Travel Diary: Part 4: Journey from Jasur to Nurpur Fort — A Meeting with Mountains, People, and Nature

         The phone of the traveler from Himachal rings. It was his nephew calling to ask how

long it would take for the bus to reach the bus stand. Now his bus stand was almost there. His village was a little off the main road, and his nephew was supposed to come pick him up. After replying the call, he adjusts his bag and, with a smile, bids farewell. After nearly one and a half hours of shared travel, the man gets off at his bus stand. We had never met before, and there is every possibility that we’ll never meet again. Such are the acquaintances of travel—momentary yet memorable. Life itself is a journey, and similar encounters keep happening throughout life.

      

 After this, I continue traveling toward Jassur, observing the roadside scenery. Jassur forms a T-point. Coming from Talwara, the road on the left leads to Pathankot, and on the right to Nurpur and further to Kangra. The bus conductor signals toward the buses standing on the other side of the road, asking me to take the next bus from there. Although the small Jassur bus stand lies ahead, this T-point functions as the actual bus stop.

        Jassur is the headquarters of the 14th Battalion of the NDRF. Even though it appears to be a small town, the NDRF’s role becomes immensely important during natural disasters. I witnessed their work closely during my duty in Fazilka district during the floods of 2023 and 2025. During natural calamities, their efforts to save human lives become invaluable.

        But when nature is so benevolent toward us, how does it become a disaster? In the hill states, the road network is being strengthened rapidly. This is indeed necessary, but this effort is also damaging the beauty of the mountains and posing environmental challenges. Mountains are being cut extensively to widen roads. The debris is dumped into ravines, drains, and rivers. During rainfall, this debris flows downstream—either filling up dams and reducing their water-storage capacity or obstructing river flow, ultimately causing floods. In truth, it is humans who force nature to turn from a blessing into a curse.

Tributary of the Chakki River

        From Jasur, I board a bus to Nurpur. I tell the conductor to drop me where the fort is close by. A flyover is under construction in Jassur, due to which traffic is slow. After traveling only a short distance, bus approached to Nurpur. On the main road, there is a small market with about 50 shops, where the conductor drops me off.

        I ask for directions to the Nurpur fort. The shopkeeper points toward the main market lane in front. This lane, about 12 to 15 feet wide, is the main bazaar of Nurpur. This lane winds through the town and eventually connects back to the main road on the other side, while the main road itself circles around the hilltop town to reach the same point.

        The first half of the lane is continuously uphill, at places extremely steep. All kinds of shops are lined up on both sides. Near a temple, I again ask for the fort’s direction. A shopkeeper points toward a narrow lane and says, “Go this way, first you’ll see the college, then the fort.”

        Climbing a bit further, the gate of the government college becomes visible. Boys and girls are standing near the entrance. After walking about 50 steps, the ruined walls of the fort start appearing on the right, while on the left, a tributary of the Chakki river winds like a giant serpent behind the fort and flows toward the western side. A little further ahead, this tributary merges with the main Chakki river. I turn toward the fort gate—this fort, a thousand years old, upon which Maharaja Ranjit Singh once ruled.

To be continued…

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