t want to try any thing else.

We had 2 days at Wellington. We wanted to visit Ooty on one day and on one day – we decided to go to Coonoor and a bit of Wellington.

Wellington is a army town, I am told that movie Roja, most of it was shot here. It is great to have a home in a place like this on the sides of the mountain slopes. There is so much mist all over the place, it is just dream like. Staying here would be one long honeymoon. The army maintains the town very well, it is called Zero garbage town, and as they have declared it, it is hard to find any garbage, papers or plastic any where. It is spotlessly clean.

We spend one day in Ooty. We went to Doddabedda, the highest point in South India in the western ghats / Nilagiri hills. We went to Jayalalitha Rose Garden. It was started during the centenary year of founding of Ooty. It has over 1000 varieties of roses and they are all beautiful. We visited another botanical garden, it have a nice green house with the most beautiful orchids and lilies.

For all those who thought that the Ooty lake was a gone case, there is some good news. Due to the efforts of localites and the government, the lake has been cleaned up and it is beautiful. Boating is a pleasure.

Interested in History of Ooty ? The collector of Coimbathore, Mr. Keys sent some English men to survey the area in 1812. They went upto the base of the hills, upto Kalhatti and returned. They did not discover the beautiful valley that lies ahead which has now become the modern hillstation.

In 1817, Collector of Coimbathore John Sullivan sent his team to explore the hills. They came back with news of the beautiful valley. Sullivan got a grant to construct roads and got the Coonoor – Mettupalayam road and the Kotagiri – Mettupalayam road constructed. A bungalow was also constructed. From then on, the place has been buzzing with activity and has become a refuge during the hot summers.

After the local Ooty trip, we had a sumptuous meal at Amaravathy restaurant. I prefer food when it is spicy, and whom to trust, other than the makers of Andhra cuisine.

Day two was also cool. We decided to drive through Wellington to get a hang of the place, and then proceed to Coonoor to see the tea estates. As I told you, I have never been to one.

Am repeating it again, Wellington is just beautiful. Picturesque and dream like. We proceeded to coonoor. As soon as we reached a intersection, young boys just ran towards our car. They were the local guides. Trip of tea estate for Rs. 30 –seemed a good bargain.

So, little boy hops into the car in the back seat.

He takes us straight to a local tea garden. He says movie Saajan was shot here – especially the song – Mera dil bhi kitna paagal hai. Yes, I remember that one. He also gives us dope that the estate of about 500 acres belongs to Madhur Madhwani – who is the husband of actress Mumtaz ( the one who does Jai Jai Shiv Shankar, along with Rajesh Khanna ), who is now the mother in law of Fardeen Khan. Interesting !

The urchin goes on to explain about the various parts of the tea tree, and tells us which part is used for chocolate tea, masala tea, green tea. Peco, Orange peco etc, all are different types of teas. He speaks like an expert. Then says – sir, I will take photo. Both of you, please stand together. And, then we both pose for the photo, with tea estates, rolling behind us.

He then takes us to the tea shop at the tea factory. We love teas. So, we bought 3 months stock of tea for us and all the other tea drinkers in the family.

After this we got back to our hotel and relaxed. TV is provided in most hotel rooms and hence I settled down to watch ‘Starsky and Hutch’ on Star Movies. I also watched the Nilgiri toy train chugh in and out of the Wellington station two times. I took as many photos as I wanted.

The trip was complete. Visited places in and around Ooty, stayed away from the crowd and enjoyed different types of teas.

The next morning we left Wellington and drove towards Bangalore, starting 10 am. The road was so good, we drove non stop and reached Bangalore at 4.30 pm. That was pretty good timing for distance of about 290 kms.

Getting there :

Road : Bangalore ( 290 kms ), Mysore ( 155 Kms ) Chennai ( 535 Kms ), Coimbathore ( 100 Kms )

Rail : Ooty is connected to Mettupalayam by the toy train. It takes about 1 hr to reach Ooty from Mettupalayam.

Airport : Coimbathore is the closest airport – 100 kms

Best Time : Throughout the year. In winter it can get really cold, you will all the wollens that you have.

Trip Duration : 3 days

Getting around : You can hire a local auto or taxi to visit the places in and around Ooty

Accomodation : There are a lot of hotels – the fancy ones and the budget acco types. Like I did, avoid Ooty as it is like staying in Chennai or Bangalore in any case with all the traffic noise and the pollution.

Contact numbers : Hotel Velan ritz : 0423 – 2230484, Hotel Wellington Riga : 0423 – 2234405.

There are some beautiful high end hotels like the Taj Savoy and the Sterling Resort etc, which I avoid, but, I am sure they are nice.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Chikmagalur

For all those in Bangalore, and for those bitten by the travel bug, there are a whole lot of places to explore. For those who love nature, there are a lot of options. One can drive South West towards Nagarhole, Coorg and Wyanad, or can drive North West towards Chikmagalur.

I love being close to nature, be it in the snowy mountains, by the sea, backwaters or in a jungle.

During one of the long weekends, I decided to drive to coffee country Chikmagalur. The route from Bangalore to Chikmagalur is awesome. One has to drive from Bangalore – Nelamangala – Hassan – Belur – Chikmagalur. The Hassan highway is good and is a pleasure to drive.

We halted at Shravanabelagola and Halebid. These places have marvelous temples. The halt delayed our journey, but, it was absolutely essential to visit them.

After this, we drove straight to the estate. We had a map that was provided by the travel agent. The route was confusing, and we got to a point, where there was not a single person to ask for direction. We just kept driving, intuition prevailed and we sensed we might be on the wrong road. We drove back, enquired about the route with a person, and proceeded. By the time we got to the estate – Riverwoods Resort, it was about 4 pm.

River Woods Resort is in a 500 acre coffee and pepper estate that is adjacent to the Bhadra river. I must admit that this place must not be called a resort. It was a humble old home that is more than 100 yrs old, was beautiful, and had a few rooms to accommodate guests like us. It had wooden logs supported ceilings, red per-oxide painted floor, large windows, wooden swing et all, with modern amenities like attached bath with geyser for hot water, fans and tube lights. The estate has 2 other bungalows that are given out to travelers.

The estate has 3 large rotwilers, named Tarzan, Tiger and Spike. They became very friendly. The bungalow is located in the middle of the estate, and has the most beautiful private rose garden. There were mango trees, fig trees, orange trees and apple trees also in the campus. I saw fig tree, apple tree and orange tree for the first time in my life.

I went to Chikmagalur in March. The owner of the estate took a liking for us, and took us around the estate. At this time, the coffee trees are in full bloom. It was the very first time in my life that I was seeing a coffee plantation in bloom. Every node on the branch of the plant, has a inflorescence of jasmine like flowers that smell sweet. There were millions of bees that were buzzing around. When we kept silent, we could hear their hum. There were lot of bee hives on the trees. It was pollination time. In the estate, there were also trees, where the flowers were dry. After the first showers of the pre-monsoon rains, the coffee berries would start to appear.

The aunty who took us around told us that the honey from these hives have coffee flavour. Why wouldn’t it be, if the nectar is from coffee flowers.

Besides honey bees, there were loads of peacocks.

Aunty was explaining us the problems faced by coffee growers in the region, and that coffee cultivation is no joke. She was telling us about Caterpillar infestations, degeneration of soil due to repeated use of pesticides, and how they combat that – they all lime to the soil. I could see the soil was white because lime was used.

All the estates were in full bloom, and the pre-monsoon showers had not started, without which the berries would not grow. Hence, all the plantation owners, arranged for artificial rain. The estates are completely piped, and water was sprinked. And, it is essential for the sprinkle / artificial rain to continue for 3 days. I was told it costs Rs. 2 lakhs to do this for a single day. So, I had seen artificial rain at Chikmagalur.

Also it seems, some times, the bees don’t come. In their absence, the pollination does not happen, and in that case, the berries won’t appear. So, they engage women to shake the plants, for artificial pollination.

The host prepared the best local delicacies. We interacted with the other guests who were there, and had a great time.

The next day, we walked around the estate again, and did nothing in particular, which is what we wanted to do. We fished in the Bhadra river. Due to heavy mining at Kudremukh, the silt and the waste of mining is let into the Bhadra river. This has resulted in silt accumulation in the river, which causes floods during the monsoon every year.

At the end of 2 days, I did not feel like leaving Chikmagalur. Like I always do, I decide that I will retire early from work, may be when I am about 45 yrs, buy a small estate for myself, and spend the rest of my life there.

On the way back to Bangalore, we stopped at Belur.

There are lots of places around Chikmagalur to go around and see. I did not visit any of the below places, I am giving info for the benefit of others who might want to go.

Situated in the Baba Budan hills, Chikmagalur is a calm, serene place full of scenic surprises, hills, valleys, streams and snow-white coffee blossoms. Chikmagalur is a trekker's delight, with its rugged mountain trails.

There is a hill called the Bada Budan Giri which is the highest peak in this mountain range. It is called so because the Saint Bada Budan lived here. Also, he is first person to have introduced Coffee cultivation in India. When Saint Bada Budan went to Mecca for Haj, he saw that the localites were drinking coffee, and coffee was grown in Arabia as a plantation crop. Muslims were not permitted to consumer alcohol, but, coffee has caffeine that was capable of giving a mild kick, and hence the muslims there, cultivated coffee, and consumed it, as an alternative. Saint Bada Budan liked it, and brought coffee seeds to India. So, the coffee that is grown in this part is the Coffee Arabica variety. Later, the local estate owners introduced other varieties of coffee here, like Coffee Brasilia and Coffee Robusta.

Another piece of information you might want to know. Chikamagalur means – town of the smaller daughter. Chik means smaller or younger, Magal means daughter, and Oor means – town or city, hence Chikmagalur. The local raja gave this place as dowry to his younger daughter, from then on, this place is called so.

The places that one can visit in Chikmagalur are :
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary (Muthodi)- 38 kms northwest, this sanctuary is a must-see for wildlife enthusiasts. Gaur, Chital, Sambar, Elephants and Tigers are some of the wildlife found here.
Kemmanagundi - 55 kms north of Chikmagalur, this is a scenic hill station, situated on the Baba Budan range. 8 kms from Kemmanagundi are the Hebbe Falls and the Kalhatti Falls are 10 kms away. There is also a local temple here, constructed in a gap between rocks.
Agumbe : About 50 kms southwest, on the way to Kudremukh. From the top of the mountains, you can view the sun setting in the Arabian Sea.
Kudremukh- 95 kms southwest of Chikmagalur is the secluded hill station of Kudremukh. Situated 1894 m above sea level, the Kudremukh hills overlook the Arabian Sea and are chained to one another with deep valleys and steep precipices.
Amruthapura - About 10 kms form Tarikere, this little town has a 800-year-old temple dedicated to Amrutheswara.
Sringeri- Sringeri is a pilgrim center, known for its Vidyashankara Temple. It has 12 zodiac pillars on each of which the sun's rays fall according to the time of the year.
Getting There :

Chikmagalur is connected by road and rail to Bangalore ( 251 kms ) , Hassan and Mangalore. The nearest airport is Mangalore (170 kms).

Trip Duration : 3 days

Best time : Any time of the year. Chikmagalur can get really wet during the monsoon, but, if you like to get wet in the rain, do make a trip to this place. And, you will get accommodation at off-season rates.

Where to stay : Home stay in a coffee estate is the best. I stayed at River Woods Estate. The same people have other properties as well, called Tex Woods and Jain Khan Estate.
For more information and booking log in to http://www.riverwoods.biz/

Monday, August 29, 2005

Mussorie

Queen of hill stations, it seems. When I decided to trek, I made up my mind, that it would be Uttaranchal, not that it would be very different from Himachal, but, because of the Har Ki Doon valley which is a popular trekking destination. I was going through Mussorie, it was the pre-base camp.

I reached Mussorie on the 1st of May by noon. The next day me and my group left to Sankri, from where the trek was to begin. I returned to Mussorie on the 13th, and I had 2 more days for my flight back to Bangalore.

Mussorie, like most other hill stations was founded by the British, who came here in summer to escape from the heat of the plains. Sir Everest ( of Mount Everest fame ), used to live here, and his bungalow is still here.

I checked into my hotel – Gharwal Terrace, which is on Mall Road. I knew Mussorie would not be very different from the other hill stations in the region, but, having got there, it thought it was unfair to get back without spending even one full day here. Gharwal Terrace, as the name suggests, over looks the Doon valley. All the rooms face the valley. In the night, the lights of Dehradun twinke, and it looks like I am looking down at a city from a aeroplane.

It was summer, so the climate at this time is nothing to write to you all about. It was hot. Mall street is the most important street, and has several hotels. This is also the main shopping area. The best wollen garments, shawls, handmade sweaters are available here. I picked up a lot of them, not because Bangalore is that cold. The colours and patterns were very good.

The antique shops here sell a large variety of lamps. I am sucker for these silly things, and I bought lots of brass hanging lamps. These will be fitted in my new home.

Also, Mussorie is famous for its wooden crafts. Local artisans make bowls, vessels, spoons, hair combs, hangers and several other things with wood. They make good give aways for friends and relatives, who will expect you to get something for you.

After freshing up the morning, I fixed a rickshaw for myself. You could also take a horse cart, if you want to. I went to the company garden first. It is very run down, and has nothing great to see. This garden is completely avoidable. The Mussorie lake is a artificial lake, and must be avoided by all means. A ride to the Camels Back Road is a must. The route is green. There is a place here, from where, you can view the Kedarnath peak and the Gangothri Sister peaks through your telescope. The telescope is there, and you can use it for Rs. 10. On a clear day, these peaks can be seen clearly without the telescope.

The other places worth visiting in Mussorie are Gun Hill ( the tallest peak in this region ). There is a rope way / cable here to reach the top. Kempty falls is also good. I visited these places on the way to Sankri and hence did not make another trip.

There is a monastery in Mussorie, and it is on a small hillock. The rickshaw would not go up hill, and I was in no mood for a walk, so gave up. The hillock is called the Flag hill, as you can see several Tibetan prayer flags fluttering all around the place, on top of the monastery.

All homes and buildings are precariously perched on mountain slopes and sides. The Mountain road department does a neat job here, by maintaining the roads on the mountain slopes.

Writer Ruskin Bond lives here and writes. You could visit him, and also Sir Everest’s home. I was tired after the long trek, and took it easy.

My friends were staying in the other hotels on Mall Road. I met them up for lunch and for dinner. The food here is nothing special. Every thing is on the menu, Chinese, Mughalai, Tandoori, Isreali, Tibetan, Continental and the regular idli dosa.

I am sure Mussorie would be nice and pleasant in the winters. Should visit some time in winter to enjoy the weather.

From Dehradun, one can go to a lot of places. Haridhwar, Rishikesh, Sahasradhara falls etc.

Getting there :

Air : Debradun ( 36 kms ) is the nearest airport.
Road : Mussorie is well connected by Roads
Rail : Dehradun is the nearest railway head.

Best time to visit : Any time. In Summer, Mussorie is like any other hot places. The only differentiating factor are the mountain roads and the greenery.

Trip duration : 1 or 2 days. Mussorie is a weekend destination for people from Delhi and Chandigarh.

Accomodation :

Gharwal Terrace, Honey Moon Inn and loads of other hotels on Mall Road.
http://www.gmvnl.com/ is the site.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Nandi Hills

Nandi Hills also called Nandidurga is 65 kms North of Bangalore, and is a good weekend Drive-away for those living in Bangalore. You could leave on a Saturday morning, you would reach in 1 and half hrs, spend the day there, and get back in the evening. Nandi hills also has rooms and a small restaurant..with prior bookings done, you can also spend the night there.

Nandi Hills, 1,478 meters above sea level is Bangalore's own hill station. It was Tipu Sultan's summer retreat and Tipu's fort walls still stand as testimony to history. The grandiose of the Mughals is missing, the entrance is modest, indicating the modesty of Tipu Sultan himself. Tipu’s summer lodge is in a dilapidated condition, and is not maintained well. But, you can check that out too. There are a flight of steps behind Tipus lodge, will will take you right down to the base of the hillock. Do not look for a large palace kind of structure. Tipus summer lodge is a small 2 storeyed building painted in deep pink and it can be found on the left side, as soon as you enter the main fort wall, where you buy the parking ticket. The Amrita Sarovar is close by.

Nandi Hills was popular with the British too, who made it their Military station for a while, built bungalows and laid out gardens here. Nandi Hills has attracted the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, Sir Mark Cubbon, Queen Elizabeth II et al. Lord Cubbons summer home is nice and is now converted into a guest house. It has canons at the entrance. The gardens around Cubbon house are awesome and has flowers of more colours than you can imagine.

The rivers Pennar, Palar and Arkavati originate from these hills. A flight of 1.175 steps lead from the base of the hills to the top. And the forests surrounding the hills are abound with wild animals. Around the Nandi Hills are several smaller hills, which can be visited on foot.

There are a few interesting places to see in Nandi Hills.

Tipus Drop - A 600 m high cliff face where according to legend, condemned prisoners were pushed to their death. But look down on a clear day and the view is inspiring. Yoga

Nandishvara Temple - This beautiful Dravidian style Chola temple has an inscription of Sambhaji, Shivaji's son. The Dwarapalakas, the splendid metallic figures are not-to-be-missed.
You can take long walks in the gardens.

The other places you can visit if you have the time are Sri Ugra Narasimha Temple, Gandhi Nilaya, and Nehru House. Muddenahalli close by has the home of noted architect Sir Vishweshwaraya, which is now a museum. I avoided all of these.

You can stop by the Pine top restaurant for a coffee. The view from the restaurant and the balcony is beautiful. You can see Bangalore city from the top, and it is beautiful.

Don’t forget to take your jerkin if you are going in the rainy season. The sun rise view is good, and so if possible, drive in the night, and wait for the sun.

Nandi Hills is worth a visit.

Getting There : Road – 65 kms from Bangalore
Trip Duration : 1/2 day or 1 day
Where to stay : My suggestion is dont' stay there. Spend 2 to 3 hrs and drive back to Bangalore.
If you insist of spending the night there, you can check these out.
Hotel Mayura Pine Top Nandi Hills, Kolar District. Guest House of the Horticulture Department. PWD Accommodation.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Kodaikanal

I have gone to Kodaikanal 2 times. I was blessed in a way, that I worked in a company that encouraged extensive travel on work – I went to Kodai for a conference. And again I went to Kodai for a trek in the jungles along with my friend.

During my first visit to Kodai, we stayed in the Carlton Hotel, which is by the Kodai lake. The property is beautiful has several rooms and is a luxury hotel, with luxurious facilities. The lawns oversee the lake, and it is a great view. The presentations and the corporate bonding sessions took up all the time, and there was no time for sight seeing. Except that I could peek out of my bus at the Silver Cascade waterfall.

The second trip was much later, in December 2003, between Dec 24th and 31st. It was meant to be a winter trek. Kodaikanal was cold….at about 8 degree C, and during the trek, we passed through virgin forests, waterfalls – which none would have seen, several lakes, meadows and small and beautiful villages. The trek was very memorable. After the trek, we had 1 days time to go around Kodai, and experience the hill station. Kodai in winter is awesome.

For folks who live in Chennai, Kodai is summer retreat. The Chennai – Madurai Pandian Express leaves Chennai Egmore Station at 8.00 pm and reaches Kodai Road Junction at about 7.30 am the next morning. One can take a bus or a cab to reach Kodai, which is 120 kms away, usually a 2 and half hrs drive. But, since we made plans in the last minute, we could not get a train ticket, we had to go to Kodai by bus. Kodai is well connected from all places in the South.

Kodai is situated at an altitude of about 2,133-m and covers an area of 21.45-sq-km. The hill town is renowned for its educational institutions of international repute. The pride of Kodaikanal is the 'Kurinji-flower', which blossoms once in 12 years.

We reached Kodai at 11 am. It was a trek organized by the Youth Hostels Association of India, and we were to report at the base camp in KodaiKanal at about 2 pm. Since, we had a lot of time, we checked into a hotel, the Rs. 300 per day kinds, had a hot water bath, ate sumptuous break fast, went around the place, long walks, looked at curios in a shop, and then, reported at the camp. Kodai is famous for the home made chocolates – don’t forget to indulge.

The base camp was in the most scenic place of Kodai, near Coakers walk, the camps rooms were at the sides or edges of the mountains, from here, one could get a great view of the valley on all sides. The tall trees, were covered with mist and the sight is beautiful. Trust me, the description is nothing in comparison to the beautiful sight, coz I do not know the right words.

In the evening, we introduced ourselves to all the other members of the trek group. We knew that we were here for fun, and were getting prepared.

One needs to understand what happens in a Youth hostel trek. You get tents to stay in, you are woken up at 5 am every morning with a hot cup of tea, after which you will wonder where to pee, there are open bathrooms ie, I mean there are no bathrooms, you could do it anywhere, under a tree or behind the bush. You can dig a pit in the earth, if you want to feel comfortably. You got to carry your bucket of water, and those who don’t mind the paper, can use it. There are areas designated for Gents and Ladies, and it is appreciated if you stick to your demarkated territory. A bath is a complete impossibility. Simple breakfast is served in the morning, followed by lunch, which you are to pack in a box, fill water and put your rucksack on the back, and get going. In the next camp where you get to, dinner is served, sleeping bags, rugs are provided, which are comfortable. After dinner, you can socialize with the rest of the gang, and have fun. But, there are rules. Lights out at 7.30 pm.

So, as Kodai is a regular hillstation with large parts of it, under the Forest Department, we could trek into dense forest. There was a place, in the jungle, called wet jungle, it is completely dark here, as the forest is extremely thick, there is a waterfall in the vicinity, and hence the froth / fizz of the waterfall, keeps the entire place wet. It was awesome.

After this, we started walking into forests that were beautiful…silver oak forests, like never seen before, we passed through water falls, no one has even been to, except the tribals of the village…several lakes..there were several meadows…good enough for the guys to play a game of cricket. But, the Kodai trek was different, as most of the route was through the jungle, we could stay in the Forest Officers bungalow. Some of these bungalows were more than 100 yrs old, were constructed during the days of the British Raj obviously, and were in the most picture perfect locations of the valley. Awesome places. To get to these place, you need to trek through the jungle, almost 12 - 17 kms every day, and in the end of the day, when you get to the camp, you will be delighted that your effort was not a waste.

The usual trek follows from Berijem lake to the Kerala border Vandaraw and will be back via 'Poondi' , Poomparai, Kavunji, and Kukkal. We can see the big Mannavanur sheep farm while trekking via this route.

After the trek, every bit of the body was aching, coz we trekked, on an average, about 15 kms every day. One day, we got soo tired, of walking, we knew there was a road nearby, we walked to the road, stopped a lorry and got into it. Kodai is a highly populated hill station in South India, and hence, no matter where you are, even if you are the deepest and thickest of jungles, you will always hear a lorry or a taxi going by, which means, you are close to a road. So, none of us, were scared that we would get lost in the jungle.

Yeah, so after the trek, we said good bye to all the new friends, left the camp, checked in to a hotel again, for a hot water bath, we had not had a bath for 4 days. We ate sumptuous meal – at the Carlton, and started going around the city. There are a lot of places to see in and around Kodaikanal – the lake, Coakers walk, Pillar Rocks, Guna Caves, Berijam lake etc.

There are lots of palces in Kodai, they are Kodai lake, Byrant Park, Berijam Lake ( 21 kms ), Coakers Walk, Thalaiyar Falls, Bear Shola Falls, Pambar Falls, Kukkal caves, Silver Cascade, Pillar Rocks (8 kms ) and Dolphin Nose. If one has additional time at hand, one can visit the Vembadi peak and Palani hills as well.

I will make a special mention of Coakers walk. It is a narrow pedestrian path, constructed by Lt. Coaker in 1872, a one kilometer mountain road which runs along the edge of steep slopes on the southern side of Kodai road which is 1/2km away from Kodai. The walk winding around Mt. Nebo starts near van Allen hospital and joins the main road above St. Peter's Church, provides a wide-angle spectacular view of the plains. On a cloudless, clear day one can have interesting sights, such as.... Dolphin's nose in south, valley of the Pambar river in South East, birds eye view of Periyakulam and even city of Madurai.

They are several buses that leave to Madurai every 30 minutes. I took one of them to Madurai. I reached Madurai and my train back to Chennai was at about 7. 30 pm, and I just the right amount of time to visit the Meenakshi Temple.

Getting There :

By Road : Chennai ( 520 kms ), Madurai ( 120 kms ) There are buses from Madurai, Trichy, Coimbathore, Sales etc..and is never really problem.

By Air : Madurai is the closest airport at 120 kms

By Train : Nearest rail head is Madurai is 120 kms.

Best time : April to May and Sept to October as it is a hill stations. Winters can get bitterly cold.

Trip duration : 2 to 3 days.

Accomodations :

The Carlton, Lake Road, Kodaikanal 624 101, Tel: +(91) (4542) 240056/240071, \Fax: +(91) (4542) 241170 , Email: carlton@krahejahospitality.com

Hotel Paradise Inn, Paradise Compound, Laws Ghat Road, Kodaikanal 624 101Tel: +(91) (4542) 241075/241175 , Fax: +(91) (4542) 241024
Hotel Kodai International , Post Box 33, 17/328 Laws Ghat Road, Kodaikanal 624 101Tel: +(91) (4542) 245190~93 , Fax: +(91) (4542) 240753 , Email: hki@vsnl.net

Sterling Resorts, 75/76, attuvampatti, Kodaikanal 624 101, Tel: +(91) (4542) 244447/244448
Kodai Resort , Noyce Road, Kodaikanal 624 101, Tel: +(91) (4542) 242107/8, Fax: +(91) (4542)

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Dharamsala

India is home to the worlds largest mountain range – the Himalayas I lived in Chennai and getting to Himalayas by train would mean a journey or over 3 and half days. But, I had decided that the time had come and I had to get there to have a glimpse of the snow capped mountains. It was May 2003.

Me and my brother decided to go on a Summer trek organized by Youth hostel in the Himalayas. Our 2 week leave got approved, and we were off. To save time, and to get more of the Himalayas, we flew to Delhi. The agenda was that, we would finish the 9 day trek and head to Dharamsala. I read travelogues of several foreign travelers in India - Dharamsala was always there on the list. The idea of getting there excited me.

Set against the backdrop of the Dhauladhar mountains, in the Kangra Valley, Dharamsala over looks the plains and is surrounded by dense pine trees and Deodar forests. A nearby snowline with numerous streams and cool healthy atmosphere makes the surroundings very attractive. The town is divided into two distinct and widely separated sections, Upper and Lower Dharamsala, which differ almost a thousand metres in height. What has changed Dharamsala from a sleepy British hill station to a place of pilgrimage for thousands over the world is the electric presence of one man, a modest man at that. Today, Dharamsala has become the synonymous to the Tibetan government in exile and the home of Tibetan leader Tenzin Gyatso His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

His Holiness the 14th Lama, fearing persecution by the invading Chinese army, left Lhasa in Tibet overnight, in disguise and sought political asylum in India in 1959. Pandit Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India settled them in this area. The place was liked by Dalai Lama and he made it his residence, and is now more popular as "Tibetan Kingdom in Exile” or "Little Lhasa in India". Facing destruction of their culture and religion (of the country's 6,259 monasteries, nunneries and temples, all but eight have been completely destroyed since the Chinese occupation), over 80,000 Tibetans have fled the Chinese occupation of their country and followed their spiritual leader and mentor and made India their home. It has a traditional aura, soft-spoken, smiling Tibetans and a bracing climate. Against the backdrop of the splendid, snow-capped Dhauladhar heights are pine, deodar, oak and rhododendron.

We had finished our trekking expedition and reached the base camp Kullu at about 11 am in the morning. The next bus to Dharamsala was in the night at 9 pm. We took the bus at 9 pm, and according to me, we were to reach at 7 am in the morning. I was wrong. We reached at 3 am. There were lot of foreigners in the bus, who also got down at Dharamsala. There were a lot of taxi’s and jeeps available at the bus stop. We took one of them to get to Upper Dharamsala, which is called McLeodganj. The taxi charge was fixed at Rs. 100. We did not have a hotel reservation, I just had a print out of the budget hotel accommodations available, which I took from Traveljini.com. I though that we will check the accommodations and check in. But, it was not meant to be.

We went to every hotel that was there in the print out I carried along, every place was closed. I was wondering what to do, and was thinking of sitting outside a hotel, till they opened in the morning. The taxi driver was giving up on us, and wanted us to get off. Then, we requested him to help us out. The taxi driver was resourceful, and took us to India House. It seems it is the only hotel that is open 24 hrs. We checked in, and slept comfortably. India House is a neat place, where you will get rooms for Rs. 800 upwards per day for 2 people. Food is not included. We woke up in the morning, had a hot water bath ( I was bathing after some 8 days of not bathing during the trek. ) I was ready to explore Dharamsala.

One of our trek friend has been to Dharamsala and had stayed at the Monastery for a month. He told us exactly where we were to stay, where we would eat, what we would do, and where we would go. The information was very helpful. I had read up a lot on this place so it was easy for me.

The first thing we did was to check out of India House. We checked into Hotel Tibet which was on Bhagsu Road. We wanted to get to Tibet coz it was on the main market street of McLeodganj. Tibet has 2 types of rooms. Rooms without carpet with windows facing the other buildings – they cost Rs. 500 per day. Carpetted rooms with windows facing Bhagsu road & Kotwali Bazar – they cost Rs. 600 a day. We chose the Rs. 600 room. The window was huge, and if we stood there, we would see the main market area, with locals and tourists walking. Most important Hotel Tibet gives you a news paper called Tibetan Review, it is interesting and covers news about the Tibetans struggle to free Tibet. Tibet also has a restaurant.

Dharamsala is a busy bazaar town and has established itself as the travellers base camp, who come to explore the nearby mountains. The Kotwali Bazaar provides the entire colour and characteristic of a small town, which is mixed with the simple life style. Buddhist monks and nuns walk down the streets seemingly oblivious to the trappings of a material world, and the government-in-exile tries hard to wake the rest of the world from its indifference. The colourful temple and Gompas, which reflect the culture of Tibet, add attraction for the visitor. The Kangra museum gives an overview of the rich past of the region and on the other hand there are institutes that have been established to preserve the Tibetan art, cultures and traditions. Even today, the Tibetan community dominates the town, still it has retained the colonial lifestyle and British fervour.

The pace of life is laid back. The tourists here come as D’sala / McLeodganj is a inexpensive hill station destination in India, and there is something special about this place. There are Bhuddhist monasteries, yoga schools, meditations schools and centers – all that India is about, and all that they know about India. The place has nothing luxurious. All the restaurants are family run, with very humble interiors. It is this simplicity that makes people come here again and again. I met a couple of tourists who were in D’sala for the 2nd of 3rd time. The pace here is so addictive, it is close to Nirvana.

There is a circle close to the Union Taxi Stand / Bus Stand, and there are 6 streets that diverse from the circle like the fingers on a hand. The one on the extreme left goes to Lower Dharamsala and is your way out of the place. The road on the extreme right, leads to the Tsug-Lag-Khang Monastery. The rest of the roads are full of restaurants, antique shops, handicraft shops, tea shops, pizzerias, cinema theatres, banks, forex centers, travel agents, tourist offices, adventure planners…shoe shiners, etc etc.

The cinema theatres are single rooms, with benches. The film is projected on a white wall or on a screen from behind with a projector. All the latest movies are screened for Rs. 10 per ticket. The names of the movies to be screened are provided on a black board outside the theatre along with the show timings. In case you wish to watch the movie, you just have to be present yourself at the right time.

According to me the best apple pies, pastas, macaronis, augratins, cennelonis, momos are made at Dharamsala. These local people have become experts in catering to the tastes of the tourists. There are several Tibetan, Mexican and Israeli restaurants also. Israeli momos are extremely tasty and come with variety of fillings. Most of these restaurants have photos of Richard Gere and Goldie Hawn as these celebrities are regulars here.

I must make a special mention of this restaurant called Sunrise Café. It is diagonally in front of Tibet Hotel on Bhagsu Road. Sunrise cafe is open for almost 18 hrs a day. Suresh, a young 20 something, is the owner, runs the place all by himself, leads a chilled out life, and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner along with a variety of exotic teas. Breakfast options available with him are cornflakes of over 6 varieties, breads, buns, flavoured potridge, egg omelettes of over 10 varieties, chais of over 15 varieties. Every meal costs about INR 20. It is that economical. His restaurant is just 4 X 7 feet long. With a bench in the middle, and benches on all the 3 sides close to the wall, Sunrise Café is very down to earth place. He has a collage on the walls on all the sides. Visitors here can leave their snaps and trinkets. He also had a rag book. People can write their experiences in this book. He has some 4 to 5 book in all. You can read others writings as well and you will find that many tourists found their Nirvana in Manali, Dharamsala or at Ladakh and have left their notes. I had all my meals at Sunrise café as it is very close to Hotel Tibet. The fact is that no place in McLeodganj is far away. All places are walkable.

There are lots of places in and around Dharamsala / McLeodganj.

Tsug-Lag-Khang (Central Cathedral) - Though a plain and utilitarian substitute for its far more splendid namesake in Lhasa, also known as the Jokhang, the Tsug-Lag-Khang is nevertheless fascinating and peaceful. Situated opposite the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsug-Lag-Khang is known to the local Indians as the Main Temple.

It is the most important Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Tibet, and one of the first structures built when His Holiness arrived in India, and today it is a place that is often bustling with prayerful activity.

The Namgyalma Stupa erected as a memorial to those who laid down their lives for the cause of the freedom of Tibet. The places mentioned below are a must see. But well, its up to you.

The other places worth visiting in and around McLeodGanj and Dharamsala are the Tushita Meditation Center, Dall Lake, St. Johns Church, Namgyal Monastery and Bhagsunath Temple.

The Tushita Meditation center aims to provide a friendly and conducive environment for people to contact, learn and put into practice the teachings of the Buddha.

Potala Village - The traditional Buddhist paintings are called Potala Paintings. Artists draw images of the Bhuddha and his incarnations in various forms. The paintings are made of vegetable dyes and are later decorated with Gold and Silver paint. The painting is done on a silk cloth. These paints take a very long time to complete and are later mounted on Silk plaques. These paintings are extremely expensive and are available at prices INR 3000 and upwards. There are very few artisans of Potala painting left today. In McLeodganj there is a place, where one can go to the Potala paintings center and can see the artisans at work, and can pick up paintings at a good rate.

Tibetan Medical & Astronomical Institute trains students in Tibetan medicine and astronomical sciences. Tibetan children handicrafts and vocational center instructs Tibetan refugees in the arts of thanka painting, carpet weaving and even marketing. The Tibetan Children's Village School runs with the active support of the HH 14th Lama. Library of Tibetan works and archives has the collection of largest number of Tibetan Manuscrips. Classes on Dhamma are conducted here, where the Monks translate the Dhammas and teach the students.

The other places around Dharamsala are Dharmkot ( 11 kms ) and Triund for those interested in trekking. There are lots of other places but it would necessary to take a cab and get around. They are Chinmaya Tapovan, Kareri, Trilokpur Shiva Temple, Chamunda Devi Temple, Maharana Pratap Sagar dam, Norbulink Monastery and Nurpur Fort.

Listen, if you asked me if it is necessary to go to the places mentioned in the above paragraph, I would reply that it is not required. I would prefer staying in McLeodganj, eating apple pies, sipping ginger tea and watch people passing by.

After spending 3 days at Dharamsala / McLeodganj it was time for us to leave. We felt like we had cleansed our body, soul and the mind in one shot. I had bought some stuff from the local bazaar, the things I always wanted to pick up – some Tibetan antique jewelry, t-shirts with Tibetan symbols on it, prayer wheels, photo graphs of HH 14th Lama and some books of Buddhism. We packed our bags and boarded our bus to Delhi in the night. We are now at Chennai, even 5 yrs later, the memories of McLeodganj, are still fresh in the mind. I can’t wait to go back there and indulge in the Apple pies, apple teas and the stuffed momos.

Getting there :

By Road : Bus service is available from Manali to this place. One can drive from Delhi via Chandigarh, Kiratpur, Bilaspur and it's an 8-hours journey. From Delhi and Shimla, luxury buses ply to Dharamsala.

Nearest railway station : Pathankot is 85-km and is the nearest railhead for Dharamsala. Trains from all over the country make a stop over at Pathankot and from here it is a three-hour journey to Dharamsala. The nearest stations on the picturesque mountain railway (narrow gauge) are at Kangra and Nagrota (about 20 km south of Dharamsala).

Nearest airports : Dharamsala can be approached by air from Delhi and the nearest Airport is at Gaggla, just 13-km away from the town.

Local Transport : You can walk it within Dharamsala. You can also take a taxi from the Taxi Union Stand at the Circle. There are buses between Upper and Lower Dharamsala.

Best time : Summer is best – july august time. Winters can get bitterly cold, and the entire place can get covered with snow.

Trip duration : 3 days

Where to stay : These are the list of budget accommodations that I recommend.
Chonor House Hotel : 01892 21006, Glenmore Cottages : 01892 21010, Hotel Bhagsu : 01892 21091, Hotel Himalayam Queen : 01892 21184, Hotel India House : 01892 21457, Hotel Tibet : 01892 21587, Hotel Natraj : 01892 21574, Hotel Surya : 01892 21418 / 21419

Dharamsala's accommodation options include HPTDC's hotels, guest houses, PWD and Forest rest houses also, which are located in and around the place and are available at reasonable prices.