Chakrata

Chakrata is one of the quieter hill stations of Uttaranchal. Foreign tourists are not allowed here because of the large army cantonment area. This could be the reason that the beautiful little town has escaped the unchecked construction and environmental degradation that is all too rampant in other hill stations of Uttaranchal.

Snow View Hotel

I checked into the Snow View hotel. It is run by the same family since it was built in 1836. It was cold and raining heavily when I arrived. Being off-peak season, I was the only tourist in the hotel. From the hotel, do not miss the amazing sunrise over the never ending mountain chains. In winter the hotel is blanketed with snow.

Chakrata is a sleepy town and has an old world charm to it. The main bazaar may be dirty but it is an important trading area for nearby communities. While at the bazaar be sure to buy local agricultural produce like walnuts, pulses like red kidney beans (Rajma) and rhododendron juice.

Tiger Falls

Getting there:  Share jeeps ply from Darshanlal Chowk in Dehradun to Chakrata.  Share jeeps ply more frequently between Vikasnagar and Chakrata. Buses are cheaper, but they are few and far between.

Around Chakrata: It is impossible to use public transport to visit the locales around Chakrata. Taxi fares are decided by the local taxi union and apparently non-negotiable. It is advisable to pre- book taxis a day in advance. Deoban: 18 KM from Chakrata is forest of Deoban.  The unpaved road through the magnificent forest ends at the isolated Government run Forest guest house.  A gentle hike from the end of the road leads to Vyas Shikhar. It is believed that Vyasan (of Mahabharata fame) lived here for a while during his travels. Many sacred mountains like Badrinath , Kedaranarh, Gangotri  etc. are visible from the observation point at Vyas Shikhar. The Forest guest house that was originally built during the days of the Raj would make an ideal place for people seeking solitude. Be sure to book before you get there.

Temple at Budher cave

Tiger fall: It is one of the popular picnic spots around Chakrata is Tiger Falls. It is 20 KM from Chakrata. A newly constructed road allows vehicles to get closer to the waterfall. But there is a 15 minute walk from the end of the road to the waterfall.

Sunset Point (Chirumuri) : This spot is 5 KM from Chakrata. It made no sense for me to go there as it started raining heavily in the evening.

Entrance to Budher cave

Budher cave: This cave is situated 1.5 hours away from Chakrata. The unpaved road ends at a Budher forest guest house. From there it’s an hour’s walk through the forest to reach the cave. The road is not signposted and it’s easy to get lost. I happened to run into two locals who were walking back home. They told me that this was the main road to their village in times gone by. Donkeys and human porters would carry everything to their village. Once the new motorable road opened to their village, this trail was abandoned. The older man was nostalgic for the times gone by.  He said, “They don’t make men as they used to in the older days. We are weak now.” The cave is a disappointment and I would have missed it completely if it was not pointed out to me.  Opposite the cave is a small beautiful wooden Shiva temple. Unfortunately, this temple was closed. The awesome setting of the Shiva temple with the snow-capped peaks in the background makes the trek worthwhile.

Deoban

Temple beside Budher cave