My this post is dedicated to the contest onhttp://www.indiblogger.in by http://www.mahindraxuv500.com/.
It was the summers of 2006.I think it was the month of august . My husband being from transferable job got a chance to visit the most beautiful part of India - Leh Ladakh . It happened by chance that I also had my summer vacations and he took me along to Leh . As both of us are from north India we had some idea of the weather there . And besides that we had some friends along with us who were joining us on that trip. By gathering all information about clothing and other things to be taken along I started preparing for the trip enthusiastically .
Finally the day arrived,when we reached Leh by air from Chandigarh . My husband was busy in his work for the whole day so we could not go any where that day . I decided to put up in the hotel along with my son aged 3 years for that day .I spent the whole day having the fresh feel of the pure air of Leh . It was decided that we would go for sight seeing and visiting the monasteries early in the morning next day. For that purpose my husband along with his friends hired Mahindra SUV . Leh is situated at high altitude and has very tedious road structure and it is very difficult to move in that terrain with light vehicles . I was very curious and excited about my trip .
Next morning my family and other friends got ready at 7 ' o clock in the morning. our vehicle reached at time and we all the passengers boarded it to move around in the valley . Our driver might be in his early forties was a ladahki guy named Dorjee . He had kept his vehicle clean and decorated like a newly wed bride . As soon as we boarded the vehicle we felt at home and hence started our 'incredible trip'.
He first took us to local monasteries and Shanti Stupa . While driving he was telling us about the life style of that region and the hard ships they under go during tough winters. It was around 11 '0 clock he told us about the 'World's highest motorable road- Khardungla Pass' . I also had read about it in National Geographical Magazine . When I came to know about it I started looking for my camera so that i could click photo graphs on that peak point . It was around one and half hour journey from Leh . It was planned that after visiting to Khardungla Pass we will come back to our hotel .
We reached only half the way when weather started packing up . The weather conditions there are a lot unpredictable . Before starting from Leh we all put on our jackets , caps and gloves to avoid the cold at such a high altitude . I made my son wear double layer of woolens to avoid any dire situation . besides that we also had kept a blanket with us for children to cover. Our driver told us to go back to Leh when he saw the changing weather but moved ahead after our repeatedly forced him to go . He stared telling us the story of the travelers stuck up on that road for more than 24 hours when no assistance could reach them because of heavy snowfall.
It was half past 12 when snow fall stated and nothing was visible .Every mountain , tree and even the road was all smeared in white garb of snow . Initially we were enjoying the snow fall but after some time it started showing its effect by the needle like chills piercing through our packs of woolens . The children started crying vehemently and we tried to make them warm by wrapping in the blanket . Suddenly we heard the loud noise from out side . Listening to that the driver at once put the brakes of the SUV to stop immediately. As we looked out of our car we saw a military truck . Its tyres were skidding because of slippery roads due to heavy snow fall . It felt difficulty in moving froward . even our driver was also having the same problem but he managed it smartly . Because of the military truck the traffic of both the sides could not move . Meanwhile snow fall got even worse than before. It was now half past one and every body was feeling hungry.
We were sitting in the SUV waiting for the road to be cleared . To keep us busy our driver stared telling the stories of people stuck up there and how they got help from army persons who are always on duty there . While he was telling all this suddenly I saw a truck fallen in the deep valley which was around one kilometer deep . The truck looked like a small pebble. I asked him about the fallen truck as our vehicle was only few feet away from the edge of that deep valley . What he told me, I will explain it in hindi as only this could do the justice to his exact words .I said : " Bhaiya . ye yahan kaise gira aur ye yahan kab gira tha?" . He replied in a typical Ladakhi accent : " Ooo !! Mem shaab ,ye road bara danger hai . Yahn koi agar shardee mein girdta hai to ushkaa boody nahi milta hai . Body braf mein dabb jataa hai aur jab garmi aata hai to baraf pighaltaa hai to ushkaa pataa chaltaa hai............bahoot danger hai mem shaab .........agar tum gir jattaaaaa hai to haddi bhi nahi miltaa . Bahoot log marta hai yahan aa kar......koi baat nahi hum tum shab ko theek theek pahuncha degaa wapis......"
As I heard this story I got goose bumps with fear even in that extreme cold . After listening to all his narration when I again had a look on that fallen truck I felt the vertigo and closed my eyes tightly like a pigeon . I hold my husband with great force to get my self relieved of that fear. We kept waiting there for two more hours . The chilling winds were showing the effect and we all were in dire need of some hot tea . But at that highest road of the world two army men came to our vehicle like angels sent by God . They came from the near by camp by foot to assist the army truck . They came with two big flasks of hot tea and some biscuits to give it to the army men in the the truck . When they saw our vehicle stranded near by with ladies and children in it , they also served us tea and biscuits. I had the tastiest tea of the world on the highest motor able road of the world .
After 2 more hours the weather cleared up and a snow cutter of army came to clear up the road for vehicles to move further. When the road was cleaned and cleared , our SUV moved to the top of KHARDUNGLA PASS which was only 800 meters from our stuck up point . We got out of the vehicle and clicked some photos and thanked the army men who helped us at that point of time .
Its been now six years to that incident but it is still afresh in my memory like it was six years back . My story is incredible and the credit goes to MAHINDRA for making such a wonderful SUV which brought us safely back from that rugged terrain and to the ARMY men who helped us like angels .
It was the summers of 2006.I think it was the month of august . My husband being from transferable job got a chance to visit the most beautiful part of India - Leh Ladakh . It happened by chance that I also had my summer vacations and he took me along to Leh . As both of us are from north India we had some idea of the weather there . And besides that we had some friends along with us who were joining us on that trip. By gathering all information about clothing and other things to be taken along I started preparing for the trip enthusiastically .
Finally the day arrived,when we reached Leh by air from Chandigarh . My husband was busy in his work for the whole day so we could not go any where that day . I decided to put up in the hotel along with my son aged 3 years for that day .I spent the whole day having the fresh feel of the pure air of Leh . It was decided that we would go for sight seeing and visiting the monasteries early in the morning next day. For that purpose my husband along with his friends hired Mahindra SUV . Leh is situated at high altitude and has very tedious road structure and it is very difficult to move in that terrain with light vehicles . I was very curious and excited about my trip .
Next morning my family and other friends got ready at 7 ' o clock in the morning. our vehicle reached at time and we all the passengers boarded it to move around in the valley . Our driver might be in his early forties was a ladahki guy named Dorjee . He had kept his vehicle clean and decorated like a newly wed bride . As soon as we boarded the vehicle we felt at home and hence started our 'incredible trip'.
He first took us to local monasteries and Shanti Stupa . While driving he was telling us about the life style of that region and the hard ships they under go during tough winters. It was around 11 '0 clock he told us about the 'World's highest motorable road- Khardungla Pass' . I also had read about it in National Geographical Magazine . When I came to know about it I started looking for my camera so that i could click photo graphs on that peak point . It was around one and half hour journey from Leh . It was planned that after visiting to Khardungla Pass we will come back to our hotel .
We reached only half the way when weather started packing up . The weather conditions there are a lot unpredictable . Before starting from Leh we all put on our jackets , caps and gloves to avoid the cold at such a high altitude . I made my son wear double layer of woolens to avoid any dire situation . besides that we also had kept a blanket with us for children to cover. Our driver told us to go back to Leh when he saw the changing weather but moved ahead after our repeatedly forced him to go . He stared telling us the story of the travelers stuck up on that road for more than 24 hours when no assistance could reach them because of heavy snowfall.
It was half past 12 when snow fall stated and nothing was visible .Every mountain , tree and even the road was all smeared in white garb of snow . Initially we were enjoying the snow fall but after some time it started showing its effect by the needle like chills piercing through our packs of woolens . The children started crying vehemently and we tried to make them warm by wrapping in the blanket . Suddenly we heard the loud noise from out side . Listening to that the driver at once put the brakes of the SUV to stop immediately. As we looked out of our car we saw a military truck . Its tyres were skidding because of slippery roads due to heavy snow fall . It felt difficulty in moving froward . even our driver was also having the same problem but he managed it smartly . Because of the military truck the traffic of both the sides could not move . Meanwhile snow fall got even worse than before. It was now half past one and every body was feeling hungry.
We were sitting in the SUV waiting for the road to be cleared . To keep us busy our driver stared telling the stories of people stuck up there and how they got help from army persons who are always on duty there . While he was telling all this suddenly I saw a truck fallen in the deep valley which was around one kilometer deep . The truck looked like a small pebble. I asked him about the fallen truck as our vehicle was only few feet away from the edge of that deep valley . What he told me, I will explain it in hindi as only this could do the justice to his exact words .I said : " Bhaiya . ye yahan kaise gira aur ye yahan kab gira tha?" . He replied in a typical Ladakhi accent : " Ooo !! Mem shaab ,ye road bara danger hai . Yahn koi agar shardee mein girdta hai to ushkaa boody nahi milta hai . Body braf mein dabb jataa hai aur jab garmi aata hai to baraf pighaltaa hai to ushkaa pataa chaltaa hai............bahoot danger hai mem shaab .........agar tum gir jattaaaaa hai to haddi bhi nahi miltaa . Bahoot log marta hai yahan aa kar......koi baat nahi hum tum shab ko theek theek pahuncha degaa wapis......"
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| KHARDUNGLA PASS |
After 2 more hours the weather cleared up and a snow cutter of army came to clear up the road for vehicles to move further. When the road was cleaned and cleared , our SUV moved to the top of KHARDUNGLA PASS which was only 800 meters from our stuck up point . We got out of the vehicle and clicked some photos and thanked the army men who helped us at that point of time .
Its been now six years to that incident but it is still afresh in my memory like it was six years back . My story is incredible and the credit goes to MAHINDRA for making such a wonderful SUV which brought us safely back from that rugged terrain and to the ARMY men who helped us like angels .
