True morality consists not in following the beaten track, but in finding the true path for ourselves, and fearlessly following it.
— Mahatma Gandhi
Hello everyone. This is Dipyaman Sengupta. I am a travel and lifestyle blogger and I welcome you all to my personal blog ‘ Off the Beaten Path”. Here, I will share with you my thoughts, opinions, stories and experiences covering a plethora of topics from Travel and Food to Society, Art, Book reviews and everyday issues.
“Off the Beaten Path”, like the name suggests, will talk about things that are unconventional, rebellious and non-conformist. With this blog, I want to take all of you with me on a journey to uncharted territories and offbeat lands, explore alternative cuisines and cultures and discuss issues hidden away from the limelight.
After waking up to one of the most beautiful mornings that I’ve ever seen and witnessing some of the most memorable and breathtaking scenery, I decided that it was time to go for a morning walk and explore the quaint little village of Kalpa. For the first time in forever, I didn’t have any morning commitments, responsibilities and time constraints. I had the whole morning and the whole day to myself. I had the perfect opportunity to travel like a nomad, explore every nook and cranny of the village, listen to the sounds of the winds and the clouds and the songs of the birds, discover hidden trails and witness the majestic sights of the Himalayas from many high and isolated vantage points.
The School Playground
As it was my last day in Kalpa and I spent most of the previous day enjoying the views of the glittering snow-capped peaks of the Kinnaur Kailash range of the Himalayas ( And trust me, you can never get bored of it!) and feasting on the delicious noodles, mutton momos and thukpas, I decided to go on a sightseeing tour today and visit all the tourist attractions in and around Kalpa. My plans were ruined quicker than they were made when the caretaker of my hotel informed me that in Kalpa, all the handicraft shops ( I really wanted to buy some local Kinnauri shawls and caps) and the school ( obviously, duh) remained closed on Sundays. But, he said with a beaming smile on his face that I could walk to the famous Suicide Point and the Roghi Village, located at a distance of 6 kilometers from Kalpa.
With a feeling of disappointment in my heart, I went to have breakfast. The hot bowl of Thukpa and the delicious mutton momos cheered me up and with a belly full of my favorite comfort food, my zeal for travelling was also back.
A hot bowl of mutton ThukpaMutton Momos
The caretaker of my hotel told me that there were two paths in the village that take you to the main highway that connects Kalpa to Roghi. Inspired by Robert Frost, I took the road less traveled by, that passes through the woods, and that made all the difference.
There are some very big reasons because of which I always choose and prefer off-beat locations over popular tourist destinations. Apart from the huge crowds, the loud noises and the heavy commercialization associated with such places, the other reason for me preferring remote lands over popular destinations is the heavy littering done in these places by tourists. On the road to Roghi, I noticed that this practice of littering and polluting the environment has also started affecting Kinnaur. This deeply saddened me and I would strongly advise all those reading this blog post to learn effective waste management practices and stop polluting this beautiful planet. It is already over-polluted.
This needs to Stop
Surrounded by the snow capped peaks of Mount Kailash and the mighty Kinnaur Kailash Mountain range and lush green forests of pine trees, the road to Roghi was adorned with panoramic views and majestic landscapes. The Suicide Point on the way to Roghi will satiate the inner-adventurer and thrill-seeker in you. This enthralling journey to Roghi mesmerized my eyes and filled my heart with buckets of peace and tranquility and still, I kept yearning for more.
On my way to RoghiSuicide Point
The picturesque village of Roghi is one of the best places to visit in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Nestled in the Himalayas, Roghi is an off-beat destination and it is a perfect spot for travelers to relax, recharge and rejuvenate their minds and souls in the laps of nature.
If Kalpa was the extroverted popular elder sibling then Roghi was her shy and introverted younger sister. A visit to Kinnaur is incomplete without experiencing the unadulterated and pristine beauty of this isolated and hidden village.
After soaking in all the views and sights that my eyes could find and my heart could capture and getting my nostrils filled with the fresh mountain air and the scent of the pine trees, I bid goodbye to this scenic little village. This visit to Roghi was completely unplanned and was only made possible because the caretaker of my hotel strongly recommended it. And this is why it is so important to connect to the locals when you travel somewhere and earn your welcome in their humble abode.
I thanked Thakur ji ( the caretaker of my hotel) for everything that he had done for me during my stay in Kalpa. His reply moved me and even today, I fondly remember those words.
“Be Good and Kind to Everyone around you. In return, most of them will be good and kind to you and for those who are not, it doesn’t matter. It brought you peace and happiness and that’s all that matters”
I visited Kalpa on 22nd June, 2019 and stayed there till 24th June, 2019. This blog post was written on 24th June, 2019.
It’s five in the morning right now. I’m in Kalpa, a small village, nestled in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, sitting in the balcony of my hotel room and waiting eagerly for the sun to rise over the majestic Kinner Kailash range of the Himalayas. The sky is clear and blue, in fact I’ve never seen a bluer sky before. The peak of Mount Kailash is clearly visible for the first time in three days and only after witnessing this impressive sight, I understood why this small secluded village located far away from all the major cities and towns ( there are no nearby railway stations and airports and the only way to come here is by an ordinary or semi deluxe non AC bus from Delhi or Chandigarh to Reckong Peo or Peo as the locals call it and then by another bus or cab from Peo to here) attract tourists not only from India but also from countries on the other side of the globe like Argentina and Brazil. After engaging in some small talk and making acquaintances with the other travelers staying in this hotel, I grabbed a chair and sat down to wait for the sunrise and enjoy the views, landscapes and all the other pleasant things this place has to offer.
The only things giving me company right now apart from my new friends are the rustling of leaves, the melodious humming of birds ( something which is non existent in Delhi these days) and the chilly morning breeze. If I close my eyes for a moment, I can also hear the distant barking of dogs, the chitter-chatter of the village-folk as they get ready for the day and the sound of children playing cricket in the school playground far away.
Before embarking on this trip to the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, I was constantly second guessing my decision to come here and as a result, the trip was also getting postponed time after time. After thoroughly researching on the internet and talking to one of my friends who has recently been here, I was finally convinced to choose Kinnaur as my next travel destination. After a journey of around 22 hours ( almost a whole day) and most of it spent in a bus which would make your back and hips curse you and without any proper sleep and food, I ,at last, reached Kalpa the day before yesterday and the scenery and landscapes that welcomed me were so panoramic and breathtaking that they invigorated me instantly . At that moment, I understood the true meaning of something that my dad says all the time to inspire me whenever I’m feeling low and hopeless.
” To achieve quality things in life, the only tools that you need are Patience and Perseverance.”
I am not a religious person but I do believe in spirituality and enlightenment. I believe in rationalism and in the idea of love and acceptance rather than sin and judgement. And I think this is one of the major reasons for me getting attracted to a lot of ideas and teachings of Buddhism. And in Kalpa, it seems like I have found my perfect morning companion, a Buddhist monastery. Actually, the second biggest reason for me to choose “Cheeni Bungalow” as my place of stay here in Kalpa ( the first being the absolutely magnificent views of the Himalayas) is the Monastery being nearby and easily accessible from here. Anyway, coming back to the point, there is nothing more spiritual and beautiful than the morning prayer and the meditative chants and the prayer bells ringing in the monastery. And just by listening to the prayers and the songs being sung at the monastery, I, probably for the first time in more than 2 years, feel completely at ease with myself. At this moment, I feel like a beacon of hope and positivity.
Now, the time is 5:30 A.M.. The sky has suddenly become very cloudy and I don’t think that it’s possible for me to see the sunrise in this weather. See, I woke up at Five in the morning just to see the sunrise but now it is not possible because of the overcast conditions. I should have been disappointed but after experiencing so many beautiful and amazing things, soaking in all the sounds and fragrances and breathing in the fresh mountain air, I am still as cheerful and happy as I was just a few minutes ago and I think that everything up until this moment has been completely worth it.
Kalpa, I thank you and my luck for giving me the opportunity to experience such a blissful morning. A morning that will always be etched in my heart and a morning that will always make me want to come back to your peaceful and humble abode, lose myself in the laps of nature, have a therapeutic and other worldly experience, purify my mind and soul from the morning prayers and songs of the monastery and find peace and contentment against the backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.
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Off the Beaten Path 