From Delhi
A 300km wide view curves
across the Himalayas from Kausani, a breathtakingly beautiful hill station in the Kumaon
Hills. The eye sweeps past dense forests and glowing hills lit up by the setting sun. The
panorama unfolds over the snow-covered peaks of Nanda Devi and Trishul, their impenetrable
beauty overshadowing the lesser mountains scattered at their feet. At 7817 metres, Nanda Devi is the second highest
peak in India and has exerted a tremendous impact on the cultures and lives of the Kumaoni
and Gharwali peoples. Mt. Trishul and Nanda Ghunti hover close by, symbolic of
Shiva’s trident and his wife’s veil.
Besides these
heart-stopping views, Kausani offers blissfully undiluted silence and tranquillity. The
crisp air is laden with the scent of pines. Tea gardens and pear orchards dot the
landscape while the summer months see a profusion of wild flowers in the valleys. The hill
station itself is perched on a narrow ridge on Pingnath Peak, overlooking mountain vistas,
while the rivers Gomti and Kosi flank the town.
Kausani has had many
moments in the sun – as the birthplace of Hindi poet Krishna Nandan Pant, and again
as the hill station where Mahatma Gandhi spent some happy days in 1929. Gandhiji stayed at
the Anasakti Ashram, where he explored the Anasakti Yoga. The Ashram used
to be a guesthouse in a tea estate, and is now a research centre and library. A Gandhi
memorial has been erected here and evening prayers are said in the main hall. There is a
regular flow of pilgrims trying to combine a glimpse of the sanctum with a view of the
spectacular sunset.
Some good treks lead into
the Himalayas from Kausani, such as the Adi Kailash trek and the Bageshwar Sunderdhanga
trek. The area is quite a camper’s paradise. In spite of its spectacular beauty,
Kausani remains an unspoilt town where you can retreat for a quiet sojourn at any time of
the year. |
