House of Thoughts

  Uttarakhand. Dev Bhoomi. The Land of Gods. This little corner of the enigma that is India exudes an   enticing sense of spirituality and placidity from its every crevice . A spectacularly idyllic terrain smothered by some of the holiest mountains, lakes and rivers, Uttarakhand is found to be especially bountiful for those   seeking hiking adventures, spiritual clarity, serene holidays and fascinating wildlife . Be it the pilgrim city of Hardwar graced by the holy Ganges, the Hem Kund trek to the soul-touching Valley of Flowers or the infamous Corbett Tiger Reserve, the stars of which converted legendary British hunter, Jim Corbett, into a prominent conservationist, the allure here is impressively expansive. Uttarakhand is home to countless pilgrimage sites that have been used as the setting for a lot of Hindu epics, the stories of which seem imbibed in this land giving it a sense of undeniable surrealism. The colonial-era tinged Almora with its beautiful valley treks, the vividly pai

  Jim Corbett, the world renowned hunter and nature lover came to shoot a tiger here and fell in love with the natural beauty of Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand. He saved the local people and has described the incident in ‘The man-eaters of Kumaon.’’   I didn’t kill a tiger, but was absolutely enchanted by this tranquil hill station. It was originally a British inhabitation, borne out of their affinity for cool mountain climbs, set amidst conifer forests and orchards, Mukteshwar is at an altitude of 2286m and is located atop a high ridge.   This sleepy hamlet is often referred to as ‘the apple country’, and other fruits like plum, apricot, pear, peach are grown here as well. It's not a typical hill station but has sweeping valley views of the Himalayas and its snowy peaks.   The serene and tranquil atmosphere walking from Nainital to Mukteshwar took my breath away. The colourful roses in front of the post office are a sight to cherish. There are a lot of buildings established in 1905 in