(By Imtiaz Ullah) My unending love for mountains takes me to places less travelled. The sight of a mighty Himalayan range gives a different perspective and a meaning to life. So to maintain a healthy balance in life it is necessary to get away from the concrete jungle to the wilderness. It acts as a great rejuvenation. This time I decided to embark on a drive to Dalhousie.
On reaching Dalhousie I took a stroll of the town and I bumped upon an old man standing by the side of his colorful yellow scooter with the beard and serving tasty Maggi, sandwiches etc to his customers. He is none other than the famous Rambo Chacha of the locality. He has been featured in many travel shows and 
newspapers.
I started my day with tasty Maggi served with great love by Rambo Chacha. After a brief discussion with him, I headed to St. John’s church. Though I am not a very religious person the architectural beauty of the church could not be overlooked. The old church was constructed by the Britisher during early 19th century.
I met many villagers on the way, played a cricket match with the kids. During the conversation with the villagers to understand their needs, I got to know that there is a dearth of doctors and medical facilities in the area, storing drinking water during the winters is also a challenge for the villagers. The villagers discussed at length about their problems and challenges.
I was offered lunch by the villagers in traditional Himachali style. Though it was simple but was served with great love and affection. I could not help myself thanking the villagers for this lovely gesture and hospitality. My first day passed by talking to the villagers, understanding their needs and knowing about their culture. After dinner, I retired to the bed.
Day 2: Khajjiar
I got up early in the morning had breakfast of bread, butter, omelet, and tea. Subsequently, I started my drive to Khajjiar. I drove towards Gandhi Chowk from Panchpulla towards Lakkad Mandi/Khajjiar. After 30 minutes drive, there is an intersection with a small signboard mentioning the way to Khajjiar.
There is a wildlife sanctuary in at Lakkad Mandi but I headed straight towards Khajjiar. The road started becoming steeper and narrower with dense forest on both the sides. Suddenly, I entered a zone that was covered by very thick foliage and it crowns the hilltop. This pace is called Kalatop. This place does not worth a miss and I saw different species of birds here.
I kept on driving towards Khajjiar through pine trees and narrow road with some hairpin turns. The roads leading to Khajjiar is very narrow and steep and it is advisable that the cars be driven by experienced drivers. At last, I reached Khajjiar- which was officially proclaimed as mini- Switzerland. Khajjiar is at an altitude of 6,450 from sea level.
This place is a stunning green meadow ringed by Deodar trees and has a lake in the middle. During snowfall this, place is covered with a white blanket of snow. Khajjiar has many activities to keep one engaged during the day. I had a simple lunch at a nearby hotel. The food was absolutely delightful.
Don’t forget to click photos here, it will give you a lifetime memory. After spending my day here I drove back to my hotel around 5 pm.
Day 3: Dainkund
The trek starts from Alha village 6 kilometers from Dalhousie GPO on the Dalhousie-Khajjiar road and ends at Dainkund 5 kilometers from Lakkad Mandi. The trek will lead through wild daisies. This is the tallest peak around Dalhousie.
The walk through the trail will present a mesmerizing view of the Himalayas, the sweet chirping of the birds and freshness in the air left me spellbound. There is a tea shop during the ascent and this place is perfect for sipping some hot tea with some locally made besan ka barfi.The trail ends at a bifurcation near the Dainkund viewpoint.
There is a Pholani Devi temple at the top. There is folklore that there was a powerful witch who troubled the villagers and this place came to be known as Dainkund. Dain means witch and kund mean lake. Finally, after completing the trek I drove back to my Guesthouse and in the morning drove back to Delhi.
