Aparupa Kumayan by Bhagirath Mishra [Hardcover]

"Having explored the folds and crevices of the Himalayas for years, I have come to understand that the experience of beholding the Himalayas never ends. Nor is it meant to end—it is an endless journey. How could it ever end! At every turn of the vast Himalayas, there is a new scene, a new version of the Himalayas to discover.

Across India’s northern border, stretching from the west to the east, the Himalayas are known by countless names—Garhwal-Himalayas, Kumaon-Himalayas, Nepal-Himalayas, Terai-Himalayas, and so on. Each one holds thousands of unique landscapes within its folds. Every time I visit, it feels like I am encountering a new, unfamiliar Himalayas. Hence, understanding or fully experiencing the entirety of the Himalayas in one lifetime is unimaginable, let alone fully appreciating them. One is left to touch only fragments of this grandeur and satisfy their yearning with fleeting glimpses—and this is what I have been doing.

Moreover, to me, experiencing the Himalayas is far beyond visiting a select few hill stations. It is, in essence, not about the destination, but the journey itself. My favorite slogan is, not the shrine, but the path to the shrine. Thus, a large part of my travels is about the journey to the destination. The path itself is inseparable from the soul of the journey. When we set out to behold the grand Bharatvarsha (India), I believe twelve parts of its true essence lie in the path.

This time’s journey was through the Kumaon-Himalayas. I had been to its neighbor, the Garhwal-Himalayas, several times before. Yet, I was certain that this journey too would reveal an unfamiliar Himalayas—and so it did. Step by step, I encountered numerous new and unfamiliar aspects of the Himalayas. The journey began in Bareilly and concluded in Nainital. Along the way, how many new, unseen facets of the Himalayas did I witness! Tonkpur, Lohaghat, Mayavati Ashram, Pithoragarh, Abbott Mount, Gangolihat, Patal Bhubaneswar, Munsiyari, Chaukori, Bageshwar, Baijnath, Kausani, Binsar, Almora, Ranikhet, Nainital… Throughout the journey, the Himalayas played a constant game of hide-and-seek with us—sometimes coming within reach, whispering touch me now, and the next moment retreating far away."