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Misty mountains, green meadows, and gurgling falls were reason enough for me to take off on a solo trip to Kausani
Many people love to visit North India’s hill stations, such as Mussoorie, Shimla, and Manali. But not many consider booking a stay amidst the verdant pine forests and lush green paddy fields of Kausani, in Uttarakhand.
The reason is simple –not many have heard about the riveting beauty of Kausani, a serene village nestled on a ridge in the Bageshwar district of the Kumaon Himalayas in Uttarakhand.
This quaint hamlet opens panoramic views of the snow-clad Mt. Trishul, Panchachuli, and Nanda Devi. Amid this vast expanse, birds of different feathers love to flock. The tranquillity of the place is paused when these beauties come and play on the branches or fly above. I have spotted barbets, robins, whistling thrush, forktail, parakeets, and many others I am fascinated by.
With less than a thousand natives and the presence of very few tourists, I found the place having a peaceful and untouched beauty that is rare in my experiences. I am one of those travellers who would explore an offbeat Himalayan village than spend time at a popular hill station.
With all my deep research, one August morning, amidst the constant rain and thunder of Almora, another hill station located 52 km from Kausani. I booked a 2-day stay in Kausani. It takes about 3 hours to reach Kausani from Almora. Since it was raining, it took an hour extra to reach my resort.
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My driver dropped me in front of The Heritage Resort, my destination, where I would be stopping for the next 2 days. It was a beautiful vacation spot with big lawns, a garden filled with vibrant coloured blossoms, stunning cottages, and luxury rooms. My stay was already booked in an executive cottage offering extraordinary views of Mt. Trishul and Nanda Devi. Seriously, I didn’t have to try at all to witness the glory of the Himalayan peaks – they were right outside my window!
Also known as the Switzerland of India, Kausani offers a 360-degree view of snow-crested peaks of the Himalayas. And that's reason enough to spend a day here! Once I had my fill of witnessing the magical peaks of the Himalayas, I headed to Someshwar Valley. Its meadows, beautiful paddy fields, and abundance of flowers took my breath away. The valley is often referred to as having Asia’s one of most abundant natural beauty.
The mist had reached my window and was on its way inside my room. Even though it was pretty cold, I didn’t mind witnessing the dance of these fine droplets welcoming me to Kausani in its own sweet way.
As darkness fell over the hillside, there was nothing that could stop me from reading my favourite author Mr Ruskin Bond. While I was reading, I got distracted by the sound of a flute emanating from beyond the hills. That mesmerising tune got me trying to trace its source for a while.
Soon, my tired mind and body gave in and I fell into a dream that I don’t remember now.
I woke up listening to the pitter-patter of rain falling on the roof. I reminded myself that trekking to Rudrahari Falls won’t be easy. I had to cover the trek before dusk as the mist often engulfs the entire valley. Without wasting time, I got ready within an hour and left the resort around 10.00 am. The staff arranged for a cab that dropped me off at Kantali village from where I had to cover a trail of 2 km to reach the destination.
It may look like a short trek but it certainly wasn’t an easy one, especially for a one-woman army! The route was pretty straightforward and as I passed through several creeks, brooklets, and beautiful blooms all around, these breathtaking sceneries reduced the strain of my journey. On my way, I learnt about a unique variety of grass known as bichoo ghaas.
Now, please don’t go by the name of the grass – they don’t hurt like a scorpion but are a boon for acne and many other skin diseases. Every local knows about bicchoo ghaas. This friendly grass accompanied me throughout my trekking trail. The trek wasn’t too long but due to the rain I had to maintain a strong grip so that I, for once, do not slip and fall! Interestingly, I didn’t come across a single soul along the trail, and I am not complaining at all! It was fun and relaxing for me to hike through the beautiful landscape on my own and revel in its glory.
My trekking path winded through a forest. With an almost continuous walk, my steps went a little slow while nearing the falls. A mystical feeling engulfed me. Throughout the way, I felt the presence of a divine force that accompanied me to my destination, or was it the magical surroundings that influenced my feelings? My indicator showed that the falls is close enough. While pondering upon my next steps, my eyes soon fall on a staircase of about 100 steps. I could clearly hear the gurgling of water as I started climbing the stairs. By the time I finished climbing, the magnificent Rudradhari Falls was right in front of my eyes!
From Kantali village, it took me about an hour to reach the falls. Adjacent to the falls, the Rudrahari Temple and caves are situated. Also known as Someshwar Temple, the shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva (Rudra) and Lord Vishnu (Hari). The falls had been named after the temple. I love to trek alone in the mighty Himalayas for it allows me to soak up its mystical vibes. However, I do not recommend solo trekking if one is new to it. It is advisable to hire a guide at the starting point of the trek to Rudradhar Falls. It usually costs around INR 300 for the complete trek.
Even though there were a lot of leeches in and around the pool at the base of the falls, I didn’t hesitate a bit before jumping into the water. Cascading from a height of 5,250 ft, the falls is nestled in the middle of nowhere. Only abundant vegetation surrounded the falls and not any trace of human life.
What else could a solo traveller and spiritual seeker ask for?
I spent a good 10 minutes in the water. I would have stayed longer had the rain not disrupted my original plan of meditating in one of the intriguing caves!
The priest of the temple was a little surprised upon seeing a visitor in those months. However, soon he instructed me to leave the place immediately as the rain could flood the trail, and block my return to the main town. I thought it was sensible to heed his words and immediately I started back to Kantali village.I reached the resort passed 4.00 in the afternoon. It was raining incessantly albeit it was merely a drizzle. I savoured every moment of the grey, gloomy sky, and thunder as I entered my room and ordered chai and pakora to continue enjoying my evening. Once the night spread across the sky, I went back to reading my book. I checked out at around 10.00 a.m. and reached Almora by 1.00 pm. My beautiful solo trip to Kausani finally came to an end.
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