Life in a magic world

Our next trip point was to reach Badrinath. The bus which we boarded stopped at Joshimath at around 6.30 pm as it was proceeding to Auli. The evening was very pleasant at Joshimath as the dark clouds at the horizon was slowly telling as it may rain any time. After waiting for some time, one family going towards Badrinath offered us space at a price of Rs. 200 per person for 45 k.m.  When we started to Badrinath, the night has already shown its arrival. The route was empty as the uphill vehicles are stopped after evenings. Govindghat comes in between Joshimath and Badrinath. Here Sikh pilgrims stop for their vehicles and start trek to Hemkund Sahib which is situated at an altitude of 4500 meters approx. above sea level.  Badrinath Dham (Main Gate) When we reached Badrianth it was 9.30 pm. The streets were occupied by devotees and almost all restaurants were full. We were looking for our accommodation and finally found a place at a rate of Rs. 2000 per night for a fa...

WE can;t say our sleep was good. It was just a resting place as the bell sound of horses and yelling of other camp mates kept our sleep away. At 5 in the early morning, we started again after having a cup of hot tea. The sky was clear and the fog, rain clouds everything disappeared. The sight of the near by hills  and the flow of river Mandakini caught our attention.  The ambush of flooded water on the riverbanks and the pilgrim routes in the year 2013 was clearly embedded. The track ahead was scant as the pilgrims were yet to reach that area, other than those who continued it from previous evenings trip. The last hill to climb literally pulled our legs back as it was very steep. We could get a birds view of Kedarnath Temple and the surrounding area from there.  The view of the valley was really a reminder of the incident of cloudburst and the flood. The temperature was very low and we were shivering with cold. People were getting ready at the helipad area. Helic...

Kedarnath dham It was a long cherished dream to visit Kedarnath as it is one of the most important Jyotirlinga temples in India. Me and my wife were highly excited to start the trip and after passing Rudraprayag, we realised the toughness of the journey. Narrow road where only one vehicle can go at a time, sharp bends, and the high chances of landslides. At one point I literally shouted at the bus driver that the last wheel is about to fall in to a gorge while he was giving side to another car.  Gupt Kashi is the nearest main town and a number of helipads can be found while moving towards Gourikund. We stayed overnight at a point called Phatta which is almost 1 hour away from Sonprayag, the base camp of Kedarnath.  Early morning we started to Sonprayag. All yatris  should get themselves registered  and give the biometric at Gourikund in order to proceed further. The next part is to wait for your turn to board a jeep to Gourikund. Jeeps take pilgrims to a dist...

The second stop for a pilgrim is Gangotri in Chardham trip. From Yamunotri taxis and buses offer services to reach here. If we start in the morning, by evening we can reach Gangotri. The journey from Uttarkashi to Gangotri is really a breathtaking one. Narrow roads and hair pin bends. The steep height from ground level to the top of the mountains. River Bhagirathi is merging with Alaknanda and Mandakini at Devprayag. Bhagirath was the saint who brought River Ganga in to this world through his prayers and tapasya.  We can reach near to the temple by vehicle but need to trek for 14 km if we wish to see Gomukh, the origin point.  The temple is constructed fully in white marble. People line in que to get darshan and during the aarti we can expect lot of pilgrims.  Gangotri Mandir The purity of the river we can see at its best. Crystal clear water looks like real amrit. The surrounding glaciers bless the river to survive in its present form. Temperature dips duri...

The First Dham.....Yamunotri  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. 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.  Yamunotri Dham Kalindi Parvat A devotee offering prayers ...

It was indeed a very touching experience I had at Chennai station on the early morning hours on 15.08.2018. I was on the way to Varanasi after completing the workshop at Kongu Engineering college in Erode. I came to Chennai by Erode-Chennai Yercuad Express which reached at 4 am on the said day. I was sitting in a bench in PF No. 10 as my mobile phone was charging in a nearby power point. Around 5 am, an old man around 75’s in decent dress asked me for a help and initially I ignored as I was tired to attend anyone. My body was hesitate to function as I had a very disturbed sleep past night. He came close to me this time and spoke to me in clear English something.  It was “Can you understand English”? I told him I can. I looked at him very carefully as I realised that this old man really needs something from me. The man was wearing a dark blue tshirt, a decent pants and having a small bag in his hand. From his appearance I could make it out that he may be somewhere from northern ...

The day was reserved to experience the rainy land.  Cherapunjee was once recorded as the place having highest rainfall. Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Sohra After quick breakfast from the guest house we all got ready to move in to the hills. The first sight seeing point was Shillong Hill view. Then enroute the bus stopped at several spots where we can find the beautiful waterfalls . the landscape of the area make you feel that you are travelling to the end of the world. Utmost silence everywhere. Vehicles goes on a convoy basis as there is no frequent transportation available in these areas. We stopped for a brief visit to the Ramakrishna Mission Asram at  Sohra (old name of Cherrrapunjee also means land of oranges) Next stop is Cherrapunjee. There is a board welcomes the visitors to this beautiful place with a message. This place recorded highest rainfall in India. The long strip of table top land, a cloudy sky and a cool breeze was all around when we stepped ou...