An Experience called “Kasol”

Kasol, this is not a place. It’s an experience. And you got to experience it to believe. For all my friends who might mistake it for Kasauli, this is not Kasauli. Not by Far. Kasauli was the place where Jaadu, the alien, came over from another world. And Kasol? … Well !! Kasol is another world in itself. And we were the aliens. A bunch of aliens who landed there and didn’t want to go back. Not at any cost.

Amidst the busy professional life, a lot of plannings and disappointments, I finally got hold of a friend who was there to accompany me on this heavenly trip. A bus trip from Delhi to Bhuntar, high on life, watching movies like Dhol and Dhamaal all night log (courtesy the fabulous Bus we landed in to), with intermittent stops (temperature going down progressively), we reached Bhuntar from where another bus was supposed to take us to Kasol. But wait? Everything going planned can be so boring. Bus halted at a place called Zari, with no more ground to travel. Lord Shiva was sending down snow balls to welcome us aboard. He also sent a trolley, being driven by a guy who very much resembled “Bob Marley”, to carry the six of us (Birds of feather flock together 😉 ) to the final destination.

Going through the snow laden swirling path, which was accompanied by some sheer awesome driving skills of our savior, we finally reached THE place. At first sight, it didn’t look like what we expected it to be. A snow desert was their waiting for us. And as unprepared as we were, it didn’t take long before we all were inching closer to a frostbite. Minus 6 degree celsius. Socks wrapped around our feet like ice chains. The black and white scenery was trying to scare us away. But we knew very well what was supposed to be done. Find Shiva. Change the ice into cream, and become a part of Kasol.

And it was supposed to be so. Sun was smiling at us when we woke up next morning. And all six of us started to what was supposed to be a lifetime experience.

 

Sitting in the fields.
Crush smokey forest.
Purple sky all over you.

In no time we were ‘Tripping’ in the lap of Parvati Valley, and the heavenly kick with the joy of doing nothing had already set in. Sitting by the side of river, forest all around us and the clear sky calling us in. Nature was playing music like we had never heard. Time had come to a standstill. We were communicating with the surroundings and our soul was being purified.

 

In the spring we made a boat
Out of feathers, out of bones.
We set fire to our homes,
Walking barefoot in the snow.

 

In the quivering forest,
Where the shivering dog rests,
Our good grandfather,
Built a wooden nest.

 

The angels wander in this forest.
Lost the trail .. and somehow landed in Iceland and Greenland, at once

 

Frozen in time
where the silence creaks more than snow ..
Will you meet me in the graveyard??

 

Meet Bholu – The Mountain Dog .. Our Guide and Guardian Angel throughout our Kasol Trip
P.S. Bholu is always high .. That’s his secret 😉

 

Let’s go back in the time machine. To ancient India And perform the ritual, with Lord Shiva.

 

The river was saying something .. The snow was guiding us .. and the rhythmic chores were taking us away ..
Sit down .. relax .. and purify your soul .

 

The Evergreen Kasol .. Can’t get more precise ..
Strongly recommend this place if you visit Kasol

 

Heard “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zepplin? I wonder if they were referring to Kasol when they came up with this song. Because if their is some place which connects Earth to His Almighty, this has to be the one. From nature to food to weather. Everything here is just perfect. To the ones who are still wondering if they should pay Kasol a visit, I will leave you with this song from Mohit Chauhan.