Do you believe in magic? No? Well I would have said something similar before this magical thing happened to me. I have never felt something so strong, so powerful, and so full of life to an extent that it actually gave me a purpose of being here, in this world. Nothing ever made me so joyous in my life. Spiti was a big milestone in my bucket list due to its geographical location and remoteness in the great Himalayas. You are actually cut off from the world as you have no mobile network or ATM’s or people around, and absolutely no social media as well as we have a habit to constantly check our devices. Let us explore the land of enchanting beauty and eternal peace, Spiti!.
We were a group of eight friends who started from New Delhi on August 10th, 2017. We packed our bags, and boarded the train which would take us to the nearest railway station for Spiti, which itself is 264 miles away from the prime location in Spiti- The moon lake or Chandrataal as we say in local language. Spiti is a largest district of the state Himachal Pradesh which is famous for its astound beauty and moonlike terrain at the elevation of 4590 metres.
We decided to take the route from Shimla inHimachal Pradesh as this route is open throughout the year which is not the case with Manali. So if you plan your trip in winters this is the route you have to count on, as Rohtang Pass (near Manali) will be closed due to heavy snowfall. Also, Spiti is one place where you can witness extreme colors of nature. By looking at the pictures below you can imagine now why it is called the Winterfell of India.
At no point you would want to blink your eyes. All you want is to capture the moment forever. But to be in the lap of Mother Nature where the wilderness is at its best, there were a lot of challenges which in itself were great experiences. So we headed towards the last village of India near Indo-China border called Chitkul, crossing the most treacherous roads of the Indo-Tibetan highway.
The beauty of the tall, majestic snow clad mountains, dotted with the pine trees was breathtaking and the sun rays, piercing the clouds were falling on the sprawling meadows. The view was hypnotic and we were numb in front of this raw, immense nature. The continuous chanting of “Om Mani Padme Hum”- a famous hymn in Sanskrit, which was playing on the speaker of our car -was casting its spell on us. It was magical.
After spending the night in Chitkul we started moving north. The ferocious Spiti River was roaring on the side of the road, following us through the Hangrang Valley. The lofty mountains were changing their hue from the multiple shades of green to the dusty, muddy brown cover of rocks and sand. It never rains there, it just snows. These exalted mountains were barren. From the huge blanket of trees to just fine brown sand.
All these roads are maintained by the BRO (Border Road Organization). We could see army bunkers and soldiers at every check post. Much respect to these heroes who are miles away from their home and serving the nation.
So, after crossing many small villages we reached Dhankar by evening, a very small village inhibiting just 300 people, located at an elevation of 3894 metres. It was dead cold there. I could feel needles piercing through my body. We all wrapped ourselves by every clothing available and visited the famous Dhankar Monastery, often called as Dhankar Gompa. The moment I entered the monastery I felt something different.
The monks were sitting in rows wearing maroon robes, eyes closed, hands on the rosary and lips busy with continuous chanting of their hymn. I sat in the corner, overwhelmed by the whole atmosphere, trying to pull myself together. It was so melodious, it felt as if I was listening to the saga of divinity. I could see how tranquility was taking over them and peeping through their glowing faces. I thought this is it. This is the most beautiful moment of my life. But wait for it, it gets better.
We stayed in the monastery that night. The dinner was very delicious. I do not even remember how many kinds of dim sum I had that night. I was surely not expecting having my first Tuna dim sum in a place where I could literally count the number of houses in the town. Our host was warm enough to answer all our curious questions about their culture and their lifestyle. We had a great time at Dhankar.
The next day we started moving towards our biggest attraction Chandrataal. It is the 4th best stargazing site in India. The complete drive till Chandrataal was indescribable. Each mountain was telling its own story. The River was singing its own song and guiding us throughout our way. There were pinnacles besides the river and deep gorges that we didn’t even dare to look down. On the way we crossed Hikkim on an elevation of 4400 meters. Hikkim is famous to have the world’s highest post office. We posted letters to our parents from there and commenced our journey again.
All these villages go underground for 6 whole months due to heavy snowfall. The military is the only source of contact for the locals to the outer world in winter. They stack all their sources for 6 months and go for hibernation. For 6 months Spiti get thrashed by the cold blizzard coming from some of the highest peaks of Himalayas. Spiti is also one of the rarest sites to spot snow leopard. In winters the Spiti river freezes and one can see water flowing under the thick transparent glass shield of ice.
Finally, we reached Chandrataal around 4pm. The temperature was -1 degree Celsius. There were camps laid in the valley and we were welcomed by two huge dogs. They were so furry and healthy and they wagged their tails when they saw us, showing their love. We layered ourselves and kept our luggage in the camps. It’s a nice walk from the camps till the moon lake.
So we started walking towards the paradise singing, enjoying, jumping, rolling and shouting at top of our voices. After 30 minutes the heaven was in front of my eyes. I was spellbound. I have not seen water so blue in my life. It was clear like crystal and the sky was reflecting itself upon it. The sound created by the ripples in the lake was intoxicating. I was stupefied. It was very similar to a good meditation session. I never thought I will ever be in such a state of happiness.
As the sun was setting, the colors were darkening and the photographers present there started to capture the moment for their perfect silhouette. We tried our luck too. It is forbidden to stay at the Moonlake after 7 pm as it’s not safe due to wilderness all around. Also, the camping owners provide a stargazing session outside the camping site through telescope as Milky Way is not that clearly seen through naked eyes. Yes you heard me right. I saw Milky Way.
I was stunned by looking at the perpetual sky. The universe has bestowed itself upon me and I was looking at it in a single glance. The whole sky was lit by a millions stars, twinkling like diamonds in the sky and the Milky Way was sprinkled as glitter dust all over the space.
We identified all the constellations that we had memorized back in school and witnessed numerous falling stars. I did not wish for anything that time because it felt like there is nothing more to wish for. We spotted the International space station and few of the satellites as they were moving in definite orbit. I had no idea stargazing can be so much fun.
The next morning we had to catch the first bus back to Delhi. None of us wanted to leave. All of us wanted to stay a bit longer and imbibe the splendid beauty. But that was it. That is how life is. Like a wheel. Some days are the best, some are worse and then it all repeats. All we are left with are just wonderful memories that we reminisce over and over again to relive those beautiful moments. That is what I believe. Let me know what you think about the life and these small gifts of happiness given by Nature and God. I hope you found yourself somewhere there with me in Spiti while reading it.
I hope you enjoyed reading this wonderful experience. I hope to come back more with different travel experiences. Feel free to leave your feedback or any love in the comments. Cheers!