Deshe Bideshe 24 - Badrinath & Valley of Flowers
Devmitra:
"There is no way you can go trekking with a broken shoe! We will have to cancel the trip" said Shantanu. I paused my obviously futile efforts to stick the dangling sole to the rest of the shoe and looked up at hubby dearest in dismay - he couldn't be serious! After we had come this far, we would now have to give up on the trek simply because I broke my shoe? Yes, his words did make sense, there was no way I could go hiking for 3 kms. on Himalayan terrain dragging along a torn sole, but surely there had to be another way out...or was it gonna be the case of "for want of a shoe, the trip was lost"?
But hold on, this is no way to tell a story. Wise raconteurs recommend that a story be a started right at the beginning and that's what I should do now, though it is kinda difficult pinpointing the start to this trip of ours to Badrinath & Valley of Flowers. Maybe it all started with my selfish desire years ago to earn some points as a dutiful daughter by taking my parents on a pilgrimage...or maybe it was Shantanu's admiration for the magnificient Himalayas and the serene calm that they offer that triggered the whole thing. Or had the interesting tales we heard from Anuja and Bani somehow penetrated our sub-concious and silently goaded us on this journey...or maybe it was our realization that to get to any holiday spot from Hyderabad, we would need to take atleast a week off, so why not Badrinath? Whatever it was, July 2011 found us planning a trip to this important pilgrimage spot in India along with my parents. With a desire to add a little adventure to a spiritual sojourn, we decided to include a visit to the Valley of Flowers, even though it meant an additional 3 - 4 days; after all, it was not everyday that we were gonna come this far. Of course, this was only for the two of us, Ma and Bappi could use this time to catch up on their rest. We chalked out a tentative itinerary and then approached the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (http://www.gmvnl.com/) for a customized tour that would suit this plan. After all, we thought, it is better we have some local support on a trip that far into a region that none of us are familiar with. Also it was the monsoon season and the area is notorious for landslides during this time, so we figured it would be safer to have the assistance from a government backed organization more familiar with these any such obstacles that may come about. A word of caution about planning trips through GMVNL, maybe the first of many - please be prepared for some running around, a few trips to their local office (they are located at Begumpet in Hyderabad), the visible absence of techno-enablement and many phone calls before you are finally able to finalize your plan. It was only due to the co ordination among Bappi, Shantanu and me that we were able to set off for Delhi by the Sec-bad - Nizamuddin Duronto express on Aug 28, 2011.
The Duronto series of trains is a special category of trains in India that offer the advantage of non - stop travel (except for technical halts) over long distances. Thus our train trip to Delhi that usually takes almost 27 hours was reduced to 21 hours flat! Also since there were four of us, we chose to travel by AC First Class thus having an entire cabin to ourselves. Of course, we did not take into account the relentless and (by our skimpy standards) excessive spread of food that was provided including lunch as soon as the train rolled out of the Secunderabad railway station even though it was 1:30 in the afternoon. It was a good thing that we had'nt eaten so that we were able to do full justice to the meal provided (including Bappi who had eaten lunch at home) - soup, rotis, pulao, daal, paneer curry, salad etc. and for dessert - bananas and ice cream! Another first for any travel by Indian Railways - the manager of the service provider came & introduced himself to us and assured us of the best possible help while wishing us a safe journey! Now that's what I call customer delight! Our request that a non - functioning light be fixed was attended to almost immediately and all the bearers seemed to go overboard in their courtesy and service. Evening brought in tea and not just tea - a complete tray laden with maaza, samosa, kachori, sandwich, sweet, chocolate, fried cashews and then some tea! Dinner was served by 8:30 (when Bappi exclaimed that it was too early, the man interjected that it was actually late!) - soup, parathas and the usual spread with the addition of gulab jamuns. And when we requested that they take the parathas off our plates, like any good host the server lightly goaded us to eat assuring us that we would enjoy. More than ample food, a good bed and great company - what else could one ask for on a long distance train journey? The train was about 30 minutes late as it rolled into Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station the next morning around 11 am. A short cab drive brought us to the New Delhi Railway station where the waiting room seemed to bursting at its seams. We managed to find some place to sit and place our luggage but were reluctant to step out for lunch; thanks to the service on Duronto, our hunger was more than satiated after breakfast and the humid heat outside drove us to seek whatever comfort the struggling air conditioners in the waiting room offered. After a wait of about 2 hours, we walked down to our connecting train to Haridwar - the Jana Shatabdi.
As the train rolled into Haridwar station around 7:30 pm, it seemed that the sea of humanity had erupted on the platforms as well as beyond! My previous memories of Haridwar on our white water rafting trip was that of a quaint town with a small, quiet railway station, but the picture in front was nothing like that! It seemed we could not take a step forward without tripping over some one, apparently there had been an important event that day and hence the crowd. We somehow managed to engage a rickshaw to drive us and our luggage to Rahi Motel where we had reservations. The hotel is just a stone's throw from the railway station and offers decent lodging for short stays like the one night halt that we were on. Luckily our rooms were all provided with air coolers that labored hard to offer some respite from the humidity. After a quick wash and a dinner that we probably went in for with our eyes half closed, we gladly turned in for the night.
The next morning saw us wake early as we were to start our road trip to get to our destination. We had arranged for a vehicle from GMVNL to pick us up at 6:30 am from Rahi Motel, on the cards that day was a close to 12 hour drive (depending on road conditions) to Joshimath where we would halt for the night. It was also Shantanu's birthday, but we did not have much time for festivities at the early hour; in fact we barely managed to load our luggage and ourselves with assistance from our driver Durga Prasad, sort out our differences and set off about 10 - 15 minutes behind schedule. By 9 we reached Kaudilya where we stopped for breakfast - aloo parathas seemed to be the ubiquitous choice (little did I know then that by the time we would return, I would've sworn off these for life).
By 10 we reached Devprayag - one of the Panch Prayag or confluences of the river Alakananda. It is here that she merges with the river Bhagirathi to form what we know more commonly as river Ganga. We stopped for a brief time for some pictures and, more importantly, to stretch our legs before we set off again to reach Rudraprayag by lunch time.
Rudraprayag is the confluence of river Alakananda and Mandakini. It is here that the road diverges for travellers to Kedarnath and those moving on to Badrinath. The GMVNL restaurant is nicely positioned - it offers a clear view of the actual point of confluence of the rivers. We partook of a simple meal and set off again. By now, we were getting weary of the road trip. Those of us sitting in the rear seat were getting increasingly uncomfortable and desperate to maybe get off and walk around for a while; but Durga seemed reluctant to let us out of our pen lest we lose time or run into a landslide and get stuck there. The road seemed to stretch on for as far as the eyes could see and everytime we passed a spot where there had been a landslide or an obstruction of any kind, we were shrouded by a layer of dust and grime that made us wonder when we would get to the famed cold and calm of the Himalayas.
It was only around 4:30 in the evening when we got to Pipalkoti that the heat seemed to release its clutch on us. With backs and legs stiff from sitting for so long and eyes dry from the cinders on the road, we got off for a much needed cup of tea and chips. From here on the journey was more pleasant as we drove along side river Alakananda, crossed Karnaprayag - the confluence of Alakananda and Dhauliganga and went on to ascend the mountains to reach Josimath at 5:30 pm.
GMVNL has constructed a brand new hotel at Joshimath that and it was here that we got off after an entire day on the road. At the hotel we encountered our first problem on the trip - the standard rooms that we had booked were all equipped with the Indian style toilets which was a problem for my aged parents. We had no other option but to upgrade to the delux rooms on the first floor that come at a higher price but offer senior citizens like my parents the convenience that they need as well as an awesome view of the mountains from the balcony - something that Ma and I were secretly seeking ever since we got off the Tata Safari. However we were disappointed that the tour operators at the Hyderabad GMVNL office had neglected to tell us of this difference despite Ma and Bappi asking him repeatedly. The extra expenses hurt no doubt, but more importantly it raises a question mark on the arrangements for the rest of the trip making one uncertain of what other surprises may be sprung upon us later. For the time being, we tried to make the best of the situation and checked into two delux rooms that had balconies; after all, if we were gonna shell out extra money, we may at least do it with a view. Sadly however there were some problems with our room and so we were forced to move into one without a balcony on the other side of the corridor. Shantanu had stepped out to look around while I had to make the shift to the new room and obviously was not very happy about it. In addition, the long drive seemed to have played havoc on my back as I was beginning to feel a stabbing pain on the right side of my spine. We freshened up quickly and decided to visit the temple at Joshimath. A short walk from the hotel and a brief climb later, we reached the Hanuman temple and the Radhe - Shyam mandir. Within the precinct of the latter was a cave that was used for meditation by Adi Guru Sri Shankaracharya and his disciple. We offered our prayers to the different deities and spoke to the local priests about the different temples and places of interest around the area & learned that the main math was a short distance away. However it was getting dark and we were tired from the day-long drive. Also by now, my back ache had taken strong hold of me and I seemed unable to stand straight or take a step forward without wincing in pain. This was reason enough for my family to immediately steer me back to the hotel where I was ordered to lie down while my back was nursed using lotions and hot massages. It was only due to all of this that I was able to get back in shape within a short while and go down to the restaurant to have dinner. As it was Shantanu's birthday, Bappi treated us to an elaborate meal after which we settled in for the night. Whether it was the fatigue of the trip or the nagging back ache that still seemed to fester I don't know, but I was out like a light. Sometime between 2 and 3 in the morning however my slumber was lightly jolted by sounds of rain that seemed to be pouring by gallons outside and thunder that seemed to be determined to scare the lights out of us all. I have never liked the sound of thunder particularly during a storm and out there, amid the mountains, the reverberation of the clap seemed to amplify the sound 10 times over. How on earth are we going to get to Badrinath tomorrow? - I wondered even as I fought the deafening rumble and closed my eyes tight in an attempt to find shelter amid tenuous shrouds of sleep. It's funny how one can mull over serious concerns even in bed...then again, there was nothing I could do by thinking about it, so might as well get some zzzs.
We were to set off for Badrinath the next morning and since we had some time before the scheduled start at 9 am, we decided to visit the main math. Shantanu had already visited the math earlier in the day and so gave Ma, Bappi and me the necessary directions. Jyotirmath is the uttaramnaya math or the nothern math, established by Adi Shankaracharya sometime in the 8th century AD, the others being located at Puri in the east, Shringeri in the south and Dwaraka in the western part of India. The heads of these maths belong to Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy and are referred to as Shankaracharya. The math complex houses different temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman, Devi Parvati and Lord Shiva where we paid our respects. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located under the Kalpavriksha - the wish fulfilling divine tree that is believed to have originated during the Samudra Manthan and refers to a tree of bounty in today's world. At Joshimath this is a sacred fig tree under which Adiguru Shankaracharya is said to have meditated and obtained knowledge. A climb of 20 - 30 steps brings one to the main math building - a low roofed 2-storey building that serves as a resting ground as well as an abode for visiting and resident monks alike. The building and the entire math complex offers a wonderful view of the mountains and lush green trees that make up the area while also acting as a window to some of the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas that seemed to peep in from afar and signal their presence. The main room houses a sphatik or crystal / quartz Shivling believed to absorb negative energy, I remembered having seen a similar one at Rameshwaram on our trip there the previous year. We said our prayers and partook of the prasad after which we made our way back to the hotel and set off on our journey to one of the destinations on this trip - Badrinath.
Badrinath is approximately a 2 hour drive from Joshimath and the road on the final climb is every bit treacherous as one can imagine. The rain from the previous night did little to improve the situation and as a result we seemed to be on a unique roller coaster ride that held a surprise turn, a steep climb or a nasty bump every alternate second. The previous night's downpour compounded the difficulty; ever so often Durga would have to veer the vehicle to a sharp turn in order to avoid a puddle on the road or a surprise waterfall from above. Ever so often, the jeep drove right over a waterfall that seemed to carelessly cross the road in its journey downstream. At such times, one could almost hear the tussle between the clear, gushing mountain waters and the grunting mechanical power of rubber and steel as each attempted to override the other. At one spot, Durga pointed out a tree that apparently does not dry or seem to wither away despite the fact that no one tends to it, local rumor has it that it was planted by Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati themselves. And it was with their blessings that we completed our ascent to Badrinath.
Since it was only 11 am when we reached the top, we decided to explore the nearby Mana village before going in to our rooms. Located about 3 - 4 kms. from Badrinath, Mana bears the distinction of being the last village on the Indo - Tibet border...and does so with a pride that seems highly incongruous for someone 
who has come "last". It was soon obvious that the inhabitants believed in making the best of what was dealt out to them, including the disadvantages of being perched at the tip of the nation's border. From the sign board at the entrance that proclaims the village to be the last Indian village to the groups of local lads who offered their services as guides into this edge of the country and not forgetting the tea shop owner who offered his services as the "last option for a cuppa" - Mana village seemed to be doing all it could to attract attention. However this spot is famous not just for its geographical placement, it also houses many spots of mythological significance and it was to explore these sights that we employed the services of Sunil, a local lad who offered to show us around. Since there is a climb of quite a few steps, Ma decided to stay back while Bappi shushed our requests that he also avoid the ascent and fell in step with us almost rebelliously :-)
Sunil first pointed out the Nar and Narayan parbat - Badrinath is situated between these two mountain ranges. He also pointed out another mountain which is believed to be the horse that carried Badri Vishal (Lord Vishnu in his form as the presiding deity here) to Badrinath after which it was left to graze away as well as the path for the trek to the Vasundhara waterfalls. We continued our climb on a narrow road between kitchen gardens that boasted of king-size cabbages and small tenements that housed the local inhabitants and reached Ganesh Gufa.
It is said that it was in this cave that Lord Ganesha wrote the Mahabharata as dictated by Ved Vyas ji. A further climb brought us to Vyas Gufa. The facade of this cave resembles sheafs of pages of a book - a fitting abode for the author of many of the great, ancient Hindu scriptures including the Shrimad Bhagwat.
We offered our prayers inside the cave as the pujari told us tales of how Ved Vyas ji summoned Lord Ganesha to write the Mahabharata while he dictated the same and how despite composing many such epic works, Ved Vyas ji gained inner peace only after he composed the Bhagwat.
After we left the Vyas Gufa, we climbed up some steps, climbed down some and then again climbed up some more till we came to the Saraswati river and Bhim Pul. It is only here at Mana that one can catch sight of River Saraswati in her short, individual glory before she merges with Alakananda and remains hidden then on till her journey to the ocean. Given the force of the river waters as they emerge from the glacier, it is indeed surprising that she chooses to travel incognito; today there are various theories and discussions as to the origin and even the existance of this mighty river. Stretching across the waters is a stone bridge called Bhim Pul.
Sunil informed us that when the Pandavas were on their ascent to heaven or Swargarohini, Draupadi was unable to cross the river as she was in full spate. It was to help her that Bhima lifted a huge boulder and placed it across the river so that Draupadi could walk over to the other side. The striations on the rock are believed to be Bhim's finger impressions as he moved the rock while two shining stones at the bottom of the bridge are said to be his eyes. We walked on further and reached a small source of water that Sunil informed us was actually coming all the way from Mansarovar! The water was cool and refreshing and we soaked ourselves in it as far as possible. This brought us to the end of our short sightseeing in Mana, so we said our goodbyes to Sunil and walked back to the vehicle. On the way back, we saw teams of Indo Tibetian Border Police as they made their way up to their posts. The irony was stark - what was an extremely short pleasure trip for us was actually their place of work where they spent months away from their families so that we can rest at peace...We drove back to Badrinath and checked into adjoining rooms at Hotel Devlok - GMVNL's tourist rest house at this location. The rooms here serve the purpose of offering a roof over one's head in unfamiliar areas...and just that. If you are seeking 5-star comfort, luxurious settings or even spacious accommodation, you may need to seek elsewhere. But we were too hungry then to bother about the size of the room; none of us had eaten much since morning except for a few munchies on the way. It is advisable to carry as much dry food as possible in these parts since one never knows when the weather or the roads become unfavorable and one may be forced to wait out long hours before moving ahead. We waited as Bappi spoke to GMVNL authorities to convert their 2 night stay at Badrinath to a single night (they planned to go back to Joshimath the next day) and then entered the restaurant. All meals at the GMVNL hotels need to be ordered well in advance as the food is all made to order. After a quiet lunch, we headed back to our rooms and took a short nap. The weather was chilly and the pair of thick blankets that the hotel had so generously provided kept us warm as we rested our bodies.
We awoke around 3 pm in the afternoon and set off to visit the Badrinath shrine. Before entering the temple, it is advised to bathe in the Tapt Jund or the hot springs that are located at the foot of the temple.
The waters in these springs maintain a temperature of 45 degrees Celcius round the year despite the cold weather around and are said to possess medicinal properties. We equipped ourselves with buckets and mugs from nearby shops and then made our way to the springs. Shantanu took the first plunge (literally) while Ma and I went into the separate enclosed pool for ladies. Neither of us felt adventurous enough to take a dip, so we drew water from the pond and washed ourselves thoroughly at the edge. The warm water felt wonderfully invigorating in the cold weather, although Bappi did not seem to agree; then again, he has always been finicky about things like where we eat, bathe and is not particularly fond of getting wet :-). It would have been nice if the surrounding area near the springs and the ponds themselves could be kept clean and calm. Instead pilgrims seemed to be eager to use the water to wash off all their grime as well as their clothes, which may put off others reluctant to take a dip in such "used waters". Then again, one can only imagine the hardships that they face to make the trip to this difficult spot. Not all of them are able to afford hotels where they can rest and wash off the remains of the travel, in fact, it is probably a minor proportion like us who travel up here in the comfort of private vehicles. Most of them take walk up and down the hills for days together to get here and so one can understand their urge to clean themselves as far as possible at the first sight of warm water. But despite recognizing the rationale behind their actions, I cannot condone the same. Call me picky, call me a prude, but I cannot accept that one person dirty the waters that another takes a bath in or that waters that are believed to offer healing powers are diverted to other requirements.
We climbed up the stairs to the temple and entered the inner sanctum. It is said that Shankara discovered the image of Badrinarayan in the Alaknanda River and enshrined it in a cave. In the sixteenth century, the King of Garhwal moved the idol to the present temple which serves as the Lord's abode for almost six months in the year before He is moved to Jyotirmath for the winter. Since the temple had only just opened for darshan, there was very little crowd and we soon made it to the main shrine area. Here rests the black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan, sitting under a gold canopy, under a Badri Tree. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu was chastised by a sage who saw Vishnu's consort Devi Lakshmi massaging his feet. Vishnu went to Badrinath to perform austerity, meditating for a long time in padmasana. During this time, Devi Lakshmi stood next to him sheltering him from scorching sunlight turned into a Badri tree herself called 'Badri Vishal' and her lord (Nath) became Badrinath. In addition to Lord Vishnu, there are fifteen more murtis around the temple that are also worshipped. These include murtis of Nara, Narayana, Narasimha(the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu), Lakshmi, Sage Narada, Ganesha, Uddhava, Kubera, Garuda and Navadurga. At this point, I do need to confess that it was extremely dificult to spot the actual idol that was decked in ornaments. However what I truly appreciate about the temple authorities here is their handling of the devotees; unlike some of the other pilgrimage centers that I have visited where devotees are literally herded in and out of the temple and the darshan is restricted to a fleeting glance at the Lord, the purohits here welcomed us to step forward and stand before the idol for a long time while they explained where each deity was located and laid our offerings at the feet of the gods. In fact, they even encouraged us to sit in front of the idol and say our prayers until the next group of people came in! One may counter that the crowd in the temple at that time was not as intense as is seen in the other places that I am referring to. Nevertheless we will all agree that it is very comforting to devotees who travel long distances to visit these temples when the authorities allow them enough time to feast their eyes on the idol and say their prayers; simple understanding and a co operative attitude makes the entire experience pleasant and as in this case, very memorable.We stepped out of the sanctum and visited the other small temples that are located in the same premises (although I did venture in once again to see the main idol and was given some more prasad when I did so - another example of the wonderful attitude that I was commenting on earlier). There are different types of pujas that one can offer at the temple, we opted for the Karpoor Aarti and bought tickets for the same. Since there was about an hour and a half for the aarti, we looked around the temple and sat down for some time taking in the surroundings. Around 6 pm, all those of us who had bought the tickets were instructed to line up at the door leading to the sanctum and escorted in by the volunteers. The names of the ticket holders were read out and then an aarti offered on our behalf. The entire experience may have lasted just a few minutes, but the atmosphere seemed to reverberate with the collective chants and the devotion of all of us present there. The temple assumed an ethereal glow amid the flickering diyas and the resounding gongs and in some corner of my heart, I was sure that the gods themselves had descended to the earth to accept our prayers.
We returned from the temple to Hotel Devlok. The cold had whetted our desire for a hot beverage so we feasted on a hot cup of masala tea at a nearby stall. Shantanu had come down with a headache due to the cold breeze, so the two of us returned to the hotel while Ma and Bappi went around for some shopping. There was little to do during dusk and the rooms in the hotel felt small for an evening stretch so we all carried our books into the hotel lounge where we relived the experience of having visited one of most important centers of the Hindu religion and caught up on our reading. Dinner was a simple meal, again pre ordered from the limited menu offered by GMVNL here after which we retired for the night.
Shantanu:
We woke up early the next morning. There was a thunderstorm raging outside since 4 in the morning and this made us nervous. There was every possibility of a land slide and if that happened, we would have had no other option but to stay back. We had planned to visit the temple once in the morning and bid the Lord a goodbye but sadly that did not happen (primarily because of our laziness since Durga did go over despite the rain). The sky cleared at around six and we set off an hour later after having some tea and snacks. A short but memorable event occured soon after we hit the road - we came upon a heron and an owl seated at the edge of the road. Now we have seen these creatures in the zoo or from afar on animal safaris in Corbett and Pench, but to see them at such close distance was a very thrilling experience. It was only because the road was narrow and because we were apprehensive that we would scare the birds away that we watched them from within the jeep for as long as possible and then continued our journey down. Not many vehicles were on the road at that early an hour. The path was clear and to our relief, we did not encounter any obstacles at least till the Hydel power plant near Vishnuprayag where we were stopped by a long line of vehicles waiting to clear the road of the debris from a landslide.
Once the road was declared fit for vehicle use by the team from the Border Roads Organization, vehicles were allowed to pass one by one across the affected stretch to ensure that there was as little damage as possible and also to minimize losses in case the mountain gave way again. We crossed our fingers as we made our way across the landslide and then rode on to reach Govindghat at around eight thirty a.m. Here we bid adieu to the car and our parents, who would be spending the night at Joshimath before leaving for a day's trip to Auli after which we would all meet up at Joshimath again.Govind Ghat, named after Guru Govind Singh, is a small town on the banks of the Alakananda and it forms the base for those on their way to Ghangria and then on to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. Our initial few steps were greeted by a waterfall that sped gaily across the road and seemingly took great pleasure in soaking our shoes, socks, feet and all. We walked into the main crowded market place which also includes a Gurudwara, crossed the bridge as advised by Durga before we got into discussions with ponywallahs. Thanks to the prudence of Devmitra, we settled for Rs. 500 a pony - much lower than the 1500 for two ponies that they had initially asked for on the other side of the bridge. However the ponywallahs are mostly very poor rural folks who come from nearby villages with little in terms of other means of livelihood. So we did not mind even if we had to tip them generously for all their help that they provide on the ride.
Our ponywallah walked us up a short distance along a road that was strewn with horse dung and wet from the water of the omnipresent waterfalls and introduced us to Avval Singh - our guide as well as our ponies, both of whom were co incidentally called Dhanno. I did not begin on a promising note as my Dhanno - a beautiful, black pony inadvertently stepped on my toes before we commenced our journey...maybe it did not enjoy the prospect of ferrying a bearded human on its back for the next 4 hours or so. Devmitra did not have so much of a problem with her brown Dhanno as she did with her own fear of lifting herself off the ground and sitting on its back while trusting the animal to remain in the same place unlike what is commonly seen in cartoon films. After these initial hiccups, we set off with Avval Singh leading the way and alternately coaxing and rebuking the animals with words like "Dhanno, bhar"; obviously this was a special language for communication between man and beast which we were not privy to. The road to Ghangria is rocky and slippery, strewn with slush from the waters and horse manure; not exactly meant for a leisure stroll; yet it was surprising and embarrassing to see young and old Sikh men and women make their way up and down the mountain. I enthusiastically greeted the fellow travellers with a 'Wahe Guruji ki Fateh' to which they responded in a similar vein. Now and then we saw the river Lakshman Ganga, meandering along as it makes its way to join the main Ganga.
Midway through our climb near Bhyunder, we halted at one of the many dhabas for a quick rest, both for the animals as well as us. The dhabas here offer hot parathas and Maggi along with small cups of sweet, energizing tea - exactly what the doctor ordered at these high altitudes. My Dhanno seemed to be relieved as I climbed off its back; it immediately took a plunge into the dirt on the ground, apparently this is how they rid themselves of fleas and other annoying pests. Not that I minded much (at least it let me get off first!), but I did mind my jacket that I had placed on its back being mercilessly beaten into the ground. The roads near the dhabas are unfortunately littered with plastic and although Government agencies and NGOs employ people to clean the paths, one does wonder why individuals do not help out by avoiding the habit to drop their packets or water bottles anywhere and everywhere.
After the much needed break, we resumed our climb on the ponies. As we trudged along, we became familiar with some interesting and useful tidbits while riding a horse particularly on such terrain. Avval Singh advised us to shift our body weight forward everytime the road sloped up and lean back when the path went downward. He also assured us to keep our calm even though the animal may appear to walk towards the edge of the road, though I must admit it was difficult to do so at times particularly when the road offers no railing or any such mechanism.
It was also fun to note how the animals seemed to enjoy nuzzling against those who were on foot, particularly those walking the same direction and therefore unable to realize that we were approaching from behind. The times when we had to cross over other animals coming from the opposite direction, especially those laden with goods offered some anxious moments as the guides attempted to steer the ponies on the narrow road with as little friction as possible. Soon we reached the last few kilometers of the trail where the trees became thicker and the climate colder. We reached Ghangria around 1 PM and trooped in on the narrow, dusty single road that runs through this mountain village before alighting at the GMVN guest house.
We had reservations in an economy room and like at Badrinath, these rooms are not on the spacious side. Moreover the village runs on generators during the day as power is available only between 7 and 10 in the evening and for city folk like us, this came as an initial surprise. We attempted to evaluate other options of staying in tents or a deluxe room, but we were out of luck in both cases. Partly unprepared for this situation and partly for the need to explore the place, we stepped out to have lunch (what else but...Aloo paratha!) at a local dhaba and on the way back, called our parents from the satellite phone booth to inform them that we had reached safely; mobile or land line connectivity is also unavailable at Ghangria.As if all these surprises were not enough, Devmitra's shoes, which were in need of a repair for a long time, gave in as we walked back to the guest house; rather the sole of one of the shoes came out. I had advised, cajoled and even rebuked her into replacing them even before we started planning for this trip, but the lady displayed an extreme spirit of attachment and held on to them as if they were her old pals. Luckily we had spotted a cobbler just outside the guest house who sewed them together so that they would at least last the duration of the trip and charged a handsome 50 bucks for doing so. One cannot help but admire his acumen in setting up business at these heights where restaurants seem to be the only other source of income!
A short siesta seemed called for to relieve the body of the swinging motion of the ponies. Later in the evening we went to the EDC office to gather more details on the trek to the Valley of Flowers which we intended to venture on the next day. This center is run by couple of Garhwali ladies and also offers an interesting read of books on the valley as well as the state of Uttaranchal. Once the generators are switched on in the evening, the center also runs a documentary on the valley which we decided to sample. The projection room reminded us distinctly of the purported movie theaters in Mangalore - there was a small projector placed in the center of the room and simple plastic chairs laid out for the audience, none of the plush seats that is seen in the multiplexes in cities, not even the rexine chairs of old time cinema halls. Back when we were in Mangalore, we had watched a movie called Bhoot (meaning Ghost in Hindi) and till date we are not sure if it was the powerful histrionics of the actors on screen or the eerie ambience of the so called theatre that got to us. Of course, this documentary of the Valley of Flowers was nothing like that. Though poorer by 50 bucks, we found that it is worth watching as we gained a bagful of information. The documentary tells the story of how the valley was "discovered" quite accidentally by a British mountineer Frank Smythe in 1931 who lost his way when returning from a successful expedition to Mount Kamet. It also speaks of Margaret Legee, a British botanist who fell over a cliff in the valley while collecting some flower specimens. It introduced us to some of the many flower spieces that we would come across - anemones, orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies, rhododendrons and so many others. Not just flora, but the feature also spoke of birds, insects and animals that have been reportedly spotted in the valley. All in all, the documentary did a fantastic job of getting us all excited about the trek the next day!
As we stepped out of the EDC center into a light shower that had started sometime earlier in the evening, we were welcomed by twinkling electric lights that had come alive, if only for a limited period all across the village. Dinner was a simple meal at the hotel after which we turned in for the night to dream of pretty flowers and ice capped mountains. The weather seemed to a complete turn the next morning when we woke to a bright sunny day as people poured out of their hotels on their way to Hemkund or the Valley. It was a good omen and we decided to fall in step and set out on the trek at the earliest; we had however not planned for a close to 30 - 45 minute wait while the hotel guys heated water (again powered by generators that are switched on for some time in the morning) and ferried them to each room. Of course, given the constraints of the location, we were only too happy for the bucket of hot water even if it meant a wait for the same and one can only help appreciate the friendly and co operative attitude of the hotel staff as they went about their tasks be it preparing breakfast or arranging for ponies or carrying buckets of hot water to the rooms. For those few hours in the morning, the entire hotel nay the entire town seems to come alive and then the hullaboo slowly dies out as the tourists hit the road.
Devmitra:
By the time, we set off it was close to 8:30 or 9 in the morning. We were carrying a small bag with our rain coats although we were wearing water proof pants over our trousers in case we were hit by a sudden shower. At the start of the trail, there is a forest department check post where officials collect the fee for the trek and also note down your name so as to watch out for your return later and thus ensure no one is left behind in the mountains. We passed the check post and slowly walked ahead leaving the village of Ghangria behind.
We also met up with other trekkers who would turn out to be our companions on this hike. This included some of the staff from our hotel, a pair of young girls from Delhi and 3 or 4 senior gentlemen who seemed to be employed with the Government. Thus teamed up, we set off on the trail that was initially flat albeit moist from the damp of the forest. The cool shade of the tall trees soothed our nerves as we looked around trying to identify the different spieces of flora. Some of the staff from the hotel pointed out the trees on whose bark the ancient Hindu scriptures and the Vedas have been written.
About 30 mins into the trek, the road slopes down as we climb down one mountain and then cross a bridge to begin our ascent on to the valley. This was a long climb and the major portion of the trail is rocky with little or no supporting railings at times - nothing like the path that we had so far walked on. At some places, the climb gets really steep and the hot, humid sun seemed to make things more difficult. I had already taken off the full-sleeved sweater that I had worn at the start of the trek; once into the climb, I also stripped off the water-proof pants that were by then drenched in sweat. Shantanu had bought a trekking stick the previous day at Govind Ghat and I still remember that I had scoffed at his purchase. It did not take me long to realize the immense support and help that the stick provides; by the end of the trek, I had selfishly taken possession of the stick from my life partner and was leaning on it as if it were my lifeline. More than about an hour into the trek, we arrived at an open place between the mountains that was wonderfully bridged by a huge glacier. 
This was a wonderful spot to stop a while and catch our breath (we seemed to be doing that a lot, although Shantanu assured me that it is always better to walk at a slow but steady pace on such terrain rather than stress oneself in attempts to finish the trek soon). The trail near and ahead of the glacier was calm and beautiful...and treacherous. There had probably been a landslide near the glacier a few days back, hence the trail was strewn with loose rocks and narrow winding turns that we had to navigate with care. At this point we came across a lady who was being carried into the valley by one of the local guides in a chair basket that he bore over his head; we had seen similar contraptions the previous day when we were climbing up to Ghangria. The overall arrangement seems to be convenient, particularly for senior folks, but one does wonder about the comfort of the person carrying the chair.
By this time, we seemed to have gotten separated from the rest of our group, but we did not mind this much since there was no question of getting lost. 
Also it gave us a chance to go at our own pace, stop when we felt tired and admire the awesome view that surrounded us. At time, the path is interrupted by a waterfall which makes its way gaily down the mountains and we would cross over on makeshift bridges of asbestos sheets solidly supported on mountain rocks. The water from these falls was amazingly cool and refreshing; we made ample use of these to wash the fatigue off our faces and necks. As we got nearer to the valley, the rocky path gave way to short bushes that seemed to be crowded with a variety of insects. At this point, the air around offered a unique scent; it is indeed very difficult to explain it in words and I somehow regret that there was no way I could capture it. This was a kind of medicinal, kind of sweet smell that I have never come across in my life and now the air arround seemed to be suffused with it. The trail now got easier than the climb that we had encountered so far and we came across other tourists who were visiting the valley including a senior Sikh family who (I am embarrased to admit) seemed to be very comfortable with the terrain. About 15 mins from this point, we finally entered the main basin of the valley and to say that it was beautiful is not just an understatement, it is probably sinful to leave it at that. 
Then again, how does one describe the amazing sight that greeted us - tall verdant bushes and grass that seemed to hug us in welcome to their world, birds and insects that danced around us like eager kids with so many stories to tell and flowers of so many colors and fragrances that we had never imagined to come across during the season end even in our dreams! According to the local myth, the valley is the celestial Nandan Kanan or the garden of heaven where the celestial nymphs, divas and devas play - something I can easily believe as I think of the lush spread. 
This national park is now a UNESCO site and is regulated under the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. It stretches over an area of approximately 90 sq.km. and is said to reflect the transition between different Himalayan regions. The diverse species of plants found here include many threatened ones, not seen else where and those that are known for their medicinal properties (I was glancing through a book at the EDC center the previous evening and it seemed that the plants in this valley offered a remedy for all ailments be it a simple cold to the more dreaded diseases).
After a short walk into the valley, we met up with the rest of our companions and continued our exploration of the park. The weather seemed to co operate wonderfully so we ventured deeper and deeper into the valley walking amid bushes that were taller than us.
Since it was past the peak season, we did not spot the more celebrated flowers or the famous Bramhakamal seen at higher altitudes, but what we saw was no less beautiful. It is at times like these that one wonders the creativity of the Higher Power; whatever we may call it or no matter even if we do not believe in the existance of one, the marvel of pristine locations such as this is bound to hold anyone spellbound. After almost an hour and a half walk that included crossing one waterfall where your's truly completely freaked out (do'nt ask me why!), we reached the tomb of Margaret Legge.
The tomb stone and memorial erected at the spot by her sister quotes this amazing line - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. Personally I found this line very apt for the setting; just in front of the memorial rises a huge mountain the sight of which inspires courage and strength to even the weakest mind.There are a few benches around the tomb where all of us sat down to rest our legs, drink some water and also snack on some biscuits that we had all carried with us. The peace and quiet of the mountains and the cool breeze offered a wonderful respite to our tired bodies and minds alike; one could easily decide to catch a nap there in the lap of the Himalayas. However we knew we had to head back at the earliest. The weather is not exactly predictable in these parts, further it gets dark very early and for people like us who are not used to these terrains, it is better to make haste in returning. So we said goodbye to our friends and retraced our steps back across the cliffs, into the main basin, on to the rocky road, over the glacier and back to the shaded marshy road. As we walked back, we met many others who had probably arrived late or had set off later on their trek to the valley. We buoyed up their spirits by telling them tales of the beauty that lay ahead and wished them all the best as we nudged our tired feet to make their way back to civilization. It was on the return journey that I appreciated the value of going trekking in company, particularly with someone who is used to it; Shantanu was amazing in guiding me through the entire experience as well as keeping my morale up as I negotiated the more difficult areas. It was close to 3 pm when we finally got back to our hotel proud that we had successfully completed the trek and glad that we had done so without any eventuality.
Back at the hotel after the trek, it seemed a colossal task to even move an inch without hurting one part of the body or the other. We gathered outside the room in the corridor where we chatted up with a young lad and his father who had come in the previous day about our experiences on the trek and other general stuff. A hot plate of maggi and steaming cups of tea seemed to act as fuel to our tired bodies. We called up Ma and Bappi again telling them to instruct the driver to be there at Govind Ghat in time for us the next day, had an early dinner and retired early for the night. I requested the hotel folks for a little hot water so that I could soak my tired and cold feet to which they gladly obliged. Thus comforted I turned in still mulling over the wonderful experiences of the day.
We had a choice the next day - either take a day trek to Hemkund Sahib and travel onward to Govind Ghat on the return journey or to go down to Govind Ghat in the morning itself. We gave up the former choice with reluctance; but we could'nt afford the 6 hour long trip to Hemkund due to health concerns. So we engaged 2 ponies again from the outskirts of the village and set off on our descent to plain lands mounted on Rani and Moti (Shantanu's pony had a name so unlike him :-) )and guided by Harsh Vardhan. I had expected to be used to riding the animal and hence not have any problem, but the downward climb turned out to be treacherously difficult for me. The saddle on my pony was hard with the result that it scrapped against my skin badly everytime the animal jumped a puddle on the road. Further Rani seemed to possess some uncanny desire to travel the more difficult road, it deliberately chose to jump over gaps rather than walk around on even ground; given that some portions of the road had witnessed some landslides there were many times that we had to travel difficult patches on our way down. By the time the ride ended, I was close to tears what with the skin on my legs seeming to be on fire. It was only due to the padding offered by Shantanu's thick jacket which he suggested I wrap around the saddle was I able to walk down to the taxi point where we met up with Durga who arrived promptly within 5 - 10 minutes of our reaching. Then on it was a short 30 minute drive into the Joshimath; on the way we picked up a man and 2 ladies & dropped them at the main market before making our way back to the GMVNL hotel where we met up with our parents again.
Once we got back to the GMVNL hotel at Joshimath, we were faced with some realities. The problems with the Standard rooms at the hotel had forced Ma & Bappi to opt for a family room on the upper floor. Further we learned of the extreme difficulty that they had faced on their way back to Joshimath after dropping us at Govind Ghat. There had been a landslide which was very severe and was not likely to be cleared soon. So they had to trek for more than an hour on an alternate route before reaching the hotel - obviously an arduous task for two senior citizens with no background whatsoever in walking along such roads. Apparently Durga had been of enormous help during this time, supporting Ma and carrying more than his fair share of load as he escorted them to the hotel. Not only that, he waited until late in the night when the road was cleared to retrieve the vehicle and my parent's luggage so that they could freshen up. One problem that most tourists face in these parts is the inability to pay by card, all transactions are cash based - even at an international ski resort like Auli. This would not have been much of a problem if there was a reliable ATM network, unfortunately that was also not the case. However Durga drove Bappi to an ATM that was quite some distance away so that he could obtain the cash to make payments at the hotel. While this does speak volumes about the helping nature of the GMVNL and local folks, it also reflects on some gaps and the ensuing difficulties that tourists may face and so will need to be prepared for.
We had lunch and then negotiated with the hotel folks to give us (Shantanu & me) a Deluxe room even though we had reservations for the Standard one. And we were lucky that we got the room that Ma and Bappi had stayed in during our onward trip to Badrinath, the one with the balcony and its accompanying amazing view of the mountains! We took a much needed nap after which the four of us stepped out to feast on jalebis, samosas and tea at the local shops which Ma and Bappi had discovered earlier. We were to leave early the next day on our way back to Haridwar so we called it an early night. The next morning we left by 6 am as we were concerned that we might encounter landslides on the way. We had mulled over the idea to set off on the downward journey the previous evening itself and spending the night at Rudraprayag earlier so as to avoid the long stint in the jeep on the road and also accommodate any unforseable delay, unfortunately our itinerary did not support this, also we were kind of tired the previous evening having just gotten back from Ghangria. But in case you are still planning your trip to these parts, you may wish to explore this option.
It seemed like we had dodged any major disruption until we got to a point close to Birahi where we encountered a landslide. This was a big one and since it was still early in the day, it seemed like there was a long wait ahead of us before the BRO folks got there with the necessary equipment to clear the rubble. The drivers and locals however were of a different opinion, rather than wait for the bulldozers, they rolled up their sleeves and heaved off the heavy rocks so as to make the road passable for the vehicles. In fact by the time the BRO actually reached the spot, we had already resumed our journey! We got to the GMVNL guest house at Birahi where we stopped for breakfast. By now we had all sworn off Aloo Partha and so gladly feasted on toast and cereal. We hit the road immediately after the meal so as to avoid as much delay as possible. That was not to be as at Rudraprayag the road was blocked due to severe traffic and so we had to take a detour along the road to Kedarnath. At one point on the road, we witnessed a landslide albeit one so minor that Durga was actually able to drive through. This gave us a wonderful chance to witness this geographical phenomenon from close ranges. It seemed to me as if there was someone sitting inside the earth running a common home mixer without the lid due to which the contents, in this case the rocks and pebbles, were spilling out of the container - may not be a good example, but this is exactly what I perceived. When the slide involves only small rocks, one can carefully and quickly drive through, although even at such times there is a risk of a pebble shattering the windsheild of the vehicle. Luckily we got by without such an eventuality and drove to Srinagar for lunch. By now we had all grown weary of the same menu, same taste and same bill amount of the GMVNL restaurants, but had little option. We had almost reached plain land by now with the result that the drive started getting increasingly uncomfortable what with the dust from the road, the sweltering heat and the limited scope for movement in the jeep. It was at Kaudilya that we were able to take a break after which we set off on the last leg of the drive to Haridwar. By now the road seemed to stretch on for ever, even at the gates of Rahi Motel, we encountered a traffic jam that held us up for close to 10 minutes. Once we reached the hotel, we were so lucky to get on to our feet and feel the blood rushing into them! We bid adieu to Durga - our driver, guide and friend over the past few days and checked inside the motel yearning for a wash and a non-rocking seat.
Having freshened up, we decided to head for the ghats of the river Ganges at Haridwar to watch the evening aarti. A short auto ride brought us to a point from where we were told that a short walk would bring us to the river bank. However we did not anticipate the sudden showers that came down due to which we had to seek shelter at a shop. This delayed us by close to 15 minutes due to which we missed the main aarti and bhajan; however even when we reached the ghaat, the crowd seemed to be overwhelming.
We were only just able to secure a spot where we could watch the tiny flickering diyas as they made their way downstream, the sight brought back memories of our previous trip to Haridwar. We offered our prayers and then headed back to the local market where we did some shopping. We were determined not to eat at GMVNL that night, so we hailed a cycle rickshaw to take us to Chotiwalas - a restaurant that we had previously sampled at Rishikesh. The cycle rickshaws at Haridwar are an interesting arrangement. They offer seating for 2 + 2 members with their backs to one another. After much deliberation on how 4 adults would ride the rickshaw comfortably and securely, we sent Shantanu to the rear while I relived my childhood days seated with my parents on their lap :-). The Chotiwala at Haridwar is quite different from the one at Rishikesh and this extends to the menu also. But what was more important for us for the difference in taste that it offered to our taste buds that seemed to have lost their edge over the past few days. It was with great enthusiasm that Ma & I ordered Chinese, Bappi ordered North Indian and Shantanu South Indian in an attempt to restore life to our sense of taste! Thus satiated physically and psychologically, we got back to Rahi Motel where Shantanu and I freshened up as we had a train to catch; Ma and Bappi were taking a train to Agra the next morning where they planned to spend a few days with some family friends before heading back home. So we bid them good bye at around 10 pm and walked down to the station where we boarded the Mussorie Express to Delhi.Luckily the train did not disappoint us and we arrived at the Old Delhi railway station on time the next morning. A short rickshaw ride brought us to the Kashmiri Gate metro station where we boarded a metro to New Delhi. We had already experienced the marvellous efficiency of the Delhi metro previously, this time we extended our experience by taking the airport link to the new terminal T3. One must say that this link is truly amazing, not just in terms of the set up but also in terms of efficiency - 20 minutes flat to the airport without any hassle or delay - this metro link easily compares to infrastructure in some of the most developed countries of Europe! A short bus ride brought us to T2 where all domestic flights operate from where we boarded our flight back home to Hyderabad. By the time we reached home, the fatigue of being on the move for the past week got to us and it took the next few days to shake it all out. Over this time and even now, we frequently find myself reliving the experiences of that one week...our first long pilgrimage...was it inconvenient? Yes it was. The long trek in the Himalayas...was it tiring? No doubt. So would we do it all again or maybe set off on a similar adventure in the future...? YOU BET!
Labels: Badrinath, Valley of Flowers
posted by Devmitra at
2:11 PM
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