From Bheemtal I took a maxi-cab to Bhowali.I visited Bhowali Temple which is undergoing renovation and had sweets made of Potato and Khoya at Kunwar Sweets.If you stand at Bhowali trisection you would see steeply rising hill covered with lush green trees overlooking this small town.One way leads to Ranikhet other to Almora and the last one to Haldwani.A police post is in the middle square and maxi-cabs are available beside the road to various nearby destination.Further down the road is the Bhowali Bus Station where Buses are available to all major cities.
When I reached here no Buses were available,one car driver urged me to travel with him and he had two other confirmed passengers and just needed one more.His fare was 100/- and Bus was 70/- so I decided after waiting and pondering to go by Car to Almora and it proved to be nice pleasant journey made in shorter span compared to when you travel by Bus.
Our Car driver was really nice and drove well.We were into half an hour of our journey when it started to rain.Just a light drizzle with gust of wind.It was hot and sunny in Bheemtal and here were winds shaking up the roadside trees and water drops feeding the parched earth.It was nice to behold the nature while traveling in the car,driving on the ascending serpentine road running parallel to Kosi river and green Fir trees waving in the wind standing tall on the rolling hills.Our Driver had a Bell hanging just above the steering wheel which he would ring when ever we came across a road-side temple.
It was a different experience to travel by car and I was overwhelmed by the exquisite beauty of Hill landscape.
Today I woke up early at 3:45,freshened up and when I peeped out at 5:00,it was still dark.I waited for a while till 5:30 when dawn broke to go outside and explore my options.
I could not find any vehicle,Bus or maxi-cab going to Binsar or Jageshwar.I walked to Dharanaula where a maxi-cab takes teachers daily to school.He agreed to take me to Jageshwar in 70/- Rs.On our way we passed Almora Inter College which has a breathtaking Sports field overlooking the valley.Just can imagine how lovely it would look in winter and how ideal for ice-skating.When we just entered Cantonment part of Almora,a car hit maxi-cab,it was coming at high-speed,the car guy apologized and went his way.Lady Teachers broke into chatter how it was his fault and they should have scolded him or beaten him with their slippers.
Soon after this incident maxi-cab developed some issue emitting black smoke from behind,and getting slow at ascending roads.At one point driver asked us to take another cab that too on desolate hilly roads.Thankfully cab started again,all of us again got into the cab,but from there after this continued all the way,the driver shutting and starting engine every now and then.
When you leave Almora for Jageshwar,there are two roads one descending another ascending just after Hotel Shikhar few steps from the Almora Bus-Stand.For Jageshwar you take the narrow ascending lane.Its narrower than usual so you have to drive carefully and slowly.Its here the mishap happened.
Jageshwar is almost 30 Km away from Almora and most of the time its ascending up.There are dense forests of Fir here and as you near Jageshwar Deodar forests come in view,Deodar trees reaching up to the skies looking tall and elegant.On the way to Jageshwar you pass Chitai Golu Temple too and many small Hamlets.At the Jageshwar turn there are Villages with sown crop fields.
As Jageshwar comes in view you are mesmerized by its serene natural beauty.Its a group of Temples built in a valley on banks of Jata Ganga surrounded by lush green forest of Tall Deodar Trees.Just parallel to the river are village houses with lovely gardens of Rose flowers.And a narrow lane running in front to commute for walkers.There are few general merchant shops and most of other shops cater to Devotees,selling things used in worship like flowers ,coconuts and prasads.These tall temples are built of Black Stones and statues of Gods carved out of stones,they belong to 10 A.D. .
Inside the main enclosure,chief attraction is the Maha Mritunjay Temple,here the main Pujari resembled Nitish Bhardwaj actor who played Krishna in B.R.Chopra's Mahabharat.Various Pujaris or Sadhus are for various Temples like Jagannath Temple or Hanuman Temple.
After worshiping I asked locals my way back to Almora,they told me I can either take lift from a passing vehicle or walk up 3 Km to main highway where I would easily get a maxi-cab to Almora.I decided to walk for it would give me opportunity to see nature closely and also because of shady trees it was quite cool even in hot summer.When else would I get opportunity to walk along a river looking at tall Deodar trees,wild hill flowers,rolling down cultivated hills and two Jata Ganga rivers confluence under a bridge or look at the multicolored pebbles and uneven tiny stones lying in river-bed also a museum and a medicinal garden are en-route.
On the way is a Museum where statues in stone of various Gods obtained from ancient Temples of Jageshwar are kept.It has a lovely Rose-garden.Beyond the museum is a Garden dedicated to medicinal plants of Uttarakhand and various slopes or steps have various plants and there name written on sign-boards.
You pass few other Temples on the way and a old desolate Hut in the woods beyond the river.Here as we cross bridge ,two rivers meet.It was a pleasure walking through the woods.The river below had shrink but still I decided to take a bath among Nature in wilderness and it proved to be a Divine experience. It got me really fresh and I resumed my walk to the intersection passing cultivated farm lands and there were few guys taking bath in a natural spring after performing rites of their recently deceased family members.
At the cross-section there was a nice village inn where I had my Lunch of freshly cooked Dal-Chawal served with salad,sabzi and curd.The food tasted really good more like a home-cooked meal definitely better than anything I ate in Almora or in any other restaurant since my visit.As I finished eating a maxi-cab going to Almora stopped and the driver asked me if I was coming.I got into this cab after paying just 40/- Rs for the Lunch.The driver was nice and most of the way kept talking to a his friend on mobile phone rebuking him for avoiding him and never meeting him.
Soon we passed a School where a group of chirpy Lady Teachers got in along with a Male Teacher who sat next to me.These jovial teachers kept cracking nice jokes through out the journey laughing and giggling all the way. "Only a Teacher can take you directly to Heaven" , "Oh! we have depressed and sad people in our school", "Manoj Tewari Bhojpuri singer and actor is coming for a program."
Somehow I never stopped at Chitai Golu Devtaa Temple,which I had planned to visit.I had visited this Temple earlier in 2008.I think many times I am not a quick thinker or able to decide quickly and more dependent in situations or destiny.
On returning to Almora the maxi-cab left us at Dhara-Naula,their's a steep direct route formed of brick stairs that lead from Dhara-Naula side to the other side where Bus-Station is.Almora is built on a horse-shoe ridge,to reach other side its always the straight steep path the shortest,if you go along the circumference then its quite a long journey.
So what I was foolish enough to do was when I was half way up this straight path across the main Almora Bazaar,I descended down the steps leading to the other side thinking it was a short-cut and finding my self again in Dharanaula instead.Again I got up , again I descended the wrong way,I got really upset thinking a mischievous spirit is mind-manipulating me.I got up and directed my mind to follow common-sense,soon I found my way and remembered the steps.This all tired me out and I had a cold-bath reaching my hotel."So always take the known path when in a new city".I would have reached Almora at 2:00.,but instead I reached my Hotel at 3:00 and very tired indeed.If I had reached earlier taking the known road,I won't have been this tired and may be I would have gone some where else too.
Later on I slept as I was feeling so tired.At 5:15 I went out and had a delicious plate of Dahi-Batasha at Sumangalam Restaurant.After visiting ATM and having Tea and seeing passing by man laugh derogatorily on a foreign Guy just wearing a cotton Vest,and the European tourist getting really mad at this and asking why the hell are you laughing.
Later on I returned to Hotel to pack for my Journey for tomorrow.At 8:00 I went to have dinner at hotel,eating four Chapatis,Sabzi,curd and salad.I also later on bought a bottle of Almond drop oil.If I leave aside the exasperatingly silly incident of descending-ascending this proved to be one of the best day of my life.
From Bhowali maxi-cab takes 15 Rs to drop you at Bheemtal.As soon as Bheemtal comes in view you are captivated by its immense natural beauty.And in April the trees that line its shores burst into lovely Blossoms of Blue,light saffron and white.There's a Temple of Lord Shiva and a Dam too with lovely Garden.When I reached the Lake small water drops started falling which soon ended.
As you take a walk around the Lake you see several School Kids walking their way back to home.There were some young boys taking a bath in the Lake.Boats are available which take you on a ride across the vast Lake.Also there is an Aquarium located in the center.When I reached the Lake a marriage Baraat was just preparing to leave after having some snacks and soon a band started to play.There are a couple of snack shops and a General Store located on the Shore.
Near Bheemeshwara Mahadev Temple a small bridge sort of road takes you to the other side.You can take really nice pictures from this bridge.This bridge ends in an alleyway with the Lake on one side and steep hills nestling houses on other side.After a mile this alley leads to the main road which continues parallel to the Lake.And as I found out today its extremely dangerous to commute on foot.As its a narrow highway with Buses and maxi-cabs coming from both directions at high speed.At the extreme end of the Lake this road bifurcates,one part of it running parallel to the narrow end of the Lake.This cross-section has a Police Check-Post.I saw several goats here trotting away and a young boy yelling at them.Naukutchiya Tal is near by,a beautiful Lake that has nine corners.
I had a soar throat in the morning,think the cold got me.I had two cups of Tea sold by an old man who put some nice tea masala in it which gave me some relief.I was planning to go to Jageshwar but because of my cold I waited till the Sun was shining brightly in the sky and decided to go to Bheemtal.I took a Bus to Bhowali at 8:45.It took us to Bhowali via Khairna.
From Haldwani I took a Bus to Almora.Way to Almora from Haldwani is most picturesque and exotic.If you travel in early May month there are all kids of trees bursting into blossoms.Wild trees with yellow,purple and dark red flowers welcome you.There's a strange creeper with lovely whitish flowers.I also saw bottle brush trees growing in wilderness with saffron colored blossoms.
Kosi river provides a most scenic view with the road running most of the time parallel to its river bed.In May it has dwindled into a small stream with its river-bed filled with exotic rocks and stones shining brightly in the morning Sun.Later on our Bus also passed through some Hamlets which were harvesting wheat crop.Ripened wheat standing in step farming done on rolling hills is a sight to behold the brown of wheat,the green of grass and the clear blue skies producing an enchanting scenery.En-route we passed through Pilot Baba Ka Ashram.
As we started our ride up-hill to Almora,engine of the Bus kept getting hot and it had to stop several times for long durations before it could start its journey again.One boy said may bee somebody put hot coals in the engines of Buses because we saw several Buses meeting the same fate.We stopped at a road-side inn and the rotis they served were white and hard may be made of Maida.There was a fresh water stream near by where clean water was available.And as you look down from the inn's window you would see Kosi river running wild among the high hills and its rocks shining like jewels.
On reaching Almora I checked into Ambassador Hotel.Its a dilapidated hotel which I took just because of its cheap fare.It had opaque glass ceiling which would allow day-light into the room when electricity would play truant all day long.It had paan stained walls and dogs run wild in its corridors.
I Set out from home on Saturday to Aishbagh Railway Station and reached there at 7:00 and had to wait two hours before it took off.In the beginning there was only one person in my compartment talking continuously on phone,chiding one of his co-worker.Later on a nice tall,fair,thin guy got in our compartment with a different sort of voice.Then few minutes later a nice chubby guy joined us who opened the train window that nobody else could open.When few of these men got off three funny youth joined us in Lakhimpur Kheri.They changed into Capri and lay down to sleep,one of them on top berth talking to his friend at 1:00 in Night.The biggest city in our route was Pilibhit and I contemplated getting off there but it was 3:00 in the morning and I decided against it.And it was here almost everybody got off,our coach was left with only 6 people.I had reservation till Bhojipura where I had to take a Bus to Haldwani.Bhojipura is a small town in Bareilly district.I got off at Bhojipura railway station.It has a small tea-stall in front where I had my morning cup of tea while waiting for a Bus.we had some excited Dogs here chasing every speeding vehicle and barking madly at them.I bought a Newspaper and after a half hour wait got into a Bus to Haldwani.
Long time back when I was just a Kid and on coming back from school "Dopahar Ki Sabha" would be coming on Doordarshan telecasted from Bombay Studio.And once they were showing Kidar Nath Sharma's interview the director who introduced and directed Raj Kapoor in "Neel Kamal" in 1947.He had such fond remembrances of Geeta Bali,how beautiful,how witty and how humane she was.And how Raj Kapoor felt so insecure about his co-star in "Bawre Nain" that he asked the director how to match her performance.It was Geeta Bali who introduced Kidar Nath Sharma to Mala Sinha,he cast Mala in "Rangin Raatein" with Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Bali willfully doing the role of a Man in this movie.
And whenever I watch any of her movie,I am never disappointed,she never fails to cheer me up and raise my spirits by her effervescent,vivacious "Funny Girl" personality or her simple heart touching roles.She was quite unique and Indian Cinema never saw any one like her.Madhuri Dixit could easily ape Madhubala in one of her movie but she can never be even faintly like Geeta Bali.
We Indians have always loved our Country,taking pride in our Nation and being staunchly patriotic.But we never stop and think one moment why we do not love each citizen of our vast nation and consider them part of our Family.On a daily basis we see on National News incidents reported of our citizens being mean to each other,duping and committing violent crimes against their own country men.
Take recent rise in Rape incidents in Our National Capital.Not once anybody suggested of Public Police joint strategy to counter such violent crimes against women.Social Policing is a success in Britain,compare that to India where common citizens are scared of Police and never want to set foot in a Police station even.So clearly what we need is more interaction between citizens and Police personnel.Police alone can't fight against all criminal activities that go on in a city until there is active co-operation from its citizens.
Also what we need most in India is a comprehensive Medical coverage for all its Citizens.Most of our People are so poor that they can't afford good medical care for themselves.Its foremost for any government to provide complete medical care for all its people.
We have strong need for Social Security in this country.Rising unemployment has hit our educated class a lot,many of them not getting a decent job.Besides them many of our citizens can't fend for themselves for one reason or another.For their benefit we need social security which will give them minimum pay if they can not get a job anywhere.
We as a civil society can try at least to be polite to each other.
