I have always been enthralled by the web of stunning views created by the Majestic Himalayas, which has given me eternal peace and made me feel a step closer to heavenly abode of Gods.
It was a long time since my last date with the Himalayas, and they were calling me back. And after some thought, Munsyari it was, a hamlet in the Pitthorgarh district of Uttarakhand, bordering Nepal and Tibet. Located on the banks of Goriganga river, surrounded by the Panchchuli Himalayan ranges this place captivates your soul for lifetime.
After the overnight journey from Delhi to Haldwani, we hired a share cab from Haldwani to Munsyari early morning. The road trip to Munsyari is something, I'll never forget all life. The jaw dropping ranges of Kumaon, lush green terrace fields, beautiful, green mustard fields, the divine Ganga river making its way through the countryside, all this was so overwhelmingly beautiful that I just wanted to leave everything behind and settle down here forever.
We reached Munsyari in the evening, whilst devouring all the magical artistry of nature on the way. It was freezing yet my heart was in a very cosy and warm place, somewhere in the middle of what looked like almost another planet. The serene surroundings here take your breath away.
The Naina Devi temple here is located in surroundings which are so beautiful that can give you tears of joy. The Panchachuli mountain peaks towering on all 4 sides, Goriganga river flowing through deep down the valleys, birds chirping melodiously , the mountain chill, with the overwhelming silence take you into a dreamland. One can just spend a whole day here in the divine atmosphere soaking into all the positive vibes out there. This place will make a place in your heart forever.
The day of Mahashivaratri was absolutely freaking cold. The land was wrapped with an endless white blanket of fresh snow. Hot cup of tea and hot maggie was the need of the hour. And our needs were fullfilled. At the Khaliya top base, where the snow was pondering down, we had our wish fulfilled. We had Maggie and garma garam(hot) chai in the kind of an ambiance that I dream of all day and all night. The dogs here are probably amongst the sweetest, cutest and friendliest in the whole world. Those are the usual traits of mountain dogs though. They make you fall in love all over again.
Thamri kund located nearby is a beautiful pond located right amidst the dense Himalayan forest. However persistent snowfall all day made it impossible to do the trek to the pond. The Maa Durga temple at Darkot, around 5-6 kms from Munsyari is another divine and beautiful temple in the outrageously beautiful countryside of the Pitthorgarh district, where Munsyari is located. Looking at these overwhelmingly beautiful locations, i was absolutely mesmerized and dint want to go back home ever.
Around an hour and half distance is the beautiful hamlet of Mandakot, which is famous for its natural hot spring. The Goriganga river flowing right amidst the deep valleys of the mountains of the mighty Himalayas gives you eternal peace and tranquilizes and soothens your soul. This Ganga flowing here is in its purest and holiest form. Sitting on its banks and observing the coniferous forests, the mighty Himalayas and the unadulterated nature takes you to another world, free of chaos and falsehood. There is a small Shiva temple near by in these divine surrounding on the banks of this divine river. We had really good quality, simple, healthy and tasty food served by genuinely good people over our whole journey, especially at the homestay where we stayed.
Munsyari is one of the off-beat places in the heart of Uttarakhand, India. The amount of depth and diversity that the country possesses is mind boggling and this magnificent country continues to fascinate me. However, this country cant be explored even in 7 lives.
