A blissful cool morning. Cool air gently brushing past, an orange ball of fire inching up behind, cirrus clouds in an azure blue sky, melodious humming of birds, an occasional call of cuckoo, a flock of birds gliding away in an animated divine precision, unfettered ducks eagerly longing to greet is what you experience when you visit Sukhna, a man-made 3kms lake, located at foothills of Shivalik range, Chandigarh.
Meditate, jog , walk or simply play with loved ones in well-manicured lawn alongside the walkway are among the myriad of choices this place offers to the visitor, which incidentally is a venue of Asian Rowing Championship, a sanctuary of many exotic migratory birds and an inspiration for my first blog way back in 2010.
Two loops of run on 1.8km long trail which peters out in orchestrated woodland, in the serene atmosphere, is a perfect defense for a scrumptious Aloo Parantha and Verka Lassi I had at ISB campus, Mohali. Ethereal scenic sight of placid waters, woodland flowers thronging the promenade pervaded tranquility into me. While I was the sole runner except a day accompanied by Gurvi, company of Prasad, Shankar, Rohit, Kshiti, Shyam, turn by turn, made the trip to lake an wholesome experience. Music from speakers meticulously placed next to the jogging trail draws faithful crowd, each day. Sr. citizens running event, on the last day of my stay here, is a great source of inspiration.
I was amused to cross “Garden of Silence”, end of jogging track and admire the effort of local administrators to keep the local Punjabis mute for few seconds (seconds?), widely believed, a mission impossible 
. Timely fixing a flat tire made self, Rohit and Kshiti recall the importance of team effort with an undertone sense of accomplishment.
Volley on campus with bunch of friends, squash with Naveen, Siva and Prasad is an absolute alibi for brotherly love from buddy Shyam- offer of single malt, every evening & never-say-die attitude displayed by the group at Pal Dhaba .
Trip to Solan:
Our trip to Kasauli was in 5 vehicles started on Sat morning. After few twists & turns, we had hit the toll road to Shimla. Prasad, KK and Murali were my companions in the car.
While Prasad negotiated the tough terrain, the valley mesmerized us with its breath holding exhilarating views. Pine scented air, misty ambience, playful clouds, old telugu numbers, made the atmosphere just majestic & surreal. KK’s apt sense of humor resulted in Prasad near fall off the steering wheel; his memory of the yesteryear actresses is simply brilliant . The charm of the Shivalik ranges leaves the occasional traveler spell-bound and is with all of us. Lunch at special cabin, Haveli, Dharampur with an exclusive valley view is worth every penny, every mile travelled.
We took a detour from here and had visited Lord Hanuman temple at Kasauli. Mix of high elevation and an arduous 1000 stair climb was the unexpected fitness test for all of us. Surprisingly, Ande lead the pack and finished strong. Lord Hanuman, an ardent devotee of Lord Rama, was believed to place his left feet on this sacred mountain while carrying Sanjeevani herb on a mission to rescue life of Lakshman, in the epic battle of Ramayan. A 12 inch foot impression of Lord Hanuman stands testimony to this little folk story. Dramatic 360 degree town view from here and endless surrounding hills is truly onlooker’s delight. Manki point, highest point on the hill, is believed to derive its name from Rishi Man-Ki who used to worship an idol of Lord Hanuman. Later the summit was crowned with a small temple of Lord Hanuman, presently looked after by the base station, Indian Air Force.
Suitably refreshed with a hot tea, we had continued our journey to Hotel Pine Drive, Solan, 45 minute drive from Kasauli. Repeat hot tea, this time with hot pakodas, in an aptly designed restaurant with roof- to- floor glass view of the valley, made us adore the aesthetic sense of the estate owner and the hospitality offered. Here, KK’s jokes and witty imagination of Irfan & Aslam sharing a room made most of us fall from chairs.
We wasted no time and quickly assembled in a corner room with lounge, of Ande, the self-proclaimed evening host. He has no idea, the language swiftly changed from ‘Can you please’ to ‘Orrey Ande’ (‘Abbey’ Hindi translation) post few pegs, when he assumed the role of evening host. One group was inundated recollecting their ‘con’ experiences in different countries; another group focused on testing their luck at Teen Patti. Sowmya (DK’s wife), post 3 hours of intense tussle, was unanimously dubbed a winner as others emptied their wallets.
Next day morning, Gurvi organized a 1.2km trek walk across the hills. Pristine scenic beauty of the magnificent hills, cows grazing lazily on the distant velvety grass, blocks of green meadows, milky streams meandering through grasslands, profusion of flowers, is what you get to experience here. This is truly a world without malice. Once you have been here, you can never leave it behind. Its enchanting sights & charm stays with you forever in your memories, often calling out when you close your eyes. Encapsulating music from Sudha’s Iphone, savoring farm picked tomatoes & hot tea at the hill top are the capstones of our fascinating experience with mountains. Watch the pics in the slideshow to relive (live) these moments.
Reflecting rejuvenated euphoria, I drove the car from Solan to Gurgaon (about 350km), my personal longest ever at the wheel. Camaraderie further etched with this memorable trip. Experiences like this makes your life little more vibrant, gives you little more energy to face the challenges that unfold at every turn of life.
Visit Dates : 14 ~ 22 Sep ’13
srinivasaraonamburi 