To Reduce Stress Factor, Jaya And I Visited Manali to Buy Peace

Buddhadeb Bose

17 December 2009, 14:06

After a round of discussions about where to visit, to relax from daily hassles generally followed by skirmishes, Jaya, my better half and I closeted for nearly ten minutes without any utterance. The atmosphere of the room was tense, as if, dark clouds hovered over her face. I stood up and broke the pin drop silence.

“Now, where do you want to visit?”

“Who am I to dictate?”

I kept quiet. A phone call came and I overheard Jaya’s voice. After nearly fifteen minutes, she came to my room.”

“Let us go to the mountains.”

“Mountain?”

”Why not?”

“Ok, Ok.”

Finally, the place we decided to visit is known as the Switzerland of India, that is Manali some 500 kilometres away. Initially, we had decided to go by car, enjoying the hilly roads, but dropped the plan to avoid 12 hours of journey. So we flew to Manali from Delhi. We were ushered into the car at Kulumanali airport, or Bhuntur airport as it is known locally, on 20th April 2008, morning at 10.00 am. The car sped through the mountainous road, flanked by greenery. The temperature was very pleasant at 15 degree centigrade. A bit of a chilly wind was blowing, but it was manageable without any woollen clothes and my goodness, what beautiful scenery.

After enjoying the greenery and the picturesque mountain pass, we reached the Manali heights resort at a level of 6000 ft after two hours and dumped our luggage. Jaya was not in a mood to waste any time and we were out to see one of the beautiful valleys in the mountain at 14000 ft called “Sohang Valley.” When we neared the destination of Sohang, a road closed sign was displayed by Paramilitary forces, because a sudden snow fall covered the road and our journey was disrupted. We came back to the hotel with a gloomy face.

On 21st April 2008, we visited the Rohtang Pass, 52 kilometres from our hotel. Galloping through scenic beauties of places called Nehru Kund, Kothi, Gulaba Camp, Rayla falls, Beas Nala, Marhi we reached Rohtang. Nehru Kund was in a dilapidated condition due to wreckage caused by surrounding mountain rocks due to strong snow falls, nearly 6 months ago. At Kothi, we stopped the car to have a look to the mountain pass.

“I cried, “Do not look at the bottom.”

Jaya retorted, “I am not coward like you.”

“Cowards die many times before their death but I don’t want to make friendship with Mrs. Death immediately.”

”Why?”

“Simple, very simple. Where will you get Mr. Live?”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

We enjoyed the classic beauty of Kothi resort and proceeded to Gulaba Camp and then Rayla Falls. We saw a strip of white affixed to the mountain in zigzag fashion, like a snake was kissing the mountain. We were focused on the dazzling beauty of the static snow on the mountain. In the meantime, our car driver brought two cups of real good coffee and also broke the unpalatable news of another road blocked further up-to Rohtang Pass. He advised, with smiling face, that we should be content with our journey up to Marhi.

Jaya as usual got violent. “What are all these happenings?”

“You should have consulted an astrologer before leaving.”

“I would not consult an astrologer, but would consider not accompanying you, henceforth.”

“Why?”

“You are the most unlucky fellow there may be under this sun, in this world.”

Somehow we managed to reach Beas Nala from Rayla falls at 16000 feet by a hand cart driven by roller arrangement pushed by two people. It was a narrow road with an uneven path, surrounded by hard rock snow on one side and the other side a straight drop down to ditches. I started chanting, Jaya got vivacious. After sometime we got down from the two seater, two roller wooden handcart and Jaya jumped to the higher level where the ground was white with snow. People were skating and being driven by sledge car like Eskimos. Photos were flashed endlessly. Young couples were hugging and kissing I was in another world, a world of dreams.

“What happened, why you are looking to those young couples, let them do whatever they like to do.”

“I am enjoying.”

“What?”

“Snow and snow ball.”

“At your age of mid 50, you must concentrate on snow and think for white means cleanliness.”

Driver Vijay was damn good. Again he brought two cups of coffee which we finished and viewed the beauty of our surroundings with enlivenment. We were nearly two hours at this Beas Nala, four kilometres down from Marhi. From here, within another 20 kilometres, the highest mountain in the Himalayas near Manali, is the Rohtang Pass. Some say, it is identical from a beauty and scenic point of view, to Jungfru of Interlaken, Switzerland.

We started descending by the wooden wheel car to our parked vehicle down to Beas Nala. We reached the hotel within another two hours around 8.30 p.m. Next day, 22nd April was our departure day, Jaya was very morose as she could not see the Sohang Valley, Rohatang Pass, only to receive a promise from me for a visit in the future. which i pacified her and bought peace momentarily.

Comment

  1. Hello from Manali.

    We are two Manali local girls, and found your blog while trying to promote our ebay shop.

    It is very nice to know you enjoyed our hometown, please visit again.

    If you wish to buy beautiful Manali handlooms please visit :

    http://shop.ebay.in/manalihandlooms/m.html

    We both sisters are making everything and trying to sell them

    Thanks!

    — Manali Handlooms · Jan 3, 04:07 · #

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