Stuck up in the hostile terrain below 15,060 feet high Kunzum Pass in the distant, cold desert of Spiti in the tribal Lahaul Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh? You don’t have to worry.
The ‘Godly rescuers’ are based there to help you out.
In their 60s, Dorje Bodh and Hishe Chhomo (a couple from Manali) have been playing unassuming hosts to the tourists on way between Lahaul and Spiti at Batal, a desolate and chilly place on the banks of roaring Chandra river, for more than 35 years.
Better known as ‘Chacha Chachi’, Dorje and Chhomo run a small but much needed ‘Chandra dhaba' on the challenging stretch, offering food and lodging (for over 40 persons) with cosy beddings on the floor in a makeshift shelter at unbelievable nominal rates.
This is more than a relief for tourists, who are either unwilling to venture on the dicey fragile road in uncertain weather or are often trapped in nature, with no other place to look to in that crisis with this much ease.
Batal is mid-way (over 50 kilometres) from Losar in Spiti to Khoksar in Lahaul and is 13 kms away from Kunzum Pass. The lonely road stretch on both sides is tough, with no mobile phone signal in patches.
The couple comes to Batal in April-May with food stuff and stays there till October, the period when the road link between Spiti and Lahaul is open.
A large number of tourists visit this area in these six months, charmed by nature and adventure. Intermittently, however, the connecivity is snapped in this period also for blockades due to landslides. In winters, the Kunzum Pass is closed for heavy snow.
“We started a small eating joint at Batal long back. With time, we found that tourists wanted to stay overnight to enjoy tranquil environs. So we put some beds also,” said Dorje.
Over the years, the dhaba has become a ‘must stop’ for the travellers, including foreigners, as it offers anything from fresh food to ready-made stuff. The duo keeps routine medicines for needy tourists, who fall sick on way due to rough weather and make them stay near earthen stove used for cooking.
Dorje and Chhomo repeatedly act as ‘saviours’ for stranded tourists and locals. They don’t mind facilitating people free of cost in emergency. “We are not here just to earn. The God has given us a wonderful opportunity to help people,” Dorje said. He recalled the incident of 2010, when over 45 tourists were stranded at Batal due to sudden snowfall. “They stayed with us comfortably for more than a week, before they were airlifted,” he said.
The popular ‘Chacha Chachi’ have received a number of awards for this ‘timely help’ and their names also find a mention on various blogs.