Padampuri – a nature lover’s delight

Padampuri – a nature lover’s delight

Resorts coming around Padampuri

           Every time I searched google for ‘Padampuri’ in Uttarakhand, it invariably launched a series of responses and mostly it showed up ‘Jilling Estate’, without much of help about the actual details of the destination.  Therefore, I thought of paying a visit to the place sans visiting the said estate, as everyone who is a bit tech savvy would be knowing about it by just surfing the internet.  I thus embarked upon the journey be encompassing Padampuri as a destination during my winter sojourn to my little abode in Ranikhet.  It was a wintery morning in Delhi and getting up at about 4.30 A.M in the morning in the cold January month was an exercise in itself and we reached the New Delhi railway station well in time to board the New Delhi-Kathgodam Shatabdi that leaves at 6.00 A.M in the morning and is scheduled to reach Kathgodam at 11.40 A.M.  However, the day had more agony stored for us, as on that fateful day i.e. 5^th January, 2017 the train did not arrive at the platform even 10 minutes prior to its departure time and simultaneously the announcements of other trains being cancelled because of fog were being continually made.  Since there were no announcements being made in respect of our train, random thoughts that it too had been cancelled was gnawing inside the mind.  I started mentally contemplating an alternate arrangement for reaching the destination.  Just then an announcement was made informing the passengers that due to some ‘technical glitch’ the train would leave later, no further details were provided and this kind of announcement continued intermittently, until the train finally arrived at the platform at 8.00 A.M, albeit two hours late.   Thereafter, the journey commenced after about another 10 minutes and we braced ourselves for further delays en-route. 

Aerial view of Chanfi as one heads towards Padampuri

View of the famed 'Jilling Estate' from Padampuri

            The start of the journey appeared to be inauspicious and the train slowly chugged along and finally reached Kathgodam at around 2.25 P.M., the only saving grace for the journey being the considerate approach of the Indian Railways which provided for some Dal & Rice at around 1.00 P.M. to the passengers because of the delay, which is not usually not a scheduled meal during the journey.  Since, I had already pre-booked the taxi wallah, who drops me regularly at my pad in Ranikhet, we did not have to waste much time in either identifying a suitable vehicle or rate etc., as he had already done the needful at the pre-paid booth.  We started from Kathgodam and after travelling for about a Kilometer or so, we started our descent towards Ranibagh, on way to Bhimtal.  The distance from Kathgodam to Bhimtal is about 23 KMs and therefrom one has to reach Khutani, which is about 5 KMs from Bhimtal.  The roads bifurcates from Khutani and one has to take a sharp U-turn towards Champawat/Lohaght road to reach Padampuri.  After passing by Khutani, the next notable inhabited destination in Chanfi, which is 6 KMs from Khutani and is situated in a valley.  Having gone past Chanfi, the road again starts ascending, albeit steeply and after one covers a further destination of about 6 KMs, one reaches Matial village and the trek to the famed ‘Jilling Estate’ starts from here and as the road climbs down about another Kilo meter, one reaches Padampuri, situated in the valley below, where two rivulets conjunct.  It is small nondescript little hamlet situated in the lap of nature, as if ensconced in a timeless warp.

The ancestral home of Sh. N.D Tiwari ernstwhile Chief Minister of UP & Uttarakhand in Padampuri

Traditional farming methods being used to cultivate potatoes

Modern technology is also creeping in slowly to replace or methods of farming 

As we were already late, we headed directly for the Tourist Rest House (TRH in short) Padampuri, managed by the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd. (KMVN in short).  It is situated right on the State Highway heading towards Champawat district of the State.  Initially we decided to stay overnight at the destination, but decided against it as the rooms there were poorly maintained with seepage in toilets and rooms giving a shabby appearance to the entire structure.  However, the staff posted there were very co-ordial and helpful and especially the cook Mohinder, had excellent culinary skill and fed the famished souls with delectable pakoras, omelettes & coffee.  After having placed the order for snacks etc., we walked down the road upto the village square, wherefrom the ashram of famed Sombari baba is stone’s throw away and having visited the temple complex, we headed back to the TRH.  Padampuri is also known as the birth place of the mercurial but controversial Congress leader of yester years, Sh. Narayan Dutt Tiwari, who had been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for quite some time, his ancestral home is still inhabited by his extended family.

The famed Sombari Baba ashram in Padampuri

A photo of famed Sombari Baba sourced from the net

Where the Vultures dare - Himalayan Griffon in flight in Padampuri

             Padampuri is a combination of tradition & modernity, perched at an altitude of 875 MSL or about 3000 feet above MSL (measured by me through altimeter inbuilt in my wristwatch), it has a moderate climate, but gets colder in winters as it is surrounded by high peaks that allows only minimal sunshine hours in a day.  The main economic activity of the village revolves around agriculture, as there is sufficient availability of water in its vicinity.  I found a lot of poly-houses and on enquiries found out that floriculture has become an important activity for sustenance and coupled with this many resorts on hill tops around Padampuri are coming up.  The river that runs up from the Sombari Baba ashram is a treasure trove of avian fauna and a famed water-fall is situated further ahead in the river, but the same is visible in its entirety only during the monsoon season.  I found out a link to the photograph of the said water fall, which may be accessed by my readers by following this link - https://tmi2-tourmyindiapvtlt.netdna-ssl.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Padampuri-Waterfall.jpg.  

View from Tourist Rest House, Padampuri

A traditional Kumaoni home in Padampuri -
it had started raining as we were to commence with our journey towards Sitlakhet

It would not be justified if I do not mention a little about the famed Sombari Baba, who was named so because he used to launch a community lunch for the villagers every Monday i.e. Sombar/Somvar in Hindi.  An associate of the famed Haira Khan Baba, he was an ascetic of the famed cadre of saints who roamed the Kumaon Hills during the early 1900s.  The region still echoes with legends about them. Sombari Baba was also one of the teachers of Swami Rama whose master, Bengali Baba had sent him to Sombari Baba during his early days.  The present ‘mathadish’ or head of sect is Swami Parmanand Puriji Maharaj, born in 1889 AD, was not present at the Padampuri ashram, but was away to Gurgaon, Haryana on request of one of his disciples, who despite being about 127 years old and having had two major surgeries, he still appears to be going strong, although I was not fortunate enough to meet him.  Thus, ended our brief but pleasant encounter with Padampuri.

 Here is the link to the video for the destination -

© S Roy Biswas

Khari Mandari – a lesser known trekking destination of Manali

Khari Mandari – a lesser known trekking destination of Manali

Way to Khari Mandari 

I have not been able to write a blog for a long.. long time because of my personal pre-occupation and consequent confinement either in Delhi or at most visiting my home in Ranikhet.  Therefore, I had nothing much to write about.  A few days back a friend of mine working in Delhi Development Authority, where treks for the employees are conducted annually & regularly, which is a healthy practice, informed me about the destination .  While discussing his last trekking trip organized by his office, he mentioned the name of a place called Khari Mandari, which he had visited with the office group and recounted some funny anecdotes that occurred during the said trek.

Road map to Manali

As I found the place to be of some interest to me, I tried to gather some information from the internet, but to my dismay there was no information available about this destination.  So I contacted my friend again and sought some detailed information from him about the destination along with some photographs and this narration is a third party account of the visit, as informed by my friend.  I am undertaking the same so that this nondescript destination of Manali finds mention in the internet and for benefit of my blog readers.

Heading towards Jogini falls

Almost there at Jogini falls

The famed Jogini falls

The journey had commenced late in the evening from the office premises near INA Market, New Delhi and as it was around the month of September, so all the participants had been instructed to carry some jackets and woolens, as the weather in the mountains can take a turn for worse at any time without any prior indication.  Everyone was in high spirits singing and cracking jokes with their friends & groups, who had managed to get seats next to each other in the bus.  The initial destination was Manali, which is about 550 Kms. from Delhi and takes 12-14 hours to reach.  After initial hullaballoo, everyone settled in for some sleep, which was hard to come by due to constant jumps and jerks of the bus.  The bus took the NH-1 till Chandigarh (about 227 Kms.), which takes about 4-5 hours to reach and thereafter, one has to take NH-21 and it takes about 8-10 hours from Chandigarh to reach Manali, which is about 330 Kms.  By the time most of the participants had woken up, we stopped somewhere beyond Chandigarh in a nondescript place for the morning ablutions & a cup of hot Tea / Chai, as arranged by the tour operator.  Refreshed, we commenced with the journey and by late-morning had reached our destination and immediately checked into the Bahang base camp on the Manali -Leh highway.  After briefing and allotment of tent and freshening up followed by lunch, we all were allowed to rest for the day and everyone had a sound sleep till late evening, tired from the overnight journey.

The tents at Bahang

The tent site at Boggi

Tent site at Sarai - the base camp for Khari Mandari

            The next day i.e. day two of arrival in Manali, although it was bright and sunny, yet there was a nip of cold in the air.  After breakfast, we headed for the famed Jogini falls for acclimatization.  The fall was really spectacular, falling from a height of a hundreds of feet.  Having trekked back to the base camp for the night, we all were provided with some basic hiking equipment and instructions to be followed for the trek that was to commence from the next morning i.e. day three after arrival at Manali.  The next morning i.e. day three of arrival at Manali, we all proceeded for Boggi, after early B’fast we left by Jeep that dropped us at Jagatsukh.  Boggi is situated at an altitude of 2500 meters above MSL and after alighting from the Jeeps, we started for the first leg of the trek of about 10 Kms. and having got past Banara village, camp was setup in a meadow close to alpine forest and everyone provided with packed lunch.  Although the trek gradient was easy, but having walked for 10 Kms., we just tore into our lunch packs.  Evening was free and we all enjoyed the surroundings.  The fourth morning was scheduled for trek from Boggi to Sarai, another 10 Kms. trek passing through some undulating meadows interspersed by some gradual climbs and by late afternoon we managed to reach Sarai, perched at an altitude of 3050 meters above MSL, where camps had been set up in a small clearing.  We retired for the night at this camp, as it was to be our base camp for final assault to Khari Mandari.

As we start our trek towards Khari Mandari - distant view of Pir Panjal ranges under cloud cover - view from below Fa Kanda ridge

View of the camp below from the Fa Kanda ridge

Khari Mandari top - view of the alpine destination

            On the fifth day since our arrival on Manali, after having taken early breakfast, we started our climb towards Khari Mandari.  As we started the climb, we found it to be toughest of the trek.  The trek endures constant climbing and gradual gaining of height upto Fa-Kanda ridge situated at an altitude of 3500 meters above MSL.  The tour guide informed us that we could get spectacular views of Pirpanjal and Chandra Bhaga ranges, but as the sky was overcast, we could not get a glimpse of the same.  We reached the Khari Mandari, which is a meadow perched at considerable height and after taking rest for about half an hour, we started our trek back to the base camp at Sarai for overnight stay at the camp.  Early next morning i.e. the sixth day of arrival, we started our downward trek passing by the same meadows & forest fringes retracing through small hamlets or villages named Tilgan, Suru and reached Priini, wherefrom the Jeep picked us up from near an old bridge and took us to Manali for an afternoon outing in the township.  The next day we returned to Delhi, thus ending our trekking trip.

© S Roy Biswas

Yamuna Bio-diversity Park – a nature reclamation story

Yamuna Bio-diversity Park – a nature reclamation story

(A photo-blog)

Lotus in bloom in Yamuna Biodiversity Park phase-II

Brochure of the Yamuna Bio-diversity Park

The hind side of the brochure - displaying the map & location of the Park

I read the following article in the ‘Pioneer’ some time back and would like to reproduce a part from it - “Rapid industrialization and human encroachments had left the Capital bereft of its natural glory. The development of this wilderness has set an example for not just States within our country but also countries across the globe that are now trying to emulate this nature reserve. Recently we had a delegation of Canadian students to visit the park. Researchers from Britain and France have also come in the recent times to the park,” said CR Babu, environment professor at Delhi University….the Yamuna Biodiversity Park has about 1,000 species of flowering plants which used to exist in the flood plains several decades ago. These species have been thriving in the form of 20-25 plant communities. It also has moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests tropical thorn forests, scrub grasslands and the most biologically rich grasslands. “The Yamuna Biodiversity Park is based on the ecosystem model. It is a 10-year-old plantation. The ecosystem is fully developed. All the faunal elements have come on their own…”.  Being a nature enthusiast, I was planning to visit the destination since then, but could not precisely locate it on the map.  I was working for a few years in the Delhi Development Authority and was aware of the such a project, but the tight schedule kept me from visiting it.  However, when I returned to my parent cadre of Delhi Government, I got posted in the Transport Department and further to that got deployed in Burari.  I knew that the Park was in the vicinity, but no one seemed to have a clear idea about the place.  I once tried by going towards the Wazirabad barrage, but could not locate it.  Later, I found out some local contact and was able to visit the destination for the first time November, 2015 and as many birds had not arrived, I took another chance in end December, 2015 but it appears that Delhi and its surroundings have been given a pass over this year by the migratory birds as the day temperatures had remained much higher than normal throughout.

Common Moorhen in the Yamuna Bio-diversity Park

Common teal in the Yamuna Bio-diversity Park phase-II

Egret in action in the Yamuna Bio-diversity Park - phase-II

Purple Heron in the Yamuna Bio-diversity Park - phase-II

     The brochure and website for the destination informs that this project had been conceptualized & designed in association with the academia from the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), Delhi University and other prominent institutes & Scientists, the park has been intelligently demarcated on the basis of utility. There is a visitor's zone with an Interpretation Centre & a Domesticated Biodiversity Zone facilitating awareness trips & research. The result is an area of over 400 Acres depicting a rich kaleidoscope of flora & fauna in the middle of a metropolis desperately looking for more green lungs.  Having visited the place in person and having a Honors Degree in Botany from Delhi University, from the little knowledge I hold, I would agree that the team has done an appreciable work in restoring the flora & fauna as per the habitat and efforts have been made to source the naturally occurring endemic species and help them proliferate.  The emphasis on natural flora has in turn attracted the local avian fauna, as natural food like berries & fruits have become available to them and thus, the effort to nudge in the nature for reclamation of the land has paid rich dividends.  The park is now in process of doing a second project nearby and the work in this respect has already started for the second phase, which is located nearby, but with a larger area and huge water reservoir.  The link to the website for further information is - https://dda.org.in/greens/biodiv/yamuna-biodiversity-park.html

Cormorants flocking together at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park

On for the hunt - Cormorants in Yamuna Bio-diversity Park

At present there are three Birding hot spots that are regularly explored by birders from Delhi and NCR to watch and photograph various species of birds – Okhla Bird Sanctuary (which I have covered in my earlier blog), Yamuna Biodiversity Park and Yamuna Khadar.  The Yamuna Biodiversity Park is situated in Burari areas Jagatpur Village, in North Delhi and spread across an area of 457-acres of nature’s reserve, which has been especially created to replicate the lost ecosystems of the Yamuna river and reclaim the area by restoring its natural habitat. Once a barren land, it now houses wetlands and forests, sheltering over 1500 plants, insects, birds, fish and mammal species.   Yamuna Khadar is basically a wide partly cultivated and partly barren land on Yamuna bank which can be covered from Jagatpur Bandh Marg which connects Wazirabad Road near Wazirabad crossing on outer Ring road. The road goes almost parallel to Yamuna and few marsh areas can be seen alongside and this is being developed as Phase-II of the Yamuna Biodiversity Park.  In years to come, if this ecological experiment continues in the right earnest the naturalists in the coming years will have the delight of watching more exotic migratory birds etc. visiting the spot.   The Yamuna Biodiversity Park is a must visit destination for all nature lovers, as it will provide encouragement to do a little for the environment and help it regain its balance.

A cacophony of water birds in the Yamuna Biodiversity Park - phase-II

River gulls wading in the amuna Biodiversity Park - phase-II