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.