Kalpa – Narkanda

Waking up with the morning sun in the mountains is a mesmerizing experience, and today’s sunrise was no exception. The sight of Kinnaur Kailash and other peaks bathed in the first light was breathtaking. I captured a timelapse video to relive this moment later. Gratitude filled my heart as I marveled at nature’s beauty.

With breakfast scheduled for 8 AM, I had over two hours to myself. Sunrise here occurs around 5:15 AM, with sunset at approximately 7:30 PM. I wandered through the garden, taking photos of every flower and grass. It rained last night and all the plants were drenched which made me click more😉

A gentleman noticed my enthusiasm and struck up a conversation. He challenged me to identify some plants, pointing out one that resembled chrysanthemum. To my surprise, it was a real gooseberry plant! Seeing it for the first time gave me goosebumps.😁😁

Ribes uva-crispa, also called gooseberry or European gooseberry, is a type of flowering shrub in the currant family. It comes from Europe, the Caucasus, and northern Africa. Gooseberry bushes produce edible fruit and are grown both commercially and in home gardens. This plant has come from Europe.

Returning to my room, Little N greeted me with a cup of black tea he had made. His excitement was infectious.

After a hearty breakfast, we began our journey to Narkanda, a long 4.5-hour drive that took even longer due to breaks for lunch and stretching.

One of the stops we took was at Unnu Mahadev temple, Jeori. This place is famous for hot water sprins. The Chhari Yatra (holy mace) of the famous Manimahesh pilgrimage to Shrikhand Mahadev peak  begins in July with a dip in the hot spring waters of Jeori. Pilgrims start their journey to Lord Shiva’s abode after taking this holy dip.

Hatu Peak and Tanni Jubbar Lake

In the evening, we stopped at a local shop for tea and snacks. They served Siddu, a local delicacy, but I was too full to try it. About 10 kilometers from our stay, we took a detour to Hatu Mata Temple. The journey was tough, a single-lane rough road through the Deodar forest, filled with bumps and bends. The Hatu peak was beautiful. We visited the temple and strolled around, while the kids enjoyed blowing dandelions.

My friend suggested visiting Tanni Jubbar Lake, a bit further ahead. We reached there by 6:30 PM, but the sun was still up. We skipped the Eco Park and instead enjoyed the serene lake and its surroundings.

Narkanda

By the time we reached our stay, it was 8 PM, and we were all exhausted. I noticed the star-lit sky and decided to capture the star trails with my phone. After a few attempts, I managed to get some good shots.

Dinner was a cozy affair, followed by planning for the next day’s journey. We anticipated a 4-5 hour drive and expected heavy traffic around Shimla, given that it was a weekend and vacation time. Our driver shared his experience of a two-hour traffic jam in Shimla earlier. So, we decided to start our journey by 7-7:30 AM to avoid the worst of the traffic.

With that, we ended our day, content with the experiences and looking forward to the next leg of our adventure.

A.