I first saw a documentary on River Ganges (Ganga) when I was in college. It was a series that followed the journey of India’s river from source to sea. That was when my fascination for the river begun. Since then, I have visited it at its many stages—Haridwar, Rishikesh, Benares, Patna, Calcutta and Sundarbans. And…
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Sometimes I wonder if heaven is real. And then I witness the most incredible sight ever. I find myself taking shelter from snowfall under a grand oak tree somewhere in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. I am hiking to Bedni and Ali bugyal from a small village called Kuling, via Dedina. My companions are my elderly, experienced…
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It is difficult to escape their charm. Every time I travel to Uttarakhand, the loveliness of the people I meet seem to only increase. I recently wrote about the women who I met in Kilmora and Chirag and as a continuing part of my conversations with the people of Uttarakhand, I’d like you to meet two…
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Two of my three travels to Uttarakhand, last year, introduced me to some of the most enthusiastically independent women I have met. The first bevy was in Chirag (Central Himalayan Rural Action Group) in Kasiyalekh. Chirag is a social enterprise that works with local communities by diversifying and creating various livelihood opportunities. In Chirag, I…
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How many of us get third time lucky? This year, I’ve had the great fortune of travelling to Uttarakhand thrice over. And even though I try not to maintain stats, I’ve lost count of the number of times I have gone back to the state, since my first visit 11 years ago. Uttarakhand is one…
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Before I started for my Valley of Flowers trek a couple of weeks ago, the only preparation I did was bought a new pair of waterproof hiking shoes. I have been trekking for a few years now and hence, I had basic expectations and a set of equipment well inline. For everything else, I kept myself…
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