Uttarakhand Trekking Experience-4

Continued From:


Day 3:


Date: 20th June
Time: About 5 a.m. in the morning
Location: A hotel in Govindghat.


For the second consecutive day, we started our journey early in the morning. This day was special to us in many aspects. From now onward we were on foot. This day also marked the start of mountain trekking, the flagship feature of our trip. We were to spend next few days on mountains without any connection with the outer world.

At the bridge

The route to Ghanghariya starts after crossing the bridge over Alaknanda. Early in the morning, the view near the bridge was amazing. Hundreds of people were standing near the Gurudwara to cross the bridge notwithstanding the rain which was drizzling from the sky. It was still dark but the vibrant atmosphere at the bridge was defying all the odds. We planned to start early but right from the beginning all our plans fall apart. Before commencing our trekking we needed three essential things- Raincoats, Sticks and Mule to carry our luggage. Unfortunately we were unable to arrange for any of them.

More than an hour passed and we didn’t make any progress. We managed to arrange for sticks but the raincoats and Mule was still out of reach. After some time “Tourist Help Center” opened and we took the raincoats on rent. The quality of the raincoats was far better than the ones which were available in the market. Mule to carry our luggage to the destination was still elusive. Finally we decided to go across the bridge to look for Mule carriers. We managed to talk to a couple of Carriers but all of them had one condition-One person among us should accompany them to Ghanghariya, to this none of us agreed. Finally one Mule Carrier agreed to take our luggage on the condition that he will take his own route and will reach Ghanghariya at his own time. Seeing no other option we agreed to him, knowing little that this will lead to some other crazy incident in the evening.

Finally our trekking started and we marched toward Ghanghariya. Soon our group split into two subgroups. I, Parag, Arjun and Arpit were walking at our pace while Abhinav, Dixit and Pelu were coming behind us. Rain stopped, Sunlight appeared, weather improved and we continued our journey. 

Our fellow traveler

For the first time in our trip we witnessed mountains from such a close distance. A big wall of stone on one side and a thousand feet deep valley on the other was enough to prod us for the journey. Early in the morning we even witnessed the trace of the clouds from close vicinity. The road to Ghanghariya was busy with fellow travelers. Incidentally we were the only group on the path without any Sikh member. The road was populated not only by humans but also by horses which were crossing us at regular intervals. Soon we found a beautiful water-fall along the side of the road. Here we relaxed and clicked some photos. The journey continued with breaks at regular intervals. The whole path was crowded by dhabas which were selling food items at a premium. As the altitude increased, the prices of the food stuff also increased.  By the end of the journey our fatigue and tiredness was at its optimal level. Normal food stuff was not helping any more. To our comfort we found a langar being managed by the volunteers, which was distributing dry fruits and drinks. 

Legendary pic

When we were close to our destination we asked a person to take a group photo of us. While taking the snap he walked few steps back to accommodate all of us and the beautiful scenery behind us in the photo. Suddenly he lost the control and fall on the other side of the road. The scene was funny. He was lying among the plants with his pant torn in a 3 to 4 feet deep pit. We were laughing at the scene and he also joined us in the laugh. He got up, brushed himself and took our snap.

Our 13 k.m. long trekking ended at a Police Chowky which is a sort of landmark in that area. We found our luggage lying there in a dumped state. All of us checked our luggage and I found that my bag has been exchanged with some other bag. Its implications were that all my clothes, blankets and most importantly money has also gone with that bag. The situation was serious not only for me but also for the whole group because it was now my turn to pay the money for our expenses. Hundreds of travellers have crossed that path every hour since morning. Searching for a bag in the thousands of tourists over there was like looking for a needle in a haystack. To make the situation worse the mule owner who brought the luggage here was also missing. I went to Gurudwara and asked the Granthi to make an announcement about a blue bag being exchanged. He asked me to deposit the bag I have at Gurudwara. While at Gurudwara I looked for the bag among hundreds of pilgrims who were staying over there but the chances of locating a small bag among hundreds similar were very remote.

While I was coming back to our base from the Gurudwara, I was looking at the restaurants and dhabas with the hope of finding a clue about my bag and BINGO!!! There was it, lying near a chair, in a dhaba, with a lady. I went to her and said in a polite tone, “Mata Ji, Ye Bag…” and she started in a full Punjabi tone, “Oye Badal Gaya, Oye Badal Gaya”. And here it was, my bag, my and ours group Lifeline for the rest of the tour.

View from the room

We went ahead, looked for the rooms in the hotel, even contemplated about staying in the Gurudwara and finally booked the room at a whopping Rs.4000 for a day. I don’t think any other place in India commands such a high premium. Even a STD call was charged at Rs.20 per minute.

The room was damp, dark and dingy. The only savior was the view that the room provided-beautiful, sky kissing mountains. That was all for the day. Next day we had to visit, “VALLEY OF FLOWERS”.

Our Route (From A to B)

                                                                       To be continued:

Uttarakhand Trekking Experience-3

Continued  from:

Day 2:

Time: About 5 a.m. in the morning.

Date: 19th June.

Location: A Hotel in Rishikesh.

Our day started early in the morning at 5:00 a.m. The room had visible signs that it had witnessed a storm last night which all of us missed because of our deep slumber. After a frenetic packing we all rushed to the Rishikesh Bus Stand where we had to catch the bus for Govindghat. 

The bus was of medium size, having 2 seats on each side. Since we were 7 in number, 1 of us had to sit alone throughout the journey. Unfortunately it was my turn to share the seat with some unknown person. Surprisingly there was huge no. of Bengalis who boarded the bus at Rishikesh Bus Stand. They were headed to the famous Hindu pilgrimage Badrinath/Kedarnath. After a small period in the dark, Sun came out in the hills. The journey was fun, the weather was pleasant and the view from the bus was awesome.

View from the Bus

After a couple of hours, the bus halted near some dhabas where we had a cup of tea. The next stop of the Bus was at another scenic location where we had our breakfast/lunch. From there the bus headed to Joshimath which was the next major stop. The view of the surroundings from the bus was one of the best parts of this trip. Though all of us were seated for most of the period, the scenes which emerged one after another compensated for the same. Throughout the path we witnessed mountainous terrain, deep valley, tree laden hills and full flowing river. Though there were some hiccups in the journey because of road jam but the scenery we witnessed throughout the path was awesome enough to compensate it. Unfortunately not everyone in the bus was enjoying the journey. Our fellow passengers from West Bengal (now Pashchim Bang) who were neither used to the mountains nor to the Bus Ride at such a height developed motion sickness and had an altercation with the conductor of the bus. The bus reached Joshimath near about 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon.

Joshimath has a unique Traffic Control System which is being managed in coordination with the traffic authority at Badrinath.The road from Joshimath to Badrinath is very narrow and can accommodate only one vehicle at a time. To ensure smooth and risk free travel, two gates are installed one each at Joshimath and at Badrinath which operate alternately. When we reached Joshimath the gates were closed and we had to wait for almost an hour for the journey to resume. Govindghat, our destination for that day was only 45 km away from Joshimath.

After a short while the journey resumed and we headed to Govindghat. We were the only group to get down from the bus at Govindghat and rest of the passengers headed to Badrinath/Kedarnath. Govindghat is used by most of the passengers as a base camp for Ghangariya. Though there are many hotels and lodges in that area but initially we had to toil a little in finding the suitable one. After a brief search we found a hotel with appropriate location. Since we were on the cost cutting mode we booked a single room for all 7 of us.

It was almost 7 in the evening and the sun had set down. The area was heavily crowded by the Sikh pilgrims. There was a market over there which is situated in two narrow lanes. Beyond the lanes there was a Gurudwara which plays host to hundreds of pilgrims every day. After roaming in the streets for a short while we went to the bridge which is built across the river Alaknanda. There was huge rush near the Gurudwara and the bridge. The river was flowing at full vigor and the scene was enthralling. The flow of the river was accompanied by the roaring sound which added a special effect to the whole scene. This was the same bridge which we had to cross the next morning. After making few enquiries regarding the next day’s journey we returned back to our hotel.

On our way to hotel we had our dinner and then went to the bed planning to wake up early tomorrow. The next day was supposed to be the most adventurous day of our journey till now.

OUR PATH

                                                                                                                   To be continued ...

Uttarakhand Trekking Experience-2

Continued From :

Day 1:
Time: Between 6 a.m. and 7a.m. in morning.

Date: 18^th June.

Location: Haridwar Bus Stand.

Our day started at the Haridwar Bus Stand. From there we had to reach Rishikesh, where we planned to spend the rest of our day. After few minutes we boarded a bus for Rishikesh.

Among a vast population, Rishikesh is famous for its religious places but few knows, that of late it has also gained reputation for adventure sports like White Water Rafting and Rock Climbing. We were here for the former. There are two tracks for rafting in Rishikesh. One is 16 km long while the other one is 9 km long. The longer route was closed because a few days ago, couple of people lost their lives in an accident hence we had to use the shorter route for our rafting. We also thought about spending the night in the camp but our schedule on the next day did not give us that liberty. While me, Arpit and Dixit went to arrange for rafting, other 4 booked the hotel for our night stay.

Our rafting started later in the day.  While waiting for the boat to arrive, we spent some fun filled time at the bank of River Ganga. Earlier, three among us went to the bank while others including waited for them. Later we also followed them. The water in the river was ice cold but even that was not able to subdue our spirits. There we relived our childhood days, splashing water on each other, taking the dip in the river and trying fake swimming. Suddenly Parag met with a minor accident. He unknowingly stepped ahead into the river and found himself in the high waves of water. Unable to control himself, he slipped down and hurt his knee. Actually the bank of the river consists of the downward steps whose depth increases dangerously as we move ahead in the river. The muddy water of the river did not help the situation either. The only relief for us was that the injury was not serious.

 After spending few hours at the bank we headed to the rafting spot. That place was 9 km upstream the river Ganga. The coordinator asked us that whether any one of us have prior experience in rafting to which I responded positively and hence was allotted the front seat (I did the camping at Rishikesh last year. Details can be found here). And for the next 3 hours we were on a fun filled, adventurous and chilling journey.

Our White water rafting or just Rafting started from somewhere near Brahampuri and ended at Rishikesh near Laxman Jhula. It was thrilling, heroic, adventurous, risky, charging, chilling, gelid, quivering and what not. We faced total 3 rapids (a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in after velocity and turbulence.) in our path. A rapid means high risk and obviously higher fun and thrill.  Our rafting itinerary also included cliff jumping where I was hesitant to go, due to my previous experience but according to other members of the group, they enjoyed a lot.

 An interesting incident took place at the cliff jumping site. One of our group members who have recently started smoking was looking for his wallet in the boat. (There is a water proof bag in every boat where one can keep his valuables during rafting). When he opened the bag he found a pack full of cigarette and a lighter which belonged to another group that was also rafting on the same boat. To avoid the trouble of taking money from the wallet and then keeping it back later, he decided to use the cigarettes of the other group. Without knowing that anyone is seeing him he smoked a puff from the pack. Suddenly Apoorv patted him on his back, revealing that he has caught him stealing the cigarettes from the pack. Though the heart of the smoker was as clear as the water at that spot, he thought it would be prudent to bury the matter there only. 

 Later we even jumped from the boat into the ice cold water (obviously with a Life Jacket) and had some fun filled moment while we were flowing along the current of the river. Strangely the coordinator of our group who arranged the whole trip, Apoorv Dixit himself didn’t jump in the water. We thought he is hydrophobic. Later in the trip we realized that he is also an acrophobic and nymphomaniac.

Finally the Rafting ended near Laxman Jhula and all of us were looking for some tea. Normally it would not have meant much but at that moment it was one of the most important commodities for us. Our next destination was Choti Wala Restaurant. Considered as one of the landmark place of Rishikesh, I have few blurring memories of this restaurant from my childhood when I came here way back in 1993-94. The restaurant which today resembles any of the high profile Food Joint of South Delhi was more like a Dhaba 

almost 15 years ago. Similarly the Chotiwala Pundit who in a sense personifies the restaurant has undergone a massive image makeover in past decade. The food was undoubtedly delicious which justified our decision of coming here.

After spending some time in the market we returned to our hotel in Haridwar. While some of us went to book the seats in the bus for our journey next day, I with rest of the others remained in our rooms. Parag had got almost 100 miss calls on his mobile from his home and friends who were concerned about his well being. I was just amused about by this incident, completely unaware that a similar incident was waiting for me in the coming days. We were dead tired and went immediately to sleep. However this fatigue was just a glimpse of the hard days we were about to face in the coming days. We didn’t have the luxury of waking late in the night as the next day we had to catch the bus early in the morning. 

Our Route

To be continued...

Uttarakhand Trekking Experience-1

Some time in the month of  May:

 Location :Kolkata.

Arjun Bhagat: We are planning to visit Valley of Flowers in June. You can also join us.

Me: Ya, sure.

And unknowingly I said yes to one of the most exciting trip of my life.

Day 0:
Time: Between 2 and 3 in afternoon.

Date: 17^th June.

Before leaving

Location: Yusuf Sarai.

We all started packing our stuff as we had to shift to the hostel in the campus. Our group included Arjun Bhagat, Apoorv Dixit, Arpit Gupta, Parag Rout, Abhinav Varsheney, Abhishek BV (Pelu) and yours truly. We were running short of time because on the same day we had to start our trip to Uttarakhand. Our swiftness in shifting the luggage came in handy later as it started raining when we were about to leave the hostel in the evening.

I, Apoorv and Arpit left early so that we can book the ticket at ISBT. After several negotiations and renegotiation we booked the bus ticket to Haridwar at INR 500.  Incidentally the same ticket was earlier offered to us at INR 400 but we rejected the offer looking for the better options. Any ways, rest of the gang arrived and we had the dinner at the bus stand. The bus which was supposed to depart at 10 p.m. arrived an hour late. I quickly felt asleep while others had some problem with the AC of the bus.

Next morning when we woke up, we were at Haridwar.

Our trek

                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                         To be continued...

BANGLA ACCOUNT-1

Day: -1 9th April 2011 Location: Chambal Express It is the start of my journey for my summer internship in Prentice Hall India. I am in a train bound to Kolkata and surrounded by Bangla speaking people. The kids in next cabin are at their maximum decibel level and twice I have reprimanded them for their behavior. Perhaps it is a glimpse of what I will be experiencing for two months in Kolkata. My fellow passenger who hails from West Bengal has warned me about the humid weather in Bengal at this time of the year. To my comfort, he said that the city is one of the cheapest in the country and there will be plenty of culinary options available for me in Kolkata. Moreover the timing of my journey can’t be more apt. It is often said that cricket, politics and religion are the three glues which keeps Indian united. These are the essence of India, without them it is hard to imagine India in its current state. This reminds me of the novel “The 3 mistakes of my life” of Chetan Bhagat whose plot revolves around these 3 themes. Current scenario of Bengal has an exciting mix of these three ingredients where elections, religion and cricket will be occupying the major space in the psyche of a common Bengali.

The auspicious festival of NavDurga is going on with its full vigor and I will be reaching Howrah Station on the day of “Saptmi”. This will be followed by “MahaAsthami” and “MahaNavmi” respectively. I don’t need to explain what NavDurga means for Bengalis. It is the same as Ganesh Utsav for Marathis and Baisakhi for Punjabis albeit with more vigor, enthusiasm and energy. I have heard many tails about the Black Magic prevalent in Bengal which becomes more intense during the “NavDurga” celebration. This reminds me of my stay in Kota, Rajasthan where I befriended a Bengali friend who once told me that all the black powers roam freely in these 9 days of celebration. Not a firm believer of all this stuff, I am looking forward to have an altogether different experience of NavDurga celebration in the heart land of Bengal.

IPL-4 started yesterday with the first match being played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super King. The excitement of watching IPL Tournament in this famously Cricket crazy city will be unmatchable. Moreover it is not the country which is playing this time but the City of Kolkata itself is fighting for its pride in a club tournament. This ensures that in Kolkata versus others matches the frenzy, excitement and thrill will be much higher as compared to other matches. My fellow passengers, who hail from Bengal, discussed in length yesterday match and felt bitterly disappointed about the performance of Gautam Gambhir. Even though they are not located in Bengal from past few years, their loyalty for Kolkata Knight Riders has still not waned. It is not hard to imagine the feelings of a proper Kolkata resident for their club. Also it will be for the first time for me, when I will be watching IPL in a city which is taking part in this tournament. In the last 3 IPLs, I was in Lucknow where the hostel environment during the matches was unmatchable. I hope that environment in Kolkata in KKR matches will easily outdo my previous experience.

And lastly the lifeline of India, the oxygen which keeps us alive in spite of all the hardships we face in our daily lives, is also present here. Yes, I am talking about politics, election and democracy. Something which is present in India right from the grass root level to the highest echelon of governance. In a short span of time West Bengal is going for state election. Though every election is unique in its own right but these elections are expected to be historic in the history of Bengal. For the first time in last 35 years the ruling Marxist front is starting the race behind the starting line. Whatever be the result, it will be a history in the making. This government holds the record of the longest serving Communist government in the world. This time either its record will be extended or it will be broken. The main opposition party is led by mercurial Mamta Banerjee of TMC. The situation of Bengalis is akin to proverbial “from frying pan into the fire”. With an abysmal record of governance as the Central Minister of Railway, she does not inspire much confidence in the voters. BJP and INC are virtually nonexistent in the state. Hence the voters in Bengal are forced to choose the best from the worst.

My train has crossed Allahabad station and is expected to reach Howrah station tomorrow in the morning. Let’s see what this Bhadra Lok Land (Land of the Gentle man) has in store for me.

a sojourn in uttarakhand-3

Day 3 of our short tour started with a shock. We contacted our driver and got the reply that he had left for Delhi because of some preoccupations. We were literally blown out of the water after this unexpected turn of the event. We enquired the local people about the available options and then headed toward the bus stand to catch the next bus and to reach Dehradoon. But we had to face another surprise. On our way our driver called us back and said that he was back with us, the reason he gave that he don’t want us to take pain at this time of the year and the reason which we supposed that he didn’t get any passengers for Delhi. So it was back to square one for us. All of us were together and were heading toward Dehradun.
There is a fundamental difference between the nature of the people visiting Haridwar and that of visiting Dehradun. Haridwar is more a religious place than a scenic. People come here from all part of the society whether it be rich or poor, middle or higher, rural or urban etc. the tourist at Haridwar are more on a pilgrimage than on a tour. But at Dehradun the situation is different. Tourists are here to enjoy the natural beauty of the place. The sky kissing mountains, the deep valley, treacherous path to the location is all together a different experience. On reaching Dehradun we enquired about the places to visit and headed toward Sahastradhara.
'Thousand fold spring' is the literal meaning of the term Sahastradhara. It is a lovely waterfall, with a depth of 9 meters. What makes the torrent so popular is its therapeutic value since its water contains Sulphur. Besides its medicinal merits, the stream presents a pictorial environ where one can spent hours in the calmness of silence. The Baldi River and the caves exaggerate the aesthetic beauty of the site. Sahasradhara’s water is filled with lime, and the residues it left behind forms a projecting ridge, in the shape of a cave, on the top of which the water dance like a shower. This enchanting scenery and the lush vegetation makes this stunning spot a tourist’s dream destination, where one avail a tranquil holiday.
On reaching here we had a quick bath. The flow of the water, the enchanting surroundings and it’s much acclaimed therapeutic value increased our enjoyment. After having bath and recreation it was time for us to have some breakfast. Our next destination was Mussourie. You all must have heard about the scenic beauty of the Mussourie. But the path to reach Mussourie is itself very eventful. The deep curves, the heart throbbing cuts, narrow roads and all these adjoining the high raised mountains are sure to give you a life time experience while traveling. We reached Mussourie and headed to Campty fall. The road to Campty fall was again filled with thrill, adventure, beauty and fun. This was my second trip to Campty fall. My earlier one was with my family a long 17 or 18 years back. It is difficult to recall any thing after such a long period of time, but I remember that I Campty fall used not to be the same when I came here last time. A lot of manual interference hence altogether changed the landscape. Artificial reservoir, cemented boundary, man made bridge is only to name the few. The water reservoir was looking more as a swimming pool than a natural reservoir. A lot of construction work was still undergoing.
The journey to Campty Fall was covered partly through cab and partly on foot. While going to the fall the path had a downward slope, and it was easy to cover that distance. Thanks to the district administration the road was in good condition and a lot of shops were available for refreshments and other stuffs. Campty Fall was heavily crowded. Tourists were there from all the age group and both the gender. After changing into the swimming costume and keeping our valuable in the safety locker we descended into the pool. The water was ice cool, chilling, gelid and what not. For initial 10 to 15 minutes my body was unable to adjust to the temperature of the pool. I have been to Rishikesh, Haridwar and Sahastradhara but he water over here was undoubtedly more bone chilling then anywhere else. But once our body adjusted to the water than it was nothing but loads and loads of fun. The water descended from a very high cliff and came down to us with full force and vigor. The fun was endless, the joy was incomparable and enjoyment is inexplicable. Seems it is the most fitting end to our tour of 3 days. When we came out of the pool after almost 2 hours then another story started. Our bodies were shacking as if they are a mobile on vibration mode. Especially I was not able to adjust myself to the temperature. The food was obviously at double the rate as compared to plane. Tea 10 Rs. a cup, hide and seek 20 Rs. a packet and so on. Even then I had 3 cup of tee due to my unstable state. Now it was the time to get back to the cab. On our way we found some lovely chicks and Amit had the honor to click them. Life is real fun with friends.
Now we were at our way back to Mussourie. On our path we went across famous Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Adminstration, where the best brain of the country studies. On coming back to Mussourie and parking our cab we were again on our foot. Driver told us to free ourselves before 5 in the evening so we can reach Delhi on time. The road where all the shops are located is known as Maal Road. Visiting Hill station is always fun. Being surrounded with hill on one side and cliff on the other was enough to give us a memorable view of the surroundings. After visiting some spots we reached trolley point. Here the trolley goes to a mountain point called gun hill point. It is said that from here one can have the view of whole of Mussourie. This was the most suitable place for photo shoot but unfortunately Amit’s camera gave up at this point. Hari’s mobile came for our rescue. While we were climbing a small rift to have a better look of the surroundings, Hari’s leg slipped and he had a minor accident. Initially it seemed as something trifle but we found that he was unable to bear his weight (on coming to Noida he had a plaster on it). As one of our tour member was injured, we had no other choice but to return to the camp. The driver was also continuously calling us to embark on the return journey. As it was Tuesday, I looked for a hanuman temple and soon found one. I gave the temple a brief visit and soon joined the group.
After about half an hour we were on our way back to the Noida. Hari occupied the back seat due to his injury; Dushyant joined Hari help him. And we sat comfortably on the middle seat. The road back to Mussourie was again the same but most of were tired and sleepy to enjoy the beauty any more. On reaching the plane Amit did some photo session of the chicks on the road, and was about to be slapped on at least two occasion.
On or way back we had to take the longer route as the administration had closed some of the route seeing the heavy rush in traffic. The journey was almost over. On our way back we had snacks and dinner in the night. Almost at 1 am in the morning we reached the Jaipuriya apartments (where Hari and group stay). After 3 long blogs I don’t need to say anything in conclusion. That was the end of a lovely tour.

a sojourn in the uttarakhand-2

Day 2 of our tour started when a pair of dog, while fighting, disturbed our sleep. Thanks to them we woke up, otherwise we could have spent some more time in the warm bed. If the last evening was resting, today’s morning was calm, assuasive, energetic, refreshing and enchanting. I, Amit, Hari and Dushyant went near the river shore and saw Ganga flowing with ease and affection. It seemed that it was the most beautiful place in the earth. The flow of Ganga was nonchalant, natural and without any hurdle. When you compare it with Ganga at Kanpur you lament that what man has made of this gift of the god. Here Ganga flows with ease and lifelike as if it is her right to flow and you want to sit there for hours in the same situation just watching it flowing with poise and panache.

When we were enjoying the flow of the river, someone among us remind us of the day proceedings. Soon we were there at the makeshift toilets comforting ourselves. We talked to Vinod Ji (the camp chief) regarding the rock climbing and were told to wait for half an hour. While waiting we found some cricket stuff lying near the kitchen and spend some time testing our cricket skills. Soon the person who was authorized to take us for rock-climbing approached us. With him, we headed toward the location where we had to go for rock climbing. There was a rock which at first glance appeared to us not too big for any challenge but soon we realized our error. The agent briefed us about the technicalities and apprised us about the various gadgets we will be using in our quest. First it was Dushyant’s turn, who, credit to his slim body soon finished the task. Then there were Hari, Abhishek and others who were bulky and were unable to bear up their weight. Watching them climb was real fun. Last it was me and I, owing to my slim body soon finished the task.

When we returned at the camp breakfast was waiting for us. We were served parathas, bread jam and some dish made of egg. And now was the time for real fun. We were to head for river rafting. An exciting, thrilling, adventurous, unique journey of 28 kms was waiting for us. It was the main reason for which we were here. It is popularly called as white water rafting or just rafting. It started from somewhere near Shivpuri and ended at Rishikesh near Laxman Jhula. It was thrilling, heroic, adventurous, risky, charging, chilling, gelid, quivering and what not...... it took us more than 4 hours to complete it.
We were dropped at Rishikesh where our cab driver was waiting for us. Next destination was famous Laxman Jhula. As Kumbh was just a few days away, there was heavy rush on both side of the bridge. We also did some shopping here. As I have a penchant for short kurtas, I bought a couple of them from a shop. Like Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula was also heavily crowded. After getting across both the bridges it was the time for lunch. We went to famous “Choti Wala restaurant”. The food was both, delicious and expensive. Our stint at Rishikesh was over and next destination was Haridwar. As the Kumbh was approaching some members of our group were very excited for having a dip in holy Ganga.
After reaching Haridwar we looked for a dharmshaala which are here in abundance. After resting and having a little nap, in the evening we went to the “Ganga ghat”. Though I personally don’t believe that any miracle will happen by taking bath in a river or all of our sins will be washed away but it seemed that thousands of people gathered there with the same faith and belief in their hearts. Some of the members of my group were also of the same opinion. When we reach the bank the scene was awesome. There was a huge gathering of people on both side of the bank. Whether it is man or woman, rich or poor, aged or young, people from all the section of the society were gathered over here, with a faith in their heart and wishes on their lips. We also took the dip in the holy river on the auspicious occasion of Kumbh. I would also like to appreciate the administration of Haridwar which made very efficient arrangement for the well being of the pilgrims.
It was the time to get back to the dharmshala , as closing time for it was 10 pm in the night.
Our destination for tomorrow was Mussourie and Dehradoon.


to be continued.......................

A sojourn in the Uttarakhand—1

“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land.” Gilbert K. Chesterton

At times it happens when you starts for another job and ends up somewhere that is completely unrelated to your initial mission but is more invigorating, entertaining and mind boggling. The same happened with me last week when I went to Delhi to appear for MDI Gurgaon interview but ended up being in the beautiful and reposeful cities of Uttarakhand where the nature and religion blends together to give us a picturesque and soothing view of the surroundings especially at the time when the sun pull out all the stops in the plains and mercury rises up to as high as 45 degree centigrade.
After appearing for my interview at Gurgaon I contacted my friends at Noida and made a plan to go on a trip to Rishikesh, Haridwar et al. There were 6 members in our group including me. Among them, there were some whom I know very well like Hari and some whom I have met for the first time like Amit, Mukesh and Abhishek.
While we were planning our trip on Saturday, we received a setback when we got the news that Delhi -Haridwar highway has been closed for next four days seeing the heavy rush in traffic due to Kumbh mela. This prompted us to change our course of journey and we decided to take another route to Rishikesh via Dehradun. This shutting down of highway came out as a blessing in disguise as later we also included Dehradun in our tour itinerary.
So on Sunday, early in the morning at 7:30 am we started our journey. The initial part of our journey was tiresome and excruciating. The reasons are not difficult to fathom. Almost all of the roads of Delhi which we covered were having ditches big enough to be used as a swimming pool but filled with dirt and stones in place of water. Add to it the seething heat which we had to face, and my misery was compounded by the fact that I was occupying the back portion of our cab. But all of these issues were nullified by the fun and enjoyment which we were having in our group. Sooner we got used to all the jhatkas of the road and time passed with the help of radio songs and jokes on every member of the group. On our way we halted on couple of occasions to have ice-cream, cold drinks and other stuff.
When we were 15 kilometers away from Dehradun we had to face a jam which delayed our journey for about 11/2 to 2 hours. After recovering from the jam we moved forward. On our path we got the glimpses of mountains and valleys. This was enough to excite us for our final destination. We reached our camp at about 5 in the evening which was situated at a place called Shivpuri almost 20 kilometers from Rishikesh.
Camp was situated on the bank of river Ganges with sky kissing mountains on the other side. Here it seems that the nature is in resonance with the surroundings. This place appears like the location where you plan to spend your post retirement years. All the worries and concerns of the day to day life, seems to vanish overnight as the only sound which comes into your ears is the tinkling acoustics of the river. The purity of the nature leaves you spell bounded and you are tempted to admire the beauty of the mountains and the river situated along the camp. Your heart says that you want to stay here in perpetuity and you just want to sit on the bank of the river watching it flowing incessantly, playing with the rocks, making its way forward out of the several cuts and corners which it faces in the path. The life in the mountains excites you and you wonder that who is luckier. The one who lives in the concrete jungles with all the amenities of the modern life or the ones, who make their huts in the hillocks, sitting on the lap of Mother Nature, regularly relishing the pure, innocent and peaceful beauty which is left untouched.
As we were late at the camp because of the traffic jam we missed the lunch. In its place Maggie and snacks were served along with the tea. We were warned by the camp manager to not to go near the main river as it was 50 to 80 feet deep but there was a subsidiary of the main river (canal) where it was safe to go. Hence after taking care of our valuable belongings we decided to take a bath in that canal. It was also necessary so as to rid ourselves of all the dirt and tiredness which we have acquired on the journey. We spend next one to two hour in that canal. All our pain, fatigue and tiredness disappeared in few minutes and we felt light, reinvigorated and refreshed.
After taking the bath we returned to our camp. All the fatigue and weariness disappeared and we felt very light both mentally and physically. Soon the servant informed us about the dinner. Meals were fine but vegetarian dishes were not up to the standard. This is an issue which always comes across me. Since I am a pure vegetarian at times it happens when my friends enjoy the meals and I have to content myself with ordinary stuff. Well cest la vie.
After the dinner the session of drinking and dancing started. Here again I was at loss since I am a teetotaler. While my friends took a sip of rum/brandy (whatever they call it) I had my share of coca-cola. A bon fire was lighted and there we sat around, away from all the worries and tension of the life. The only sound which came to our ears was the tingling sound of the river. The only light was the light from the lanterns and the bonfire. The cool breeze filled our mind and body with fragrance and enjoyment. Sometime you wish that time should come to a standstill and you remain at that place, in the same surroundings forever, this was the same situation. After almost 7 hours of journey that too in the day time, this was the most apt way to end the day. All our efforts to reach this place fructified and we got the right deal for our money and sweats.
To spend the night, the arrangement was done in the tents. Each tent had provision for 2 people to sleep so we were given 3 tents.
So it was the end of a day which we partly spend in our cab and partly in the lap of Mother Nature. We slept in our tents expecting to have a similar enjoyment tomorrow. But little did we know that this was just the trailer of the main movie. The real thrill and fun was waiting for us tomorrow.

(To be continued……………)