Wander through India

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY

#DAY VI: Rudraparayag-Chopta

41. The day started with some splendid views of the lavender laden trees that were growing along the main streetand I savoured my time capturing their beauty.I can even now feel that feeling so subtly within as I think back on those moments , early in morning a small town waking up to another day in the foothills of great mountains. The destination for the day was Ukimath and thereafter Chopta. I was supposed to meet my guide Mr Umed Singh Rana at Ukimath who was going to be with us for next couple of days .

42. The drive to Ukimath was along the Kedarnath route but bifurcated at the diversion to Guptakashi. One needed to take the right turn towards Ukimath. This route took us via Augustamuni where one could visit the ashram of Sage Augustamuni and there after one crossed Bhiri ,Kund and finally Ukimath . All the places are small towns nestled in the foothills of mountain ranges but slowly waking up to commercialization and urbanization.

43. The scenic beauty was evident all along the route and I am sure during the winters or spring this must be a scenic drive. Ukimath situated uphill was reached by 1045 and is accessed by narrow roads , we met our guide at the Ukimath market and thereafter proceeded to visit the Omkareswar temple at Ukimath.

44. Omkareshwar temple at Ukimath houses the deities of Kedarnath as well as Madhmaheswar during the winter months. There are five shiva lingas established here which represent the five paanch Kedar. The temple construction and decoration of the Parvati temple is very soothing The temples of goddess parvati are also out here.This temple is a must visit.

45. Post the visit we proceeded towards Chopta via Baniyakund and Duggalbitha. The roads grew narrower as we progressed further into the mountains steadily gaining height .This was the region comprising of deodars ,pines and birches with range after range of heavily of heavily forested lands.

46. I was told that the scenic beauty of these places in the winter was worth seeing but even now was not disappointed by the vistas spread in front of me , the rain gods were in the sky and black clouds were dancing in symphony over green tall mysterious forests.

47. Chopta was windy and cold as we reached in the afternoon and our stay was decided at one of the many dhabas that dotted the place. The temperature dropped steadily as the afternoon bore on as we decided to go on a small walk of a few kms to get a feel of this amazing region. So off we went for a short hike of few kms in the late afternoon.

48. As the stay was decided at Chopta , our guide negotiated with one of the dhaba owner and we checked into a one room shack , as the evening wore on we kept sitting in the dhaba itself while dinner was being cooked on the wooden chulha. The total number of people for the night were we two , our guide and three staff at the dhaba itself . There is no power so it was solar lamps to the rescue and Garhwali songs on the NOKINA 3300 for entertainment. I feel fortunate that I have experienced this way of life also, maybe not for extended periods but yes definitely frequently.

MAGICAL EVENINGS

LET ME WALK ON THE PATH

WANNA JUST GO OFF

BEAUTIFUL CHOPTA

OMKARESHWAR TEMPLE

PRETTY ARCHITECTURE

BELIEF

LAVENDERS

SIMPLICITY

LAVENDERS IN BLOOM

PRETTY UTTARAKHAND

TERRACE FARMING

DUGGALBITTA

HIDDEN BEAUTY

JUST WALK INTO THE WOODS

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY

#DAY V: Haridwar-Rudraparayag.

28. Effectively speaking today would be the day when we would be leaving the Gangetic plains (I am not sure if this terminology is correct) and moving into the Shivalik Mountain ranges. These mountain ranges known as the tresses of Lord Shiva are the outermost as well as youngest range of the Himalaya.

29. The route consisted of the National Highway 58 which would first take us to Rishikesh. We were told that Rishikesh offered greater tranquility and serene surroundings as compared to Haridwar. However in my understanding both at Haridwar as well as Rishikesh if one wanted to imbibe the teachings of spirituality and immerse into the lap of nature, one needed to give time period of say 6-7 months to come to terms with the real nature of the place beyond the touristic appeal which so overpowering and omnipresent on the surface.

30. Rishikesh was reached soon and the main path leading to the famed Laxman Jhula was crowded with travelers and guides. I pitied myself that I did not have the opportunity to soak in the beauty of the place in the off tourist season, sometime maybe around the frigid winters. I was told that the original Jhula had since been demolished and now what we were seeing was the modern version of it. I was not particularly impressed by it even though it was my first visual of a hanging bridge of this magnitude, maybe it might be because of the number of people jostling around. Anyhow we quickly moved from Rishikesh towards Shivpuri.

31. The entire stretch from Rishikesh to Shivpuri and beyond that for few km ahead has the Ganges flowing next to the road and on her white sandy banks have sprung up multitude of tents. The stretch is famous for water sports especially white water rafting and is frequented by both the serious enthusiasts as well as the holiday crowd from Delhi. There is a literal ruckus happening on this entire stretch.

32. As one proceeds further, the plains give way to the mountains as range after range starts appearing and the road moves further ahead into the mountains. We finally reached the first of the Prayags: Dev Prayag after covering around 83 Kms.

33. Devprayag; the most holy of all the prayags being the confluence of the Alaknanda originating from the Satopanth glacier with the Baghirathi originating from the Gomukh glacier has its importance equal in significance to the Triveni Sangam at Allahabad. It is a sight to see the green icy waters of the Baghirathi meeting the deep muddy brown waters of the Alaknanda. Devprayag mesmerizes the traveler who comes wandering here.

34. One pays respect at the temple of Lord Rudranath which is out here. By the time we reached the Rudrapnath temple it had already closed(the temple closes by 1230 in afternoon) so we decided to go till the sangam which can be reached by alighting a steep series of steps which lead to a overhanging bridge on the Bhagirathi and after crossing it one is on the opposite banks of the river. The town of Dev prayag is built around the sangam and the temple itself.

35. After the prayag we moved ahead towards the town of Srinagar which is another significant town on this sector. The beauty of this region is that almost every place whether big or small has a historical link and significance. Srinagar is the last city of the plain before the start of the mountains of Garhwal . The town lies on the banks of the Alaknanda.

36. After Srinagar I kept my eyes peeled on the Alakananda as I had heard about the famous Khakra Bend where the Alakhnanada takes a complete U turn. This comes 28 Km after Srinagar and what a sight it is to see the mighty river turning around . If in peak summer if I was mesmerized by this spectacle I can only imagine how the visual would be in monsoons or winter.

37. Rudrprayag the next way point for the day was reached by 1700 hrs and was the second Sangam/Prayag in sequential order. It is the confluence of the Alaknanada and the Mandikini. One can walk down right till the confluence. There is the temple of Chamunda devi and Narad muni at the confluence. A bit higher up is the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

38. Here we visited the sangam as well as the temples of Lord Shiva , Chamunda Devi and Narad Muni. What a contrast these prayags were from the hustle and bustle of Haridwar and Rishikesh. The traveler is actually able to appreciate the significance of the natural beauty as well as the historical significance because there is calmness and peace all around allowing one to appreciate the scenario spread out. The roads till this point were very much in good condition and large distances could be covered quickly. It is however to be remembered that they still are mountainous roads and due caution and care needs to be exercised by the driver.

39. It was evening when we had reached Rudraparayg and from here we then decided to visit the legend of Koteswar Mahadev.The route to reach this temple clearly defined and is around three kms from the bridge on the Alakhnanda . The temple is on the opposite banks of the Alaknanda with the route to Badrinath on the across bank. After reaching a small hamlet, one needs to walk down a set of stairs for around one km in order to reach the temple, the cave where the Shiva Linga is instituted further down. I strongly recommend a visit to this temple as it emanates a very positive vibe.

40 Hence ended the day and we stayed at Rudraprayag for the night. The twilight dusk had fallen and monsoon clouds were all around with the promise of rains to come in the near future.