Picnic in a Forest

 Picnic in a Forest                                             Dated: 24-01-10

Picnicking in the forest was something we would like to do And it is one of life's simple pleasure.Apart from Kapilas Temple in Dhenkanal in Orissa, another temple is quite famous ---Saptasajya meaning Bhagwan Bishnu's "sej" or bed.It is Located 11 km out of dhenkanal, Saptasajya is said to act as a host to the pandavas during their agnyatavas days in these hills,forest.. The place , with its beautiful surroundings, is popular with holiday makers. It is also a favourite pilgrimage spot with the temples of Saptarshi and Raghunath reigning supreme during Ramanavami Festival.

 After 3.5  hours drive from Our Angul we reached at this place. Once we reached the saptasajya Hill, though road is there up to a certain height, we preferred trekking up on the steep road which gave an immense pleasure. at the beginning, on the foot of the hill we came across a small stream of  water fall!!, after travelling for 30 mins we came across a temple.had a lot of masthi and photo session there thinking that we have reached the greatest height of the hill. most of the members from our team were tired and they themselves set them back and planned to return to the foot of the hill, 

 we a team of 5 members came to know that there is another small shiva ling about 400 ft above this temple. Again we trekked up to the place passing through bushes of wild plants, lush green forest by enjoying the nature. some people followed us and got to know the value of following the right people!!

we found an ashram where i could notice a babaji sitting alone (dhyan). its a nice experience for me hearing the chirping sound of birds, catching the scenery, noticing the sculptures on the rocks lying down. sound of the stream flowing down the hill.There's a stream flowing down  directly on the Shiv  Ling.The view got more impressive the higher we went. I could see the entire landscape. It was a clear day with a few tufts of clouds here and there. In some places, it was hard to tell where there's a path. It took my breath away.

Despite the large Odiya Sunday crowd, the experience was almost thrilling. The green landscape was so soothing on the eyes, the hypnotic sound of the leaves on the trees rustling in the wind,Soothing sound of the water  stream  and birds chirping merrily, the experience was mainly heightened by the sound of the cascading water. Oh the main thing was the delightful food , of course I happily nibbled umpteen dishes. Even after our heavy lunch , I couldn't resist  sinful dessert.

On a a whole Picnic Camp Organized by 2 beautiful ladies was a blast for everyone who enjoyed the games, had delightful food, trekked the steep hills, splashed the water stream, and many more  that would make a nature-lover weak in the knees, the next day i really had a drowsy day

 

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