Dev Bhoomi(God’s Own Land) - Uttarakhand

Travel is always fun when you plan it with people who are like minded. One such fun & adventurous trip i did was with my office mates to Uttarakhand. We drove down from Haridwar to Joshimath on 1st of January. Winter was at its peak & we experienced biting cold. At night temperature used to drop down to -8 degree or more. Our hotel was very comfortable, having all the basic needs. The rooms had heaters to keep ourselves warm so we could sleep cosily & start a fresh morning. We were stationed at Joshimath for good 3 days and explored other attractions of the nearby places. After spending the night at Joshimath, we drove down to explore hot spring & a small village called Malari.

Driving through the terrain was mesmerizing & treat to eyes. On the way we were blessed with fresh snowfall which was a thrilling experience. We reached Malari after a drive of 2 hours. As it is on a high altitude & very chilling in the winters, the villagers prefer to move to lower areas like Joshimath or nearby places and only return after winter is gone. So we reached Malari only to find the village deserted. Not a single house was unlocked. It gave such an errie feeling to not find a single soul in the village. On driving further ahead, we did find 2 gentlemen selling water & maggi. Thats how we got to know why the place wore a deserted look.

That drive to Malari is still fresh in my fond memories and i love to narrate over and over again...