sahasrakshara parame vyoman shivam shantam advaitam chaturtam manyante, sa atma, sa vigyeya
Swargabhoomi - the land of gods
Uttarkashi is a place that can easily captivate any wanderlust mind with its terraced hills, lakes, springs waterfalls and a snowline for a perfect backdrop. Uttarkashi is a destination that holds something for everyone. It is a trekkers paradise and a pilgrim's dream come true.
Starting off from pune with no plans or itenary; which turned out to be a good idea; I was slightly apprehensive about the cold in Himalayas during winter. From New Delhi railway station I boarded a train (mussourie express) to Haridwar which dropped me off at haridwar early in the morning. From Haridwar it was 7 hour long ride in a bus to Uttarkashi.The narrow roads up the hills were amazingly good compared to Pune roads.
station I boarded a train (mussourie express) to Haridwar which dropped me off at haridwar early in the morning. From Haridwar it was 7 hour long ride in a bus to Uttarkashi.The narrow roads up the hills were amazingly good compared to Pune roads.
Uttarkashi is a small town where almost everyone seemed to know every other person. The ganges sparkling in the sunshine was nothing more than a stream. People were friendly but strangely unaware of the beauty and potential of tourism in the area. After speaking to few localites over chai I tried to chalk out a plan for the next few days. By around 40'clock in the evening i took a bus to Chaurangi Khal. I was off on my first trek in the swargabhoomi.
Nachiketa Tal is small pond about 3Kms off Chaurangi khal. A trek which should have taken me about half an hour took me close to about two hours. The way to the tal was beautiful with tall trees and a narrow path. The first peek at the snow clad mountains was breath taking. The color of the sunrays reflecting off the snow had something special about them. Once i reached the tal there was a hermit who was living there in his small kutiya. He was very warm and invited me to live in his little palace. He was gracious enough to specialy make tea and dinner for the night. Though i was carrying my tent and sleeping bag i decided to stay with him. Legends of Nachiketa made a good listening and after that i slept in the warmth of a fire. A special remark has to be made of Yamdwar, a view of Kailash and the night sky in Nachiketa tal.
From Nachketa tal the next day i left for Bhatwari a hamlet about an hour from Uttarkashi. After wandering around in Bhatwari I left for Barsu in the evening. Though just about 10 Kms from Bhatwari it took us a good hour to reach Barsu. The roads were narrow and the climb was steep. It seemed that they made roads out of edges of the cliffs,
around in Bhatwari I left for Barsu in the evening. Though just about 10 Kms from Bhatwari it took us a good hour to reach Barsu. The roads were narrow and the climb was steep. It seemed that they made roads out of edges of the cliffs, the drive was scary and the beauty was unforgettable. Once I reached Barsu I pitched up my tent and spoke to the villagers and got some basic info about DayaraBhugyal.
The trek up to Dayara bhugyal was one of the most amazing treks I have gone in my life. It was just picture perfect. The way up was confusing and i lost my way. For sometime i did rue the fact that I didn't listen to the villagers advice to take someone along but if i had a chance to go back and get someone along I wouldn't. I wouldn't have traded the calm of the lonely mountains to the elation of reaching a destination. Apparently I was only 1.5 Kms away from the high altitude meadows stretching about 22.5 sqkms.Maybe next time!!
lonely mountains to the elation of reaching a destination. Apparently I was only 1.5 Kms away from the high altitude meadows stretching about 22.5 sqkms.Maybe next time!!
After camping one more day in Barsu I left for Maneri the next day. Maneri is a small dam on the ganges and the place is amazingly beautiful.I thought about Khadagvasla while i was sitting on the pavement by the reservoir. The reflection on the water was absolutely amazing. I hiked by the ganges for a few kilometers and in the middle of nowhere pitched my tent up on the white sands by the ganges.The water was very cold but a dip in it was irresistable.
The next day afternoon I left for Rishikesh and by late evening i reached Rishikesh. My first night in a lodge in Uttaranchal !! Next day I did a routine temple hopping.Lakshman jhoola and Ram jhoola, Trayambakeshwar Temple Chotiwala restaurant are few things one shouldn't miss in Rishikesh. I missed out on riverwater rafting because water level in the ganges was low. Another reason to go back!!
By evening i left for Haridwar to catch the Ganga Arti at Hari ki Pauri in Haridwar. After some interesting rituals i took the late night bus back to Delhi to be in time for my train back to PUne.
1st day evening - boarded train
2nd day - Delhi - boarded train to haridwar
3rd day - Haridwar -bus to Uttarkashi - trek to Nachiketa Tal
4th day - Bhatwari - camp in Barsu
5th day - trek to dayara bhugyal - camp in Barsu
6th day - Maneri - camp on the banks of the Ganges
7th day - Bus to Rishikesh
8th day - Haridwar 11'oclock bus back to Delhi.
9th day - Boarded train to Pune
10th day - Back in Pune
Things to note - Hotels might be difficult to find, so food can be a concern
Travel time was much more than anticipated because of the altitude.
