Finding Jadoo - my first visit to Kasauli

I was 20 when I first visited Kasauli. One of the reasons was Rakesh Roshan’s Koi Mil Gaya—probably India’s first alien movie. It painted a picture in my head, instilling this desire to visit a hill station as beautiful as the one shown in the movie at least once. Years later, it happened. When the ‘ghumakkad’ in me came to my senses, a desire arose - to pitch my tent and watch the stars (probably with a girl) at a hill station where the sky was as clear as water.

Didn’t have a girl so I asked my best friend if he was ready. Then I googled and the search results made it clear, that I was destined to be in Kasauli. We borrowed sleeping bags and a tent from a friend, went to the railway station - Narela (in Delhi) and boarded the general coach of Jhelum Express.

Enjoy one of the most sceneic train ride of your life.

Here’s how we reached + additional travel options:

1. 1. The nearest railway station is Kalka which is connected to the main line. We took Jhelum Express to reach Sonipat and then boarded Kalka Mail. For those travelling via train, one can book direct trains to Kalka. From there, a toy train will be a scenic route. But it is incredibly slow. Like 10waiting for death in old age is kind of slow. If you don’t care about the views, you can take a local bus from outside the Kalka Railway Station to Dahanu. Note: If you can’t find a train to Kalka, go to Chandigarh. From there, you can take a bus and reach Dahanu.
2. 2. By Airport, Delhi and Chandigarh are the best options. Delhi is the more budget-friendly option, while Chandigarh is slightly more expensive. From Delhi, you can take a train or a bus from Kashmere Gate.
3. 3. If you live in Delhi, anywhere in Punjab or Kashmir. You can drive to Kasauli via your own car or bike. The distance is not so much. Once you reach the Parwanoo bus stand or Dharampur Railway Station, take an auto or gypsy for further travel.
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We spent a day there and here’s what we did.

Had home-style parathas at a local eatery. You can’t go about your day without food in your belly, especially if you have a hill station to explore. We had aloo parathas at a small, wooden-cabin-like food stall. The parathas were served hot, making it a perfect breakfast.

Enjoy garma-garam aloo parathe and lassi

1. Explored the local flora and fauna. I have this habit of knowing a place completely, chunk by chunk, before finally leaving it alone. Knowing Kasauli wasn’t a big hill station, we decided to explore the place on foot. Roaming around the entire hill station, we captured views which would give us all FOMO, making us want to shift to this small town. Perfect weather, meadows and jungles extending to the far ends of the village, and air so fresh and cold, my nose started to hurt. Adding to that, we were there during Holi, which ensured the hill station was as quiet as it could be. No traffic, no crowd, honking, and rowdies on the road.
   

Enjoy a long walk in nature

1. Had a proper, homely lunch. While Kasauli has plenty of cafés, if you want to skip the generic ‘can-find-it-anywhere’ food, go for the small,unassuming local dhabas serving delicious, budget-friendly meals. We went to a local dhaba where the meal (non-veg thali for me and veg thali for my friend) cost us under 400. And we had like it was our last meal for the day. Because it was. We were young, dumb and broke. So finding a hotel to stay for the night wasn’t an option. And we were there pitching our own tent. So we had a proper lunch, and we took some chocolate bars, a few chips, and a paneer packet before starting our Monkey Point trek.

Have a warm hearty meal

1. Trekked to Monkey Point: As the weather started to get hot, we started trekking to Monkey Point. My first question was, why is it called Monkey Point? Some locals told me it’s because you find a lot of monkeys there. Some told me it’s connected to lord Hanuman. I checked Google again. Here’s what I found, “According to legend, while carrying the Sanjeevani Booti to save Lord Lakshman, Hanuman's foot touched the hilltop, leaving behind its distinctive footprint shape.” Since lord Hanuman Vanar Raj (the king of the monkeys), the place has been known as Monkey Point or Manki Point. To reach here, we trekked the entire way. Since there were fewer visitors, the experience was far more peaceful compared to my second visit. We reached the top and just laid down, flat, calming our bodies and trying to hold our breaths. We had to climb a few stairs which added to the physical exhaustion. The point offers panoramic views of Chandigarh, the Sutlej River, and even the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas on a clear day. Note: The area is controlled by the Indian Air Force, and visitors need to follow strict security rules (phones and cameras are not allowed inside).

Feed bananas to monkey at Monkey point

1. Ignited a candle at the Christ’s Church. That’s all we could think of in the evening after returning from the trek. However, the next time I went to Kasauli with my siblings, the church had more to offer. It was a quiet spot for tourists to just lounge. A lucky few (including me) got to attend the choir practice. It was something straight out of Karan Johar’s movies. Additionally, the church had small stalls set up in the doorway for people who wanted to buy souvenirs. Par hum broke the toh aage nikal pade.

Enjoy choir practice at church

1. Took a walk through the local market. Even though we didn't want to buy anything (remember, we were broke), the road to the local bus stand passed through Lakkad Bazaar. It was an ideal spot for those interested in photography. So many colours. Vibrant yellows, reds and the twinkling lights, followed by the smell of out-of-budget food from nearby cafes. A perfect paradise for travellers. Bas kaash, uss waqt paise hote.

Buy souvenirs for your family and friends

1. Pitched our tent somewhere outside the city’s boundaries. Sleeping in a tent v/s sleeping in a tent you’ve pitched in the wild… which one would you prefer? We chose the latter. P.S.: On the way to Monkey Point, we found out that we needed to get permission from the military office to pitch our tent inside Kasauli. However, due to us being there on a public holiday, we couldn’t get permission. Eventually, we decided to pitch outside the boundaries of Kasauli. We took a local auto and it dropped us at an adventure camping resort. Don’t remember the name but the cost/ person was around 2k. We decided against it and crossed over the roadside barriers, trekked downhill for a few minutes, and reached a spot which seemed perfect for camping. So we did. Being a first-timer, it was difficult to sleep the whole night because of the loud animal howling I could hear. I feared that some wild animal would find us, lurking just outside our tent. Nevertheless, the views from the tent at night were magnificent. The moon was absolutely stunning.

Bonfire, starry night and music

Overall, we spent an entire day in Kasauli, an experience we won’t forget. Looking back, if I were to revisit Kasauli, I would do it differently—this time, with more time in hand and a purpose to just relax. To let the place truly sink in. The next time I visit, I am staying at The Hosteller Kasauli. 

Although we didn’t find Jadoo, we now understand why he would have chosen this place over all others.