A tour after waiting for 13 long years is itself supposed to bring about a lot of excitement, so the news of confirmation of ticket to Himachal Pradesh from mom before my last semester examinations was no less. A lot of planning and homework followed regarding the trip. Just when all was set, disaster struck. The mountainous state of Uttarakhand and the Kinnaur province of Himachal Pradesh were completely devastated by flash floods. We had to curtail our trip but we were in no mood of giving up. In spite of repeated warnings and speculations, we were determined and finally the auspicious day arrived.

Friends started pouring in all their best wishes because it was not at all easy to visit the hill state just after the calamity. So we boarded the Kalka mail and our journey begun on 24^th of June at around 7.40 pm. After having a bit of chit-chats and dinner, we took to our respective berths as people sleep rather early in the train.

My sleep got disrupted as the train came to a sharp jolt. I checked my watch; it was as early as 6 am. The train had stopped at Mughalsarai station for periodic cleaning. After about 45 minutes, the train started again and I went by the door to breathe in the fresh morning air. It was a superb feeling as the green pastures were speeding by. In no time we reached Allahabad crossing the most famous river of India, the Ganges on its way. At lunch time, the train passed through another big city of Kanpur and by the time we were having our evening snacks, the city of  Aligarh passed. We saw a glimpse of the Red Fort and came across The Yamuna River. We reached Delhi at around 10 pm in the night. The train stopped here for another half an hour for cleaning purposes again. I took a stroll at the Nizamuddin, glad to have treaded my feet at the Indian capital for the first time. Soon the train took speed and we were fast asleep after a wholesome dinner.

The watch read 4.45 am. We had reached Kalka and the first part of our journey was over. The beautiful and miniature Shiwalik Deluxe Express was awaiting us. The UNESCO recognized world heritage vehicle was supposed to take us to Shimla. The wonderful ride began as we sailed through arch bridges and long dark tunnels amidst lovely green vegetation. We were slowly climbing up the hills and the distance from the sea level kept increasing. It was undoubtedly the best moment ever to be in the “toy” train where we were served with delicious breakfast and tea. We reached the Himachal capital  around 10.30 am. We checked in at Hotel Maharaja at 11.00 am and took some rest. After lunch we set out for Shimla Kali Bari which was one of the holiest temples in the city. Hundreds of people offered their prayers throughout the day. In the evening we set out for the meeting place of the city, the colourful Mall atop the hill. We had coffee at the CCD. People of all ages and different communities mingled. People here are honest, hardworking and law abiding. Smoking in public places is banned at Shimla with the accused payable to a hefty fine if caught. We took some pictures of the Christ Church near the mall and had ice-creams. We then went down to The Ridge and did some shopping at the “Lakkar Bazar” nearby. The sun was setting on the western horizon and I checked my watch. It was 8.00 pm. We went to the Domino’s and satisfied ourselves with hot pizza.

The next day we visited Kufri, about 19 km from Shimla. It was a place surrounded by magnificent Rhododendron flowers and tall Deodar trees. Another part of the excitement was about to begin, a horse-ride for the first time in my life. It was quite challenging to maintain balance on the horse through the muddy hill road. The lofty Mahasu peak rose on one side and the deep fog-covered Fagu valley stared in the eye on the other side. We finally reached a plain area above the hills after horse-riding for 45 minutes. Traditional dresses were on offer and we did not lose an opportunity to get some pictures of us adorned in those beautiful costumes. We then went to the Hanuman temple, Nag temple and Durga temple respectively. We had some cheese burgers in one of the shops there and went to the Kufri Fun World. It was a hell of a ride boarding the giant wheel and the roller coaster with the deep gorge peeking right below us. It was time to return leading to another horse-ride, adventurous to say the least. It was time to visit the Jakhoo Hill, the highest point of Shimla amidst steep hair-pin curvy roads. The 108 feet tall statue of Lord Hanuman stood there which was visible from the entire city. We also visited the famous Bhima Kali temple on the way.

The next day we visited the beautiful Naldehara, again around 19 km from Shimla. The highest golf course in Asia lay here. It was a picnic spot covered with various refreshment centres. We spent some time there of course for taking pictures. After lunch at a local dhaba, we went to the Vice regal Lodge, the most famous site of Shimla across the Summer Hill. It was the place from where the British ruled undivided India during summer. The Shimla conference was held here which led to the partition of India. It used to be the Rashtrapati Nivas for a long time before it became The Indian Institute of Advanced Study where learned scholars do research on Sociology. The structure of the building was stupendous with carved wooden frames and stones along with its natural fire-proof system. After having some snacks, we went to the Sankat Mochan and Vaishno Mata temples, again considered very holy by the God-fearing local people.

After taking rest for a day, we were on our way to Manali, about 265 km from Shimla. We set out early in the morning. This part of the journey was supposed to be the most beautiful one. We came across the Sutlej River. Who would say that it caused so much destruction just a few days back? The water was calm and composed. Later we came across the Sunder Nagar Lake and the Panodh dam across Beas River at Mandi. We went through the long Aut tunnel which took us almost 5 minutes to cross by car. We reached Kullu around 5 pm where we visited the Kullu temple, around 10 storeys high. We also bought some shawls from the factory outlet there. We finally landed at Manali and checked in the Hotel Pujara Shiraz around 10 pm. Unlike Shimla, the shops at Manali remain open till 12 at night. We had dinner with fresh Rohu fish from the Beas River that flows just across the city.

The next day we went for some local sightseeing around Manali. We visited the Hadimba temple, Vashist Muni Ashram, Tibetan Monastery and Van Bihar. In the evening we bought some sweaters and woolen caps from shops around the mall at Manali. We also had Sikh Kebabs as snacks.

Rohtang Pass, situated at a precarious height of 13,500 feet at a distance of 52 km from Manali awaited us next. We took some special trekking clothes on the way and reached there around 8.30 am. Sticking the long bamboo pole across the thick ice and supporting myself by pushing with the heel of my long boots, I scaled along. Out of sheer determination, I managed to reach almost the top with the air thinning rapidly and people looking like ants. The sliding down through the snow was much easier and filled with thrill. Some of the best photographs of the trip were captured here. On the way down we stopped at the Rana Falls and Salong                                                                                     Valley for a terrific ropeway ride.

Manikaran was next, around 85 km by road from Manali. On the way we came across the Parvati River, a tributary of Beas. It was fierce with a lot of snow white water running down against massive boulders. The Hot Spring was amazing with 24 hour supply of boiling water which turned raw rice into cooked rice within minutes. The Gurudwara   at Manikaran was beautiful. I had to tie a handkerchief to cover my head before entering the sacred place. After a wholesome lunch, we had to carry our plates to the washer, which I really liked. On our way back, we were gifted with a bag of ripe peaches by a stranger who possessed a fruit orchard nearby. I was overjoyed at the gesture of the man. Indeed people treated a tourist as a “Devta” here. Apple trees adorned the entire roadside, however to our ill-fate, the apples were yet to ripen.

The last part of our trip was to the old temple at Jagatsukh, dating back to The Pandavas around 5,400 years back according to myth. The deities of Gayatri Devi and Lord Shiva were present inside the temple. Finally we went to Naggar, around 21 km from Manali. An old art gallery adored this place built by the famous Russian artist and sculptor Roerich, whose work was praised by legendary people like Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru. It was indeed a wonder as to how he and his successors had made India their home. The centre is also known for its treatment with medicinal herbs like Eucalyptus. Currently the research is being carried out to treat Cancer with these hilly shrubs, which brings about a slim ray of hope.

It was time to bid goodbye to Manali. We reached Shimla from where we were to board the train back to Kalka. The mountains were slowly receding as we left with a heavy heart. We made a promise to ourselves to visit this Heavenly place again, indeed the name “Dev Bhoomi Himachal”.