A glimpse of northern India in March 2023

 A glimpse of northern India in March 2023

A 12-day tour account to Himachal and Punjab

(Travel Story Series @ Hon Too Fang 2023)

Part 1

Prelude

India is a fascinating country, huge in size and population and old in civilization. Worthy to have multiple visits. We first visited the so-called Golden Triangle region of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur in 1999. Unfortunately I had bad stomach upset and since then had no “courage” for a second visit until recently. In 2015 I paid for a trip same as this for March departure. But due to an unexpected family matter to attend to I had to cancel that. In 2020 we paid for the trip again but it was canceled due to Covid. But finally we made it, from 12th to 23th, March 2023.

Republic of India

The Republic of India, 3.29 million sq km in area (10timesMalaysia), is the 7th largest country in the World. The population is 1.38 billion (2022 estimates), 2nd in the World. It has a long history: the Indus  Valley civilization in north-west India started more than 5,000years ago. The Sanskrit language was used since 3,500 years ago. It is the birth place of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Their early empires were based in the Ganges Basin. In medieval time the region was run by regional kingdoms with cultural diversity. The Muslims founded the Delhi Sultanate in 1206.The Mughal Empire, in 1526,ushered in two centuries of relative peace, leaving a legacy of luminous architecture. Ships from the British East India Company started to dock in 1608, finally colonized India in 1858. In 1947 the British Indian Empire was partitioned into 2 independent countries, a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan, amid large-scale loss of life and an  unprecedented human migration.

India has been a federal republic since 1950, governed through a democratic parliamentary system.  Administratively, it is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories.

According to IMF, the Indian economy in 2022 was nominally worth $3.46 trillion, 5th-largest in the World. In purchasing power parity (ppp) term, it is around $11.6 trillion, the 3rd largest. However, per capita GDP is still very low. In ppp term it is US$ 8,300, 118th in the World. Comparison: Malaysia US$ 32,900 or 4 times more.

In economy, the service sector makes up 56% of GDP, the industrial sector26% and the agricultural sector 18%. India's foreign exchange remittances of US$100 billion in 2022, highest in the world, is contributed by 32 million Indians working in foreign countries. Major agricultural products include: rice, wheat, oil seeds, cotton, tea. Major industries include: textiles, IT and software, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology. India is strong in IT and pharmaceuticals.

We are touring places in the state of Himachal and Punjab, especially the former. So an introduction of the state of Himachal is deemed useful before going on tour.

Himachal Pradesh
It is a state in northern India, with Jambu & Kashmir to the north, Punjab to the west and Tibet (China) to the east. Himachal means “snowy slopes” and Pradesh means “state”.  It is a region of scenic splendour in the Western Himalayas, offering tourists lofty snow-capped peaks, deep gorges, forested valleys, terraced fields, etc. Area: 55,700 sq km. Comparison: our state of Pahang, 36,000.

The population is 7.5 million, made up of a variety of groups and castes. The Koli (agriculturists, a disadvantaged group) is the largest caste-cluster, about 30% of the population. About 95% are followers of Hinduism. Literacy rate, at 86%, is among the highest in the country. Hindi and Sanskrit are the official languages. The history of this mountainous area is complex and fragmented. It has generally been ruled by local warlords and kingdoms.  At the time of India’s independence around 1948 it has 30 princely states.

The state is governed through a democratic parliamentary system. Executive power is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by a Chief Minister. There is also a titular head of government, the Governor. Shimla is the capital.

In economy, agriculture is the most important, constituting 45% of the GDP and some 93% of the work force. Land and weather here are good for fruit cultivation. Apple is the leading fruit grown, others include apricot, cherries, peaches, etc. There is not much industries to talk about as the lack of good infrastructure has hindered the development. Tourism has gradually becoming important. It has many hill stations, Hindu pilgrimage sites and adventure tourism sites for skiing, rafting, paragliding, trekking, etc.

Starting our tour
Shown a simple map to see the relative locations of the places we are visiting.

New Delhi to Shimla
Our flight from Kuala Lumpur landed in New Delhi, the capital of India. From New Delhi we went by train to Chandigarh, 260 km away, taking 4+ hours. Shown at the New Delhi train station highlighting a porter at work, with 25 kg of luggage on his head, and a drinking water station. Plus a scene inside the coach.

We continued to Shimla by car, 130 km away. Shown our driver packing our bags on top of the Toyota MPV, and the typical landscape from Chandigarh to Shimla, climbing from 350 m to 2,280 m in elevation.

Shimla
Shimla is the capital and largest city in Himachal Pradesh. It was once the summer capital of British India. Elevation is about 2,280 m (comparison: Genting Highlands 1,800 m) and population 170,000. 

Hill Stations

Talking about Shimla we have to talk about hill stations in India. These are high-altitude towns developed by the British for recreation, enjoyment and to escape the blistering heat in summer. And Shimla is one of the most famous Indian hill stations.

Touring Shimla
There is really no significant flat piece of land in Shimla. Most of the buildings are built on slopes, quite a sight to behold. Could challenge the Greek island of Santorini for spectacular views. The 3rd photo shows our hotel, Hotel Sangeet. We had to walk up from the road level to the reception, at the 4th level. And our room is on the highest level. Almost 7 floors above the road. No lift of course. This is the time you happily tip the porter for his service.

Ridge Road
Ridge Road is a large open space on the ridge or highest point of the town, a hub for all activities. Many roads radiate out from this space. Prominent landmarks include the Gaiety Theatre, last photo, opened in 1887, now a social club and centre of performing arts for the schools, and the Christ Church, a neo-Gothic structure built in 1856. It is an Anglican Church, still functioning. Statues include that of Mahatma Gandhi, founder of India.

Mall Road
It is a long pedestrian shopping street. Located here is the Town Hall building, 1st photo, dated to 1908 with a unique large step entrance, glowing in the rays of the setting sun. Here, strollers and wheelchairs are available for rent - everybody can shop!

Showing some signboards, carvings and statues. The 2nd photo is found at the police headquarters

Viceregal Lodge
The lodge was the former residence of the British Viceroy of India, aka palace of the British Crown represented by the governor. It was built in 1880-88, with a large compound and gardens. The bulk of the estate is now used by the Indian Institute of Advanced Study.

It houses old documents and photographs dated to the times of the British rule. The interior is famous for the woodwork, teak brought in from Burma, now Myanmar. Photography is not allowed inside the building. Met some local students visiting the lodge too. The 6th photo showing the timber structures inside the building was downloaded from the internet. 

Photo credit: Navrang India

Trekking from Viceregal Lodge to town

We took a leisurely walk from the lodge back to Mall Road, about 3+ km, passing through pine forests and developed areas, sometimes on designated path like that in the 1st photo. Shown some scenes,  the last photo showing spike sheets on the hood and bonnet/windscreen of a car, to deter shitting birds? Or marauding monkeys?

On the way we also looked at the Kali Bari temple, built in 1845 to worship goddess Kali. Goddess Kali was reincarnated as Shyamala, after whom the city of Shimla is named. Many bells here. In Hinduism, bells are signs of auspiciousness and aid in invoking the Lord. The sound from the bell creates waves of Om, which is a sacred sound in Hinduism and a sign of positivity.

Kalka-Shimla Railway
This railway line was built between 1898 to 1903 to connect the hill stations in this region. At that time Shimla was the summer capital of India. A mountainous route well known for dramatic views of the hills and surrounding villages. A UNESCO World Heritage site. The line is 96 km long, with 18 stations.

The one we are taking is from Shimla to Taradevi, the 4th station and 11 km away. Just for the heritage experience. Unfortunately there was some ticketing issue and our morning train ride was changed to a late afternoon run when we could see very little during the run because it was already dark. Shown just views at the Shimla train station. These are outdated narrow gauge (2 feet 6 inches) railway tracks.

Shimla to Manali through Karsog Valley

Next we left Shimla for Manali, 250 km to the north, taking the scenic route through the Karsog Valley. A full day affair. Scenes along the journey include pine forests, terraced rice fields and orchards and an old woman and her big dog. The white netting in the last photo is to protect the budding shoots of the fruit trees from possible damage caused by hailstone.

We had lunch at the Mamleshwar Hotel at Chindi amid a park-like surrounding. Later in the day we made a photo-stop near Rohanda to view a huge rock painting of the monkey god Hanuman, a convoy of working mules and some blooming fruit trees.

Manali
Manali is a town in the Kullu district named after the sage Manu. In Hindu cosmology the Manusmriti or Laws of Manu is part of the basis of Hinduism. Manali has a population of about 13,000. Elevation: 2,050 m. We stayed here for 3 nights.

Hidimba Devi Temple
The main attraction is the Hidimba Devi Temple, nestled in a cedar forest. Hidimba was a female character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The temple, constructed in 1553, has a 3-tiered roof with many intricate carvings on the door. No photography is allowed inside the sanctuary which is dark and seem to have a lot of staff.

Outside the temple souvenir vendors ply their trade in traditional Manali costume, the costume also showcased by this couple of local tourists.

Nearby is a small temple built around a giant cedar tree. Miniature aluminum houses could be found stacked on one side. Meaning?

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Strolling for 6 km in Old Manali

We later went for a leisurely stroll in Old Manali, over some pine forests, farms and residential areas. Trekking in the pine forest on higher ground is not that leisurely though. The reward is to enjoy some vistas of the valley.

There are many old houses in the villages, some said to be a hundred years old, a few using slate as roofing material, last photo. Most are of two stories, with cattle and goat kept on the ground floor.

A prominent building is the Manu Temple, in honour of the sage Manu whom the town is named after. Building said to be very old.

Now the farms. The state of Himachal is famous for its apples. In fact the soil and weather are suitable for many temperate fruits. However the apple trees are still very much bald, as shown in the 1st two photos. The shoots are about to come out, flowering in 2 month’s time. The first photo shows terraced rice fields. We have to wonder if the apple trees need so much water as the rice plants or not. Then we have the familiar yellow mustard plants and also other unidentified plants.

Some fruit trees are in bloom, but we are not sure about the species. Cherry, apricot and plum all have similar flowers. And farmers at work.

And lastly some animals like the yak and cattle calves. Special mention goes to the dog: friendly well-fed dogs are everywhere in the state of Himachal, a few followed us on the trek in the pine forest, and in the farms too.

And we present some colours of Manali to end the day.

To be continued………….