If only one could live a mirage...oh wait…we did!

Mountain holidays – Andretta, Himachal Pradesh

Guest post by Sowmya Shashidhara             

Sowmya and Aditi playing the fool as always

Sowmya is my bestie, my go-to at all times :) She is a whiz with numbers, management and such. She is also a trained classical (Bharathnatayam) dancer. And like me (and many times with me) is a travel junkie. When not doing amazing things and generally being a genius at work, she takes off with her husband G, in their beast baby Bolero to explore different parts of the country. She currently resides in Chandigarh. Andretta is her latest gem and find in the himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. Read on-

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Aditi and I started travelling when we were barely out of high school. As Aditi says in her guest post ‘Idealism of Youth’ on our blog (the blog http://cediafreedomtrail.blogspot.in/ belongs to both me and my husband Guru aka G ) which she wrote for me a few years ago. "Youth gave us optimism, vigour, vitality and a feeling of invincibility". We were young, poor and foolish. I say foolish because of our then headstrong devil- may -care attitude. We had the nerve to travel all the way from Bangalore to Delhi and then up to Kulu/ Manali for a longish trek (Chandrakhani pass) and back. We even managed to pack in a side trip to Agra. All this with only Rs. 5,000 each in our pockets and no credit / debit card to come to our rescue when we almost ran out of all of our moolah towards the end.

Every trip becomes special for different reasons. The Chandrakani pass trek, we remember for the fairly remote hamlet of Malana where the inhabitants, to this day are of the unshakeable faith that they are the proud descendants of Alexander the Great. And therefore for reasons unfathomable to us, superior beings! On the plus side, being ginger at least in some places is not so bad after all. The Goa trek is etched in our minds for the sheer joy of stealthily sneaking away to Dudh Sagar falls at midnight to welcome New Year by the light of the moon!!! What fun. And more recently, my trip with G to Srinagar, apart from the incredible beauty of the valley, we remember for the unalloyed excitement of driving to a lesser driven-to place, untainted by the usual throng of tourists.

At Andretta, the breath taking beauty of the place, the things G and I wanted to see and experience were a given. However, we will always remember this trip for our choice of unique accommodation. And true to its name, The Mirage Heritage Home stay is quite a dreamy place not just for its elegance, setting and style but also for all the wonderful people we met there.

The Mirage

Andretta

Andretta, an artist’s village with its curious Italian name came into being about 75 years ago when Norah Richards an Irish writer, dramatist and a follower of Tolstoy came here. Besides Norah Richards, the "nani (grandmother) of Punjabi Theatre', Gurucharan Singh who introduced studio pottery to India and known for Delhi blue pottery, his son Mansimran (Mini Singh) also a potter of no mean standing, Sobha Singh, painter of Sikh Gurus, B.C Sanyal painter and sculptor, actor Prithvi Raj Kapoor. Freda Bedi, the first Western woman to be ordained into Tibetian Buddhism (she is also the mother of actor Kiran Bedi) are some of the stalwarts whose names are closely assosciated, nay synonymous with Andretta. To know more about Andretta’s history and culture, read the article written by Mary Singh on Andretta Pottery. Link

The Mirage

Food at the Mirage

 The Mirage is a home stay run by Denis and Dolly, New Zealander - French couple who have painstakingly created this cozy abode. Mirage sits amidst lush pine forest with the majestic snow-capped mountains of Dhauladhar for a backdrop. The house is filled with exquisite Indian furniture and handicrafts collected over many years by the couple. The couple welcomed us with great warmth. We were promptly served the most delicious yet healthy home cooked food - thanks to Dolly. Denis every morning, made sure that we were taken for a brisk walk up the hill, down the gorge, across fields ready for harvest and finally to a snug little welcoming chai (tea) shop. This is probably the healthiest vacation we have ever taken in some time now! Our fellow house guests provided stimulating conversation over lazy repasts of breakfast and countless cups of chai on the patio making our stay all the more pleasurable.

But wait, there is more. If you can manage to reluctantly tear yourself away from the patio of easy camaraderie, you can engage in a host of activities in  and around Andretta.

Walk through the ripe fields.

In Andretta-

Walk across to Andretta Pottery run by Mini Singh. They have a terracotta museum with authentic Himachali pots and a small shop where you can buy pottery made by them. If a potter’s wheel is available, you can try your hand at it. They charge Rs. 150 for a 20 minute sitting or Rs. 1,500 for the entire day. If you are a serious potter you can enrol yourself for a three month residential course which will set you back by Rs. 75,000. I’ve heard that it’s worth every penny or in this case paisa.

Andretta Pottery

After, you could walk down to Andretta Chowk to check out the Shoba Singh Art gallery. It is now run by the renowned painter’s family and has a small collection of his original work. Paintings of heroes, freedom fighters, religious figures, romantic tales and portraits- you name it and you have it all there- exclusively for your viewing pleasure.

Seasonal entertainment

If you are travelling in October you can expect action at Norah Richard’s house. The house has been renovated by the Punjabi University, Patiala. They perform plays every year on Norah Richard's birthday October 29th at the open air theatre. Entry is free.

Around Andretta

Temples and Monasteries

Dirru Sakya Monastery at Bir

Bir is a Tibetian settlement about 22 km from Andretta. Bir houses the Dirru Sakya Monastery which belongs to the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism which was founded in 1073 by the distinguished Tibetan Master  Khon Konchok Gyalpo. You can also visit Tashi Jong Monastery in the vicinity. Another option is Sherabling Monastery at Baijnath.

A trip to the ancient Shiva Temple at Baijnath (11 km) may also be worthwhile. This is a temple built in the Nagara style, a medieval  Noth Indian style of architecture in the year 1204 AD. Lord Shiva is represented as Vaidyanath or  ‘the Lord of physicians’  at this temple. 

Adventure Sports 

Bir Billing is a paraglide haunt. A 14 km picturesque drive from Bir takes you to Billing the take-off point. It is the world’s third highest and Asia’s highest take off point. G enjoyed a tandem jump arranged through paragliding academy, PG Gurukul. You can call Gurpreet, who runs the academy on +919816 525205 to book a slot. If you are too queasy to jump off a cliff, I suggest you take a picnic basket to Billing and delight in stunning views of the valley.  A trek in the region is also a good idea.

Massage

To relax after the adrenalin rush of paragliding, visit Kayakalp, Himalayan Research Institute for Yoga and Naturapathy at Palampur for a rejuvenating ayurvedic massage. To continue with the pampering, why not follow with a lovely lunch at Taragarh Hotel near Palampur. This imposing residential estate now belongs to the Royals of Jammu and Kashmir and was previously occupied for several years by their dowager Maharani.

Getting to Andretta -

You can reach Andretta via the much plied Dharmsala – McLeod Ganj route. While driving to Andretta via Kangra. I would highly recommend a visit the Kangra Fort at Old Kangra. Do hire the audio guide available both in Hindi and English which will give you a fair understanding of the history and story of the fort.

b) The Jammu route

You can also get there via Jammu – Fly to Jammu  and  then drive down to Andretta which is 5 hrs away via Pathankot. You can also get to Pathankot by bus or train. From here it is an easy connecting bus ride away. Alternatively, take the scenic toy train from Pathankot to Panchrukhi. Andretta is about 2 km away.

Driving route: Jammu – Pathankot Nurpur - Gaggal – Mataur - Nagrota Bhagwan – Maranda – Rajpur - Panchrukhi –Andretta (take right at Shoba Singh Art Gallery which is also known as Andretta Chowk).

c) The Chandigarh route

 Fly, or take a Shatabdi train (from Delhi) to Chandigarh. Andretta is a 7 hour drive away from Chadigarh. There are also buses which take you very close to Andretta – Palampur, Baijnath, Kangra from where you get plenty of connections to Andretta.

Driving route: Chandigarh – Nangal - Una – Amb – Old Kangra – Kangra bypass towards Tanda Medical College – Nagrota Bhagwan – Maranda – Rajpur - Panchrukhi –Andretta (take right at Shoba Singh Art Gallery which is also known as Andretta Chowk).

d) Direct from Delhi

We saw plenty of buses plying from Delhi to Kangra, Baijnath, Palampur. There is a Volvo service as well.

e) Other route suggestions

Chandigarh – Andretta / Kangra – Amritsar is a triangle. On the way back you have the choice of driving down to Amritsar. You can connect direct to Delhi by Shatabdi or alternatively fly back.

Accommodation Recommendations-

Andretta – The Mirage Heritage Home stay www.mirageandretta.com .Minimum cost- Bed& Breakfast –Rs 2,750 per night for double occupancy.

Palampur – Hotel Tea Bud run by Himachal Tourism http://www.hptdc.nic.in/cir0302.htm#htbud

Bir – Blue Umbrella http://www.blueumbrella.co.in/, Colonel’s Resort http://www.colonelsresort.com/ and  Namlang - Himal Resort www.namlanghimaltourism.org

Gunehad (off Bir)- 4rooms (yet to be completed) https://www.facebook.com/pages/4TABLES-Cafe-Gallery-Village-Bir/124614917546

Delhi Delights- Chandni Chowk DIY food walk in pictures

Budget Travel Guide.

Discovering and sampling interesting albeit yummeh grub is one of the things that excites me about travel to dizzying levels. And this time around, I absolutely came to love Delhi for its abundance and variety of super affordable yet utterly drool worthy, exceptionally scrumptious food. There is no other way to describe it.

My friend, the dashing young gentleman and upstanding Delhi citizen Avichal Pathik volunteered his worthy services to act as guide for the day . I was pleasantly introduced to a wide array of culinary delights of Delhi’s historical Chandni Chowk area, reputed for its palate teasers.

A veritable storehouse on interesting tidbits on Delhi and its surrounds, he is always more than happy, eager even to re-explore and rediscover the Chandni Chowk vicinity. He says that he never tires of it. After the extensive food walk we started at 10 am and ended at 3-pm, (the blistering sun hampering our progress a wee bit) I can now see why.

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

I’ve also (at the bottom of the post) attached an easy to follow route on google maps of the very same we took, and places we visited to satiate our ravenous appetites and my somewhat cursory interest in history. Why pay for exorbitantly priced food walks when you can do it yourself in the reasonable price range of Rs 500-600 eh?

If you are using the convenient metro, get off at the Chawri bazzar station (A on the map) which is on the yellow line, to start the walk. Kuremal Kulfi (B) is an easy walk from the metro station (follow map). Their frozen stuffed kulfis are their speciality. Pick from apples, oranges, mangoes or other fruits stuffed and bloated to the brim with delicious kulfi. Though a little pricey at Rs 200 a piece, it is totally worth every bite!

Kuremal Mahavir Prasad's stuffed mango kulfi

Next Stop: Sudarshan’s flavoured milk (C) on the corner of Nai Sarak. Prices range from- Rs-25-30. We tried the rich and flavourful kesar-badam milk.

Sudarshan's flavoured milk

Move on to the area’s most well-known Paranthe wali gali (D) or the by-lane of fried bread for a variety of dangerous-for-your-arteries but just perfect for your taste buds deep fried paranthas (Indian flat-bread). There are a series of shops selling more or less the same fare. You can choose from a wide selection, including more quirky fillings like rabri or badam or kaju. A plate comes with two paranthas and is normally served with sweet tamarind chutney, mint chutney, vegetable pickle, cottage cheese potato curry and some sort of tempered sweet pumpkin mash. Price-Rs 50-60 a plate.

We stuck to the tried and tested mint and green chilli paranthas.

Paranthe Wali Gali

Take a breather as we did and amble along Dariba lane which is the designated silver and artificial jewelry market in the area. You will come by several interesting ancient and colourful wall to wall houses/buildings in the by-lanes.

At the end of which is Jalebiwala (E). The name says it all. He sells fat and succulent jalebis at Rs 50 for 100gms. Minimum purchase 100 gms.



Jalebis at Jalebi Wala



Daryaganj is a ten minute rikshaw ride away. This area houses ‘Aap ki pasand’ (F), a tea house that sells an eclectic selection of teas. Also, check out Moti Mohal Restaurant. We skipped these as it was a weekend and we got distracted by the (every) Sunday second-hand book market that runs along a long stretch of the road. After which it was time to check out the historical Jama Mashid, reportedly the largest mosque complex in all of India. A short but strenuous climb up one of its towers (entrance Rs 30 for desis and and Rs 100 for aliens) will afford you sweeping views of Old Delhi and particularly the nearby majestic Red-Fort. This one’s a not to miss. You will be denied entry if not dressed appropriately i.e. knees and shoulders must be covered. You will also be charged Rs 300 if carrying a camera.

Pop into the nearby Karim (G) for its known far-and-wide non-vegetarian delights. I was informed that the forefathers of the family who run it have been in the business from the Mughal era. They were apparently culinary artists of such standing to be in the contented employ of the royal family.



Karim

All the walking and clambering helped us work up a fresh appetite. We doubled back to Chandni chowk via the back of Jama Masjid and onto Nai Sarak once again. We stopped to cool off at the been- there- forever generations old Pandit Ved Prakash lemon wale (H) for refreshing nimbu (lemon) soda. Cost- Rs 12 a glass.

  

Pandit Ved Prakash's cooling nimbu soda

We then took a small detour to take a dekko at renowned Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib’s residence- Ghalib ke haveli which is currently being restored.

 If you voluntarily subject yourself to long sermons on history, you sure do deserve a treat. It was time for dessert. After squarely hitting Fatehpur Masid at the very end of Chandni Chowk, we turned right, into Church Mission Marg till we got to Giani (I) for thick lassi and heavenly Rabri Falooda ( a fusion dish of rabri, an Indian sweet made out of yogurt mixed with vermicelli, one of the main ingredients of falooda). Though not a big fan of falooda, I give this one full marks. It was A-awesome ! Giani was established in 1956 and has stores across Delhi. The one on Church Mission Marg is their original store.

Next door is ‘Kake di hatti’ (J) that sells a variety of massive stuffed naans to be eaten alongside daal and sabzi (curry).

Rabri falooda- Rs 50 a glass. Stuffed nans from Rs 20 onwards.

Giani's rabri falooda.Look at the joy on the boy's face! Bottom right- Kakke di hatti. 

In spite of food almost coming out of our ears we managed to make room for the dahi-bhalle king Natraj’s (K) delectable dahi balle and  aloo tikki (Rs 40 each). This joint is back on Chandni Chowk, a stone’s throw or maybe two away from the conveniently located Chandni Chowk Metro (L) station which is where we finally made our way to. It was time to head home thoroughly sated.

Natraj's dahi balle and aloo tikki

 Other foods to be tantalized by while here. Chole Bature at Giani. This one is also allegedly fantastic in shops in and around Sadar Bazar. For kachori, try the small alley next to Natraj that leads to a square where you will find a cart selling these little treats. Ashok Chat Bhandar at the beginning of Chawri bazzar is well known, as its name aptly suggests, for its chats. For those with a sweet tooth try Ghantewala sweet shop. Their karachi halwa and paneer pakoda come highly recommended.

Chole Bature. Inset-kachori

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