Swaar/ Swad Village( around Barot Valley)…Where The British Legacy Lingers On!

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Photo of Swaar/ Swad Village( around Barot Valley)…Where The British Legacy Lingers On! by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

She adds greener to the greens

She fills drama in the sky

A tad bit of aroma to the earth

And savor to my warm cuppa Chai!!

Photo of Swaar/ Swad Village( around Barot Valley)…Where The British Legacy Lingers On! 1/1 by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails
While climbing up to Swaar, leaving lumbadug & lohardi behind!

You know who that she’d be! Rains in Himachal have been my forever companion and somehow i love the idea of fleeting clouds prancing around while I climb my much loved mountains. The valley suddenly appears greener and the streams sound even more boisterous,adding colors and vigour to the afternoon! After getting back from my hike to Puling/Poling village and Pashakot Mandir( read the previous blogpost) and having a hearty lunch thereafter, i decided to hike up to Swar/Swad Village. It had started to rain yet again and a hike all by myself to this dreamy hamlet was something i’d been wanting to do ever since I got here in Lohardi!

Lohardi mela at its best : A snake charmer weaving his magic over a spellbound audience!

Photo of Lohardi, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

It was 4 PM and by now the Lohardi Mela was in its full swing. Countless eating and game stalls adorned the village alleys while men like snake charmers and monkey tricks caught everyone’s attention. While crossing the main bridge over Lamba Dug in Lohardi, I saw a huge group of people gathered around with this snake charmer in the middle, entertaining everyone with his beautiful reptiles displaying their antics! I somehow made way through them and a little ahead found this guy who didn’t look like a local, sitting at a bend with his three monkeys and a local guy chatting with him! The Monkey guy turned out to be from Delhi who had come all the way to Himachal for Lohardi Mela to show his monkeys around and indulge in some sinful pleasure ( read smoking up weed)! I saw him preparing his smoke and out of curiosity asked him like a naive child, ‘Bhaiya aap kya bana rahe ho?’ to which he said ‘madam maal hai!’ What world was this again! I sat down for a bit watching his monkeys follow his instructions and behaving like humans! I left a 10Rs note which the male monkey quickly picked up and bowed his head to say Thank You!

Monkeying around the country side

Photo of Lohardi, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

Left a little amused by the monkey guy, I carried on with my hike, leaving Lamba Dug farther behind and the Mela hustle bustle of Lohardi fading into oblivion. The road to Swaar was kaccha(unpaved) and the rains had made it a tad bit slushy. The air got cooler and soothed my nerves. A huge boulder lay on the right side of the track, looking down upon Lamba Dug and Lohardi and surrounding villages. I decided to lie down here for a bit with my headphones on and my current read in my hands “Into Thin Air!” All those moments of yearning for peace and tranquility, turned out just how I imagined, right here at this moment! One of the village school girls passed by, staring at me, wondering what I was up to lying down on the green velvet grass in the middle of nowhere! I simply smiled and let her judge me for if there’s one thing that the mountains have taught me is to let my guards down! I wish it was this easy back in my city too! Phew!

My Kinda Time!!

Photo of Barot, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

I decided to walk further for the sky turned only greyer! Somehow this lesser walked track took me back to Pajekha village that I hiked up to in Haa Valley in Bhutan. Every time i’m in the Dhauladhars or Himalayas, there’s always some Dejavu moment reaffirming my faith in the homogeneity of these giants for no matter where they stand, their tribes and the euphoria they create is the same old…same old!

Stopping by enroute

Photo of Lohardi, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

While almost nearing the village, I encountered my deepest fear! A trail washed away by landslide! A massive tree had fallen off and huge boulders were strewn around. A super narrow trail went over the boulders ( made out of villagers walking over it…wait not walking..they run over it) while I planned to take baby steps with my legs trembling for a little left or right and i’d slide down into the stream joining the Lamba Dug. If there’s one fear that I haven’t been able to battle all this while in the mountains, it would be Acrophobia! I CANNOT look down for my head spins and my legs tend to tremble, faltering around like an electrocuted frog! The thought of heading back cropped up in my head, but the desire to check out Swaar was even stronger! So i put my headphones inside my pocket, started muttering Hanuman Chalisa and with over dramatic Ooohhh and Aaaaahs managed to cross over! Sweet Triumph! Though I was already worried about heading back the same way ????

The trail I was petrified of

Photo of Barot, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

Just when I was entering the village, a young man asked me where I was off to. I told him I had come to check Swad. He asked me if I were all alone. I asked him why? He said simply…and that it was going to pour any moment and that i must head back soon! A little more conversation later I learnt that he was a teacher in a primary school in Swad and was going down to Lohardi to see the mela. I asked him for the directions for the Forest Rest House in Swad that exists since the British Times and told him that i’d see him later at Lohardi Mela. The village school stood right there at the entrance of the village and a turquoise green colored hut with a rather different architecture stood out in the background!

Forest resthouse of Swaar

Photo of Barot, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

Turquoise wooden walls with white framed windows and a slanting roof, a tad bit British and somewhat Scandinavian in architecture, the Forest Rest House stood there like the sentinels of time while snow clad Dhauladhars loomed across in the backdrop. A certain familiar sound of bird echoed in this unusually quiet village. I saw an old man and a lady working on the outside lawn in the rest house cottage. I opened the gate and asked him if i could enter and speak with him for a bit. He smiled and let me in!

Mr Pradeep; the caretaker

Photo of Barot, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

Vegetables and flowers were arrayed outside in the huge lawn and apparently the fresh organic veggies were plucked and cooked right there in the kitchen. The old man, Mr Pradeep was the caretaker of the rest house and showed me around. The rooms were huge with a British era fireplace though it was kind of dark inside but this rest house in this quaint little village with snow mountains hugging it on either side, came across as one of those huts from snow white in deep dark fairy woods! ( not exaggerating one bit). Mr Pradeep was so good for my ego as he thought that I was a college girl who was here on a trip with friends. He later told me that i should get The Husband along on my next trip and gave me his number even though the rooms are to be booked through forest department in Palampur. But he did mention that if the rooms are vacant and there are no previous bookings, he does allow visitors to stay in such cases.

Dreamy ….sighh

Photo of Lohardi, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

And while I was earlier keen on checking out the Lohardi Mela, my loyalties changed to Swaar instantly, a part of me wanting to stay back here for the evening. But i had to head back to my homestay for it was almost dark and the rains didn’t look so forgiving!

Photo of Barot, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

I got back to Lohardi an hour later, all drenched, bumping into the same school teacher from Swaar and gobbling down some piping hot jalebis from one of the Mela stalls. I decided to meet the village sarpanch who sat on a big sofa, arranged on the stage for the evening function. He told me how the mela lasted for three days and started almost 35 years back by one of the village school headmaster. It was intentionally kept in the month of May for everyone would get back after the winter break and it was a reunion of sorts! Later it went on to become famous not only in Barot and Mandi but people from Kullu also come and attend the function. The rains were still on but somehow it didn’t deter people from coming out and enjoy the mela.

House Full at the village Tambola!

Photo of Lohardi, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

Hathkargas of Lohardi!

Photo of Barot, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

This was my last evening here and i somehow just wanted to sit by the river and revel in its symphony. I bade goodbye to the stall owners and walked back to my balcony where I loved sitting while i was in my room! Last day in the mountains is never easy!

The last evening while walking on the rain kissed streets!

Photo of Barot, Himachal Pradesh, India by Akanksha Siwach. Tales of The Hidden Trails

I walked the rain kissed streets of this Himalayan village

A part of me completely drenched

If only i could stow this day for good

In the grasp of my fingers, as my wrists i so tightly clenched!

TRAVEL/ STAY INFO ON SWAAR/SWAD VILLAGE

Swaar is a quaint little village located on top of Lohardi.

One can easily hike up to the village in 45mins time as its just 3 to 4kms away.

The village has around 40 to 50 houses and a Primary Sec School

Famous for its British era Forest Rest House, it makes a perfect getaway in Barot Valley.

The rooms have to be booked in advance though from the forest department office in Palampur.

Mr Pradeep is the caretaker and his contact number is 9459146647

There are no homestays available in this village but one can stay in Lohardi.

Thakur Ji Homestay in Lohardi is bang on the Lamba Dug river and offers some spectacular views.

Contact Details of Shyam Thakur…9418770108

Cemented steps on the right at the village entrance leads you to Chena Village.

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