Ending 2024 in Dayara Bugyal, a high altitude Himalayan meadow

 

Going to the Garwhal Himalayas in the Shivalik Range of the outer Himalayas is always refreshing. Just the sight of those endless mountains and valleys is breath-taking.




On December 25, I was bound in a car for a village called Raithal, about 150 km from Dehradun



We passed through pine forests and deodar trees
The scenery changes every few minutes! I saw walking clouds puffed out by some local Indian god. Was there any message there?

It never ceases to astound me how Homo Sapiens has spread across the surface of the earth in barely 150,000 years in mountains and valleys, deserts and snows.




Finally, we arrived at Raithal just as the golden sun caressed the snow-clad mountains at dusk

From our overnight stay, we could seee the beautiful ranges of the Himalayas

A view from our overnight stay at Raithal of the road we came through.


I took my cap off for this pic for a few seconds in the biting cold, so my face would be visible.


This is the start of the first day of our trek up from Raithal to Dayara Bugyal.


A local little girl wishing us on our way forward! It warms my heart on a cold hike.


Through the way, we could see the Gangotri range

The view at our first rest stop was awesome.


Snows had gathered under the trees and hadn't melted due to the shade.


We reached Gui, where we had our base camp and spent the night
Gui had the first snows and beautiful views


A 5.5 foot puny human framed against 20,000 foot mountains!


I used an app for capturing my geoposition and for the names of the peaks with their heights.

A view of hundreds of tents at the Gui campsite. It serves as a permanent base for trekkers to Dayara Bugyal and beyond.


We started from Gui for Dayara Bugyal on the second day of our trek.

Finallly, at Dayara Bugyal at about 3,500 meters altitude.
At Dayara Bugyal


A frozen waterfall at Dayara Bugyal



Mountain Ranges


Dayara Bugyal -2


Dayara Bugyal -3


Group Photo of Himalayan Dream Treks at Dayara Bugyal



Dayara Bugyal -4



Dayara Bugyal -5


Dayara Bugyal -6


A freshly fallen snowflake at Gui base camp

Back at Gui basecamp, it had snowed a lot, and the trees were covered in snow, turning it into a black and white scene with colored tents.
Walking back to Raithal was very slow, and treacherously slippery because the snow had hardened to black ice at places.
Clouds had decided to sleep over in Raithal.
Raithal surrounded in clouds.

View from Bhandari Cottages, Rautu ki beli, near Dhanaulti, about 35 km from Mussorie.
Bhandari Cottages was a few rooms attached to a restaurant. Each room could accomodate two people and was ridiculously low-priced at Rs.784 (about $8) a day.
A vew of Mussorie
Human hand-pulled rickshaws used to operate in the hills of Mussorie - where fat Englishmen and dainty Ladies could get pulled by four Indian "Jhampanies" up and down the hilly region.
This is one of the original human drawn rickshaw abominations. Only one mode of conveyance is more demeaning: that is the Palki that still is used in Kedarnath by obese and opulent Indians where they ride on the shoulders of other Indians up to get the blessings of their divine god.

Today's rickshaw-pullers use far more efficient rickshaws.

Corn cobs - boiled or roasted are a ready road-side snack.
I knew we had arrived in Mussorie and human civilization by the slogan chanting, "Hamara neta kaisa ho? .... bhai jaise ho!" (How should our leader be? Like XX brother .... he should be).
Dog day afternoon in cold Mussorie is all about dogs finding a sunny place to sleep. 
Company Gardens in Mussorie
Company Gardens in Mussorie

Mohammad Rafi - a tribute to my idol in the Wax Museum in Company Gardens, Mussorie

Mussorie has a large tibetan buddhist population after the Dalai Llama was given refuge in India after the Chinese invasion in 1959.

Buddha statue made in 2014 at Dalai Hill to prevent disease, war, conflict, and natural disasters. The fun part is that wars and diseases still happen, so if no prayers were to be made, there would have been more diseases and wars!




Shedup Choephelling Temple


Shedup Shoephelling Temple


Prayer Wheels. It is divine sadness that the Buddha fought againt Vedic rituals only for Buddhism to succumb a few centuries later to its new changed rituals.


"Santra devi ki mandir" - the temple of the goddess of oranges. I was disappointed it wasn't even orange colored and did not have any trace of oranges.

Kempty Falls, Humanity celebrates all water - rivers, oceans, snows, springs and waterfalls. We splash around and our faces light up with smiles.
Hundreds of tourists come down here, and walk down 250 steps or take the ropeway, to see Kempty Waterfalls or take a dip in the artificially lined pool at the bottom.
Zostel Plus, Kempty. The property is set in a fabulous location and costs about Rs.1,700 a bed/ night, with reservations full for nearly two months ahead.

Zostel Plus, Kempty -2
Zostel Plus, Kempty -3

Zostel Plus, Kempty -5

Zostel Plus, Kempty -6

A view on the road from Kempty Falls to Mussorie.

Tip Top Restaurant at Landour, a quaint English settlement away from the bustle of Mussorie, and now chockful of tourists on any day of the year!
Church at Landour


Church at Landour

View of the snow capped Himalayas in the distance at Landour



Lal Tibba, the viewpoint at Landour

A restaurant at Landour

Landour Bakehouse operating for over a century. Tourist footfalls were so high that you had to wait at least two hours to get a table inside, and 30 minutes to take away a pastry or roll. I came away with my stomach full after hearing that.

Another church in Landour

Back at Mussorie, Lovely Omlette Centre has been serving omlettes since 150 years, through generations. Onions, eggs, chillies, bread, salt. There is a butter and cheese variant. No branches, no network chains. Just omlettes.

Chick Chocolate is heavenly for its spread of coffee, oven-baked thin crust pizzas, chocolates and toffee.

Chocolate is Heavenly, Deep, Dark, Sumptuous, Potent, Dense, Seductive, Rich, Excessive, Silky, Smooth, Chocolate is Downfall, Happiness, Wicked, Sinful, Healthy!!!!

Inside Chick Chocolate!

The Winterline seen from Mussorie at sunset

Amritsari Chole and Kulcha, witht he vegetable vendor on the left and Inder's Bengali Sweets on the right, is over one century old. It was earlier a pan shop a few decades ago.
The Kulchas are to die for, with soft bread that melts into nothingness in your mouth, and the chole is super soft, with a hint of lime and gentle chat masala, with raw onion rings on the side. The price is Rs.80 for a plate.

After Amritsari Chole and Kulcha, you can step into Inder's Bengali sweets for Khajjur Gur Rasagulla, his specialty dessert.

The ropeway to Gun Hill, 400 meters above Mall Road, Mussorie
Gunhill, Mussorie


A view of the Himalayan Peaks from Gun Hill, Mussorie


I have seen the Winterline before in the Himalayas. It is a second but false horizon formed in the sky, visible in the Himalayas and the Swiss Alps. What you are seeing in this photo is the famous Winterline, and below that, a sea of sleeping clouds as seen from Gun Hill, Mussoorie.

A young girl presented me with this chamomile flower and a chocolate, at Gun Hill in Mussoorie wishing me a Happy New Year. I pass it on to all of you.















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