| The mountain that encircle Naldehra an hour’s drive from Shimla, strike impressive poses.Yes Naldehra excudes oodles of charm, located that Lord Curzon (appointed Viceroy of Indian in 1899) had so loved .So much si that he had named his third and younger daughter ,Alexandra Naldehra! He also built here, the second oldest (after Kolkata and one of the prettiest golf courses in India.
During our three-day stay,we explored the idyllic little village nearby which seemed caught in a time wrap and was replete with rural cameos. As darkness gathered, we returned to our resort where a baebecue was scheduled around a roaring bonfire. Suddenly,a cruel wind whipped around us sending us scurrying into the warmth of the restaurant with its ceiling to floor picture window.The next morning, after breakfast,we set off into the forest, tramping the spaghetti-like trails which were buzzing with life- rainbow-coloured birds trilled in boughs, insects foraged in the red earth and a soft breeze sighed and ruffled the cedars that have stood tall for centuries.We took path that ended in open glades before returing to our hotel for a dip in the pool and a message. The heated pool,enclosed in glass, had a greenhouse effect and beyond it rippled mountain range that seemed to glower down at us
That evening we drove towards Chindi vally where the landscape seemed to erupt with a wild fecund beauty we Drove down to Tatapani where the young and the restless go river rafting; We explored the quaint powerhouse of chaba and stopped by a Hanuman temple shrouded in an ineffable sense of peace.Here, a priest prayed as he cradled a little baby in his arms while the fond mother looked on. Back on the road, our car twisted around switchbacks and we are confronted in turn by deep gorges and enormous cliff faces.Occasionally,the landscape would soften and a scattering of slate by terraced fields where man had tamed the terrain to meet his need.
Yes, the centuries became confused in this hallowed spot where the legendary,past seemed more real than the present.A hooting wind had started to blow by the time we returned to our resort where we happily surrendered ourselves to the comforting warmth of its embrace. |
