NL CORRESSPONDENT
Jammu, Nov 30
In keeping with its policy of promoting lesser frequented beauty spots and heritage sites of Jammu and to create an adventure, heritage and
pilgrimage circuit in the Surinsar-Mansar- Purmandal area, Tawi Trekkers J&K, the pioneer trekking club of the UT, conducted a reconnaissance trek
from Sagoon (five kms from Surinsar towards Mansar) to Purmandal.
Only four senior members of the club including its president, Ram Khajuria; senior sports journalist, Sanjeev Sharma; an international sport climber
and a trained mountaineer, Shilpa Charak and Binderpal Singh who are the principal organisers of the ‘One Day Short Trek Series Programme' being
organised by the club, participated in the day-long exploratory trek.
The trekkers enjoyed the two kilometres gentle ascent through the pines up to village Bral, a small calm and almost a sleepy village. The route offered
panoramic views of Sagoon village with sacred Trikuta hills in the background.
A pleasant descent of another two kilometres took the trekkers to a sacred Bral Mata temple, a serene place which has an image of ‘Goddess Bral'
and naturally formed Shivlingams. The temple is located at a supremely picturesque place which overwhelmed the trekkers with its divine aura.
Another comfortable trek of about three kilometres through calm and cool dense forest with awesome views of deep ravines led to village Padal, a
sprawling village of about 45 houses with a primary school comprising two rooms only. Further one kilometer of trail through the village fields was quite
refreshing.
Passing through a house the trekkers were pleasantly surprised to learn from a young girl that she was a student of class 11th and had been trekking
10 kilometers (to and fro) daily to attend her school at Purmandal. The revelation was, of course, a good learning experience for the trekkers who were
on a 12 kilometers exploratory trek.
From Padal to the bed of holy Devak it was all descent of about two kilometers on a sandy tractor road. However, for the next three kilometers up to
Purmandal, it was quite exhilarating to criss cross the shallow waters of holy Devika, flowing calmly in the serene surroundings of two sandy walls of
Shivalik hills rising high on both the sides.
