When planning for Manali I was told that the Baked Trout here is the most famous dish to eat here. I was pointed towards the famous Johnson’s Lodge and Restaurant. I got their easily  wading through the bustling market and town centre of Manali, a few minutes away from the road to the Hidimba Temple. The road was dotted with some really good looking bars and eateries. The touristy nature was quite evident and looked like the usual downtown of most most of the places I had been visiting till now. I spotted Johnson’s and decided I would attempt a food review for my blog today .

The Johnson Bar and lodge is a big property with a British design bar and a setting area of cushion’s and wooden benches. It was started in 2004 by Mehul Johnson who is a director with IndiaBulls.com a real estate firm.

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There is garden at the back with alfresco seating to enjoy the open sky. The bar is well stocked with the best liquor in the world. I noted a wide selection of single malt, scotch blends, gin and some of the best vodka. I ordered my usual large peg of Glenlivet single malt on the rocks and drink in hand I walked upto who seemed to be the manager of the bar. He was a Korean gent called Kim (aren’t they all) and mentioned my travel blog and said I wanted to review his bar and restaurant today. Admittedly Kim looked a tad puzzled if not unsure. I pulled up my blog on my phone and showed him my tales from Korea. That worked well and we connected instantly and he thanked and encouraged me to do the review of his property .

I ordered  a large plate of Fish Fingers which where indeed large and rather crisp. The batter and the bread seemed to have been uniquely put together though I couldn’t put my ‘finger’ on what it was! I am a bit unsophisticated that way and smothered them with the excellent house tartare sauce and a delicious topping of mustard (which should have been Dijon but probably was not) to get my gastric juices going, whet my appetite as it were. After walking around a bit taking a few pictures of the bar and restaurant area, I got down to my second peg of some world class single malt. I was feeling chatty and started speaking with a German gent called Von. He mentioned  he’d just finished a course at the Manipal University and had since been travelling to Kashmir,  Jaipur and finally now at Manali. He shuffled his glasses and looked me in the eye. “Manipal University is a bit if a how do you say ‘donation college’ from the beginning. It was the university for rich parent’s and diplomat’s to send their kid’s, anyone could get into this place by paying a donation.” Von smiled as if getting that stigma off his chest “but I liked my stay there”.

I took another fish from my bowl “and made some small talk about Klinsman the footballer and my personal belief that they had pilfered our swastika and see what they did to it! We chatted about Sanskrit and the German language. The Paris bombing’s cam up and I mentioned that it was a shame and a big tragedy and how my heart goes out to the victims. But what can you do to some one who is ready to blow himself up Von remarked. I was getting a bit hungry around now and I walked unto the bar tender and asked about the food. We had a  brief discussion on the menu and I tried to sound knowledgeable and  finally ordered Shepherd’s Pie. I guess I was suddenly feeling pangs for London during my childhood there where Shepherd’s pie every Thursday at the Christ’s College at Blackheath.

The pie was smooth and rich with the mashed potatoes and the meat was done and diced I felt to the right texture. I enjoyed it with oregano and chives with mustard and the tomato sauce. It was succulent with garlic bread to go with. The portions were all large, perhaps to appeal to the European palates and sizes!! I most certainly was full by the end of the meal and yes I am bit of an eater. I thanked the German, Von for his company and downed a bit quickly my third peg of the whiskey – perhaps deliberately insulting it. The tab was Rs 3500, about US$ 55 or € 50 in all at today’s rates I noted.

I turned to Kim and asked him for  20% DISCOUNT for reviewing his Bar on my blog. He looked reluctant but agreed to 10% discount and we shook on it. I am not saying I needed it but just felt like it was worth it. So there I was all full and satisfied by the hospitality of this cosy and wonderful Bar and Restaurant and their token discount. Johnson’s also a lodge and room’s are priced from Rs. 3500  to Rs. 5000(€ 72,  $76) and of course the spa to relax in. All in all a very satisfying experience and oh yes also the 10% discount.

For Booking’s and further detail’s contact: Ranjeet Nagi the General Manager and reach out to them here: Tel:+91-1902-251523 : +91 9816045123 : +91 9816210302 and e mail: jhonsonslodge@gmail.com and I have linked to their web site earlier here.

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Searching for peace and new vistas as I have been and in between waiting for an audience with the spiritually might I thought I’d head up further into the hills to Manali and since I am in the vicinity. Manali is a small town in the Kullu Valleyat at an altitude of 2,050 m (6,726 ft). A popular tourist destination it is a sort of a gateway to the hills. In ancient times it was the start of a hill route for trade an commerce to Ladakh. It was a seven hour drive and I thought I’d hire a car for this leg of the journey. Got there dead tired and checked into the hotel Picadilly at Rs 2500, about US$ 40 per night. The food was passable but they seem to have no fish or lamb which I suddenly had such craving for seeing all the fishing venues here. I crashed as soon as I checked in and woke up late into the afternoon the next day. Ordered a meal of Chicken Soup and fired rice and set out by about five in the evening. The taxi driver said that only the Hidimba Devi temple would be open about now and perhaps we could look in.

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We drove up through the crowded marketplace to the temple to Hidimba at Manali. I was greeted by old women selling prasad and carrying rabbits for sale it seemed. I took a picture with the huge rabbit in my hand .

I strolled up the green garden path was the Temple and followed a huge line of devotee’s waiting for darshan. The temple was built like a pagoda with Yak horns lining the walls. Near the temple was the Ghatotkach rock. Ghatotkach a huge demon giant was the son of Bheem, one of the Pandav’s from the great Hindu mythological war story Mahabharata and himself huge and a female rakshasa (demon) called Hidimbi brother of Hidimba .

During the great war Mahabharat this giant demon came to the aid of the Pandava’s (the five righteous brothers) and decimated the Kauravas (the hundred ‘not so righteous’ brothers) armies. Duryodhan the eldest born among the hundred brothers panicked and asked Karna the brave warrior to use his Brahmastra (the divine weapon aka goin’ nuclear) to kill Ghatotkach. Karna was saving the Brahamastra (the nuclear option) for Arjuna one of the Pandavas and someone he especially despised but now he had to use it to kill Ghatotkach and he could use it only once.

Bellow flowed the vibrant Beas River as the sky light’s up with snow peaked mountain’s. After taking photo’s with Yak’s i strolled into the market enjoying chat and cold drink’s. Manali was just seeping in, I think I will cancel (nay reschedule) my trip to the Rohtang Pass and enjoy some trout fish here at Manali. My dear friend Arun Wali had suggested that I should try the local baked trout and that is just what I am now looking forward to next – a small culinary adventure perhaps! I am also keen to explore the Manikaran temples here also. So here’s three cheer’s to Manali.

I know I am far away, really far from Paris in the peace of the mountains but I cannot believe the level of destruction that religious zealots seemed to have done there. Why I ask why, why? It is at times like this I contemplate the pointlessness of existence. Why do they do this ?

Woke up late today and on my follow ups with them realised that the Dalai Lama was out in Ludhiana. My sister then suggested “let’s goto the Gyuto Monastery instead and try if we can meet the Karmapa Lama , he is after all the number two to the Dalai Lama”.

We took the car and headed out for the monastery. At first look I notices that it was shimmering with golden colours. The Tibetans have a fascination with gold and most of the monasteries are coloured that way. I stepped into the prayer room and took a few pictures of monk’s sitting down and chanting with religious vigour from the ancient Buddhist texts. It could have been a scene from a madarssa or an ancient vedic temple, but well I was at a buddhist monastery. Little children scurried around  in maroon robes and seemed excited to see me. I tried chatting with a few senior monks and asked them what was the concept behind the chanting however most seemed reluctant to speak with me. Perhaps trying to protect their ancient religious secrets from a foreign interloper.

In the middle of the prayer room just beneath the Buddha was the image of the Dalai Lama adorned with his yellow hat. The room had row’s of wooden benches on which the lama’s meditated and chanted . What were they trying to achieve I wondered? Nirvana, Moksha , salvation? To me these are yet words and what do they mean in term’s of feeling thought’s, ideas I really had no clue – or at least yet! I mean what is the physical manifestation of Nirvana ? How would I even know I had attained moksha if ever I did? What would it look like? What would it feel like ? How would I know that I have been enlightened and awakened ? These were question’s which were buzzing in my mind and off course I planned I  would ask these to Karmapa and perhaps to the Dalai Lama.

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I went into the office and took an audience with Karmapa for the 20th of Nov at 9:30 in the morning. Mental note to myself – I better wake up – the drive is long and I have tended to oversleep a lot on this trip !!

Hope to see him and meet him with my question’s. Hope to find answers also! Stay tuned – perhaps there is salvation yet?

The Family & I had decided to take a small trip to see the Chamunda Devi Temple in the Dhauladhar range for Diwali. We took a Helicopter into the mountain’s high up at around 12000 feet. The helicopter looked a little rickety and landed with a thud and suddenly all I could see was rocky terrain and snow capped peaks. I walked up the mountain on a trail of stones. The trek was around 20 min uphill and I was excited and started taking pictures.

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We reached the top of the hill where the temple was situated. The place had only about a dozen people who were there to look after the temple. I enjoyed the climb and then participated in the prayer.”Pandit ji Anuj’s is a very good boy , three year’s back he lost his father to a tragedy which ruined his life , give him some advice as to how he can continue on his journey.” Mrs. Shivpuri sounding like the college principal that she was introduced me to the Pandit, the temple priest. The man looked at me and said ”Anarth mien hi arth dhundhna padega in hein.” Loosely translated that  meant I’d need to find meaning in the destruction that took has been my life. It was deep and the way he said it and in every destruction lie’s perhaps something which is good and which I hope  would soon unfold.

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I thought this was in fact so profound his word’s that they struck me and I wondered isn’t that what I was doing through my travel’s? Trying to find the meaning after the devastation in my life? Yes he was right and so where the timing’s of his words. I wandered across the mountain ranges and came across a pond in the middle of a hillock . We took some snap’s and I decided that I’d really like spend the  night here and soak in the beauty of the place. The Shivpuri family left handing me lot’s of water bottles and bag’s of chip’s and chocolates to keep me company. I sat down with the pujari and his people to smoke a hookah. They had lit a bonfire in the room which had huge painting’s of Shiva and the Godess Kali on them. I loved the thick smoke and the beauty of the place was intoxicating.

After a brief chat with my host’s I wandered off again into the valley. The silence was a cliched pin drop, the air was thin and crisp, every thing looked like a picture postcard and then the the dance of light and nature began. As the evening sun approached the mountain ranges , the sky , the cloud’s started to dance in shimmering colours. I just stared clicking and tried to absorb the various shades and colours . Pink , orange, red  ,brown , silver all merging with each other. For two hour’s I clicked away from every angle and managed to capture some of the beauty in front of me .

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I strolled back into my stone hut, where i warm bed of blanket’s awaited me. I smoked some more of the hookah with the priest. He told me the story of Chandh and Mundh the two demon’s who maa Kali has killed there. That was the legend behind why she was given the name of Chamunda. He gently put me to sleep by narrating these stories of mythical god’s and demon’s to me. After a meal of simple vegetables and rotis I fell into deep sleep dreaming of mountains, meanings and the goddess.

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Next morning I thanked the pujari and his men and came down from the mountain on that same rickety helicopter, all geared up to see the photo’s I had taken on. But the philosophy of “ Anarth mien hein Arth” was what stayed with me. That even something good is going to happen through total destruction.

Since I am in this part of the world – a visit to the Dhauladhar Range was in order and I took a trip up to see it for what it is – a beautiful range in the southern parts of the Himalayas. The highest peak is the Hanuman ji Ka Tiba, or ‘White Mountain’, approximately 5,639 m or 18,500 ft high. There are several peaks which are close to 5,180 m (17,000 ft).

It was a surreal experience in the evening and here are some shots I took! I took an helicopter to get to the top and so definitely did not trek it up not that I was in any shape to do that !

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More follows and here are the mountain ranges at sunset – a view so serene, a location so at peace and yet majestic there is this part of me that wants to just stop and settle down! Put down roots at the foothills as it were. Indeed so much beauty.

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Wandering around the Tibetan town..

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I have now spent a week in the hill’s of McLeodGanj and have spent time hovering around Dharamshala for a few days. I wanted to meet the Dalai Lama and submitted an application to see his holiness with his office secretary. In the meantime I have been soaking in the atmosphere of the monastery and the monastic life. I attended a sermon given by his holiness in the morning prayer meeting and later wished at the wishing wheel.

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Having consumed the prasadam of rice and milk I watched with awe all the ceremonies of this monastic order, the blessing of the buddha statue and off course the Dalai Lama sitting on his thrown couched and hunched preaching in Tibetan – not many words of which I understood but there was a serenity there. All his high priests were huddled around him as he gave his sermon. We were not allowed to carry our camera’s inside only the guy’s telecasting the prayer session where allowed to carry camera’s. The security was tough we had to go through the security checks and even inside the monastery their were guard’s carrying gun’s. Even amongst such peace and tranquility the fear of the uncertain?

I had a sparse breakfast of potato curry and roti and ventured back home. For two days I’d been trying to get an audience with him but I have failed miserably every time. Once i reached late by 20 minutes and the next day the taxi did not arrive on time to take me there. I moved into a hotel just minutes from the monastery, so that I don’t miss him and yet I did since that was the day he was not going to hold a prayer meeting and now the Dalai Lama be travelling and be out for another two weeks!!

Wandering about for solace of sorts I bumped into an old couple from Texas Mr & Mrs. Emerson over breakfast and got chatting .” you see Anuj all is everything and everything is all and that’s all .” they said to me as we spoke and learned more about each other. I remarked “ It’s like we are riding a chariot with two wheel’s one is called Desire the other is destiny . If we rely only on one wheel we will keep going round and round in circles. We have to use both wheels , desire to push us forward and meet our ambition and sense of achievement and destiny the one we cannot control that will take us through . Only after blanking the two can we move on our path.” 

“You see Anuj we don’t get to talk to people at the same philosophical level  back home. I mean i have been in india for over a week and my chakra’s are all roaring to go .” The man smiled as his wife poured us both some tea and the waiters served our breakfast. It was getting chilly and the peaceful atmosphere of the valley was enchanting . “ i would love to see your blog and make me your friend on Facebook “, he said. I took a picture of the two and thanked them for the breakfast.

This is life I thought and will buy some robes tomorrow and chat with Tenzing who has promised to become my guide through the amazing Tibetan monastic life. The monk’s in their maroon robes are all over the street’s of Mcleodganj as shopkeepers sell their artefacts, rugs, clothes and other ethnic nik naks.There is also a pizza hut also at the heart of the bazaar and shop’s selling clothes , electronic’s items book’s etc.  Then i bumped into some fan’s who recognised me as a Bollywood actor , they took photo’s with me and chatted to me about my film’s , i aquatinted them with my travel journey and stories.

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