You are in a meadow, millions of stars in the sky. Just the warm breeze, and the moonlight flowing through the trees. That’s your happy place, right? No? Oh, I forgot! That’s the happy place of Phoebe Buffay, the famous character from the epic TV Series, FRIENDS.

When I first heard her describing her happy place, I painted a colorful picture in my mind which only came to life when I visited Khajjiar in Himachal Pradesh.

A rare ecosystem of lake, forest & grasslands, Khajjiar is a beautiful spot, rightly called the mini Switzerland of India. 

A lush green meadow, dotted by the thick Deodar forests & a lake surrounded by a floating island – all in one place. It’s like going to the Disney land, enjoying your favorite ride & getting pictured. No place can be happier than this.

Jump, Run or Dance; No one will stop you. This is your HAPPY place!

When I was a kid, my parents would often take us out for picnics. And when we will gear up for a ‘jump & play’ session, they will fix the boundaries for us. They will often tell us, “Don’t go beyond the tree”; “Play only near the lake”; “You can’t go to the opposite side of the park” – there were just so many restrictions.

Khajjiar is the place for those deprived kids & protective parents. Parents can keep an eye on their kids while the latter may go wherever they want, run howsoever long they want.

That deprived kid inside me quickly grabbed the opportunity to settle some unresolved issues from the childhood. And I did what I felt like without a care in the world.  

I must have controlled many of my wishes while I were a kid since a kid manifested that day – who wanted to run, enjoy the slide & buy a balloon.

I bought one & completed two rounds of the ground like a super happy kid – much to the envy of other kids who were playing on the swings.

You may do what you like – wear Himachali costume, go round at Zorbing or ride a pony, play frisbee or with rabbits, enjoy the swings, eat till your stomach hurts, or simply secure a silent spot & look at all the joy & happiness around.

If you take a moment & look around, you see couples getting clicked together. You see families on a picnic – laughing with & at each other. You see kids playing & running around with happy faces. You see young & old eating to their heart’s content from the many stalls. And you see yourself smiling all this while. 

That’s when you realize that Khajjiar, indeed, is your happy place. 

Khajjiar is located in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It’s some 24 kms. away from Dalhousie. You can drive from Dalhousie to Khajjiar, spend a few hours here & go back to Dalhousie.