Travelogue Chakrata: The Beauty Galore The Beauty Unexplored

28th?April 2022 the temperature was hovering around 36 degree Celsius in Dehradun filled with humidity. The temperature was not high enough as compared to that in the plains but after staying for a long time in Dehradun the temperature seemed to be extremely scorching enough to warrant an escape to a hill station. I was back from my college doing days’ work. Evening got complemented with tea and snacks sitting together and talking with wife two younger kids Tanishi and Tejas in tandem. Suddenly my youngest son Tejas informed me that He is fresh from his school examination and He need to visit a hill city. Expecting Mussoorie I enquired as to which hill station. I was for a good shock and surprise when he told he needs to visit Chakrata. His answer baffled me as to how a boy of around 9 year of age could make out chakrata. Perhaps he might have heard discovered and recalled the name from our previous discussion which even I do not recall as to when. Suddenly, a suave humane elegant and scholar face appeared in my memory. That face was none other than my revered teacher of school days Sri Eknath Jha Sir, a renowned teacher of English Literature. My great teacher had a fascination of quoting William Wordsworth often. How visionary and anticipatory the English Writer William Wordsworth was when he coined the maxim “Child Is the Father of Man”.??Sometimes a mature person can be overtaken by his/her childish instinct and behaviour and sometimes it is other way round as well. Tejas amply justifies William Wordsworth the other way. I looked at my wife as an obedient husband to gauge as to whether she concurs with the suggestion of Tejas. She neither affirmed nor declined. As the most humble intelligent and branded husband ‘Tum Kisi Kaam Ke??Layak Nahi Ho’ I knew her silence was in affirmative.

Her affirmation provides the impetus and wakes up the insects of decaying and disintegrating managerial skills and practices which were lying dormant like the forgotten power and strength of Lord Hanuman since decades. Planning to visit Chakrata provided me a wonderful opportunity to prove my worth even though it seemed like a herculean task to convince her the ’ impossible’ that at least her husband is ‘Kuch Kaam Ke Layak To Hai’.

The beauty of summer season is that globetrotters from all parts of the globe wander and throng hill stations in search of cool clime and respite from nomadic and hectic chorus of life. The nature of nomadic tribe is such that it puts focus on two dimensions of Economics wittingly or unwittingly i.e. Scarcity and Efficiency. Scarcity and Efficiency propel the Economic System of a nation and for that matter the Economic System of a hill station. The notion of Economics was entirely alien to me as the abstract formulation of Economic Theories could never impregnate my barren and infertile mind to frustrate my brilliant outstanding and accomplished Professors of Economics as I was too unjustified and frustrating to my Professors unless I/We planned for Chakrata. Alas, I could have visited any hill station during my university days to save my Professors from trial and tribulation of doing the impossible and making me understand the Invisible Economics. The first stumbling block out of two dimensions of Economics was the scarcity of getting confirmation of Hotel rooms. Mere thought of not getting hotel room at Chakrata infused into me the much needed dynamism and efficiency the twin sister of scarcity. I launched my feeble radar of memory and upped antenna to catch hold of a verified person who could provide me the vital information on Hotel Occupancy at Chakrata. Suddenly my antenna provided signal radar biped and flashed message that one of the old students of MBA class Sheena Garg whom I used to call ‘Malkin’ affectionately could provide vital clues to my problem has been spotted at Delhi though her home town is Sahiya sandwiched between Vikas Nagar and Chakrata. Though the Guru Sishya Parampara of yesteryears has morphed tremendously loosing sheen and lustre because of advancement of time and embracing of modernity she was generous enough to respond to my message and reverted back to me with two hotel owner’s names and contact numbers, Rahul Chandna of Cedar Home Hotel in Sadar market and Vivek Agarwal of Snow View Hotel located slightly away from the main market.

On 29th?April a conversation took place with Rahul Chandna Sir the Owner of Cedar Home Hotel regarding reservation of room for our sojourn at Chakrata. A lively assurance was received on my part with the condition that I should transfer money for confirmation of my room. Being a first time visitor to the Cedar Home Hotel I was not sure of the condition of room its cleanliness hygiene and amenities. I requested Rahul Sir whether he could whatsApp the pictures of room to me and he readily agreed. Within a couple of minutes I got the pictures of room. The room looked attractive elegant with adequate amenities to facilitate few days of our stay. Without having a second thought as the saying goes ‘Love At First Sight’ I transferred the token money to Rahul Sir’s bank account with the request that the room should have a balcony too and he replied in affirmative.

College: The Next Day

Next day as usual I reached my college and went directly into the examination cell. The university examination was going on. My outstanding accomplished brilliant elegant suave much sought after omnipresent pulse of the college the beautiful colleague Mrs Priyanka Kumari Madam in the Commerce and Management Department and the cute handsome radiating cosmic charming innocent looking always smiling mingling with all and sundry Mr Sunil Rawat Sir of Animation Department and I the non responsive work ducking person with laid back attitude i.e. ‘Tension Nahi Lene Ka Sab Ho Jayega Chinta Mat Karo Mam’ man the examination cell. I know the efficiency and effectiveness of both of esteemed and honoured colleagues in manning the paraphernalia of examination cell. I also know their symbiotic nature and generosity that they would never object to my request of a days’ leave during the examination. On knowing the reason of my leave she was generous lenient and sympathetic enough to concur with my idea of spending few days privately away from the hurly burly of daily chorus of life with my family. My leave was sanctioned by the Chairman Sir and I had three consecutive days of leave from 1st?May to 3rd?May, the 3rd?May being a holiday on account of Akshaya Tritiya as well as Eid al-Fitr.

On return from my college in evening I called up my cab driver to know whether he could drop us at Chakrata on Sunday morning. He affirmed his availability and reported at appointed time at 8 AM in the morning at my residence.

A journey begun: A mesmerizing journey: The Day One

On Sunday morning we finished our necessary chorus and were ready for flight on enchanting and eternal journey to look at the beauty of virgin Chakrata. Kids were so excited that they did not like to have even breakfast in the morning. My cab driver reported at 8 AM sharp at my home. I asked him whether he had breakfast or not. His reply was not satisfactory to me and we planned to have a stopover at Kalsi nearly 25 kilometer away from my residence for light refreshment. At Kalsi we had hot Momos Parathas and Tea. Kalsi is also a tourist attraction and its name finds mention during the Mauryan Period of Ancient Bharat. The 13th Rock of Ashokan Period is the prime asset of Kalsi. The Rock is inscribed with the court orders/instructions of King Ashoka written in Brahmi Script of Pali Language which was the official language during the region of Mauryan Empire Ashoka during 2nd?Century BC. After salubrious and tasty refreshment we paid our obeisance to Goddess Kali to seek her divine blessings to make our journey safe and trouble free. Chakrata is a cantonment area. Photography is prohibited and foreign travellers are persona non grata at Chakrata. As good and law abiding citizens of Bharat we decided not to click either photographs or videos on the way to Chakrata. At around 10.30 AM we set out our feet on Chakrata. Our Cedar Home Hotel was within walking distance from the cab terminus. Check in time was 11 AM but Room No 401 was handed over to us at around 12PM after cleaning. A bird’s eye view on the hotel may dismay and puzzle students of Economics and Finance like me. The genre of Economics always believe in Large structure of Production System Taking advantage of Economies of Scale Synergy of Operations Mass Production Cost Cutting Efficient and Effective Technology Procurement of Resources Nearness to Market etc to beat market competition. Cedar Home Hotel definitely defies all notions of Economics. I am not aware of the background of Rahul Sir personally but he seems to be the true disciple of German born British Economist E.F. Schumacher. His title ‘Small Is Beautiful’ emerged out of a principle espoused by Schumacher’s teacher Leopold Kohr an Austrian Economist Jurist and Political Scientist advancing Small Technologies Policies and Polities as a superior alternative to mainstream ethos of ‘Bigger Is Better’. The way hotel rooms have been designed and embellished it displays the meticulous planning and beautiful creative thinking of the owner of the hotel Rahul Chandna Sir. The creation of Hotel seems to be based on the ethnic theme ‘Wood’.

It is extremely exciting to interact with the natives of Chakrata. They seem to be the renowned Botanists even though they may or may not have formal degrees/diplomas in Botany the Plant Science. The common English name ‘Cedar’ comes from ‘Cedrus’ a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family ‘Pinaceae’ native to the mountain of Western Himalayas and the Mediterranean Region occurring at an altitudes of 1500-3200 meter in the Himalayas and 1000-2200 meter in Mediterranean. Like Cedrus the signature Cedar Home Hotel is all pervasive and ubiquitous in the minds of travellers. I personally thank Rahul Sir for exemplifying as to how the essence of ‘Small Is Beautiful’ can be translated and implemented in reality defying all norms of ‘Bigger Is Better’ of Economics. It is a much sought after hotel and house hold name in and around Chakrata like Cedrus tree of Western Himalaya and of Mediterranean.

Afresh from washroom chorus we decided to skip tourist attractions for the day and enjoy the sublime ambience of Chakrata. As a sleepy town with laid back attitude and low influx of tourists there is not much option for food. At the recommendation of Ankit Chauhan the person manning the guests we opted Janta Hotel for lunch in the vicinity of Cedar Home. The lunch was sumptuous comprising Chicken Curry Hot flour chapatti Steamed Rice Paneer Masala and Salad. Back into hotel room sleepiness slowly and steadily embraced all of us in its lap brushing aside our stress strain and worry. Surely the sleep was so sweet and fulfilling that we could have never experienced it in our whole life time. After waking up at around 4.30PM we noticed that the climate has taken a sexy pandiculation since afternoon and burst into the dark cloudy sky hovering over us. The chilled wind begun blowing and sending shiver down the spine. The clouds were trespassing into my room through open doors and windows. The light blackish clouds interspersed with white patches were clinging touching and kissing dearly all of us as if it were the custom and tradition of region to welcome guests. It seemed to be an eternal experience and beauty. At around 5.30 PM Tanishi and Tejas needed light refreshment. We went to Chandna’s Fast Food Hotel. We were dismayed as the hotel was overcrowded and overflowing with customers while other hotels nearby were virtually empty or having barely one or two customers. We placed our order for Momos Noodles and Coffee. Though the service was bit delayed but the delay was worth waiting. Momos and Noodles were so tasty that it could amply explain the near emptiness of other hotels in the vicinity. Suddenly drizzling started and we were back into our hotel room. Kids were enjoying the ambience of room interspersed with looking outside from balcony. Sparsely situated houses in the hill appear as if fireflies lit light all around the hills. It was around 8.30PM that we went to another hotel a Punjabi Dhaba for our dinner. Dinner was wholesome with fresh Chicken Curry Tandoori Bread Hot steamed Rice Shahi Paneer and Salad. All recipes were tasty and fulfilling. My best whole has a penchant for sweets after non vegetarian lunch or dinner. By the time we finished dinner and returned back the midway Jain Sweet Shop known for its renowned Milk Cake far and away has already gone for dispersal. Our host sleep was awaiting us. As soon as we went into bed our eyelids gradually refused to look around the host sleep embraced us vigorously and we were transported into the universe of sweet slumber relieved of all gravitational pulls and pressures of human existence.

Beauty Lies In The Eyes Of Beholder: Day Two

We were ready to begin our glamorous and exciting journey to explore the untouched and virgin beauty of the sleepy Chakrata. I am no Hamilton but my esteemed friends and other readers cast on me an onerous responsibility to inform them about the unexplored beauty of the hill station. A common prose ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder’ is a paraphrase of a statement by the Greek Philosopher ‘Plato’. The current form has been coined by the Irish Novelist Margaret Wolfe Hungerford (i.e. Hamilton) in his novel ‘Molly Bawn’ in 1878. Though people have different perceptions at looking at the same object what I perceive and see through my unsaturated eyes may not be perceived similarly by all and sundry. Adorned and embellished by the sun kissed Himalayan Range the beautiful and gorgeous Hill Station Chakrata is perched at an elevation of 2118 meters above sea level. It lies between the Tons and Yamuna rivers. This secluded hilly town is cradled in the Dehradun district around 98 kilometres away from District Headquarter. It is an ideal weekend gateway for the backpackers. Dotted by the Conifer Forests Chakrata is a loner’s as well as family’s delight as it is far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The towering mountainous ranges put on platter innumerable adventurous activities including heart throbbing mountain climbing. It also induces one by exciting trekking camping in woods and village walks through the periphery of the hill station. The mystical hill station features some of the ravishing and cascading waterfalls that are enough to entice the weary souls for having a betrothal in the lap of nature. Our local cab driver Anil Ji reported at around 10.30 AM. I must assert out of fear or love that other members of my family are so tender feeble and not used to the hectic tiring and tortuous journey of this kind we planned to explore the beauty of Kanasar Forest Range about 25 kilometres away from the town. The road leading to Kanasar was dotted with trees and on the one side the towering upright hills and the other side the frightening deep valleys. My Professors of Physics Late Sri Ramesh Purbey Sir Late Sri Birendra Singh Sir Sri S N Kaul Sir and Sri J P Saha Sir were tortured enough to conquer my impermeable mind to make me grasp the Newton’s law of ‘Action and Reaction’. Like a true Shishya their efforts were frustrated and consequences came to naught. On the way to Kanasar I was engrossed in thoughts of the celebrated Physicist Newton and his visionary enunciation of ‘Laws of Motion’ with the live example of standing mountain and deep valley lying side by side authenticating the ‘Action and Reaction ‘ theory. The sincerity integrity and teaching of my Professors were put to question during my student’s days because of my stupidness non receptive non reactive mind and rudimentary thought process. What my Professors could not do to me the mountain and valley did it. Kanasar presents a picturesque location ideal for picnic and honeymoon. It is surrounded by dense green Cedrus Deodara (Deodar) trees comprising forest. A 6.35 metre circumference Deodar tree is known to be the Asia’s oldest and biggest deodar tree. The green meadows had soothing impacts on eyes. Lying down on green meadows we were transported into celestial ambience as if time has ceased to tickle up. After a while we got up to get sense that we are the part of this wonderful world though not celestial still it has its own charm and beauty. Our next destination was the mighty Tiger Fall. Our cab driver Anil informed that it would take around two and half an hour to reach there. We were crisscrossing and negotiating the mighty mountains and deep valleys again through the serpentine constant durable and sturdy road interspersed with elevation and inclination. I always wondered at ‘Mathematical Wizard Fourier’ who proposed the ‘Theory of Integration’. In the simplest form Integration is a method of adding or summing up the parts to find the whole. I was always surprised to locate an ‘Arbitrary Constant or Constant of Integration’ in equation to my dismay while integrating two variables with different values. Suddenly I got salvation and understood the way the great Mathematician Fourier proposed the Theory of Integration. Between standing and looming mountains and frightening deep valleys there lies a well crafted well built muscular and strongly constructed ‘Road’ without which the integration of valley and mountain was not possible. This provided the enlightenment to the puzzle of supplying a ‘Constant’ in the Equation of Integration. Alas this salvation would have been bestowed upon me in my college and university days to jump at least from the back bench to lower middle bench. I regret this never happened.

Tiger Fall is hidden in the hilly terrains of Chakrata. It is amidst Rhododendron and Oak trees. At an elevation of 312 feet it is considered the highest direct water fall in Bharat. This water fall cascades down from a height of about 50 meters. The water of this majestic fall collects in a small pond. Tiger fall is also known as ‘Keraao Pachad and Kailu Pachad’ in local language. The fall is not a well developed tourist attraction and attracts relatively lesser crowds nevertheless several hotels and rest houses have come in the locality at reasonable price offering convenient stay and good tasty and hygienic food.

On returning and getting off the cab at the Sadar Maraket we paused at Chandna’s Hotel to have soft drink and light refreshment. The cosy hotel room provided us with much need relief after a hectic and tiring rendezvous with the beauty. Nap knocked at us and we were in the sweet lap of sleep. Wiser than previous experience before descending at Punjabi Hotel I procured the famous sweet i.e. Milk cake Gulab jamun and Peda from Jain Sweet Shop before making our presence felt at the Hotel for dinner. Not much variety to choose from we placed our order of Chicken Curry Steamed Rice Tandoori Bread Paneer Masala and Salad. Ultimately at a sweet note sleep stroked us into slumber.

A bid adieu to Chakrata: Day Three

Time was approaching to bid adieu to the sleepy queen of Himalayas. Our cab driver Sunil ji arrived on time to take back all of us from the flight of imagination and beauty galore to the soil of hard reality. The strutting and waving serpentine road with elevation and inclination was prepared to take us back to our home. Descending down the hill I wish to honour myself with a memento by video graphing the cool resonating inviting beautiful curves and cleave of the mighty Himalayas and deep valleys.

I was engrossed in my thought as to what was the take away of this journey. The silent Chakrata proved to be the greatest Professor of Chemistry better than those of my yester years like Professor Ram Kumar Mandal Sir Professor Nirmal Thakur Sir Professor Dilip Lal Sir and many more. They were too frustrated to inculcate in my mind as to how the molecules are created through Covalent and Coordinate bonding by joining and sharing the invisible Electrons of analogous and disjoint atoms. I regret Chakrata would have come alive during my college and university days to enable me to ward off the tag of back bencher by lessening the endeavour of my great and revered Professors. I nurture and cherish the unbreakable invisible bonding with the queen of Hills to satiate my unsaturated eyes again and again. At this stage I bid adieu to Chakrata take a pause and offers consolation to myself to face the rigour trial and tribulation of daily life. Love you Chakrata.