The Routes I traveled during this journey are
- GANGOTRI-GAUMUKH
- KEDARNATH – GANDHI SAROWAR
- DOGAL BHITA-CHOPTA-TUNGNATH
- BADRINATH – MANA – VYASA GUMPA – BHIMPOOL
- RISHIKESH
In the morning on 22nd October, left UTTARKASHI and got on the bus for TEHRI. Again at TEHRI changed the bus for TILWARA via GHANSALI and CHIRBATRI. This bus was passing through a fertile valley, many small villages were looking very marvelous on the slope of the hills. At GHANSALI bus stopped for half an hour, within the time I was able to exchanged my traveler cheque from the GHANSALI State Bank. The branch manager was so co-operative that within 10 minutes he handover cash. The bus started in zigzag hilly course, sometime upwards and sometime downwards through the valley , where Garwal girls and women with big baskets on their back were found working or going to their woks. In true speaking girls found by the road and working along side were very good looking, they were tall, slim, having sharpen nose and fair complexion. The added beauty was their shyness, they glimpses very shyly to the strangers. It is noteworthy that local people renders various services to tourists. When I changed bus at TILWARA, one local person helped me to get into the bus with my luggage.
Road coming from TEHRI meets the main road going to KEDARNATH from RISHIKESK. The road going along the bank of MANDAKINI and passes through a small town AGASTMUNI – a little town full of green forest. Then I reached GUPTAKASHI - where pujari of KEDARNATH live in this village. It is a important junction place to KALIMUTH, MADMAHESWAR and KEDARNATH. The view of snow-clad mountain peaks and CHAUKHAMBA are marvelous from here. The small villages NALA, PHATA, RAMPUR, and SONEPRAYAG are situated on the bank of MANDAKINI and SONGANGA. All of a sudden our bus became out of order when we were 4 km beyond to our destination GAURIKUND. The pact up bus mostly with local peoples became suddenly empty within a few seconds leaving me and four other tourists from west Bengal. Mysteriously all people were vanished in the surrounded darkness in the hills. So, I along with the other four young tourists were waiting on the side of road in a complete darkness , if any vehicle would be available and finally able to hired a taxi to reached GAURIKUND. . Since then I was included in the tourists group after a few days of my alone traveling. At 19-30 hrs. in the evening we reached GAURIKUND and spent the night with new company. These young boys were RABI DEBNATH, MADAN SAHA, BALAI HAZRA and RAMLAL PODDAR from Deara Para Ghat Road, Nabadwip, Nadia, West Bengal.
2 km more to KEDARNATH Temple
Children were carried by KANDI
In this entire route one can find green forest, lush valley, waterfalls and alpine flowers of various shade. At 13-45 hrs. we reached KEDARNATH , but the temple was closed at 13 hrs. The climate was very cold and windy , everybody were returning to GAURIKUND fearing heavy snowfall. Being Being last of October all hotels and Dharmashalas were closed, only one hotel KALIPRASAD was found shutting its door, but on our request the owner arranged KHEECHURI as lunch.
Background view of KEDARNATH Temple
The temple KEDARNATH set in an area of brown grassy land with towering crown of white snow at the top of the mountain in the background of the temple is looking worthy .
Gradually the afternnon became very cloudy and everything were under the cloud. It was felt too cold to stay outside. Many local people and saints advised us to go back to GAURIKUND, but we spent the night at BOMBAY LODGE with an expectation of next clear sky morning to experience the surrounded splendor of nature.
View of KEDARNATH Temple
We were very lucky on the 24th October – a clear sky morning for screening snow-clad beauty of peaks was gifted in front of our eyes. We could not stay more in the room, hurriedly came out by the attraction of beautiful background scenery of KEDARNATH temple. I felt a heavenly strange peace seeing KEDARNATH temple on the lap of dazzling beauty of nature. First of all, we entered the temple for darshan of KEDARNATHJI .
The famous temple is situated at a height of 3583 m above sea-level, on the slope of Himalayas, where LORD SHIVA’s LINGAM has been installed, and where perpetual snow-clad exits in its background towering peak. A story run that KEDARNATH temple was constructed by the PADAVAS to atone the commitment of sins after the great war of MAHABHARAT.
The temple is magnificent architecture but no historical records found relating its origin or construction. It has a MANDAP and GARBH GRIHA. In the center of the GARBH BRIHA there is a rock, which is worshiped as LORD SHIVA. In the temple morning puja is known as NIRWAN and evening puja as SHINGAR DARSHAN. Generally the temple opens during the last month of April and closes after the day of DEWALI FESTIVAL.
At Gandhi Sarowar
After DARSHAN at 8-25 hrs. we began trekking 4 kms upwards for BASUKI and GANGHI SAROWAR. Here three stream form a big glacier and DUDHA GANGA are all united to form MANDAKINI.
In the evening at 16-20 hrs. We returned to GAURIKUND, spent the night here.
