Tucked Away in Tirthan - Part 4 by Mandvi

Be Game to Get Lost

From a makeshift eatery we take packed omelets and walk up to Myaji point. This time we stick to the wide dirt track masquerading as a road.

It is lined with apple orchards with wild white and pink lilies growing in the shade. We climb into one to follow two women and their cows across the crest with a small wooden shrine and pond. The white peaks of the inner GHNP form a perfect canvas backdrop.

Lunch is followed by a snooze lolling on the grassy slope of an orchard. It's paradise! We rouse ourselves and reluctantly start back with what we think is enough daytime.

From the trolley point we see our homestay below and decide to take a shortcut in the general direction of the village. After a promising start we get royally lost.

At one point I have to slide down on my backside a few feet. (As opposed to flying face down) A wrong turn to follow a pipeline (has to go to a tap, no?) ends in a thicket.

Sense prevails; we backtrack and eventually stumble back on to the track going to Bihar. Sweet relief! Hema has thoughtfully made halwa post dinner knowing I have a fast.

Early next morning we took a walk on an under-construction road through the deodar forest patch near the village. A fallen tree is being chopped up by the village men and they carry the logs on their backs up to the village to stock up for a feast coming up.

Cultural rooting is still strong here and family functions and festivals are community affairs.

To be continued………….