31.07. 2025 The bhandara management started vacating the inmates as early as 5 am. We were yet to know the weather condition outside. It appeared to be pretty cold. Many people have already started towards the holy cave. I saw Sanghamitra is getting ready. I too started packing the bag and got ready. People who slept nearby my side had already left. We came outside of the tent. Sanghamitra then told me that she took the medical help last evening, as her blood oxygen levels were low. She had a bad headache and gastric problems. Although I was not very confident that we could reach up to the holy cave, my actual plan was to stay at Panchatarmi and have Darshan the next day. Fortunately, Sanghamitra’s health was better that morning, as she wanted to have darshan. We tried to hire horses but only found one horseman, and already he has committed to some other yatris. At last we found a horseman who agreed to drop us in Holy Cave for Rs 2500 per person. The route was slushy, and i...
We reached the place where we kept the mobile phones. After taking the pictures and videos, we came out around 11:45 am. After having some food, we decided to reach Baltal, which is approx. 16 KM from the shrine. We hired two horses and started from the shrine premises by 12:30 pm. It was a hot and sunny day. The route given to horses seems to be very steep. Sitting on a horse on a steep slope needs a lot of care. I could not take many pics while returning. The pedestrian route was well marked, and we could see the beeline of people going towards Baltal. We could see the camp of defence forces. The helipad and their facilities in the small plains. After climbing down almost a km, we started going upwards again. Another steep climb to the top of the mountain. After covering a distance of 6 km we had a break for tea. We found a roadside shop, where Sanghamitra had magi and I took tea. Shahnawaz, the owner of the horse, also took a break to have some food. We again proceeded to...
We already decided to visit Drass and Kargil on the last day. Our driver came at the right time. We checked out of the hotel at Sonamarg and boarded the Tata Sumo. The driver was very polite; he stopped in between to explain to us the features. The boundary of the J&K union territory ends at a village before we reach Baltal. The tunnels under construction can be seen en route. These tunnels reduce travel time in a substantial manner. Slowly we could see the road towards Zojila Pass. The winding roads bring a pleasant surprise to the visitors. On the other side, we can see the sprawling valley. The camp spread around the Baltal area can be seen below. BRO maintains the road, and it’s not an easy task, as the harsh winter, snow and landslides damage the road badly. Each loop appeared to be a challenging task for the heavy truck drivers. I felt that my long-pending dream came true. I am passing through the Zoji'la pass. We stopped at multiple points before reaching Zero Poi...