Trip to Tarskeshwar Mahadev:
Almost a month and a more, and our restless inside was dying to undertake a new trip. Sir (himanshu sir) don’t we get bore of this materialist jungle soon!
This time we don’t have too many days at our disposal. As only Sunday being off we can only extent the leave to Monday. So considering our constraints we decided to take a small and a refreshing trip. After a lot of discussion we agreed for Tarkeshwar Mahadev.
Meanwhile, my friend gaurav also approached me to for a trip. I discussed the plan with him and asked sir whether they can join in or not. Sir agreed and gaurav and harish too agreed ( though gaurav and I had to work hard to convience harish. Sentences like “hum bhi to ja rahe he na”, “tu jaha se kehga wapas aa jayenge”, “kya yaar hum bhi toh chutti le rahe tu nahi le sakta kya” ).
Finally all things were set for evening at 7p.m. at I.S.B.T. things were funny since mornings this day. I reached sir’s home in the morning as we had plan to go to office on bike so that we can came back to sir’s home quickly from office in the evening. Sir and I was dressed ditto, same woodland green shirt, same levis blue jeans and same pair of addidas shoes. So sir finally changed his shirt to avoid consequence of being dressed same in the office.
Well the time to gather at kashmiri gate was 7:15p.m. But harish, gaurav and me reaching on time is never possible either of us would be late and as usually this time too I was late. We left sir’s home at 7:15p.m. and reached I.S.B.T at round 8 p.m.
As soon as we reached their and gaurav approached me to shake hand and I handed him the shoes in hand (le pakad and jo karna he kar). Then I introduced sir, harish and gaurav (nickey) to each other. Hardly! They all took the time to gel with each other and seeing this I was relaxed, as my biggest worry regarding the comfort level with each other is over.
At around 9 pm. we left the I.S.B.T. and by that time nickey was in its full colors (shuru ho gayi sale ki harkate). At time harish has to hold him tight to shut his mouth but nickey toh nickey hi he. Anyways, the time passes by and around 10pm. we all started feeling hungry. Nickey soon took aloo ki puri and achar which was awesome. Having that we all relaxed in our seats. To a surprise harish this time clicked a photo using flash at around 11 in the night. And a man from back shouted “bhai meri photo kyu li” and sir replied “aapne ghar me lagane k liye”. Grt…
At around 12:45 a.m. bus stopped at a dhaba 20kms away from Khatauli. We all were full so just took some grams( which was not good). By 3:30 in the morning we reached kotdwar from where we soon took another bus for Tarkeshwar after having some tea. All the way from here on I was sleeping on the shoulder of nickey. At around 6 a.m. we get down at Adhariakhal few kms away from the temple as sir want to enjoy the nature by walking the closing distance.
Just getting down the bus we all put back our jackets due to chillness. It was a great decision by sir as listening to the chirping of the birds early morning that too standing in the middle of the nature is the experience of its own. We tried locating the birds listening to their noise but failed to do so. Moving on sir and I was surprised by the quantity of Burash(rhodendoren) around us. We picked few flower and sucked the juice and ate their leaves. Doing so, this harish was bit hesitant.
In some time, sun grew brighter and our jacket went back in our bag. Walking made us hungry
and this time nickey took out the home made namak parey. (harish here confessed that “ ki nickey jab me tere ghar aaya than a toh mujhe yeh bhaut aache lage the. And jab tumne khana band kar diya tha tabhi me khata raha”. And nickey replied “tabhi me plate andar le gaya tha kyuki mujhe pata tha tu toh rukega nahi”.)
With all such chit chat we all walked towards our destination at a good pace. But pace of sun rise is also good. Soon we all started feeling the heat and nickey said “kash yeh pahad dusri taraf hote”. While walking on, we (except sir) noticed the biggest lizards till date and clicked few pics of them by getting as much closer as we can. At around 7.30 a.m. we reached “Chautiyakhal”. From here 5 km distance is yet to be walked down (one can have buses till this point). At 8.15 a.m. barely 2kms away from the temple we has our breakfast (cold drinks). As we walked few steps the shopkeeper of the other shop shouted “kuch khana tayar karna he”( which we can have while returning from the temple). We refused and walked ahead as we were not sure yet whether we would be coming back from the same route or not.
We reached the temple in not much time and the very entrance gives you the feel about the temple. It was surprising to see thick and sky touching Deodar trees at such an altitude height. In the name of lord Shiva we all walked ahead. And just crossing the entrance sir and I stopped for some pictures while gaurav and harish walked ahead and sat around nearby.
After this we all decided to get fresh. For sir and me it is a common thing to get fresh in jungle, But harish and nickey,,,, hahaha,,, they were really shy or hesitant for the same. Seeing this sir and I said bhai fresh hona he toh ho jao nahi toh hold it till delhi :P. finally harish and nickey decided that they cant hold it till delhi.
After this we all went to the kund for the bath. As the kund was full of trees leaves and other things, seeing which nickey decided not to bath. But sir, harish and me have no issues as such. We took the bath then went to the temple. The temple is a small old structure cement hut surrounded all around by the huge deodar tress. Through which even sun light fails to penetrate properly.
But sir told things have change a lot. As per him earlier the sculpture of Shiva used to be placed under a tree only the forest is much thicker. Also only one option for stay is available their. But know things were different there was even a canteen to have food. After offering the prayer at temple we sat for sometime in the jungle and took out he aloo puri and aachar. While we eating the same a family sitting nearby were chasing the cow looking for food. Seeing this, sir gave one puri to the cow but the after that we all have to leave our place and gave the remaining puri to cow. What a scene that was.
Well, then we left to Lansdowne after canceling our plan to go to sir nanibhau village. But the most interesting thing of the trip happened now. Walking back we collected our wet undergarments and wow harish and mine was not there it was stolen or taken away by mistake whatever but the thing is they were not there excpet sir’s one. ( due to this harish faced lot of problem as he carried only with him).
And nickey got new topic for his bakwass, he soon started “ aaj ki tazza khabar aaj ki tazza khabar. Jungle me do underwear lapata. F.I.R likhne par police ki anakani. Dawaab me aakar police ne F.I.R likhni and saare raste par pabandi bhadayi gayi. Har aate jaate bande ki talashi li gayi. Par abhi tak police nakam.”. This all sound so weird while writing but at time we all had a blast accept harish (as he was carrying only one).
Walking back we stopped at the same shop, who’s owner asked for the order and we didn’t said anything. But now he is the king he told us sir mene toh kuch banaya nahi and then we asked him to prepare jhuli chawal. But soon a car stopped and gave him some big order than us. So he tried to manipulate our order too and told ki time jada lagega and all . So we decide to walk out.
And we stop at the same shop we had our breakfast. And order the maggi. But due to breeze so much of dust is their. Sir harish and nickey ate their magi in those conditions only while I entered the shop and ate their.
After this we move for chautiyakhal and our target was to catch the last bus for Lansdowne which reached there by 2.30p.m.. The closing few 100 metres harish and nickey ran to stop the bus. Finally we managed to catch it. The bus stoped at the burash juice centre at Adhariyakhal and we bought some for us.
By around 3.45p.m. we reached the bus stand of Lansdowne and start walking. Initially I was very sleepy but few lovely sight of birds refreshed me. We carried our walk and reached the entrance gate of cantonment area. Sir warned us to pack our camera’s as it can create problem. We did the same. We all were very thirsty and tired after walking so much in a day. And while crossing army building we fail to control our thirst and asked for the water. They were so nice. As soon as we asked for the water one army man climbed the water tanker to fill the jug and brought the glasses so that we have no problem in drinking water ( really we salute the Indian Army) thanking them we all moved on to search our night halt place.
Sir sighted the PWD rest house and searched for the chaukidar to talk about staying. The chaukidar guided us to the officer in charge for the permission. Sir asked us to be descent and made me stand in the front. He then told the officer that we all are pursuing Ph.d and need a room for a night to stay and with first sun rays we will leave. Sir managed to convience the officer. And stayed the the pwd rest house. The cheapest halt we ever made for so many facilities.
Around 5.30p.m. we went to market for snacks and stopped at the bakery shop. We enjoyed the biscuits and nan-khatayi and then walked nearby. We went for dinner at same time only, as there is no snese to come to room and then walk back for dinner. The hotel was cozy, we order sabzi and roti while nickey order chowmien. Food was not at all impressive. And chowmien was horrible too much spicy. I don’t know how nickey managed to eat it.
Well then we searched for the ice cream but to our luck ice cream parlor was closed. We took cold drink and chips and moved to room. By around 9 we all slept.
6 in the morning we wake and sir was the 1st one to move out as usual. I followed him with my camera. We noticed birds, sir went back to bring biscuits from them. Sir break few biscuits and threw them but birds didn’t came nearby until sir and I moved back from our places. Well sir move in the room and I hide my self behind the pillar to click some pics of birds eating the biscuits. I succeded to some extent.
We all got ready and sat outside our rooms enjoying the morning waiting for the tea. Meanwhile sir and nickey started discussing about their school and colleges days. We all had blast on many occasion and by 8.30a.m. we left for delhi.
We took the jeep till Kotdwar and on the way I puked. After which I slept and my friend’s made a video of mine which was really awesome. Well after this we soon catch the bus to the delhi and reached delhi at 4 and straight away entered the mcdonalds to have burger and coke. And with the dream of new trip in some time we all left to our home.
