Dehradun is a home away from home. It is any day given, a better getaway than the jazzed life in a metropolitan city or its disco pubs. I feel comfortable in the midst of forests. And from Delhi I reached Meerut, my birthplace, taking NH-58 roadway around afternoon. Meerut is said to be the capital of the kingdom of Ravan’s father-in-law Mayasur, known as “Maya-Rashtra”" back then. He was also the chief-architect of “Maya-Sabha”at Indraprasth, the great hall which he was ordered to build by Lord Krishna & Arjun for Arjun’s elder brother Yudhishthir.
I had visited Dehradun during the spine-chilling month of November in 2008. I had the privilege of staying at FRI (Forest Research Institute) campus, which is by far one of the largest campuses in India & the largest Forest University in Asia, which in turn was my basking place at nights, an escape from the shivery cold outside.
Located in the Doon valley of Uttarakhand, 246 kilometers north of India's capital New Delhi, this city offers a glimpse of what Garhwali region is all about. Beauty, halt, stillness, inhaling life & realization. It is the icing on the cake that Uttarakhand culture is all about. To the North-East, lies Nepal & there are many Tibetan immigrants in this region, only increasing when one reaches Mussoorrie.
To reach Mussoorrie, one cannot help but stop at these eateries called “Maggie-points”! Trust me, I can make varieties of dishes with these two minute home made noodles but no one makes it better than these people at road side shacks. As you sip the noodles tucked in your vehicle enjoying the scenery, you get dissolved into a Harry-Potter’s World. For real!
It’s like Ruskin Bond has hypnotized you even before you had him sign his autograph for you in that old Arcade shop on Friday evenings! And the winds mate, the winds. It just lifts your soul up. You feel connected. The next best place to go would be Leh, another Buddhist land. If only the world wouldn’t change its geography & barge in on scenic beauties with floods. But that’s another story.
I cannot describe Mussoorrie without Tibetan influence. When Dalai Lama finds the capital of Mahayana Tibetan Buddhist Religion in Dharmshala, I find hot momos, Pork soup, Yak’s milk & Mr. Ruskin Bond the capital attraction of this wonderful spiritual hill-station called Mussoorrie. Youngsters in numbers, holding hands, cozying under their soft wool gather on the streets at evenings, their cheeks blossoming pink with the excitement & aura of one of mother nature’s most pacifying form.
I could see myself pacifying with food, although I made the terrible mistake of having stale, days old delicious Biryani from a street shack & couldn’t savor the nights hot menu at a Tibetan nook corner!
SURKANDA DEVI MATA MANDIR, Ichhoni Village is in the Tehri Garhwal region & is as important a trip as the trip back home if one gets past Dhanaulti, which is just 25 kms beyond Mussoorrie, which one should visit considering the charm of this place. Besides, Garhwal lasses are one of the best breeds in the world, mystically speaking mind you. From here, Gangotri, Yamnotri, Badrinath, Rishikesh can be clearly spotted.
Looking forward to another trip soon.
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