Chardham Trip (Uttarakhand --Part 1)
Chardham Trip is annual pilgrimage trip taking up by millions of devotees. I could attend this trip this year and realized the volume and magnitude of pilgrimage and its overall impacts. Find herewith some interesting pictures and tips.
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| Jankichatti |
Start your trip early morning from Haridwar/Rishikesh. It will take almost 10 hours to reach Balkot, the base camp. You may find a number of hotels here. If you want to go to the real campsite it is Jankichatti (2 hours from Blakot by taxi), where pilgrims start their trek to Yamunotri. This place is crowded as well as the hotels charge high rates for rooms.
The trek from Jankichatti to Yamunotri take 4 hours if you are moving in a moderate pace. The distance is 6 km. (oneside), but steepness of the route will make you tired. Ponywalas, Palkiwalas, etc. que up here to offer their support.
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| Yamunotri Dham |
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| Kalindi Parvat |
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| A devotee offering prayers |
Taking a dip in hot spring would remove all your tiredness. A visit to this temple, performing rituals and worship will freshen up the mind . Offering prayers at the beginning of River Yamunotri marks the first point of Chardham trip. When you climb down you may be filled with the feeling of bliss and fulfillment as you could do it.
The village near Jankichatti is a worth place to see. We will find the traditional architectural features and rural life.
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| Shani Temple |
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| A damaged structure |
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| Carvings in Wooden structure |
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| A modern house with traditional wood craft |
To reach Yamunotri, you can start from Dehradun or Haridwar. If you travel from Dehradun, you can try the route through Mussorie. The road appears to scare you enough. The steep bends and turns can also make you vomit if you have motion sickness. Another route is through Vikasnagar, but this route may take more time as advised by our driver. Entire route is filled with scenic beauty and the river Yamuna along with you. Balkot to Jankichetti route will amaze you and add adrenalin as the steep height starts from here. You may also encounter landslide as unexpected rain can even stop you proceeding further.
Your eyes may be filled with tears, when you see the Holy River Yamuna getting polluted during its course till it merges with River Ganga in Allahabad. The truth is that we consciously forget to understand the importance of Rivers and its significance in our life.
The soul of a river is being transformed as a drain carrying the sins of humans......
The mountains are silent witness of this change, but what to do,
the nature will find its own solution..
to erase the sins of the world...
(All pictures displayed here are taken during trip, Next : Gangotri)
Your eyes may be filled with tears, when you see the Holy River Yamuna getting polluted during its course till it merges with River Ganga in Allahabad. The truth is that we consciously forget to understand the importance of Rivers and its significance in our life.
The soul of a river is being transformed as a drain carrying the sins of humans......
The mountains are silent witness of this change, but what to do,
the nature will find its own solution..
to erase the sins of the world...
(All pictures displayed here are taken during trip, Next : Gangotri)