‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it never passes into nothingness...’-John Keats
I would frequently solicit myself, is it possible to escape all this lunacy? How I would crave to live the tranquil life of the eras gone by - no mobile, no television, no internet, no senseless hustle-bustle! I would ponder for hours about the rejuvenating powers of nature that has encouraged countless verses since the inception of mankind.
My desires would have remained merely discontented wishes had I not been privileged enough to visit the astonishingly beautiful, enchanting and serene valley of Almora, a district in Uttrakhand - ‘the land of the Gods and purity’, as it is affectionately called.
It was just the right answer for my hunt for serenity.
A land of incomparable magnificence undamaged by the destructive tools of urbanization, Almora promises a delightful and fascinating experience for its guests. The charming hill station, bound by the royal Himalayas, is blessed with blossoming greenery, exquisite scenery, beautiful temples, colorful people and a divine culture.
You can sense an unusual sensation of spirituality, devotion and purity around yourself probably because the people there have an earnest and absolute faith in God owing to the presence of so many temples, which have made the atmosphere so. There is beauty in its austerity.
The river Kosi gushes with delight. Walking along it, you can feel it boasting noiselessly of its entrancing beauty and affluent legacy. I cannot think of a place more discreet and marvelous even with its natural exquisiteness.
The place is blessed with a pleasant weather throughout the year but the time between September- November is considered the best to visit it. Among the many temples here Nanda devi and Chittai temple are the most famous ones. Chittai temple is particularly known for the innumerable bells that find their place here.Martola, Bright End Corner, Kalimut, Deer Park, Katarmal Sun Temple which is considered the second most important temple to Sun God, after Konark in Orissa. Are the various other places to visit.
If Delhi has taught me to ‘stay alive’, Almora taught me to ‘be alive’. An unending list for centers which guarantee you ‘peace of mind’ can be found all across the world but the people of Almora have excelled this skill of endurance with nature and are far ahead of our much bragged about intellect. That’s what Milton meant, perhaps, when he wrote ‘It’s all in the mind, it can make heaven of hell and hell of heaven.’
Being a hardcore Delhiite, I can by no means cease to adore Delhi but then I have undoubtedly found that hush-hush passage, a perfect getaway, something distant from the maddening mob. Almora has almost become my gateway to heaven, my passage to happiness.