Few days back someone asked me where I went for my winter vacations, I said “ manila, Where I have my hill house” !!! What I saw was a “where is that place?” kind of a look on my friends face…. And that, was not the only time I got those looks….. I could not believe to myself how no one knew about this tranquilizing place !!! Manila - My Home , My paradise……as the name means “Mystical” the place
lives up for it !!!! Only 300kms approx ( 6 hrs ) from Delhi and 62kms from Corbett National Park ( 2 hrs ) by road , this is the most amazing hill station in Kumaon region on can visit. My Mornings usually starts by seeing the golden sun rising on the mighty Himalayan mountains dotting the horizon!!! The altitude of this place is around 1820m above sea level and the breathtaking view of the Shivalik range is fully visible on a clear sky. Summers are usually cool with 25degrees of max temp and winters are chilly with 0 dregrees max. I got really lucky once ..when it snowed …ard 2-3 feet ….. superrrrr ☺
The afternoons are usually bright and perfect for a walk. Manila has around 60% of its area under forest which invites different kinds of birds, wild rabbits, barking deers, roosters and wild bores !!! It’s amazing to see how the flora & fauna of this place gives you a complete sense of inner peace and well being. Life is very simple here …away from the complexities of modern world. The main attraction for people of this place is the manila Devi temple. The family goddess of kayturi dynasty which ruler over Kumaon region in 800-100 AD . People also call her -the one who listens to your maan (heart). In June- July every year, the temple organizes a mela where hundreds of local people gather for offering their prayers…. big feast is prepared and many young people participate in helping to serve. Dusk paints beautiful colours on the sky and this is usually the time to walk back home. My house is around 2kms from the main temple…. In no time the night sky lits up with millions of diamond looking stars ( which is a rare sight in cities )…a star studded sky… that’s what I call it !!!! MY HOME MY PRADISE “Manila” has never fail to amaze me everytime with its beauty and freshness !!! People say “ its so quiet here , that you can sometimes listen to the tingling sound of bells from the heaven” …..
