TREKKING TO KEDARNATH
I was just sitting at my home after my exams were over. It was a long vacation and I didn't know what to do next. Suddenly, the phone rang and I was offered the chance to go on a 22 days tour of India. Usually, I would reject such offers, but that time my heart wouldn't let me refuse. So, I simply decided to go on the long tour in India.
There were 30 people in the reserved bus and we were all excited for the upcoming journey. We started our journey exactly at 8 am on 22nd Bhadra from Kathmandu. The following day, we crossed into India through the Bhitthamod border and entered Bihar state. We used to cook our meals wherever there was a water facility. It felt like we were enjoying a picnic, cooking and eating at different places throughout the journey.
The places in India had very high temperatures. I noticed that it often rained all of a sudden and only for a short amount of time. But during that time, a large amount of water used to get collected on the ground and stayed there until the sun evaporated it, instead of soaking into the ground. And that was really best for the crops plantation. It was the reason that India produced so much crops because the nature supported it. Also, India had road network connected to every city, village, agricultural fields, etc. even at the complex geography of hilly areas. The national highways were very well constructed with many lanes and perfectly pitched. Our bus was running with the speed of more than 100 kilometers per hour on those national highways. People used to travel mostly by train and only a few public vehicles like bus were seen on the highways.
We travelled throughout various places in India. Despite facing the heat of the sun and very high temperature, we were enjoying our trips. When we entered the state of Uttarakhand, the temperature slowly started to fall because the state mostly consisted of Hilly and Himalayan areas. Uttarakhand state of India was located exactly at the western border of Nepal. That was the state where Kedarnath temple was located. Also, the origin of Yamuna river i.e. Yamunotri, the origin of the Ganga river i.e. Gangotri, Badrinath Dham i.e. one of the four major dhams of Hindus and 7 prayags were located at that state. On the 14th day, we continued our journey from Tehri district to Kedarnath.
That day was Bhadra 4. It was the rainy season, and I was surprised to find out that it rained everyday from the evening until late at night. On our journey, we reached Rudra Prayag, which immediately caught my eyes. It was very beautiful and offered an epic view.
In that Prayag, the river Mandakini and the river Alaknanda met. I caught a glimpse of it and couldn't take my eyes off its beauty. Since our destination was still far away, we didn't stop at Rudraprayag but continued our journey. We passed through Gupta Kashi, and after some time we reached at Sitapur district. It was already getting dark, so we stayed at a lodge near Sonprayag.
The next morning, we started our journey at 6 am. We walked to Sonprayag, which was only 2.5 km away from the lodge where we had stayed, and there were no vehicles available to take us there. At Sonprayag, the river Mandakini and the river Basuki Ganga meet. 'Prayag' simply refers to a place where two or more rivers meet. From Sonprayag, we got into a jeep and reached Gaurikund, which was 6 kilometers away.
Actually, the government had made a rule that only the small jeeps of local people could travel between Gaurikund and Sonprayag for the business purpose. Also, the government had not built any road nor any cable car to Kedarnath because when the devotees travel through the trekking path, then it would boost up the economic activities and business of local people in that area. The trekking path at Kedarnath was quite interesting and enjoyable as it was made of different stones and those who walked over there could experience much more adventurous journey. Along the way, there were many beautiful waterfalls and hills covered with green grass and trees.
I started walking ahead of the other group members. I had carried a bag with me, and it was a little heavy because I had put those clothes that I thought I would need the next day for a change. I had assumed that we might stay at a lodge near the Kedarnath temple that night, as it could take the whole day to reach to the temple.
Since it was an entirely uphill trek, I got tired and had to rest for a minute after every 500 meters. Jungle Chatti was 2.5 kilometers away from the gate of Gauri Kund and I reached there feeling some leg fatigue. When I arrived, I saw one of our group members riding a horse toward the temple. I thought I could reach the temple easily at my pace, but when I saw other group members taking horse one after another, I had to increase my walking speed.
I was walking alone, talking to nature and enjoying the journey. Many devotees were walking towards the temple, while others were returning. I moved forward with the energy I had. Along the path, I heard the constant tinkling of bells worn by horses. It served as a warning to stay alert and find a safe side where horses weren't passing. It was one of the challenging parts throughout the whole journey because a horse could step on a person, causing severe injury. The trek was quite risky as well. Since the path was uphill, horses walked and ran, and sometimes they suddenly behaved unpredictably, which could directly harm people nearby. The Mandakini River flowed alongside the path with a strong current, its cold waters rushing rapidly.
I was walking forward on the stone-paved path with full alertness and enjoying the beauty of nature. Truly, the scenery there was beyond words. It was literally amazing and breathtaking. After walking for 4 hours, I reached the bridge over the Mandakini River.
When I walked on the bridge, I could hear the loud roar and feel the strong current of the Mandakini River. Several times, I thought the river might sweep away the entire bridge and the surrounding hills. Since it was considered a divine river, I could feel it's sacred power there.
After crossing the bridge, the path became even tougher. It was because the uphill path was directly leading towards the top of those very high hills. Those hills were so high that such heights could hardly be seen anywhere else in Nepal. Looking at the steep uphill path after crossing the bridge, anyone's confidence to walk upward would diminish instantly. The trail seemed endless and the temple was still very very very far far away. Also, my energy level had already dropped to the lowest after climbing the hill for about 6 kilometers, and there were still 10.5 kilometers left to cover.
I had to hurry because other members of the group were riding horses, and at any moment they could get far ahead, as some had already done. I walked forward with great excitement to reach the temple, enjoying the beauty of nature. Throughout the trek, I kept thinking about how the temple would look up close, what the area around it would be like and how the statue of Lord Bholenath would appear.
The trek to Kedarnath temple was very adventurous. I was shocked by the weather over there, as it was never constant and could change at any moment. While walking, for a few minutes, the sun would shine brightly, spreading warmth all around. But, after a short time, fog would roll in, making it feel as if night had fallen instantly. Again, after a few minutes, the weather would clear again. Again, after some time there used to rain all of a sudden. After walking for a few minutes, again the sun rays were spreading the heat. I couldn't figure out how quickly the weather could change there.
In Kedarnath, there were more than 35,000 shops or small restaurants on the side of the trekking path which were run by Indian as well as Nepalese people, selling various foods and water. Many horses were kept there inside the stable to carry devotees and essential supplies, as there was no proper transportation. Some people individually carried devotees on foot while other groups of people were engaged in the same service. The fees for the horse rides and human carriers were quite high. However, throughout the whole journey, I neither rode a horse nor took help from anyone. My reason was that the horse were not properly reared, and riding them uphill to the temple felt both sinful and inhumane. No matter how tired I became, I refused to ride a horse nor be carried by anyone.
While walking uphill, about 10 kilometers away from Gauri Kund, I felt I had no any energy left to move forward. I was very thirsty and desperately looking for a bottle of water. Unfortunately, I hadn't brought any bottle of water in my bag. After a while, I found a shop or also known as small restaurant, and asked shopkeeper the price of water. It was IRs 60. I thought it was too expensive and moved uphill. At next shop, the price of water was IRs 80. Again, I moved upwards without buying and realized that with the increase in altitude, the price level would obviously increase too. Finally, I was ready to pay IRs 100 for a bottle of water and reached another shop. Luckly, I got it for IRs.70.
I had no energy left to walk. With the increase in altitude, uphill slopes and my exhausted state, I moved very slowly, my legs completely tired and unable to keep going. My body felt weak, with no strength left. I was alone on the path, neither my group members nor any strangers were in sight. I sat on a bench which was kept on the side of the trekking path, drank some water and took rest for about 5 minutes. The break was a little longer because I was completely drained, and a long uphill path still lay ahead. I hadn't eaten anything since morning, so I was quite hungry, but I was planning to reach the temple without eating any food. It was already 1 p.m., and I had no idea what to do next because every members of my group had already gone ahead on horses, and I was still 6.5 kilometers far away from the temple. I had to hurry because they planned to return to the lodge at Sitapur that same day. So, I was worried because I could face the condition about returning without visiting the temple if they return early. After sitting for about 10 minutes, I was still exhausted and completely out of energy. I took out a packet of prasad from my bag, which I had received at recently built Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. I ate half of the prasad and drank some more water. For a few minutes, I stayed over there and then continued my journey forward.
Then, I began to increase my walking pace. At some stretches, I used to walk fast and somewhere I used to walk slowly. The pain felt like it was taking the soul out of my body, but still I didn't give up. It was the miracle of Ram Mandir's prasadi that gave me the strength to keep going. The environment around me was aesthetic. The nature seemed as if it had been created like by the Lord Bholenath himself.
After a lot of struggle, I finally reached the top of the hill from where the uphill path had ended and a straight, plain path began. When I arrived at the place where the horses were kept, it started to rain. I wore a plastic raincoat and begun walking toward the temple, which was just 1.5 kilometer away. At around 3:15 p.m., I reached at the temple of Kedarnath. I had seen it from afar before, but seeing it up close was breathtaking. It was very beautiful. I was desperately thinking what might it look like from near. The initial view of Kedarnath temple from near was truly astonishing.
The temple was not very big, but its structure was very cute and charming. I felt as if I wanted to take the temple with me, because of its cuteness, beauty and charmness. I stayed inside the temple for about 30 minutes and it was raining outside and no other devotees entered inside the temple. I sat on a bench and quietly soaked in the atmosphere.
I looked around the temple and saw a large Bheem Shila a few meters behind it. In 2013 A.D., the Chorabari Glacier, just above the back of the temple burst, and the whole area was swept away by the flood. During that disaster, only the temple remained safe, completely unharmed. After that flood, the Bheem Shilaa was carried by the waters to the back of the temple.
After the rainfall ended, I started walking toward the guest house where we had stayed the previous night. The group members had already decided to return to the guest house that same day. I had no energy left and was extremely tired. After eating two Samosaas, two doughnuts and drinking one lassi, I begun walking. It was a slight advantage that the path was downhill and I didn't need to exert as much energy while returning back. Still, the pain in the legs and waist was intense. Whenever I tried to sit on a bench to rest, my tiredness increased and the pain worsened. There was no choice but to keep walking without stopping.
The weather was unpredictable, as always. While returning, the rainfall had stopped at first. After walking a short distance, the sun appeared, and the mountains with white snow reflected their beauty, adding to the charm of Kedarnath temple. The whole surrounding was experiencing the sunrays. Soon, after walking a little further, clouds covered the mountains and a foggy environment took over. It was literally very dark. A few minutes later, the fog cleared, and the surroundings returned to normal, only for darkness to fall again. The path was dimly lit, with streetlights glowing at some places, adding a strange beauty to the trial at night. My health condition was very tired. I was extremely tired, with severe pain in my legs and waist. Still, I had to walk all those kilometers.
While returning, all the group members chose to walk. The horse ride had frightened them earlier, and that fear kept them from riding on the way back. Most of them walked very slowly, and only seven of us moved ahead. The trekking path was silent and we seven members were walking at that night. Somewhere, we could hear the tinkling of horse bells. Also, a few devotees were going toward the temple during that midnight, with a hope to reach the temple by the following morning. We reached to Gauri Kund, but it was already 12 a.m. of the night. From there, we still had to travel 6 kilometers towards SonPrayag, and at that hour, no vehicles were available. I was ready to sleep on the street because I had no energy left to walk. I couldn't describe my condition back then. It was totally painful, yet I had to continue toward the guest house. I was hoping for a vehicle, but none could be found at Gauri Kund. All the other six members decided to walk, and I had no choice but to keep going, as it was already midnight and the area was completely unfamilier.
There was another fear as well. It was the rainy season, and frequent landslides could occur. To avoid the landslides and floods, all the group members decided to return that same day. We walked at night, with stones occasionally falling from the hills beside the road. Despite all the risks, we continued our journey on the dark path at midnight, a kingdom of complete darkness. After walking for a while, we were fortunate to find a jeep returning from SonPrayag to Gauri Kund. We asked for a lift to SonPrayag and reached there safely. From SonPrayag, our guest house was still 2.5 kilometers away, and all seven of us finally arrived at the guest house at 1 a.m. But, other members stayed at Gauri Kund that night because they were very far behind from us while returning. I entered my room and fell asleep.
It was an adventurous journey, full of both pain and enjoyment. Still, it remained very memorable. I would suggest other people to visit over there too. The trekking could be even more enjoyable with a companion who could support you, similarly, it could be possible to enjoy trek alone as well.
.jpeg)
Comments
Post a Comment