VEIL: WALK THROUGH WILDERNESSS..

WALK THROUGH WILDERNESSS..

Last week it was fun traveling RAJGIR..

Little did I realize that the place where I was headed to would be so picturesque!

People often share their experiences of visiting various hill stations but seldom do we enjoy the beauty of foothills and the nearby plains.

A hill station is a perfect place to unwind as it provides ample solace, quietude and takes you closer to nature. Out there, the stars appear closer and the moon remains happily perched over your shoulders. Dawn breaks and somewhere in the hills, an orange ball begins to rise. Imagine walking slowly on a beaten track over the slopes, covered with shrubs and dried leaves. The whistling wind clears your path, blows little spec of dust on your shoes and the dead leaves whisper loudly. Thick yellow rays pass through the branches and lit your path. In the next moment, the sun plays hide and seek with the trees.

You slowly wade through the misty clouds, serene, salubrious weather, and pollution free atmosphere. Almost every hill station boasts of quaint shops, gabled houses embellished with wooden decors and brightly coloured sloping roofs with dish antennas. Once in a while you come across charming facades, immaculately painted picket fences surrounding dark colonial stone structures overlooking courtyards, neat little orchards with cleverly laid driveway made from broken bricks, pebbles and gravel.

You stroll further and end up at a turn that offers a breathtaking view. The joy of watching the ground below and the splendid panorama in front is simply unbelievable. You feel rejuvenated and for a moment forget the regular grind of drudged city life. Every object in distance appears smaller and zigzagging across valleys and intersecting the lush green plains. Suddenly the plains look more attractive and alluring.

The 50 minutes drive from Chandi takes you through Rajgir via Biharsharif and the famous badi and choti pahari in Biharsharif. The road is surrounded by lush green meadows, maize and wheat fields. The vehicle stops and with it also the clock, making way for the cattle to majestically cross the street. You can see the hand pumps fixed near the plastered brick water tanks. You see men toiling in the fields behind, women carrying water and children sometimes waving and running on the street. Small garages and shops on the road display various wares. The biggest shop in every village is liquor and wine theka (shop) and these shops are well decorated. There are separate shops for country (Tharra – local brew) and Angreji (foreign or branded) liquor.

There are tiny Dhaba’s (food joint) with enviable parking space.

The entire stretch is full of potholes, ditches and craters bigger than those found on the moon. Don’t be surprised if you experience therapeutic manipulations in the car or bus.

Everyday almost hundreds of vehicles ply on this road and yet no one seems to be bothered to repair the road. The road from Biharsharif is long and little better.

Throughout the journey, you see magnificent contours

Several brick kilns greet you

Every chimney indicates the religion of the owner as it displays Hindu and Sikh religious symbols with pride. I was glad to find the end product i.e. the bricks similar. The place is abuzz with excavation and construction activities.

As soonn as you reach the top hill you can hear the birds mellifluously singing.

Few moments later you begin to enjoy the sound of silence. A cool breeze caresses your face and your hair gently jives in rhythm. The pine–scent gets thicker and everything around you appears brown, dark brown, green and dark green.Near the sloping edges, you could distinctly see several dusty paths in various directions.my journey to Rajgir was awesome and nonetheless ever forgettable....