chilling in jilling

the good part about having a five day week is that it allows you to take short breaks away from the city. It was the middle of the week, ideally I should have been glued to the PC looking for story ideas or something. It was insanely hot, I was insanely bored and a colleague of mine had said insanely so many times that I just had to take a break. So I did what I do best...google. And I came across this beautiful place tucked away in the hills of Kumaon. The Jilling Estate. Run by ex airforce man Steve Lal and his wife Parvati, this seemed to be the ideal retreat from the noisy annoying heat of delhi.
So we packed our bags and headed off to Jilling. A short distance ahead of Bhimtal and a short distance behind Mallah Ramgarh, this quiet estate is home to an amazing variety of flora and fauna. We were in for a bit of a shock when we reached there. One had to park the car at the base camp and then trudge it up from there. After nearly half an hour of uphill climb I was ready to give up and head back home. But then out of nowhere popped out a barasingha and I was hooked. I just had to go a little further to see what more lay up there. So a route which takes seasoned climbers 15 minutes took me nearly an hour to climb....feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself and cursing the whole world for inflicting this climb on me, I finally made it to the estate. And boy was it worth it!  (by the way, you don't need to be as stupid as me....you can hire a pony or a horse and reach the estate in half the time and with half the effort). Each cottage in Jilling is located nearly one kilometre away from the other...so you almost feel like you are all alone with  nature. The beautiful comfy cottage was nestled amidst a plethora of green. With huge chestnut trees swaying regally near the fire area, one could see rows and rows of flowers and shrubs around us. As the mist settled on the mountains, one could feel the nip in the air. Coming from the sweltering plains of Delhi, a slight chill was more than welcome.
Umesh, a young lad armed with a degree in Political Science, took charge of us. He would come everyday from the main kitchen (located way way up in the estate), loaded with piping hot food. Eating outdoors with simply the sounds of birds chirping and wind gently caressing the mountains, was an experience in itself. The day we arrived, it started pouring and we watched drops settle on the grass in front of our cottage as we ate.
I dunno what is it about the hills that ensures such sound sleep. A hearty meal followed by a lazy afternoon siesta was just what we needed. I don't think I have ever slept this well. The evening proved pretty exciting. Umesh came to us in the evening and warned us with a sense of urgency to close all our doors and windows. Some members of the staff had come across a leopard while coming down to our cottage. Part of me hoped that a leopard would come by our cottage and another part of me just wanted to hide in one corner of the room. Well, no such exciting incidents happened and I woke up the next day to a glorious morning.
Umesh whisked us along for a walk on the ridge. We generously poured salt into our socks and shoes to avoid the leeches but alas! it wasn't enough. My shoes were soon crawling with them and I also got bitten twice. It doesn't hurt at all...when the leech is stuck on to you tend to feel a little tingly and cold...it is only the sight of blood that sometimes gets to people. After heartily donating a few mm of blood to the leeches, we moved on and reached the ridge which was at a height of some 6,800 feet. The sight was spectacular....the woods were shrouded in mist and everything looked like an enchanted fairy land right out of an Enid Blyton book. At any time I thought Moonface or Silky would come sliding down and take me to meet the folk of the faraway tree.
The walk was pretty smooth, it wasnt as laborious as the uphill climb to the estate. The slight drizzle and the cool breeze just added the final touch and the magic was complete. Umesh regaled us with stories about how guests had come across leopards and barking deers on the ridge. I asked him if we came across a leopard then how would we save ourselves. He just smiled and said, "the leopards are harmless, they are extremely scared of human beings. It is the bear that one should watch out for. If you see one run for your life." The Himalayan bears, though, don't come down to lower altitudes anymore and have retreated to higher reaches. As we went ahead we came across a temple of the devi. the walk to the mandir was brilliant, we saw a vibrant family of ladybirds all huddled up together, giant spiders going about their day's work, a barking deer howling in the vicinity. But the best part was the sighting of this beautiful butterfly which seemed to be posing for us. As we would change camera angles, it would change its position too in order to give us the best glimpse. I have never seen something so beautiful or magnificent. It is at times when the power of nature dawns on you....the world is teeming with such exquisite beauty and we haven't even seen half of it. After a visit to the temple we headed downhill to Steve's house where we were greeted with his six bounding dogs. Muchhi, Kali, Bhontu, Lalu, Dhanno and Jilli- each inimitable in its own way. Steve is a store house of energy and life. There is not one person in the Kumaon region who doesnt know him. He would head all the way to Bhimtal because he likes the post office there and would want to post the letter only in that particular place. He is quite a sight, riding on  his bike, interacting with the locals about their daily routines and welfare.
It isnt everyday that you come across a person like him! The next day it was time to go and the journey back to the base camp didnt seem that laborious to me (the  fact that it was downhill helped :) ) Ok not funny at all...but I strongly recommend Jilling to whosoever wants to be surrounded by nature and enjoy the silence (Which seems to be a much endangered commodity these days)