Shimmering Reflections

Trip to manali was something I was looking forward to with anticipation and apprehension.  Being new to school, and having made only acquaintances among staff members, not though so reproachable rapport with students, but with only a handful of amiable student circle to look forward to, I had all reasons to be a little anxious and uneasy. However, the dawn of 15^th October unveiled before me with a new hope and enthusiasm. I was up early and ready to be picked up, thanks to Harish and his parents. As soon as we reached the station students one by one reported their presence and proceeded to board the train. The train arrived and one could see the freshness of the dawn being replenished with the abundant gusto of the students.

The journey commenced as the train rolled away from the Nampally station, wheels thundering on the rails to the reverberance of the students exuberance. The halt at Delhi lasted only a few hours but our Vice principal Mrs.Shashi who accompanied us who was the tour in-charge and leader of the team, made arrangements for the students to avail the free time judiciously by taking us to the rail museum. The visit brought back the memories of the life I had as the daughter of the employee in railways. The girders, the steam engines and the feel of the railways everywhere transported me back in time and it was with a lot of reluctance that I returned from there.

The journey from Delhi to Manali by the Volvo was exciting. We had a nice time watching movies and listening to music. The halt for dinner at a Dhaba was additionally flavoured by the birthday celebration of Sreedevi, a student of class XII.

The next morning brought us to river Beas/ vyas in Manali where White water rafting was done. Beas/Vyas river is good for rafting , kayaking, canoeing etc. Rafting

trip started from Mohal and covered 6 Kms distance.  Basic equipment required for the water sports with rafting guide/ instructor was provided. The rippling waves sometimes stirred up as if to challenge the daredevil spirits of the little rafters. The students accepted the challenge, cutting though the waves and bumping on the rocks beneath, tossing the inflatable boat ,causing spine wrecking fear and cold water piercing the skin as if with a needle. Students even ventured into the water for the feel of the bone chilling cold water. Within a few moments they turned numb in water and the instructor had to use all his might o pull them out of water into the boat. After a thrilling river rafting experience, we changed into fresh clothes and boarded the bus to Manali

Upon reaching the hotel the students were allotted room to be shared with their choice of friends. The suit, which we teachers were fortunate to have got, had a marvelous view from the balcony. The snow clad peaks osculating the clouds, producing picturesque scenic beauty was in stark contrast from the skyscrapers in Delhi or Hyderabad.   We were enamored by the gurgle of the stream and the silver purity of the water in the backdrop where the union of “yin and yang”, i.e. earth and the sky rendered the pleasure of spiritual ecstasy to heart and soul of the onlooker.

Manali has many attractions but the chief centre of interest, is undoubtedly the DHOONGRI TEMPLE dedicated to goddess Hidimba, wedded to the Bhim of Mahabharat fame. It has four-tiered Pagoda shaped roof and the doorway is carved with legendary figures and symbols. That evening, after a short visit to the DHOONGRI TEMPLE, the students proceeded to the shopping locations, and retired to bed after dinner, mentally preparing themselves for the trip they had to undertake to Rohtang Pass the next morning.

Here I would like to share a few pieces of information about Rohtang pass. The pass provides a natural divide between the sub-humid/humid climate of Kullu Valley. The pass lies on the watershed between the Chenab and Beas basins. On the southern side of this pass, the Beas River emerges from underground and flows southward and on its northern side, the Chandra River, a source stream of the river Chenab, flows westward. It offers a panorama and spectacular mountain view. There are beautiful sights of glaciers, peaks and Chandra River flowing down in the Lahaul valley.

Early next morning the students got themselves fully prepared to trek. They were taken in a vehicle to the base of the Rohtang pass and asked to trek if they wanted to further explore the peaks/ hillocks that surrounded the area. The panoramic view of distant Himalayan peaks from Rohtang Pass was breath taking. The high altitude affected some of our metabolism severely and we competed with each other in a puking tournament throughout our ascent towards the Rohtang pass.  After a few hours’ experience of the trekking and the snowy atmosphere there, the steep switchback descent from Rohtang Pass summit towards Manali began and with that my students friends and I resumed our puking competition. The traffic jam, while descending from Rohtang,  delayed our arrival at Manali hotel. Once we reached the hotel,all of us returned to our rooms to take rest. On seeing my plight, Roja mam and Devsena mam brought lunch to my room and coaxed me to grab some bites to prevent me from further deterioration of health. Basking in the compassionate gesture of my friends I tried to have something and fell flat on the bed for a deep slumber for an hour. In the evening, the dining hall wore exuberant ambiance with the DJs getting ready for the students to entertain themselves with dance and songs. They had a gala time before dinner and then retired to their rooms.  

The upcoming morning  had something more interesting activities awaiting them. The real trekking!!! They tightened their waste bands and lined up for attendance with invigorating spirits and reverberating with enthusiasm.  Mr. Prasad appraised them about the trekking guide lines and blew the whistle to commence the trek. They went on foot from the hotel premises and reached Nehru kund from where the real trek began. The path was stony and the climate cold. The distance covered by the students was equally proportionate to their undying spirit. The best example for the diehard spirit was put up by our Vice Principal Mrs. Shashi.  She trekked for almost two hours and reached the camp site with her liveliness and zeal intact.

The Manali camp was an area which was almost 6000 feet above sea level, surrounded by majestic snow peaks standing with royal grandeur as if to honour us.  The tents that were pitched made the atmosphere look colourful and refreshing. Pleasant ambiance of the camp site was contagious and I could easily replace my dampening demeanor due to the chilling climate, with a cup of warm tea and pullovers. I also wore the warmest smile possible to elevate my own spirits.

The mouthwatering lunch prepared Mr. Kapil’s (who made arrangements for the camping) culinary experts was appetizing.

The students were once again allotted tents for their stay for the next couple of days. I shared a comparatively small tent with Roja. The adjacent tent was shared by Shashi ma’am, Jayashree ma’am and Devsena ma’am.  The tents were also cozy, but too tiny that I found it hard to crawl in and out for basic needs. There was a supporting rod inside the other teachers’ tent and on one of our social visits to have a chit chat I found it too hard to crawl in with the rod limiting the space for free movement. My expression was ‘why have they fixed a rod in the middle? ‘To which everyone had a hearty laugh. On the very same night I heard loud peals of laughter coming out of their tent. On enquiry , Devsena ma’am explained amidst her laughter that just then Shashi ma’am tried to move about in the tent with the support of the rod, and her expression was like’ thank God they fixed the rod there!’ what a contradiction!!!!

After the lunch the students were divided into two teams. One team proceeded for rock climbing and rappelling while the other group went ahead with team building activities. The trainers had such an expertise in each of the activities that students could reap the benefit of it fully. They looked delighted and a sense of fulfillment was beaming on their faces.

The next day the teachers and students went trekking into the forest on the hillocks. They had fun with their friends while collecting twigs for the camp fire. It was amazing to see the perpetual mood of cheerfulness that exuded from the students. Another miraculous feat was displayed by devsena ma’am with her enduring energy with her endearing spirit. She put to shame many of the youngsters with her liveliness and vigor. She did pose a challenge even to many students who became a little lethargic and wished to lotus eat in the camp on second day. Jayashree ma’am and Roja ma’am also showed immense prowess and interest by trekking the hazardous climbs.

They returned after having had a joyous time exploring the forest. There was not an iota of dullness in their demeanor. They had lunch and got ready to try and test their competence in rock climbing, rappelling and team building activities. To watch the students reverberating with zealous deportment was a sheer joy!

The cakes baked, with rustic technique, by the cooks of the camp was an icing to the delicacies the camp had to offer in terms of excellent experiences we have had. The cake was decorated with chocolate icing and the décor added by the home science students of classes XI and XII gave the cake a grand look. The birthdays of Varun and Ayush was celebrated with cake cutting.

Now let me tell you something about the life in the camp. The students had to spend those two days in the tent pitched for them. They were provided with sleeping bags which were to be used for the night. The students had to have a plate and a mug either steel or plastic, for drinking beverages supplied, mostly tea, or for drinking water and for eating their meal. They had to wash these by themselves and retain them in their tent for the next couple of days.  And mind you! The water is chilling cold! Yet they all did it without fail and without much of resistance. The cooks prepared simple yet a variety of mouth watering dishes, which really kept the going very enthusiastic in the camp. The hygiene was maintained quite commendably.

The students were made to learn a lot of life skill based lessons through the process of rock climbing, rappelling activities, river rafting and team building activities. They learnt the lessons of team spirit, compromise, adaptability etc. The Mentor, as he likes to be addressed as, Mr. Prasad of Wandering Bee, had taken the entire responsibility of the tour program. I must admit that though some students had certain reservation about his handling the issues with them, he did a commendable job as an organizer and coordinator. This was the first time I had seen the program organizer being actively involved with the team and in the real sense of the word mentoring the students. It is but natural that there are times when one has to be a tough task master to get the students to act responsibly and productively and he did exercise this without any hesitance at all. He never minced words when he instructed the students about how their conduct should be and what tasks they are expected to do.  His team also consisted of equally passionate members who were constantly on vigil with their alertness and agility.

The students reluctantly bid adieu to the camp site early in the morning. There was a deliberation on many faces as they lined up to descent towards the vehicles stationed at a distances in the valley. As we gazed at the heights of the white peaks of the Himalayas, which stood stoically as the representation of the creator’s majestic master piece, we felt quite humbled and enamored too! They were the nature true silent workers, taking care that creatures on earth live their life comfortably! The serene atmosphere also reminded us the disgraceful way we blemish the face of earth. Wasn’t mother earth this serene and pure initially? Haven’t we been irresponsible as her progeny? The questions linger, resolution should eventually come!

The culmination of the manali trip was with the visit to Manikaran where we experienced the marvel of the hot water springs and the visit to gurudwara where selflessly people offer service as their prayer to the Lord. The lunch was simple, staple food. The students volunteered to offer services. The teacher in me watched them with pride as they served in tune with the rhythm of the melodious gurubani and with complete involvement and dedication.

 The hot water spring was an experience in itself. The nature’s splendor in the adjoining area added to the otherwise spectacular phenomenon of the hot water spring.

The last leg of the trip was the much awaited shopping session the next day. Life was at its best blessing when the train towards home was boarded and students were exchanging nuances of the wonderful days spent together. They wanted to be home, but there was reluctance to leave the old and new friends whose company they had begun to enjoy. Promises were exchanged to keep in touch during the ensuing working days in school. The entire atmosphere changed once the train arrived at the station and eager parents were joined by their wards. The dispersal took half an hour. Ensuring that every child is in safe hands we also returned home to our family awaiting for us.

As the vehicle approached home I closed my eyes and once again felt the grandeur of the Himalayas and the bone chilling cold breeze within me. The Ying and yang were uniting to the scintillating synergy by the synthesis of the milk white snow and the sunlight. What a blessing life is!!!