Getting High On Nature...Up In The Kumaons I have been to Nainital and some places around it a number of times, hence, I shall describe my exploits in the same article that follows. JEOLIKOT My visit over a period of time, to Jeolikot, which is about 17 km before Nainital, is worth mentioning. Jeolikot is just the place to be if you want to scan the hills for ancient shrines, cemeteries or mysterious, old ivy-covered cottages and unravel the idiosyncrasies of Jeolikot’s colonial past. The best way to reach here is by taking the Kathgodam Express from Delhi and getting off at the Kathgodam station, and from there taking a shared taxi which, on being requested, drops you right outside your destination, my grandmother’s cottage, Raghukul Niwas, set amidst the mountain slopes overlooking the valley below! Not as easily accessible as it sounds, you first have to walk a long, steep flight of steps before you actually reach it! And with all your baggage, believe me, it makes it all the more a difficult task to achieve! The cottage is mainly made on a wooden structure with slanting tin roofs and has a number of rooms and a big hallway that is used for welcoming visitors. In addition, there is a room connected to, but at the rear of, the cottage, which is the coldest, quietest and the spookiest. It is here that I and/or my friends usually take lodging! It is connected by a separate door, which leads out onto the orchard terraces above. The orchards themselves are an interesting area in their own with trees laden with a variety of fruits like plums, mangoes, peaches, lemons, pomegranates, guavas, litchis and many more! We had a nice time picking fruit from these trees with long hooked rods! I also came across a snake, which frequented the terraces and had the opportunity of witnessing some of its very rare activities. I saw a corn on the cob–like product lying on the terrace in the shape of a blossomed flower, the only difference being that the corns were half black and half deep red in color! On inquiring from my grandmother, I was told that it was something the snake brought down itself and it was only the snake which could actually eat the deadly poisonous grub! The locals called it, “Saanp ki makka”. We took regular walks to the missionary church nearby which had a beautiful garden of its own with rose blossoms all around. Next to the church was the P.W.D. Guesthouse. We had the opportunity to stay in it once. The rooms were large and spacious. The Guesthouse had beautiful lawns where we took several snaps. It also offered an excellent view of the mountainside, the Kathgodam valley below and of Nainital in the distance. When we returned to the cottage, with aching feet from the long walks, my grandmother was ready with cool cucumber or a steaming hot cup of tea, depending on if it were a hot afternoon or a cool crisp evening! At times, we sat listening to the audio cassettes which we brought with us, in the hall where the effect, the ambience, was the best, with melodious music echoing down the wooden hallway and flowing out through the several windows into the valleys below, and at others, we just sat out on the porch, taking in the fresh mountain air of the cool evenings and watching the sunset There were no proper vegetable shops nearby and vegetables had to be brought all the way from Haldwani, located down in the valleys, (a deed very comfortably acquired by my grandfather, whose favorite pass-time was either reading the daily newspaper, ironing the whole household’s clothes or going down to Haldwani to see to his other duties like bank and post office work, and not to forget, getting a little bickering from my grandmother!) Most of the time, we ended up eating the same meal repeatedly but enjoyed it still, as the surroundings made us forget the monotony of the same! At nights, we told each other ghost stories, as scariest as ever, and were surprised that they could still make our hair raise on their ends, in spite of us all being grown ups! But then we realized it was also because we were in the spookiest room ourselves, cut off from the rest of the domain, where no one may ever hear our screams! The stories were spiced-up by the umpteen rats that lived in the cellar, above the room. They only became active during the night. We heard the scratching and rumbling throughout the night as the rats brought down fruit gathered from the trees which then rolled down the slanting tin shafts or hollow walls, making horrifying sounds in the eerie silence of the night! While at Jeolikot, we visited the bee farm and the mushroom farm for which we had to trek a few miles down the steep slopes. The bee farm, now a government horticulture outlet for fresh honey and saplings, has a small museum with information on how honey is collected and it also features various and different equipment used over time for rearing bees and collecting honey. We bought some honey on our way back to the cottage. Not far from the bee farm, is the mushroom farm where mushroom is grown in huge greenhouse-like laboratories providing artificial weather conditions favorable for the growth of the edible fungi. Buses leave regularly from the Jeolikot bus stand for Nainital, from where one can take a guided tour to other lake sites. We too, decided to pay a visit. NAINITAL Nainital is set in two parts -Tallital, or the southern approach of the lake, and Mallital, or the northern shore of the lake and its upper reaches. As we reached Nainital, we took a walk around the most prominent of the lakes, the Naini Lake, ringed by hills and named after the Goddess Naini. The lake is also embraced by a number of hotels on one side. The charming hill resort of Nainital gets its name from the Goddess Naina Devi. A temple dedicated to the deity stands here as we walk along the promenade to the other end of the lake from the bus stand. A short walk from the temple brought us to the Tibetan refugee market, which sold all kinds of goods ranging from local to imported items. Nainital is also well known for its candle making, and we ended up buying a variety of fancy candles ourselves, great for gift-ideas! We also bought some junk jewelry, souvenirs and wooden key chains with slogans written on them. We stimulated our taste buds over corn on the cob and shopped till we dropped! We also enjoyed boating in the lake. A rowboat ride or one in a pedal boat is ideal if you want to explore the lake on your own. But mind you, don’t go out too far into the lake! Beware of the sudden, heavy mist that envelops the extremes of the lake without warning!! After a long and tiring ride, if you have pedal-boated the entire stretch of the lake, I am sure you would like to re-energize yourself at a good eating joint! I loved satiating my appetite at the Sher-E-Punjab restaurant located a little walk up Mallital. It offers excellent Mughlai and South Indian Cuisine along with a taste of the delicious shaahi paneer and daal makhani! In addition, there are various other restaurants all along the promenade, where you can enjoy a peaceful meal and at the same time, enjoy the sights and sounds around the lake! Further up the Nainital county, are located the University, schools and colleges where students from all over the district come to enrich their knowledge and enhance their skills! Some other places worth visiting in and around Nainital were: Snow View, a scenic spot, offers a panoramic view of the 250 km of the Himalayan ranges. The Snow View Peak, 2270 m is a popular vantage point in Nainital, accessible by a ropeway, by horse and on foot. One can also get a glimpse of the snow-covered peaks of Mt. Everest, Nanda Devi and Mt. K2 from here! Hanumangarhi, 1951 m above sea level and 3.22 km from Nainital, is a place of religious interest, and is also famous for a spectacular view of the sunset. Kainchi Temple. On the Almora-Ranikhet road, one can also visit the temple complex of Kainchi. The places I missed were: State Observatory. Situated at a height of 1951 m 4.4 km from Nainital, the state Observatory undertakes astronomical studies and optical tracking of artificial earth satellites. High Altitude Zoo Perched at an altitude of 2075 m, 1.5 km away from the Bus Station, the zoo is famous for housing a variety of species of animals living at higher altitudes. Corbett Waterfall The Corbett waterfall is situated 36 km from Nainital, on the Kaladhungi-Ramnagar motorable road falling under the Ramnagar Forest Division. The waterfall stands at a distance of 3 km from the Kaladhungi main road. The fall, with a drop of 20 m, is surrounded by a forest-belt and camping-sites with an abundance of bird life and plant life. Some other added attractions for the visitors are the 'Nature Walk', museum, the adventurous camping sites etc. The easy availability of parking facilities makes the place an ideal picnic spot. Naina Peak, the heighest peak around Nainital, is at a height of 2610 m, 5.5 km from Nainital, commands a captivating view of the snow-clad Himalayan ranges. On a clear day, a wide range of the snow-clad Himalayas is visible and one can have a bird's-eye view of Nainital. One can either trek or go on horseback. We booked a tour bus to visit the popular lakes around Nainital, the Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal, Saat tal and the Nal-Damayanti tal. The Naukuchiatal is said to have 9 corners and one who sees all the 9 at a single time, is considered to have been bestowed with Nirvana. Dotted with lakes, Nainital has rightfully earned the epithet of 'Lake District' of India. For the more daring sports- and adventure-loving people, the lake sites offer opportunities for swimming, river rafting, kayaking, trekking, rock climbing, para-gliding, mountain biking, horse safaris etc. For these, one can contact the various campsites located around and enjoy camping away into the deep hilly stretches of the Lake District! Other places to visit near Nainital, if you have plenty of time at hand than just a weekend, are Mukteshwar, Ranikhet and Almora. From Nainital, the following places are directly connected by regular bus service: Agra (403 km), Almora (64 km), Badrinath (334 km), Bareilly (140 km), Dehradun (387 km), Delhi (326 km), Haridwar (310 km) and Kausani (117 km). I have enjoyed immensely, sharing my experience with you and hope you plan a trip soon to the above destinations and give me a first hand account of the places I missed on mine! So BON VOYAGE while I gather up my gear for my next destination, hopefully up north again! See you soon…
Copyright © 2003 Ananya Rohini |