My visit to Mirtola Ashram (Uttar Vrindavan)

MY VISIT TO MIRTOLA ASHRAM

I am sure a few people know about this place and a fewer number of people visit this place. I read about Ashram in a book by Balaram Reddy, a devotee of Ramana Maharshi, in the year 2002. Moreover this place is associated with ‘Krishnaprem’ who was a close friend of Shri Dilip Kumar Rai of Pondicherry Ashram. I also visited Shri Dilip Kumar’s Samadhi at Pune. I did read the life of Krishnaprem (Mr. Ronald Henry Nixon). Krishna prem along with his Guru Sri Yashoda Ma built this Ashram in the year 1930. After Yashoda Ma’s passing away, Krishnaprem took charge of the Ashram. He was later on joined by Sri Madhav Ashish, another English man. The departure of Sri Madhav Ashish from the world brought the curtain down to the spiritual history of this place. The present incumbent is more like a landlord than a spiritual personality.

I was at Ramakrishna Kutir, Brightened Corner, Almora with my friend during the period April 30 to May 3, 2010. In the year 2004 when I visited Jageshwa with my family, I wanted to pay a visit to this place but I could not do so. So when two Ramakrishna Mission swamiji’s and a visitor from Pune said that they were visiting Mirtola, I jumped at the prospect and accompanied them.

The route to Panuanaula from Almora is quite a steep one, continuously going up. Little ahead of Panuanaula there is a left turn and you take that route and take a right turn (not a proper road but like a trekking route). Our driver knew the route so we arrived at the Ashram without much difficulty. The area is quite big could be about 100 acres of land, lot of farming has been down with flower beds around the temple area. We could also see a cowshed with a number of newly born calves. There is also a small temple like area where the ashes of Yashoda Ma, Krishnaprem and Moti Rani (daughter of Yashoda Ma) have been interned. While the visitor from Pune was taking a few snaps of this structure, the present incharge of this place told him point blank, ‘Don’t you think it is necessary to take permission for photography’ ? This statement made the group completely let down. Of course, the visitor from Pune did apologise for transgressing the privacy, but he too was shocked. We visited the Radha Krishna temple and offered our prostration. While we are seeing the beautiful flowers that bloomed around the temple, one of the swamijis went near right side of the temple, where a ferocious dog was resting. I was just clicking the cactus flower, this Swami ji was chased by this dog and he had to run to save his life. The Swamiji felt as if he got a new lease of life. Later on I noticed that this dog was attached with a long chain hanging from a wire tied across. It looked so ominous, that too in a place, supposed to be an Ashram. I was unhappy.

Later on I found the Pune visitor talking to the incharge about the Ashram. I also joined him in the discussion. There was another ferocious looking dog that circled us to take note of our presence. The in-charge with a perceptible glee was saying that there were many people staying at this Ashram, but after passing away of Madhav Ashish, all left one by one. It was not difficult to trace the causes why they left. While we were still talking with Mr. David, the incharge , we were informed that the Swamiji’s were looking for us to depart. So we headed towards exit gate. As the treatment was very formal conducting like office decorum, we also forgot to give any donation whatsoever.

I felt very sad that I had to leave this Ashram sanctified by Yashoda Ma, Goptada (Krishnaprem) and Madhav Ashish without being least satisfied. Most probably it was due to not having the spiritual atmosphere that once it used to have.

Of late I heard that Mr. David died due to some mysterious reason.  It has now been taken over by David's first Indian wife. 

Shyamlatal and Mayavati

A spiritual visit to Shyamlatal and Mayavati

A close Vivekananda Kendra friend and myself planned a visit to Shyamlatal and Mayavati in the month of March, 2008. I prefer generally to make plans for every bit of our journey and my friend is just opposite. He prefers not to plan for anything. However in the days of advance bookings, we had to book before hand our tickets and guest houses.

As per our scheduled program, we left Delhi for Bareilly by Bareilly intercity Express on 8th March, 2008. There are direct buses from Delhi to Pithoragarh/ Munsyari via Tanakpur, Lohaghat.. From Bareilly we took a bus up to Sukhidung via Tanakpur. At Sukhidung we alighted and trekked 5 Km. upto Shyamlatal reaching there at 4 p.m.

We saluted the Senior Swamijis and we were provided with accommodation immediately. One very smiling Swami ji informed us that the tea will be served at 4.30 p.m. We first went to our room and had good bath in cold water while the temperature was around 20 degree. By 4.30 p.m. we were at the Dinning hall and fresh cup of tea was served with biscuits. This refreshed us considerably.

What attracted our attention was the blooming flower garden. It had many rare species of flowers with unique colors. The fragrance and the colors of flowers made the place heavenly. We could see the lake below, ’Shyamlatal’. Thus the name of the place also became ‘Shyamlatal. The water was muddy although it was shinning by the sun’s rays. We joined in the evening prayer. Swamijis were all in the prayer hall. The photograph of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada and Swami Vivekananda were placed on a pedestal and properly decorated with flowers and garlands while burning of incense sticks kept the hall fragrant.

After the prayer we had still half an hour before dinner so we went into the open and looked at the sky. It was full of stars and a crescent moon. The soft cold breeze that was blowing at that time was enjoyable indeed. As the bell tolled, we walked towards the dinning hall.

Next day morning we woke up with the chirruping of the birds. The breeze that passed through our room brought in the sweet fragrance of flowers that were in full bloom around the place. We finished our morning call and had good bath in cold water. After breakfast we took a walk and one of the Swamijis’ took us up at a point from where we could see the Nepal border. Swami ji also showed us the ‘Banful point’, the nearest highest point.

Looking at the surrounding high towering mountains with green cover, we stood in silence. This silence touches your very core and you lose count of time and sense of your own existence. Only audible sound was the chirruping of the birds and the rustling of leaves. Mind naturally becomes quiet while the soft breeze soothes your body. You become one with the nature.

After about an hour we went back to our room and rested a while before the lunch. As the bell rang, we locked our room and headed for the dinning hall. The food that was served item after item, with care and love, was the most delicious one. We kept on savoring each item and wondered how such simple food could be so tasty.

After a good rest, it was time for tea at 4 p.m. Surprisingly, they provided us with a good number of biscuits with tea. We fully justified our tea time. It gave us enough energy to trek to ‘Banful point’ This location is a highest point at Shyamlatal. The trekking route is through thick vegetation and rugged ridge. We could enjoy seeing the Rhododendron flowers in full bloom. The forest is full of this flower tree. Finally, we could reach the top and looked around to see the wonderful sight of the setting sun and the play of the clouds. We came down slowly enjoying the breeze, the flowers and the stillness of the forest.

After the prayer was over, we took a walk along the garden and enjoyed the night sky and the fragrance of flowers. The whole atmosphere was fragrant and the sky full of starts and the moon. As the bell for dinner rang, we slowly walked to the dinning hall.

Mainly, this Ashram is meant for Spiritual Sadhana for the inmates. People those who have inclination for Sadhana are only given accommodation and their number is naturally very low.

In the morning (March 11, 2008) we packed our rucksacks and went for breakfast. We were scheduled to go to Mayavati today. After finishing our heavy breakfast, we gave a token donation to a swami ji and did pranam and left for Mayavati. We once again trekked all the way to Sukhidung and then took a bus for Lohaghat.

As we crossed the small rivulet over a bridge connecting Lohaghat with the road to Mayavati, the whole scenario changed. The tall trees like Deodars, pines lining on both sides of the road as if welcoming us on to the road to heaven. Believe me it is so. We continued our walking through the well laid out road about 9 kms from this place. Around 5 p.m. we reached the Mayavati Ashram. Swamiji enquired why we were so late. We told them that we walked all the way from Lohaghat.

We were then invited for a cup of tea although tea time was over. We had a few cups of tea and a number of biscuits. We were then guided to the Ashram guest house. Mayavati in the month of March is quite cold. Even in the month of May-June the temperature hovers around 18ºC during day and at night it comes to 7ºC . I could scarcely imagine how it was about 108 years ago when Swami Vivekananda paid a fortnight visit to this Mayavati Ashram. Mr. & Mrs Sevier’s Bunglow is just a few yards away from our guest house and they too lived there from 1899 completely dedicating themselves to Swamiji’s work.

We enjoyed the silence of the forest and coolness of the weather. For dinner we had to trek almost a km. in the dark night to the dinning hall, the presence of 5th night’s moon notwithstanding. The most rewarding experience has been to feel the presence of that immutable as soon as you enter into the main ashram garden. Here too the food was served with love and respect. We enjoyed every meal. After the dinner at 8.30 there was a reading form a book, “Reminiscences on Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa” in the meditation hall by a senior Swami. After this we again stood for a while in the garden to enjoy the quietness and feel the breath of the Almighty.

Going back to the guest house which is completely isolated from the main Ashram, is like a Himalayan retreat. The solitude and the quietness were the unique characteristics of this place. We enjoyed immensely the natural surroundings.

Next day morning after breakfast we were guided to Dharamgarh, the place where Swami Vivekananda used to go for meditation. The forest path is through the Ashram and going up more than 300 meters. There was another guest who also accompanied us. We were given a strong stick each to facilitate trekking. We reached Dharamgarh after trekking about more than half an hour. There is a small room built in the very place where Swami ji meditated. We too sat for a while quietly. From this location we could see the Mayavati Ashram below.

After lunch we went to our room for rest. After tea we collected two sticks and started trekking down. Finally we could hear the sound of flowing water and later we saw a small rivulet flowing by. The place looked to be an ideal one for leopards to live, thickly surrounded by vegetation and a small broken culvert and a few cave like places. By the time we came back to our guest house it was well passed evening.

We rested for a while before it was time for dinner. After we sat in the meditation hall, the senior Swami once again read out some chapter from the same book as last evening. This is the very room where Swami Vivekananda about 107 years back stayed for about 2 weeks during his visit in 1901, January. The room (now meditation hall) still holds the power of his personality, so we felt. As we came out into the flower garden, the silence of the forest once again reminded us of the presence of that Omnipresent, we being a part and parcel of That. For a while, it was a silent journey into the domain of That by whose power this Universe moves.

As we went down the steps of the Ashram area and headed for the guest house, we felt our stay at Mayavati has been too short to imbibe the spiritual qualities that wonderful place offers.

Next morning we finished our bath and locked the room and went to the Ashram meditation hall. We sat for a while before break-fast. After breakfast we offered a token donation for our stay and said good bye to the Swamis. Of course we collected two sticks as memento of our visit to Mayavati.

Wanderer: TEHRI & DHANOLTY

Wanderer: TEHRI & DHANOLTY

Where the Three seas meet - Kanyakumari

My visit to Kanyakumari, the last tip of India's mainland was a sudden development that drove me to that place. It was not a planned trip. Nor did I go there with the intension of visiting that place. It was a sudden impulsive decision - a decision to run away from home.

It was in the year 1979, I was staying with my brother who was posted in Deolali, Maharashtra state of India. This place has a unique climate. Throughout the year it is pleasant, neither hot nor cold. I had gone there to look for a job. To facilitate my job hunt my brother used to get me a copy of the Times of India, Bombay Edition from his office. In that newspaper, I came across an advertisement calling youth of India who are graduates to join Vivekananda Kendra - a Service Mission at Kanyakumari. The picture of Swami Vivekananda did inspire my confidence to join this mission. In the meantime, I did apply and appeared for a number of Government services examination in Bombay. My brother always accompanied me for all these examinations. After trying for about 6 months when nothing happened, my brother advised me to go back home but I was determined not to. A few days before I really left my temporary shelter at Deolali, my brother's boss interviewed me for a Personal Assistant's post with a high official. On his advice I waited for the official to arrive from outstation. In the meantime, my brother got a letter from his wife to rush back home due to certain development. I do not remember what it was. However, my brother left me with some money to go back home in case the job does not materialize. I must confess here that my patience was also petering out very fast to such an extent that I decided to leave for any place the day I complete my 25th year of age. Till that day I patiently waited for my future boss to arrive. He did not come even on the last day of my stay. I had to act.A colleague of my brother who hailed from Allahabad advised me to go to Kanpur where his friend would help me find a job. This offer was also there at the back of my mind. But the appeal of Vivekananda Kendra at Kanyakumari was too powerful to be ignored.

So on the night of 5th September, 1978, I left for the Railway station. Believe me I could not resist crying out while taking leave of the place. I think that was due to breaking away all relationship of the family. Since then I am not in touch with my parental family. However with tears in eyes, I walked up to the Railway station and bought a ticket for Bombay (presently Mumbai) on the way to Madras (presently Chennai). The night passed off in the train thinking of the uncertain future I was heading to. In Bombay I had my break-fast at Railway Refreshment room. Before boarding the train, I bought my ticket from the platform itself, a direct ticket for Tirunelveli (nearest train station for Kanyakumari in those days) on the advice of a Ticket Inspector. He also helped me find a berth without any extra charge. I still feel indebted to that unknown Ticket Inspector for his help. After reaching Madras in the morning, I found my next train will start in the evening and I needed to register my ticket for that train. I stood in the queue and completed the formality.Madras, a new place for me and at that time I could hardly express myself in English language. I could speak in Hindi but that too was invalid in Madras. The majority of Tamils hate Hindi language and they would not entertain you if you speak in Hindi. So I had to manage with broken English. Although Hindi is not my mother tongue but as I love all languages I admire Hindi as well. People who go deeper into a language understand the distinctive nuances and unique flavor that every language has. Thus hating a language becomes impossible. In the meantime I developed friendship with a young man who was also going to Tirunelveli and we too went for lunch outside the railway station. It was the month of September and Madras has a very humid climate. Although the food was spicy but the use of green banana leaf for serving the lunch on was the most interesting one. As we had some time, we went round the railway station. The Egmore station mainly caters to the needs of the local commuters while the Madras Central Rly. Station handles all long distance trains connecting with rest of India. After sometime we went back to our platform from where our train was scheduled to depart. Just before one hour of the departure, the Kanyakumari Express steamed into the station. As we had no reservation, we did not board the train but waited on the platform. One gentleman came there and enquired with me about the train and the reserved compartments. We took him there and lo our names were also there in the list! That means we too had a berth for the night travel. The rest of the journey by train went off pleasantly.

Next day morning the train reached Tirunelveli. I had to catch a bus from Trunelveli to Kanyakumari. As my immediate goal was not to visit Kanyakumari but to join the Vivekananda Kendra which is located three kilometers before the Kanyakumari bus station. I was advised by the conductor to alight at Vivekanandapuram and walk in. At that point of time I could not think anything else than getting admitted at the Vivekananda Kendra training centre. I neither had means to go back home nor did I want to.On enquiry I was advised to meet the General Secretary of the Mission at this office. I waited for him anxiously. He came after an hour of my arrival there. In my broken English I told him the purpose of my being there. He told me, ?I would not have any problem of admitting you but for the training has already been started from 1st of September.? ?O.K. we will discuss about it more, first go and have your lunch and come back? I had little money but it was enough for my lunch. I went back to his office and waited. There came another Mission executive and then I was called in. They asked for my graduation certificate as they were only admitting graduates and post-graduates. I had none. They asked me of my family background. I told them the truth. They kept me waiting for a long time perhaps to see my patience wears off. But I was equally determined not to give in. Finally, they gave in and admitted me. I joined the training centre with real earnest.

A new horizon in my life thus opened up in a difficult crossroad of my life. The location of the training centre was so charming that I fell in love with the place at first sight itself surrounded by the sea on three sides; Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea. From the terrace of the two storeys building which housed the training centre, I could see the seas as far as my sight went. In the immediate vicinity were the coconut and tamarind trees that sooth our eyesight with greenery and the seas with blue waters. We had a wonderful routine from morning 4.30 a.m. to night 10 p.m. packed with Prayer, meditation, yogic exercises, lectures, and intellectual and physical activities.

Kanyakumari is famous for its fabulous sunrise as if it rises from the sea waters and the sun sets into the Arabian Sea. One day I got up early around 4.00 a.m. and went for a walk by the sea. As the darkness was invaded by the light of the sun, the whole sky was diffused in multi-colors with different hues. It was a marvelous sight to see. The early morning breeze was so soothing that one can feel the presence of the invisible power that propels the sun into its orbit. That day the sky in the horizon was absolutely clear thus paving the way for the sun to shine in all its glory. As the red fireball raised its hood, instant red lines were drawn on the sea waters. With the movement of the sun, the waters turned into red coloured bridging the gap between heavens and earth for a while. I stood transfixed looking at this heavenly panorama. A few thousands visit Kanyakumari everyday but I do not know how many could see such a sun rise. I am sure many have seen but their numbers are limited. There is another celestial event that takes place once a year at Kanyakumari is the rising of the moon from the Bay of Bengal and the setting of the sun into the Arabian Sea at the same time.Before I narrate some of the prominent landmarks of Kanyakumari, I would like to talk about the light house which I am sure many do not bother to look at. If you ever seen the seas on a dark night with its turbulent waves and the sudden flashing of the light house beam over the sea waters, you will understand how terrible the sea looks at that time. It gets manifold if it is a stormy night. I enjoyed seeing the nature's terrible face as well.After we completed our training of 3 months at the Centre, we were asked to go the Vivekananda Rock Memorial everyday for a fortnight using the ferry services. Our work was to introduce to the visitors the majestic statue of Swami Vivekananda made of bronze in the main hall and also tell them a brief life history of this great warrior monk with special emphasis on his meditation on the rock. Swamiji after visiting the Kanyakumari temple he came out and saw the twin rocks and decided to meditate on that rock. He swam across the stretch of 200 meters and stayed there for 3 nights and 3 days in the year 1893. In meditation he visualized Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa directing him to go to the West. As this rock is off the coast, a visitor has to take the ferry service to reach this place. The present temple was completed in September 1970. The pounding of the rock by the sea waves create a continuous roaring sound. But once you are inside the meditation hall the sound seems to get subdued and allows you to meditate for a while. Another interesting natural even a visitor can witness is the setting of the sun into the Arabian Sea. It is so vivid that as if in reality the Sun goes down into the waters. It is an optical illusion but none the less an enjoyable one.There are three more important structures one can see. The first one is the 133 ft. tall statue of Tiruvalluvar adjacent to the Vivekananda Memorial. His statue was installed, I suppose, more as a Tamil pride competing with the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. Of course Tiruvalluvar?s composition of Tirukural is comparable to the Bhagwad Gita. The Gandhi Memorial is also another landmark of Kanyakumari. This memorial was built on the spot where the urn containing the Mahatma's ashes was kept for public viewing before immersion. Resembling central Indian Hindu temples in form, the memorial was designed so that on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, October 2, the first rays of the sun fall on the exact place where his ashes were kept.The third one is a very small temple dedicated to Shankaracharya the exponent of Advaitya philosophy. There is another Shankarachary temple in Kashmir thus connecting India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in it's Advaitic philosophy of oneness.Most of the people those who visit Kanyakumari do not stay overnight. I personally feel that if you really want to have feel of a place, a night stay gives you an extra edge in understanding the nature?s warmth. In the quietness of the night our mind can easily tune with the surrounding nature and identify oneself as a part and parcel of this universe.On a full moon night, if you ever watched the seas, you will wonder how the waters react exuberantly by the pull of the moon. During our training at Kanyakumari we were taken to the sea shore on full moon nights & we had to deliver an ex-tempore lecture on a given subject that too in our mother tongue! If you are a nature lover spending a few hours, like taking a walk along the sea beach on a full moon night would definitely be a rewarding one.

I still love that place and would like to go and stay there whenever the next opportunity comes.

Sat Tal Visit

Sat Tal Visit
(June 16th to 20th June, 2007)

My visit to Sat Tal came about through an unexpected quarters. During summer Delhi becomes so hot that one feels difficult to work without air-conditioning or air-cooling infrastructure with uninterrupted power supply. The best alternative is to go to hills to escape the heat. Of course, at that time finding a suitable accommodation is itself a difficult task.

The NRI gentleman, Mr. S B Tandon for whom I work in Delhi had paid a visit to Ramgarh and Nainital in the month of March, 2007. During his short stay in the above two places he enjoyed the weather so much that he again asked me to plan for another trip to the hills in June. But this time we could not find accommodation at Nainital Guest house (run by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi) as it was full. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. For quite some time the dental doctor who treats Mr. Tandon had been telling us about a resort his wife was managing. We were also given a brochure of that Resort. The pictures and the infrastructure in place made a good appeal to us. But in due course we forgot about it. Now that we were looking for a place in the hills nearby this contact came in handy. The cost of the trip and other related expenses were borne by Vivo-Forto (Life Force) an NGO conceptualized and started by Mr. Tandon.

I contacted the lady in-charge and finalized our dates in June, 2007. The charges were moderate and the place inviting given the exclusive facility that would be at our disposal. To being with our expectation was not very high. Believe me after reaching there and staying for two nights I must admit it surpassed all our stretchable imaginations. It is a wonderful place for a quiet outing.

Our program was first to reach Bareilly and stay for the night there. Next morning we arranged to have meeting with the educationists of Bareilly at the Hotel Diplomat Residency followed by a Press Conference and lunch. After finishing the lunch immediately we were to leave Bareilly for Sat Tal via Kathgodam, Bhimtal. It was decided that we would stay at Sat Tal for 2 nights and leave for Bareilly on 19th and on 20th June leave for Delhi. I also planned to carry my Telescope to the hills to see the night sky.

We were also joined by Harkawaljit Singh from Jullandhar city (I will refer to him as Johny). So we were 3 people from Delhi and from Bareilly 3 more to join for the Sat Tal Trip. So we needed a strong and big car and an Innova suited our purpose. On 16th June after lunch we left for Bareilly. This big car being very comfortable with Air Conditioning, we could discuss a lot of business while travelling. We reached Bareilly around 9.30 in the evening. Over a cup of tea we discussed about next day’s press conference and arrangements for receiving Dr. Naseem from the Station. After finishing out dinner with our host we left for hotel. We opted for a hotel accommodation because we were told there could be power failure at night for few hours and our NRI gentleman did not want to take chance. This Hotel Diplomat Residency is in the heart of Bareilly and is very well maintained and had good air-conditioning facility with standby power back up even to run ACs.

We invited Dr. Naseem from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to talk on ‘Historicity of Krishna’. Dr. Naseem being a reader in Ancient History in BHU had studied Vedas, Upanishads and other scriptures along with Koran. After we lodged ourselves comfortably, the question was who would go to receive Dr. Naseem from the Railway station. His train from Varanasi was due to arrive around 12.30 a.m. As I did not know Dr. Naseem by face, neither the driver so Mr. Tandon offered himself to go to Station to receive him as he knew him by person.

Johny and I opted for a separate room. Next day morning when we peeped into the room where Mr. Tandon and Dr. Naseem were to stay, we found them in deep sleep. So we went out for a walk. After half an hour when we came back from walk, they were still sleeping. We surmised that they might have reached the hotel in the early morning they needed more sleep. In the meantime we had a cup of tea. Our meeting was scheduled to start at 9.30 a.m. so we woke them up around 8.30 a.m.

We were ready by 9 O’clock and immediately thereafter participants started trickling in. In the meantime I had a talk with Dr. Naseem with regard to teachings of Krishna and how Bhagwad Gita has been a source of great inspiration for millions of people in India and abroad. The break fast was being served while we continued our discussion. There were a lot of cut fruits in the break-fast in addition to bread-toast, fruit juice. This menu was decided by Mr. Tandon as he prefers healthy diet to oily and spicy one. Mr. Ravindra Tandon with his wife Rama ji also joined us in the breakfast. We invited all who were present to join in the breakfast.

By 10 O’clock all the expected participants joined us. Dr. Naseem was given the first opportunity to talk on the subject ‘Historicity of Krishna’. Here I would like to give in brief the salient points of his scholarly exposition.

v The main basis of historicity of Krishna is Mahabharata. The Mahabharata war was an historical event. Krishna had played a major role in it.

v The Mahabharata war is taken as evidence to determine the date of Krishna. It is a very important war in the Indian history but its date is uncertain.

v According to the Indian tradition when Parikshit ascended to the throne Dwapar age came to an end and Kaliyug and Kali Sambat Started. Aryabhatta (C. 5th century AD.) says that Kaliyug started in C. 3102 B.C. ((Majumdar 1979 : 7).

v Mahabharata war took place in C. 3102 BC

At the end he concluded saying that a person by name Krishna did exist during the Mahabharata era.


There were a number of reporters present who interviewed Dr. Naseem not only on the subject matter but as well his comparative study of Islam and Hindu Scriptures.

This meeting was followed by a sumptuous lunch where all the guests and journalists present were invited to join in.

As soon as we could clear all the dues with the Hotel, we headed towards Sat Tal. Now we were six people in the car plus driver. At Haldwani we stopped for a while to buy some fruits and Mr. Tandon, Dr. Naseem and Ravindra ji got down to find fruits of their choice. They bought lot litchis, apricots and plums and we had plenty of them. I was advised to give a ring to the care taker of the guest house as soon as we reached Haldwani but I forgot it then. .When we were crossing Kathgodam, I remembered about it and informed them.

By the time we hit the mountain path the breeze became cold and we stopped the air conditioning in the car and opened the windows. The breeze was so soothing that very soon everyone felt relaxed except Ramaji who felt a dizzy sensation and vomited. We stopped for a while till she felt normal. After about an hour driving we crossed Bhimtal from here we took a left turn towards Bhowali. After about 3 km there is another left turn going down towards Sat Tal. On approaching Sat Tal, the first lake to welcome you is Nal Damyanti followed by the Panna lake and a little ahead are the three lakes by the names of Ram, Laxman and Sita. The best time to be here is either in the month of March or April when the trees are loaded with lemons and the aroma fills the air or in September to November when the trees start turning rustic spreading a panoramic view across the forests.

When we reached Sat Tal the person who was waiting for us in a jeep came and introduced himself. He advised us to keep our car in a parking lot there itself as the road to the Guest house was quite steep and rough. But our driver insisted that whatever may be the road condition, he would be able to negotiate successfully. Really speaking, it was a very difficult steep road and we all were so scared on the way that our car may skid down below. The car could reach just below the guest house. Thanks to the driver that he could make it. But it is advisable that one should leave the car in a safe parking lot below and take the guest house jeep instead to be on the safe side.

Once having reached the guest house what drew my immediate attention was the wide grassy lawn. It was about 6.30 p.m. when we reached there. I took out the telescope immediately and placed it on the lawn. There the crescent moon was faintly out and I focused on it. In the meantime, tea/coffee was served and rooms were allotted to us. This Resort is located at a height of 1500 meter and the Sat Tal lake is down below at 1370 meter height.

In the month of June when we visited this place it was no less beautiful. The new leafs were just coming out in Oak trees and the weather was perfect - not very cold nor warm but pleasant throughout the day and nights became little enjoyably cold. The most fabulous site was the night sky. It was so clear on both nights that millions of starts could be seen even through naked eyes. On the second night there was an interesting celestial phenomenon. The planet Venus slowly went behind the Crescent moon and we could see clearly through our telescope. The planet Jupiter with its 4 satellite moons, Saturn with its rings could also been seen. All members of our group and other staff of the Resort, our driver all enjoyed this spectacle.

In the evening around 7.30 we all sat in the drawing room and over a few cups of tea and some fried stuff we discussed on the issue of religious fanaticism that is dividing our society. Each one thinks that his/her faith is the supreme and that is the only way to know what you call – ‘Allah/God’ and others are infidels and deserve killing. Who is responsible for this – the religious books or the followers? Are they interpreting the books to suit their parochial needs or the religious books itself carry such virus. We wanted to listen to Dr. Naseem what he had to say. He was of the view that Koran does not have such directives on the other hand it talks about harmony, brotherhood, peace etc. He said that only the radical followers are misinterpreting Koran and creating such divisions. Mr. Tandon was of the view that we should go beyond all these books and develop a universal outlook in day-to-day living ignoring the religious division but as human beings. From a rational point of view if we scrutinize all these books we will find many objectionable quotations in such books. So without going into who is right or wrong, it would be wise to go beyond such limited knowledge that these books contain. What we know today, these writers did not know. The progress we have made in respect of neurology, psychology, biology and other sources of knowledge cannot be a comparison with those middle age people who had no exposure to scientific knowledge and human evolution. The meeting concluded around 8.45 a.m. with a promise to meeting again after dinner.

As soon as we came out from the room into open air, the beauty of the crescent moon and the planet Venus in the sky worked like a magic spell. Our telescope added a new dimension to our sky viewing. We freely walked around the Resort in the moonlit night enjoying the nature’s beauty. I also played a few round of table tennis game with Johny. By 9.30 we went for dinner. We were served freshly cooked vegetables, daal, chapatti, sweet preparation, pickles and fruits. I finished my dinner fast as I wanted to view the sky through telescope.

Around 10 O’clock Mr. Tandon, Dr. Naseem again sat for discussion and Ravindra ji and Rama ji excused themselves from the discussion and went to their room. I was also exempted from sitting with them. I got myself busy in setting up the Telescope and one by one all came and peeped through the telescope. I continued watching the sky till 11.15 and then went to bed.

Next morning i.e., 18th June we all had tea together. We discussed about the place where this Resort is located. Let me describe a little about this place. From the Sat Tal lake level, it would be 150 meter higher overlooking the lake. All around you can see greenery. There were few other guest houses were there at an upper level and some are being built. This resort is also expanding by building a few more cottages. The best part of this location is it is extremely quiet, weather remains pleasant throughout the year (except in winter it gets really cold). It also offers a panoramic view of the mountains around. The accommodation is of cottage type and bathrooms are well fitted with all necessary articles. Its cleanliness is superb and you have hot water supply all the time. Myself, Ravindra ji and Ramaji went out to see other guest houses around there. Ravindra ji also carried his camera to take a few snaps. If you are a writer, meditator or a voracious reader this place is ideal for you.

We came back and after a wash sat for break-fast. The weather was little cloudy but now and then the sun was visible. We continued our discussion over break-fast mainly on the subject ‘How religious fanaticism is hurting the humanity’ Dr. Naseem was of the view that books like Koran or Hadith do not really encourage divisive forces but it is followers who interpret such scriptures to suit their need. Mr. Ravindra ji was also of the opinion that sacred books like Bhagwad Gita or Vedas do inspire people to lead a peaceful and moral life. It should be likewise in respect of other books. Mr. Tandon cited the instances of Aurangzeb’s killing of two sons of Guru Govind Singh because they refused to convert into Islam and other atrocities perpetrated by Muslim emperors. Hindus are indebted to Guru Gobind singh for his valiant fight against the muslim aggressors that put a stop to conversion. Auragzed was an ideal muslim and being respected by the Indian muslim community. For Hindus he is a hated one. There must have been some support he derived from the Koran to perpetuate his atrocities over infidels. This is what troubles me. It was not only Aurangzeb, there are many who came to invade India did the same thing. So do you mean to say all these people (knowledgeable ones) misinterpreted Koran and behaved as they liked? If you read through Indian History you will find there are galore of such instances. Even if you look at the present scenario, you see how Islam has been radicalized by the fundamentalists and they too derive their inspirations from the Koran? Unless the whole world is converted into Islam they would not be at peace. Is this a sane religion? I have my doubts.

Dr. Naseem agreed that there have been atrocities by Islam but so also done by the followers of Christ. What you see presently, the radicalization of islam, is done by a few fanatical elements of Muslims. They do not represent the whole of Islamic world. They are to be contained and isolated so that the majority muslims can live in peace.

To lighten the mood now and then we had some jokes and Mr. Tandon sang a universal song : We are God, Om, Allah, Christ, Krishna Mohammad… By the time we temporarily put a stop to our discussion it was 11.00 O’clock. Myself and Johny Bhai again played a few rounds of Table Tennis. Dr. Naseem and Ravindra ji also joined with us. So we had two games in doubles. After that we were free and we decided to go down to Sat Tal Lake after tea at four. Ravindraji, Rama ji and myself went for a walk to a near by temple. We saw some of the wild plants that grow there in plenty looked like ‘Alovera’. On scrutiny we found it was not so but they do resembled Alovera. We went back to resort and relaxed for a while before having our lunch.
Again on the lunch table Mr. Tandon initiated discussion on what Vivo-Forto could do to reach out to the 6 billion of people. The following points emerged from the discussion:

v To create an umbrella organization to bring together all the universal minded societies, organizations, famous people who favor universal thinking;

v Conducting lectures in university and college level;

v Promoting the book “Wisest being of the world”;

v Promoting all religion T-Shrits;

v Brain storming sessions of Neurologists, Psychiatrists & Neurotheologists and finding a system of universal meditation that could be practiced by all irrespective of religious, geographical divisions.

By the time our discussion ended it was 3 p.m. and we all needed little before we were to go the Sat Tal.

At 4.00 p.m. we had tea and myself, Ravindra ji, Rama ji, Dr. Naseem we slowly trekked down. Mr. Tandon also slowly followed. It was a steep down. Mr. Tandon went back to the Resort as he did not want to take any risk. We continued walking. I almost ran down to the lake side. There were many tourists who were enjoying boat rides. After some time Dr. Naseem, Ravindra ji and Ramaji also reached and we took a walk along the lake and started ascending. It was so steep that we had to rest after every few yards of walking. Any way we reached our Resort by 6.30 p.m. and we had hot coffee to ward off our fatigue. The sun was going down bringing down the curtain for another day. Of course the night sky was opening up with its millions of stars. One closes the other one opens, this is the wonderful phenomena of the nature.

I put up the Telescope once again. Today’s moon was brighter than yesterday. We could see the mountains and the dark portion of the moon through the telescope and everyone enjoyed it. Mr. Tandon and Dr. Naseem again sat for discussion and I was exempted from it. Johny played for some time with Dartboard. Around 8 O’clock an interesting phenomena was about to take place. That was the Venus was slowly going behind the moon. As it was not a full moon, but a little more than Crescent, it had a large dark area. As slowly the Venus went behind it became invisible. For people with naked eye found that the Venus has vanished suddenly without any apparent cause. But we saw through telescope how it went behind the dark area of the moon. I called all the people to watch it and they all enjoyed this rare event in the sky.


We had our dinner at 9.30 p.m. and we only discussed about next day’s program. We liked the place so much that we wanted to stay for one more day. But it was not to be as Dr. Naseem’s ticket was booked from Bareilly on 19th evening so we all had to forego the please of staying there for one more day. It was planned that we leave around 10 in the morning next day after having heavy brunch. There was also an alternative plan and that was the car could take Dr. Naseem, Ravindra ji and Rama ji to Bareilly and come back before evening and we that is myself, Mr. Tandon and Johny stay on. We leave on 20th morning and directly go the Delhi. But this plan fell through.

On 19th morning after tea I went out alone into the jungle to look for the birds that I knew are in plenty in Sat Tal area. I could spot Blue Magpie, Parakeet, Bulbul and Woodpecker. I myself enjoy being alone in the hills watching the nature. After some time Johny and the driver also came and we took a long detour through the bushes. Around 11 O’clock we had our brunch and our luggage was kept in the car and we settled all the dues and took a few snaps with the resort staff. Saying good bye to the staff and the beautiful place we started our return journey. Very soon we reached Haldwani and bought some fruits for all. The journey was comfortable till we reached the outskirt of Bareilly where one of rear tires became flat. We had to stop and got it repaired. But it took away our precious 2 hours. So we directly went to station to drop Dr. Naseem and said good bye to him and reached our host’s house at Bareilly around 6.45 p.m.

After a fresh cup of tea we refreshed ourselves and went for a walk to the nearby garden. The garden was full of mango and jackfruit trees laden with mangoes and Jackfruits. It was a site to be seen. In cities you do not come across such big orchard but it is a delighting moments for me to watch trees full of fruits. I requested for 2 kilos of mangoes of ‘Langra’ varieties and Johny took a full crate of mangoes. These fresh mangoes were really of great quality – its smell and taste are wonderful.

Ravindra ji collected the two Hindi newspapers of June 18th wherein a big coverage of our meeting was given. It was satisfying to see that Dr. Naseem’s picture with a write-up on the program was covered by the two newspapers. We kept the newspapers for our reference. On dinner table we decided to start for Delhi just after tea so that we reach Delhi by lunch time. But it did not work out that way. We could start around 9 O’clock. We reached Sri Aurobindo Ashram, New Delhi around 4.30 p.m with stopovers in two places for break-fast and lunch.

On 21st June evening, Mr. Tandon left for U.S.A.

A visit to Uttaranchal

A visit to Mukteshwar-Jageshwar-Sitlakhet-Binsar-Kausani-Ranikhet-Nainital
(May 19th to 30th, 2004)


On 19th May, 2004 evening around 9 p.m. we left home for Delhi Railway station to board the Ranikhet Express. It was a very hot evening and moreover the Railway Station was over crowded and the consequent heat was intense. There was no relief even after settling on our respective berths. We wanted to get out of Delhi as soon as possible but as if to test our patience, the train started half an hour behind schedule time. The heat continued to haunt us till the unearthly hours. However, by the time the train reached Kathgodam it was so nice that we forgot our unpleasant experience in the train. My feeling of deep affinity with the hills finally actualised into this trip.

As we came out of the Rly. Station with our rucksack, we saw a number of taxis and jeeps lined up to woo the visitors. On enquiry we found the cost was not within our budget. So we had to look for the bus stop. We waited at the bus stop for some time and boarded a bus to Bhowali from where we were told we could get some conveyance to Mukteshwar. As the bus moved ahead, the height of the mountain kept on increasing, sometimes coming down a bit and again going up while vegetation on the hills presented new panorama to the delightment of the eyes and spirit. We enjoyed every moment of this drive. At Bhowali we found plenty of fruits being sold at a very cheap price (in comparison with Delhi of course!). We bought some Khurmani and found them to be sweet. To commute to Mukteswar we were advised to take a jeep/car as the next bus would be available only around 2.30 p.m. and it was only 9.30 a.m. So we decided to hire a jeep for Mukteswar. We had to bargain for a reasonable rate prevailing in the hills as rates with the plains differ considerably. The journey to Mukteswar was like flying through the fruit orchards and inhaling the sweetness of the fragrant flowers like birds. Every corner, every turn had something to present to us. The orchards at Ramgarh and the hills at a far off distance continued to show us the divine beauty of nature. Due to smoke and fog, the most thrilling site of the snow bound Himalayan ranges were out of our sight, this was the only sore point.

We reached our Guest House at 11.45 a.m. This guest house is run by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) situated at a vantage point. Mukteshwar at a height of 2286 meter is one of the excellent locations of Kumaon Region that displays the Himalayan range with magnificent views. As we had our prior booking made through their office in Delhi, we were allotted a beautiful room overlooking the whole range. The cool breeze that blew there took away all our fatigue we were subject to during the train journey from Delhi. As if we were transported into a heavenly abode. With a cup of tea, we refreshed ourselves and placed order for lunch. In the meantime we went out to have a close look at the nature and the hills around. Next to our guest house was the PWD Guest House which had a well laid out garden with flowers blooming all around. The breeze was so refreshing that by passing of every moment we felt the touch of nature’s blessings in spite that we human beings are always trying deforesting to cater to our so called needs. I pondered over this ruthless cutting of trees for economic gains. A parallel could be drawn from the story of Kalidas before he became the Great Sanskrit Poet of India. One day he was sitting on a branch of a tree and cutting the same. It is the same situation with human beings now. The plants and trees are maintaining the ecological balance, a life line for all living beings and we are deliberately destroying them! However, we did not fail to enjoy watching a variety of birds flying here and there, the bright sun and it was a perfect day to enjoy.

After enjoying the sun for sometime, we came back to our guest house. We all had a quick bath and went down for lunch to the dinning hall. On completion of lunch we had an afternoon siesta and again went out for site seeing. Mukteshwar could hardly satisfy our hunger for seeing the Himalayan peaks as the visibility was very poor due to mist and smoke (we were told that the local people burn the fallen leaves for farming and that causes smoke). Mukteshwar had a unique feature overlooking deep ravine on one side and the beautiful town of Almora on the other. We also visited a desolate temple nearby and we could hear distinctly the rustlings of leaves as if the tall trees were whispering to us the secrets of nature. The night was very cool and the breeze turned stormy as the night progressed. After dinner I strolled for half an hour with a guest who came from Mumbai but I also found one poisonous scorpion trying to get into the guest house. It was just thrown out by one of the guest house staff.

Next day morning after a cup of tea and biscuits we trekked down the hill to Sitla. Sitla had abundance of fruit trees like Khurmani, Plum, Naspati etc. we also saw the famous red flower of the hill by name Rhododendron. We were told that during March-April this flower floods the hill side and it looks like the mountains are on fire. we could feel the silence of the nature which was often broken by the chirruping of the birds.

After our breakfast we had to repack our rucksack for the next journey to Jageshwar at a height of 1870 Meter. We thought of trek to Sitla bus stand to short cut our journey but it added to our woes and suffering. We three started after saying good bye to the staff of the guest house and enjoyed our trek for an hour. But as the sun slowly heated up the road going got tough. However we managed to reach the bus stand but we missed the bus by a whisker. We had to wait for a lift at least up to Almora. Finally we got a Maruti Van and the fare charged was a reasonable one and we reached Almora around 2 p.m. We thanked our good friend for dropping us at a convenient point. Our daughter was already hungry and we were told that a particular sweet shop is famous for its sweets. My wife took some time off to buy some sweets. But in the meantime a jeep bound for Panuwa Naula enroute Jageshwar left and we had to wait for the next one. The next one did come and by the time we got into this jeep the clouds started gathering in the sky unnoticed. It was about 2.30 p.m. our jeep started. It move at a very high speed but picked up people on the way. I felt the driver was driving very rashly and that too the jeep was over crowed and I advised him to drive with moderation considering the extra wait it was carrying. But the driver would not listen. However, my apprehensions came true when our jeep collided with another jeep coming down the hills. After a long debate on who was on the wrong side and who should compensate whom the urgument dragged on with generous contribution from the passengers, the jeep started again. By this time the sky was overcast with black clouds and very soon it started raining. The rain took a dangerous turn with iceballs falling with tremendous force. The thunderous sounds following the lightnings across the sky made us feel as if the earth will be deluged (the mythological concept of deluge before the new creation) and our small jeep would be teared to pieces. We were out in the open inside a small jeep for an hour! To compound our problem a tall tree fell on the road closing the it completely. It became so dark that we could not see anything. Slowly the vail of clouds moved away but rain continued with strong wind sweeping across. After an hour the rain turned into a mere drizzle and we had no other way than to vacate the jeep as the driver refused to go any further. We got down with our Rucksack and walked across the stretch to the other side where the tree fell. We requested some people who were coming from Panuwa Naula to give a lift but they would prefer to wait till the blockade is removed than help people to commute to a convenient point. We again hired a jeep and we had to bargain very hard to bring down the charge to Rs. 250/- for 6 k.m. only! We had to hire this jeep as we were very hungry and it suddenly became very cold we wanted to reach our guest house as soon as possible.

Reaching the guest house was like entering our home, as the drizzle continued and we were wet, a cup of tea with snacks was a refreshing one. My wife got busy with the wet clothes that were to be dried. There was no electricity at that time and it did not come back till the next day. We had to manage with candles as the solar lamp the guest house provided us with did not work. By 8 p.m. we had our dinner at the dinning hall. The food was good as well as the soup. It was a candle light dinner at Jageshwar. Jageshwar is at a height of 1870 meter and is famous for 12th Century A.D. 120 Temples. It is 34 km from Almora. As we were very tired we went to bed very early,

Next morning we paid a visit to the Mahakaleshwar Temple. There is a beautiful rivulet behind the temple which comes to life whenever there is rain. The vegetation was thick and green. We took few snaps of the temple and the nature around it. We also visited a museum displaying idols of 10th to 12th Century stone work. After coming back to guest house we had our breakfast and also placed order for lunch. In the meantime we repacked our luggage and I had to look for a jeep or car which would ferry us across to our next destination ‘Sitlakhet’ I found one Jeep was ready to take us to ‘Sitlakhet’ and it was agreed at Rs. 750/- so the deal was finalized. After some time the guest house boy came to our room and told me that some one was waiting at the reception to meet me. I was wondering who could that be. I hurried to the reception and found the driver who a few minutes back agreed to take us to ‘Sitlakhet’ was there. He told me that he was cancelling the deal without giving any explanation. Howsoever it may sound unpleasant for me this time, I had to swallow. We decided not to look for a car or jeep again instead we will trek some distance to catch a bus. As we were busy preparing ourselves for the next journey, our daughter slipped out of the guest house to play outside. After some time she came running, ‘Father, there is one fellow who had a car and was willing to take us to Sitlakhet”. I went out with her and spoke to the fellow who was ready to take us at a lower cost, Rs.650/-. So I told him to park his car at the guest house and the time given was 1 p.m. The weather was so nice here, cool, breezy and quiet. We were the only family occupying the guest house then. Before evening we went round the Sitlakhet and saw the Scouts and Guides Training Centre and a post & Telegraph office and a few shops and houses. It was a very quiet place which I like very much. The mountain fruit trees were everywhere with fruits hanging around. As the evening came clouds started gathering in the horizon and soon it started raining. We all enjoyed the rain more so because at that time Delhi’s temperature was hovering around 44 degree Celsius, we thought. Around 10.30 p.m. the rain stopped and we could see the lightings of the Almora City as if it has been garlanded with twinkling starts . Next morning we had a plan to go to the Shyahi Devi temple and also to pay a visit to Discovery training centre up in the hill. But early in the morning it again started raining and it stopped only around 9 a.m. So we postponed our programme to 3 p.m. That too had to be cancelled as our daughter continued to sleep and we did not want to wake her up. At 4.30 p.m. we had our tea and snacks and we went out along the jungle path. On the way we met a group of 16 volunteers of Scouts and Guides heading towards the Temple. They offered us to take along with them to the Temple if we were ready. We asked our daughter whether she could take such a long uphill walk, she readily agreed. So we stared for the Temple. The trekking was unforgettable not only it was presenting excellent views at every height, the volunteers made it so interesting that we became a part of the team. The soothing coolness of the mountain was entering into our every cell and the self was getting dissolved into the natures bounty. The nature around us was silently vibrant with life, the tall trees, the creepers, the sky, the clouds and the chirruping birds all in harmony presented the cosmic beauty of God.

The trekking was stiff and ascending was becoming increasingly difficult. What could come on the way to stop our progress when we were determined to reach the top. To add to our discomfiture, a ferocious looking dog started following us on the way. We were scared but we were told that the dog was a very nice one. It was going with us with a hope just to get something to eat. After quite a stiff trekking we finally reached the Temple. We had darshan and puja of the Shyahi Devi and the volunteers sang a few Bhajans and danced. I remembered to have read in the life of Swami Vivekananda by Eastern and Western Disciples that he visited this Shyahi Devi temple on Wenesday, May 25,1898 and he stayed there for three days incognito as he wanted to be in the silence of the forest. Imagine this place before 106 years what could have been the thickness of vegitation and silence prevailing at that time. We felt honoured to have come to this place which was once trodden by the Great Swami Vivekananda. I was going round the temple and looking at the surrounding hills. There were so many bells hanging from the temple pillars perhaps to fulfil the desires of the devotees. Does it really happen? I do not know.

Temple visit being over, we all assembled to have a hot cup of tea with biscuit which Krishnaji distributed. The most spectacular thing came from the unexpected quarter. The dog which followed us now started requesting for biscuits by pulling the cloth of the distributor. It was a wonderful sight to see how even an animal develops certain habit seeing human actions. After Tea, we all started descending fast. It was getting dark. We were told that some times leopards are seen in this jungle. So we all started trekking down in two groups. The moon was out in the sky like a sickle spreading softly its light. By the time we came down to Sitlakhet it was 8 in the evening. The volunteers asked us to visit their training centre which we promised to do next day in the morning. We were thinking how good it would be to introduce this Scouts and Guides programme in every school in India the warmth of which we just now experienced. This will definitely develop into creating social harmony and friendship among the youth of our country irrespective of language one speaks.

Next day morning (May 23, 2004) we had our tea and went out for a walk. Of course our aim was to visit the Training Centre of Scouts and Guides and meet the volunteers personally. As soon as we entered their Centre they all welcomed us with open heart. We went round the Centre and found it was quite big but the infrastructure was very poor. We met personally everyone and asked about their daily schedule. The schedule is quite a busy one. We invited them to pay a visit to our home in Delhi and share their experience as a volunteer. It was their breakfast time and naturally we were offered simple breakfast and tea. This again made us very sad seeing the quality of breakfast. It was not enough, nor nutritious for youngsters. We felt people should voluntarily donate for such good cause and help raise the quality of training. With a heavy heart we had to take leave of them as we were to go back to the guest house and get ready for the next destination ‘Binsar’ and they too had their scheduled programme to follow.

With the help of the Guest house care taker we found a Maruti car with a driver to drive us upto Binsar KMVN Guest house. We had once more breakfast at the Guest House as we had already ordered for it before going to the Scouts and Guides Centre. I did some editing work on “Wise being of the East & West” which I brought with myself for doing whenever I would get time. We planned an early lunch and move out of Sitlakhet around 1 p.m. Accordingly , we got ready by 12 noon and had our lunch. My mind became heavy with the thought of leaving this place, an isolated spot of serenity which we all enjoyed for two days. After clearing our dues with the Guest House we started for Binsar. Binsar is situated at a height of 2412 meter. We had go via Almora once again and the drive through the reserve forest of Binsar presented a rich variety in bio-diversity with thick forest cover. We reached there around 3.30 p.m. and went to the reception. We were allotted a super deluxe room. Once having settled, we went to the refreshment room to have a cup of tea and sandwich. But we found the services provided by the staff were very slow. However in the meantime, a number of family came there to have snacks and tea/coffee. There was a family from kolkata Mr. Samanta, his wife a son and two daughters. We became very friendly over a cup of tea. Our daughter Shivani found two good friends, my wife became a friend of Mr. Samanta’s wife and myself enjoyed the company of Mr. Samanta and his son who just appeared for the 10th examination conducted by West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. For a while we went out to have a look at the forest around. Here again our daughter found another healthy doggie to play with, wherever she would go the doggie would follow. She enjoyed the company of the dog immensely. After a little while we came back and found Mr. Samanta and his family was going to the Sun set point and we also joined the group. Let me tell you here Mr. Samanta and his son, Partha, both are good amateur photographer and it was also delighting to see how intensely these two photographers were observing their objects of photography. After about half an hour walk uphill we reached the Sun set point. There we found a PWD Guest house and as far as sight could go there were thick forests and a few isolated houses here and there. A number of photographs were taken at this place and I am displaying here two of them.

As soon as the sun set, the darkness started enveloping the whole area. We had a torch and moreover the crescent moon was out in the sky. When we came back to the guest house it was getting cold outside. We had to put on sweater or had to carry warm wrapper. In the moonlit night we walked about half a kilometer down the road. It was dead silence all around, only the rustling of the leaves, and howling of foxes could be heard. The cool breeze became colder. We were told by the guest house people that Leopard could be seen in the night. So we walked back to the guest house.

At the dinner time, the dining hall was almost full. It was warm inside. We finished our dinner early and we went to the roof top of the Deluxe rooms from where a vast stretch of area could be seen. In the night the starts were looking so big and so near. Generally in Delhi we see only a few dull starts due to pollution in the city. But at Binsar inside the sanctuary there was no electricity, enhancing the beauty of nature manifold. It was so cold that we could stay outside for long. Promising to meet next day early morning, we took leave of Mr. Samanta and his family. The room was so warm and inviting that very soon we were asleep. At 4.45 a.m. in the morning we were up and there comes a knock on the door. Mr. Samanta is ready with his camera. Our daughter continued to sleep but I went out with Mr. Samanta. The whole of Himalayan range could be seen not very clearly but gradually it became clear. The sun rose, all the picks were visible only for few minutes. From nowhere the clouds came rushing bringing down the visibility to zero.

After breakfast we trekked through the forest reaching the base of the famous tower with a guide. The guide told us that the tower was not very strong and we were advised not to climb the top most floor keeping in view the safety factor. I was the first person in the group to take the risk followed by Krishna and another elderly couple.

The view from the top was breathtaking. The green stretch extended as long as I could see. Of course at the end the 300 km. stretch of the Himalayan view unfortunately hidden by the clouds and mist. On the way back I took a number of short cuts through the untrodden path and it was quite a thrilling adventure. Our daughter kept on telling me to avoid such ventures. Around 9 a.m. we were back to the Guest House and had a sumptuous break fast. Then it was time to wind up our stay at this beautiful jungle retreat and head for Kausani via Almora. Mr. Samanta offered us to take upto Almora as he had already hired a jeep. We gladly accepted his offer. So the journey back to Almora started around 10.15 a.m. My mind became heavy while leaving the place and my daughter felt sorry of her wonderful companion, ‘Sheru’ Again Almora city. We looked for the bus stand and were told there was a bus started around 12 noon for Kausani. We had some time in hand and we bought some sweets for the journey. When the bus came we could barely manage our seats amidst a number of passengers. The river Koshi ran along the route and the changing landscape kept our mind refreshed.. Around 3 O’clock we alighted from the bus at Kausani at a height of 2000 meters and at distance of 53 km. from Almora. On enquiry about the KMVN Guest house, we were told that it was up the hill about 2 km away from the bus stop and we needed to hire an auto or taxi to commute this distance. The charge was Rs. 50. We thought of trekking the distance. However, a taxi was found at Rs. 30/- after we covered a little distance. We gave in to the demand of my wife and daughter. The sun was bright then but gradually clouds started gathering by the time we got our cottage and settled. After washing we took lunch cum tiffin as it was late in the afternoon and retired to bed for rest.

I took up my papers for editing work as I could not get sleep immediately. After a while it started raining. The weather changed dramatically. I did not know when my eyes got closed and soon fell into a snoose. Suddenly I woke up and saw in front the clear range of the Himalayas all its grandeurs. It was a wonderful sight so clear so near as if I could catch it with my own hands. I called Krishna and Shivani to participate in this visual treat so wonderful and so elevating. We kept on gazing at the icy picks of the Himalayas while the cold wind kept on beating chilling even the bones inside. Once again we ordered for a cup of tea and with the warm touch tried to keep the body steady. We went out for a walk. The uncared for flowers blooming everywhere looked so refreshing that gave a real worth of our coming to the hills. Soon the darkness fell and the mountain range slowly disappeared from view. But the mind refused to come back from the distant horizon flying in the breeze absorbing every bit of natures bounty. I had to rein in my mind and had to look for physical needs for the night. After a light dinner we withdrew into our cottage under blankets.

Next morning, after breakfast we trekked to Anasakti Ashram also known as Gandhi Ashram where Gandhiji in 1929 stayed for 14 days completing his “Anasakti Yoga”. The panoramic view of snow covered peaks of Nilkanth, Trisul, Panchaculi, Nanda Devi, Chaukhambha, Nandagunti from this vantage point was really a rare gift of nature which we had the opportunity to view and enjoy. On the way back we discovered a restaurant serving Bengali dishes. Naturally we decided to have our lunch there before leaving for Ranikhet. The return trek was as beautiful as the morning one except that we felt little warm as the sun was very bright and we had to take off our sweaters.

After a bath and packing our luggage and clearing our dues with the Guest house, we were again ready for the road. We got a ride to the restaurant we decided to have our food at. We enjoyed the dishes but the cleanliness was lacking thus I could not really relish the food. After waiting for a while at the bus stop, a crowded bus appeared and we had to squeeze in as there was no other bus following for the rest of the day, we were told.

The mind became heavy as we were leaving Kausani but we had to think of the next destination Ranikhet. Ranikhet situated at a height of 1829 meter above sea level and at a distance of 49 km from Almora. The market place of Ranikhet is not quite clean but the area administered by the army is very well maintained and clean. Our guest house was situated on the Mall road amidst vegetation and we had the opportunity of watching a number of unknown birds and listen to the whistling creating a symphony of the nature. Some of the isolated houses located here and there in the woods where nature and human meet in solitude to communicate with each other having a grand view of the Himalayas had a special attraction for us. We walked a long way into the woods and enjoyed the serenity that prevailed there except chirruping of the birds which added to the natures splendor. The two days that we stayed passed off very quietly and saying good bye to the Guest house manager we headed for Nainital, the last destination of our summer tour of 2004.

Nanital, the most busy hill station of Kumaon region situated at a height of 1938 meters above sea level. Our guest house was at Sukhatal so passing through the busy thoroughfare we finally reached our guest house. We found this guest house to be the most well maintained among all the Kumanon Guest houses we stayed earlier. After we had some refreshment we walked upto Bara Patthar to visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram’s Himalayan Centre. It was a long walk upto the top of Van Niwas. We were welcome by the in-charge Mr. Nolin Dholokia and the chief organizer of youth camps, Mr. Nirankar Agarwal. We went round the Ashram building and especially the flowers grown by Nolinji were the most attractive thing of the Ashram. Before it got dark we bade them goodbye and got back to our guest house.

The next day was the last day of our tour. After breakfast we walked upto the Naini Lake and had a beautiful boat ride and took a number of snaps. The hills surrounding the lake were enchanting and we kept on enjoying the natures bounty while the boat moved on. I was thinking how indebted we are to nature and without it we cannot exist. Still how ungrateful the man is he wants to rule over the nature and exploits its wealthy deposits kept secretly in the deep recesses of the earth. My thought was cut short by my daughter’s call to see a group of small fishes swarming in the lake. Nainital is called a dreamland town, the soft cool breeze, the shade of the tall trees, the songs of the birds welcomes you. Boating over, our next aim was to board the Ropeway trolley. The counter was open but advance tickets had to be bought as it was fully booked till 2.00 p.m. So opted for the 2.30 slot and decided to go back to guest house for bath and lunch. The way up to the lodge was a long walk so it was planned to hire a taxi upto our guest house. The driver also offered us to show some of the surrounding spots after lunch and we gave in to his request. We told him to bring his taxi around 3.30 at the base of the road leading to the ropeway where we can board his taxi there and come back to the guest house to pick up our luggage and head for Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and finally Kathgodam Station. He agreed at a cost of Rs. 600/-

After completing our bath and lunch we cleared our account with the Guest house and kept our luggage in the cloak room to be picked up by us around 3.45 p.m. We once again walked down the road to a book exhibition near the lake which was opened at that time. Our daughter who is very fond of books had a good time at the exhibition. It was time for us to head for the ropeway. First we registered our tickets and waited for a call. The rope way to the snow view mountain was an exhilarating one overlooking the Naini lake and Mall and the surrounding hills presented a unique view to remember. I also marveled at the progress of technology, a place which used to be very quiet and isolated is now full of activities and accessible throughout the year.

As planned earlier the taxi was ready. We took it to our guest house and collected our luggage and thanked the Guest house staff and took leave. Our next destination was Bhimtal. Here also we found a big lake Bhimtal around 23 km from Nainital and at a height of 1218 meter is famous for its lake where one can swim or take to boating. But the grandeur of the Naini lake was missing here. We were told that this lake’s water is being supplied to many a homes and to farming lands. Thus the level of water is receeding continuously otherwise in rainy season it looks full and presents a beautiful view.

Our next destination was Naukuchiya Tal which was about 3 km away from Bhimtal. This lake is the biggest and looked deepest among the three Tals. We hired a self peddaling boat but Krishna was unwilling to go with us as the approching evening and that too in an unknown place she did not want to take any risk. However she agreed on our request. We enjoyed the boating but it was quite exhausting. Unfortunately at that time the sun already set so we could see the blooming lotus that are grown in a smaller lake next to this lake. On our way we saw the a big variety of Dhutura flower some of which we collected from the roadside plants. The road from Naukuchiya tal to Kathgodam was a continous descend and we enjoyed the ride. Reaching the Rly. station we thanked the driver and paid his dues.

The Railway station was crowded, hot and humid. It was as if a fall from the heaven. Everything around looked ugly, dirty and crooked. For refreshment we went to the Railway Refreshment room but only dinner was available nothing else. However we all had some Khurmani which we bought from Bhowali Market and shared a dinner. When the train came we had to literally drag ourselves to the compartment and identify our births. In the train we met a group of boys from Maharashtra who went to Pindari Glaceier for trekking and we heard from them that the snow fall was so intense that they could not reach the Glacier at all. They had to retreat midway. However they had a good time enjoying the snow.

Very soon we were asleep. We did not know when the train stopped at Delhi station. When we woke up we found the compartment empty. Everyone was gone except ourselves. We hurriedly alighted. It was still dark. We got a taxi and reached home safely carrying with us the priceless memory of the heavens above where we plan to go again.