Tag Archives: Uttarakhand

Joys in Joshimath – Uttarakhand Chronicles

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Joshimath in Uttarakhand was our first basecamp, in the Himalayas… This is one of the most amazing places where you can actually start getting immersed in the white clouds and snow peaked mountains that surround the Himalayas. Very close to Western Himalayas, Joshimath is a hub if you want to enter Auli of the Kumaon Himalayan region, go to Badrinath or for that matter reach towards Govindghat. (starting point to go to Ghagariya ghat, which is the village where people  usually stay during their visits to Valley of Flowers or Hemkund Saheb.)

Our journey to reach Joshimath crossed about 250 kms via mini bus. Now the journey towards Joshimath if you start early in the morning from Rishikesh, is certainly one that is enchanting and of course filled with a constant gaze to the confluences of the river Ganga with other rivers. Every where you go while your bus is doing the hairpin bends, you are bound to see the confluence of River Alaknanda with Bhagirathi and you will definitely get to go through Dev Prayag and Rudra Prayag. One of the two prayags (Confluences) before you reach Joshimath.

Confluence of Alaknanda & Bhagirathi enroute Joshimath

Confluence of Alaknanda & Bhagirathi enroute Joshimath

What is most exciting is the beautiful weather and the peaceful roads will start giving you an enchanting sense of belongingness towards what you would want your Himalayan trek to start off with. Plenty of occasions where you might just drop your jaws with serene and scenic beauty of huge cliffs and mountains in the Uttarakhand region, not just one or two, but stretches of it. That’s something that made the journey all the more exciting.

Beauty of the cliffs & Mountains...

Beauty of the cliffs & Mountains...

Cloud Covered Mountains

Cloud Covered Mountains

After a gruelling 8-9 hours of a bus ride, full of hairpin bends, your entry in Joshimath is one that shall certainly refresh you.

Hairpin Bend Road

Hairpin Bend Road

Waterfalls at the entrance of Joshimath is one of the pit-stops that you have to take before you get into the buzz of the small town of Joshimath. Even as you do that, you will feel the weather change, much different from Rishikesh’s humid texture to a colder ad more fresh air of the Kumaon Himalayan region.

Waterfalls at the entrance of Joshimath

Waterfalls at the entrance of Joshimath

Jyotirmath is the uttarāmnāya matha or northern monastery, one of the four cardinal institutions established by Adi Shankara, the others being those at Shringeri, Puri and Dwaraka. Their heads are titled “Shankaracharya”. According to the tradition initiated by Adi Shankara, this matha is in charge of the Atharvaveda.
Jyotirmath Lord Narasimhar Temple

Once you reach Joshimath, besides getting acclimatized to the weather, one of the things you would want to do is to check out two things.

1. Shankracharya Math (One of the 4 maths in the world) – It also has the Rudraksha tree, which is simply enchanting.

2. Narsimha Temple (Also known as Bhavishya Badrinath Temple) Legend has it that once the Badrinath temple in the future is destroyed, it would be placed here. In fact even now, during the winter, people move the Lord Badrinath shrine here and is worshipped religiously here.

Narsimha Temple

Narsimha Temple

This palce is a certain pitstop if you go towards Auli, Tapovan or anywhere in the Western Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand. Something you’ll cherish deeply.

Magical Rishikesh – Uttarakhand Chronicles

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This was another one of the destinations that had the magic and enchantment of the natural beauty that surrounds you. One of the reasons besides of course the travel enthusiasm that I had to visit the famous Ram & Laxman Jhoola at this destination, was to go to the Parmarth Temple. I was told that every evening the aarti that happens here is truly spiritual and that this quest is not to be missed.

On the banks of River Ganga, across the temple worshipers sit in front of a majestic Lord Shiva statue behind the Parmarth Ashram temple… It is truly a magnificent view and something that I wanted to experience it myself. But that had to wait. Before we did that on a beautiful evening, we decided to explore in and around Rishikesh. It was certainly very amazing as we went out for a stroll at night towards Laxman Jhoola and explored the shops that sold amazing handicraft and artworks across the river…

Laxman Jhoola At Night...
Laxman Jhoola At Night…

The whole experience of looking at the gigantic bridge which has lasted there for ages takes you off your feet. You keep wondering how long it’s been hanging there… Well certainly about a 100 years. But what’s important is how quickly it takes you from one side to the other and you wonder how the sight completely changes. Once you get on the other side, you can take a long walk towards Ram Jhoola and other places that are even more enchanting. But the long walk makes you ponder how you got there in the first place.

Some really great work you find in the shops when you walk past them across the bridge. This is when you are walking towards Ram Jhoola.

That’s a sight of the Laxman Jhoola during the day… All buzzing and clear… Very few people really take the time to admire the sight of this amazing heritage! Most regulars just walk by it nonchalantly. Little do they know that this has great significance for many people and how beautifully arduous this majestic architectural symbol is…

Ram Jhoola
Ram Jhoola

Now, that’s the Ram Jhoola. Much bigger and more magnificent than the Laxman Jhoola. Incidentally we were told by one of the locals, that even though it’s called the Ram Jhoola, it didn’t really carry any significance to Lord Ram. In fact this bridge was made for Lord Shiva, as you can also see in the Shiva Statue near the Parmarth temple… However, since there was a Laxman Jhoola, (near to the oldest Laxman Temple in Rishikesh)  they decided to credit this one as Ram Jhoola…

Lord Shiva at the Parmarth Temple
Lord Shiva at the Parmarth Temple

As the evening sets in around 5.30, I recommend that you drop all the work you are doing and head towards this beautifully amazing and enchanting place called the Parmarth temple and set yourself for a showstopper that will spiritually heal you and take your breath away. It truly did for me. Sitting across this magnificent statue while the river Ganga flows steadily and voraciously under it’s feet, it gives you a clear view of what you want to see. There are no cloudy judgements, there is no way to think beyond anything that is blurry. Just clear view and conscious thought. They start the Maha Aarti around 6.30, but the best thing to do is to go and seat yourselves on either side of the steps that are near the river. With the cold water gushing at your feet, an enchanting spiritual chant at the back of your head, this is true devotion. Something that will make you think about what the true meaning of life is. A MUST-DO if you are in Rishikesh.

This had to be one of the best experiences there and I have to attribute it to the most beautiful and enchanting place there is in Uttarakhand. If you have ever been there or planning to go there. Do let me know what your views are…

Mystic Haridwar (Uttarakhand Chronicles)

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Sometimes you have to realize that the mystic nature of certain destinations have to be always something that you cherish besides the true spirituality that lies within you. It’s always a discovery that you want within yourself that you try to find in destinations all around the world. As a traveler you realize that the journey within yourself is what you make of the journeys outside.

With that thought, I realized, a journey was about to begin, it was certainly going to be a trip of our lifetime. My friends and I had embarked upon a beautiful trip that would certainly change our life for the best of the reasons!! West Himalayas, was going to be the ultimate destination for all of us to reach to finally. But before that, we had our fair share of adventure, journeys and certainly some spirituality…

On that note, we realized that what better to start upon a journey than to visit the ultimately spiritual and holy city of Haridwar…

Har Ki Pauri

Har-ki-Pauri is quite the place to be especially at the evening. The prayers and the aarti there are really enchanting, besides the brightly lit temples at the foot of the Holy Ganges. Quite a spectacle to capture indeed.

This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, “Har” means “Lord Shiva”, “ki” means “of” and “paudi” means “steps”. Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are believed to have visited the Brahmakund in Har ki Paudi in the Vedic times. There is a large footprint said to belong to Lord Vishnu on a stone wall.

It is believed that it is precise spot where the Ganges leaves the mountains and enters the plains. The ghat is on the west bank of Ganges canal through which the Ganges is diverted just to the north. Har ki pauri is also the area where thousands of pilgrims converge and the festivities commence during the Kumbha Mela, which takes place every twelve years, and the Ardh Kumbh Mela, which takes place every six.

Each evening at sunset priests perform Ganga Aarti here, when lights are set on the water to drift downstream. This is the most amazing and soul touching spectacle. A large number of people gather on both the banks of river Ganges to sing its praises. The priest hold large fire bowls in their hands, the gongs in the temples at the Ghat start ringing and the chants flowing out of lips fill the air. People float earthen diyas, with burning flickers and flowers in them as a symbol of hope and wishes .The golden hues of floral diyas reflected in the river Ganges present the most enchanting sight.

A Naga Baba, relaxing in the morning near the river….

Naga Baba

People by the Holy Ganga in the morning…                             

Ganga River in the morning

Ganga River in the morning

You can also follow my Tumblelog Travelogue @ http://srinistuff.tumblr.com

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Mumbai-Delhi-Haridwar – Detour (Uttarakhand Chronicles)

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Well, what can I say about this amazing journey that began with an amazing start… Something like the Amazing Race! I was slated to go on a Friday  to Haridwar, via Dehradun express on a train with all my friends. Little did I know that my destiny had something else in mind… As much as I could avoid the whole slurry of a detour, it was something I just couldn’t.

I was all packed for my journey as you read in my previous post. The backpack was ready and I had already taken a rickshaw to go to the railway station and that is when this twist happened…

It all started with a phone call…

“Srinivas, we have been trying to reach you through out the day….”

“Yes? Who’s this?”

“I’m calling from Reliance BIG entertainment… You had auditioned for Fox Travelller’s show right?”

“Oh yeah… I did… ‘This Journey is fun’  I know…

“Well you have been shortlisted in the finals, you need to come tomorrow for an audition…”

BANG!!!!

Now what do I do? Here I was at the crossroads for between ‘My First Himalayan Expedition’ & ‘A life changing opportunity.’ My train was in an hour from LTT to go to Haridwar. I had already booked my tickets, they were confirmed… for crying out loud…

“Can this happen some other time? Any chance I can come back and give this audtion?”

“Dude, this is a national audition… There’s no way it can happen any other time…” said Afreen, who was handling the production for this show.

That was about it… I had to make a split second decision and tell her what I was going to do. I bought some time and told her to message me the address in any case… I needed some time to make the decision.

What were my options??

1. Go, board the train and set off for my First Himalayan Adventure (Valley of Flowers Trek)

2. Go for the auditions and once it’s done, take a flight to Delhi and catch the same train on Sunday morning to regroup with my friends…

Interestingly option no. 2 gave me enough time to actually catch the same train in Delhi, on the morning… Quite an adrenaline pumping situation and what do you think I decided to do??

Option 2 it was…. I called Afreen back and told her that I’ll make it for the auditions….

But, that was just the beginning of my detour… A story that I’ll remember for life…

Once I finished the auditions, I decided to call up my agent and get me a flight booked to Delhi that night or early in the morning so that I reach Nizamuddin Railway Station by 5.30 AM and catch the same train…. Or so it seemed 😦

That was just not going to happen… I guess… Most of you know Mr. Murphy from the infamous ‘Murphy’s Law’. He was stalking me like crazy…  I had just missed one flight by the time I finished my auditions and the one that was available now reached in the morning by 6 am… So there was no way I was going to make it to catch the same train…

Well, that was it then… I finally did board the flight, and thought I’d take a bus from Delhi-Haridwar (Uttarakhand Parivahan)

But wait… there was something I had forgotten…. My other friends @irohan & @vishal_g were still in Delhi and they were going to go to Haridwar via a bus!!!  I quickly called em up and rushed in an auto towards Kashmiri Gate and caught up with them at the last minute as their bus was leaving… Finally I managed to get some company at least, before I could reach Haridwar and catch up with all the friends… Rest is history of course.

Quite an exciting start to a journey that was going to be filled with a lot more adventure! What do you think?

Valley of Flowers – Yet another SriniOnTour…

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Valley of Flowers - Backpacking Begins...
Valley of Flowers – Backpacking Begins…

So, I’m all set with my backpack  and with a lot of hopes from this trip. This journey has long been on my bucket list and I’ve been working quite hard to make it happen. Finally, this is part of my first ventures as a part time travel writer, and beginning my career into a whole new dimension. Yes, there are a lot of ifs and buts still, as far as my whole plan goes, but that’s the best part about it…

As far as this trip is concerned… I’m sure there isn’t any doubt, that this is going to be another #SriniOnTour that will rock. This time around, I may not be able to blog on the go, due to connectivity and rains, I’ve decided to  avoid carrying my laptop… besides my backpack is already about 10 kgs… which we would carry all the way up to the West Himalayas. So I’ve decided, I’d upload a lot of photos on twitter and facebook and showcase my journey as a live photo-blog.

http://facebook.com/srinistuff

http://twitpic.com/photos/srinistuff

Also joining me on this trip are a some of my close friends with whom i regularly go on trips/treks.. Swapnil, his wife, Mangesh and his friend…

From the twitterverse, my new found friends @irohan and @_vishalg would be part of this trip.

This journey is also inspired by my conversation time and again with Chris Collins – (http://nicolaskumar.com/) Author of (Valley of Flowers)  – Chris, thanks for all your advice and help… As soon as I’m back from this trip, the first thing on the agenda is to get the book and read it… That way, I’d be able to relate to everything in it much better. 🙂

So here’s the plan (Some details might be helpful for others who plan to travel here)

Leave for Haridwar via Dehradun Express tonight…

Reach on the 31st July, just in time for the Maha Aarti.. Which is a beautiful and a spectacular sight and something that we should not miss… Hari-Ki-Pauri as it’s popularly known…

Haridwar

Haridwar

1st August

A few more locations in Haridwar, mainly…

Maya Devi Mandir , located on upper road. This temple is one of the 51 “shakti peeths” and its the presiding deity of Haridwar. It is from this temple Haridwar derives its other name Mayapur.

Maya Devi Temple

Bharat Mata Mandir, 5 km north of the center. Dedicated to Mother India, this is half temple, half nation building exercise, with seven floors stacked with deities, saints, and secular heroes of all Indian faiths. Some signage in English.

Bharat Mata Mandir

Bharat Mata Mandir

Bilkeshwar Mahadev Mandir , Shiva temple located on a hill.

Depending on how much time we have on our hands, we’d plan to see these places.

2nd August

Rishikesh

We take an early morning train to Rishikesh. Hemkunt Express – Leaves Haridwar at 6.50 AM and reaches Rishikesh by 8.00 AM. That’s the only train available in the morning. Else we might have to take Vikrams/Rickshaws costs (Rs.60-70) max per rick.

I checked out info for white-water rafting and most places say the season is September-November and March-April-May ideal for rafting. But we can get to know once we are there….My friend Swapnil has also got a few contacts, who say they might be able to arrange for the rafting.

White Water Rafting

White Water Rafting

 

Let’s see how it goes. Besides River Rafting we can visit these places on the 2nd at Rishikesh…

 

Lakshman Jhula, Trayambakeshwar Temple, Lakshman Jhula. is 13 stories high, with different deities throughout.  edit

Lakshman Jhula

Lakshman Jhula

Triveni Ghat, This is a bathing ghat. Daily in the morning and evening there are thousands who take bath here and enjoy the Maha Aarti being performed. It very soothing to sit on the banks of the river and enjoy the cool breeze from the river.

3rd August onwards we report to YHAI Basecamp and follow their itinerary…

4th  August – We take a bus from Rishikesh – Joshimath

Enroute Joshimath

Enroute Joshimath

5th August –  Orientation walk / Visit to Auli and Tapovan

6th August – Joshimath to Govindghat by Bus…

Joshimath to Govindghat by Bus

Joshimath to Govindghat by Bus

6th August – Govindghat – Ghangaria Ghat (A trek of 13kms) This one’s going to be the real test as the place that we would trek would have rain, and there are some really slants that we have to overcome carrying at least 10kgs of backpack is certainly going to be a challenge. While we have trekked over 20-30 kms in a day, this 13km trek would be with full supply backpack and the altitude would be quite challenging, add to that the cold and rain… Should be fun at the same time.

Govindghat to Ghangaria Ghat

Govindghat to Ghangaria Ghat

7th August – Ghangaria Ghat to Valley of Flowers… Now this is the most beautiful place that we hope would really make the 13km trek the previous day, worth it’s while… It’s about 8kms to and fro. This should be easier as our backpack would be at the camp and the trek is much lighter. But the beauty of the park and the flowers in the valley… would really be amazing.. The photos will tell you for sure 🙂 Stay tuned… In the meantime you can also read my poem about the Valley of Flowers here

Valley of Flowers

Valley of Flowers

8th August – Ghangaria Ghat to Hemkund Saheb – This is another amazing place, a worshipping shrine for Sikhs, this place is divine and much more beautiful in terms of the scenic locations and I hope to get a glimpse of some glacier / Ice as well…

Hemkund Saheb

Hemkund Saheb

9th August – We trek back to Govindghat.. The 13km trek.. This should be easier as it’s downhill…

10th August – Govindghat to Badrinath is around 25 kms and this would be a bus journey. Some rest to our ailing legs 😛

Badrinath Temple

Badrinath Temple

11th August – Badrinath – Vasudhara falls around 16km trek to and fro. This is a beauty… In the cold and the rain, it’s quite a pretty sight I’ve heard.

Vasudhara Falls

Vasudhara Falls

12th August –  Badrinath to Rishikesh and check out after breakfast…

Post that, since it’s a long weekend and we have a couple of days on our hand we may just chill in Rishikesh and then head back to Delhi on 13th or 14th August, from where we catch a train and reach Mumbai by 15th August and celebrate Independence Day at home 🙂

All this ordeal would be quite an experience and certainly a journey worth sharing… For now, I’d be updating pictures at

http://facebook.com/srinistuff

http://twitpic.com/photos/srinistuff

 

So stay tuned and hope you enjoy the updates.

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Kalimath – Source of divine strength

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 My travel bucket list – Destination 2: Kalimath, Himalayas

Kalimath, Himalayas is a source of divine strength for one and for all. After citing as Rudraprayag as one of the destinations where I’d travel to, in order to seek that heavenly bliss. A place where Gods chose to dwell is certainly where I want to head first. After that, this is a place that I’d want to visit. One of the many common things that you will notice as I keep writing my travel bucket lists, is a very strong urge and need for me to go to the Himalayas and the destinations of the untread terrains in those mountains out there somewhere. But as I said, there is a strong reason for me to do this. A reason beyond my understanding and beyond anyone else’s perception. Having said that, these destinations are important right now, because it’s critical for my quest too.

Having said that, let me talk about this source of divine strength in the Himalayas. Kalimath is one of the divine places and “shaktipith” situated on the side of river Saraswati in the beautiful valley of Himalayas surrounded by snow covered peaks of Kedarnath close to Ukhimath and Guptakashi in Rudraprayag District of Uttarakhand.

One of the most amazing things about this place to me is it’s close proximity to the Saraswati river and the true connection of Lord Shiva and Saraswati can be understood only here. Lord Shiva, the destroyer, the creator the appreciator of art meets the Goddess of Knowledge.  Add to that, Mata Kali is the popularly worshipped Goddess here, hence the name KaliMath.  There is a significant story of why the people consider this place as the source of divinity when it comes to power and strength.

The village of Kalimath is about 6,000 feet above sea level. This is the divine place & shakti peeth where “Mata Kali” killed the demon “Raktbeej” and had gone under the earth. The temple of Goddess Kali located here is visited by a large number of devotees round the year, especially during the “Navratras”. The most interesting thing about the temple is that it does not have any idol there. Pooja of “ShreeYantra” is performed here. Only for one day in the whole year the divine goddess is taken out and puja is performed in the midnight when only the chief priest is present.

Also, the village Kalimath originally & still also known as village ‘Kaviltha’ is a birth place of Kalidas. He was blessed here and then he became a famous learned poet of Sanskrit. Source (Wikipedia)

So this eternally will be on my list especially since it is  tantamount to the abilities and love for writing that I have. It certainly is a crucial place in my quest and seeking out to the divine source of strength within myself. Hope that I find it as blissful as it seems to be.

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