I landed in Delhi on a rainy night, feeling truly blessed to be welcomed back to my home-turf in such a beautiful way. After being drenched by the dancing rains, I sat by the window trying to warm up with some chai. Hours passed as I sat gazing out the window and the stormy night progressed to beautiful blue morning skies.
All this crazy weather inspired me to travel somewhere new. So after a few hours of slumber, I woke up and decided to head out on an adventure. I started the journey not knowing exactly where I was headed. All I knew was that I wanted to be close to the mountains and a river. The first thought that came to my mind was Rishikesh so I set my GPS to take me there, and off I went driving on G.T Karnal Road
After 8 hours of driving through beautiful canopied streets, cutting through forests and vast wheat farms, I arrived in Rishikesh, only to realize that everything was packed because of the Easter long weekend. So I headed further up the river and reached a small village called Byasi, about 35 kms ahead of Rishikesh.
We arrived past sunset and amidst heavy rains. I found shelter in a basic campsite located on the banks of the Ganges. Lanterns, a warm bonfire, yummy chicken pakoras and the gorgeous star-studded sky. I passed the night in my sweet little tent and fell asleep to the soothing sound of the river, unaware of the beauty that would unveil itself in the morning.
Woke up in the morning, got out of my tent and found myself gleaming with joy.
I found exactly what I was seeking – mountains and an emerald green river. I spent the morning just relaxing by the river and before I knew it, I had spent 4 hours just sitting by the pure emerald waters and pondering.
I wrote, I dreamt, I wandered in my mind, and most importantly, I re-found my mission – to discover beautiful places to share with beautiful people.
The sun grew fiercer and my craving for the cold was grow stronger...
So I decided to bid adieu to the emerald Ganges and head out to a cooler, more pahari place. I knew that Dehradun and Mussoorie were close by, so I set out to discover a hidden secrets of that region.
Landour
I had heard about it from friends so I set out in that direction to explore the little town I didn’t know much about.
The road from Mussoorie to Landour can be quite challenging - steep, winding roads, cutting though narrow markets and small pahari homes. Everything there seemed to be out of a picture perfect story of a small mountain town!
I found myself gleaming with joy yet again..I had found the perfect little pahari village!
The windy roads led me to a small Tibetan guesthouse where I decided to spend the night.
As the sun set, the Dehradun lights started glittering and I sat on a tiny table sipping on some ginger lemon tea and feeling elated about having discovered this beautiful secret of Uttarakhand.
The view from my room was of a village street with small pahari homes on either sides, the mountains glittering in the moonlight, and the shining lights of Dehradun.
Tibetan chants playing in the café of the guest house acted as a lullaby as I fell asleep under a beautiful dream-catcher hanging from my window.
I spent the morning and afternoon exploring the charming town. Walking around its narrow, winding streets, smiling at random people, and before I knew it, it was time to head back home
Although this journey was quite short, it was crucial for me.
Working for yourself can be quite challenging sometimes. It requires constant inspiration, motivation and perseverance.
It’s hard to feel that positive all the time…everything, no matter how passionate you are about it, becomes monotonous some time or the other.
Wandering through the mountains refreshed me! I re-discovered myself and my passion and I am back home, ready to work, fully inspired, happy and feeling blessed to have experienced such charm and beauty!
