A life-altering trip to the Nilgiris

I have just returned from a week-long trek to the dazzling Nilgiris  mountain ranges.

I have just returned from a week-long trek to the dazzling Nilgiris  mountain ranges. I hate indulging in hyperbole, but this trek has been a life-altering experience for me. Not because I pushed my physical limits or challenged my emotional strength. No, I also did not return with award-winning photos of the breathtakingly beautiful vistas. I returned to Hyderabad with truckloads of memories and forged friendships that will last a lifetime. 

It happened only because of one reason—we had no mobile network and our pricey phones were reduced to nothing. Yes! It was the ultimate ‘digital detox’ therapy one could ask for.

One day into the trek as we walked on foot from Sholur to Parsons Valley, the network signals suddenly ditched us. We would keep checking for signals to update our Instagram and Snapchat profiles. Alas! The powers that be had something else in store for us. Come Parsons Valley, all connectivity went for a six. We were sent back to stone age, with no electricity. That’s when we realised how badly we were addicted to technology. 

We got talking to each other: small talk about all things sundry. We realised it wasn’t going anywhere until my dear friends Sanket and Neetu suggested we play dumb charades. And then, the rest is history. Late night sessions of endless laughter and dance, the whole week was a riot! From old Bollywood Hindi songs to gripping antakshari sessions over endless cups of hot, fragrant cardamom chai, we did it all. As we walked tirelessly from Parsons Valley to Avalanche, we didn’t bother taking selfies. In the mind’s eye, we took in nature’s ultimate magic show, breathing in lungfuls of fresh, pine-scented air. We solved riddles, played ludo and narrated ghost stories. When was the last time we did that? 

As time has wound its way through the cosmic clock, we find ourselves trapped in the cobweb of technology. We’ve forgotten what it means to live in the moment. We’re constantly updating our lives on social media without pausing to think who we are. 

But this trek truly changed my perspective towards life. I realised life is all about the little joys—those fleeting moments to die for. I experienced one such moment at Pandiar as I climbed the steep mountain. The light-as-air vanilla clouds were above me.

I walked in their august company as they whispered sweet nothings in my ear, before I realised I’d left them far behind as I reached the mountain top. Moments like these can never be captured by technology; they can only be felt and experienced. I found my zen moment. Find yours, before it’s too late! 

Chitvan Singh Dhillon

Email: filmbuff100@gmail.com

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com