CHAKRATA ?

I was longing for a break for the last three months, things were going really awesome at my workplace and the four-corners were making me sick. It was a pure coincident when 3-4 of my friends mentioned that they were planning to go to Hemkund and Valley of Flowers and they had deliberately kept me out. Any way I made up my mind and clubbed my two day leave with Gandhi Jayanti thereby making a long weekend of 5 days, packed our bags and on the eve of our departure, we received the news that the roads towards Hemkund are all blocked due to heavy rains. Things were sinking. Suddenly the idea of going towards Chakrata flashed in my mind, I had no information at that hour except the route plan. Any way we left Delhi at 8 in the morning towards Panipat-Karnal-Yamunanagar-PaonataSahib-Kalsi-Chakrata. On this route are situated Hathnikund Barrage, a very ambitious hydel project of Haryana and Paonta Sahib, a historical Sikh Shrine.

We easily reached Kalsi at around 1 noon and took a break to visit the Rock Edict of “Asoka the Great”. The traffic towards Chakrata is regulated through gates and 2 PM was the gate time when we moved towards Chakrata.

I could not believe my eyes; Chakrata is situated on one of the best locations in the hills. One side of the hills is covered with grass that gives the hills a very special look like the meadows and the other side is forest laden. Really wonderous. The town is very small with no good hotels (except Snow-view) and literally no Hill-Station type Restaurants but the weather was very pleasing.Tiger Falls situated nearby is an excellent excursion for one day you can trek 5 KMs or drive down+ trek 1.5 KMs. They say it is one of the highest waterfalls in India. Be it or not the place is really good. I wonder why Government is ignoring this place. The place can be converted in to an excellent picnic spot.

Kanasar Forest and Deoban are the other places that can be visited nearby. But due to a minor accident we had to cut short the trip and return immediately and could not visit Deoban and Kanasar.

I compare this place with Lansdowne but Chakrata is certainly a better and cool place.

I stayed there for two nights but enjoyed my stay.

Some pictures of the trip are available here: CHAKRATA.