Anita Jasani
The Tribune; 2002

Some memorable experiences in life happen in strange ways. Who would have thought a fantastic travel destination on a medical web site? On the home page of aarogya.com, there is a lovely image with an intriguing caption: 'Medicine For The Soul', it proclaims. Like Alice In Wonderland, my curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on the link, only to be smitten by the beauty of Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh, close to the Tibetan border in the Northern Himalayas. Regions out of bounds even to Indians, until 1992, their attractions are still being discovered by tourists. What's more, these regions are inaccessible for six months every year, due to heavy snowfall.

This part of India looks straight out of travelogue or a picture book. There are precariously perched houses on faraway ridges, snow clad peaks, the soothing sounds of water, towering mountains and plunging valleys, the smell of pine on leisurely walks through enchanting vistas, campfires, quaint villages and night skies resembling diamond-encrusted velvet ceilings. One particular scene that is deeply etched in my mind is the one at the Banjara Camp in Chail, 40 kilometres from Shimla. The Camp overlooks the Choor Chandani range. The setting sun, silverlined clouds floating lazily, a golden glow in the atmosphere, misty mountains in the distance, and the air so pure. The whole scene seemed so ethereal, it felt as though the gods had decided to walk on the clouds. Robert Frost would have decided to just stand and stare and forget about his miles and miles to go. No wonder the gods chose Himachal as their abode.

There's a romance in traveling along the old Hindustan route, sipping tea in Chitkul, the last village on the Indian side of the border, the jawans of the Indo Tibetan Border Police. And it's comfortable living in Swiss style tents with proper toilet facilities. One route to Sangla is from Manli across the Rohtang Pass and Kunzum passes. Travelling along this road, one passes the Ki fortress monastery and the Tabo monastery which was built in 996 AD. The monasteries are repositories of beautiful Thangkas, old Buddhist oil paintings. There is no escaping the road journey to Sangla which has a romance of its own. Delhi to Chail (350 km) is a 10 hour drive. After an evening halt at the Chail camp, we were on our way to Sangla. The journey is a picturesque 240 km drive. In certain sections, the narrow strip, which passes off as National Highway 22, has a sheer drop on one side and towering cliffs with delicately balanced boulders or loosely held soil on the other. The river Sutlej rushing across the valley deep down and rocky overhang complete the setting for godly communion. How I prayed! The Sutlej meets the River Baspa at a place called Karcham. Sangla village is 26 km from here. It is the largest village in the valley. This is Chilgoza country. Chilgoza, that delectable fruit, comes from the Chil pine and is found only in these parts, and in Iran.

In Sangla one can stay either at the electricity department guest house (very difficult to get into), the PWD guesthouse or at Banjara Camps. There are other small places in and around Sangla. Banjara Camps situated 6 km from Sangla, is by far the best place to stay in. The camp seems to be part of the valley. It is as if they always belonged to Sangla and existed alongside the meandering Baspa river with its trout and the majestic Kinner Kailash range. I still recall the tranquility of the place. The snow-capped peaks all around, the soothing sound of the Baspa's meandering blue green waters, the stands of deodar on the slopes beyond the river. A sense of oneness with nature fills up in me. I had read somewhere that heaven is not a place, it is a feeling. How true.

I did not want to get out of the hammock, but I am glad I did. The walks to places around the camp are so enjoyable. Each walk is a new experience whether it is to the quaint Batseri village with its paved pathways and intricately carved wooden temple or the woods on the way to Rakcham. We took packed lunch and walked through the woods, to a point high above the camp where the Baspa comes crashing down. I discovered pinecones, in soaking in the shimmering streams and in simply sitting around. Happiness is sharing such moments with someone you love. After the day's exertions, the warmth of a log fire enhanced by a vodka, is so relaxing. Who says Sangla does not have a nightlife!

The Tibetan word for pass is la and sang means light. Sangla definitely was a joyful and rejuvenating experience. There must be truth in the folklore that the experience of Sangla is similar to walking through a magical pass of light.