Melancholic delight

Chandratal Lake, Spiti Valley

Spiti brings to mind these lines from one of Pushkin’s poems-

“‘Tis time, my friend, ’tis time! the heart to peace aspires…

For long now it has been my consolation,

Hard-driven slave, to plan rebellious flight

To some far sanctuary of work and chaste delight.”

Arguably, Spiti is the best place to be if one is seeking peace and solitude. With the unparalleled view of the galaxy, the fresh winds singing songs of melancholic happiness and miles upon miles of beautiful countryside is just what is required to breathe and for once, live as freely as one can.

Spiti is best explored on one’s own. That way, you can get closer to nature, wander in the woods and take a walk as the sun goes down the horizon and the sky becomes a blaze of colours. This cold desert mountain located at an altitude of 4,270 metres is situated in the north eastern part of Himachal Pradesh. It remains one of the few places that is relatively untouched by commercial tourism. Given its high altitude, it is a perfect location for various treks and offers one of the best stargazing experience. The districts of Spiti and Lahaul is separated by the Kunzum pass.

The place noted for its Tibetan culture has a lot of monasteries with the Ki/Key Monastery and the Dhankar Monastery being the popular ones. Apart from these, Spiti also ofers options for mountain biking. The two lakes situated in Spiti are among the highest lakes in the world. The Chandratal lake which is featured in the image and the Surajtal Lake are astounding in their natural beauty. The beautiful turquiose-green colour of the river and the azure blue sky above looks like pictures on a canvas. Sparsely populated with scattered villages running like disjointed threads; there are clusters of whitewashed mud-brick homes situated beside the undulating barley fields. The monasteries dangling on the crevices a thousand feet above complete the picture.

Spiti is gaining recognition with the increasing number of tourists every year. However it is better for this place to remain far from the commercial tourist culture. Let it be a safe haven for those wishing to take flight and give wings to their fanciful stirrings of the mind, for those wishing to take their bikes for a crazy ride on one of the highest motorable roads in India, for those who just want to sit by the edge and look down and ponder, for those who seek remembrance and to carry on the tradition and for those bitten by wanderlust.

Picture contributed by- Nimisha Dakoria