When one wins over a maiden they say ’’mana li’’ in Hindi.
But what can one say about the beautiful maiden ’’Manali’’-the lovely hill station?
My first view of Manali was in 1978 October.
I had then stayed in the Mountaineering Institute, Manali.
It had a lovely campus-with cosmos flowers blooming all around. In the distance the tall deodar or fir trees lined the gurgling Beas river.
As I looke up towards the clear blue sky I was struck with the mountain looming and towerin above Manali, capped by white snow at the top. It shone in the evening as the sun’s golden rays fell briefly on the top from amidst the jealous clouds.
I looked down towards the valleys and it appeared there was paddy growing in the terraced fields. The sloping tiled roofs of the small huts of the villagers were orange and I wondered why. It was after close observation that I found they were the corn cobs left on the roof to dry-they would form the seeds for the next season’s crop of maize.
The cherry trees were there but no cherries.
The apple trees were laden with apples the normal red ones and the golden delicious varieties. We paid the orchard owner and plucked more than the kilo for which we paid a mere ten rupees. The freshness of the freshly plucked apples and the taste I still remember.
The drive up to Rohtang pass was risky but exhilarating with the views of the Beas river, the rocks, the slung bridges across the river.
The rohtang pass had a very strong cold wind, enough to blow away a careless light person. There was frozen water-ice over the pools of water. Snow was there on the slopes higher up.The small herbs and small flowers grew near the water.
Down the other side was Khoksar on the river Chandrabhaga.
The hot ’’aloo ka paranthas’’ there laced with butter, along with hot steaming tea in the icy cold, early in the morning, are still part of memories.
The ’’kadhi-rice’’ before Rohtang pass at Marhi is also remembered.
Manali was also nice as it had some good hotels, tourist lodge, hard drinks.
It also gave us memories of stiff legs after a long trek from Rohtang pass running down the hills and walking along the Beas, up to the bridge in Manali.
The hot springs at Vashisht were however missed by us as we nursed sore and leaden legs the next day and idled at the institute barracks.
We remembered the tortuous journey along the Beas from Kulu to Manali and the lovely hill sights we saw including the sheep and shepherds, the clouds, the hills and snow capped mountains, bubbling streams and the crystal clear fresh and healthy water.
On the whole a memorable experience -Manali.