A Silent escape to quietude | Kangra and Chamba (Jan 2014) – Part 6

 

[ Earlier posts in this series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3| Part 4 | Part 5 ]

Day 4 : Bharmour - Chamba contd…

 

C.    Bharmour It Is..

Finally without any more incident, we reached Bharmour - It seems as though I had Lord Manimahesh’s grace that day..

 

We got down from the shared cab and Sanjay warned me that I may not get return transport, hence it would be better to look around Bharmour and quickly and get back. With the snow around, I was tempted to stay overnight, but reality stepped in; Tomorrow would be the same problem - I wouldn't get transport well until 10 in the morning, and getting to Delhi back by Sunday would be difficult.

 

The main attraction in Bharmour is the Chaurasi temples (literally named after its 84 temples). Sanjay guided me to the temple complex (I mean, it was just a 5-minute walk, though navigating the thick snow made every step a hilarious balance test!). It was a complete “dream come true” feeling. Had been longing to see and touch some snow and here I was, walking on tons of snow, and fighting to stay upright!!

 

 

(Info:  There is a Sulabh Complex just outside the Chaurasi temples. So if you land up here and just need to freshen up, you can use the facilities )

 

The central focus of the Chaurasi complex is the historic Mani Mahesh Temple (not to be confused with the distant Manimahesh Kailash peak itself). Standing as the focal point of the 84 shrines, it’s easily identifiable.

 

(this temple for the center of the Chaurasi temples, so it is not very difficult to identify)

 

 

(the Chaurasi temple complex)

 

 

 

The Mani Mahesh ji inside the temple:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After exploring the temple grounds, I realized I’d been wandering for over an hour. It was nearing 2:00 PM. I could spend many more hours just gazing at the snow and the houses around. People were busy clearing the snow off their roofs and were amused seeing a tourist like me, camera in tow, clicking pictures as if there’s no tomorrow !!

 

I started walking back carefully through the snow, which was a downward slope to the car drop off place.. At one point, I slipped and almost took a hard fall - camera and all ( a small lesson – even if you are wearing a sturdy hiking shoe like Forclaz 500, step firm ) – Thankfully, I regained balance before completely falling..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was as if the taxi in which I came was waiting for me to return. The moment the driver saw me, he asked, ‘Vaapis jaayenge ? Bhait jaayiye’ (Going back? Hop in!) – looked like it was my lucky day today. Made it to Bharmour when it almost seemed impossible; then got to see tons and tons of snow, and now got transport to return almost immediately ..

 

 

In about an hour, we reached Khadamukh, and a HRTC bus to Chamba was ready to leave (which essentially meant that the landslide had been cleared by now). I boarded, and within 10 minutes, we were rolling along the banks of the Ravi River.

 

 

Faith in Humanity Restored

 

This is where I’d say I learnt a lesson or two, and by the end of it, I was actually left with tears in my eyes.

 

I had requested the bus driver to stop at Dakhogu so that I could collect my bags (which I had left in the tea stall earlier in the day); when we reached Dakhogu, I went to the tea shop, took my bags, and apologized to the lady for having forgotten to pay the money in the morning. She coolly said, ‘koyi baat nahin, ek chai hii to hai’ (It’s no big deal, it was just a cup of tea.);

 

I then hand over a 50rupee note to her, expressed my deepest thanks, and rushed back onto the bus. The bus started moving – the lady shouted from behind. She ran down the road – reached an open window and handing over ₹43 in loose change to a passenger to pass back to me...

 

I mean, for one, she need not have taken pain to run behind the bus and stop it; and secondly, had it been Bangalore, the shop owner would have told me 50/- is not enough, give me 100 or 200… I was really touched by the gesture, and wondered how simple a life the people here led. Sure enough, I had tears in my eyes. And to top it all, my luggage and laptop were all safe..

 

While we were approaching Chamba, the weather again turned cloudy and I was scared it would rain again. Thankfully, it did not. I guess I was tired and slept through most part of the journey . All I remember was that I reached Chamba at 5pm.. Wow, what an eventful day, but hey, the day was yet ripe :-D. I’ll leave you with a few pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E. Evening Wanderings in Chamba

 

It was 5pm when we reached Chamba. I got down, but needed some place to freshen up plus keep the luggage. My next plan was to head to Amritsar, and the direct bus to Amritsar from Chamba was at 11pm. The usual recommendation to stay in Chamba (apart from the HPTDC properties) is hotel Jimmy’s Inn – get out of the bus stand, and there’s a small galli with a small board. (Somehow, I couldn't locate it when I got down, but later I found out where it was). There’s one nice property next to the bus stand (I forget its name) looked too hip for a 3-4 hrs stay. I went to a Nataraj hotel – dumped my bags, washed my face and set out on my next venture (I had slept a little in the bus, you see ).

 

There are not too many places to see in Chamba – maximum half a day. I started walking towards the Laxminarayan Mandir. There are two grounds in Chamba (Chaugan grounds) – a small one and a big one, and these two, together, constitute almost the city centre.

 

But first things first - I went to the bus stand and reserved a seat for the 11pm bus to Amritsar – the bus I believe was full – so I got only a seat near the door, and that too, an aisle seat - not exactly ideal for a freezing January night ride, but I took what I could get

 

With my ticket booked, I strolled past the grounds as dusk settled over the hills, turning the sky a rich, fiery orange.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a HPTDC restaurant by name Café Ravi (similar to the Café Sutlej at Rampur Bushehar) but it was closed, and only ‘Chilled Beer’ seemed to the available there. I thought the views from there of the river Rabi would be good, but there weren't any views at all (=pathetic).

 

 

I then walked upto the Laxminarayan Mandir complex-

 

 

After that, I strolled around the market for some time. Then I had some bun tikki [I’ve become a fan of Bun tikki after eating here] and some piping hot gulab jamoons.

 

I still had a lot of time left - I headed to the Chamunda Mandir, which is atop a hill - you can either use the stairways leading to it from the bus stand that are steep or you can use the winding roads by the side. I took the roads assuming they would be easy to walk, but I struggled to reach the top. The reward at the top, however, was worth every step—a panoramic, bird's-eye view of Chamba town glowing in the twilight.

 

 

The Chamunda mandir:

 

 

I then came down through the stairs – that wasn't easy on the knees too !! I came back to Nataraj hotel (wouldn’t recommend a stay here) slept for some time, charged my mobile and then headed off to the bus stand by around 10:45.

 

It was 11:30pm ultimately when the bus left Chamba. The bus was full and there were people getting in and out at every stop- seemed to me that there were many takers for the night bus even if it was winter!! The journey continued in the chill weather, but since it was full of people, it was manageable

 

And with that, the Himalayan chapter of this journey officially came to a close! But the trip wasn't over just yet—stay tuned for the final leg.

(To be concluded in Part 7!)

 

* * *