After my hectic week at the office, I needed an escapade to get my mind some peace. I remembered exploring some blogs about Barog a couple of weeks back and decided that this was going to be my spot for this trip. I called some of my friends and to my surprise, they were all even more frustrated from their monotonous routines than me. All of them readily agreed and this instantaneously planned trip was in motion the next day itself!
En-route enjoyment is a must
We were a group of 6 people and at first, decided to make this trip much more memorable by taking our bikes along and making one hell of a road trip out of this short trip but Alas! Just like the teenage times, our parents did not agree with our idea and we had to take a bus. We decided to explore the nearby attractions of Barog before actually visiting Barog and thus planned to first reach Solan and then avail convenient taxi service in Solan to reach our final destination Barog.
The Offbeat Getaway of Barog
It took us 8 hours to reach this beautiful place located in the arms of the Himalayas. Even before reaching our actual destination, we were all mesmerized by nature’s beauty that we witnessed en route from the windows of our seats. Thank god none of us had the urge to get sick while traveling on a bus as the roads were quite tricky and filled with twisted turns in the valley region. We safely reached Solan in the evening around 6:30 PM and planned to spend the night in Solan.
A bright morning with new goals
After roaming around the streets of Solan for an hour or so, all of us slept post-dinner that we had at an old Dhaba on the streets. The next morning was going to be very exciting as finally, we would reach our ultimate getaway destination – Barog. It took us hardly 20 minutes to reach Barog via a cab as there are no trains or buses available for such short distances. Not to exaggerate much but Barog is the most beautiful place my eyes had witnessed till then.
Full of lush green landscape and a horizon view that was breathtaking, this place became one of my favorite places I’ve ever been to the moment I stepped down from the cab and had a clear look around me. It was simply mesmerizing!
Sense of achievement
This is what we all wanted. A place away from the hustle and bustle and pollution of the concrete jungles situated directly in the lap of nature. The place was slumped with tourists who also had come to find inner peace in this town filled with tranquillity. We rented a hotel in the middle of the market for commuting conveniently around the streets. After putting our luggage in the hotel rooms and having some tea and snacks, we headed to explore the core of Barog.
A quick tour of Barog
While going around the streets and looking for famous spots to visit in Barog on the internet, we came across the fact that Barog is named after a British architect named Colonel Barog who was assigned the task to build a tunnel but failed to complete in and committed suicide out of embarrassment. His grave is now a very famous tourist spot. At least in death, he completed a part of his mission and I believe now his soul must be resting in peace when numerous people come to see him every day.
Apart from the tunnel situated near the railway tracks, it was a delight to visit the Dolanji Bon Monastery which had this sense of spiritual calmness all around. The silence at such a huge place was almost like a scream to the inner self for some much-needed introspection.
Some Camping rendezvous
Traveling to a hill station is not complete without partaking in the trekking and camping experience. With the same ideology in mind, six of us packed our essentials and headed towards the camping grounds of Barog. The sight of Choor Chandani peak and the Solan valley was a treat, and the camping experience, in itself, was satiating to our souls
Rushing back to the desk jobs
After such a wholesome trip, it was time to head back to our respective lives. I guess I am going to book a cab from Chandigarh to Barog every time I need a getaway from the mundane life of regular schedules, even if it has to be alone.