KALAP HILL STATION
AT
UTTARAKHAND
Kalap is a remote villange in Uttarkashi district of Uttrakhand State of India and located very close to the boundary of
Uttarakhand with Himachal Pradesh and hence its customs, traditions and
language carry influences from both states. Gharwali, the primary language
spoken, is markedly different from the variant spoken in central Garhwal and
Himachali songs are quite popular.
The houses are constructed of wood and stone and the
design is aimed at erecting structures that remain warm during the cold winter.
Several houses have intricate patterns carved on wood but the craftsmanship is
especially impressive in the temple dedicated to Karna of the epic Mahabharata.
Home to a couple hundred inhabitants and around fifty
houses, it is endowed with pristine natural beauty – magnificent views of the
snow clad peaks and lush bugyal (high altitude grassland) of
Kedarkantha, sparkling brooks running down the face of the mountain and silent
jungles of pine and deodar.
The hospitality showered on visitors is heart-warming
and genuine, a stark contrast to how we treat our guests in the cities. It is
not uncommon for children to help out their parents in daily chores like
tilling the fields and foraging in the jungles for wood and fodder. They are
comfortable with the heady life of the outdoor and feel at home navigating the
obstacles thrown up by nature.
As the chilly winter surrenders to a chirpy spring the
village adorns a variety of colourful attires; golden and orange and pink of
the sun, silver white of the moon and somber grey of the clouds.
Clear cloudless days interspersed with relentless rain
present an opportunity to experience the varied moods of nature and walking the
numerous trails which span out from the village is the perfect way to strike a
friendship with the stoic mountains.
A crystal stream rushes down this ravine inviting for a
quick dip although the water is excruciatingly cold. Beyond the stream the path
fights a losing battle with rotting trees, creepers, dead leaves and overgrown
grass making it trickier to navigate
To the East of the village neatly arranged terraced
fields dot the mountainside abuzz with bees hovering over the yellow mustard.
Two trails originate here – one curves below the fields to the chhani (A group
of makeshift huts usually used by sheep and cow herders) known as Unani and the
other runs above to the village Karba.
While the former follows a somewhat flat trajectory
traveling across the face of the mountain the latter climbs higher and higher
past the tree line to Karba Top.
Kalap is 210 kms from Dehradun, the capital of
Uttarakhand and 450 kms from New Delhi.The nearest rail station and airport is
at Dehradun. Dehradun is well-connected by daily trains and flights from New
Delhi. It takes 6 hours by car or 10 hours by bus to reach the town of Netwar,
the nearest road head to Kalap from where one must trek to the village.
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