A walk in the mountains

Jaunsar, Moila Top

In the hidden world of Jaunsar Bawar Himalayas, a trek is not just a trek. There’s enchanted magic all around. Known for their ancient magical ways of living, tribes in the Jaunsar Bawar are still said to practice the hidden arts.

This place is a little less than 10,000 ft above sea level. Hidden under a blanket of trees, steep climbs, and thick fog, when you reach the top, a small wooden temple greets you. It is the pari mandir, the fairy temple.

A local warned me when I was planning this trek, do not wear colourful clothes. Otherwise, the mountain fairies will enchant you.

It was a difficult climb but went through some lovely trails. A butterfly kept me company and I wondered if it was indeed, a mountain fairy. The deodar were so tall here that they seemed to touch the sky. Wild flowers and lush green grass swayed gently to the breeze. Everything seems to communicate with you as you pass by.

When I reached the top, the thicket of trees gave way to open green carpet meadows. Horses and sheep were grazing quietly near little puddles of water, and a dense fog enveloped the hills.

I was mesmerised. I sat quietly taking it all in. Then the wooden flowers tied to the roof of the fairy temple started blowing in the wind singing their own songs. A little bird flew by.

I wanted to stay till late but a shepherd warned me it gets dangerous after dark. The wind blows too hard and the fog descends to the ground. You won’t know where it takes you.

Down to the other end of the hill were caves. I didn’t have the heart to peek inside their dim openings. It was afternoon but daylight was a gentle grey due to the clouds.

Someone on the way back was selling fruits in a basket. I sat down to talk to him. Surprisingly he spoke English. He was doing college in the city and visiting his parents’ village down in one of these hills in the holidays. So he picked some, put them in a cane basket and brought here to sell to a n adventurous trekker like me.

Oh couldn’t I have worn colourful clothes and made one of those fairies enchant and take me away to this magical world of charms?