The Wanderlust: Kamrunaag and Naina Devi (Rewalsar)

हिमाचल प्रदेश, सदियों पहले यहाँ पहाड़ केवल कुछ जनजातियों और ऋषियों की तपोभूमि थे। इन मंदिरों की मान्यता और धार्मिक आस्था के कारण अक्सर लोग कई कठिनाइयों का सामना करके इन्हे श्रधांजली अर्जित करते हैं।

In the middle of Himachal lies District Mandi. I remembered from my childhood days, that Mandi was known for news about Wild animals(Wild cats & Bears) hurting villagers. And I had these hazy visuals of its very dens forests in my mind. So, I was curious enough to look these places for real when we decided to visit Kamrunaag.

Indeed a curiosity, which is not the most active thing in falling 20s.

The journey starts from Delhi. Like all engineering graduates from Himachal, we're also here for livelihood, but keeping most of the heart in hills. I don't know for everyone, but my dream is still alive, to go back and live in hills, forever. We were in a HRTC Kinnaur Bus, which was heading towards Sangla.

Now, you know these Badass Kinnaur route HRTC drivers could be known as "Special 26" (HP26 is Nichar RTO and HP25 is Kalpa number for vehicles).

I remember from my college days that nobody can beat them when it comes to driving skills. It's obvious when these drivers, accustomed to deadliest-narrow roads of Kinnaur, find two lane or four-lane roads, then riding becomes a child's play for them. To give you an instance, while parking bus between two standing buses, which barely had a space for one bus, our special 26 driver took a less than a second to adeptly park the bus. It was really a spectacle full of admiration for their skills and experience. Long live HRTC!

हमने सबसे पहले रुख़ किया करसोग का। शिमला के रिड्ज मैदान में कुछ समय व्यतीत करने के बाद हम शाम के अंधेरे में करसोग घाटी पहुँचे।

Karsog is a beautiful valley town, with a very welcoming heart for its visitors. I really loved the ambiance around.

सड़कों पर हल्की फुल्की चहल पहल और उपर चाँदनी से नहाया, टिमटिमाते तारों से भरा खुला आसमान। यहाँ पर रहना अत्याधिक सस्ता है। हमने बस अड्डे के समीप सूद होटेल पर कमरा लिया। अगर आप करसोग आएँ तो यहाँ ज़रूर ठहरें, सूद दंपति आपको शुद्ध घर जैसा शाकाहारी भोजन खिलाएँगे। And nothing is better than a good healthy meal a night before trek. After some inquiry from locals, we immediately decided to leave for Mamleshwar temple. मम्लेश्वर मंदिर की अपनी महत्ता है,। पांडवों ने यहाँ पर वास किया था। और एक राक्षस से गाँववालों को छुटकारा दिलाया था। यहाँ की खास बात है यहाँ पर पड़ा 200 ग्राम का चावल का दाना और एक बहुत बड़ा प्राचीन ढोल, जिसे कहा जाता है की भीम बजाया करते थे। Size of the Dhol, no doubt reveals how big the people were in those times.

Early morning we left for Rohanda. Rohanda, which very much sounds like an African Name, really created an awe. I remembered how we found an African tribe Siddi in Gujrat. It was really fun to see them speaking musical Gujrati(no offense Gujju Bhais ;)). I found the trek terrain very similar to Choordhar. In the last phase, paths are snow-clad. And one has to put every foot firmly on frozen ice.

मंदिर प्रांगण में पहुँचने पर एक झील और प्राचीन मंदिर दिखते है। परिक्रमा का अपना महत्व है। Parikrama or circumambulation, is very widely followed custom across many religion. Circumambulation is the act of going around an object of veneration(http://moonpointer.com). Parikrama has been considered sacred from a long time for many reasons. Like, Ganeshji did Parikrama of his parents, Shiva and Parvati, it's also related to some magnetic field theory that is created around a sacred object. Also, it's linked to the "Poorn Ahuti", that you give to sacred object, i.e. submitting yourself completely.

We also did a barefoot Parikrama here. It was more difficult task inside the head, than really that on foot. There are many stories about these places. It's said Kamru Devta was an excellent combat. Whosoever side he used to take, victory was a sure thing for them. He wanted to take part in Yudhha, but SriKrishna didn't allow him, and placed him at high top from where he can watch the Maharbharta's war. No matter how much unrealistic it sounds, but according to our Local Bus Conductor Bhaiji whosoever side Kamru Devta was looking that side was taking advantage. It continued for years. To end the war, SriKrishna slapped him, and Kamrunaag's eyes shifted away from Kauravs, and Pandavas won. There was a shraap which was given by a Gaddi to Kamru Devta, but I should keep it for discretion.

Enroute to Kamrunaag, you'll find PirPanjal and Dhauladhar ranges. And if you really love layers of mountain ranges crisscrossing each other, you will be delighted. The altitude measured at Kamrunaag via GPS is 2950m.

वैसे तो हर जिले में ट्रेक रूट्स हैं। पर मॅंडी जिला के ट्रेक रूट्स कुछ ज़्यादा unexplored हैं। कमरूनाग मंडी का सबसे शक्तिशाली देवता माना जाता है। सुंदरनागर और मंडी दोनो के मेलों में इसे प्रमुखता दी जाती है। कहा जाता है की ये इतना शक्तिशाली है की दो बार इससे उपर से गये हवाई जहाज़ भी गिर चुके हैं। इंटरनेट पर कई जगह रोहांडा से कमरूनाग तक की लंबाई 7 KM बताई गई है। लेकिन यह 5 KM है। कई जगह दूरी के चिन्हो में से दशमलव हटा दिए जाने क कारण आपको मृग-मरीचिका हो सकती है। जैसे यात्रा के अंतिम पड़ाव पर पहुँचते पहुँचते हमारी हिम्मत टूट गई जब हमने 1.5 को 5 KM भाँप लिया। कमरूनाग की यात्रा की खास बात यह है की आसपास के पहाड़ इससे नीचे या इसके बराबर उँचाई पर है। इसके आसपास धौलाधार शृंखला भी देखी जा सकती है।

हमारा अगला पड़ाव था रिवाल्सर।

You will quite often experience at any hill station, that there is always a lesser known adjacent place which is quite significant and has an abundance of beauty. It's your call if you can socialize with locals and find these places. One similar jewel is Naina Devi temple atop a hill near Rewalsar.

In between there are several lakes, and of course no lake goes unattended for the mythical significance. All of them have their stories. Faith is what makes people stay united and sane. Without faith it's our travesties taking over our mind. Naina Devi temple offers unbelievable scenery, with all the PirPanjal and Dhauladhar ranges surrounding the Naina Devi temple. There are many places in Himachal where you get this vantage point over the places around. One of them is Kali Ka Tibba in Chail. It's so interesting to know my mother with her grandfather had done walking trip to Rewalsar in her childhood. Walking in Hills is fashion not driving.

I still believe Mandi has many places without the chaos of Tourism. I will be back here, soon.