This trip was a befitting culmination to the Diwali festivities for Tablers and Circlers of LRT 136 and LLC 84. The weekend after the festival of lights, the members all embarked on an adventure and bonding 3-day trip to Rishikesh, which from the beginning promised to be an exciting one. Convenor, Tr Mayank Chandra had envisaged an adrenaline-spiked break for everyone and the Tablers and Circlers indeed looked excited that days and months of hectic discussion and planning were finally seeing the light of the day.
Now, everything that our group does it does with a certain elan, and so, it was no ordinary AC coupe that we were booked into for the trip. Instead, Tabler Abhishek Sarraf reserved an exclusive coach just for us and any random observer standing on the Lucknow Railway Station on the night of November 8 could easily make out that this group was one for partying hard!
Spirits remained high the next day with the elders and children alike, despite the inevitable train delay. Of course in no small measure it helped that the 4-hour halt at Muzaffarnagar the next day became an impromptu picnic what with parents of three circlers – Mudita, Aashima and Sakshi – pitching in to ensure we were well taken care of. The same evening, another few hours spent in the train and a subsequent bone-wracking bus journey finally got us to our destination – The Atali Ganga Resort, a few kilometers above Rishikesh.
The members all agreed that the long journey had earned them a well-deserved rest and proceeded to check in and relax, but not before being given a thorough introduction to the resort and the activities planned for us by its engaging manager, Neelu Singh and activity advisor Jitendra Rawat.
Smooth sailing
The subsequent two days saw members of LRT 136 and LLC 84 plunging into action, quite literally. On Day 1 of our stay at Atali Ganga was planned a white water rafting trip, definitely a first for many members and in the beginning many a straggler could be heard giving different reasons for why they would not get onto the raft. But eventually even they were dragged on board. The revered Ganges took on a rather sinister hue and despite the assurance of the professional rafters manning each boat, not to mention four safety kayaks that accompanied our troop, the first half an hour was admittedly nerve wracking. But the fear just added to our excitement once the first churning rapid had been conquered and the peaceful Rishikesh valley simply reverberated with shouts of joy and cheers as the two-and-a-half hour journey continued. By the end of it, queries on when can such a trip be undertaken next were all too common. So much for the fear factor!!
One would have thought the morning’s exertions with the oars would have been enough for the adventure seekers among us, but clearly that was not so. For soon as lunch got over at the resort, the cirlcers and tablers went ahead to sign up for another activity, high rope climbing. Now, this was certainly a first and the scene, as one is suspended from a swaying mesh of ropes many feet above the ground is certainly mind-numbing. But the men and the ladies went ahead anyway, and that evening’s get together before dinner was filled with cries of congratulations for those who had managed to complete the circuit coupled with commiserations for those who got hurt. In fact, there was a certain pride among the injured too, for surely the scars signified a battle fought!
Goodbye, till we meet again
Day two, incidentally our last one at Rishikesh, was filled with activities as well. The morning saw the members lined up once again at the beach, this time for a quick lesson in kayaking. Almost all tried their hands in the relatively placid waters near the beach, including Twinklers Gautam and Suyash. The rest chose to make the most of the serene surroundings before getting back to the bustle of Lucknow and sat by the waterside.
Soon enough it was time to bid goodbye to the resort with its hospitable staff and there was much grumbling at how quickly this particular holiday had ended. Plans were being made for a return trip with friends and family, but even on this day there was more in store.
As it turned out, our entire group had booked for lunch at another beautiful property on way to Hardiwar, Glasshouse on the Ganges. If Atali was about activity and adventure, Glasshouse… was for relaxing and unwinding. And after the last three mornings spent in hectic activities, we all were more than happy to take in the next few hours at a slower pace. The lunch at the hotel was a gala affair, and that it sat right on the beach quite rightly became its most attractive aspect. A good hour spent on the sandy beach chatting and clicking last minute pictures put everyone in the right mood for the journey ahead and after much cajoling, the group was on its way back home.
A brief stopover for Ganga Aarti, a must see when in Hardiwar, was planned. The evening saw us all pay our obeisance to the holy river in Haridwar and after a well-earned cup of tea at the nearby stalls, we boarded our exclusive coupe. Much too soon, it seemed, that our little break was over but it was party all the way back home as the group gorged on yummy pizzas and Haridwar’s famed aloo paranthas on the train before bedding down for the night.
As bonding exercises go, this mini break served the purpose to its fullest. For, not only were the members happy to be in each other’s company for a good three days, group activities like rafting, hiking, rope climbing, etc brought out the team spirit and bonhomie among us like never before. New friendships were forged and bonds made and we are sure there will be many more of such activities in the years to come.
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