Since childhood, I yearned to visit those places that were beautifully sketched in story books or even composed in the form of poetry. Ones that spoke about nature’s absolute raw beauty…about misty mornings, hillside views…lush greenery, rivers carrying pristine water etc etc… I would envisage them & all of that formed a beautiful reverie on my mind. Little did I know, my dream would come true & I would get to see that part of a beautiful, heaven like world.
Yes, I am absolutely smitten by the mystic Himachal beauty! I captured the beauty not only through the digital device but deeply through my eyes too for lifelong reminiscence!
Our journey began from Amritsar, a beautiful & sacred place…with such warm people around. We had very few hours to spend there & we did not want to miss visiting the Jalianwala Bagh & the Golden Temple. The sight of the well at the Bagh did sting my heart strongly and I could regain my composure only after visiting the sanctified Golden Temple.
Jalianwala Bagh – The Martyr’s Well, where inadvertently many laid their lives for us to see the light of an Independent Country.
I bowed & prayed quietly. Sought blessings & left the place after having the “Prashad”. . That moment was like an eternity to me, you have to be there to believe me!
Leaving Amritsar without tasting the delicious Paranthas? No way…!! I never miss out on food, especially the local cuisine, otherwise what’s the fun?
On our way to Dalhousie, our first destination. Crossed the beautiful golden & green spread across Punjab.
Evening at Dalhousie. Look at the exotic colors God used… to paint the sky that evening.
Subhash Chownk at Dalhousie. Our real hero stands tall out there… making us feel proud!!!
Right opposite the Subhash Chownk is a beautiful Church located uphill. There were these sculpted images that depicted the poignant tales of Jesus Christ on the sideways.
My favourite private little spot at Dalhousie. I remember after my morning walks & yoga, I would sit here quietly for long hours and introspect.
And then..would stop by for some hot-tea at a small tea-joint overlooking the scenic beauty of Dalhousie.
A beautiful piece of art that goes unnoticed on the way! The sculpted figure too seems to be awed by nature’s beauty…!(Look at the way hands are placed, relaxed & laid back) 🙂
This was so pictursque & breath-taking. A meadow at Khajjiar, some 23 Kms from Dalhousie is surrounded by sprawling Deodhar trees. Absolute landscape for painting!
Chamba region was very hot. A quick visit to the market…
Chamba is located at the right bank of Ravi River. The icy cold water was simply irresitible and we dipped our legs into it & played a lot splashing water here ‘n there.
Sunset at Dalhousi. A quiet, serene affair as the day slowly comes to an end.
Next day we were all set to hit the roads…towards our next destination crossing the beautiful hilly terrains of Kangra Valley. The drive can be really dangerous duirng monsoon time due to landslides.
Our view from hotel room at Naddi, around 2 kms from Mcleodganj…upper Dharmashala. The sight of beautiful snow capped Dauladhar Ranges. Breath-taking isn’t?
Ancient Bhagsunag Temple. KulDevta is being worshipped there since 1861. The water flowing through those channels in the pic are supposed to be fresh from the hills and meant for drinking purpose. I managed to drink some and it was unbelievably cold and fresh!!
Lovely colorful trinkets being sold at tiny stores at Mcleodganj.
The Buddhist Monastery. The monks above were in the middle of the training.
Beautiful sunset at Naddi. The place boasts of this sunset point. There are a few shops there that sell out fresh steamed veg momos!! Yummm I tell you 🙂
`En route to Manali. Both the sides of the road were carpeted with tea-shrubs offering a captivating landscape.
A quick visit to another ancient Baijnath temple on the way. It seems to be existing since 1204 AD. Loved the architecture.
The Pong Dam built at Beas river.
Beautiful Beas river that was along the roadside throughout our jouney from Mandi to Manali.
Towards the Rohtang Pass…
The freezing snow point. I was shivering but the experience is completely inexplicable…!!! Tried Skiing too 🙂
There were small tea-stalls at the point providing some breather to the cold-struck people like me. Funny part was my hands were shivering and the tumbler rolled down. 🙂 Ofcourse, I did get up to fetch another one…as I did not want to miss the moment of having chai there 🙂
That’ s a mountain edge facing Solang Valley at a height of 10,000 ft.
The only adventure we tried out was the awesome “Ropeway” 😉 With the help of that we reached the ridge of the mountain facing the valley. Ordered some Garlic toasts for quick bite & chaah 🙂 By now you must have gauged am such a tea fanatic!!!
Club House Manali. Roses there were grown in abundance & the fragrance too was very sweet. Perhaps the right weather for their growth.
Some chaat/samosas to relieve my tingling senses. Spicy, hot and tangy 🙂
Hidimba Temple at Manali. Built at 1553 dedicated to Bhima’s wife
The Mall Road at Manali for shopping extravaganza 🙂
The final goodbye to the beautiful valley, apple orchards and vibrant Beas river…(The view from our hotel in Naggar, close to Manali)
The trip would certainly be remembered for the stunning views it offered in the form of mountains, beautiful valleys, raging rivers and the beautiful gravel layered banks…but I was slightly disappointed too. The tourists there, our very own Indian folks had littered around badly. Though plastic-use has been banned in the region, people did not refrain from throwing wrappers, plastic bottles, food etc around. It was hurting to the core to see educated bunch of people doing the same. Left me wondering if their conscience did not stop them from polluting the place that we all wish to visit and enjoy with our loved ones for its very own natural beauty?