Ramgarh, an enchanting hamlet in Uttarakhand, offers stunning views, great walks and the much needed break from the city life

Writer’s block they call it. I am sure there is a different term for every industry. And considering that right now festive season is on the roll, some of you even be facing a spender’s block (I’ve heard a thing or two about writer’s licence, you see). But yes, when it goes away, I am sure it’s the same feeling for everyone. So if you want some me-time, some time to connect with your inner self, there’s a little hamlet that can help you join the dots. At 7,000 ft, Ramgarh is not one of the popular hill stations you might have heard of. On way to Mukteshwar in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, the hill station is easy to miss, especially when the focus is on the more popular Nainital and Bhimtal. But take a de tour and you are sure to be rewarded with stunning views of the Himalayas and the quiet that lets you tune into yourself. My elder sister and I could, despite the fact that we had a four- and sixyear- old still marking their territories and constantly squabbling. For we were there to attain a higher state of peace. It’s after all in Ramgarh that Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore came for a short trip. According to a few local experts, Tagore visited Ramgarh in May 1903, with his son Samindranath and his daughter Renuka. His 13- year-old daughter had tuberculosis and clean, fresh air is what the doctors had advised.

Tagore was so taken by the natural beauty of the place that it is said he had planned to set-up Shantiniketan here, but finally chose his own home state, West Bengal. Author Mahadevi Verma lived here, too, while Narain Swami as well as Sri Aurobindo founded their ashrams in the vicinity. Famous wildlife conservationist and writer Jim Corbett lived in Ramgarh while he was going to catch one of the man-eating tigers and has also mentioned it in one of his books.

But back to lesser mortals like me. My sister and I were sorted. We would do all it took to get inspired and unwind. I’ll share the secrets of Ramgarh. You can comfort yourself with a favourite read, catch up on your sleep, meditate or just let your feet take you places. It’s not the hill station that has a Mall Road or your usual restaurant-type haunts .For Ramgarh is one of those places that needs to be discovered on long quiet walks where you can hear the winds, taste the fresh air laden with the heady smell of the pine trees, smell the fire from a nearby village home and hear your own breath intermingled with the chirping of birds. Talking of birds, Ramgarh is well-known amongst ornithologists for the huge varieties of migratory birds that can be seen throughout the year.

What’s more, if you are tired during the long walks, spring time allows you to simply pluck a fruit from the tress around you and smile at how much you can impress your nutrionist about the “fresh fruit” bit. Ramgarh is also known as the “Fruit Bowl of Kumaon”, thanks to its orchards of peach, apricots, pears and apples. In fact, walking and trekking should be on your to-do list in Ramgarh — when you are not reading or sleeping, that is.

Another must-do is Tagore Top. A trek for some, and a walk for a few, at the height of about 8,200 ft, this one is completely worth it. For it’s from his home on this hilltop that Tagore penned some his works from his collection of poems on children Shishu and some works of his collection, which later became Geetanjali. The home isn’t there sadly but one can still see its ruins in the many stones strewn around.

I imagine the loving father sitting by his children’s bedside, stroking his ailing daughter’s hair as many poems weaved themselves in his mind. The place has an eerie silence about it, the only sound being the winds whispering like they do at hilltops. The view to the valley is stunningly beautiful. While the place surely did something for the author, the father sadly lost his daughter later in Bengal, the same year.

Tagore returned to Ramgarh again in 1914, but probably couldn’t gather heart to stay at the same house and stayed in a cottage closer to the town, which is now a Neemrana property. For those who’ve heard of her, there is also the summer home of the famous writer Mahadevi Verma, which has now been turned into a small museum. Her writing desk, pots and pans, manuscripts, oil paintings, all make the small museum enchanting. And if you are a Hindi literature lover, you can run through the treasure of the library (a part of the museum), which has a wide collection of works by Hindi writers.

If, however, it’s walking in the hills that you like most, there is a strenuous trek to Devi Mandir. An ancient baba, a Shiv and a Devi Mandir, as well as a 360-degree view of the Himalayas — take your pick. If all this talk of walking has got you thinking, here is some relaxation. Check into the Welcome Heritage Taradale Cottage or Neemrana’s 19th century cottages in Ramgarh (also famous for its Natural Neemrana jams).

We settled into Soulitude, a beautifully-done holiday home in Gagar, Ramgarh, which offers some stunning views of the mountains. A Traveller’s Choice 2014 winner, the place is sure to get you dreaming of that holiday home. For right from the knick-knacks in the warm living room, to the hangings on the tree in the courtyard, everything has been handpicked by the owner’s wife. What was initially built as a getaway for its owner Manish Chandra and his friends, Solitude has now been opened to guests through selective marketing.

And once you are there, you will know exactly why the place is niche. There are no TV sets in the rooms. What you have, instead, are huge glass windows, a fireplace, a roof above the bed that can let you star gaze, and a warmth that comforts into that feeling of being at home. The lounge has a huge collection of books, movies and games (that kept the girls rather busy, much to our glee!) and a giant-screen TV with a collection of movies (thankfully none of us felt the need to turn to any).

For the foodie in you, there is scrumptious food to turn to. A cosy dining area, delicious meals (that can range from continental to Italian to Indian) and a bonfire and barbeque at night, and you are sure to come back for the food and the views. I sure will. For the fresh produce that Soulitude uses is from the owner’s organic farm nearby. Chandra has developed another beautiful property nearby, Solitude by the River, which is not too far from Gagar, and I just have to go there.