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The Himalayan settlement of Munsiyari, an untrodden path, is the closest you can get to experiencing the Greater Himalayas.
We
set out early in the morning, two carloads of excited children and
adults in two Maruti Gypsies, for a destination that few had heard
of ----- Munsiyari in the Kumaun Hills. A driving distance of 650 km
from Delhi. We decided to cover it in two days with a night halt at
Ranikhet.
The
route is fairly straightforward although a good road map is a great
help. Highway driving brings its own logistics -¤ it is always
advisable to pack extra helpings of munchies and biscuits. Having
been put in charge of four children of "growing age", I can
vouch for that. Also, carry lots of drinking water and a towel. Once
in the hills, those prone to motion sickness should take an
anti-vomiting tablet although on this route I found the roads to be
very good and the bends gentle, unlike the acute stomach-churning
ones in other parts of the Himalayas. But keep in mind that the
journey is long. The other thing is to keep track of refueling
points. In the hills extra petrol in a 40-litre jerrycan is a must.
Petrol, particularly the unleaded variety is not as freely available
as in the plains.
On
the way from Ranikhet to Munsiyari we passed through pine forests
that gave way to mixed vegetation of oak and birch as we approached
higher altitudes. We caught glimpses of Trishul and Nanda Devi from
Kausani and of Panchchuli peaks from Chaukori. Our journey was
interrupted in several places by baraat (wedding) processions;
entire villages descended upon the roads (most of them high on and in
spirits). Each group was accompanied by men who sang and danced
sporting naked swords and shields. They were in their traditional
finery -¤ long skirts worn over tights. At least one man
played the bagpipes. The last 10 km of the drive turned out to be the
most exciting. As we turned round a bend near Kalamuni, the highest
point en route, a stunning view of the Panchchuli peaks greeted us.
There is a temple here. After this it was a steady descent into
Munsiyari. Every bend brought a fresh view, often better than the
last one. It is amazing how the slightest change in elevation alters
the perspective completely.
Munsiyari
is a quaint place. It is a fairly big Himalayan township; it enjoys
the status of a tehsil ( ) in the Pithoragarh district
with a population of 15000. It boasts of an Inter-College and its STD
facilities are better than those available at Bageshwar. People here
are progressive and outward bound; they tell you proudly that
Munsiyari has produced three IAS officers! We met Dr. Sher Singh, a
retired teacher who is vastly knowledgeable about the place, its
history and people; everyone in Munsiyari knows him as "Masterji".
Munsiyari has a very interesting history. The entire area is
generally known as Johar valley. It was inhabited by the Shauka
people from time immemorial. They led semi-nomadic lives actively
engaged in trade with Tibet across the difficult Himalayan passes. It
took them 20-25 days to reach Munsiyari from Tibet from where they
carried back mainly salt. Salt consumed in the entire Himalayan
region came from Tibet those days. Masterji recalls his childhood, "I
still remember when I was in school, the month of July brought our
Tibet-returned friends with their flocks of sheep laden with salt;
they hummed music while weighing salt and grain with local measuring
pot (nali). Beating drums and blowing trumpets every villager
accompanied the outward-bound group to Tibet till the very edge of
the village to bid them goodbye."
Every
able-bodied man in the village braved the dangerous passes to cross
over to Tibet as a trader, petty businessman, muleteer or as a
helper. They travelled in convoys carrying cloth and other provisions
on the backs of sturdy mountain goats and sheep, each animal laden
with 40 kg. The Britishers named these people "Bhutiyas".
However they are not Buddhists as the name might lead one to believe,
but Hindus. They worship Goddess Nanda Devi. The locals were suddenly
found without a viable livelihood when the border with Tibet was
sealed in 1962 and the trade stopped completely. Agriculture has
never been too developed here on account of the unfavourable climate.
Most of them were therefore forced to migrate. The villages of Milam,
Burfu etc., to the east of Munsyari, are largely deserted today. A
walk through the local village of Dharkot reveals interesting
corners. The houses are typical. Some of them have beautiful carvings
on the wooden doors and windows. The art of weaving fine shawls and
blankets from coarse goat wool is prevalent even today.
Upon
enquiring at the bus stop in Munsiyari, we were directed to the
"tent colony". Run by Wayfarer Resorts it is a camp set up
about 10 km from the main township. We had bookings at Wayfarer
Resorts, undoubtedly the best place to stay in Munsiyari. Set in the
elevated fields there were no bricks and mortar to greet us. Instead
we were accommodated in Swiss-cottage tents. The tents were furnished
with twin beds, racks and hangers. They had attached toilets in the
shape of a tin shed at the back fitted with "western style"
commodes! We set about unpacking excitedly. Out with the binoculars
and cameras! Majestic Panchchuli peaks flanked on either side by
Hansling, Rajarambha and Chiplakot glistened in the sun. The name
Panchchuli derives from the legend that the Pandavas cooked their
last meal on their way to heaven on these five chulis (cooking
hearths). To the left we could see the Milam Glacier. Way down
below the thin ribbon of the Gori river meanders through the valley.
It originates at the Milam Glacier. This 18 km long glacier is
situated 5 km west of Milam village at a height of 3852 m. Gori Ganga
flows into Nepal to the west of Kumaun, and joins the Kali river of
Nepal.
Next
morning, I was woken up by the loud chirping of magpies right outside
the tent. Lifting the tent flaps I could see the hazy outline of the
snow peaks. The sun was about to rise. However the peaks were held in
silhouette since it rose from right behind them. The best views of
the snow peaks were to be had only when the sun got high or in the
late afternoon. But what a brilliant sunlight flooded the entire
valley!
Munsiyari
is ideally located for experiencing high altitude trekking to Milam
glacier and the Nanda Devi base camp. In fact, Wayfarer regularly
takes groups for ten to fifteen days for these treks. They organize
all the paraphernalia like camping gear, porters and the most
critical inner line permits. Owing to paucity of time we had to limit
our explorations to short forays into the surrounding countryside. We
set out for Maheshwari Kund. We followed the narrow tracks past
walnut, juniper and birch; the hillside was awash in blood red
rhododendrons. We clambered over huge rock falls and tramped trough
brambly patches illuminated with white dog rose. Chameleons darted
from the path and long haired mountain goats and sheep tinkled their
bells as they gamboled up and down. As we gained height, the pink
rhododendrons appeared. Maheshwari Kund is a quiet lake surrounded by
marshy wetlands. The cool moist bank of the lake was teeming with
life. Moss and lichens filled every nook and cranny. Legends abound
about the lovers who shunned the world and were united in this place.
Another short one hour trek took us to Balati Farm at a height of
9000 ft., a result of an aborted attempt of some NGOs at researching
high yielding potatoes. It offers breathtaking panoramic views of the
snow peaks. You are allowed to pitch a tent for a night for which it
is well suited, the ground being pretty level and having a water
source close by. There are a number of bugyals -- the rolling
lush green high altitude meadows that lend themselves ideally for a
night out under the stars.
In
the afternoon it threatened to rain. Dark cumulonimbus clouds
gathered around the snow peaks. Cold gusts of wind swept across the
pastures and fine lightening streaks cracked across the sky and we
realized none of us was carrying a raincoat! We somehow managed to
reach the shelter of our tents before the temperature plummeted down
and lo behold -- hail! In no time the grass in front of our tent lost
its colour and the hills beyond took on a whiter look.
Ensconced
inside my tent I delved into Munsiyari's past. I came across this
very interesting account of the Pundit explorer who hailed from this
Johar valley. Pundit Nain Singh was born in 1830 in Milam village.
His landmark journey of 1200 miles from Kathmandu to Lhasa and thence
to Mansarovar lake and back to India which he carried out in 1865-66
won him accolades of geographers all over the world; the Royal
Geographical Society acknowledged his contribution in drawing up a
map of Tibet, Mongolia and Central Asia, by awarding him a gold
watch. Prior to this, these upper reaches of the Himalayas and beyond
were shrouded in mystery and maps of these regions either did not
exist or they were in the form of vague pictorial Chinese maps.
Cartography
is an ancient obsession of man. Not only had man to travel everywhere
and find a way to record his journey, he had to twist, reshape and
abstract all he recorded in order to depict the contours, elevations
and changing landscapes on a flat sheet of paper. The Britishers set
about this task systematically. A section of the Survey of India
known as the Great Trigonometrical Survey was assigned the task of
fixing the co-ordinates of points on earth and their elevation. In
1863 Colonel Walker and Captain Montgomery started training Indian
explorers to take latitudes by sextant, directions by compass, to
determine heights by observing a thermometer in boiling water, to
count paces and keep accurate notes. All this had to be done without
attracting attention. The explorers had to pose as simple travellers.
The Indian explorers had the definitive advantage of going unnoticed
in the Indo- Tibetan milieu. They most often disguised themselves as
Buddhist lamas. Like all good Tibetans they carried a rosary in one
hand and a prayer wheel in the other. But instead of 108 beads, their
rosaries had exactly 100; with every tenth a big one. A bead was
counted after every 100 paces, the larger one reading a thousand. The
prayer wheel was fitted on the inside with stripes of paper on which
they took down their survey notes. Very few strangers would venture
to speak to a devout Buddhist lama twirling the prayer wheel and
chanting Om Mani Padme Hum(Oh Jewel of the Lotus) and looking
suitably inscrutable. They could carry on their work uninterrupted.
Fascinating
isn't it? Had it not been for such wandering men we could very well
have been sitting in Delhi completely oblivious of this enchanting
place tucked away in the lap of Himalayas! But listening to other
traveller's tales only sparks off the urge to set forth and discover
the places for ourselves. The trekking season had just started and
soon the hills would resound with the crunch of sturdy footwear. But
it was time for us to turn back
There
are two distinct types to invade the Himalayas in summertime when the
plains get unbearably hot, the comfort seeking travelers bound for
the hill-stations, and the back packers heading for more exotic,
out-of-bound locales. Being accessible on very good roads, Munsiyari
is possibly that ultimate destination for all those seeking that
magic combination of comfort and adventure.
Information
Proximity
& Access: Munsiyari is 285 km from Kathgodam and 275 km from
Nainital. The general mode of transport for groups is either bus (42
seater) or (27 seater). For families it is Tata Sumo/Armada.
Refueling
points on the way: Almora, Bageshwar
Accommodation:
The best place to stay in Munsyari is undoubtedly the Wayfarer
Resorts.
Wayfarer
Resort Tariff:
Single occupancy: Rs.900/-
Double occupancy: Rs 1200/-
Extra bed /person: Rs 450/-
Accommodation includes cost of
stay and meals.
child below 12 years to be
charged Rs 300 (with extra bed) & Rs 150 (without extra bed)
Season:
April 1- June 30 & September 15-October 30
Activities:
Half day/ Full day nature walks
& picnics amidst deep forests.
Day long jeep safaris along the
banks of Gori Ganga
Two week trekking experiences to
Milam glacier and Nanda Davi base camp.
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