By Shubhani Syal
Sounds absolutely stunning, doesn’t it? It really is. But beyond the beauty, there are various other advantages of living in a valley. Trust me, I live in one. While most of what I know is from living here in Dehradun, I can’t imagine why other valleys won’t be just as incredible.
The Weather
Its never too hot or too cold. In the summers while most people are sweating it out and swearing it out with the high temperatures and the loo, I’m not even switching on the AC. It might be hot in the afternoons, but there is cool, fresh air every evening and there is no loo, ever.
In the winters, while most cities are engulfed in fog (if you’re in the NCR, you might be more familiar with smog), we have bright sunlight every afternoon and no fog, ever. I don’t know how but being in the foothills of the Himalayas just makes the weather awesome.
The Greenery
Valleys, especially mine, is full of greenery. Trees and trees galore. It is such a pleasure to walk to places with all this natural flora surrounding you. Not only does it look stunning, it also feels really fresh and relaxing. Most houses have gardens or at least a few plants adding to all the natural beauty.
The Air
Hand in hand with the greenery is the fresh air. Sure, there are cars and fires and many other things polluting the air, but the trees make up for most of it. The air, especially in the morning, is really cool, clean and fresh which is something you don’t feel until you go out to one of the metros and see the air there. The mountains help in the purification process to provide an overall amazing feel.
It’s a Small Town, But Not Really
Most hilly or hill adjacent areas are small towns. None of them are very busy or metropolitan. But here’s the thing, the cities and villages actually on the mountains are smaller. So while the rest of the country might think you live in a small town, for the people around you, it’s the big fish. You get most amenities and big stores but none of the hustle-bustle.
The Natural Drainage
Yes, I went here.
Living near the base of the Himalayas means slanting roads, which means no stagnating water. When you live in a valley, it rains, it rains a lot but we never get rainy days. While that sucked when we were in school, it’s actually a really convenient thing. Due to the fact that all roads are sloping and never completely flat, there is natural drainage of all the rain water and minimal inconveniences.
The Scenic Beauty
Well, this one is obvious. Beyond the greenery, there are many other ways nature adds beauty to our city. The paranomic view of the mountains and hills, the rivers sourcing themselves directly from the mountains, all helps to multiply the splendour of a small town in the valley.
The People
This might be specific to where I live but the people here are amazing. Most of the original crowd were students, since we have some of the best schools in the country, and retirees, because well, the nature but its expanded now.
With a lot of alumnis of the local schools (such as Doon School and Welham Girls), many people who are retired from or still serving in the defence forces, we have very well-read, intelligent and laid back people here. The mentality is progressive for a small town and the overall ambience is very modern. And most importantly, people get sarcasm here!
Have I managed to make you jealous yet? Well, this is just a snippet of what living in the foothills of the Himalayas actually feels like. It is truly amazing and an experience to be had. If you’ve never lived or even visited here, you’re missing out.
(All images from Google Images)
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http://edtimes.in/2017/01/if-every-indian-city-has-a-story-so-does-every-indian-village-and-these-villages-prove-it/
