LT COL NOEL ELLIS 02/XII/2024 It was the year 1991, I got posted to a beautiful hill station called ‘Chakrata’. The woods there were actually ‘lovely, dark, and deep’. Deodar and Pines were the mainstay of the jungle which was teeming with wildlife. The picturesque landscape is still fresh in our minds. There was no traffic those days, just a few vehicles, that too restricted to ‘gate’ timings. The narrow ‘one way’ road with its “Chakkar-Ata Hai” type hairpin bends were the lifeline for everyone. That place was a paradise for flowers and fruits. Gladiolus and Dahlias grew wild. ‘Rhododendron’ in the forest gave a semblance of ‘fire in the jungle’. The scenery was breathtaking. Fruit trees like apricots, plums, pears, peaches & walnuts grew aplenty, only to be massacred by Langurs, if not plucked in time. ‘Terrace farming’ would give a look of ‘natural steps’ leading to heaven to our small sleepy town. ...