A Vagrant’s Sojourn – Part 3 - Kedarnath

"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” Don Williams Jr.

The drive from Gangotri to Kedarnath was very scenic and serene. The vastness of the sky, puffy cloud patches, tall Devadaru trees punctuated on either side, snow covered peaks, mighty rivers rushing through deep gorges and the chilly wind smothering the cold river ensnares our attention and only make us reminiscent Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhava. No other poet like Kalidasa has ever described the might and beauty of Himalayas.

Here is the ariel view of the controversial Tehri Dam built on River Bhagirathi. Towering 855 feet (261 m), the main dam at Tehri is the 8th tallest dam in the world. The dams were engineered by the architect Sufyan Ahmad.

The next place of halt was Uttarkashi. Uttarkashi is the district headquarters is a crowded town. It is also home to several beautiful temples and ashrams. The famous Sivananda Ashram has its headquarters in Uttarkashi and they also run their Yoga training session in their ashram. Situated on the mountain plains, on the banks of river Bhagirathi and Uttarkashi is blessed with a warm temperature. One can find paddy cultivation and step farming on the plains Himalayas.

From Uttarkashi one needs to travel through Deoprayag, Srinagar, Gharsali, Chirbala, Chandrapuri, Agastamuni, to get to Rudraprayag. The longest journey on the mountain is between Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag, which is 260 Kms.
Rudraprayag is a small town nestled at the confluence of rivers Alakananda and Mandakini.
Mandakini flows sluggishly from Kedarnath and Alakananda flows with fervor from Badrinath. The turquoise blue color of Mandakini and slight greenish tinge of Alakananda produces an indescribable brilliant palette of green at the Sangam.

There is a Durgaji Mandir at the confluence. A flight of steps lead you to the nose of the confluence. Majesty of the rivers and the veiled energy that they carry can enliven our mind and soul.

“The longest journey a man must take is the eighteen inches from his head to his heart”

Here is the view of the confluence from the balcony of my room. The energy from the rivers is contagious. It impinges the mind with a potent tranquilizer, harmonizes mind and heart, and shrouds it with calmness and clarity. Is this what they call the journey from head to heart?

Aarthi is performed at the confluence every evening to the chant of sacred hymns, playing of Chenda and symphony orchestrated by both the rivers. This is a treat for the senses. Women have been performing aarthi for the past several generations.

Descending from Gangotri one travels through dense forest, charming valleys, seamlessly overlapping mountains and never ending roads to get to Kedarnath. Since each of the holy shrines is situated on a peak it takes a day to get from one peak to another. From Rudraprayag it takes approximately 6 hrs to reach Gaurikund.

At a distance of 5 kms. from Son Prayag and at a altitude of 1982 mts., Gaurikund is the last bus station on the Kedarnath route. Before proceeding for Kedarnath on foot, people bathe in the hot water spring, visit the Gauri Devi temple and do pithru tharpan at Gauri Kund.


This is the place where Goddess Parvati meditated to attain Lord Shiva. In Hindu mythology, Gauri first tries to attract Shiva with her beauty, but when that fails (since Shiva is the model yogis) she began to carry out ascetic and yogic practices to win him in that way. Local tradition claims that this is the spot where Gauri lived while carrying out these practices, it was here that Shiva finally revealed his love for her, and the pair were married at Triyugi Narayan, which is 10 miles away. One needs to take a local transportation from Gaurikund and roundtrip takes 3 hrs. It is believed that the agni that was lit during the Shiva-Parvati marriage continues to burn today at this place.


One needs to get raincoat to protect against the unpredictable weather and oxygen cylinder before ascending the mountains of Kedarnath. A four hour, 16 kms trek from Gaurikund brings you to Kedarnath. The 16 kms trek takes you 2 kms vertically up to 12 thousand feet above the ground. Rarified air and lack of oxygen makes one easily tired during the climb. One must ascend the mountain with proper winter clothing, if not they are sure to freeze.


Apart from Ponys and palkis today helicopter services are available to Kedarnath. But it is takes away the pleasure of climbing the mountain by foot and enjoying her beauty from every step. The aperture of your eyes, memory in your mind is never enough to capture the beauty of the lofy peaks.

Mandakini trickles aram se from the lofty peaks at Kedarnath.

Kedarnath shrine (one of the 12 Jyotirling temples) is situated in the foothills of the majestic mountain completely blanketed by snow. It is believed that Adi Shankara constructed this temple and it is from here he made is journey to Kailash. Behind the temple is the samadhi mandir of Adi Sankara.

The actual temple is an impressive stone edifice of unknown date. No specific family of pujaris supervises rituals at Kedarnath, which focus around veneration of the stone lingam that rests in the inner sanctum of the temple. Apart from Shiva there are sannadhis for Vishnu, Ganesha, Parvathi, and Panch Pandavas. Even with socks one cannot stand in the outer prakaras of the temple for more than couple of minutes, but the Sanctum sanctorum remains warm and rich in oxygen. No one knows why it is warm inside.

The Shiva Lingam (sign of Shiva) here is a natural rock in the shape of a buffalo’s hump.It is believed that Shiva took the form the Bull went underground to escape from Bheem (one of the Panch Pandavas). While rest of the body was under the ground his hump alone was visible to Bheem. With all might and power he held on to the hump which is worshipped as Shiva at Kedarnath. Rudranath is the place where the bull’s face appeared, Madmaheswar is where his navel is said to have fallen, his arms appeared at Tunganath and his tresses at Kalpeshwar. All the five places are referred to as Panch Kedar.

Sub zero temperature will freeze your bones and frigid air devoid of oxygen makes your lung gasp. The Temple is open from Akshaya Trithiyai in May till Diwali in November. Look at these Sadhus without any protective clothing. Covered with sacred ash, one of the Sadhu is just wearing the Panchakosha (5 sheaths) but not protective gear withstand the biting cold. Has this Sadhu conquered his senses? Has he conquered his mind?

“Once we begin to see travel as an inner journey, it is possible to turn every trip we take into a spiritual practice—a hero’s adventure that enlivens our hearts and enlarges our souls. Travel becomes a spiritual experience for us when we are conscious at every moment that our physical transportation from place to place has a metaphysical counterpart. Understanding that, the road takes us inexorably to an encounter with the ‘stranger’ at the heart of the journey—the transformed self.” –Joseph Dispenza, The Way of the Traveler

Part 2 – Gangotri

People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering. St. Augustine, Early Christian Priest

Isn’t that a profound quote to ponder? Hmmm….

After the adventurous to trip to Yamunotri I was all geared for more adventure. My body had got used to the serpentine roads, cold nights, and mind was ready for more excitement after that cliff hanger.

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. Henry David Thoreau

That is what I did driving on the mountains. There were so many scenic spots during the drive, and I stopped every now and then to enjoy the beauty and absorb it all. Every pixel in my brain was busy capturing the images on the mountain. There is nothing but only of silence on the mountains, an enjoyable silence. All that one could hear is the gushing rivers and humming beetles.

She is called Bhagirathi in child hood, the wild and turbulent Himalyan river named after Bhagirath. She originates at Gaumukh from the Gangotri glacier at an elevation of 7,756 m (25,446 ft), in Uttarakhand. She flows for about 700 km (435 mi) before merging with the Alaknanda at an elevation of 465 m (1,526 ft) in the town of Devprayag.

The river downstream from the holy confluence, Sangam, is known as the Ganges. The controversial Tehri dam lies at the confluence of the Bhāgirathi and Bhilangana, near Tehri.

Gangotri - Where flowers bloom as an expression of joy, where walks, picnics and treks lead one to undiscovered stretches of green, grassy land... serving as a perfect invitation to sit down, relax and enjoy the surroundings. A perfect tribute to nature.

Gangotri, close to the source of Ganga (Ganges river) and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. At an altitude of 3,042 m, a Gorkha Commander, Amar Singh Thapa, constructed the temple in the early 18th century AD.

Right opposite to the Gangaji Mandir stands the lofty peak of Gangotri, the origin of Bhagirathi. I wanted to get to the peak and peek at her origin. Isn’t life is all about exploration and discovery, mostly of nature and rarely of self?

I have heard about her from puranas, but as always the human mind is curious to know more pristine beauty and secrets. My climb was to see her. She is adorable even in her middle age, carrying a shade turquoise, caressing the plains and readily absolving us of our sins.

And see the rivers how they run Through woods and meads, in shade and sun, Sometimes swift, sometimes slow,-- Wave succeeding wave, they go A various journey to the deep, Like human life to endless sleep! John Dyer

Situated amidst the incredible beauty of mountain peaks, 5000 mts. high is the quiet resort of Harsil. Living all my life in safe and secured homes, I wanted to experience a night in a camping ground on the banks of the river surrounded by apple orchards. Sleeping under the star studded and moonlit skies with lullaby orchestrated by beetles and gurgling river. And waking up to the fragrance of flowers, fresh oxygen, and call of birds. Wow! Does it sound like a fairly tale?

Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heave - Rabindranath Tagore

Due to extreme winters occupation on these mountain peaks is seasonal. Apple orchards extend on either side of the river and offer employment opportunity for men and women. Freshly picked apples are packed in carton boxes and are brought to the plains in refrigerated vans.

All I could remember when I saw these apples was Vicco Vajradanti advertisement for tooth paste. Harsil is famous for juicy and luscious apples. Sugar and juice content in these apples are definitely higher than Himachal apples. Do you believe it just cost Rs. 20 per kg? Want to take a bite?

There are no convents, school buses, and spine bending book bags to carry to the school. People walk along the mountain slope with cattle and sheep. The school is nothing fancy, but just a shed, a make shift school for kids, a few books, few students and few teachers – life simplified.

The innocent and beautiful have no enemy, but time – WB Yeats

Apart from agriculture, cattle rearing and farming, the mountains also offer other kinds of employment, but it is hard physical labor. Elderly tourist and travelers are carried either on mules, palkis, or by pitoos. They all look thin, fit and healthy, unlike the ones in the cities with corpulent tummies, clogged arteries and gasping for breath every few steps.