The five of us, all in our 20s, recently went for a trip to Uttarakhand in North India. Our prime destination was the holy city, Haridwar, where we reached a day later than expected after being delayed for 26 hours due to fog. We spend the first day sleeping like babies after a tiresome train journey.

The next day we planned to contact a local guide who would help us take a stroll around the city. It felt amazing as we spent the evening by the beautiful Ganges and observed the people around. There were kids attracting the coins thrown into the river as offerings with magnets. People floated flowers on leaf bowls and incense sticks on the water, making it look like a river of lights.

This and the sandhya-arati(evening prayer) performed by the priests at dusk were the most satisfying sights in the three week trip. They were a treat for the eyes. At Haridwar, we visited the Patanjali Yogpeeth, which is not only Indias but probably the worlds largest yoga institutes.

We went around the legendary temples mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the Adi Badri, which appealed the most. Another was the Surkanda Devi temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas located high in the peaks of a mountain. Legend has it that because of the steep climb and the time it takes to reach the temple only a selected few, blessed with divinity, could make it to the top.

The Mansa Devi temple was comparatively easier to reach, but both could not be covered on the same day. Haridwar is a moderately congested city like Kolkata. However, one can spend days just observing the beauty of this city. Rishikesh was also a part of our trip.

There we visited the famous suspension bridges like the Ram jhula and the Lakshman jhula over the Ganges which remains crowded all day. We travelled to Kankhal with which our Haridwar tour came to an end. Next. we started for the extremely beautiful town of Mussoorie.

The hill station was still in a mood of celebrating the New Year. It seemed a different place in terms of culture and weather.

It is much cooler and more beautiful in resemblance to the other northeast Indian cities. Often known as the Raat ki Rani, it really lives up to the name! The lights all around during the night, makes the city glitter like golden ink smeared on black paper. We were left mesmerised to have seen such an amazing sight for the first time. The next day we visited the Gun Hill and from there we went to Dhanaulti.

In the evening we went around shopping for souvenirs and gifts for home. As we looked around the market, beautiful Garwali folk music was being played which sounded light and pleasant to the ears. We expected to catch a glimpse of Ruskin Bond at a cafe he is heard of usually visiting and meeting his fans, but was deprived he couldnt come that day. We hired a car from Mussoorie to Dehradun.

This city was special to us because of its strategic and military importance. We first hit the streets of Moti bazar where second hand army gear was available for sale as well as many other things ranging from daily-use products to clothes. I was delighted to have bought a beautiful World War II British Army dagger replica, of robust construction and good quality.

After taking a stroll around for some more time and tasting the street food of the city, we called it a day. Next morning, we went to the Rajaji National Park which is a lovely tiger and wildlife reserve, Robbers Cave and the Clock Tower. That was the end of our trip.

The next we boarded the train from Dehradun station, rich with colonial extravaganza. We began our journey back to home with lot of memories.

Coordinator, Ex-St Mary's Dumdum

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Spirituality amidst nature - The Statesman