Lazy start:
Since Munsiyari had been our first big target of our Uttarakhand trip, we had decided to take a break here. After all we had been travelling for seven days non-stop in order to reach here. So, a three-night (two full days) stay here would allow us to peacefully soak in nature.
The Panchchuli at dawn:
Munsiyari is famous for its direct, on-your-face, view of the five peaks, imaginatively named Panchchuli 1 to 5. Folklore says, these chulis are the ovens of the five Pandava brothers as they sat down to cook their last meal during their walk to heaven. Apart from these, the Nanda Devi, Nandakot and Rajarambha peaks are also visible. Such is the stretch of the Himalayan range visible from here that it is often called a “360 degree view” (though, of course, it cannot be so). When the skies are clear, they are visually unavoidable, gravely inspecting whatever you are up to.
KMVN (Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam), also known as GMVN (Garwal MVN), where we are staying, is a part of Uttarakhand Tourism, which has Tourist Rest Houses in most of the places in Uttarakhand. In fact many people take packages from GMVN themselves, especially for the char dhaam yatras (ie Kedar-Badri-Gangotri-Yamunotri). As with most state-run organisations, quality of the setup varies, but it must be admitted that the locations that they have acquired are usually the best in that town. When we step out onto the balcony, or even from our bed, there is nothing but the massive mountain range in front of us.
Given that, April may not be the best month for seeing ice-covered mountains in a crystal-clear sky. Firstly, because April is the start of summer and the snow on the mountain peaks might be a little patchy. Secondly, this season still carries clouds in the sky, which cover the ranges on and off, sometimes for days, and seeing their grandeur is a matter of luck.
Like this morning, we could only get peeps of the range here and there, like watching a dancer of the seven veils, giving us an idea of their size and height. It had rained hard at night, and we were hoping that the skies would clear up, but clouds lingered around the peaks like Nutella smeared on the cheeks of a kid enjoying a sweet sandwich. Clouds playing in the laps of mountains have a different beauty though, like children snuggling in their mother’s bosom. Sitting in the balcony, sipping earl gray tea, listening to the innumerable birds chirping, and watching the sunlight unfold the hillsides, is a blessing. One feels one can just sit and watch this play all day.
A drive to Zoyev waterfall:
With two full days at our disposal, and with Munsiyari town having limited things on offer that had other entertainment value, we thought we would drive up and down the surrounding and generally stop and enjoy nature wherever we wanted to. No goal-driven driving. Today, we decided to drive down the road we would finally take to leave Munsiyari, Thal Road as it is called. There were a couple of waterfalls within 50 kms, which we set as a loose target. After a hefty breakfast of puri-bhaji (I) and bread omelette (Panna), we hopped into our Punch.
A quick exit from town (pop just 50,000, so how long could it stretch), and we were on a winding single-track again, going slightly up. If there were no clouds, the Panchachula ranges would have been visible all through. We drove at a relaxed 20 kmph, parking occasionally to allow yellow plates to pass, who were no doubt impressed by my ability to drive slow, like slow-cycling. We stopped at an abandoned Eco Park, and passed a defunct tulip garden, all left to decay after the closure during Covid. We often halted and just got down to listen to forest sounds and watch the unfamiliar birds hopping from tree to tree. The weather was superb, like 15 degC, with scarcely any wind.
We reached a small waterfall by the wayside, the Zoyev (a name no doubt inspired by Dostoevsky during his rare visits to the region), which fell into a small crystal-clear pool. Panna was sorely tempted to step into it, but the hassle of removing so much apparel dissuaded her. Nearby, five lads had parked beside a small jutting out portion and laying out their picnic provisions, a goat tied nearby. We wondered whether it was part of the menu.
We did not drive upto Birthi waterfall, another 30 km away. We would anyway be travelling out the same route day after tomorrow, and I did not want to drive 100 km of mountain roads on my day off. Not part of my employment contract. So hey-ho, back to Munsiyari.
The Munsiyari marketplace:
Having parked our disgruntled Punch (he loves to travel, the brat) back at KMVN, we thought we would walk around for an hour till lunchtime and a grab a bite somewhere. The marketplace was some distance downhill, but there was a paved footpath sloping down to it with fairly mild steps, so we rolled down.
The first thing we encountered was a sit-in dharna at the market square of some fifty people, with some twenty cops keeping a keen eye on their activities. This might be their excitement quota for the week. Lots of shops were closed. Did they expect violence? A lolling cop scoffed at the idea and declared the market to be open, though some shops were closed. Leaving this conundrum aside, we went looking for a joint that could serve Kumaon cuisine. They were available, but, as a restaurant owner explained, it needs a group order of 5-6 people and a lead time of 4-5 hours to prepare. The system seemed to me to be unfairly prejudiced in favour of wholesale customers, where world commerce was beefing up on retail, but one cannot argue with a local chef stirring a pot of hot mutton. In five minutes flat we had exhausted the possibilities of the marketplace (the 5 Ps gravely looming notwithstanding), and we huffed and puffed our way back to KMVN, had daal-chaval with French fries, and retired to our rooms for a well-deserved snooze.
The Kumaon dinner:
With terrific foresight, we asked the KMVN chef during lunch, to prepare some Kumaon dishes for us for dinner. Nothing too fancy, just what they eat on an everyday basis. We were served up Kumaon-style rajma, madua ki roti and bhang ki chutney. Very simple cooking, with almost no spice, easy on the tummy and yet tasty. The bhang chutney in particular was differently tangy.
Tomorrow, we will vegetate further, and hope to see Panchchuli remove a few more veils.
Photo credits: Panna Rashmi Ray
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