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Chill Thrill: Guchhu Pani shows it how
Three swimming pools with clear waters of the Tauns in midst of mountains and the cool breeze is a favourite destination of locals and tourists alike
Just can’t beat the food vendors’ lure
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Rock sound faith
Journey to Uttarkashi to get shorter
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Chill Thrill: Guchhu Pani shows it how
Dehradun, May 27
“I have come from Delhi and will be visiting all major water falls. My favourite destinations are Kempty Falls, Batta Falls in Mussorrie, the Shehastradhara waterfall, the Lacciwala waterfall, robbers’ cave and pools situated at Guchhu Pani in Dehradun,” said Swati, a teacher. River rafting camps organised from October till the onset of monsoons in Rishikesh remain an all-time favourite with tourists. The thrill is simply unmatched. “I heard about rafting from my friends, but as I don’t know how to swim, I avoided it for some time. Finally, in 2008, I went for it and I am glad I experienced something so different,” said Sachin Sharma, engineer working at Noida. For locals who love water bodies but don’t get time to travel to picnic destinations in Mossorrie, Rishikesh or Haridwar too often, can visit swimming pools at clubs and schools or the Guchu Pani picnic spot. The craze for fitness and looking attractive is one of the major reasons why a large number of summer camps, swimming classes and high-class gyms have come up in the city at a steady rate. Since the past 10 years, Doon Cambridge School has been running a swimming pool. “People have become health conscious, thanks to the media. Citizens are taking to sports such as lawn tennis and swimming to keep in shape. “From school kids to senior citizens, all want to keep fit. The pool membership is Rs 1,200 a month . It has trained coaches. Almost 100 swimmers visit us daily,” said Bijendra, swimming in charge, Doon Cambridge School. However, for those who love to swim in natural surroundings, swimming pools situated at Guchu Pani, at a distance of a mere 5 km from the hustle and bustle of the city, is ideal. Three swimming pools with clear waters of the Tauns in midst of mountains and the cool breeze is a favourite destination of locals and tourists alike. Sources say the construction of swimming pools dates back to the pre-Independence period. After Independence, a group of former army men from the area began to run the pools with the motive of providing employment opportunities to villagers. “A decade ago, unemployed people residing in the area didn’t have any option except to make money out of selling limestone collected from the Tauns. “A team of ex-servicemen from Guchu Pani decided to work towards providing jobs to the locals and converting the pools into picnic spots during the summers,” said Surya Kiran Thapa, supervisor of the swimming pools. “I love Guchu Pani pools as these are located in natural surroundings and are easily accessible,” said Rahul, a college student. With security guards, swimming coaches and a canteen serving snacks, people come here in groups. At times they get packed food from home. The more adventurous chose to cook food after hours of fun in the pool. “For security, we have deployed security guards. From 10 am till 6 pm, people are allowed to come here to eat and swim in fresh waters. There areseparate pools for men and women. Not only locals, but tourist from Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab come here in large numbers. On weekends, there is a mad rush. The ex-servicemen plan to expand the area and provide a larger space to people so that several other activities can be introduced.
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Just can’t beat the food vendors’ lure
Dehradun, May 27 Residents of Dehradun are no different. Be it the popular Madrasi Dosa Hut near the Parade Ground, or the mouth- watering chaat at Maheshwari’s in Karanpur or a refreshing beverage at Tota Ram’s Pineapple Juice Corner, a mixture of sweet lime with slices of the fruit, near the Gandhi Park, all tickle the taste buds. But visiting these eateries requires abandoning all concern for hygiene. The food vendors have achieved their goal of maximim sales at minimum hygiene only too well, such is the demand by junk foodies. Abdul Qayum of Pineapple Juice Corner says: “We prepare fresh juice everyday and make sure that it is used up at the earliest. The nominal amount of Rs 15 per glass attracts a large clientale from the middle class.” Preeti Chaudhary, a resident of Bajarawala, comes as far as Karanpur to enjoy the chaat at Maheshwari’s. She choses to overlook the issue of hygiene. “We don’t looking at the hands serving us is how she puts it. “We wouldn’t mind if the alley was cleaner and if the flies could be kept away,” she confesses. But this does not prevent her from being lured to Maheshwari’s week after week. Her husband explains: “You can customise your chaat to your own taste - make it more tangy with additional yoghurt. “The pani-puri here is yummy and is believed to have healing powers,” says Samir Pundir, a tax collector. “It serves as a cure for all stomach ailments.” The eatery is a favourite jaunt of young college-goers and professionals. Immigrants throng Madarasi Dosa Hut. Sarika, a student from Chennai says: “The sambhar-vada at the stall reminds me of my hometown. The spices and the aroma takes me back home.” The migrants from North-East take pleasure in treating themselves at Bobby’s Chinese Stall near the Gandhi Park. Doma, a student from Manipur claims: “The varieties at the stall cannot be found anywhere else in the city. I enjoy Chicken momos the most. “I come here often with my friends.” For many, these roadside joints are a matter of leisure but rickshaw pullers, porters, construction workers visit these stalls for mere dal-rice. Kishore, owner of a joint at Dispensery Road says: “Many labourers visit us during the day as the food here is exceptionally cheap. A full meal costs Rs 20.”
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Rock sound faith
Pitthoragarh, May 27 Nehru died with this wish unfulfilled but hundreds of Indian pilgrims will be starting off for the 800-km arduous pilgrimage across the Himalayas from June 1. According to Swami Pranavanand, the legendary explorer of the Himalayas who had visited the lake 26 times during the 1950s, Mount Kailash is at a height of 22,028 ft above sea level. Sir Francis Young Husband, former chief of Royal Geographical of UK, said, “The Himalayas have a great contribution in sprouting religious feelings among the Hindus. Most Hindu pilgrim spots are situated in and around the Himalayan region and the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage is oldest among them.” For Hindus, a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, known as the abode of Lord Shiva, is a lifelong dream. Since ages, people had been undertaking this sacred journey which was interrupted after the India-China conflict of 1962. The pilgrimage was resumed in 1981 and since then, a limited number of pilgrims are allowed to visit Kailash Mansarovar. Hindus are not the only community which considers Kailash as a sacred mountain. The Jains also believe that their first Tirthankar, Hrishabh Dev, took ‘samadhi’ at Mount Kailash near the Astapad peak. According to Buddhist scriptures, Kailash is called Kang-Rim-Pochhe. Buddhists believe that 500 Bodhisattvas reside on Kailash. Tibetan Buddhists believe that one circumambulation (parikrama) of the holy mountain washes away the sins of one life. Ten ‘parikramas’ wash away the sins of one ‘kalpa’ while 108 ‘parikramas’ secure Nirvana (salvation). Besides Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, pre-Buddhist Bonpas of Tibet consider Mount Kailash to be the sacred nine-storey peak situated at the center of the earth. Nowadays, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has become a package tour. It begins from New Delhi in the first week of June. The yatra groups reach base camp Dharchula in Pitthoragarh in Uttarakhand from where they start trekking towards Lipulekh Pass (16,912 ft above sea level) from where they cross into Tibet. The batches of pilgrims reach Lipulekh after resting at the camps of the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam at Gala (2,398 m), Bundi (2740 m), Gunji (3,200 m), Kalapani (3,570 m) and Nabhidhang (4,200 m). This year, a new camp at Pangla has been set up as the pilgrims will have to travel 8 km extra on foot from Chenhetalkot to Tawaghat due to a landslide on the route. After the pilgrims cross over to Tibet, they reach the rest houses at Taklakot in the Tnangri province of western Tibet. Thereafter, pilgrims are divided into two groups and each group is taken to Kailash and Mansarovar separately. In their Tibetan sojourn, Indian pilgrims stay at Taklakot, Qugu, Zaidi, Parkha, Darchen, Deraphuk and Zongzerbu. After spending 12 days in Tibet, they trek back to Lipulekh pass. Though after the resumption of the pilgrimage in 1981, the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam has been made the nodal agency, the Pitthoragarh district administration and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel also help in managing the pilgrimage. More than 8,000 pilgrims have undertaken the pilgrimage during the past 25 years. —
The writer is a freelance journalist from Pitthoragarh
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Journey to Uttarkashi to get shorter
Dehradun, May 27 Chief engineer PWD Lalit Mohan said that all formalities regarding construction of the road have been completed. The work is expected to be completed by 2011. The total cost is estimated at Rs 15 crore. At present, the people of the hill district have to cover about 210 km to reach Dehradun via Chamba and Rishikesh. After its completion, the distance would be reduced to 140 km. “The journey between both the places will not take more than 3 hours,” he added. It is will also prove as a boon for the people of a large number of hilly villages along the route due to better road connectivity with the state capital.
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This summer, water bodies and swimming polls in and around the city are attracting a large number of locals as well as tourists. With various summer camps for students being run all over
Dehradun
Indians are foodies and don’t feel shy of enjoying a bite at eateries on potholed streets, even if some of these are only a whif away from a gutter.
Residents of Dehradun are no different.
Pitthoragarh, May 27 
Many tourists who come here for holidaying love to re-energise themselves with water activities as if to drown their worries.