About Ramgarh

Ramgarh; the fruit bowl of Kumaon ; huddles sleepily in the green creases of the lower Kumaon Hills, which lie in the northeastern parts of Uttarakhand, or more precisely in the western-central Himalayan region. These hills have the ability to convert an extrovert into a recluse, a Peach hater into its lover and even a part time scribe into a poet. The libertarian silence is even louder than the erratic summer rain or the barefooted, prattling village children who knowingly smile, for they've seen many a literary figure holed up to add permanent character to these accommodating hills. Many writers and thinkers have been drawn to the beauty of Ramgarh: Sri Aurobindo and Narain Swami established ashrams, Rabindranath Tagore wrote some of his major work-even contemplating founding Shantiniketan here; Mahadevi Verma made it her home and some of India's leading industrial families continue to have sprawling orchards. From May to September the orchards by the Writers' and Old Bungalows hang with Apricots, Plums, Peaches, Pears and Apples.

The joy of rambling up and down these mountainsides is untainted because of the absence of over-exuberant tourists. The height of enchantment comes from encountering locals at night, on a quite unlit street, who wouldn't know how to bamboozle for anything. As is their wont, most hill folk are blasé and keep their respectful distance.

Sightseeing is merely incidental and you might defeat the purpose of your visit if you take along too much enthusiasm for the same to this wonderful retreat tucked away in the Kumaon Hills of Uttarakhand. Ramgarh.

The great outdoors, of course, lie just next door on the various tals that infuse the Ramgarh hills with fables. Unlike the Naini Lake, Naukuchiatal, Bhimtal, Saat Tal, etc. are environmentally unexploited as yet. The congenial oarsmen's tales are believable as one's boat gently glides around the lakes' perimeter. If you are fortunate, your tourist brethren would still not have grasped the full extent of enjoying the simple things of life, and you would have all this solitude to yourself.