By Amandeep Kaur.
Aman, who joined on the Baisakhi celebration trip to Punjab inwards Apr 2012, shares her experience of travelling yesteryear herself for the starting fourth dimension time.
When yous instruct tired of the monotony of everyday life, fifty-fifty the thought of a interruption inwards the lap of nature feels similar sheer bliss. Such monotony happened to me, together with I felt similar escaping from the hustle bustle of metropolis life. It was non slow for me to produce got to a greater extent than than a few days off from work, together with then piece looking for an ‘offbeat’ weekend trip, I googled together with got inwards send upon amongst a grouping going for a trip to a countryside farm inwards Ropar (in Roopnagar district) to celebrate the colourful harvest festival of Baisakhi inwards Punjab. Excited, I joined inwards together with the journeying began!
We reached the beautiful Prakriti Farms nestled inwards the foothills of Shivaliks inwards the tardily afternoon. I couldn’t imagine that I had been oblivious to such a peaceful identify existing together with then closed to my hometown of Patiala. We received a warm welcome from the Kaushal family, the owners of the farm. The pop chilled lassi was served amongst snacks, together with nosotros were left to ourselves to instruct a experience of the place. The pleasantness of conditions during April, when it is normally hot inwards Punjab, was a welcome surprise. After the snacks, nosotros went for a walk or together with then the farm, amongst Kaushal who doubled every bit our guide.
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| Mud & thatched-roof cottage at Prakriti Farms. |
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| Tents at Prakriti Farms. |
The farm was spread over many acres of land, together with the Shivaliks surrounding the farm gave it a heavenly feel. Nature literally reigned supreme inwards the farm. There was a cottage perched high on a hillock, made of mud together with thatched roof, to give the inhabitant the feeling of living closed to the nature. H5N1 role of solid reason on atop a loma had been flattened together with run was inwards progress to produce a identify for meditation. Kinnu orchards, little rows of vegetables, together with some farm animals lent Prakriti Farms the experience of a existent Panjabi village. I felt nostalgic together with drifted into a reverie of my childhood summertime vacations at my grandparents' village.
As the Sun was close to laid together with the birds retiring for the night, nosotros climbed upward a loma to scout the resplendent setting Sun together with capture its beauty inwards our cameras together with minds. After dark, nosotros retired to our respective tents, which were uncomplicated together with modest, yet together with then comfortable. At night, a particular programme was arranged for us. The local artists were invited for a beautiful musical night. We all enjoyed together with basked inwards the warmth of music together with some burn that was needed every bit the conditions changed from pleasantly cool to a fiddling chilly. We relished our dinner amongst folk tales inwards the shape of traditional Panjabi songs. One of our immature homo travellers, who is blessed amongst a melodious voice, sang a vocal for us. This agency our starting fourth dimension black at the farm came to an end.
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| Inside of the tents. |
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| Folk music functioning at Prakriti Farms. |
A view to a nearby Gurudwara, Anandpur Sahib together with Tibbi Sahib was planned for the morning. We all left inwards the forenoon afterward a breakfast of delicious hot aaloo paranthas amongst butter. It took or together with then an hr for us to attain the holy place, where nosotros paid homage to the God together with had Langar, a community repast of Kadhi chawal (curry together with rice). Our rider vehicle journeying was marked amongst cool conditions together with a drizzle outside. It was eventide when nosotros returned dorsum to the farm together with it was nonetheless raining. We were afraid that the harsh conditions status could mar the zestful Bhangra functioning together with bonfire that was scheduled adjacent at the night. And again, thank yous to the almighty, nosotros had a clear sky soon. All were gathered at the venue, music was on, Bhangra had started together with i could aroma the barbecue snacks beingness cooked along amongst the heavenly fragrance of simply moisture earth. We all enjoyed the music, trip the low-cal fantastic together with of class the delicious repast amongst the drinks. The stamina together with zeal of the dancers was mesmerizing, which held our eyes for almost 2 hours. Being a Punjabi, I couldn’t aid but milkshake a leg amongst them ;) We all had a gala fourth dimension together with chatted till tardily black fifty-fifty when the political party was over. But every bit all adept things come upward to an end, this black ended too.
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| Bhangra functioning on the farm. |
Next forenoon I woke upward early on to produce got a expect at the rising Sun but luck didn’t favour me together with it was a fiddling cloudy for a clear stance of the sun. I had to settle for a forenoon stroll inwards the farm which was quite refreshing. I could experience the cool breeze on my face, I could aroma the fresh forenoon air, remove heed the chirruping birds, experience the cool wetness of dewy grass nether my bare feet together with run into the rising Sun at last! Ahh, I didn’t realize that together with then many of my senses were working together at the same time. I felt actually alive! The whole experience was together with then surreal, basking inwards the soft low-cal of dawn inwards a tranquil ambience. I actually produce got to give thank yous my tent-mate, Sujana, for this.
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| A beautiful misty forenoon inwards the Shivaliks. |
Now was the fourth dimension for some endangerment together with nosotros got laid upward to go out for our little trek to a cave or together with then a kilometer away from the farm. Sadly, the onetime lady who used to live together with meditate at that topographic point had passed away together with nosotros could simply click the pictures of the cave together with a temple on a nearby hill. After returning from the trek nosotros had a dip inwards the farm tube good which was actually soothing together with rejuvenating afterward the tiring walk inwards the hot day. We had our brunch together with started packing our bags for the provide journey. Had tete-a-tete amongst the immature homo travellers together with bid good daytime to our wonderful hosts together with Prakriti Farms. And I returned abode amongst some marvelous experiences, happy memories, novel friends together with higher upward all - “ H5N1 passion to move discovered” :)
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| A refreshing dip inwards the tube well. |
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| At the wood cave inwards the surrounding forest. |
The writer studies & industrial plant inwards Patiala inwards Punjab. There are many things she loves, together with travelling is i of them. Recently, she realized she loves to write too, together with is trying to residue her run & move these days every bit she discovers herself on the go.
For to a greater extent than stories off the beaten path inwards India, visit www.indiauntravelled.com or join on Facebook and Twitter. To contribute invitee posts / photograph essays to this blog, delight send your storey ideas to shivya@indiauntravelled.com.
For to a greater extent than stories off the beaten path inwards India, visit www.indiauntravelled.com or join on Facebook and Twitter. To contribute invitee posts / photograph essays to this blog, delight send your storey ideas to shivya@indiauntravelled.com.