7. To the Skies

7. To the Skies
Travel was an integral part of growing up. It meant hugely that we had Fun, lots and lots. The Long Summer breaks from School meant going to the Hills from the Plains. Holidays also meant lots of jotting notes, own and dictated.
Here are some I found: June 59 Kashmir – by Babuji
-The memories of that visit I still cherish, as they reside with me permanently.
Himalayas meaning “Abode of Snow” cover the entire northern part of India, nestling five major states within it, Kashmir being the best region.
It is therefore not at all surprising that it has had, bestowed on it such glowing panegyrics, in prose and verse.
Its attractions are many, varied, and also both useful and interesting. To an invalid it gives health, to an archaeologist, exploration and research, to an artist, nature’s loveliest and sublimest sceneries, to the sportsmen it presents one of the best hunting grounds in the world, while last, but not least, to the lot of us, it offers surroundings which are unsurpassable. No holiday maker should consider his days in India complete without a visit here.

-We set off on our journey by road DLD 2554. Reached Pathankot and had Tea with Mrs. Pran Nath which was quite refreshing. Without loosing time we reached Jammu the next day.
-After visiting an ancient temple at Jammu, started for Srinagar hoping to reach by the evening but about a distance of 7 miles before Banihal, our car failed. To our luck Dhan Singh, got the car towed with a truck and got it repaired with great effort.
-Steadily we crossed the tedious journey and reached Srinagar where it was raining heavily.
-We stayed at Uncle Dr. Pahwa, the famous eye doctors’ big Kothi. It was sprawling with trees loaded with Cherries and Almonds. Uncle Pahwa, I believe had cured the Cataract of the dog of the Prince of Kashmir who paid him by offering that big Sprawling Kothi. In the dining room there were always 20 plus guests along with 20 plus members of his family. Lavish Punjabi meals with hot Nans were in constant supply along with the Pahwas’ affectionate hugs to all of us children and the adults.
- We drove to the beautiful Mughal Gardens landscaped by the rulers of the Mughal dynasty which were Chashmashahi, Nishat and Shalimar Garden.
- Went to Dal Lake which counts amongst the most splendid lakes in the country. It was the day when Ravi Uncle who was now into Documentaries was filming ‘Spring comes to Kashmir’. I remember that the Heroine, a flower girl was to give a bunch of Lilies to the family in the House-boat. Her Shikara moved away and she almost fell in the waters.
-Mom had an extra bucketful of fresh Cherries on our way to a picnic to Char-Chinar; she had huge vomit in the car, much to the embarrassment of us kids.
- Father got bitten by a Mosquito one night and next morning his eyes disappeared and cheeks bloated out to our horror—it took 3 days to retrieve him back.

On a previous visit some years ago, I remember we were huddled in a tent by the side of River Jhelum at Pehalgam. The loudly gurgling water was rushing down, in immense quantities. It was much colder there. Duni Chand would light the fire in the stove and get us hot steaming milk and Buns. Mother had been pregnant with Vikram to be born, precious awaited son, following us three sisters.

From Pehalgam we would ride our horses, Shashi and I, to Khillanmarg and then the Glacier near Chandanwadi- We would return but pilgrims lined up to go to Amaranth, land of the immortal Lord of all.
We had also gone to Gulmarg by coach, the Himalayas surrounding us everywhere.

That was the year of the floods and rains in Kashmir. Our return journey had stretched from 2 days to 10, what with fractured bridges and jubilant overfilled Rivers trespassing the roads. Dhan Singh, the driver, certainly was big and strong. Along with some help he would often bodily lift the car and get us across.

Another memory is that of a slaughterhouse. It was behind the small Hotel we stayed in at Pathankot. Goats tied to poles, pools of blood, meat, butchers with black big knives—causing horrible, horrible cramps in stomach. It was many years later that I dared to go inside a Kroger’s meat counter in the US to get lamb steak chopped for cooking mutton curry that I saw, how cleanly they did it like cutting cucumber, the difference between 3rd and 1st world.
Kausani on way to Nainital-May ‘63
-We are on top here this evening at the spot where Gandhi Ji sat and wrote his “Anashakti Yog”.
Every moment is inspiration. Ascetic natural surroundings, delightful atmosphere, most pleasing breeze embraces us all round. This peak commands a close view of the silvery majesty of the Himalayas. Most unexpectedly, it got clouded here this evening and instead of the unique view of Sunset, we got heavy drizzle, so we await tomorrow.

- We got up at 3:30 am as was always done by Gandhi ji. The inspiration and joy of the moment was to watch the sun-rise beyond Himalayas beautifully visible from here. We drove upward and higher still ahead of the Rest house, and saw the clearest morning sunrise. Jhalal shah was the guide as we clicked our cameras, the Sun glittered its earliest rays. The snowy peaks of Nanda Devi and Trishul shone bright as the sun rose. The scenic beauty threw up all its hidden secrets as the sun broke through. In moments, the full sun came up high in the sky making it the most memorable morning.
Kausani is 50kms north of Almora in Bageshwar dist. of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It is an ideal spot for an escape from the big cities. Famous Hindi poet Sumitra Nandan Pant belonged and composed her early work here.
-Started return journey via Almora, from where our faithful Duni Chand came. It was a bad road and we reached Nainital by 3 pm.


Nainital
-Had rest after our hectic visit to Ranikhet and Kausani. In the evening saw the picture ‘Dil ek mandir’ with Rajendra kumar and Meena kumari. It was very good but a tragic story.
-Went to the boat club, enjoyed ‘housie’, boating at Naini Lake, chaat with Lunch.
In the evening, saw an English picture ‘Hitler and his life and loves’ and went to boat club again because it was a dance evening.
-Went to chaltek mall at Nainital club, attended a charity ball where a young Anglo India girl got the crown for Miss Nainital.
-Went for hiking towards Tallitaal side and saw Munshi kuteer. Sunita and Vikram went for skating.
-We all went to see a fete which was fun. Vikram sat on an elephant too
-Late night went for a walk to the Lake to see in the moonlight.-Visited Naini temple in my morning walk. Also visited Hanuman Garh near which was an Astronomical observatory, one of the most modern in India.
- Visited Gita Satang Ashram and met Swami Vidya Nand who gave a good discourse on Gita.

Later years-

Young, married to Rakesh, we crossed the ferry from Dover and drove with the Sabharwals through Europe staying in ‘Bed and Breakfasts’ and sometimes in the car by the roadside.
Often lost in the ‘heavenly fog’, we traversed the Alps, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and ‘boated’ in waters of Lake Geneve at Geneva in Switzerland.

With daughter Divya, drove up the low lying Lush Green Hills of Scotland dotted with white woolly Shetland Sheep. Unlucky to see the ‘monster in lake Loch ness’, saw many castles, cathedrals and palaces of the British royalty. Also the aroma of ‘Scotch’ the ‘loved of all’ Whiskey in the Scottish breweries could not have been missed, to stay for posterity.

In the Southern United States, as they grew up, took them skiing on the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. Got tangled in the ‘Skies’, tangling a knee ligament, never to forget my limitations. And of course in the West we toured the mighty Grand Canyon.

Back Home- The reasons why people have been so fascinated by the Indian Himalayas is because of the Hindu pilgrim routes, the low valleys that abruptly rise up in high mountain ranges, the lovely trekking hikes, densely forested areas lying just a mountain range away.

There were many a trips to Mussourie walking on the ‘Camel walks’, Simla on the Band Stand, Chail and Kufri, Kasauli to the Monkey point and Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj a hamlet of the Buddhist community headed by the peace Nobel Laureate ‘the Dalai Lama’.

Took the children Divya and Karan to the Valley of Flowers and Badrinath where Karan jumped into the Hot Sulphur baths only to survive getting burnt. How I did the 14 Km. Hike to Ghangria on way to Hem Kund I cannot fathom now. Those were the days---


Kusum my Hostel mate and I stayed at the Fish lodge on the River at Pokhra valley when we visited Bimla Sreshtha by now, a doctor of Mother and child settled with an Ophthalmologist at Kathmandu, Nepal. Instead of a dozen kids she had dreamt of having, she had one daughter who is now in the US of A. There were more Japs, sr. sr. by age, than any other tourists going up the Hills loaded with Sony digi-Cams while I sat to catch my breath every few steps to Kusum’s annoyance.

Much later, after the Calcutta Psych. Meet, the other Veena and I flew to Guwahati, Shillong in Meghalaya and Arunachal with bountiful waters of the Brahamaputra almost drowning us.

Tirupati’s ‘Art of Psychiatry’ meet followed Kodaikanal in the South and Manali, to the glaciers of the ‘Rohtang Pass’ in the North.

And of course how can I forget our Filming at ‘Tagores’ summer resort, Ranchi. Shubhadarshini ‘the explorer and recorder’ of Medical history, took me to the first ‘Mental hospital’ of India which still remains in the Annals of Indian Psychiatry.

NOW- the ‘grand kids’ take me. I am looking for my Hat, Sunglasses, and special Dr. Scholl’s’ shoes while they are in their world of I pod, laptop and other Cyber gadgets galore.

Veena