UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY ( Day IV : WANDERING IN HARDIWAR )

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY 

#DAY IV: @Haridwar.

23.          Today we were supposed to visit few more temples in and around Haridwar as well as go back to the Ghat in the evening and take part in the evening aarti. It.It was five thirty  in the morning when I got up and hurriedly picked up my gear to go to the ghats. The town was all hustle and bustle at this hour and by the time I reached the ghat, there were quite a number of pilgrims and visitors .The pilgrims were all assembled in order to take a holy dip in the Ganges during sunrise.

24.          However try as I might somehow I was unable to understand from within what I was looking to click , my thoughts rather went on reflecting on the way how I had landed up here , for till some months back there was no thought in my mind that I needed to visit Haridwar but then that’s how wheel of life turns . The early morning sunrise surrounded by humanity yet finding space amongst all in order to connect with the vibes of earthly elements, the flow of the Ganges, the warmth of the rising sun, the feel of the earth out there, if I close my eyes I can still feel those vibes come up to my inner heart making their presence felt as they did that morning. They made me feel different in a way that I cannot describe but they did … Rousing myself from my thoughts i did try to click a few pics and then wandered the Ghats just observing the atmosphere surrounding me. By around eight I was back to the hotel.

25.          The schedule for the day included a visit to Kankhal as well as the RK mission out there followed by a visit to Maa Mansa Devi temple atop the nearby hills and then the evening aarti. So accordingly we set out and decided to hire the services of the tam tam for a visit to nearby temples .These are battery operated scooters which are similar to the auto rickshaws but have less power, more speed, agility and definitely less pollution. It makes more sense to hire them for a pre negotiated amount and fixed places that one wants to visit.

26.          We visited many temples in the morning on the way to Kankhal , the entire region has so many temples with each having its own story. Thereafter reaching Kankhal, we visited the Daksheswara Mahadev Mandir. Also we visited the Shree Yantra Mandir and the RK mission out there. The summer heat was at its peak and it was scorching in the afternoon. In the afternoon we visited the Maa Mansa Devi mandir which is reached by taking a sky lift cable car till the top of the hill. The mandir had a very strong positive vibe and one could feel the aura of Devi Maa out there. By the time we were done with the visit it was evening and we decided to have a look at few of the ashrams that are spread out to the north of the city. It was very calm atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle when we visited these places.

27.          As dusk was approaching we retraced our steps and reached the ghaat to take part in the aarti which definitely has a very strong pull and after an exhilarating experience our day drew to a close. 

MORNING SUNRISE

SAPT RISHI ASHRAM  

PERSPECTIVE  

THE GANGES MEANDERS

HARIDWAR  

SREE YANTRA MANDIR 

INSIDE THE SREE YANTRA MANDIR  

BELIEF 

DAKSHA MANDIR  

DAKSHASTHAL  

ARDHNARESHWARA MANDIR  

SURYA RATH @ ONE OF THE VARIOUS TEMPLES 

SRINGERI MATH MANDIR  

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY ( Day III : ONWARDS TO HARDIWAR )

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYA AND  SPIRITUALITY

# DAY III : Delhi to Haridwar.

12.          So on to the third day of the travel we found ourselves in the heart of India and on top of that bang in the middle of the Delhi’s traffic too. Delhi marks the transition point for all those who travel to Northern India from the south or the west of the country. From here onwards the direction of travel was North, “up up North” was the mantra to follow, Delhi to Haridwar is a fairly well defined route and urban chaos at its best. There is nothing remotely interesting or exciting. The route takes one through a kladiescope of humanity and its existence. From the urban chaos of Ghaziabad to the seriousness of Muzzafarnagar to the pride of Roorkee, it’s all about living mass of humanity their hopes and aspirations; their sorrows and joys.

13.          The journey time was 08 hours and by 1500 hrs we were in Haridwar. Oh yea tutorial on aggressiveness of Delhi traffic goers (if ever there is such a word) was imparted without fail and the Indomitable had a nasty brush with a school bus driven by a ox head of a man, there was no gain to be made by indulging in a verbal spat in the middle on the road other than to provide some real life drama to the ogling public, so we just decided to cut our losses and move on.

14.          So, on a hot summer evening in the temple town of Haridwar we found ourselves soaking in the feeling of a pilgrim town. The stay was at GMVN operated rest house which was decent and in a central location. The uppermost thought in the mind was to see the Ganges , I personally never had seen or touched the Ganges and this was definitely one of the defining moments in my life and that too of all the places it was going to be Haridwar.

15.          So accordingly we set out of the hotel and decided to use the local transport for the purpose because Haridwar is also plagued by the same problem seen all over the towns/cities that have become tourist hubs , excessive crowding and infrastructure of the city groaning to sustain it . Hence using the personal car was definitely not an option as I did not know where the Ganga Ghat was,  there are many ghats all along the Ganges but everyone goes to the most famous of them all: Har Ki Pauri which translated into Hindi means “The Lord’s Feet “.

16.          This ghat on the banks of the Ganges is the most sought after place in the entire town and it is taken for granted that anyone who is walking on the road leading to the ghat is going towards it. All along the road have sprung up hotels, eateries, shops, guides who jostle with each other to entice the traveler. It is an unending cauldron of humanity with everyone trying to fulfill his own desires whether it is spiritual or commercial, it’s a sight to see and to soak in , cannot be described but am sure many of us will be able to relate to this.

17.          The road becomes narrower and narrower as we approached the Ghats sitting in a pedal driven rickshaw, I think I must be sitting on one after a decade, it took me some ungainly movements to in fact climb on to it. The rickshaw soon deposited us at the Ghat entrance and we moved ahead among the teeming mass of people to see the Ganges and then to orient ourselves as to what was the pull that bought teeming millions out here.

18.          Har Ki Pauri, meaning steps of the Lord himself is a highly religious place both historically as well as mythically. The Ghaat has come up around Brahma Kund, which is considered auspicious since the time of the vedas.  There are many other ghaats dotted all across the Ganges but this one holds special importance.

19.          My first sight of Maa Ganga and what a feeling it was. I hurriedly walked towards the steps leading to the water and touched the Holiest of all Indian Rivers: Ganges. It was the month of May and the Indian plains were in searing heat waves but the water; ahhh the water was cold and inviting. There was absolutely no trace of summer heat in the water of the Ganges as she flowed. The Ghat has numerous temples which have been built over the years and the Ganga flows through the channels that have been constructed.

20.          The main event was the evening aarti known as “Ganga Aarti”, performed by 11 priests . Each evening, at sunset priests perform the Ganga Aarti , where in lamps are set in the water to drift downstream The aarti is witnessed by huge crowds and the religious fervor is something worth experiencing. The priests hold large fire bowls which they rotate in a right handed circular direction, gongs in the temples start ringing and chants flow in the air creating a sublime atmpsphere.There is a rush to have the best possible seating in order to view the aarti. We opted to take the seating opposite to the ghaat where the aarti was happening in order to see the aarti from the frontal point of view. The aarti is performed to worship Maa Ganga to seek her blessings and invoke her presence in this auspicious place.

21.          By the time the aarti was completed it was close to eight in the evening and people started slowly leaving the ghat. We hung around for some time more, the place and the feeling is so intoxicating. Almost everyone floats a lighted lamp and some flowers after conducting prayers in to the waters of the Ganga which signify hope and wishes.

22.          Well that was how the day ended, as we slowly walked back to the Hotel, immersed in the events of the day and discussing the religious appeal of the town which leaves no one untouched or immune.

Odo for the day : 92352

EVENING AARTI  

MAA GANGA  HOLDS ALL 

HAR KI PAURI 

GANGA MANDIR  

OBLIVIOUS TO EVERYTHING ELSE  

SPIRITUAL MOMENTS  

Uttarakhand : An Ode to Himalaya and Spirituality (Leg II towards Delhi )

# Day II : Udaipur to Delhi.

10.          This sector has seen a change in the stop over for night  as I became more conversant with the route of travelling up North , in my earlier travels I used to travel till Behror(Harayana) but on this occasion I moved  right up to Delhi itself which was another 150  kms ahead. The drive is again long and instead of using NH 8 my recommendation is to go in to the heartland of Rajasthan via Chittorgarh , Bhilwara, Nasirabad,Kishangarh ,  Jaipur from where  one would  cross over into Harayana and then via towns of Behror , Rewari  reaching upto Gurgaon and then its Delhi itself  which says Hello . The highways used are NH 76 and then NH 79 and rejoin NH8 at the Kishangarh-Jaipur Expressway.

11.          The highways 76 & 79 are super bland but off late I have begun noticing traffic in an otherwise long curving road in the middle of nowhere. The lunch option is again fantastic, I in fact wait to eat at one of the obscure dhabas that are visible on the Bhilwara-Nasirabad stretch. Great simple food cooked on wooden fired chulahs right in front of you as one sits cross legged on coir Chairpouys with a wooden plank place across that serves as the tableJ. The stay for the night at Delhi  was at a friend’s pad and it was a welcome change.

ODO for the day stood at : 92294

Uttarakhand : An Ode to Himalaya and Spirituality (Leg I towards Udaipur )

# Day I : Mumbai to Udaipur.

4.            A lot has been written about this sector by me previously and hence will not dwell much into it. Summarily stating the route is along National Highway 8 and touches important cities like Vapi , Surat , Barauch , Vadodra , Ahmedabad and Himmatnagar. However the Highway bypasses these cities  skirting them  thereby saving valuable time. The choke point being the old bridge on the river Narmada connecting Barauch with Ankleshwar. On a bad day one can get stuck here for a couple of hours hence the alternate option of using the Golden Gate Bridge for which one has to enter the town of Ankleshwar definitely needs to be considered.

5.            Travelling on the Golden Gate bridge is a worthwhile experience especially for new comers , the construction dating back to the eighteenth century always invokes a sense of curiosity and pride that the bridge still is fully operational and providing yeoman service to all those who travel over it .

6.            The other point of interest on this sector is the National Expressway 1 connecting Vadodra with Ahmedabad, of all the transit corridors built I think we can safely club the National Expressway 1, Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Yamuna Expressway in a different league altogether .The various aspects considered during the construction of these roads sets them apart from the rest of the Highways which have been laid across the length and breadth of this country.

7.            The journey though did not start pleasantly, I always prefer staring on time or slightly ahead of it especially when I have a schedule to keep. It was nine in the morning and I found myself  still in Mumbai with having  close to 800 Kms to be covered during the day however with determined driving and minimal breaks in between I was able to pull it back and rolled in to the driveway of RTDC Hotel Kajri, Udaipur while the dashboard clock stated 2130 hours.  Living in Mumbai, for any road trips towards North India this is my only economical and logical route albeit a bit long. But over time I have been able to develop a methodology in road trips of pushing hard  in the early days covering large distances so that i am in the foothills of the Himalaya while the journey is still fresh. Out in the mountains its back to the concept of disregarding distance as the deciding factor for deciding the destination of the day rather the climatic conditions and the beauty of the region make that decision.

8.            In Udaipur I have always stayed at RTDC Kajri , the state owned tourist rest house which I find economical as well as comfortable for a night stay. It always happens that while I am entering the city it is invariably late in the night and searching for a hotel at that time is taxing to say the least especially if one has driven an average of 800 Kms in the preceding hours.

9.            As regards to the cuisine for the day , well  lunch was done immediately after crossing Barauch as there are numerous eat outs which are hygienic, economical and serve great vegetarian fare if one sticks to simple dishes. Ah yes do not forget the Chaas(Butter milk) , that is a must have especially to cool the head of the one who is driving J

ODO for the day stood at: 91591

STAY AT UDAIPUR 

ON NATIONAL EXPRESSWAY 1 

COMPANIONS  

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYA AND  SPIRITUALITY

I have made a list of places that I wish to visit, its an amateur list and keeps on changing. After my visit to Ladakh last year I was thinking of a trip to South India  in 2015 and then maybe later someday in the coming years I would visit Uttarakhand. But as the saying goes “Man proposes God disposes” and I guess that is what happened and in the summer of 2015 I found myself on the road towards Uttarakhand.

 2.           Uttarakhand , the moment this name figures in conversations  the primary thought that run through the mind are two : Himalaya and Spiritual Belief.  This state has been the focal point for the above two factors right from the ancient times . It has been the gateway to spiritual belief and becoming one with nature right from the times of Sri Adi Shankara Acharya himself . Thousands have come here in search for peace; many have found their true inner calling among the dense forests and virgin rivers that flow through the lower Himalaya. Home to the greatest of all ancient rivers, the Ganges herself; on her banks  many a great spiritual soul has contemplated life and its essence. Boasting of some great trekking options the region is a must on the Bucket list of any traveler.

3.            So for the first major trip of the year 2015 we were driving towards Uttarakhand; a sojourn into Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand. So join us as we chart our course on the National Highway 58 as its winds its path through the mountains and valleys past cascading rivers spilling onto the multitude of state highways that reveal delightful scenic beauty at every twist and turn compelling  us to think about the spiritual belief that one is drawn into amongst untouched pristine  nature that many have journeyed before to find….