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Churah Valley: A Quest for Discovery in the Mountains


When you think of a course offered at IIM Ahmedabad, what comes to your mind? Classrooms, heavy course material, stern looking professors and geeky students, isn’t it? It’s time you get to know Shodh Yatra. A course which takes you out of the walls of these Red Bricks takes you closer to nature and ultimately closer to yourself. Shodh Yatra is a 5-day course offered to around 20 PGP2 students every term.  Professor Anil Gupta, a Padma Shri Awardee for his work on grass-root innovation, conducts the course which is essentially a trek through various remote parts of India.


For our batch, the place was Churah, a beautiful valley in the northern part of Himachal Pradesh. We started our trek from Bhanjraru (Formerly Tissa), the administrative hub of Churah Valley. You can reach Bhanjraru via Pathankot which is a 5-6 hours’ drive, the roads are good, and you start getting a glimpse of the natural beauty you are about to witness the closer you get to Bhanjraru.



View from Bhanjraru Guest House

Shodh Yatra was planned in a way that every day, we used to start the trek at around 8 after having our breakfast and then trek for the day and reach the next village for the night. Interaction with school children during the day and interaction with villagers at our place of stay was an important part of our quest for discovery.


We visited a number of villages during the five-day journey through mountains and at the end of five days we stayed at a village called Mangli, a place just separated just by a mountain from J & K. If you want to be challenged by the mountains, get immersed in ultimate solace and have great local food, Churah Valley is the place to be. The hugeness of mountains challenges you and humbles you. But the view that you get after you reach the top of the mountain more than compensates for every stretched step, every drop of sweat. The silence in the mountains makes you think so clearly that you wonder where all this rationality in yourself had gone before coming to this trek.



On our way to Mangli
Water is in abundance in this region, and so are the waterfalls. Have you ever wondered about someone being so calm amidst all the noise? The way to experience this calmness is to sit beside a waterfall. Amidst all the noise of water falling from heights there exists tranquility. Slowly the noise turns into a soothing symphony as you dive deep within your thoughts. This was one of the most refreshing experiences I had in my life.


One such trail from the waterfall

If you plant to visit the place, try to stay with the locals and interact with them. You will get hear a lot of stories about their lives, and most importantly you will get to try the authentic Himachali food. The taste of some food items is unforgettable (especially the pickles). Interacting with locals will also get to know the culture and the place in a better way.

Quick Snapshot
Villages Visited: Bhajraru, Devikothi, Bairagarh, Bunderi, Mangli
Temperature (August-September): 8-12 Degree Celsius during Nights, 30 Degree Celsius during the day (Intense sunlight during the day, carry suncream)
Mobile Network: The region faces some internet connectivity issues , calls and SMS will work in most parts

Distance Traveled During the Trek: Approx. 80 Kms in 5 days

--
Om Naik
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