Patnitop - Mansar Lake- Jammu
We had quite a relaxed start to the morning. Infact holidays are all about relaxing and enjoying with the family so I myself do not like putting time limits and hence hurrying up for destinations whilst on holidays.
By the time we got up, got ready and had our breakfast it was past 1130 hrs. There was no other plan for today apart from driving back home to Jammu. I was looking for other places to visit around but they were mostly religious places that did not interest me at that time.
As we were checking out someone told me to go via Mansar to Jammu. Mansar has a lake and I liked the idea of visiting the lake before ending the drive.
Mansar falls on the bypass road of Jammu connecting Udhampur to Samba. So by coming via Mansar we would complete a nice circular circuit for the trip.
Route from Udhampur to Jammu (via Mansar)
By Noon we had checked out and were on our way to Mansar. From Patnitop to Udhampur the traffic was heavy. There was lots of truck movement, I guess the trucks that must have started early in the morning from Srinagar must have reached here by then. Slowly and steadily we reached Udhampur. After getting directions for Mansar at Udhampur we were on our way to Mansar.
The roads in Udhampur and also for about 10 kms or so after Udhampur were pretty horrible and full of pot holes, but after that the going got smooth. For quite a distance the train line between Jammu and Udhampur was with us. The traffic was sparse and the road was pretty wide. The quality of road changed from good to bad to good.
The road criss crossed between the mountains and the valleys and the scenery was pretty good. But ofcourse the greenery and the chill vanished as we descended.
By 1500hrs we were at Mansar lake. Mansar lake is not a very big lake but still is quite picturesque. The JK tourism has developed the lake as a picnic spot and has made a walking path all around its circumference. There are lots of eateries around and lots of people selling dough for feeding the fish in the lake. There are plenty of fishes in the lake and they come close to the shore when people feed them. apparently there are some turtles also there but I could not spot any of them. They also offer boating trips in the lake.
Mansar is a nice picnic spot for the people of Jammu. So after spending around 2 hrs at the lake we were again moving and on our way back to Jammu.
Just before hitting the highway at Samba at a place called Nud I spotted some activity happening on a hill slope. From a distance it seemed an Apiary. And I for one did not want to give the chance of watching beekeeping a miss. So I drove my spark up the unpaved hilly track close to them.
No one else apart from me was willing to get out of the car. Infact even the windows of the cars were rolled up securely. But I stepped out of the car without paying any heed to the advice given by the rest and ventured close to them.
Luckily, one of the guys taking care of the bees offered me the netted head veil to wear that protects the face and the neck. After wearing that I got bolder and ventured closer to the bee hives. I was still tensed as i was wary of the unprotected parts of my body especially my hands. But again this was one in a life time opportunity so I wanted to grasp as much as I can.
The guys luckily were more than willing to explain and share the knowledge. They told me that this was a mobile Apiary and they travelled from place to place depending upon the season in search of sweet nector. Infact a few days back they had come from Kota (Rajasthan). They had stopped here for a few days as it was breeding time for the bees and when the spring comes they would be moving northwards to Srinagar.
They said that they had 500 of the boxes and each box had about 8-10 frames in it. Each box produces 5-6 ltrs of honey when ready. The taste of the honey depends on where the Apiary has been kept. For eg if its kept at an Orange fruit farm the honey will have a predominantly orange flavour.
This was a thrilling experience but it had to end, so we thanked them and moved ahead. Soon we hit the highway at Samba and it was time for tea and refreshments.
The trip was coming to an end as Jammu was not very far from here. We were at our home by 1900 hrs. It was 2 days well spent with the family!!!
Now for some pics
The morning was nice and bright so it was time for some pics before we left
The reflected view from our hotel
The surrounding areas
Soon we were on the road to Udhampur
Kids studying hard at a school
Thats view of Patnitop from the Highway
The Udhampur to Jammu rail line
Soon we were at Mansar- A 3 photo stitched Panoramic view of lake
Fishes fighting for space as people feed them
The twists as we approach Samba
A panorama of the view
The Apiary from a safe distance
The man taking care of his bees
they lend me the protective veil so I decided to join him
Checking the frame if all is ok
each box has about 8-10 frames
The white part is the honey collecting, but this much is required for them to breed
Can you spot the queen bee??
I have marked the queen bee for you in red
The end!!