Kasauli - A Breather

I had been planning to visit Kasauli for long. Though I have been to Kasauli earlier also but at that time I just passed from Kasauli on my way to Shillon Bagh. I did not stay there and explored Kasauli. Finally last month while talking with Pooji and Meenu we decided to go there. We decided to leave on Thrusday night as we had a 4 day off in our office ( fri and mon due to some festival and sat and sun is our weekly off.). On thursday as per schedule we hired a CRV and moved out to check out this quiet hill station in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district.

After crossing Nahan (went out of route to pick a friend) the ride was part bumpy, part smooth and part scary when on sharp hair-bend turns the driver continued at the same speed.I knew Kasauli was nearing when the CRV began groaning while negotiating steep winding roads. We got down and began our search for a reasonably priced-yet-good hotel. It was unlike other hill stations where one could spot hotels everywhere. This military town has escaped the ‘touristification’, thanks to the army.

Traffic is regularised, no vehicles allowed into the small market, which still has cobbled path. The two main roads the little hill station has are called the Lower Mall and the Upper Mall. It’s just the name, no rows of shops here. Just half a dozen or so makeshift shops run by Tibetans selling jackets, woollens, T-shirts and other usual stuff one finds at such markets everywhere.

There were few picnickers sipping tea and coffee, as monkeys walked by or jumped from branch to branch on trees around, at a biggish grocery store-cum-restaurant, which had lot of space in front of it for the visitors to sit.

After trying couple of hotels we knew names of we finally settled for a guesthouse situated at the end of the road near old Kasauli overlooking the valley below. The owner proudly told us that when sky is clear I could see Chandigarh from the terrace!

Around 5 PM Kasauli was enveloped by the monsoon mist. It was pretty beautiful sight watching mist trapped in pine trees. I rested for sometime before I got out again and just walked on the roads checking them out where did they lead. I resisted going full hog because it was getting dark and I was not sure where I would end up. While I was exploring and admiring the nature my gang was enjoying in the guesthouse.At night we watched some reality show on MTV and finally fell asleep around midnight.

Meenu got up around 5 in the morning and woke me up. We both went out to see how Kasauli looks in morning leaving all others sleeping as we didn't wanted to waste our time in waking others and waiting for them. The sky was clear so I got some views, which I could not in the evening. There was a chill in the air but it was soft and sweet.

After taking a hot bath, we decided to check out the Upper Mall, which, as my hotel manager claimed, provides best views. It is on this road that all the important buildings are situated. This road has the highest elevation in Kasauli, gives you best views on both sides. Sudhi’s ultimate destination was ‘Monkey Point’. May be he wanted to meet his friends there…monkeys. We were advised to take this road as far as Gilbert’s Trail and then take left turn from near a Litter Box. When the hotel manager told me about this box, I thought he was talking about some Letter Box because he said it was of old style and one certainly did not think of Litter Box being there. When I saw many of them I realised he meant Litter Box. And, what Litter Boxes! A beautiful small hut type box, which did not at all, looked like it contained garbage.

After we reached the signboard of Gilbert’s Trail, we took left turn and the short path connected us to the Lower Mall road. From here turning right takes one to the gate of Air Force Station. One has to collect pass to go up to the Monkey Point as it is under the Air Force control. If you have camera and mobile phones, you will have to leave them behind before you enter the Air Force Station. A 20-minute walk will take you to the Monkey Point. A small temple dedicated to Hanumanji (Monkey God) is situated there. Also, you can view snow-capped mountains from here if the sky is clear.

Sudhi was bit disappointed after reaching there because there were very few monkeys oat the monkey point. He could not meet all of his friends for whom he traveled so much. Bechara Sudhi.

Gang – Me (Prats), Meenu, Sudhi, Pooji,