The City I Lived : Pithoragarh
The City I Lived : Pithoragarh
When I received my posting orders for Pithoragarh in 1982 , I did not know any thing about it, but those who heard about it or traveled or posted here earlier just scared me. But I knew for sure that wherever a State Bank’s branch is there few people must be living there.
When I recollect, years of my stay here, these were best-one of my life and have wonderful memories, it is a kind of paradise in the lap of lush green hills at the height of 5000 ft bordering with Tibet and Nepal , but during old days you had to pay a small price to stay in heaven, the route from nearest railhead Tanakpur was 150 km , very rough and tough passing through salubrious Champawat Valley , Lohaghat on the edge of Lohawati river, little challenging around the Ghat area , road was single with innumerable curves and some of them were almost blind.
I am talking about 1982, when frequency of buses from Tanakpur to Pithoragarh was very limited, if my memory goes right than after nine in the morning no public transport from either side. Now you have enough number of vehicles available till afternoon and the road is also wide, driving is a pleasure, the journey even if taken leisurely, takes 5 hours.
Once you reach Pithoragarh , suddenly your fatigue and tiredness of long journey will melt away , you are in a beautiful town spanning in Soar Valley . The valley is 8 km long and 5 km wide and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Many people compare it with Kashmir Valley call it Mini Kashmir , but I have strong objection for this comparison, this is a very special and unique experience and it has a very different feel.
If you judge this city on the scale of happiness , it will be somewhere around 8 on the scale of 10, as at least one person from each family in army or para , they retire and stay in a calm and peaceful environment, enjoy easygoing lifestyle with pension. Unlike other hill stations, tourist inflow is limited so despite best tourist attractions, it is not overflowed.
I loved summer, rains, autumn , winters as well as spring season, because each season brings adds shades and colors. Yes, rains create little challenge to accessibility due to landslides and roadblocks.
The best part of this city was Gandhi Chowk before TV came to this city, by the evening everyone in the town bake a round of this place right from District Magistrate to engineers of various projects, teachers, students, bankers chitchatting , enjoying masala tea in steel glass. But later , I was told people now confine to home enjoying TV , the socialising crowd is thinner in Gandhi Chowk. Another iconic place was Punetha Newspaper Agent, where everyone had to collect his newspaper in person.
Pithoragarh is a gateway to few virgin locations on Tibet border like Narayan Ashram, Munshiyari and many more.
Now you may find better hotels and resorts but taken away best of a small town feel.
People are very very friendly, I re-visited the city after 18 years but to my surprise everyone in the market greeted with lot of affection and warmth.
Pithoragarh was a culinary experience for me. Gahad Ki dal ke Dubkay , Munshiyari Aloo Guktkey , Cucumber Raita with hempseed Tadka and lot more.
Our usual pastime was weekly trekking , there were umpteenth options , right from Thal Kedar , Wadda, Moshtimano, Jhulaghat , Raigupha and many more.
Another attraction added to the city is Naini Saini Airport, which made accessibility to the place little easier, but it will not match with enjoyment and adventure of traveling by road.
When I received my posting orders for Pithoragarh in 1982 , I did not know any thing about it, but those who heard about it or traveled or posted here earlier just scared me. But I knew for sure that wherever a State Bank’s branch is there few people must be living there.
When I recollect, years of my stay here, these were best-one of my life and have wonderful memories, it is a kind of paradise in the lap of lush green hills at the height of 5000 ft bordering with Tibet and Nepal , but during old days you had to pay a small price to stay in heaven, the route from nearest railhead Tanakpur was 150 km , very rough and tough passing through salubrious Champawat Valley , Lohaghat on the edge of Lohawati river, little challenging around the Ghat area , road was single with innumerable curves and some of them were almost blind.
I am talking about 1982, when frequency of buses from Tanakpur to Pithoragarh was very limited, if my memory goes right than after nine in the morning no public transport from either side. Now you have enough number of vehicles available till afternoon and the road is also wide, driving is a pleasure, the journey even if taken leisurely, takes 5 hours.
Once you reach Pithoragarh , suddenly your fatigue and tiredness of long journey will melt away , you are in a beautiful town spanning in Soar Valley . The valley is 8 km long and 5 km wide and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Many people compare it with Kashmir Valley call it Mini Kashmir , but I have strong objection for this comparison, this is a very special and unique experience and it has a very different feel.
If you judge this city on the scale of happiness , it will be somewhere around 8 on the scale of 10, as at least one person from each family in army or para , they retire and stay in a calm and peaceful environment, enjoy easygoing lifestyle with pension. Unlike other hill stations, tourist inflow is limited so despite best tourist attractions, it is not overflowed.
I loved summer, rains, autumn , winters as well as spring season, because each season brings adds shades and colors. Yes, rains create little challenge to accessibility due to landslides and roadblocks.
The best part of this city was Gandhi Chowk before TV came to this city, by the evening everyone in the town bake a round of this place right from District Magistrate to engineers of various projects, teachers, students, bankers chitchatting , enjoying masala tea in steel glass. But later , I was told people now confine to home enjoying TV , the socialising crowd is thinner in Gandhi Chowk. Another iconic place was Punetha Newspaper Agent, where everyone had to collect his newspaper in person.
Pithoragarh is a gateway to few virgin locations on Tibet border like Narayan Ashram, Munshiyari and many more.
Now you may find better hotels and resorts but taken away best of a small town feel.
People are very very friendly, I re-visited the city after 18 years but to my surprise everyone in the market greeted with lot of affection and warmth.
Pithoragarh was a culinary experience for me. Gahad Ki dal ke Dubkay , Munshiyari Aloo Guktkey , Cucumber Raita with hempseed Tadka and lot more.
Our usual pastime was weekly trekking , there were umpteenth options , right from Thal Kedar , Wadda, Moshtimano, Jhulaghat , Raigupha and many more.
Another attraction added to the city is Naini Saini Airport, which made accessibility to the place little easier, but it will not match with enjoyment and adventure of traveling by road.
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