36 Offbeat Indian Journeys For 2019

From a tiny, squirrel-loving sanctuary in Tamil Nadu to a blink-and-miss town in Uttarakhand, here’s where India keeps its secrets

1 Uttarakhand, Jageshwar

WHY GO NOW Revel amid myths and deodars

It’s almost meditative, watching fat glistening dewdrops hang off sharp needles of deodars on a freezing winter morning. At our lodge, my family of four and I sip endless cups of ginger-and-spice-flecked pahari chai and suck on a rock of jaggery. We can hear a meandering rivulet gurgle across the street. Time stops in Jageshwar, a little-known village in Uttarakhand’s Almora district—but the myths and stories that do the rounds of its streets are alive and kicking.

“That tree you see there,” says Bhuwan Chandra, manager and resident storyteller of our lodge Van Serai, pointing at a thick trunk that splits into five individual deodars, “they call it the Panch Pandavas.” A thinner, smaller deodar grows right beside the tree. “That must be Draupadi,” adds Chandra. Everyone in this languid, spiritual village dotted with ancient shrines, is a storyteller and spins their own version of mythological tales, Chandra says. “If you stay long enough in Jageshwar, around its ancient shrines, with long peaceful hours to while away, you’ll do the same,” he smiles. A few metres from our lodge is a shrine that looks like an eight-foot pile of rocks: The Rin Moksh blesses those with pending debts. “If you have EMIs, you should pray here,” laughs Chandra.