Dalhousie-We Visited Dalhousie too.

As usual we made our homework on this trip also. Up and down train tickets were ready. And the arrangements of taxi and our accommodations were arranged through our close family friend we are having at Dalhousie.We boarded the Jayanthi Janatha from New Delhi at 9pm. The arrangements in the third Ac compartments were good. We were served food in the compartment in several installments which ended with a desert Ice cream served by 11.30 pm. The dinner also included in the reservation. No complaints-but interesting.

The town Dalhousie is in the State Himachal Pradesh and Chakki Bank- the station next before Pathankot are in the State Punjab. The ride to Dalhousie, on the road, in the early hours was not so pleasant. Anyway we reached our destination The St Peters Church, Dalhousie by 7.30 is and our host Rev.Fr.Ivan, the Vicar was there to receive us. He was very pleasant and warm. We spend with Fr Ivan the morning till lunch. Fr Ivan has some white turkeys, big ones. And he has also some rare ducks, lovebirds, and doves. We had nice time with Fr Ivan and he gave us a brief description of Dalhousie and about the church building.

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It was so pleasant to spend some time with persons like Fr Ivan who is excited in our company and very considerate and looked even to the minute details of our convenience with the limited recourses he had.

We proceeded to Diankund a hilltop about 2745 meters above sea level. We had to trek about 3-4 kilometers up to reach the Devil Temple. It was tedious and tiresom. The walking stick Fr Ivan gave me was very usefull. And the scenery was a tonic. We could see the Himalayan Stretches the Argil Valleys and further - all the way up to the Temple. We returned to the car by 4pm

Next our destination was Kalatop. We had to take diversion at Lakadnandi and the entrance ticket to Kalatop, a forest area we had to drive about 3-4 kilometers through narrow lane, dark with deodar and pile trees filled on both lines. Therewere some resort like constructions. We could get hot tea here. Just down on the slope we could see some huts of the locals.





We spend time some time in the town before returning to make some calls to home and my office.

We made some rice soup and a dish of cereal for supper. Beforewe slept,we had some alarms. I had attended some desk works for an hour and suddenly I developed some breathing problems. Anyway the precautionary medicines, we carried saved us from further embracement.

As it was a Sunday. The Church was in full activity from early morning itself .Fr Ivan told the mass and delivered the sermon in Hindi. He got a reasonably good command over the language.

By ten we started off. Destination Chamba Town. Khajiyar was on our way and it was just great. Wonderfull scenery, There is a temple at Khajiar.






We were their for an hour and started off to Chamba.The road to Chamba are on the slopes going straight for some length and then climbing and turning to the other side of the hill, giving us a dream come true view of Himalayan Valleys. Just a glimpse of the tips covered in snow. Our Driver called it tops of one of the KailashParvath Mani Mahesh As we were approaching Chamba we were running by the side of river Ravi.It was told that the river Ravi flows from here to Pakistan.

Chamba Town is a beautiful location but poorly maintained. Management of roads, waste, and everything was in a mess. But the it is evident that the down is under an authority. It must be bunch of incapable goondas. A guess only. We visited the museum of the town and the monument Delhi Gate a pathetic monument which documents my observation of the town.





We had lunch at a hotel by name City Palace Surprisingly it was an average hotel and the food was ok. W returned Via Chamba Pathankot Road. On the way we passed Choura Dam. Like yesterday we had a light supper chatted with father up to9.30 and retired to our rooms.

Unexpectedly our that night turned out be a nightmare. Fr Ivan on chatting with us happened mention about the destructions on the garden and the house by occasional attacks by the monkeys and about the continues trouble by the rats. Apart from that, my wife noticed that rats bit soap kept in our bathroom, She got so scared of rats. As such the building was centuries old and the old wooden sealings, very old and rusty doors and furniture added to her fear. She wanted the lights fully on and kept awake as if rats may come any time. She was afraid to sleep., fearing that rats might bite on her leg fingers. She wanted me to be awake to keep her company. For me that night ended not by counting hours but by counting
the minutes

Even though we had a disturbed sleep, we reported early morning by 6.30 to accompany
Fr Ivan to the nearby convent the adjacent compound-The Sisters are of Charity Of Jesus And Mary- A Belgian Congregation.Fr Ivan told the Mass in English.



The Sisters offered us breakfast but the father-declined .We had the breakfast at the church and our driver Kishorlal reported by 9.30am to take us to Subash Bouli a small water stream. This stream got a story, When Subash chandra Bose had the attack of Flourousy, and he came to Dalhousie to some local treatment. In the mornings he used to walked down on this way and used to drink regularly from this stream. The story is that he got cured completely. From those days it is believed that this stream has got some medicinal powers.

Our Dalhousie visit was on the concluding stage. We just roamed on that small town, the Gandhi chowk,Tibetan shopping centre, our lunch and a stroll back to the Subash Chowk,
where the St. Peters Church, all ended by 2.30 pm .We got packed. We left Dalhousie by 4.30,bidding farewell to Fr Ivan. We were in the taxi, climbing down from Dalhousie to the Chakki Bank Railway Station.Our mind full with the thoughts of Fr Ivan a wonderful human being who wants only one thing in his life to love and to be loved.