Dam it!

flanked by the Tehri Dam on one side and magical Mussoorie on the other, Kanatal's charismatic contours, untouched and unspoiled, deserve a couple of days

Dam it!

Flanked by the Tehri Dam on one side and magical Mussoorie on the other, Kanatal's charismatic contours, untouched and unspoiled, deserve a couple of days

Hats off to Henry David Thoreau when he'd said 'When man and mountain meet, great things happen.'u00a0 It's as if he knew what we experienced up in Kanatal, which sits quiet and quaint seven hours away from the capital.u00a0

Most of the Himalayas has been done, but here's a place pretty and virgin. The snow-clad hamlet in Uttaranchal wins the battle against overcrowding, urbanisation, pollution and commercialization, all of which have taken over other hill stations around. The 300 kilometers can be spanned on road, air or by train till Dehradun. I preferred the latter, and boarded the Dehradun Shatabti from Delhi. Within five fleeting hours, I was at the Dehradun Railway station. The change in the air is evident. From there, an hour's journey by road through picturesque sceneries and bends in the road led us to the Kanatal Resorts and Spa, symbolic of comfort laden luxury in the most natural way.

Glorious sunsets screen deep forests and nowhere close are bustling shopping malls or the noisy humdrum of daily life. Simple pleasures, reflective thoughts and secluded walks are what one can indulge in. I took pleasure in most.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Tehri Damu00a0pics and video/Rajeev Tyagi

Holy bit

Around four kilometres from the resort is the Surkhanda Devi Temple, the famous sacred shrine of Goddess Durga. The trek is two kilometres uphill.

It is dedicated to Shankar's consort Sati Ji. Legend has it that Shankar brought her dead body here on his trishul from Haridwar. If you're not into religious history, visit it for the amazing 360 degree view of the mountains from the top. The climb's steep and the air is freezing. But, the fruit is sweet.

Once back, make the most of your 32-inch plasma screen television, international direct dialling, Wi-Fi connectivity and mini baru00a0-- some of the many features of a resort room here.
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Spaaahhh

The next day, I visited the in-house Rasayana Spa. On my indulgence itinerary were soothing scalp massage, oriental therapeutic massage, Ayurvedic treatment, Shrodhara and more. Pure bliss. If that doesn't interest you, there's a yoga and meditation room and indoor games include like snooker, ice-hockey, chess, video games. If you're the adventurous sort, the jungle safari and rappelling facilities are must-avails.

And it's not over with the stay. On your way back, stop to say hi to the Tehri Dam at New Tehri, which is located on the Bhagirathi Rive. Interestingly, with a height of 855 feet, it is the fifth tallest dam in the world. Then, back to Delhi via Dehradun. Or Haridwar. And dreams.

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