(This article was published in The Hindu Metro Plus dated 27-Oct-2012)
Journey to the end of the earth, or that’s what it feels like, when we visit Chitkul on the India-Tibet border
A couple of hours commuting to the airport, the pre-boarding hours, two
and half hours in a plane, eight hours on a bus from Delhi to Shimla,
then an entire day's bus journey to Sarahan, followed by another long
day of rickety bus rides. That’s a total of 35 arduous hours spent so
far on the road and here I am at 3:00 pm on Day 3 in Chitkul, the last
village on the Indian side at the India-Tibet border.
The sun's rays are still strong and the day shows no signs of coming to
an end. Chitkul is glowing as if the lights will never be put off in
this hamlet. There’s a sense of cosiness, as if the place is transfixed
in time, but a chilly wind from the Baspa valley that carries moisture
from the Baspa river, is a reminder of the travails of time.
This last hamlet is by no means just a village. What was a remote
village a few years ago with few travellers is now on the tourist map.
The half-a-dozen guest houses greet us with signs of 'rooms available'
and the attached restaurants display descriptive menus, mainly
consisting of thukpas, momos, noodles and the omnipresent Indian thali.
The women are filling up water in cans from a tap just above ground
level while the Baspa river flows by down the valley. A few donkeys
linger and the putrid smell of their excreta is eclipsed in the
afternoon breeze.
Our spine yearns for rest, which is duly acknowledged in the Thakur
Guest House, a small place that mainly caters to budget travellers. The
room on the ground floor, although hardly ventilated, is clean enough
for a quick nap. Our sleep is broken by a passing tractor and we realise
with a start that it’s 6:00 pm. With the hope of capturing the evening
sun, I venture out, only to find the sun still bright, though the wind
in the valley has become much stronger and the temperature has dropped. A
hot cup of tea, perfectly savoured from the guesthouse terrace, lets me
enjoy the view.
The morning has a pale blueness to it and one can hear the Baspa hitting
the boulders in the distance. The chirping of the birds is like a chime
in this one-man orchestra. Outside the guesthouse, I get a morning view
of the Himalayas. With the sun's rays hitting only the peaks, the lower
portions are still drenched in darkness, and the mountains look like
they have been given a layer of icing at the top. The snow-capped ones
shimmer as if they are the crowning jewels of India. One could sit on
the terrace the whole day and do nothing but look at the skyline.
After two or three cups of chai, we brave a stroll up to the river. The
Baspa is murky, carrying silt and mud, but the flow is still extremely
strong. The place looks perfect for rafting, as there are many Class III
and IV rapids. The sun is getting brighter but the cold is still
perceptible. Another 5-6 km walk would have brought me to the Indian
border check post but my laziness gets the better of me. I am told that
20 km from the check post lies Tibet.
I take a post-prandial walk around the village. With only a few hundred
people living here, I expect to stumble on quite a few people and have
some interesting conversations. But most of the villagers seem busy
cooking lunch in their beautiful wooden homes.
An old man smoking tobacco tells me the small house-like structures
scattered across the village are used to store grain and fodder,
protecting them from snow and rain. I stumble upon a big beautiful
wooden door, the main gate to the temple of the local goddess, known as
Chitkul Maathi or Mata Devi. Chitkul is the last stop in the Kinner
Kailash Parikrama, which starts from Kalpa, going via Thangi, Lambar and
Charang, and continues towards Rakcham, Sangla and culminates at
Karcham where the Baspa meets the Sutlej.
Chitkul is cut off during winter and many villagers move to Sangla or
Rampur. Looking back, I realise the arduous journey was well worth it.
In Chitkul, the best thing to do is relax, soak in the views and take
back enchanting memories. In many ways, it felt as if time had frozen in
Chitkul.
HOW TO GET THERE
Hire a cab from Shimla, the wait for buses is long. The adventurous can
hit Rekong Peo from Shimla. There are two daily buses to Chitkul from
Rekong Peo. Sangla is the last big town before Chitkul and has many
staying and eating options.
WHERE TO STAY
Panchali Resort and Thakur Guest House are good budget options, while
Banjara Camp & Retreat, and Igloo Nature Camp offer slightly pricey
tented accommodation.
WHAT TO EAT
You can get momos, thukpas, noodles and Indian thalis almost everywhere.
