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Creating Monsoon Magic in Binsar

For us it’s always been a great attraction to head for the hills during monsoons. We are drawn towards the emerald covered mountains like honeybees towards flowers. It’s our affair with the hills. So when an opportunity presented itself to go to Binsar, UK (UttaraKhand), we could not resist.

chasing monsoon

Some places grow on you and Binsar in Uttarakhand was one of them for us. Binsar is a picturesque hill station, surrounded by a national park of the same name. At just about 100 KM from Nainital, and perched at an altitude of 2500M it presents itself as a scenic hill station. It is less crowded since it is not as much commercialized as some of its neighbours. On a clear day, it is said that, it offers an unhindered view of some the Himalayan greats like, Mt Trishul, Mt. Nanda Devi, Mt Shivling and such.

roads in monsoon in uttarakhand
A blanket of mist on winding roads

We reached Binsar in the evening after negotiating tortuous roads, landslides and some heavy sheets of rains reducing the visibility to a mere few metres. There was nothing more to do than to soak in the lush green surroundings over some hot tea and pakoras, make plans for the morrow and enjoy the rains.

First thing on the following morning was to be a trek. We had a leisurely and lavish breakfast, made more leisurely by incessant rains. Trek was not possible and then we decided to go for a session of Spa for some local pahari massage.

The morning gave into the day which in turn gave way to the evening and we decided to camp out the night. In a clearing a few 100 metres above the resort, we had a few tents set up and got the campfire going. Just then it started drizzling. The resort fellows were upto the challenge constantly keeping the fire going while we snuggled into one of the tents.

With wine and beer flowing in and all of us exchanging our travel accounts, incidents and horror stories, it poured in between. The night will linger for long in my memories.

campfire binsar

However, after dinner the heavy rains picked up and we decided to head back to the resort, amidst stories how one person had seen a leopard in the neighbourhood. How we wished we could have stayed there all night!

Following morning was reasonably clear with some drizzles on and off and we went on a curtailed trek to the river below in the valley. While it was not too difficult in terms of gradient and distance, the ceaseless rains had made the stony trail a bit slippery. The gentle ups and downs of trail among the fresh greenery was invigorating to say the least. We took the easy trail because of the weather. According to the guide there are many hiking options in and around Binsar that one can choose if one is so inclined.

monsoon magic binsar

river in binsar

chasing monsoon magic binsar

monsoon magic binsar binsar fields

On one of the days it was visit to the famous Jageshwar temple complex. The temples are situated about 50 KM from Binsar and just two hours away. They are very old, built over 1000 years back. We were astounded at the beautiful temples and that, we had not heard of these temples before. I call it a complex since there are about 125 large and small temples and 108 shivalingas in the premises.

Jageshwar temple @ lemonicks

Jageshwar temple

Out of these, the big Mrityunjay is said to be one of its kind in the world due to the presence of an eye on the ShivaLinga attracted me the most. There is one dedicated to Jageshwar Mahadev, which is also quite big.
We saw newly married couples making rounds of these temples and pray for their happiness and prosperity. One can also witness the month long monsoon festivals that start from mid-July which we missed. There is also another temple complex equally old on way to Jageshwar; however, for want of time we had to skip it.

bell temple golu devta

It was more important to go to a temple named the Bell Temple. Well, the name of the temple is Golu Devta, an important god in the Kumaon region, but it is popularly called Bell temple because there are thousands of bells of all sizes found in every conceivable place by the devotees. And yes, there are monkeys too!

It is said if you tie the bell, pray, wish and it will be fulfilled. As simple as that! Once it is fulfilled the devotee is expected to return and untie one of the bells. I am sure originally it would been to untie his or her bell but it is next to impossible to find that particular bell here!

tehri couple

garhwal wedding

Here too, newlyweds come to pray for their happy married life. In fact a wedding party of 50 people were inside. Once they came out, there was all song, dance and posing for the cameras. Actually! We took part in their happy occasion and the parents of the groom would not let us go without dancing a couple of steps with the bride. 🙂

There are so many other things to do in these parts like a trek to Binsar Zero Point from where one can have a panoramic view of the Himalayas, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Binsar Sanctuary Museum and many, many temples. The rains, however, while bringing respite from the heat of the plains also played the spoil sport and we could not visit these gems.

monsoon magic binsar
An evening setting in the mountains.

Related read: Besides Binsar, there are more places to visit in Uttarakhand.

Note: This trip was made possible because of Club Mahindra, Binsar Valley.

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59 thoughts on “Creating Monsoon Magic in Binsar”

  1. Wow! Binsar looks washes and clean and green. So beautiful. What fun to camp in a place like this. 🙂

    Love the pictures in this post! Especially that of the road in the mist and the terraced farmland. And the bells in the bell temple too.

    Enjoy the season.

  2. Thank you Nisha for giving us beautiful and workable information about Binsar . It will be very close to Delhi and can be covered in 2-3 days easily. equally supported by grand pictures !!

    1. Yes, it’s close to Delhi.

      2-3 days are good but if you want a relaxed trip, I suggest keep 1-2 days more. 🙂

      Don’t forget to keep two days for traveling to & fro Delhi. 🙂

  3. You have some fab photos and everything looks so green and lush.

    Great photos of the wedding party too. I love the photos of the newly weds too.

  4. So great you can show the positive side of the monsoons. Normally we try to avoid that time of year, but you show us that there’s beauty to be seen, especially in the mountains. Great post!

  5. what an amazing place this looks fantastic. Your photography is excellent i especially love the shot of the walking path and all the bells as you walk. The trek to get a view of the Himalaya’s sounds fantastic

  6. I love how you didn’t let a little (ha!) rain dampen your spirits and travel!! While it is typically more enjoyable rain-free, you can’t let the weather stop you from seeing the beauty in this world!

  7. This is such a lovely area. I just adore the lushness of those fields, the beautiful wedding dress of the pride and the fact that you were able to get on and have a lovely time despite the incessant rain!

  8. Great post. This hill station looks so much more relaxing. I have been to one close to Dehradun and it was so busy and dirty there. This one looks great in comparison. Also I love the picture with the newly married couple and the umbrellas of your tour. Sounds like a perfect getaway. Nice story!

  9. Binsar reminds me a bit Munnar in the south of India – that place is also very greet, covered by tea plantations and so relaxing. I have to plan more trips to India, really!

  10. Your photos are really lovely! I especially like the one with the colourful umbrellas 🙂 I actually like the mist that comes with the monsoon, the cool weather and air of mystery is great.

    1. Thank you.

      I also like the rains, mist and the little showers that come with it. And yes, the lush green surroundings also. 🙂 It refreshes my soul.

  11. Binsar is now on my list courtesy this post. The pictures (esp of the terraced farms and the winding roads ) are so surreal! 🙂
    I like the bride’s nose ring 😀 Monsoons in the hills can be a scary yet such a beautiful opportunity to experience nature.
    Thanks for sharing this brilliant melange of nature and culture:)

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