That amazing solo trip: Manali stories continues....

 

Part 3

The very next day i.e. my third day on this trip, I left out to Dobhi for Paragliding. Paragliding is one of the adventure sports I always wanted to experience. Bir is the best place for paragliding in India but the height from where paragliding done there, is too much and quite costly. So, taking suggestion from Sukhi Ji, I went Dobhi  and there I met people from Himalayan Tourism Co. with whom I did my first paragliding. The amazingly panaromic Dobhi is a town in Himachal Pradesh spreading out along the Beas river. The guide from Himalayan tourism company took me to the hill top before which I had to sign a consent form which basically says if I die during the course of paragliding, they are not responsible! (So basically I signed my apparently death form). This was my first paragliding experience and I was flying 8000ft above the MSL. I sucked some air as I got pushed and I literally thought I would die that moment. But I was flying the next moment and that was the most surreal experience of my life. I came back from Dobhi with a heart filled with excitement and calmness at the same time.

The next destination for the day was Hidimba Devi temple, which is around 3 km from Mall road. Surrounded by dense Cedar forest, this temple provides an unimaginable sense of positivity around it. Generally it is crowded in the morning hours. The devotees believe that this 600 years old temple is the place where nature Goddess Hidimba meditated. Hidimba was the wife of Bhima (one of the Pandavas) and mother of Ghatotkach. And frankly saying till that day, I did not know people worship Hidimba devi too! The temple is a four storey structure which actually looks like a deserted wooden cabin. But what attracted me the most was the forest around it which is perfect for small hikes, and I obviously did.

Since my schedule was packed only for four days, I could not cover other amazing places like Kasol which has a stunning riverside café called ATS, jogini waterfall etc.

 This trip will always remain the most memorable to me. I think everyone should take a solo trip once in life as it changes a lot of perspectives about life. It is not going to be easy at first, and frankly speaking my first day was uncomfortable and it sucked. But then I started opening up. When I was hiking through the jungles of Manali or chilling on the Mall road all by myself, I was wondering, life is so beautiful if one knows how to enjoy solitude. With a heart full of memories I bid goodbye to Manali on my fourth day, but I am sure I will be going back once again someday.