Munsiyari’s beauty that binds nature and myth

For an urban soul, Munsiyari’s stillness seems sacred. A hamlet in the Kumaon hills in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, it is a calm little haven for the weary. Natural beauty abounds at every step, at all times.

At dawn, the Panchachuli Peaks, blushing under the sun’s first rays, cast a golden glow over the valley.

On a visit to nearby Birthi Falls, as I sipped chai from a weathered stall, the mist around curled like a prayer. Standing there, I could imagine living in Munsiyari forever, my soul woven into its timeless peaks and whispering pines, unbound from the world’s fleeting noise.

Along with tea, villagers, their eyes full of lore, shared stories about the Pandavas’ connect to Munsiyari. Locals say the Panchachuli Peaks was the place where the brothers cooked their final meal before ascending to heaven. An elder spoke of a humble shrine near the Tribal Museum, where locals honour Draupadi with flower offerings, revering stones from Milam Glacier as relics of that sacred hearth. The Gori Ganga’s murmur and pine-scented air wove these stories into the land’s pulse. Munsiyari’s raw intimacy binds nature and myth in a timeless embrace. Its serenity urges us to pause, to preserve its trails and tales, to feel the divine in every peak.

Tanishq Narwal, Chandigarh