Kaas
Kaas
was beautiful
But it
was a compromise.
I had
yearned for the Himalaya -
Govindghat
and Ghangharia
The
‘real’ Valley of flowers;
Instead,
plans cancelled, you brought me
To
Satara: Kaas
A
plateau of flowers
‘Poor
man’s Valley,’ I
grumbled
While
you meandered
Through
a melange
Of pink
and yellow:
Barleria,
Smithia, orchids
And
many more:
Monsoon’s
melancholy
Surprising
in colours
After a
long sulky walk,
You
urge:
‘Can
you restart from Zero?’
The
fault sometimes, you explained
Was the
start, not the count itself.
‘If
you keep thinking of Himadri,
The
Sahyadri will pass by unnoticed –
Here,
even Frank Smythe would be mesmerised…’
The
grey clouds were the wrapper
The
colours were boxed inside
And I
was hesitant
To open
the gift of melancholy;
The
beautiful tapestry
A test
of monsoon clouds,
I had
failed both as painter
And as
subject
Years
later, not digital
But your
postcard comes to me
Swirling
mists and vales of primulas,
A pair
of worn boots
And your
epilogue:
‘It
was a test that day
To
check our worthiness
As
pilgrims to the valley of your love.’
Of
course: I smiled
Even
Smythe was tested in the English hills
Before the
Garhwal accepted him;
You had
also completed that circle
While I
– I had assimilated
Into the
infinity of space
Beyond
arcs and circumferences
Not within,
but outside the circle
What about
the test? Did I pass?
This
much I know
I had
had to learn
Through
steep hills
Of time
and space
That
plateau, valley
These do
not matter
Sometimes,
a walk is enough
So, I walk
every single day
To the
Valley of my dreams
Where
mists roll, flowers bloom
Where sometimes,
the monsoon catches up
With two
lonely loafers lost
And I
walk,
For
there is nowhere to recede
Except
ahead, to a plateau of flowers…
30th
December 2025
The Kaas
Plateau of Flowers, near Satara in Maharashtra, is a UNESCO World Natural
Heritage site that comes alive during the monsoon, when laterite rock
transforms into a living mosaic of wildflowers. For a few fleeting weeks, the
plateau blooms with orchids, balsams, insectivorous plants, and delicate
seasonal species, spreading colour across an otherwise austere, wind-swept
landscape. Unlike Himalayan alpine flower valleys such as the Valley of Flowers
in Uttarakhand, Kaas requires no arduous trek; its magic lies in timing,
patience, and close observation, as tiny blossoms reveal themselves amid mist,
rain, and shifting light. The experience is quiet, contemplative, and
ecological rather than dramatic—rewarding travellers who value subtle beauty,
biodiversity, and the rare chance to witness nature’s brief, perfectly timed
spectacle.
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