A tale of the trail to Kalpa
Aparna Dutta

THE gist of one of the poems by Rabindra Nath Tagore is: ‘It is not the goal I seek but I enjoy the path that I travel’. Similar was the case with us when we set on the journey to Kalpa in Kinnaur. The journey was as enchanting as the goal. The Hindustan-Tibet road, NH-22, starting from Shimla is a trail right out of Hans Andersen’s fairy tale. There are dark woods and deep rivers, blue skies and silver snow, kaleidoscopic colours and heavenly sights.

The magical spell starts right after Dhalli, where dense deodar forests beckon the visitors. They are gradually replaced by ancient woods of spruce by the time one reaches Narkanda. The road now takes a U-turn at Kingle and descends deeply till Rampur. From here the Sutlej is a constant companion, running along the road, flowing in the opposite direction. Its white foam-filled rushing waters inspire awe and reverence. Justifying its ancient name of Shatadru (meaning a river with hundred rivulets), the Sutlej is in fact fed with several small and large streams. Most of them, born out of melting glaciers, rush down the higher reaches to make way through the woods or suddenly appear at the bend of the road, dancing down just to vanish into the Sutlej.

At Trayanda Dhaank, the road is a narrow groove carved out of a sheer vertical cliff. The rocks above create an overhang, while the other edge descends hundreds of feet deep into the Sutlej. The Baspa joins the Sutlej at Karcham. After that the river displays only anger and fury, striking heavily on the boulders that come its way. The scene evokes a cold shudder as one witness the enormous power of the river.

The gorge among the mountains through which the highway runs also exhibits nature’s splendours. It is so narrow at places that it seems like we could touch the other side of it. The sky becomes a small blue patch between the towering mountains. The gorge becomes fairly broad at other places. At some places bridges have been constructed to cross the river. Where there are no bridges, people use rope and winch system with an iron basket to ferry goods, apples and even people. There was a marriage procession to be taken to the other side. The bridegroom was dressed in finery, while the women were draped in colourful Kinnauri shawls.

At Powari, a solitary policeman was controlling the traffic. He signalled movement as the shower of rubble stopped for a few seconds. The Powari road leaves the river bank and rises steeply to reach Rekong Peo — the headquarters of Kinnaur. At the small bazaar of Rekong Peo, Kinnauri shawls, topis, and local products were on sale. Kinnauri shawls have beautiful patterns woven in rich colours and the Kinnauri woollen topis have green felt strip on one side. Kinnauri men and women both wear these topis to escape the intense sun at day time and the biting cold after sunset.

At a crossroad, a large drum was fixed under a tree with inscriptions of religious mantras on it. Some women were rotating it. We were told that this would diminish our sins. We were also invited to rotate the dungyur, the big drum, to ward off any evil forces. The innocent laughter of the women indicated their simple but strong beliefs.

Kalpa is yet another 7 km high up on the mountains. The ascent fromRekong Peo to Kalpa is a long stretch of heavenly landscapes bordered with apple and chilgoza trees, and punctuated with frothy streams. Chilgoza is a nut that grows inside pine cones. the cones are cut and dried to extract the nut. Chilgoza is an important source of income for the locals.

The snow-clad ranges of Kinner Kailash are visible towards the east. On a clear day, one can see the Shivlingam too. It is said that the colour of the lingam changes during the course of the day. The Shivlingam is located at Jorkanden (6473 mt). People often go on trekking expeditions to Jorkanden.

We watched the Kinner Kailash in the clear morning light and saw fresh snowfall on its peaks. It was time to return. We bade goodbye to the land where nature has showered endless bounties. We considered ourselves lucky that we could witness this virgin land and the lush landscapes.