RANIKHET...'THE QUEEN'S MEADOWS'

 

       Nestled into the breathtaking mountains of  Almora  is the small town of Ranikhet, once the abode of Rani padmini ,wife of the katyuri ruler Raja Sudhardev  and hence the epithet. The drive from dehradun is around 340 kms ,winding through the stunning view of kumaon region of uttarakhand . Throughout my travels in uttarakhand, the pristine beauty of virgin forests and colossal mountains have never failed to amaze me and every hill station or town here boasts of its own rustic charm .

                    KMVN guesthouse

     In Ranikhet ,we stayed at the guest house of Kumaon mandal vikas nigam , situated at mall road next to the forest rest house. The guesthouse is aptly located ,spread over a large area in  the backdrop of thick green forests  with a mesmerizing view of the mountain peaks .One can enjoy a quiet solitude among sounds of nature with no noise of human or vehicular traffic and as the evening draws closer, you can listen to the whistling of winds sweeping through the tall trees   occasionally broken by the cacophony of wild birds and animals hiding in the surrounding forests. The neighbourhood around KMVN is sparsely inhabited by few cottages and  heritage hotels .The mall road  is not the typical tourist promenades of hill stations with shops, eatries or hotels .The mall road of Ranikhet refers to the 17th century British connotation given to differentiate between the  married accomodations of  British military officers on one side of the road and that of the troops and masses on other side.And that is why the present day military cantonment is on mall road.                                                                           

       This remote hill station has few temples and orchards that can be visited . One of the most renowned is the 'jhula devi' temple situated on mall road only and as the name suggests, it is a 8th century temple adorned with thousands  bells of all sizes tied by the ardent devotees of  goddess durga  for fulfiling their prayers and wishes.And as it goes with every such religious belief in India, once the prayers of a devotee are answered by the benevolent goddess, he must return to the temple to untie the bell.The existential reality of such deep-rooted religious beliefs of hindu culture is yet to be touched by the scientific  rational minds of the modern world. However, the ancient temple shrouded in countless bells undoubtedly  looks beautifully mystic Jhula devi temple

 
         Next stop was the chaubatia gardens  just ahead of the temple only in the cantonment area. The gardens are apple orchards in the backdrop of magnificent hills  is a  short  stroll. It was drizzling slightly as I walked along the path ,my eyes soaking the grandiose view of valley before me.

   chaubatia gardens

                                              

       There are few more places for excursion in Ranikhet like the rani s taal , small temples dedicated to various deities of hills and the local market having few good cafes where one can enjoy the flavour of mountains with delicious momos.

                                    

        Unlike the other tourist stations, ranikhet is more of a place to chill and relax among the serenity and raw beauty of the himalayas. Instead of hopping around tirelessly checking tourist landmarks , the quiet hill station offers the luxury of spending a day reading book , sipping hot cup of tea,while relishing the panoramic sights of god 's creation surrounding you.As i lay soaking the sun under the clear blue sky ,my mind travels to the verses of my favourite author Ruskin bond and his poem ,"Once you have lived with the Mountains",looking forward to my continuing journey of yet to discover the boundless escapades of mountains ahead.

          "  Once you have lived with the mountains
            under the whispering pines
            And deodars, near stars
            and a brighter moon
            With wood, smoke and mist
            Sweet smell of grass, dew lines
            On spider spun, sun kissed
            Buttercup and vine
            Once you have lived with these,
            Blessed, God's favourite then
            You will return 
            You will come back
            To touch the trees and grass,
            And climb once more the windswept mountain pass!!!!"