Childhood weekend excursions in Shimla

Living in Shimla, our weekend excursions mostly meant strolling on the Mall Road during the evenings, enjoying pastries and éclairs from the Trishool bakery, softy from the Ridge, coffee and samosa from the Indian Coffee House and dinner at the Baljees or Fascination restaurant.

Our parents would also take us out for picnics to the nearby places.  As kids, we just loved it, especially because we would go out with our favourite cousins. My mother and aunt would pack sandwiches and aloo paranthas along with some biscuits and water in a picnic basket. It was an adventure that brought big smiles to our faces, and we would all be charged up for these outings.

One such destination was the Tara Devi and Sankatmochan temple. Tara Devi temple is a beautiful hilltop temple overlooking the town of Shimla. One had to trek through a thick forest to reach the summit, an arduous yet exhilarating experience. We would walk the rugged trail, chit-chatting and taking breaks in between to catch our breath. Our parents would motivate us to keep on going with small, yummy treats that they had packed for the way. We would click pictures with our favourite HotShot camera, a possession we deeply cherished. Reaching the hilltop would give us a sense of accomplishment, and we would run towards the temple to offer our prayers to Goddess Tara Devi. 

A small Shiv temple was situated below the Tara Devi temple in the dense forest, and we had to descend down through a thin walking trail. We had to tread the path carefully as it was narrow and winding, covered with thick foliage. It was one of the most serene places that I visited during my childhood. The calm breeze, the cool water, the rustling of the leaves and wildflowers almost made the place magical. It felt like our own adventure of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. 

After spending some time there, we would climb down the hill and visit the Sankatmochan temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. It is also a very old temple, believed to have been established by Neem Karoli Baba. We would always be excited to reach there as it had swings and open space to play. We would take a long break here and hungrily gobble our packed lunch.  We would run around the place, play hide and seek while our parents would relax and enjoy the pristine surroundings.

These cherished childhood memories of Shimla are something that I always hold dear. Luckily, we grew up in an era when technology had not penetrated our lives. We didn’t have any fancy gizmos or gadgets, yet we were filled with so much joy, happiness and curiosity. We truly appreciated the simple pleasures of life, hiking through forests, discovering hidden waterfalls, holding ladybirds in our hands, chasing butterflies, enjoying the warmth of fire during winter, walking in the snow, building snow castles, breaking icicles hanging from the roofs, and walking several miles on foot.

In many ways, the hill life made us humble, more resilient, adaptable and appreciative of the beautiful nature that surrounded us. As they say, ‘once you have lived in the mountains, you belong to them forever,’ and as a pahadi girl, I truly am deeply in love with my roots.

(The article was also published in The Tribune. The link is given below)

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/shaharnama/alice-in-wonderland-picnics-at-tara-devi-temple-in-shimla/