User submitted article: Dr. Sumit Kesarkar
VALLEY OF FLOWERS TREK, AUGUST 21st to 30th- 2007
It was about 11:30 am when our train (Dehradun Shatabadi) reached Haridwar station. I along with my friends Amit and Sudhir set foot on Haridwar with expectations of a great journey ahead. We had to report to our Youth hostel base camp at Rishikesh. We moved out of the station to get hold of some transport. The options were a private comfy and cozy auto rickshaw which charges 250 INR and share a ride 8 seated vehicle which charges around 20 INR till Rishikesh but is crammed up till every inch. Anyways we took the 8- seated option and reached Rishikesh by 2:00 pm.
Day 1 Rishikesh
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After doing the reporting formalities we decided to explore Rishikesh. Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula and Triveni Ghat were on our list. Since Triveni Ghat was nearby we decided to start from farthest (Laxman Jhula) and then steadily approach the nearest. We took a share rickshaw (5-10 INR per head) for Laxman Jhula. |
Laxman Jhula
Laxman Jhula or Laxman bridge is situated about 7 km north of Rishikesh. Although the bridge is for pedestrians, motor scooters, bicycles, and cows are allowed to cross. Monkeys are also found on the bridge, but they are very aggressive and easily aggravated. Before it was rebuilt by the British in 1939 with iron ropes, Laxman Jhula was a mere manual ropeway till 1889. |
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The now suspension bridge has a span of 140 m whichs preads over the River Ganga. Raghunathji's temple is the main attraction at Laxman Jhoola. The suspension bridge connects Rishikesh with Tapovan across river Ganga where a temple is dedicated to Lord Laxman. Mythology suggests that Lord Laxman visited this place for penance to wash his sins for having killed a Brahmin. At Laxman Jhula you come across tourists, sadhu babas and many foreigners, some of whom come to visit the place, while some come and never ever go back by getting completely engulfed by Yoga, Spirituality, scriptures etc. in a quest to rediscover themselves. |
Ram Jhula
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Ram Jhula is a similar pedestrian bridge to Laxman Jhula and is a very recent addition. It is situated a mere 1 km from Laxman Jhula. It seems that Ram Jhula is built with a prime purpose of crossover to two sides of Rishikesh. Since we were short on time we just clicked few snaps and went over to the other side to catch an "Aarti". |
Triveni Ghat
Triveni Ghat is a sacred bathing spot on the banks of the river Ganga where devotees take holy dips and offer prayers. Triveni Ghat is believed to be the confluence of the River Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati River. The "Aarti" ceremony done at Triveni Ghat, on the south end of Rishikesh, takes place at the sundown. I personally did not get the opportunity to visit Triveni Ghat.
We rushed our way back to the base camp. The orientation program for our group was about to begin. After dinner, our coordinator intimated us about our trek-program. The next day we had to move to Joshimath at 4:30 am. We were instructed to deposit our extra luggage at the base camp and carry mere necessary items and minimal clothes. After the orientation all of us (group of 26) rushed our packing and hit the bed for a tiring journey next day.
Day 2 Rishikesh to Joshimath
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Due to our very good city habits of sleeping late and getting up late the previous night did not exactly offered most of us a fairy tale sleep. "Bed Tea" was announced aloud at 3am to rattle our already spinning heads. With reluctant hearts we dragged ourselves from the bed and quite surprisingly were in our bus at 4:30 am sharp. Our transport vehicle was not exactly one you would fall in love at first sight. Tight, |
cramped up seats with non-existent leg spaces and absurdly designed windows are not exactly something you look forwardto on a windy curvy journey. Seeing the situation each one of us tried to outsmart other to snatch the best seats available but in the end no one was disappointed as there was nothing such as a best seat. We commenced our journey with slogans and shouts towards Joshimath. The road led us through Panch-Prayags (where Prayag means confluence of two rivers). Mythology about the Panch-Prayags suggests that the great river Ganga descended to earth with such force that the gods had to be called in to prevent a complete deluge. The mighty Ganga was split into 12 channels to temper her force and the siblings again united into one single stream after Devprayag (hence considered supreme amongst all Prayags), where the two great streams of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi meet. Four other confluences higher up add up to form the five holy confluences or Panch-Prayags. |
DevPrayag
DevPrayag is the first Prayag to be encountered at about 70 km from Rishikesh. It is situated on the confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers. It is commonly believed to be the birthplace of Ganga. It comprises the oldest route to Badrinath and Gangotri. Local traditional information suggests that DevPrayag is named after a Brahmin called Dev Sharma who performed rituals here to please the gods. It is considered as the most supreme amongst all Prayags |
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| and is considered as animportant place to free souls from their Karma. The famous Raghunath Math (another name for Lord Ram's Temple) is situated here and it is at this place the priests of Badrinath abide in winter. |
RudraPrayag
RudraPrayag is located at a distance of 140kms from Rishikesh and 70kms from DevPrayag. RudraPrayag is situated on the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini River. This place is named after Rudra (Shiva). Mythology and local traditional information suggests that it was at Rudraprayag that Lord Shiva humbled Sage Narad. Certain legendary tales also inform that the mythological goddess Sati who was reborn as Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva after self - immolation, did her penance at RudraPrayag.
KarnaPrayag (780mts)
Karna Prayag |
KarnaPrayag is the third Prayag to be encountered on the Rishikesh- Badrinath road. It is located at a distance of 31kms from RudraPrayag. It is situated at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Pindar River which flows out of the Nanda-Devi glacier. KarnaPrayag is renowned for the Karna Temple and the Uma Devi Temple. Mythology indicates that the legendry character from Mahabharata, Karna, |
(son of Kunti and Lord Surya), performed rituals here to please his father (Lord Surya) and was bestowed with the Kavacha (impenetrable armour) and Kundala (protective earrings) that made him invincible. KarnaPrayag also serves as commencement points for treks to Pindari Glacier and Roopkund. |
NandPrayag
NandPrayag is located at a distance of 192kms from Rishikesh. NandPrayag is situated on the confluence of Alaknanda and the Mandakini Rivers. It is believed as per mythology that the Yadav King Nanda had performed a "Yagya" at this place and given huge donations to Brahmins to win the love and blessings of God. Nand Prayag derives its name from King Nanda. The famous Gopalji temple is also situated here.
VishnuPrayag
VishnuPrayag is located at a distance of 73kms from NandPrayag and 265kms from Rishikesh. An ancient temple of Lord Vishnu located at the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga River serves as a landmark fore VishnuPrayag. A pool surrounds the temple and is known as Vishnu-Kund. Mythology indicates VishnuPrayag to be the place where Sage Narad had meditated and received the blessings of Lord Vishnu.
After an arduous and highly uncomfortable journey we finally reached Joshimath at around 4:00 pm. We checked in to our allotted accommodation and rushed for some hot tea. The weather conditions were pleasing enough as compared to dry sultry ones at Rishikesh
Day 3 Joshimath - Auli
The day started with a small acclimatization walk of 2kms down town Joshimath. The mini trek was completed by us within 2 hours after which we had time off to explore Joshimath and Auli.
Joshimath (2100 mts)
Scholars co-relate Joshimath to the ancient city of Kartikeyapura (named by the Katyuri kings after their God, Kartikeya). Joshimath technically known as Jyotirmath is one of the four great "Math’s" established by the great Adi Guru Shri Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD. The Shankaracharya temple is a must visit which gives you a view of the entire ranges and is quite amiable. Joshimath is a very appeasing place with an uptown market and good food and accommodation facilities. However once you enter the shops one would definitely notice the arrogant behavior of the shop owners. We coined it as "Garwahli ATTITUDE". People here do not like fun talk and strictly adhere to their work. You would definitely miss the soft and sweet Marwari or Gujrati attitude so used to with shopkeepers elsewhere. Or maybe the attitude might just be for us INDIANS as most of the bucks come here from the foreigners. Anyways that does not dampen the beauty and serenity of this place one bit.
Auli (3000mts)
Auli |
Auli also locally known as "Bugyal” is situated approximately 10 - 12 kms from Joshimath. Taking a ropeway to the top is the best and most exhilarating option. Auli ropeway is claimed to be India’s longest which spans through layers of Pines, Oaks and Deodar trees. The ride costs you 400bucks return and the trolley operates after every 1/2 hour. Once atop you are greeted with attractive and wonderful landscapes. |
A further trek of 3 kms makes you reach lush green meadows. Pictures of small pools and grazing cows remind you of British countryside. As you walk on and gain height you can see several peaks like Nanda Devi (7817 Mts.), Kamet (7756 Mts.), Mana Parvat (7273 Mts.), and Dunagiri (7066 Mts.) in a panoramic view if the weather permits. Auli is very famous as a ski-ing destination. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) offers a fortnight-long skiing course for the amateurs. There is also a weeklong course for the tourists. All prices are reasonable between 5500 - 7000 all inclusive. Auli exploration was one of the highlights of our tour. It was really difficult to capture one moment long enough. After a breathtaking exploration we started our journey back downhill towards Joshimath. We reached back by 5 pm after which many of us again explored the markets for some last time shopping. |
Day 4 Joshimath - Govindghat - Ghangria
Early morning we boarded our bus for Govindghat situated 25kms from Joshimath. From Joshimath till Badrinath a gate system is followed where one way traffic is allowed to pass. Miss one gate and you have to wait for a long time. The first Gate was scheduled for 6 am everyone made sure not to miss it as we had a big trek coming up. We reached Govindghat by 8 am
Govindghat (1810mts)
Govindghat is a sacred place named after Guru Govind Singh. It is situated on the confluence of river Alaknanda and Laxman Ganga. Govindghat serves as a starting point for treks to Hemkund Sahiba and Valley of flowers. Due to its importance it has a well developed market place. Ponies and Porters can be hired to carry luggage and humans. The porter and pony prices are fixed by government to avoid cheating. Generally porters charge 340INR while Ponies charge 250INR till Ghangria.
Govindghat-Ghangria Trek - 13kms
Since most of us were insistent on trekking we hired porters to carry our luggage till Ghangria. After crossing a suspension bridge over the Alaknanda the route initially starts with a steep climb of 1 km and anyone who has done Vaishnodevi will have his memories refreshed. After 1km as you gain height the route evens out with gradual ascents ahead. Along the route one is greeted with fresh air, |
Govind Ghat Trek route |
magnificent flowing streams, waterfalls and beautiful landscapes. The surroundings invite you to stop take notice and carry on with more greed in your hearts which makes the entire journey pleasurable. The track is loaded with Sikh pilgrims on their way to Hemkund Sahiba and we often hear moral boosting slogans like "Satnam Waheguru". The entire route also consists of shops at regular intervals selling Maggie and other cold drinks. Intermittent villages of Pulna (3km), Bhuyandar are a photographers delight to capture locals however I may put that the local people here are reluctant to photograph themselves (which makes it even more interesting). Though the trail is smooth, due to heavy treading of ponies, the route becomes slippery due to pony droppings and one has to be a bit careful here. After 8kms of walking you reach a small bridge which spans over the Laxman Ganga River to take you on a final 3kms steep ascent towards Ghangria. Many travelers rest at a small hotel at the bridge before they begin the arduous journey. The last 3 kms are indeed stiff. Maybe the ascent is not that bad but due to the bashing of previous 10 kms the legs sometimes just give up. |
Ghangria (3050mts)
Ghanria |
We reached Ghangria at 4:00 pm in the evening. Thankfully our accommodation was nearby and we were just waiting to hit the bed. Ghangria also known as Gobind Dham is a small village by the side of the river Laxman Ganga. Ghangria serves only one purpose of acting as a base camp for people going to Hemkund Sahiba and the Valley of Flowers. The village is crammed with hotels with no houses in sight. |
The road through the village is narrow, muddy and plastered with pony dung. Nanda Devi Eco committee has setup an Eco Development Centre (EDC) at Ghangria which screens documentary to visitors on the Valley of Flowers. The show is a good watch if you have energy left after the trek. Ghangria also has a Gurudwara which provides free accommodation for pilgrims. |
Day 5 Valley of Flowers (3200 mts)
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Early morning at 6:30 we started our ascent towards the Valley of flowers. 1 km of steep climb from Ghangria brings us to a diversion from where the straight road leads to Hemkund while a left trail moves towards the Valley. The road towards the valley comprises of gradual ascent with steep up and down climbs in between. Overall the route is enjoyable and less tiring. |
From the entrance gate the official Valley lies about 2 - 3kms but one can immediately notice the vivid flora right from the beginning. The Valley of Flowers National Park (87.50 km2, lat 30° 41' - 30° 48'N and long 79° 33' - 79° 46'E) is included in the world heritage site- Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Its altitude ranges from 3,200 m to 6,675m which provides a great diversity of landscape and microhabitats. The valley is surrounded by snow clad mountain peaks. There is a small gorge towards southwest of the valley between Kunt Khal and Saptsring peaks which opens the way to clouds to enter the valley through Pairra from the sub-alpine zone of Bhuyandar valley. |
The credit to popularize the Valley of Flowers goes to a British mountaineer- Frank S. Smythe and his colleague R.L. Holdsworth who incidentally reached this valley after a successful expedition of Mount Kamet in 1931. Fascinated by the valley, Frank S. Smythe revisited this area in 1937 and published a book "The Valley of Flowers” in 1938. In 1939 Joan Margrett Legge from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew of England visited the VOF for plant collection. |
Valley of Flowers |
Unfortunately while collecting plants she fell off a cliff and died. A tomb in her remembrance is raised in the Valley. Recognizing the valley's popularity and its floral wealth all over the world, the then Government of Uttar Pradesh designated its 87.50 km² area as a National Park in 1982, hoping to preserve the ecological integrity of the entire Bhuyandar Valley, and also to conserve its floral diversity. Prior to 1982, the entire Bhuyandar Valley was used as a summer grazing ground for migratory pastoralists.
Botanist inform that the vegetation of the park is divisible into three broad climatic zones viz., sub-alpine, lower alpine and higher alpine zone based on the altitude and climatic conditions.
The sub-alpine zone (<3500 m) is characterized by typical high altitude forests dominated by Acer caesium, Abies pindrow, Betula utilis, Rhododendron campanulatum, Taxus baccata, etc. which terminate at the tree line. Some of the common herbs in tree line zone are Arisaema jacquemontii, Boskniakia himalaica, Corydalis cashmeriana, Polemonium caerulium, Polygonum polystachyum, Impatiens sulcata, Geranium wallichianum, Helinia elliptica, Galium aparine, Morina longifolia, Inula grandiflora, Lilium oxypetala, Anemone rivularis, Pedicularis pectinata, Primula denticulata, Trillidium govanianum etc.
The vegetation of lower alpine zone (3500-3700 mts) consists of small shrubs, herbs, grasses and sedges. Juniperus communis, Rhododendron anthopogon, Lonicera myrtillus, Cotoneaster microphyllus, and Rubus foliolosus are the major shrub species in the lower alpine zone of the park. Multi-coloured flowers like Saussurea obvallata, Polemonium caeruleum, Primula involucrata, Aquilegia pubiflora, Lilium oxypetalum, Epilobium latifolium, Dactylorhiza hatagirea and Corydalis meifolia etc grace the zone. Danthonia cachemyriana, Calamogrostis emodensis and Agrostis pilosula are the common grasses while Kobresia royleana, and Carex nubigena are the major sedges in the lower alpine zone. |
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The vegetation of higher alpine zone (>3700 mts) is sparse. In certain sheltered areas extensive patches of shrubs like Rhododendron lepidotum, Cassiope fastigiata and Juniperus communis are found. Flowering herbs like Geum elatum, Saussurea obvallata, Saussurea simpsoniana, Bistorta affinis, Bergenia stracheyi, Potentilla atrosanguinea, Trollius acualis etc. are found on the slopes. |
The valley has intermittent streams and is often subject to fickle weather changes. The entire journey through the Valley was very pleasant. We were very lucky to have a botanist Mr. Shekhar from EDC to accompany us which proved useful to know about the Flora. We could gather around 30 - 40 plant species which were quite enough for our photographic appetite. We started our descent back towards Ghangria by 2:00 pm and quite leisurely reached our hotel by 4:00 pm. That night we quickly slid in our beds after dinner since we had a hard trek next day to Hemkund Sahib |
Day 6 Hemkund Sahiba (4500mts)
Hemkund Sahiba |
Many of our comrades were planning to hire ponies to reach Hemkund as the trek seemed quite intimidating. It was hence decided that those who wished to trek needed to get going early as the weather gets bad after 1 am. Accordingly we hit the trek route at around 6 am. The route is really tough with steep ascents. We were regularly taking short cuts to avoid long overtures which proved back breaking. |
Fellow pilgrims regularly cautioned us to avoid shortcuts to prevent exhaustion but somehow the long overtures seemed equally draining. The climb seemed never ending and at times I felt whether I had taken the right option. After 3 hours of arduous climb we finally reached the final base of Hemkund. From here there are two routes. One comprising of a slightly easy overture pony trail while the other one is a hard 80 degree climb of 1500 steps. We did not have the patience to go the long way and decided to take the steps. Due to failing oxygen levels and steep climb we had to take rest after every hundred steps. We divided our path into small targets and finally reached the summit by 11:00 am. Atop the feeling of exhilaration just could not leave us. It was like scaling Everest. We took a deserved break and headed towards the holy waters of Hemkund for a dip. As depicted in the holy Granth Sahib, Guru Govind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikh faith had meditated on the bank of this lake in one of his earlier births. |
The water was freezing cold but that would not stop us. The first contact with the water leaves you numb. However the ecstasy of scaling the summit was too great for me to think about anything as I gushed beneath the waters. The moment I came out I suddenly felt as if my agony, pain, cold had all disappeared. I was feeling comfortable warmth in my body, mind and soul. Somehow it struck me that the real value of this holy place can only be absorbed after a |
Hemkund Sahiba |
hard grind and that made me feel even more proud. After a quick change of clothes , a few photographs we headed towards the Hemkund shrine. |
Hemkund Sahiba |
The place is really well kept with good interiors. The main worship room has an unusual calm about it which soothes your nerves. We spent some quite moments there deeply engrossed in our own thoughts and moved on. Hemkund Sahiba is also famous for Lord Laxman Temple. Mythology states that Lord Laxman after defeating the demon goddess Shurpanakha did penance here for his sin of attacking a women. |
Another legend informs that Lord Laxman meditated by the Hemkund Lake and regained his health after being severely wounded by Meghnath, son of the demon Ravana, during battle. We visited the temple and moved towards the Langar which offers free Khichari and tea for all visitors. The Langar is clean and the food items really delicious. After a hearty meal we started our descent towards Ghangria at 12:30 pm. |
Laxman Mandir |
This time I took the pony route since I wanted to capture Himalayan blue poppy and the legendary Brahmkamal which I was unable to during the visit to the Valley of Flowers. The weather gods were kind and we carried on our journey without any difficulties. We reached Ghangria by 4:30 to a much awaited tea and snacks. That night we all were in happy moods as major portion of the hard trek was over. We had a small campfire after dinner that night and slept well. |
Day 7 Ghangria - Govindghat - Badrinath
Early morning we started our descent towards Govindghat. Due to the gate system we were instructed to reach Govindghat by 1:30pm to catch the 2pm gate to Badrinath. Almost everyone decided to trek down. We clicked many photos on our way back with regular breaks and leisurely reached Govindghat by 1:00pm. Our bus was waiting there to take us to Badrinath. As per schedule we got the 2:00pm gate and reached Badrinath by 4:00pm. We checked into our hotel rooms, hurriedly stacked away our bags and rushed towards the hot geyser springs situated in the Shri Badrinathji temple for a deserving bath. The spring pool was too hot to have a dip and we had to gather water in buckets. We put on new clothes and proceeded towards the Badrinath shrine.
Badrinath (3050mts)
Badrinatha Temple |
Badrinath located on the right bank of river Alaknanda is situated 297 kms from the holy town of Rishikesh. Badrinath is considered to be amongst the most pious of the eternal Hindu shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Badrinath is located in the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the Neelkanth peak(6,597m) overlooking in the background. Badrinath temple is dedicated |
to Lord Vishnu. Sadhu and locals inform about scriptures which state that "Of all the innumerable sacred pilgrimage places in heaven and earth there is none equal to Badrinath nor shall there be one". The present temple was built about two centuries ago by the kings of Garhwal. The principal idol in the temple is of black stone and represents Vishnu seated in a meditative pose, and flanked by Nara-Narayan. Badrinath is also known as Vishal Badri and is one of the Panch Badris. The temple remains closed from October to April due to severe winter conditions. During this period the idols are taken to Pandukeshwar. Our visit to the temple was fulfilling but not enough to calm our minds and we decided to revisit it again. That night we went to sleep with wonderful thoughts of our entire journey and the fulfilling experiences nature had bestowed upon us.
Day 8 Mana, Vasudhara and River Saraswati
The next morning was full of expectancy at least for me. I just could not wait to sight the mythical and blissful River Saraswati. Saraswati is one of the three great Rivers in Hindu mythology along with Ganga and Yamuna but unlike the other two, River Saraswati is sighted only for 200mts at Mana village which makes it extra special. We boarded our bus at 8:00 am for Mana village which was 3km from Badrinath.
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Mana Village
Situated 3 kms from Badrinath, this is the last village of India on the Indo-Tibetan border. The hoardings of "Bharat Ki Aakhri Chai Ki Dukaan" are very prominent along the village. Historically Mana village was set up by the Indo-Mongolian tribe. People of many unknown tribes come and live here 6 months in a year. As soon as the gates of |
Mana Village |
| Badrinath open, they come here and as soon as they close, they go down to the plains where they live for the rest of the year. In this way they live a dual family life. These people are very hardworking and industrious. A small scale industry of woolen clothes is run by them wherein the women knit and weave sweaters, carpets, etc. They are very attached to their culture and traditions. Earlier they traded with Tibet but in 1962 this was shut down. |
Vyas Gufa
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Ganesh Gufa
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Vyaas Gufa - Ganesh Gufa
Mana village plays host to Vyaas Gufa. The place is indicative of Sage Vyaas who narrated the epic Mahabharata to Lord Ganesh. Just beneath the Vyaas Gufa at a distance of 100mts lies the Ganesh Gufa. It is believed that it was at this place that Lord Ganesh penned down Mahabharata as heard from Sage Vyaas. Legend informs that Sage Vyaas instructed Lord Ganesh to pen down the Sanskrit verses narrated by him after proper understanding. He also warned Lord Ganesh that he should complete writing the verse before he narrates the next one or else he would stop narrating. Both the Gufas are well maintained and are a must visit. |
Vasudhara Falls
A lovely route of 5kms from Mana village with gradual ascents leads to the magnificent Vasudhara waterfall which has an height of 120mts.The trek route is full of captivating landscapes and serene beauty. After my previous treks I highly appreciated the absence of pilgrims, mules and vendors on this route. The enchanting silk path constantly draws your attention and takes you in a different world. As you approach the falls, the sound of thumping water on hard rocky stones just pulls you towards it. The moment you get the initial glimpse of the falls you are stunned , paralyzed by its aura and beauty. The temperature at the Vasudhara |
Vasudhara Falls |
falls is cold and you can experience numbness if you stay for long periods. However the varied beauty it presents makes you forget all discomforts. The amiable scene of water gushing down from a height and hitting the rocky surface beneath with invigorating force pictures itself as a union of two estranged lovers separated by time. The mischievous nature of water drops emanating on impact can be felt by everyone present there. The tussle between your body and the mind can be felt where one wants to move off due to discomfort while the other wants to just stay on and on. |
Bhim Pul |
Bheem Pul - Saraswati River
On the trek route to Vasudhara falls we come across a natural bridge made of a huge boulder, over the river Saraswati. Mythology states that the bridge was made by the legendary Mahabharata character Bheem. Draupadi and the Pandavas on their way to heaven came across Saraswati River. |
Since Draupadi was in her menses ,the river Saraswati did not allow her to pass. Bheem placed this huge rock over the river as a bridge which is hence known as Bheem Pul. Legend apart, the place is a treat to the eyes. We explored this place on our way back from Vasudhara falls. Sights of emanating Saraswati river from a small rocky cavern, its magnificent steep fall under the bridge and its merger into the Alaknanda river (the confluence of the two rivers is also known as Keshav Prayag) leaves you in awe and gape. |
I could not resist the thought of collecting Saraswati water as a souvenir. Me and my friend Rahul decided to trek down the banks of the river to collect Saraswati Jal. The trek down was steep and difficult. However due to our strong determination we finally reached the river banks. It was lovely. The sound of gushing water was cutting its way like a rapier through the tinsel calm surrounding us. The experience could not be described in words as it was something out of literary context. |
Saraswati River |
We just sat with closed eyes admiring our luck and thanking God for this wonderful opportunity. The excitement of feeling the pure waters was just unimaginable. I can still feel the warmth of my first touch of Saraswati Jal. Its impregnable force and the sanctity of its composure was something out of this world. After we collected the water we took a final glance back at the river and proceeded back towards the top to continue our journey towards Badrinath.
On reaching Badrinath we straight away left for another visit to the Badrinath temple. From the temple we proceeded to the market to buy souvenirs for friends and loved ones. The entire group had dinner at Saket restaurant which serves some great vegetarian delicacies. That night we were happy at our laurels but deep inside I was a bit confused about the magnitude of happiness I had experienced and its implications on the materialistic satisfaction we seek in our daily lives. Next morning on my journey back to Rishikesh I could not stop but wonder over these past days, the friends made, the jokes shared and the magnificent places I was lucky enough to visit and absorb their beauty.
I would not say I felt in love with Vasudhara falls, River Saraswati or Shri Badrinathji, but I was sure infatuated. The best thing about infatuation is that you spend sleepless nights thinking about good things without the worry of rejection, disappointment or commitment. It is a great phase where you build castles of sandy thoughts and just hope that those wonderful moments experienced never die.
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YHAI Goregaon unit treks 
