Ever since I was old enough to be charmed by things beyond chocolates and cookies, the great Himalayas have charmed me, almost hypnotically. I was born in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam and my first tryst with the Himalayas was in Rupa, Arunachal Pradesh, but that was more a childhood crush than any serious love.Love bloomed far away from Rupa, not too far away from the many corners of the Naukuchiatal though. Nainital in 2008 is not Nainital - it is just a withered remainder of the much prettier past. The Rupa Himalayas charmed me; Nainital 1991 was where I first came under the spell.
My romance continues, though the ravages of time have kept forcing me to alter the settings for our many dates. Nowadays, we meet at a place called Naukuchital.
The misty-blue waters of the Naukuchiatal Lake are just six hours away from the hullabaloo of Delhi's bazaars. The Himalayas here aren't at their majestic best, but they are in perfect harmony providing the lake with a most enchanting backdrop. I prefer travelling overnight, leaving Delhi a half hour or so before midnight. This reduces my struggle on the Delhi roads allowing me to zip past the city in about half hour, but more importantly it sets up an early morning date with my lady love - clad in the morning mist, she is at her lovely best.
The Naukuchiatal's waters are fed by a sub-lake spring which ensures that the water table remains high through the year. The lazy me prefers best to pull a chair and gaze at the water forever, though a walk around the lake is highly recommended. There is a proper walking track, a little under 4 km long, thinly foliaged, allowing you to immerse yourself completely in nature - just you, the waters, trees, grass, a few butterflies and the hills. 9-Corners-spotting is a favourite pastime here; belief is that the lucky one who can spot all nine corners of the lake is destined for Nirvana. When you are already in paradise, who cares for Nirvana, I wonder!
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