Hello ji, myself Pinky.
There's a lot written about a (not so)hidden gem of a village called Sainj, nested deep within the Tirthan Valley. Maybe this one wouldn't be the go-to blog if you're planning a trip but if you're here for a chuckle, you're most welcome!
I'm a hard working fluff hailing from the busy city of Baroda and was recently adopted from a huge conglomerate. As you are aware that the months of January to March is when we plan our finances around tax and as women control the purse strings of most families, I shifted a few things here & there to accompany my human in his journey to his mysteriously sacred valley.
It would be a stretch to say that we were on a budget, given the fact that I have witnessed him gulp insurmountable amount of beers followed by a burp which would put an airplane engine to shame. But who am I to judge, I was on a hard-earned vacation and I needed to let my furry self free.
Getting In
The nearest airports are either Bhuntar(nuh-uh) or Chandigarh. Sainj almost sits between Shimla and Manali so if you have a few days to spare, you could easily drop-by. But for me, a single stretch of 10-12 hours from Chandigarh was not an option. So we stayed in a hotel overlooking the Sundarnagar lake. There are no words in the dictionary using which I exhibit the place as appealing, it's not. It's Sabarmati, it's almost Sukhna and maybe a photocopy of Nakki Lake in Mt. Abu.
Like all women, I get kinda feisty after just a couple of drinks and no surprise my filters came off.
Come daylight, we only had a few hours of drives in front of us. Although I chugged quite a lot of dark rum, I was energetic 2 Aloo Paranthas later. I quickly stole the keys and you know the rest,
There's heavy construction in the Mandi district is underway which will result into a 4-lane highway from Chandigarh to Manali. Like Manali could really bear more tourists as it is. My fur is allergic to dust and hence I sneezed my guts out at certain places. We also stopped to stare at landscapes which the journey had to offer,
I am not the one to pose but here I thought the landscape could use a bit of Pinky-ish hue,
Oh, you remember the unfortunate incident wherein 24 engineering students lost their lives? We crossed Thalaut with a lingering thought that although this accident could've been averted, life is a precious gift and the privileged lot like ourselves should try and help those who are not so much. It could be as little as having Maggi because it's the gesture that counts and maybe a few onlookers who also stop seeing a fur-ball relishing noodles.
My tiny stomach could only accommodate a single plate but I saw my human gulp several plates without a single belch. One of the reasons why women live longer than men.
The 4-laning of the route will bypass Hanogi Mata's temple which is a prime attraction of the valley being one of the oldest temples in the entire district. It is situated at the foot of the mountain and a narrow stream complements the temple's sacredness.
As the day descended, we made good time and reached Sainj's main market. After a few calls with our homestay's owner, we realized we had to drive 8 KM uphill towards Deohari. The temperature started to drop and my fur just didn't cut it. I needed an upgrade and I needed it soon. I was finally welcomed by a beautiful family of 5 which consisted of 2 brothers, an elder sister and their parents. Sometimes my cute overlook makes people go into a frenzy and it's irritating, not that I don't like the attention, after all I'm a guurl.
Bablu, the youngest member of the family took an instant liking to the enigma that was Pinky(that's me).
And that helps in all aspects of life, for example:
After a smooth check-in process, I stole my human's favorite (magical)muffler and picked a spot in their backyard.
Girls, you know how our feet and hands are always at sub-zero temperatures? And how our men & bois run at the sight of us approaching them with our hands in the air? SAME. The homestay was surrounded by a towering pine-laden mountain on one side and newly built homestays on the other. I could feel my lungs rejuvenate with the crisp mountain air but it was possible my tiny lungs froze in surprise for a minute there as they had only been subjected to polluted air before.
I always watched my human capture (somewhat)beautiful pictures and I thought I could give it a try at-least. I hopped with my tiny feet, jumped into his backpack and aimed his GoPro trying to compose a half-decent photograph.
Suddenly, everyone's attention drifted towards a tiny smelly creature on 4 legs. At first I thought it would be despicable and not lady-like to mingle with a stray but after he yelped playfully around me for a couple minutes, I decided to befriend him for the sake of my human as he worships this noisy breed. If he brings in a pup someday I'm going to stand my ground and draw out a will.
Soon it was nightfall and the temperature started to drop even further. I saw my human's eye sparkle because to him, that meant only thing - BONFIRE. My human loves bonfires because it may not come as a surprise to you that men love lighting things on fire. Why, honestly it escapes me.
Oh, the things we do for love.
The chill seeped into my fur and we settled in-doors wherein our hosts were waiting to dine with us. Homestays have slowly turned into a business and a very few have remained which have captured its essence. Luckily, ours was one of them.
My hands had gone stiff with cold so I ordered my human to feed me to which he gladly obliged.
If you think the day was over, you couldn't be more wrong! We were on a vacation wherein the time loses its essence just like the airport. You could be in your jammies at 7 AM sipping on a margarita and nobody would give a rat's ass.
I taught my fellow human how to play UNO. For those who don't know, it's a popular card game known to destroy families and friendships alike.
Us: "but pinky there are no pink colored cards in UNO!"
Pinky: "Keh diya na. Bas, keh diya"
After a series of embarrassing defeats, my human and I called it a night. I called shotgun again and got the best seat in the house.
How cold was it?
Let's just say if I had balls I know exactly where they'd be.
Pinky vs Wild
A subtle ray of sunshine peeked through the window and caressed my furry face to charge me up for a fun filled day.
But that's how travel bloggers get up. I relate more to this gem from Catana,
I need to be lured out of my bed with our national beverage,
Imagine the last time you were at a place like this. You're up at 8, you don't have to walk towards your home-desk to check up on your emails. You do not have a set agenda for the day. The only deliverable you have right now is to sip that cup of tea and stare at sparrows having a pawwri while cute little pups try real hard to catch their own tail. Even the smoke emitting out of the chimneys stay still fearing the extreme cold if they move further up in the atmosphere. You pull your jacket close to your body, take a deep breath and imagine staying here for months, knowing well you'd end up homesick the next day. It's all normal.
Talking to locals is pretty easy if you look like me. I thought there wouldn't be any activities or major spots here but I was wrong. Turns out, no matter where you end up in Himachal, every hamlet has something in store for you.
There are many hiking trails in the area to keep you occupied for weeks. But as we were short on time, we decided pay a visit to Pundrik Rishi Lake. The hike takes you through narrow trails which quickly become steep at times. My feet evolved for this terrain but for humans, I recommend a good pair of shoes. The twist and turns of the trail pull you away from your usual worries and the focus shifts on staying alive and not falling over the edge. Naval, the eldest son of the family was our guide for the day and he kept me engaged in a deep conversation about unemployment and how the education/health sector needed a boost in the valley. What do I know, I am an owl.
The birds chirped incessantly, centipedes crawled behind their mamas and pine cones guided us along the way until we reached a rickety yet sturdy wooden bridge. My human is slim but I was worried if the bridge could hold bear the weight of his protruding belly. It was obvious I had to volunteer,
As we approached the lake, we spotted a pack of mules grazing gently on negligible grass while the kids ran around chasing each other. I tried to exchange greetings with them but they were surprisingly taken aback at my ability to converse. Humans are weird.
I was too scared to go near one(not the kids) so I quickly snapped a beautiful pony and asked for my birthday gift in advance. My human refuted the request, obviously. Miser. Can someone adopt me, please?
I practiced social-distancing from them but still managed to capture the beauty of the landscape with me in it, of course.
I am not going to lie, I kinda lost my balance a few seconds after my human perched me on what looked like a mountain given my size.
Legend has it that the holy Pundrik Rishi meditated here and hence the lake was named after him by the locals. His exact origins are not documented but my human showed me his shrine beside the lake which was a protected area. The vista does a 180 degree flip during the summer months carpeting the entire lake with lush green grass and more tourists in the frame. I like my personal space as you can see above.
The lake is flanked on both sides by tall Deodar trees and on the edge lies Upper Neahi, a village where century old traditions come to life and spotting 100 year olds is a common sight, anxiously waiting to tell you stories you would remember for the rest of your lives. They have happily opened their homes(and hearts) to travelers like myself who respect their home and culture.
I'll give you a small tip which I also gave my human at the very start of this trip. Please stop buying water bottles if you are going to spend your time predominantly in the upper lying areas of Himachal. Carry a water bottle with you. The water here is purer than Hema's"Kent RO deta hai sabse shuddh paani" or Madhuri's "Har Water Purifier Aquaguard Nahi Hota"
I do not endorse any product or advise which I do not follow myself. Exhibit A:
Devta Jehar
Next to Pundrik Rishi's Temple, there's a cave named after Devta Jeher. Legend or Myth Moment.
In accident prone areas surrounding the Sainj Valley, you'll find Devta Jehar's temples. Locals believe that the deity will protect them but little does he know that vehicles sporting "mummy's gift" as a bumper sticker are beyond help or blessings. I spotted trishuls, iron bearings, even goat's antlers as an offering. Unfortunately I didn't have any of these to offer so I simply paid my respects.
The excursion took a lot out of me and we walked towards Upper Neahi to relish on some snacks. My human had to carry me as my paws had given up for the day.
Pahadon ki maggi hits differently, like airport's overpriced beer. It's the same sh*t but comes in a packaging you simply can't refuse. Hugsy, my pen-pal called me while I was noodle-ing my way to check up on things. We talked for hours about how we are ill-treated by our humans and not fed every 2 milli-seconds or taken to the park like every hour.
After stuffing my maggi which had huge dollops of butter, I was energetic but my human was not. He says he's 30 but his eating habits and routine puts him at 40.
I lazed away the evening warming myself up by "bukhari" or a traditional tandoor prominently used in Himachal. I don't mean to toot my own horn but I'm an artist at heart.
Shangarh - Siund
On my final day in the valley, I took off towards a place which was supposed to welcome me with vast green meadows. A place highly recommended by tourists and travelers alike. I excitedly decided to travel in an unconventional way to soak in as much beauty as I could.
IT WAS A NIGHTMARE. I quickly asked my human to hold me back but he laughed at my misery.
I somehow maintained my balance until we reached the Shangarh meadows, home to Shungchul Mahadev.
I missed the greenery but I'd take the leathery texture over an overcrowded one any day. It was a sunny afternoon, kids loitering during recess, uncles of all shapes and sizes clicking selfies with their families and then there was I,
A mountain floof cuddled me because apparently like all floofs, he also liked to shred whatever he could fit in his mouth. Somehow I escaped from his clutches and and ran towards my human but he was nowhere in sight. I followed Bear Gryll's advice and looked for a high-ground from wherein I could spot my human.
After relentlessly looking for an hour, I found out that he sneaked out to have fun with his friends behind a café at a safe distance from the holy place. I immediately confronted him about leaving me alone and to my surprise, another floof came to defend him. The audacity.
The next stop was a hidden waterfall situated in Siund which is home to couple of hydroelectric projects. Go ahead, Google it - still under the wraps!
To mark an end to this memorable(and my first) excursion, I spent the evening trying to capture the night sky in all its beauty but this is the best I could do.
The nitty-gritty details about conveyance, stay and budgeting are trivial details and mostly a couple of Google searches away, I remember how Tripoto used to be in its initial daya; a platform to share your individual experiences rather than a check-list to go and follow down to the word.
Anyway, I hope you liked the pictures. I'm really looking forward to travel more to give my human more content and a protagonist for his memes. Cheers!