Exploring Doon Valley and Rajaji National Park with IFGian

[Baljit]

Hello Guy's
Prashant, He is a amazing guy and i proud to say "He is a good friend of mine", i know him from few years now, When i told him i am coming to India he make a plan to (Hijake me from the airport )visit Doon.

Here is my visit to Doon.

Day 1,Feb 01, 2013
As I make my plan with Prashant to visit Doon, I woke up around 4:00 AM and I noticed that there is a lot of fog, we can’t even see more than 100 yards or so.

Around 5:30AM, I call my cousin who is going to Doon with me and he said we should wait for a few hours or so to allow the fog to clear. Around 6:30AM my cousin came over and said we should leave but we would have to drive very slowly because fog was still so thick.Around 6:45AM we are on the road to Doon. My cousin who is driving can’t drive more than 40 to 50 KMPH.

A three and half hour drive took us to the Punjab and Haryana border and we noticed that the fog was thinning out. We were just discussing this when I received a phone call from Prashant asking about our whereabouts. I told him that it was still foggy in Punjab, but for sure we going to be in Doon sometime in the afternoon.

Finally we entered in to Himachal Pradesh and I spotted the road sign showing that we were not too far off from Shri Paonta Sahib. When we arrived in Shri Paonta Sahib, I received another phone call from Prashant checking for updates and I told him we are in Shri Paonta Sahib and we were going to take a 30 min break.
Before we enter in to Shri Paonta Sahib.

In Shri Paonta Sahib there is a Sikh Temple of the 10th Guru of the Sikhs - Guru Gobind Singh JI and in this Temple Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s weapons are stored.

Inside the Sikh Tample

In bottom picture you guy's can see the weapons belongs to Guru Gobind Singh Ji


Here is the history of this Sikh Temple


We stayed here about 30 to 40 min. then again we are on our way to Doon. Here on this bridge when I received another phone call from Prashant and I told him we are on the way - hopefully we would reach very soon.


A couple of hours later we are in Doon, at this time I make a phone call to Prashant so he can guide us where we are going. He did a wonderful job on the phone and he guided us till we spot him. He parks his Safari SUV beside of the road and he is waiting for us.
From there we fallow Prashant to the restaurant where we have lunch together. What a beautiful place this is; from here you can see almost the whole of Doon valley.



We all enjoyed a really great lunch in this beautiful restaurant. After lunch Prashant took us to the club house where we were to stay overnight for next few nights.
After settling us in the room, our fellow IFG’ian said “you guys take rest for a little while and I’ll be back very soon.”

As soon he left the room I lay down on the bed and my cousin told me that he was going for a walk. I don’t know when I fell in sleep, next thing I knew was when Prashant walked in to the room with his two Beautiful daughters and woke me up. Prashant said “get ready I am going to take you guy’s somewhere interesting.”

From the club house Prashant take us in his Safari SUV through the Doon to FRI (Forest Research Institute) by the time we arrived there it’s 4:00PM already on the watch and we have an only one hour left to explore the Institute.

Anyway we took guided tour of this Institute. We did not have enough time to see everything but we tried to cover as much as we could. Pictures were not allowed inside the Institute.

Here are some pictures from outside of this Institute.

In bottom pictures you guy's can see Prashant's daughter with me.


Here i am with Prashant and his two beautiful daughters

Here i am with my cousin.

Here in this Institute we spot a stuffed tiger so here i am with the tiger.

After we finished the tour of the Institute, Prashant took us to his beautiful home where I was to mount the scope on his 30-06 rifle. First I mount the bipod on his rifle because I need a steady rest so I can mount the base and scope on his rifle. Here I have a chance to meet another IFG’ian Corbett99.
Here when I am mounting a scope on his 30-06

Here when i am done with his rifle.


Also you guys can see the pictures in this link.
http://www.indiansforguns.com/viewtopic ... 13&t=19735

After I mount the scope and bore sighted his rifle I said to Prashant now your rifle is ready for the range. Prashant is delighted when I have finished mounting the scope on his rifle and hand over to him.
When we are done with rifle all of us have a long chat and have a few drinks (Black Labels), dinner and we also make plans for the next day.


After dinner Prashant drops us off at the club house, where we spent the night.We had to end this here because it was pretty late.


More pics and write-ups arriving on IFG - shortly.


Enjoy
Baljit

[Moin.]

How wonderful. Prashantji, Baljit Pa'aji give us an oppurtunity to play host as well. Loved the pics, the brick masonry work in the Forest institute is just beautiful. And ofcourse thanks for posting the pics of the weapons of Guru Gobind Singhji.

Thanks and looking forward to some more pics.

Regards
Moin.

[Katana]

Wonderful camaraderie ! Doc Sa'ab is a wonderful host, I should know! Anyway, having spent 12 year doing my schooling in D. Dun I'm still in love with the place and it's environs

[timmy]

Thanks for these pics, Baljit! I'm eagerly looking forward to your next installment.

[airgun_novice]

Thank you for posting the pictures. The building is very beautiful.

[TC]

Baljit,

I really admire the passion and care you take while resizing and posting pictures of these trips. Bravo.

Prashant, now we all know where to find the watering hole when in Doon

Thanks. Will wait for more pics

(cant forget that empty Johny bottle )

TC

[prashantsingh]

Paonta Saheb:
"Deh Shiv bar mohe ehe, shubh karman to kabahu na taru
Naa darun aar seo jab jah lare, nischay kar aapne jeet karoo
Aar sikh ho aapne hi mum ko, eh laalach hau gun tau uchroo
Jab aav ki aaun nidhan banae,aat hi runn me tab joojh maroo"........


"Chidian to mein baaz tudaun.
Gidiran to mein sher banaun.
Sawa lakh se ek ladaun.
Tabhi Gobind Singh naam kahaun."

Immortal words of the 10th Sikh Guru and the founder of the Khalsa. Born in Patna. Guru Govind Singh spent one of the most important years of his life here .
Legend has it that the Guru sat for meditation on the banks of this river but the continuous gurgling of the river (as it came down the mighty Himalayan ranges) was disturbing him. He hence asked the river to be quiet. Yamuna (the river) duly obliged.
On this very spot stands the majestic Gurudwara of Paonta Saheb.
With the mighty Himalayas in the North and the (river) Yamuna on it's East .

Forest Research Institute
Spread out in a 1200 acre campus.This is the place were the officers of the Indian Forest Services are trained. Baljit found the institute of special interest since he works for the Forest Industry in British Columbia.
The Architect of this building was C G Blomfield and the building was inaugurated by Lord Irwin on 7th November 1929. The building is made out of brick, limestone and wood and is a mix of Colonial architecture with those majestic Roman pillars.There are more than 500 species of trees from Indian and abroad within the campus.

[xl_target]

Beautiful photos, Baljit
Prashant, always good to see your smiling face.

[Vikram]

Baljit,

Great report and some fantastic photos there. You all must have had a terrific time.Thank you for sharing the photos with us.Look forward to the rest of the instalments.

Prashant, your home looks very nice.



Best-
Vikram

[Baljit]

Thank you very much guy's, i just resize more pictures for all of you guy's,will post tomorrow.

Baljit

[Sakobav]

Nice Baljit Prashant and FRI is a great building I saw it on a school trip and memory is still fresh..the teak floors etc. Nice to see they have maintained it well

Cheers

[Baljit]

Day 2

Feb 02/2013

Next morning, we woke up after really relaxing sleep. After breakfast Prashant suggested that we visit IMA (Indian Military Academy) and Mussoorie.

Around 9:30AM we leave the club house for IMA. Prashant with his two beautiful daughters drive us to IMA. We arrived there around 9:50AM and Prashant park his Safari at the gate and he went inside IMA for check in, after he checked in then we are able to go inside the IMA, but we have to wait there for half an hour for our guide.

The guide, dressed in army uniform, gives us a really good tour through the IMA and explains the history since its establishment in 1932.Pictures were not allowed inside the IMA, anyway we took some pictures.

Here is a wikipedia link for all of you guy's...... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Military_Academy

I really like to see the shooting range in IMA, but unfortunately the shooting range was closed that day.

Here is a video that i was found on the youtube about IMA.You guy's can see everything in this video about IMA.



The bottom picture representing, Abhimanyu and the Chakravyu. This mural decorates the great hall in the Military Academy to teach the Gentlemen Cadets that a lesson half learnt is just not good enough. Abhimanyu knew how to get inside the Chakravyu, but couldn't come out of it alive. The training at the Academy is complete provided the young men learn their lessons well.(Thank's Prashant for all the info.)

In the bottom picture you guy's can see two paintings on the wall those two was Field Marshals in Indian Army.

The painting on the wall in bottam picture representing when Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi of the Pakistan Army, surrendered to Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora after signing the Instrument of Surrender to end the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.


Here is a video that i found on the youtube have a relationship with picture.


In bottom picture i am standing beside MiG 21 jet fighter aircraft in IMA.


Here is a wikipedia link for MiG 21, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-21

After the tour of IMA, Prashant announced that we would go to Mussoorie for lunch. On the way to I noticed dark clouds in the sky and I thought out cloud that we were maybe in for some serious rain today.

Mussoorie is one of the most beautiful cities located top of mountain, it’s a relaxed place and allows one to absorb and appreciate the bounty of nature, mountains and evergreen trees.



Here is the place where Prashant take us for the lunch when we are on the way to Mussoorie.







After lunch we drive through the city to see what else Mussoorie has to offer. We enter in to Mussoorie from one side and drive through the city and come out from the other side. It’s just a short trip to Mussoorie.

When we are on the way back from Mussoorie, Prashant is already making plans for the next days visit to Rajaji National Park, Chilla, which is about 60KM from Doon.

Around 4:00PM we are back in the club house where we pick up my cousin’s Scorpio SUV and follow Prashant to his place. Prashant suggested that we park our Scorpio at his place for the night as we were going to stay overnight at his friend Dr.Dushyant Gaur's place.Dr Dushyant works in Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust. A hospital situated in a place called Jolly Grant. Prashant also worked there from 1996 to 1997.( Thanks Prashant for the info.)

Around 6:00PM three of us leave Doon for Jolly Grant. On the way Prashant makes a quick stop in the city to pick up a bottle of Teachers Scotch Whiskey and some food for the night.

Later, at the dinner table all of us have a long chat and Prashant and his friends (all of them doctor’s) are making the plans for the morning. They all agreed to leave for Chilla around 8:00AM.

​We had to end this here because it was 11:00PM on the watch and it's pretty late.

Enjoy
Baljit

More pics and write-ups (Day three, Rajaji National Park and range pictures) arriving on IFG - shortly.

[timmy]

Super pics, Baljit, and very beautiful, too. Your trip looks wonderful, and there's a lot to digest in what you've written. Eagerly waiting for more! Thank you for sharing.

[airgun_novice]

Dear Baljit,

Is it possible for ordinary civilians to take a tour of IMA or the Forest Institute. Your pictures have spurred me on to plan a trip to the Himalayan region this summer. Beautiful pictures - not only do they capture the subtle beauty but motivate enough to say "Yek Dil maange more..."

regs
A.

[prashantsingh]

Is it possible for ordinary civilians to take a tour of IMA or the Forest Institute.
A.

AFAIK all Indians can visit these places. Foreigners probably have to pay a little extra for a visit to the F.R.I museum and need special permission to visit the Military Academy. Will have to confirm though.

The first photograph of Baljit with Capt. Vikram Batra's bust is quite interesting.
Vikram Batra was awarded the Param Vir Chakra (the highest military honour) during the Kargil War.

The moto of the Academy is

"The safety, honour and welfare of your Country come first.Always and Everytime.
The honour,welfare and comfort of the men you command , come next.
Your own ease , comfort and safety come last. Always and Everytime."

Golden words by Lord Chetwode.

Vikram Batra lived up to this moto and died leading his men against the Pakistani soldiers who had infiltrated into Kargil.