Like I always say, I don't need a reason to travel, the urge is just there always! Being a resident to Bhubaneswar, Odisha, I have been to Dhauligiri, many a times. But this time it was special because Dhauligiri happened unplanned. I am a usual late riser, but I couldn't escape a birthday party, post 12 midnight. The birthday party went on overnight. I was amongst those last 4 chaps standing straight after a series of last birthday shots.
So it was 5 am, the sun had just popped out. It was dim and not very bright. The party was over. I was hungry. I thought of heading home, but the morning breeze was so inviting, that I decided to go on a ride and hunt for breakfast instead.
It seemed too early for the street food vendors to arrive. I took the road to Puri hoping to see some street food. Instead I saw the Mighty white Dhauli shanti stupa standing tall amidst green flora. That very look of dhauli from a distance, was quite inviting.
It was windy and overcast. The sky looked confused. The clouds wanted to melt while the sun wanted to shimmer! And I wanted both to happen together. All this drama was happening above and around shanti-stupa. I took the road to Dhauli giri without a second thought. The road is green throughout. And above all, the curves make the drive more dramatic.
My first stop was at Peace garden, where you have a lot of Buddha statues. Every time I go there, I make sure to sit for a while. It is an absolute blissful place.
I sat on the grass, facing one of the statue of Lord Buddha in golden and maroon. I closed my eyes, inhaled and exhaled consciously. After few minutes it started to drizzle. I opened my eyes to a complete overcast sky. Everything had started to breathe around me.
I further drove up to shanti stupa in that drizzle. It was 6 am. There was no one around. It was too early for the flea markets to open. The sweepers were at work. Shanti Stupa was in its own solitude, standing tall, like some heavenly throne. If I were a king, shanti stupa would have been my throne definitely. It has that imperial look with lions guarding the entries, and when you climb that long set of staircases up there, it gives you that royal-majestic feel.
I am sure Dhauli has an average 10k footfall everyday, which makes it crowded, but this hour of the day (early morning) was so unique because no one was around.
I clicked the shanti-stupa with the sweeper at work. I wanted the world to see that we have responsible people doing their job, even when there is no one to see them and acknowledge their work. I walked to him, raised my hand for a handshake and a high five and went up to throne.
And while I walked the stairs up to the throne with that royal finish, a popular song hit my chords. "Azeemo shan shehenshah" (from a popular flick Jodha akbar) it was! Trust me, what a fantasy to come true! And by the time I reached the top,it started to pour heavily.
The rain stopped in sometime, the atmosphere turned fresh, chill and clean. I always had a dream to sit over the walls of shanti-stupa to view the panoramic landscape around. With no one around to stop, I climbed over the wall and sat on the parapet dropping the legs on the outer side of heritage. I was spellbound witnessing the huge never-ending landscape. I felt like a drone capturing some stunning views. The earth met the sky somewhere far away and I wish I had wings to go there.
Note: Please do not try climbing the wall of shanti stupa. It is risky!
My boom box played some favorite sing-list, one of which was the title track of Kal ho na ho! It says - har pal yahaan, jee bhar jiyo, jo hai samaa, kal ho na ho ( it's one life, live it to the fullest)! I took selfies, clicked the landscape and sat there calm, surrendered, for sometime introspecting life. May be after 30 min, a security guard came and asked me to come down for safety reasons. I took the chance to ask him to click some of my pictures. The man surprised me with some perfect clicks.
It was 7 am; sky was black n white as I started to descend down. I stopped in a nearby shop to wash my face. I was sleepy. This reminded me about the lovely night with friends, however the morning was more beautiful. The morning was mystically mine!
For anyone who wants to visit Dhauligiri:
· Try the dawn hour 6am. With almost no crowd around, you will get some exclusive pictures.
· Carry few bottles of water, camera and some toffee's to snack for instant energy. The shops remain closed at this hour.
· You will have to walk around the heritage, which is good enough to make you tired. So don't run around to complete the show. You might get very tired. Be easy on your legs.
· There are a lot of places in and around Dhauligiri. Don't miss them. Peace garden, monastery, the sound and light show (happens in the evening only) are recommended.
For people visiting Odisha:
Dhauli Giri is situated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It is located at a distance of approximately 8 km from the Bhubaneswar railway station and airport. You can OLA, UBER to Dhaulagiri. You also have Mo BUS facility by state government. There is a minimum toll fee for 4-wheelers, otherwise, the entry to the buddhist monument is absolutely free!
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