Once I came to know about this lesser known place “Lansdowne”. I was astonished to see the pictures on internet, they were beautiful. I questioned myself how on earth I wasn’t aware about this mini heaven in India. Lansdowne is around 270 km from Delhi, making it a nearest hill station from Delhi. I did my research and found that Scicomm is offering a trip to Lansdowne and the cost was in my budget.
On 4th of May I had to step into a Volvo bus in Delhi. There was freshness in the aura. Enigmatic greenery and the feeling of cold doubled our excitement. We directly went to enjoy the local delicious,this local food should never be missed, tea and paranthas was what we thought can be done to heal the cravings.
Lansdowne isn’t a typical Shimla or Chandigarh for you. In other words, it is neither heavily urbanized, nor commercialized. Lansdowne is chiefly a cantonment area, once used by British to recruit and cater to the Garhwal Rifles unit. The old-world St Mary’s Church and some other buildings are fading reminders of colonial establishments in the town, which in fact gets its name from Lord Lansdowne, the then Viceroy of India.
Our accommodation was done by Scicomm members and it was the best night stay in a beautiful Hill Station we ever had with our 5-billion-star-hotel experience. The property was perfectly situated. The staff of the Hotel Shanti raj resort was highly welcoming they served us with the welcoming drink. While coming inside the hotel the weather was completely fine but in fraction of seconds the whole sky got full of clouds as if the roof was filled with cotton balls.
It was around 6pm,. The wait was finally over and the show had just begun! We were about to witness something that would change the way we perceive the wide airspace.
The SciComm team was so humble, they gathered us together and made a set up for the telescopes and took out the binoculars. We were in the state of shock to see everything so clearly it felt reality now. whatever we all were eyeing from a vast distance since childhood felt was in our reach.
Its best way to experience nature and space as its best, gave a real tour of infinitely vast galaxy. Along with this they make all kinds of necessary arrangements like Cosmic Meditation to introduce us to our core self. It helped to free us from everyday concerns and free our mind to a higher perspective on life. Moreover, utmost care was taken to keep the area as well as tents clean for minimum carbon footprints.
It included Meals, Local sightseeing, trekking, nature walk, Moon and planets observation, Capture the stars and planets, Watch planets through telescope, Astronomy games and team building activities, Cosmic Meditation, Bonfire and DJ party.
The first place to hit In Lansdowne was Bhulla Tal, an artificial lake built within the small town. There are numerous swans, ducks and rabbits around the place, and it is great to spend a quiet afternoon. Boating facilities are also available and I would definitely recommend it.
While coming back chilly air was piercing through the half open window of the bus and the sky scraping hills were looking stunning from the back seat. I told them to stop the bus for a while to capture the moment in frames. While coming back I had no regrets plus there was no place we did not visit. The experience of astrocamp has occupied a big space inside me it left me in the state of shock and surprise as I felt myself connected to everything the sky holds.
