Page 9 - MRPC Souvenir Bodhon 2018

CHANDRATAL - HEAVEN ON EARTH
Gargi De (Flat No. : 11/5E)
Passion for outdoor camping and trekking is there in my blood from childhood itself. Unlike
most Indian travelers, I always indulge myself in trekking in the Himalayan region, capturing
the moments and sharing my experience with friends and family. I truly believe that there is no
better form of relaxation than spending a few days in the lap of majestic Himalayas and
enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature.

So I decided to visit Chandratal last year which is one of the most scenic lakes in the Western
Himalayas, situated at an altitude of 14,100 feet in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Me
along with a few delegates from Federation of Indian Photography started our journey from
Manali. We hired a Bolero and began our journey at 4 a.m. in the morning. After crossing
Rohtang Pass, the condition of the road became worse. The entire track was full of mud, rocks
and boulders. There was hardly any tar to be seen anywhere. To make the conditions further
worse there were numerous waterfalls and streams which are termed as 'Pagal Nallahs' flowing
over the track. No wonder this adventurous drive way is termed as 'Devil on Wheels' and is
considered to be one of the most dangerous roads of India. We had our first stop at Chhatru
where we had our lunch at a wayside dhaba run by a local family for adventure enthusiasts like
myself and started for Batal. Beyond Chhatru there is no electricity or telephone connectivity.

As I was approaching further, I could feel that the oxygen level falling rapidly. Physical
discomfort like headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and breathing problem are very common
symptoms in this harsh atmospheric condition which is caused by prolonged exposure to low
amount of oxygen at high elevation. This at times lead to High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and
at times it may turn fatal. From my past experiences in the high altitude region, I was quite
aware of the fact and started medication for better acclimatization from Manali itself and faced
no such problems. After crossing Batal, the conditions of the road further worsened. Somehow,
our driver, Sonam Norbu Lamkichumik managed to reach the camping ground near Chandratal
from where we had to trek to reach the lake. This is the place where tents are available to
spend the night.

I didn't waste time and started for Chandratal. The distance from the camping ground to
Chandratal is 4 km of which first 2km is a steep climb followed by a steep descent till the lake.
Due to the sharp gradient and extremely low levels of oxygen, it was very difficult to walk for
more than 10 minutes at a stretch. I just followed the trekking route and suddenly found myself
standing beside a breathtakingly beautiful lake, turquoise blue in color, nested high up in the
majestic Himalayas. I became spellbound at the sight. It's just like heaven on earth. The lake
was encircled by high mountain peaks and due to its crescent shape, the lake is called
Chandratal. This lake is the source of Chandra River which after joining with Bhaga River
from Lahul Valley becomes the mythological Chandrabhaga River.

Temperature nearly at the freezing point, accompanied by chilling high velocity winds made it
difficult to stand. It was a moment, frozen in time. My eyes were full of tears, my mind was
full of joy, my heart was full of satisfaction. I touched the ice cold water of Chandratal and
paid my heartfelt respects to Mother Nature for allowing me to enjoy her mesmerizing beauty
yet again.