A tourist spot for all seasons: Gamber Pul By Madan Gupta Spatu WHEN plains are foggy and bitingly cold, why not go for a holiday to an enchanting place, with bright sunshine. If you are fed up dashing to Shimla, Manali, Chail and nearby tourist spots and are in search of a novel, picturesque sight for picnic or holidaying where the whispering of pines, balmy breeze and music of a rivulet are there to soothe you, then Subathu, a 120-minute drive from Chandigarh, should be your destination. Spots in and around this little hamlet bestow precious moments of bliss, peace and tranquillity to solace lovers of plains who wish to escape the humdrum of city life. Once you have visited this site, in the green valley, surrounded by majestic mountains and on the banks of the Gambher rivulet, you’ll keep coming again and again. A detour of 15 km from Dharampur on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway, takes you to a locale only 4,500 ft high, where Subathu beckons you to wander around solitary spots along traffic-free roads. As you drive on the serpentine road, you see craggy hills, gorges and the most verdant and breath-taking views. The picturesque iron bridge The picturesque iron bridge Subathu is an old town believed to have been in existence since the Pandavas’ era. It has been a cantonment since 1815, currently housing 14-Gorkha Training Centre. The most salient feature of the hill town is that it is not a hill station in the true sense of the word.Its identity has not been botched by having a tourist destination image. It is a place which is neither dependent on nor fully geared for tourist traffic. But it has a forest rest house and a small market. Transport is also available. It is a hill station sans the crowd and the paraphernalia strewn by tourists. It beats most of the scenic spots in Shimla hills in terms of beauty, moderate climate and calmness. You may stroll on the long Cheels Chakkar road or wander along the Gambher rivulet, enjoying the music of scented pines and chirping of birds. You could stay overnight in the newly constructed hotel on the riverbed. A picnic spot on Gambher River A picnic spot on Gambher River A popular serial on Kashmir, Bandhak, telecast recently on Doordarshan, has been shot entirely in and around Subathu, which resembles the Kashmir valley. Ivory Merchant also selected this locale for his film Shakespearwalla in 1960, Shourie shot his film Prayaschit here. A popular pop Sawan mein lag gayee aag on V Channel of MTV shows the valley of Subathu. The shooting of a Punjabi comedy film, Honeymoon, is currently in full swing here. As a cantonment, Subathu is self-sufficient as all essentials are available there. It is a place that beckons you in all seasons. The perennial river entices the picnickers to take a bath and indulge in fishing. The merry-makers can enjoy swimming, sport lovers may opt for trekking. This route has even been selected for car rallies. The moderate climate allows travellers to go there any time. These spots are yet to attract attention of the state government, whereas the film industry has already exploited its scenic beauty. Subathu is easily accessible by train (up to Dharampur) and by road. It is connected by bus and taxi service from Chandigarh, Delhi, Kalka and Shimla. It is 30 minutes away from the air-strip of Shimla.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 10:58:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015