Targol dam : Jungle trek with serene lake

Targol dam: Jungle trek with serene lake

Hello all,             

                           

          And one such Sunday morning was spent with family at Targol, in the lap of mother nature.  There is a peaceful lake with jungle on either side. The jungle trail is not marked but quite easy to follow. There is a small waterfall also but the water was not there as we had visited before the monsoon. But the beauty of this place must be enchanting in the monsoon. 

                              

                              

         Drive to the Targol Dam is also captivating. narrow roads with small hills of rocks on either side with greenery all around. 

                          

      As soon as you climb the stairs to the lake you will be welcomed with the chirping of birds and the screeching of bats. The gentle wind caressing your cheeks and soothing water calming your mind. One can easily forget all worries and all pending workloads.

                         

Jungle 

I went to a jungle 

And thought 

Nature here is unscathed

Came little monkey 

With his mother 

He was looking curiously at me

Was he angry at me 

Or scared of me??

I was confused... 

but then I perceived 

pity in those eyes... 

Shhh!!! 

I hear the rustling of leaves 

Were they whispering about me

Or giggling at me? 

I was lost...

But then I sensed  

despair in those sounds...

Then I saw the rippling of water

In a big silent lake

One small pebble by me 

And water spread out...

I heard 

‘Please spare us 

From your vibes 

They are impairing’

Finally...

I felt the gentle wind

I thought of her as a friend 

She will understand 

She has to...

But oh! I was wrong!

She murmured 

‘We nurtured you...

Gave you what you wanted’

But with regret 

She poignantly declared...

We are unhurt

Untouched 

Unharmed 

And here you are...

Spoiled.

Spoiled with every possible thing.

Corrupted with your emotions 

Putrefied from your mind 

Decayed in your heart

Please leave us as we are 

Happy in ourselves 

Spare us In this harmony

In this peace 

I fought 

I plead

I bagged 

We all are not the same 

We might look 

But this is not a game 

Still, I am feeling shame 

Some are insane 

But some are still  

Going to tame...

Themselves 

And 

YOU 

and I want to be 

One of them. 

I need to be 

One of them. 

               - Kaajal

So, this was a short visit with family. Hope you are also enjoying your weekends in your way.

Dharamshala : How to avoid crowd?

Dharamshala : 3 days guide with alternate locations to avoid the crowd

Hi,

     Recently I read this: 

    “Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their life” 

- Thomas Berry (The Dream of the Earth)

     And then I told Sheel that finally, we are doing one thing that is right. No seriously, from all sorts of balanced diets to no junk food to regular habits to proper disciplined behaviour, our kids are easy-going, fun-loving, junk food lovers and homework phobics. Sometimes they shout back and sometimes they listen carefully. Sometimes they cry for the wrong reason and sometimes they surprise us with deep understanding. Every time I hear other moms or I read some posts I was like ‘Oh God! Please give me some sense of parenting.’ But here it is, at least we are directing them distinctively in a concept that makes sense. 

        Sorry, I am going on and on about parenting style while the blog is about the Dharamshala trip. Now some of you might just close the browser and will curse me in your minds but trust me Dharmashala and McLeodganj are so crowded on weekends that there is no room for an apple to fall. So if you are going to find some solemn in mountains you will be needing some peaceful places. And these two towns don’t disappoint us in providing plenty of them. We love the crowd of the buzzing markets and we love the isolation of the quiet mountain. So if you are anyone like us, pack your bags and board on! 

         To complete the checklist, you must visit Dharamshala stadium, War memorial, and Dalai Lama temple.  But you can definitely opt for a few other locations which include: 

                     

                      

- Naddi Sunset point - You can totally avoid that and go for Kharota and Bangotu points in Dharamshala 

                         

                                          View from Kharota point 

                          

- Bhagsu Nag waterfall - It’s is the most famous one and the most crowded so if u want to avoid that go to the waterfalls near Aghanjar Mahadev temple in Dharamshala. You have to climb down a few stairs and you will reach the beautiful falls and quiet and serene location. You won’t be having a crowd to disturb you in your serenity. 

                          

                             this is an overcrowded Bhagsu waterfall

                     

                         this is a waterfall at Aghanjar Mahadev

                           

                  

- Other two off-beat waterfalls are Gallu waterfall after a trek of appx 2-2.5 km in the jungle and Naguni waterfall which also has a 2 km trek. But please check with locals before. 

- Don’t miss Masroor Rock-cut Temples. This place is 41 km from Dharamshala and takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes but is worth visiting.  The rock carvings are amazing with a marvelous view of the Dhauladhar range opposite the temples. Due to COVID, they are not accepting cash payments as entry fees. You just have to scan a QR code and pay via online payment methods. 

                                                        

                     

                     

                     

- And if you adventure enthusiasts go for treks and these two towns have plenty of them. ( we have already mentioned them in the blog of Triund) 

        This was our three days itinerary. 

First day- Masroor Rock temple 

                 War memorial 

                 Ajangya Mahadev temple 

                 Sunset at Kharota 

The second day- started early - Trek to Triund with an overnight stay

The third day-   Climbed down from Triund 

                      Bhagsunag waterfall 

                      Dharmashala stadium 

                       Dharmashala skywalk (ropeway from Dharamshala to McLeodganj) 

                       Dalai Lama temple 

                       Mcleodgunj main market 

                      

                                          

Places to eat: 

- Maggi at the famous shiva cafe at Bhagsunag 

- Don’t forget to have coffee at Magic view cafe on the way to Triund 

- Don’t miss Tibetan thali at Tibet Kitchen

                               

                      

              The days passed just like flash but their memories are still lingering in our minds and dreams like sweet melodies. 

Lots of love

SaSha.

Uttarvahini Narmada Parikrama: Back to the Roots

Uttarvahini Narmada Parikrama: Back to the Roots

                     

Hi, 

        So this is the first time in a year that I am writing the blog immediately after coming from the excursion or trip or trek, whatever you say. Normally I do write next week or sometime after months also. but what motivated me to write immediately after coming from this one? 

                      

                     

          The fact that kids are surprising us after each and every trail. Or the fact that why we have not heard about this one in all these years? Or the dedication and faith of the people living in the vicinity of the river. The way they are committing their time and energy for people like us is commendable. They're not doing it as a sense of duty. It is their selfless act of kindness... Will talk about it later in the blog.

   

                        

          First, let me start with a brief introduction to parikrama. As we all know Narmada river starts from Amarkantak and ends at Bharuch and Narmada parikrama means circumambulating the river. You can start at any point and then you need to come to that point again. The total journey is around 3500 km. Yes, you read it right. It is just close to the famous Appalachian trail in USA (3540 km). 

                     

           Many of us won't be able to do the whole Narmada Parikarma and this Uttarvahini Parikrama is the best option for us. Whenever any river goes from south to north direction, it is very auspicious. And this Uttarvahini Narmada Parikrama is as propitious as the main Narmada Parikarma and it's done in the month of Chaitra as per the Hindu calendar. 

                             

           Narmada runs from south to north direction from village Rampura near Garudeshwar to Tilakwada (near Men- Narmada river Sangam). So this is the path of Uttaravahini Narmada parikarama. You can start from Rampura or you can start from Tilakwada also. 

        

                       

          We left for Tilakwada at around 5 am and started our parikrama by 6:30. But we were late as we met many people coming from the Rampura side at that time so they have already finished half of their journey by then. So our advice is to start early at around 4:00 am so you can avoid heat. 

                    

           In Tialkwada the parikrama starts at Maninageshwar Mahadev temple. The path is very well marked. From concrete roads to farms and fields, from Narmada on your right side to Banana plantations on either side and beautiful temples, this path has all of these!

           

                          

                          

           And what can I say about the hospitality of nearby villagers? At specific intervals, you will get water, chhas, sharbat, and snacks. Their altruistic behaviors toward 'parikramavasi' are mind-blowing. We truly cherished the value of our beliefs and our roots. This is our true India, where people believe in the beliefs of people, irrespective of their names, their religion, or their status. On many stalls they have mentioned ' please don't offend us by giving us money.  We were speechless! 

                      

                     

                             

          From Tilakwada you have to go  Rengan village and from here you can take a boat service which charges 20 Rs per person. On this way, there were many kids from nearby villages. Please keep a few handy treats for them. No! they do not expect that. It is totally your choice. 

                       

            From Rengan boat will take you to Rampura. Most people start their journey from this side. One free medical camp is also there at this site. 

                            

             Now you have to go from Rampura to Guvar. At this site, the journey is mainly through a concrete road as compared to the opposite side. Once you reach Gopaleshwar, you have to take a right turn and you will be walking by the riverside from now onwards. 

                       

                             

           At this end also they have good boat service with the same charges. But on the opposite end, the sand is very sticky and with a slit so be careful at this end. After this, you can clean your feet at beautiful Narmada Men sanagm where you can literally feel the urgency in Men river water to meet Maa Reva. The way the small stream of Men is gushing into mighty Narmada is a sight to behold. Take a dip here and you will feel blessed. Our kids were at this place for more than 45 minutes. It's like all our weariness was disappeared in those minutes. From this Sangam you need to climb a steep stairs and reach Vasudev Kutir and from there via Tilakwada village you will reach Maninagenswar temple. 

                      

         So shout out to all people, please spread the word about this and embark upon this journey, if not spiritual then just as an experience. We bet you won't be disappointed and by the end of your journey you will definitely shout - "Narmada Har". That's the power of our river.  Definitely, you will be in a state of lassitude but still, there will be immense positivity in you. 

Narmade Har

SaSha

                    

Points to consider:

1) This is a very well-marked trail and you will meet thousands of parikramavasi like you, so there is no concern about safety.

2) Government has also kept toilets at many places.

3) You can take your water but there are stalls at regular intervals.

4) Please don't litter. Keep our rivers clean. 

5) One of the ideas to write this blog today only is that, this is just the second day of Chaitra month so you still have 4 Sundays with you. 

6) It is mentioned at places that the total path is 20 km but it is not more than 15 km. 

7) In one of the images there is a contact number, you can ask on it also.