From The Dementors Of Delhi To The Cocoon Of The Mountains – I Happily Left My Soul Behind

Summers, an unbearable work load and a lot of stress! At such times, one can only dream of going to the hills just like the writer did! A trip to the hills does cure it all!

Summer season in Delhi has the potential to suck out every ounce of energy from your body. Added to that if your boss is like a Dementor, you are done with happiness also.

The same happened to me last year in May when I was working at the capital, deprived of energy and happiness. Due to the tremendous work load, it had been months since I went on any vacation. So, one fine morning when I felt choked with stress and frustration, my friend and I, made an unplanned trip to Mussoorie.

We stopped at the Mall – a colourful and busy market in Dehradun. Here one can buy everything from clothes to footwear to jewellery to gifts and souvenirs. Controlling the urge to shop, we simply grabbed McD burgers and headed towards our destination. We wanted to reach there as early as possible. After driving for a few hours, we reached the point from where we could see the charming little hill station located at an altitude of 1880 m in the Garhwal hills.

It took us around 2 hours to reach our hotel, which was located on mall road. When it comes to hotels in Mussoorie, one can pick from an extensive variety of extravagance, mid-range and budget range to suit their necessity.

To keep pace with the developing interest, a few lodgings and visitor houses have sprung up along the mountain slopes to take into account a scope of tastes and inclinations. The hotel that we chose was at the entrance of the mall road, and our room had hill side view.

The room with a view

From our room’s balcony, we got the opportunity to experience the bird’s eye view of the valley below and it was breathtaking. After sleeping off the tiredness, we headed towards mall road.

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The entire stretch was covered with small shops and like Doon almost everything was available. I bought few funky tee-shirts that were very much in fashion and grabbed some local jewellery.

There are many places to visit in Mussoorie; the Kempty Falls, showing off its somersault of the streams before hitting the bottom and Gun Hill, providing an opportunity to experience the picturesque view of the Himalaya.

Then there’s the Camel Back Road, a nature walk that would surely boost calmness and inner peace. There is also Lal Tibba, the highest peak’s topmost point and most famous place in Mussoorie. And for those who want a little more, they can eat at some of the precious little cafes and head to the outskirts with a picnic basket.

Why I went to Dhanaulti

However if one wants to experience the real calm of the mystic mountains, I would suggest a one hour drive, amidst the mountains and reach Dhanaulti. The hill station is situated at an altitude of 2286m, and is known for its quiet environs in the alpine forests of Deodar, Rhododendron and Oak.

Unlike Delhi, the air had chill and comes with stunning panoramic view of the surrounding Himalayas. Standing at the end point of the Hill, one can experience the untouched pure serenity of the beautiful mountain. Each and every layer of the hill from ground to the top is poetically pristine.

And there I left my soul…

Dhanaulti’s Eco park is a brilliant place to experience the virtue of stillness. And if one pays attention, one could hear the whispers of the cool breeze that dances with happiness. There are a few tea and Maggie stalls, so one can ward off all the stress and sip tea in the calm, just like the good old days.

While sitting at the top of the park which is built at the hill, I noticed the entire landscape was filled with welcoming warmth from the nature itself. Once submerged in the natural beauty one does lose track of time. After watching the sunset, as the rays crowned the mountains, we headed back to Mussoorie. On our way back, I realised I had left something amidst the Cocoon of Mountains: it was my soul.

Once back at Mussoorie, it was no longer the same with crowds of people moving in groups, clicking photos, eating noisily and bargaining at the top of their voice. Longing for the calmness, I spent rest of the evening in my hotel’s balcony, looking down at the Doon valley and wondering if only if, I can run away and go back where my soul was sleeping peacefully in nature’s lap.

And I headed back to reality

The next morning while heading back to Delhi, I felt like a child desperately longing more of the calm, purity and nature’s beauty. But, it was not possible, over the weekend my boss had already left 13 urgent messages, 6 voice calls and 4 angry emails.

While driving away from the mountain, I switched on the music, on my headphones and slept my way back. I woke up only when my lungs felt a jolt of polluted air. And I knew we were entering Delhi now.

Picture Credits: Pexels

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