Day 1 (Dehradun arrival): Arrived at Dehradun airport. The city is dusty and noisy. I was staying
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| Tiger Fall |
close to ISBT. Perhaps there are other neighbourhoods that are nicer. I couldn’t get out of Dehradun fast enough. There are few malls nearby ISBT. It’s’ a good place to stock up on supplies for the trip.
Day2 (Dehradun - Chakrata): Took a share jeep to Chakrata. The jeep driver picked us up from the hotel. These jeeps normally start from Darshanlal Chowk. Share jeeps plying directly to Chakrata are few and far between. It’s better to take a jeep to Vikasnagar and then hop on to another jeep to Chakrata
. Click here for Chakrata.
Day 3 (Chakrata): Turned out to be cold rainy day. Decided to stay in the Snow View hotel. The owner of this family run place took us to the local market in the evening. The bazar is quite a dirty but it serves as an important agricultural trading center for farmers in the area. The local agricultural produce from this area like Walnut, rajma (red kidney beans), Rhododendron juice and pulses are highly sought after.
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| Mahasudevata Temple |
Day 4 (Chakrata- Deoban-Tiger fall – Chakrata): Hired a jeep for a day. The trip to these three places cost Rs.2800/-. There is no public transport and a private vehicle is mandatory to reach these places.
Day 5 (Chakrata- Hanol): Took a jeep to visit Mahansudevata temple at Hanol. This temple is revered by the people in Gadwal region. The only accommodation in Hanol are 3-4 small rooms behind the shops on the main road. This is not signposted. The provision store owner has the key to these rooms. GMVL guest house at Hanol was closed for renovation. Visited Masudevata temple and then went to Pavasi temple on the adjacent hillock.
Click here for Mahansudevata temple
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| Haridwar Ghats |
Day 6 (Hanol- Mahendranath temple- Budher cave-Chakrata): Started from Hanol at 6:30 AM. Stopped at Mahendranath temple. The next destination was Budher cave. The cave is a disappointment but the trek to the cave is beautiful. The taxi cost Rs.5000/-for the two day trip from Chakrata to Hanol and back. The taxi fares are fixed by the local taxi union and are, apparently, non-negotiable.
Day 7 (Chakrata-Dehradun(ISBT Bus terminal)-Haridwar): Took the morning share jeep from Chakrata to ISBT bus terminal at Dehradun. The plan was to get to Haridwar before the mad rush of the Char Dham pilgrimage. Checked into the GVNL guest house at Haridwar. But I happened to arrive on the day of ‘Somvar Amavasya’. ‘Somvar Amavasya’ is a highly auspicious planetary alignment that happens only once in 12 years. Haridwar was teeming with pilgrims. I took a bath in the cold waters of the Ganges at bathing ghats of Har-Ki-Pauri. I feel lighter. The burden of my sins have been washed away. Perhaps by guardian angels bought me here on the most auspicious day of ‘Somvar Amavasya’ to get rid of my extra-strong super-sticky sins.
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| Holy Ganges at Rishikesh |
Day 8 (Haridwar - Rishikesh): Returned to Har-Ki-Pauri ghats in the morning and cleansed myself (spiritually) once again the Ganges. Checked out from the hotel and went to the bus terminal. The buses were all jam packed and I could not even think of enter them. After waiting for 1.5 Hrs I managed to get into the bus for Rishikesh. Took a room at the GVNL guest house at Hanuman Chowk on the outskirts of Rishikesh. Went to see the evening Aarti at Shatrugnan Ghat. In comparison to Haridwar, Rishikesh is mellower and peaceful. Took another dip in the Ganges and cleansed my sins. One can never be too safe.
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| Prayers at Rishikesh beside the Ganges |
Day 9 (Rishikesh – Dehradun - Mussorie): Took the morning bus from Rishikesh to ISBT. After reaching ISBTI was told that the buses to Mussorie depart from ‘Mussorie bus stand’ near the railway station. Tickets for Mussorie are issued for only prior departure. Expect an hour or more time in the queue to purchase bus tickets. Hired a taxi (Rs. 1140/-) to Mussorie from the taxi stand opposite the bus station.
Day 10 (Mussorie): Slack day. Took the cable car to the ‘View point’. The view point is covered with shops and there is no view!! This is typical of Mussorrie where the entire area has been built-up without planning or respect for the environment. I’m disappointed with Mussorie.
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Devprayag
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Day 11 (Mussorie – Dehradun - Devprayag): Took the taxi back to Dehradun. Stopped at Dehradun Zoo. There are a few animals in the zoo. A visit to the zoo is not recommended. Came back to ISBT bus station. There is a taxi stand at ISBT and I hired a taxi for the remainder of the trip. I had got an all-inclusive deal (driver & unlimited petrol) for Rs 2500/- per day on the condition that I should hire it for a minimum of 10 days.
Once the Char-Dham pilgrimage season starts, the taxi fares do increase. It’s impossible to travel by share-jeeps and buses into the remote places. Stocked up on supplies for the long trip at Dehradun. Halted at Rudraprayag for the night. At Rs 800 a night, hotel Dev offers economical rooms and arguably the best views of the Prayag.
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| The pedestal marks the spot where Lord Ram meditated |
Day 12 (Devprayag - Chopta): The word Prayag means the confluence of rivers. The Ganges is born at Devprayag after the confluence of the rivers Alakananda and Bhageerathi. Contrary to popular belief Gangotri is the birth place of Bhageerathi and not the Ganges. Bhageerathi water is blue in colour and the Alakananda appears brownish. The Tehri dam built upriver on the Bhageerathi river traps the silt. The water that is released from the dam looks blue as it has no particulate matter. The bathing ghats at Devprayag are highly auspicious. I took another dip to washed away any residual sins.
Above the bathing ghat is the Raghunathji temple. Adi Shankaracharyan is said to have visited here. Hence the head priest of the temple is always south Indian. There are inscriptions in various south Indian languages except Malayalam. The priest sitting outside and he told me that Shankaracharyan was Tamilian! Beside the temple is a raised pedestal. It is believed that Lord Ram meditated here as a penance for killing Ravanan.
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| Tungnath Temple |
Continued the journey to Chopta. We were staying at the Shivansh Café and Resto. Electricity is restricted to solar panels and diesel generators. We were the only guests there. At night, it began raining heavily. Hail pelted the tin roof all night. It was noisy and cold.
Click here for Chopta.
Day 13 (Chopta - Tungnath and Chandrashila trek): By morning the sun was out. There was fresh snow on the nearby mountain peaks. The Shivansh Café and Resto is run by a family from Mumbai. Since we w ere the first tourists of the season, the owners arrived from Mumbai a few after hours after we reached Chopta.
Started the trek at 09:20. The waiter from Savansh Café was my guide. With hindsight, a guide was not necessary as the trail is well maintained. The trail was largely empty as the tourist season had not yet started. In summer, many tourists doing the Char-Dham pilgrimage stop here. Horses are available for those who cannot trek up. Before the temple is the High alitide Plant physiology research. As I trekked higher snow began appearing. Tungnath is the highest altitude Shiva temple in the world. Sadly the temple had not yet opened for summer. The temple offers amazing views.
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| Ukhimat |
Walk beyond Tungnath to reach Chandrashila. This trail is not marked but all you have to do is walk up!! There was a lot more snow at Chandrashila as its situated at a higher altitude than Tungnath. People start from the base at 3-4 AM to see the incredible sunrise from Chandrashila. There is a modern temple here, but it too was closed. Due to the clouds, I missed the mesmerising views from the top. Come p
repared with supplies and water for the trek. I completed the entire trip and was back by 13:40 Hrs. Click here for Tungnath and Chandrashila
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| Ukhimat |
Day 14 (Chopta – Ukhimat - Deorital (trek) - Karnaprayag): Set out for Ukhimat Omkareshwar temple in the morning. This relatively small ancient temple is steeped in tradition and history. It is believed that King Mandatha did prayers for 12 years standing on one leg. Lord Shiva appeared to him in the sound of ‘Om’ (Omkar) and hence the temple is called Omkareshwar. The idol fromKedarnath is shifted here during winter months. During my visit, the Kedarnath shrine was still at Ukhimat. It would be shifted back to Kedarnath after 3 days. Beside this shrine room is a marriage hall where Usha (daughter of Varanasur) is believed to have got married to Anirudh (grandson of Lord Krishna). In the adjacent room there are 5 Shiva lingams with water slowly falling over them. Sadly photography is not allowed in this room. Adi Shankaracharyan is said to have visited this temple during his travels. Hence the temple custodian/head priest is a South Indian. There are many inscriptions in many south Indian languages but I couldn’t see any in Malayalam.
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| Deorital |
Did the trek to Deorital (Tal mean Lake) after the visit to Ukhimat. The trek to the lake takes about 1.5 Hrs. Ponies are available for those who cannot walk. The pony costs Rs.700 for going up and Rs.1300 for the round trip. The official permit for entry into Deorital costs Rs 150/-. The 3 day Deorital- Chandrashila- Tungnath trip is a popular trekking route. There is basic accommodation at the starting of Deorital trek. It can be considered as an alternative to Chotpa. Slept at GNVL Karnaprayag.
Day 15 (Karnaprayag - Gwaldam): Karnaprayag is a local transport hub. It’s crowded and noisy. Set out for Gwaldam in the morning. Stayed at the GVNL guest house. Gwaldam is not on most people’s itinerary. There are amazing views of the Himalayas and as usual the clouds played spoilsport. The deluxe suit consisting of a day room and bedroom at GVNL costs Rs 750/- per night. In the evening visited the Angora rabbit and goat farm. The Buddhist monastery close to this farm is worth a visit.
Click here for Gwaldam
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| Maa Badangadi Temple |
Day 16 (Gwaldam – Badangadi maa temple – Patal Bhuvaneshwari temple): My first destination was Badangadi Maa temple. It is situated on a hillock on the outskirts of Gwaldam. The trek to the temple takes 1.5 Hrs. There was a family that had come up to the temple and sacrificed a goat to the deity Badangadi Maa. Unfortunately I could not stay longer and eat the mutton curry. Don’t forget to climb the rickety observation post above the temple. I was back on the road by noon. Reached Patal Bhuvaneshwari temple in the evening. I am off the well beaten tourist path. Even my driver was coming here for the first time. This was the easternmost point of my trip.
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| Temple Outside Patal Bhuvaneshwar |
Day 17 (Patal Bhuvaneshwari temple – Haat Kalika temple - Almora): Went to Patal Bhuvaneshwari cave temple in the morning. It is said that a visit to the cave is equivalent to doing the char-dham trip. The various formations in the cave are associated with stories from the epics. The copper plate that is over the Shiv Lingam formation was supposed to have been placed there by the intrepid Adi Shankaracharyan. Outside the cave are two small but magnificent ancient temples. One of them has a small open air museum.
The temple closely associated with Patal Bhuvaneshwari cave is the Haat Kalita temple. It’s about a hours drive to get there. We got lost enroute to this temple as the route was incorrectly signposted. We had to ask our way around to finally reach the temple. The Kumaon regiment has adopted this temple and they have contributed alot of funds for its upkeep. I was disappointed to see the priest standing in the sanctum giving offering to the devotees while talking on the mobile. A sign of the times, perhaps. Reached Almora in the evening.
Click here for Patal Bhuvaneshwari.
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| Jageshwar |
Day 18 (Almora – Dhadeshwar & Jageshwar - Khatarmal - Dwarakat): Almora is the district capital. As I came to anticipate, big cities are crowded and dirty. Went to Dhadeshwar and Jageshwar temples. I should have stopped at this place yesterday instead of Almora. These magnificent temples were built in 7-12 th century. Dhadeshwar is the smaller of the two temples. Jageshwar temple complex is large and there are a lot of smaller temples around. A wedding in progress at this temple during my visit.Check out the massive pine tree in the temple compound. The museum adjacent the temple run by the Archaeological Survey of India is worth a visit.
Stopped at Khatarmal Sun temple in the evening. This is one of the few sun temples in India. From the road map picked Dwarahat for the night’s halt. Slept at a non-descript hotel beside the road at Dwarahat.
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| Babaji's cave |
Day 19 (Dwarakat – Babaji’s cave & Pandavkholi - Kukuchina ): Read on the internet that Babaji’s cave (From the book ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’) was located nearby. I decided to go there in the morning before resuming the onward journey to Dehradun. But fate had other plans. I fell in love with the tranquility of Kukuchina and decided to sleep there. Experienced strong winds and hail storm at night.
Click here for Babaji’s cave and Kukuchina.
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| Pandavkholi |
Day 20 (Kukuchina– Gauchar): Went to Babaji’s cave in the morning before resuming my journey. Decided to stop in Gauchar for the night.
Day 21 (Gauchar -Rishikesh): Decided to stop at Rishikesh instead of Dehradun. Since it was the weekend, the traffic jams were horrendous. The weekend traffic blocks are a way of life in Dehradun. So avoid weekends if possible. Checked into the GVNL guest house at Muni-ki Reti.
Day 22 (Rishikesh): Slack day. Went to see the Aarti at Shatrugnan ghats. Took another dip in the Ganges to cleanse my sins.
Day 23 (Rishikesh): Did rafting on the Ganges in the morning. There are infinite rafting companies in Rishikesh. Look around for good deals. Wonder if getting wet in the holy Ganges during rafting washes away any sins!
Day 24 (Rishikesh): Preparing for the trek tomorrow. My 4 year old travelling companion has returned. She seems to have enjoyed the trip.
Day 26 (Loharjung – Bedni Bugyal): Trek begins. So does Diarrhoea. Newspaper saves the day!
Day 27 (Bedni Bugyal – Pathar Nachini): Trek continues. Using snow cramp-ons for the first time.
Day 28 (Pathar Nachini – Bhagubhasa- Bedni Bugyal): Unable to reach Roopkund due to snow. We are the first trekkers of the season to get this far! Caught in snow blizzard. Make hasty retreat to Bedni bugyal.
Day 29 (Bedni Bugyal – Ali Bugyal - Didna): The descend begins.
Day 30 (Didna - Loharjung): Rains and bad weather follow us. Reached the base camp of the trek. The trek is over.
Day 31 (Loharjung - Rishikesh): Started the return journey ay 4:30 am to avoid the traffic.
Day 32 (Rishikesh): Slack day. Another de-sinning dip in the Ganges and I’m now as pristine as a new-born baby.
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