Charming Chakrata

A winding road from Kalsi to Chakrata took us to the sleepy town situated at 7,000 ft. It’s also home to the Para Commando unit of the Indian Army but the Falls is its real claim to fame. Established by Colonel Hume and fellow British officers 125 years ago,Chakrata still houses more than 20 army bungalows and a few hotels sprawled on two hills — Chakrata and Kailana.

In the morning,we made our way to the Sadar Bazaar near our resort. The market caters mostly to the defence personnel and the locals are mostly from the Jaunsari tribe. When we asked for directions to Tiger Falls,we were shown a small path leading to the end of the valley. A couple of hours and a relaxing 4 km downhill trek later,we were welcomed by a youngster selling ‘Maggi noodles’ on the road. There is also a 23 km road which winds down from Chakrata to Tiger Falls,though the less adventurous can drive there.

From there,one has to trek for more than a km. There are more than a dozen water mills and some people take them for small waterfalls and do not go further. The path was well marked and soon we were welcomed by the thunderous roar of the waterfall. We took a dip in the icy water and rose to find a local greeting us with hot tea. He also told us the story behind the waterfall’s name – how in the monsoon,when the falls are heavy,its thunderous sound resembles a tiger’s roar.

The next day,we were told about one of Asia’s most dense concentration of Deodars at Kanasar,23 Km from Chakrata,and another forest at Deoban,11 km on the same road. Sitting at a 2,700 m,Kanasar also offers breathtaking views. You can also club this with a trip to Lakhamandal,55 km from Chakrata.

Down in the valley,Lakhamandal is said to be the place where the Kauravas built the Lakshagrah,a wax palace,for the Pandavas and has a small temple marking this site.