Travelogue: Sarahan & Sangla- III

Day 2: 16th June

We got up early in the morning to the view of rising sun from our room's window. It was time to explore the small hill town of Sarahan. We trekked to the Pheasantry only to discover that it was closed for the season. We trekked further 2 kms and realised we need to trek back also!

While trekking down, we met some locals who guided us the shortcuts. We landed in the compound of the palace of Bushahr dynasty, the current king being Virbhadra Singh (the political biggie). One of the locals explained to us the legend of Bhimakali Temple and tales about the royals.


We reached Hotel Shri Khand and headed straight for thr breakfast. After shower, we decided to pay obeisance at Bhimakali Temple. It has magnificent architecture. The wooden carvings are just beautiful. The main temple building does not allow you to carry any leather product. After the darshan, we bid adieu to Sarahan and boarded bust to Jeori. We had planned to take bus to Sangla from Jeori.

We reached Jeori at around 11.30am. We were told that the bus to Sangla will come at 12.30pm. We waited on the road itself. Eventually one bus came at 1.00pm, but for Reckong Peo. We boarded it nonetheless, as we decided to carry on till Karcham and from there take any bus or taxi to Sangla. We were short of patience to wait any more.

It was a cliffhanger ride up and down the mountains and valleys. We crossed many hydro-electric projects being constructed by Jaypee group. At a couple of points the traffic was stopped as there was blasting going on. We observed that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sarak Yojna was on full swing here, connecting remote villages.

There is a small temple of Taranda Maa on the roadside. Every vehicle stops there and our bus also stopped. We went to the temple and paid our respects.



We de-boarded at Karcham and fortunately for us, just then another bus for Sangla came. We were on our way to our final destination. At Karcham we had crossed the hill, and were now in the valley of Baspa river. Earlier we were travelling with the Satluj river. In fact, Baspa is a tributary of Satluj. Another 45 minutes and we were in Sangla. It was 6.00pm and it had started to rain.

Our place of stay, Baspa Guest House (recommended by Lonely Planet) was near Bus Stand and we rushed to the safety of a cosy room. It was chilly and we needed our woollens. Finally, we lay down to starighten our backs, and it was time for some pet pooja.


Places to see at Sarahan:
- Bhimakali Temple
- Pheasantry
- View point
- Rangori village (4kms from Sarahan): has some old houses


One night stay at Hotel Shrikhand: Rs 1100 to Rs 1500 for double room

Route taken: Sarahan-Jeori-Wangtoo- Karcham- Sangla

Travelogue: Sarahan & Sangla-II

Here is the first in the series of our trip to Sangla and Sarahan.

Day 1: 15th June
Chandigarh- Sarahan

Route taken: Chandigarh- Dharampur- Shimla- Narkanda- Rampur- Jeori- Sarahan

We left Chandigarh at 6.20 am by HRTC Deluxe bus- Chandigarh to Rekong Peo. It was early morning and we were sleepy, but too excited to sleep. I was enjoying the ride uphill and Adesh dozed off.

We stopped for breakfast at Dharampur. It was a dirty non-descript dhaba, and we decided to skip the breakfast being offered. Dharampur has the famous Giani ka Dhaba, which serves awesome paranthas, and we were very disappointed that the bus had not stopped there. We were already missing our car.

Anyways, we continued and the next stop was Shimla at 11am. We could see the "Toy Train" from Kalka to Shimla chugging away. It was starting to get hot. As we started uphill from Shimla, the weather became cooler. We crossed Kufri, Shogi, Theog to reach Narkanda at 1.00pm. It was lunch time.

Once you cross Shimla, the apple orchards start. There are also cherry orchards. It was so beautiful. A completely different world.

After lunch, we started off again. Our next stop was Rampur, and we got down there. It was 3.00pm. We were told to take the bus to Sarahan which was to be at 3.30pm. We waited till 4.30pm and there was no sign of bus. So we decided to take a taxi to Sarahan, though a little costlier.

We crossed Jhakri power project, Jeori and reached Sarahan at 5.30pm. Finally, our journey for the first day ended.

We had booked Himachal Tourism's Hotel Shrikhand, and were glad to see the neat and clean room. It was drizzling and we were eager to explore. A stroll around the hotel, and we decided to call it a day. We decided to have an early dinner and headed for the restaurant. The steward assigned to us, Neetu, took our order and recommended a local delicacy, 'Kheroo'. It was tadke wala curd. Also, the desert kheer and a Shrikhand special. They were yummmmm!!


After another stroll, we retired to our room. It was cold there and our woollens were on. We planned to go for an early morning trek and tired as we were from the journey, we just hit the bed.



Bus fare- Chandigarh to Rampur: Rs 450/- for two
Taxi fare- Rampur to Sarahan: Rs 700/-
Lunch at New Himalaya Dhaba, Narkanda: Two veg thalis, two fresh lime sodas, one water bottled: Rs 100/-
This dhaba has decent food and more important, clean washrooms.

Trvelogue: Sarahan & Sangla -I

We had been planning for a fortnight vacation for over six months. It was to be in the end of May or beginning of June. Eventually we planned it for the second half of June. Since the economic downturn, we were contemplating whether to go ahead with the planned vacation or not. But what the hell! Approved leaves of 15 days are hard to come by, for me as well as Adesh. So we thought of 'budget holiday'.

One week of budget travel and one week at home in Punjab.

We decided to go to Sangla Valley in Himachal Pradesh. And, we planned to travel by Himachal Roadways bus.

The itinerary was:

14th June: Gurgaon- Chandigarh
15th June: Chandigarh- Sarahan
16th June: Sarahan- Sangla
17th June: Sangla
18th June: Sangla
19th June: Sangla- Thanedhar
20th June: Thanedhar- Chandigarh

Lonely Planet and K Srinivasan's blog helped a lot in planning the trip.

The stay was in budget guest houses and Himachal Tourism hotel. We booked the Himachal Tourism hotel in Sarahan beforehand through their website. The bus schedule at HRTC website also helped, and my brother got the bus ticket booked in advance from Chandigarh.

The bags were packed. The excitement was high. And, we were raring to say- "Let's Go!!!"

Chutti Over

I am back and back after a long break. Break not just from the blogger's world but from the maddening metro life as well. I went on a vacation! It was chutti time. Adesh and I took a fortnight off and hit the road up to hills to escape the burning Delhi.

It was a vacation that we both thought was well deserved, though our respective employers may disagree. First one week was in Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, in the towns of Sarahan and Sangla. The next week in the villages of Punjab.

Details of the entire vacation will be in the following posts. For now, its just great to be rejuvenated, but sad to be back in the rush.

Of Strikes, Traffic...and Stink

I was travelling to Kolkata early this week. I landed at around 8.00am, and took a taxi for South Kolkata, which usually takes 45min to an hour. Just as we crossed Science City, the driver slowed down and there was this huge stink. I had just started to wonder, when I realised that there were lorries after lorries loaded with garbage parked on either side of the road. The drivers were preparing for a chakka jam. Somehow we managed to cross the stretch at moderate pace, since it was still early morning by Kolkata standards. But, in my heart of hearts, I was dreading the return by the same route a couple of hours later. I had to be at a conference in Salt Lake.

And my worst fears came true, when we were stuck for almost 3 hours on that road, on our way back. I almost threw up because of the stink, and it was a very humid day.

But the question to which I fail to get an answer is, what purpose was solved by this blockade/ strike. My cab driver was also a Bengali, and he was equally angry. There was wastage of time, fuel, money. The aam janta surely was not sympathising with the strikers. Who likes the stink!!!
And I guess, this can happen only in Bengal.

Travelogue- Goa: 4th to 6th May- II

After an evening of drinks and dance with the divas of the organization, I just fell on the bed and slept like a log. Only, to be woken up after 4 hrs with a wake up call from front desk.

We were to leave for the nearby Colva beach, for water sports- Jet Ski and Para-sailing.

Sleepy eyed, I reached the lobby, waiting for the team to come, and watching the other teams heading for the bus in herds. Being in HR, it was compulsory for me to go. The previous night I was so eager to go, but in the morning, all I could think of was sleep, sleep and more sleep... and sleep was evading me!

Well, another 15 minutes drive, and we were at the beach. It was 6.30 in the morning, and the only human beings visible were our colleagues, a couple of shack operators, a lifeguard team, and the adventure activities operators.

This beach was not very clean, as I had heard about Goa beaches. Probably, we were in the wrong part of Goa. Anyways, after a quick chai at a shack, we queued up for Jet Ski. Now I was excited. When the turn came, it was all over in ten minutes!!!. It was total fun. Adrenaline pumping and all. And, there was saline water all over me... clothes, hair, eyes, mouth, nose...errgh. But it was FUN. I wanted to do all over again. Though we were not driving on our own, there was a guy who was steering and I was sitting in front. All the waves just hit me in the face, I just loved it.

Now, it was time to try the other activity- Para Sailing. Another queue and finally our turn came. This was even better. It make me feel like a bird. Just flying in the air for 10 minutes, literally a bird's eye view of the land and sea and the beings inhabiting them. Well well well... it came to end with a thud... our falling on the sand!!!

I would want to do these two activities, along with rafting, again and again.

Well after satisfying the adventurous soul, it was time to satisfy the palate. We headed for the breakfast laid out for us at a shack. We just stuffed ourselves, and headed back for the hotel in small groups. It was just 8.30am, but it was so HOT already. I was gain dreaming of the bed.

Distance from Park Hyatt: 15-20 minutes

Auto fare: Rs 150/-

(that's what the going rate was, though we then waited for our bus)

At around 12pm we checked out, and headed for the lunch at Martin's Corner. The experience I have already shared here.

Our flight was at 7pm. So we had at least 3.5 hrs with us to kill. We headed for the local market at Margao. A small town in South Goa, and most of the trains from Mumbai end here.

The first liquor shop was literally attacked by all of us. The sight of females managing a liquor shop was quite a surprise, for a North Indian like me.

Well, I explored the local port wine and fanny brands. I also bought few miniatures of IMFLs. Another thing left to buy was local cashew, one with the skin on. And then I was done.

Distance from Colva: 6km/ 15 mins

Nearest rail head: 0km (Margao has a railway station!)

It is difficult to take away a bunch of females from a shopping place, how so ever small it may be. And that was the case with us. Finally, we started for the airport and our rendezvous in Goa came to end. Delhi here we come!!

Travelogue: Goa- 4th to 6th May

In my previous post, I wrote about my experience at Martin's Comfort and Martin's Corner. That was the day we had landed, Day 1.

Distance from Airport: 30-45 minutes

Here is what we did on Day 2

We had a conference scheduled in Park Hyatt and the further stay was also arranged there. So we moved over early morning to Park Hyatt Resort and Spa.

Distance from Martin's: 15-20 minutes
Distance from Airport: 20-30 minutes

The drive between the two hotels is a winding road with fields and villas and coconut trees on both sides. The bright and vibrant colored villas just pep you up. And when the drive ended, the sight that awaited was a treat!

The resort is a sprawling property spread over more that 20 acres of land by the sea. As we checked in, the front desk efficiently guided the porters to our rooms. Considering that we were joined by other colleagues from across the country, making a total of around 120, they were fast.

We quickly had our breakfast and rushed into our conference. The lunch was also there. Finally, in the evening we moved into our luxurious rooms. And, it was time to explore the hotel.

Some of us went to explore the private beach that the resort has. It was neat and clean and we watched the sun go down. After sometime, we were ready for an evening of fun, organized in the resort's 'Magical Forest'. It is a lovely piece of sand surrounded by tall coconut trees.

The resort has a fantastic coffee shop, The Village. The pastas served there are just amazing. Also try the tiramisu and walnut tart.

My room overlooked a pond and it was pretty picturesque. The entire resort is so green, it just makes you forget the metro life. You are transferred into an entirely different world.

I could notice some guest lazing by the pool, and it was quite a temptation to join them. The ride in the battery operated buggies was fun. Alas, we had our meet!

The resort was more than what I had expected, considering this was my first experience at such luxury. And I was smitten, completely.

Musings: Goa- 4th to 6th May

This week I was on a business trip to Goa for a couple days. Though this is not the best season to visit the beautiful coastal state, nonetheless I was excited. I will post a detailed travelogue over the weekend, in few parts. Here is the first in the series- this one not exactly a travelogue, more of musings.

We reached on 4th evening at 7pm through SpiceJet flight. The very first night we were to stay at Martin's Comfort, a small hotel in South Goa's Betalbatlim village. This is about 30 minutes away from Airport.


It has an adjacent restaurant, Martin's Corner, which seemed to be a local favourite, going by the number of cars with Goa number plates, parked outside. Another interesting thing is that there is a private villa on a stretch of land separating the hotel and the restaurant.The hotel manager informed us that a sumptuous buffet awaited us at 9pm at Martin's Comfort.




We stepped in and were amazed to see the crowd, phirang as well as desi. Live band. Lively crowd. Dancing couples. Wow! I was impressed.

But the story was pretty different when we asked about our seats and 'the buffet'. The stewards had no clue. We were a group of 30 persons, and they seemed to be unequipped for handling such a large group. After arguing with the restaurant manager, we were given a corner in the restaurant, tables were laid, but no sign of food. It was already 9.30pm and we were informed that we will not be served any buffet. The menu for us was pre-decided and would be served on the tables, but only when all the 30 members were present. I some how convinced the manager that already 20 of us were there, and people will keep coming and going, and he should start serving.

Even then the food took another 30 minutes to be served. The stewards were not proactively serving. They did not keep an eye, if any item needed to be replenished. We had to remind them continuously, and the entire group was hugely dissatisfied. When the remaining 10 members came, they had to wait another 30 minutes to be served, and that too with the condition that all be seated on only one table, together.

Well, first night, at a well-reviewed restaurant, did not go down well with most of us. All of us being from service industry, and from the organization which lays immense emphasis on customer service, this was a huge disappointment.

We were scheduled for lunch at the same place day after the next day. This time we were a 120 strong group. The promised buffet was there, but only one set. It seemed that they did take the learning, but did not have the farsightedness. Only one set of serving bowls for buffet for such big group was not adequate. The queue stretched till the entrance of restaurant. And by the time our turn came, the first set was ready to replenish. The stewards were again unable to manage the drinks orders.

Though the ambience was good, the food must be good (if served hot), going by the waiting crowd, but the place sure needs lessons in customer service.

My recommendation: Visit the place if you are a small group. Variety of drinks and sea food. For vegetarians, less options and not good on the taste buds.

Dot is Hot

I overheard the following conversation at an upmarket coffee shop last evening, among a group of youngsters:
"What's hot this season yaar?"
"Silly, didn't you know, it's the Dot?"

It took me a minute to register that the Dot being referred to is the election ink mark, and the conversation was referring to the Radio Mirchi campaign of "Dot hai to Hot hai".

It is great to see young college going citizens of our country being so excited about elections. It has become a matter of pride for them. And believe they do not want to see an octogenarian as our Prime Minister. I know I am treading the often discussed topic of why politicians do not have a retirement age, but then for the youth of this country, it is an important question.

Anyways, 7th May is approaching. Its the date for elections in Delhi. And then we will see a new fashion accessory- the hot Dot.

Tryst with Phulkari

My tryst with Phulkari began years back when as a young girl I accompanied my mother to the market while she was scouting for a Phulkari dupatta for her bottle green suit. And years later when I was looking for a dupatta to complement my suit of similar shade, I could settle for no less. Somewhere in the back of mind, that outing had stuck and I somehow convinced Ma to give me her dupatta. I eventually wore the same dupatta for my wedding celebrations, during the ceremony. mehndiPhulkari is considered to be auspicious and forms an essential part of wedding celebrations in Punjab, a must for any Punjabi girl’s trousseau.

A reference to Phulkari in literature comes from Guru Nanak Devji who wrote: "Kadd kasidha paihren choli, tan tu jane nari" (only when you can embroider your own choli, will you be accepted as a woman)

Discovering the family heirlooms: Phulkari

I am writing this post on our way back from trip to Patiala, while Adesh is driving on NH1.
During my last visit, I had discovered some Phulkaris at home and I continued from where I had left last time.

Beeji often tells tales of how as a bunch of young girls, she, her sisters, cousins and friends, they used to sit together and embroider their Phulkaris. Phulkari, literally means, embroidery of flowers, and is usually done in geometric patterns. She recalled that they used to get a special fabric called tool, from the town of Bathinda as they could not get it anywhere else. She showed one of her creations on tool. This one is in red colour with embroidery in mustard thread. It also has her name embroidered. It says: “Dari buni Gurdial Kaur Harnam Kaur Chatan Kaur te Jasmer Kaur.” (This piece was embroidered by Gurdial Kaur, Harnam kaur, Chatan Kaur and Jasmer Kaur). The piece of art also had some stains and marks on it. Beeji explained that this is on the part which was used to cover the head, and the stains are of wet earthern pitchers, which were used to carry water in those times.



I got the piece dry cleaned, and wow, it has some original sheen still left on it. I am going to use this piece of family heirloom as a dupatta for myself.


PS: We just crossed Karnal. iPod playing ABBA song I had a dream...

Thought for the day

"When one is out of touch with oneself, one can not touch others."

- Ann Morrow Lindbergh

Election Campaigns: All Q and no A

Today morning, while driving to office, I heard the BJP election ad on FM. They had a long list of things which the ruling party has not delivered on, for example, the slowdown in economy, concerns on job security, rising prices and so on.

Generally, or so I think, all political parties tend to take the similar route during the election campaign. They would highlight and question what the incumbent has not done.

Agreed that these are all concerns and I am also concerned about these issues that effect me. But, what is the solution? And, I am not a staunch Congress supporter. But, what I do want to know is that what will BJP do about these issues if they are voted to power? Or, for that matter, what will any other party do about these issues if they become the governing party? Will they please stop questioning and start answering...

Travelogue: The Kikar Lodge

Last week, we planned a trip with office people to this place called The Kikar Lodge. I stumbled on this place through a travel website, as the area listed happened to be my Grandparent's place- Ropar in Punjab.

The website showcased a lovely resort with picturesque surroundings and some adventure sports, and we were game for it. As it turned out, this is a Welcome Heritage property.

The route we took was:
Delhi- Panipat- Ambala- Chandigarh- Ropar- Nurpur Bedi- The Kikar Lodge
Delhi to Ambala was through NH1, then on to Chandigarh through NH22 and to Ropar through NH 21. Just after Ropar barrage, turn right to Nurpur Bedi. Kikar lodge is about 27 kms from that turn. The best thing is that there is signage all through.


We started on 4th March morning at 5am from Delhi, and we were a group of 13 young (!!) ladies. As expected, we were fast asleep till about 8am, and the first pangs of hunger started hitting the stomach. By then we had already crossed all decent dhabas enroute, but we stopped near Kurukshetra at Sheetal Complex for tea. The road till Ropar is all good. Only when you enter the village area after Nurpur Bedi that it gets bumpy but its only a matter of 3 kms.




We reached The Kikar Lodge at 11.30am and the first reaction was shock!!! We entered the gate but we could only see trees and a kuchcha road. Another 2 minutes drive and we could see the resort emerging from behind the trees. Well it was like an oasis in desert! The decor was traditional Punjabi... Ah! my homeland. We were given cottages, and we could see the swimming pool. After a quick breakfast of sandwiches, some of the eager ones hit the pool while we soaked in the beautiful surroundings. Soon it was time for lunch and then a nap to freshen up.

The resort has a Spa and games like Billiards, Carrom, Table Tennis and Volley Ball. But the most exciting part was the Quad Biking and I was so much looking forward to it. At about 4pm some of my colleagues went into Spa for relaxing while I chose to hit the dirt and try my limbs at Quad Biking. At the first sight it looked so easy. After all I do know how to ride both a two wheeler and a four wheeler. But I didn't realise that a cross between the two could be so challenging. About 5 minutes of trying to get a hang of it and I was riding pretty good. Another 25 minutes and I was a pro!

Later we went for night safari in the jungle in a tractor trolley. I must say it was fun though a little spooky.

After a round of drinks around the bonfire and dinner we hit the bed. An early day and a late night had discharged our batteries.

Next morning, we left after breakfast and reached Delhi in the evening,.

Now, some description of the cottages. It was definitely good. The bed was comfy, loo was also clean and the decor was to my liking- Punjabi to the core, with traditional bedspread and a file folder with Phulkari cover. There was an LCD TV with Tata Sky connection in each room, plus AC.

Food at the resort was very good. We had opted for the buffet and were not disappointed. The service was also good and the stewards were very prompt. The bar (named Watering Hole) has a very cool decor. Two couches and walls adorned with old Hollywood movie posters.


I strongly recommend this place to all the adventure and nature lovers. Hit the road the next weekend and you will love it!

Bagh and Phulkari- Traditional Treasures

I went home to Patiala last week and this time I was on a mission. I wanted to re-discover the traditional stuff of Patiala- Phulkari, Salwar, Jutti, Parandiyan. Though I have been using all of these in my day to day life, but the beauty of these never fails to enthral me. So, off I went to the local market, tagging along Bhuaji. And, there was beautiful antique stuff to chose from.

When I reached back home and showed my new acquisitions to Beeji, she said, "Aide layee bazaar jaan di ki lorh si. Eh sabh ta ghar hi bathera peya hai." (Why did you have to go to market for such stuff. All this is lying at home in abundance). And was I surprised!!

I went into the attic and started exploring th

e old stuff that had come from village when they shifted to the city. What came out was absolute treasure, wrapped in everlasting memories...

Among other things, I came across my favourite, 7-8 Baghs. Beeji saw me draping around myself and got nostalgic.

Traditionally, Baghs were woven and embroidered for the trousseau of the bride. During Beeji's childhood and times before that, young girls were taught the intricate Phulkari so that they could decorate the furnishings and apparel. The patterns could be floral (phul) or geometric or animals. Actually, the name Phulkari comes from Phul, which means flower. Young girls would first weave the cloth- red, orange, brown- and then start the embroidery. One Bagh would take at least a month for the entire start to end process. Baghs are full length dupattas covered entirely with phulkari.

I brought a couple of them with me. These one's are really special as they are not just family heirlooms, but a labour of love and gifted with love.

Tax saving woes

It is the time of the year when every one you know is on an investment spree. Reason being, it is time to submit proofs for tax saving investments. I have been signing these declarations for four years now, but still can not make head or tail out of it. Every year I resolve to invest on a regular basis all through the year, but some how the resolution fades away. And the panic button strikes in January.

Actually, I am never able to calculate how much tax will be deducted. Thankfully, this year the payroll guy in my organization is a little friendly and has told me exactly how much I need to invest. Alas, it too late! All the hard earned money went into holidaying, partying, watching movies, eating out... and for EMIs of the house that is still to be occupied!

Woes of a middle class + service class Indian citizen. Wondering why can't holidaying be tax free?

Happy New Year

"If you want to be happy, be."

- Leo Tolstoy

Its time to PARTY!!!

Its 30th of December of year 2008... and the hottest topic of discussion is, "Where are you going for the New Year Eve Party?" For all those like me who have not yet gone on year end vacation, its little difficult to choose from zillions of options available (not literally, of course). I went to a party on Saturday, 27th Dec and it was THE topic of every small talk.

Well, lets consider the options available.... going with friends or attend a do at any restaurant/ hotel. Even among friends, which groups of friends?

Hope to sort the dilemma over dinner with Adesh, else we will end up in front of the dear TV!

The 'Oye' Factor

I was watching Farhan Akhtar's new show 'Oye! Its Friday!' the other day and just could not stop myself from wondering about the catchy title. The recent Abhay Deol starrer Oye Lucky Lucky Oye can probably owe a bit of its success to the two 'Oyes' in the title. After the much popular song of the 80s 'Oye Oye' from film Tridev, its time to groove to the title track of Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. I like to call it the return of the "Oye Factor".

Run for India

There is a running group in Gurgaon, Running and Living. They organize runs on every first Sunday of the month. This month, on 7th Dec, they had the 5km run called 'Run for India', in the wake of unfortunate events in Mumbai. They had tied up with Red FM, Gatorade, Reebok. The Gurgaon Half Marathon of 21km was also on the same day.

It is always a fun to be part of such events and this time it was for a cause. It seemed that the entire Gurgaon has landed up there. There were school kids, old people, house wives, corporate honchos. People who had never run so much before were also giving it their best shot. There were placards with messages like, "I will not give bribes". In all, a very well organized event and definitely something to look forward to.