One of the many places that are under the army purview, Chakrata too has an immense, untapped potential. Thommen Jose suggests a serious re-look at the policies that have to be taken before the people leave – for better prospects at more tourist-friendly places. Just 30 km from Chakrata, I stopped by a dhaba for a chai and struck up a conversation with the dhaba-wala. He asked me where I was headed to. “Chakrata,” I told him. “Chakrata?” He asked through squinted eyes. “Where is that?” Chakrata is one of
Working to propagate his ‘mission hemp’ Thommen Jose undertook a journey to Pauna, a small mountain hamlet, 30 km by ‘foot or hoof’ from the last motorable point in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. It was an eye-opener in more ways than one. “Lord Shiva was missing and nobody could find him. His wife Parvati was immensely worried and set out to look for him. She descended from the heavens to search the Earth. Looking all over the Kailasa mountain range, she found him in a cave, meditating, with a serene smile.” After
“You happy?” asked Amar Khan, our camel driver. “Yes,” we chorused. “You happy,” Ekaterina, the Russian student who was with us, mimed along as Amar replied, “I double happy.” The ‘double’ had to sound like it contained more than one ‘happy’. But by now we had enough practice: Amar would ask after our gaiety-quotient every quarter hour. The heady feeling of being one with Lawrence of Arabia had worn off after the first day, today was the third. There was no more enthusiastic pointing out weird-shaped dunes or shrieking out
