There is an addictive serenity in the mountains which makes me wonder why we even bother with the robotic mundanity and sheer turmoil of urban existence. As we leave our matchbox prisons behind, the roads become narrower, oxygen levels rise and the black smog blanket which suffocates urban existence ceases to exist. There is no hurry to arrive 'somewhere' - no incessant honking or any of those flashy billboards selling you houses, emeralds or soaps. And for the lack of depressing skyscrapers, one can only be grateful that the urban plague cannot infect nature's wilderness.
One may be reminded of W.H. Davies iconic poem titled, 'Leisure' as one enters the quaint artsy village of Gunehar nestled in the heart of the Kangra Valley, a serene little district in Himachal Pradesh in India. Gunehar is a therapeutic haven for those looking for time to, 'stand and stare' at 'streams full of stars, like skies at night.' It is situated between Bir and Billing, the world's second highest paragliding site, approximately 5000 feet above ground level and 8000 feet above sea level. The paragliding location is famous the world over for the experience that it provides.
If you are wondering where you could spend a few quiet evenings sipping some hill tea or your favorite wine, musing on your life's worth, you cannot miss German Indophile Frank Schlichtmann's 'The Four Tables Project'. What began as a little space with four tables in 2008 has grown to include an art gallery (The Gunehar Art Gallery), a fusion restaurant (The 4Tables Cafe), an ecological boutique hotel (The 4Rooms) and a camping site (Camping in the Fields). The project also hosts a number of popular and innovative contemporary art events, residencies and exhibitions.
"The idea is to create and promote a space for alternative and meaningful living by generating employment for the locals," says Schlichtmann who was born in Hamburg, Germany to a Bengali mother and a German father. He arrived in India for the very first time, when he was four. Frank, who is quite famous the world over for his art initiatives across the little village has been covered extensively across several domestic and international newspapers dailies, travel & art magazines and blogs.
It was November 2019 when my husband and I decided to escape the dry Amdavadi heat that spares no mercy on the people of Ahmedabad. Coming from Gujarat, where temperatures soar to touch 48°C in the summers, a pleasantly cold retreat up in the hills was part of our soul-searching getaway plan. We got in touch with Frank who assured us that our trip to Gunehar would be a memorable one. And indeed, it was every bit worth the experience that we were in search of.
Originally, the exquisite boutique homestay was the partially burnt house of a wealthy merchant. It was here that we enjoyed our three-day stay amidst the slow-mo life of the locals in Gunehar. Built with mud, wood and bamboo, the quaint homestay is a home away from home and for all the right reasons. After all, for those who want to hold meditative conversations with nature, all one needs is a comfortable bed, hot water and some good food. We spent afternoons, evenings and nights settled upon a bamboo couch placed on the balcony of our quaint cottage.
And from here, we spent our time gazing upon local shepherds guiding their cattle and sheep up and down the mountains. With a monastery in the vicinity, monks can often be seen traversing the narrow uphill roads. During the afternoons, a typical sight includes the local children, their cheeks akin to peaches, making their way back home from school. We spotted a group of school girls stop by the quiet little brooks, run their hands through the water, eat some berries or fruits and chat away until it was time to continue their journey upwards into the mountains towards their homes. It was with these sights before us that we spent endless hours doing exactly what Davies prompts us to do- 'turn at beauty's glance and watch her feet, how they can dance.'
When it came to satisfying our hunger pangs, The 4Tables Cafe left no stone unturned in treating us right. From a wholesome and delicious mushroom pasta garnished with homegrown spices and veggies, fresh out of Frank's very own garden and breakfast spreads which still occupy a special place in my dreams, one cannot miss devouring the scrumptious food, made with tons of love, at the 4Tables Cafe. If a monarch were to visit the cafe, the service that he/she would receive would make him/her want to do things a little differently back in his/her own palace! Because, that is how brilliant the service is and Frank plays the perfect host!
The cafe is a canvas in its own right with abstract art occupying much of the space on the walls. A beautiful tandoor carved into a stone sits pretty at the entrance where Frank will greet and welcome you into his little haven up in the hills. From the bamboo shaded lights to the countless posters of legendary musicians, the space is designed to allow you to take in the essence of art, at its ethnic best.
After getting drunk on the best of food, music and wine, it is time to gaze upon the countless stars visible in the clear night sky. It is time to dream of a time when we would need not say goodbye to the magic of the mountains. We would much rather bid adieu our urban prison and welcome a sustainable, ecological and fulfilling slo-mo life as our way of living. And Frank Schlichtmann puts himself out there to inspire so many like us, to choose a path less travelled by, to live a life engaged with nature and weave a dream into reality.
We shall return Frank, and when we do, you never know, we might not even leave! Do experience the magic of Gunehar at Frank Schlichtmann's 'The Four Tables Project'. It is bound to cast a spell on you, leaving you with an insatiable desire to give up the urban madness for a life in India's countryside.