Trip To Tehri 

It was a normal Wednesday morning in November when I got a call from one of my school friends Shubham Negi, who lives in Dehradun and is serving the Indian Army. He told me that he is going to Tehri with his friends and if I want to join them, then I should reach Dehradun by 4pm. As always, I said yes.

In next fifteen minutes I packed my bag, took a shower and left my home at 10 am for Dehradun. I got on the Bus to Dehradun around 10:30 and after a 6 hours long bus ride and two long stops, I reached Dehradun around 4:30 in the evening. My friend picked me up on his bike from ISBT and we left for Tehri which was around 90 kms from there.

Tehri

Tehri Garhwal is a district in the hill state of Uttrakhand, India. Its administrative headquarters is at New Tehri. The district has a population of 618, 931 (2011 census), a 2.35% increase over the previous decade. It is surrounded by Rudraprayag district in the east, Dehradun district in the west, Uttarkashi district in the north, and Pauri Garhwal in the south. Tehri Garhwal is a part of the Himalayas.

Old Tehri was slowly submerged under waters of Bhagirathi and Bhilanglana rivers in late 1990s after commissioning of 2400 MW multipurpose hydropower project by central government PSU Tehri Hydropower Development Corporation (THDC). Tehri Dam is renowned as the highest and largest dam in Asia, it is considered as the 10th tallest dam in the world, harnessing water from Bhilangana and Bhagirathi rivers. 

On the way to Tehri my friend told me that one of his friends owns a Camp in Tehri, we are going to that and the whole camp is booked only for us for the whole night. The way to Tehri from Dehradun consists of 30 kms of Dehradun-Rishikesh Highway on which you can cruise on good speed and after that you have to take the zig-zag mountain roads on which you go round and round, hopping from one mountain to another.

Around 6pm we stopped to take some rest and we had some tea and snacks at a local shop. The sun was setting down and we had to reach the place before 7pm because there is a bridge named Dobra Chanti Suspension Bridge near that place which have a one-hour light show at 7 pm daily and we didn't want to miss that, also at night Guldars (leopards) come out to hunt on those mountains.

We reached the bridge around 8:00 pm and the light show was over by then. To reach the camp we had to cross the bridge and the view with lighting on the bridge was beautiful. We were riding on our bike and I was capturing the beauty of the bridge on my iQOO Smartphone. We decided to stop at the center of the bridge to take some photos but somebody started announcing on the loudspeakers that keep on moving and the vehicles can't stop on the bridge.

We crossed the Bridge and reached the Camp. The Camp was located at a hill and there were no shops and homes nearby. So, it was just us on the hill with a beautiful view of the bridge and the Tehri Dam reservoir. At the camp I met with the Camp OwnerAkkuBhai and the chef of the camp. We brought some raw chicken with us because the raw meat is expensive on the hills and the mountain's chicken takes a lot of time to cook. Now we were six guys and the whole camp was available for us.

We asked the cook to prepare the food and we started the party. We opened some drinks that we bought from Dehradun. We danced on loud music, had a lot of conversation on different topics and we were all amazed by the beauty of nature at that place. From the camp you can see the New Tehri on a hill infront of you and on all your four sides you will just see hills and mountains with villages on three sides. And if you will look Infront, you will see the great Tehri Dam's reservoir, completely filled with water and some boat houses are made on it, where people could live and enjoy water sports. We barbequed, partied and enjoyed till 2 in the morning and then we went off to our tents and fall asleep.

Next morning the weather was chilly and from the tent the view was memorizing. The beauty of that place in the morning was on next level. The sky was clear, wind was chilly, the water was crystal clear, the mountains were lush green and the Sun was coming up from behind the mountains. It was all amazing. Akku bhai told me that“ few hours ago the clouds were all very low and they have covered the water reservoir and the view was breath taking”, but as I woke up late I missed it.

We got freshen up and the Chef made some Maggie, Aloo Parathas and Tea for us in the breakfast. they were all delicious. After the breakfast, I told my friend that I am still not done with this place, I want to explore more and absorb it as much as possible in me, so we decided to stay for one more night there.

Around 11 in the morning my friend and one guy went to get some things for the night and I stayed at the camp, clicked lots of photos, played BGMI with the owner and the chef. Stared at the Sunlight falling on the crystal-clear water and creating a starry and trippy effect.  I enjoyed it for around half an hour. In the reservoir you could enjoy water sports and can do boating too. A lots of motor boats were roaming freely in the water and they were leaving trails of water behind them.

The owner made a local dish for us with a local fruit and masalas and it was tangy and delicious. My friend came back at 2 pm and then we had some food and rested for some time as we were tired from last night ride and party. At around 4pm we had some tea and then went up on the hill behind the camp, from where you can get a clear view of all four sides. It was a tough climb but we made it to the top and then we clicked some photos and watched the beautiful view for some time. When the sun started setting down, we climbed down the hill and reached back to the camp.

One guy from Dehradun also came in the evening to stay at the Camp. At 7pm thelight show of the bridge started and it was amazing. Different lights were getting lit on the bridge in different ways and styles. At 8 pm the light show ended and we started the party. We did all the things that we did last night and then around 3am we went to sleep.

Next morning, I wake up and clicked some photos of the beautiful view. After having our breakfast around 9:00 we left for Dehradun. We reached Dehradun around 2 pm and I stayed at my friend's home because at night we have to attend a cocktail party of one of our friends. In the evening we went to the cocktail party and enjoyed the whole night. Next morning, I got on the bus to Meerut from ISBT and left for home.

It was a fun, adventurous and memorial trip for me, met a school friend after years, made some new friends and enjoyed everything.

Hey, Questors you can also share your travel stories in the Off-topic Lobby .

Signing off

Nitin Panwar

Moderator

@iQOO Connect