Winter, the best of all the seasons. It’s when you pack yourself in layers of clothing. The time when you enjoy different flavors of tea. When you sit near the chimney in a dark wooden room, while flakes of snow, cover your garden and the pine trees around your house with a white sheet. It’s the best of all the seasons. Even for those who have no access to the outside world. Places like Kinnaur and Lahul Spiti. People in these remote villages sit together and enjoy life. All of these distant villages have a number of festivals in winters as they cannot do much in their fields.
Tag Archives: Diary
Winter Sunrise Trek at Shimla
As the snow melted in the mountain town of Shimla, which was covered in few inches of snow after many years, I, being accompanied by three of my friends went out to see the morning rays of the sun falling on the city.
It was 6 am in the morning when the phone rang. After ignoring it for some time, I picked it up to hear the happy and enthusiastic voice of my friend Harsh Kalta, who seemed to be impatient and excited at the same time about the trek told me that he had already called Khachi (Ankur Khachi) and he is also geting ready. So, from this point of view, I had no excuses. I had slept for less then an hour, because I helped my friend (Aasheesh Mehta), to design a website about metal. So, I told him to wake up and get ready. He was not in a very good mood and he also had a strong cold.
Around 6 30 am, after meeting Khachi we picked up Kalta and went straight to Tara Devi, a temple situated in front of Shimla, which offers a great view of snow-clad mountains around the town. Strangely, it is impossible to see them from the Ridge of Shimla. We reached the temple and started gazing at the town. the main reason is that some weeks ago when I posted a photography of Shimla ( below ), some ignorant people thought that the mountains never existed because they have never seen it, and said that the mountains have been added by me with a photoshop. I really disliked it. For the people who still don’t believe it. I would advice them to visit Tara Devi and turn your face towards right. Simple. Isn’t it ?
Picture of Shimla with Snow-clad mountains i took last year during sunset
So, we started our trip to a secret location nearby, explored by us last year. Unbelievably, Aasheesh got strenght and got back his natural mood and claimed that he cannot recollect the journey we just did.
We had pur picnic on the cold grass and my friends collected dry wood and lit a fire. I was thinking about the curry rice that is being served in Langar at Tara Devi Temple (MANDHIR) every Sunday and Tuesday. We stood their untill 1 pm when we were sure that the langar was ready for us.
Here are some photographs. Hope you like them.
Cheers!
Winter Sunrise Trek at Shimla – Images by Himanshu Khagta