We embarked on a mini-adventure yesterday, about an hour’s drive from Chandigarh. As a bird enthusiast, I was keen to explore Chakki Mod, a Birder’s Paradise, in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. I wanted to hike upstream along the Kaushalya River to explore the area and perhaps, witness some of the unique birds that the area is famous for. Two of my friends tagged along for the excursion.
We drove from Chandigarh towards Zirakpur and then got onto
the Chandigarh-Shimla highway. I turned on Google maps shortly after passing
Timber Trail, to not miss the Bhojnagar turn. We drove downhill on a fairly
empty road and parked the car close to the second bridge. We made our way down
to the river bed while listening to the sound of the gentle, flowing water and
chirping birds surrounding us. The fog had finally lifted, allowing the winter
sunshine to filter through. We crossed the stream while carefully balancing
ourselves on rocks.
I could hear the sound of a woodpecker hammering into a
tree. I quickly took out my binoculars and spotted the bird, much to my
delight. We carried on forward on the dry part of the river bed, observing many
other birds around us. My friends relied on my limited knowledge to learn about
them. Curious villagers grazing their livestock stared at us, probably
wondering what we were doing there. We walked slowly, taking in the valley
views. I stopped often to observe the ebb and flow of the river.
We came across deities and other religious items washed ashore.
I wondered about the distance people’s
prayers travel. All of us walked in quiet contemplation through shrubs, wide
cracks in the dry sand, and sections of sandy beaches at some places. I was very excited to finally see a white-crested laughingthrush, an otherworldly beauty. We reached a large, natural pool with water falling over massive rocks into it. It
seemed like the perfect place to take a break. We dipped our feet in the cold
water while munching on delicious sandwiches and drinking gin.
Stories, laughter, and Chopin floated through the air. We
were in the moment – like the flowing river.
