Sojourn to the Lake of Truth : Satopanth

This is the concluding part of a two trek combined sojourn, wherein the first segment dealt with the trek to Mandini Valley and beyond in order to see the flowering of the alpine flowering plants which are rare and not seen outside the Himalayan Region in the Garhwal segment during peak monsoon. The concluding segment deals with a trek to the Lake of Truth: Satopanth, deep in the Trans Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand.

2.            I pick up from the last post where my team had arrived safely post completing the Mandini Sojourn at Rudraprayag; confluence town of two of India’s holy rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini   and were now focused on the next part of the trek which would begin ahead of Badrinath Ji .

3.            The next day was spent in travelling as we boarded the state transport bus and finally reached Joshimath at 1400 hrs crossing significant towns like  Karnaprayag , Nandaprayag , Pipal koti . At Joshimath we boarded a local max trekker for the holy town of Badrinath which we would be reaching by 1630 hrs. The route of Joshimath to Badrinath is all unstable with heavy landslide activity at Lambagad followed by few more locations and two very significant water crossings. The max trekker, an old horse on this route managed all these quite dexterously with the driver knowing fully the tricks of the trade. He had been waiting for his turn to take on passengers since three days now as per the roster that is maintained at Joshimath, however with poor influx of tourists it had been a long wait and in this particular case it was of three days. The capacity of passengers was 14 and he charged 160/- from each for the trip.

4.            So my second visit to Badridhaam and what a change from the previous occasion, no rush of people or vehicles. Hotels were empty, shopkeepers idle. I checked in to the same place where had stayed last time and after an hour or so spent sitting on the hotel parapet wall watching grown up guys playing cricket i decided to walk down to the temple. There was no rush at Badrinathji, I  moved inside the main temple and sat for some time right out there. After paying my respects to badrinath ji wandered outside and sat down at an enclosure where there was a discourse on Gita happening. The entire atmosphere was serene and unhurried unlike last time where you just had moments in front of the main shrine before being told to move out. I realised that peak monsoon time is one of the best time to visit these places if one wishes to see the main shrine and feel the occasion in a correct manner.

5.            At around 6 in evening Umeid and me went for a walk till Mana village which was 4 kms away and it was a good exercise to loosen the stiff muscles. By the time we returned it was night and i bade good night to my team as i walked back to my hotel. 

Lake of Truth  

Waterfalls in Western Ghats ( series 2)

Western Ghats, The Sahyadri; call it as you desire but one of the most iconic and historical mountain range of Indian Subcontinent, diverse in its biological flora and fauna running along the west coast of India, it is a mind boggling feat of nature and for nature lovers it offers a passage back in time to how nature is supposed to be in all her grandeur.

I have always yearned to travel and see the various gems that lie hidden in this massive mountain range which is heavily forested and hides a world within itself. Among the various jewels, one that draws me the most are Waterfalls. There are some which are famous and then there are some which are hidden, showcasing their beauty to few those who venture through forest glades and past the barriers that nature has erected in order to gaze in wonder at the beauty that lies out there.

In my previous post I had spoken about the Sathodi Falls, this post we would be speaking about two more hidden gems: Ajjigundi Falls and Shirley Falls: -

Firstly, about the Ajjigundi falls, I came across this name while doing a search about the Falls in the Yellapur district of Uttara Karnataka. The falls are located truly off the beaten track and though not  huge they definitely are worth a visit. One has to take a left from Idgundi and leave the NH 52 na d then move onto SH 6. Post some kms , one needs to take the detour and take a short hike after parking the vehicle. Nestled amidst plantations and green foliage, one has to ask directions from the local houses that are located few and in between. It is the roar of the falls that will eventually guide you once you reach its vicinity. Standing tall amidst areca plantations, it is a photographer’s delight and with none of the touristic crowd around, it is a serene place to be in.

As far as I am concerned, visiting falls is not something that has to be measured in minutes or hours rather the moments spent have to be collected to make up the bucket, it depends on the individual as to what kind of moments and how many of them he/she collects. On occasions I have sat down near them with my mind as a replica of an empty canvas, forcing the prevailing thoughts to be left behind and then let the vibes of that place draw a series of new patterns of thoughts on the blank canvas.

Shirley falls is located also in Yellapur Distt and one has to take a detour from the Hubli –Karwar National Highway 52. This fall is also on the off beaten route and is hardly known outside of the local region. One needs to drive towards Idgundi from Karwar ad then park the vehicle at Shirley Bus Stop, which is a small nondescript bus stop on the highway. There is a muddy trail which slopes into the forest and one can take a 4x4 drive if confident, I chose to walk. The trail winds downwards going deeper into the jungle, there is plantations of Areca with few houses seen few and in between. One has to take the left diversion on the trail whenever it comes and then keep on moving. In case of hesitation, one can approach the houses to ask for directions and that is what I had done. After a 30 min hike, one is drawn to the sound of the fall and can see it in full glory away from prying eyes. It is a one stage fall though the chasm at the base of it looks scary and prohibits anyone from wandering too close to the fall . I spent a good deal of time out here and retraced my path well satisfied with nature’s delights.

These falls are famous amongst the locals and hardly any traveler from other region ventures here, definitely worth a visit.