Journey to Auli

Joshimath town

Joshimath is a very beautiful town. All the places in Uttarakhand are beautiful, but due to lack of planning to build a town the places do not appear as beautiful as these should. From Joshimath we can visit many places like Auli, Badrinath, valley of flowers, Niti, Mana, Tapovan. This place is also the base point for many trek routes like Kuari pass, Dronagiri trek, Kagbhushandi trek, Satopant trek etc. There are religious and historical places in abundance.   The myths, past and religious stories make this place very special and unique.

Dream mountain team reached Joshimath in the evening of 1^st July 2015. Early morning at 6 AM, we woke up with chirping sounds of different birds. The sun rays had touched the snow clad Hathi parvat and other beautiful Himalayan mountains. It was partially cloudy and we were fortunate that the rain had stopped after 3 days’ continuous raining.

Auli in summer

Auli in winter

After having breakfast, we went to Auli which is 14 km from the resort. Auli is a fascinating meadow with gentle slopes. The fields were lush green and the air was cool with gigantic mountains opposite to Auli. Few of the mountains which were standing tall at Joshimath had either gone below or were just in front of our eyes. After reaching Auli, we used the chair car to move at higher altitude. After reaching to the exit point of chair car, we were viewing the Auli skiing track slope and imagining that what kind of different atmosphere it would be during winter skiing days. After moving further we went to a tea stall and had cup of teas followed by rock climbing and rappelling. The whole day we kept moving and enjoying the beautiful Auli. In the evening at around 4 PM, we moved back to our resort. It was a very exciting day finished with bon fire and dinner till 10 PM. Before going to sleep, we had decided to visit Hathi pahad and Vishnuprayag next day. Hathi parvat and Hathi pahad are two different mountains.

For more please visit : joshimath.net

Garhwal trip to Joshimath

One of the pressing questions for tourists planning to visit Uttarakhand during the monsoons is the quality of the roads. So, to get an idea, the Dream Mountain team started on a journey  from Dehradun to Joshimath on 1^st July 2015. We started as early as 7 AM and took a halt at NIM beach in Rishikesh . The water level of Ganga had risen considerably above the normal level. We took few minutes to soak in the situation, snapped some pictures of the surroundings and continued on our journey.

Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh

At around 9:00 AM, we reached Shivpuri , which is the main centre for rafting business on the Ganga. The main Shivpuri beach is usually crowded full of adventurous tourists interested in  rafting and camping. Today  it looked barred and washed -out due to heavy monsoon rainfall and increased Ganga water level.  Rafting on the Ganga had stopped in the third week  of June due to the onset of monsoon. We clicked some fotos for the record and proceeded another  16 km ahead to Vyasi. Now we were heading towards Devprayag.

Shivpuri, 15 km from Rishikesh

Shivpuri during summer

Tourists enjoying cricket at Shipuri

 Devprayag is known for the start of Ganga. Although the Ganga originates at Gaumukh and Gangotri, the river is known as the Bhagirathi till it reached Devprayag where it merges with the Alaknanda and continues on as the Ganga. There are a few temples at the confluence which tourists can visit. The photos we took of the confluence tell their own story. Both rivers are distinct in colour and obviously the rainfall has been much heavier in the Alaknanda catchment area as evident from the silt in the river.

Devprayag confluence

A closer look

After Devprayag, the most important station is Srinagar. But just four kilometers prior to Srinagar there is a small town called Kirtinagar. Kirtinagar once used to be the capital of Garhwal  under the kingship of Panwar dynasty. At Kirtinagar the rishikesh-Badrinath highway crosses over to the left bank of the river. These two fotos we took show  you the old and modern bridges over the Alaknanda river at Kirtinagar.

Kirtinagar old bridge

Kirtinagar new bridge

Ahead of Kirtinagar is Srinagar, perhaps the most populous hill town in the Garhwal region. The usually crowded Srinagar market was surprisingly free of vehicular congestion and we were soon in Srikot. In the past Kirtinagar, Srinagar and Srikot were three distinctly seperate small towns. Today these three towns are almost connected with one another and will not appear to be separate towns to a new visitor.

Srinagar river

Srinagar town

 It is now time to tell you a bit about Shirau-bagad, the  most notorious sliding zone on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. This sliding zone lies between Srinagar and Rudraprayag and has become the biggest hurdle for Char Dham yatra during monsoon season.  For the last 20 years the problem could not be resolved. Now after decades of sliding of boulders and rubbles from the mountain, the hard rock has started appearing. Probably, after few years the nature itself will heal this wound which the man could not.  While driving through this zone, we were surprised to see that there  was no obstruction here and the road was clear. We moved ahead with ease.

Shirau-bagad

Rudraprayag, where the Alaknanda and the Mandakini rivers meet, was our next destination after Srinagar. Rudraprayag town is very congested and due to this problem, a diversion road is used to avoid the traffic of the main road. Another problem with Rudraprayag is that it is impossible to view the confluence from the main road because buildings have come up blocking all view of the rivers from the main town. Rudraprayag confluence is best seen on the way back via the diversion route on the right bank of the Alaknanda. While going towards Badrinath we have to drive through the main town, but  while returning from Badrinath to Rishikesh, the diversion road is used, for which you have to first cross the Alaknanda and drive for about two kilometers on the Kedarnath highway along the Mandakani and then, after crossing the Mandakini, join back to the Badrinath-Rishikesh highway by once again crossing the Alaknanda.

Rudraprayag confluence

When we started the journey, we were warned that there had been heavy rains in the Joshimath area for last two days and the Badrinath road had been heavily damaged at Lambagarh. Perhaps this was also the concern of most people because traffic was for the most part lighter than usual. We drove on through Gauchar to Karnaprayag where the Pindar river flows into the bigger Alaknanda. But that day the situation was different. At Karnaprayag confluence when we stopped the vehicle to take a look, both the rivers were flowing above their usual levels but the the Pinder was clearly in a more dangerous mood and almost threatening to sweep the lowermost houses along its banks. Many of the locals were seen gazing at the river with various degrees of concern.  We took the videos and some photos and hoped that the situation would not get more serious before driving on.

Karnaprayag confluence.

Pinder river at Karnaprayag

After Karnaprayag, we were short of time as we had to reach Joshimath before the darkness as it is not advisable to drive at night in sliding zones to avoid being hit by any boulder or mud balls etc. After Karnaprayag, we moved towards Nandprayag and Chamoli. From Chamoli one has a magnificent view of Gopeshwar town which is  the headquarters of district Chamoli.

Gopeshwar town

Before Joshimath the other townships to cross were Birahi and Pipalkoti. We could not even stop for some tea  at these places as we had been strongly advised  to cross the Pagal-Nala (The Mad Rivulet)before night to reach Joshimath.  Pagal-Nala, as the name suggests,  is an another problematic place where you never know what may happen. Fortunately we crossed the nala at around 6:45 PM and sighed a heavy relaxed breath. Now we were just 15 minutes drive from our destination.  Nevertheless we were quite intrigued about how the nala got this interesting name. Next day in Joshimath , a local helpfully explained that we should not have been so unduly worried. Pagal-nala is at its most unpredictable post monsoon, exactly during the period when people begin expecting rainfed streams to exhibit stable behaviour.

On the way to Joshimath

For more please visit : www.dreammountain.net , www.joshimath.net

***      

Gangotri temple

Gangotri

Gangotri, the epic pilgrimage, is located in district Uttarakashi, India. This is one of the Char dhams of Uttarakhand. Gangotri, the source of Ganga which is known for cleansing and purifying the soul of every human being by taking dip in the river Ganga, is revered by every Hindu. The pilgrims after arriving here at Gangotri feel spiritually rejuvenated and the soul automatically get cleansed and purified. Gangotri at an altitude of 3140 mtr. is surrounded by snow clad mountains which sets a very picturesque view of this place.

As per our sacred believes and texts, the Ganga name starts from Devprayag. Before Devprayag, the Ganga is named Bhagirathi and at Devprayag the confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi gives the origin of Ganga. At Gangotri, the river is called Ganga as the place has relevance with the name. The temple is at right bank of the river Ganga.

The temple is said to have been constructed by Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa. The existing temple is said to have been reconstructed by Jaipur royal family.

The origin of the Ganga is Gaumukh, but earlier it used to be Gangotri when the place was covered by glacier as today the Gaumukh is. With the passage of time, the glacier receded back to Gaumukh which is 18 km. At the time of establishment of the temple, the Ganga was emerging from Gangotri itself.

The waters of Ganga is considered to be sacred, that’s why the Ganga waters is carried by Kanwaris to their respective places. The waters of Ganga is also carried to Rameshwar to sooth  Shiva’s throat after He swallowed down the poison which emerged out of the churning sea. The waters taken back to Shiva shrines by Kanwaris also denote the same religious practice.

Puja at Gangotri temple

River Ganga is worshipped as sacred river along its course from Devprayag to Allahabad. The other place where the Ganga is worshipped as goddess is Gangotri. Both worshipping practices denote different significances in Hindu religion. The river Ganga is a source of energy, life whereas the Goddess is benevolent and purifies everyone. Many sacred rituals are performed near the river Ganga as the witness of devotion and love for the Goddess. All the Pujas are preceded after Ganga Jal bath. The pujaris of Gangotri are the Brahmins from the village Mukhwa. These pujaries are selected rotation wise every year and perform all the pujas. Here at Gangotri, the Rawal has no function in puja and the puja is performed by the pujaris of Mukhwa.

Pandas

In Gangotri, the function of the Pandas is also performed by pujaris only. All the functions from puja to pind are performed by the ten selected pujaris.

Temple Administration

The temple administration is carried out by the committee formed of five members. The five members are Tahsildar of the area, the gram pradhans of villages Mukhwa and Dharali, and the two leading sanyasis of Gangotri.

Opening day

The Gangotri shrine opens on auspicious day of Akshaya – Tritiya every year, which normally falls during last third week of April or first week of May. The opening ceremony is performed by the puja of goddess and river Ganga.

Closing day

The closing date of the temple is Deepawali. The pujaris perform the closing ceremony and after the closing rituals the entire temple staff and pilgrims leave Gangotri for next year.

Gaurikund

The river Ganga falls from a height of 100 ft, making it beautiful scene to view. This Gaurikund should not be mistaken with the Gaurikund of Kedarnath.

Dev Ghat

There is cluster of peaks across the Bhagirathi, known as Dev Ghat. A small stream emanates from this cluster of mountains which is called Dev Ganga. These peaks have been named as Brahma, Ganga Mandir and Shankaracharya.

Rishikesh to Gangotri

Rishikesh to Gangotri

The main town for Char Dham pilgrimage in Uttarakhand is Rishikesh. This town finds its name in religious texts for the beginning of Char Dham journey when there were only footpaths and no motor roads.  The Char Dham yatra used to get started from Haridwar and Rishikesh and in old days these yatras used to be once in a life time and as long as 1-2 months  rigorous journey. Even during these days, we can notice many Sadhus journeying by foot. After the construction of roads, Rishikesh became the main place to start the journey. The route for Gangotri and Yamunotri is common till Dharasu and a diversion leads to Gangotri from here.

The route :

Sl no.	Place	Altitude (mtr.)	Distance (km)	Progressive distance(km)
1	Rishikesh	340	-
2	Narendra nagar	1067	16	16
3	Chamba	1543	46	62
4	Chinyalisaur	970	73	135
5	Dharasu	1036	5	140
6	Uttarakashi	1158	28	168
7	Gangori	1219	4	172
8	Maneri	1372	6	178
9	Bhatwari	1677	19	197
10	Ganganani	1982	14	211
11	Sukhi	2744	18	229
12	Jhala	2439	7	236
13	Harsil	2591	6	242
14	Lanka	2652	13	255
15	Gangotri	3140	10	265

  

Best season : May to June and September to October.

Narendra nagar : This place is a small beautiful hill resort town. It’s a gradual climb of 16 km from Rishikesh. One can view Rishikesh town while moving upwards to this town. This town is famous for being once the capital of old State of Tehri Garhwal.

Chamba: This place is 46 km from Narendra nagar. From Chamba one can view Bandarpoonch and other snow peaks. Due to submergence of old route of Tehri town for dam, a new route has been constructed via Kamand. At Chamba, one can refresh himself by having tea / breakfast. The total distance from Rishikesh to Chamba is 62 km, and normally it takes 2 hours to reach Chamba  from Rishikesh.

Chinyalisaur: This town is an altitude of 970 mtr. and 73 km from Chamba. At this place one can halt for little break for refreshment as it is an average 2 and half hours continuous journey from Chamba. The sacred Bharirathi river touches this town and the Tehri Dam reservoir ends  here. The same Bhagirathi river becomes Ganga at Deo prayag confluence after merging with Alaknanda river.

Dharasu: This town from Chinyalisaur is at 5 km distance. At Dharasu, Khurmola rivulet meets Bhagirathi. From here two roads branch off to Gangotri  and Yamunotri. The road to Gangotri  is along Uttarakashi.

Uttarakashi: Uttarakashi is a border district with the headquarter of the same name. This place is located on the banks of river Bhagirathi. This place is famous for its historical monuments, temples, ashrams etc. The town has lot of hotels and rest houses for the tourists.   A lot of people stay overnight here before their departure for Gangotri.

Gangori : This is a small village 4 km from Uttarakashi on the route to Gangotri.

Maneri : This place is 10 km from Uttarakashi. A large barrage has been constructed here for Hydro-electricity production. This place is scenic, where one can halt for few minutes and enjoy the view of barrage surrounded by mountains.

Bhatwari : This town is 29 km from Uttarakashi. This town is also the block headquarter. One can also find a bridle path of olden days from here to Kedarnath. These days, this route is also used for Kedarnath trek.

Ganganani : This place is 43 km from Uttarakashi. During olden days, this place had a lot of importance as the people used to halt here for the overnight stay, but lost significance after motor road construction. There are hot water springs where one can take bath and relax.

Sukhi : This place is 61 km from Uttarakashi. The place being at an altitude of 2744 mtr. provides a magnificent  view of snow clad mountains. This place grows lots of seasonal fruits like apple, apricot.

Jhala : This place is 67 km from Uttarakashi and equally beautiful as other places along the route. At Jhala, the pine trees are abruptly replaced by deodars denoting a change in vegetation.

Harsil : Along the Gangotri route, 73 km  from Uttarakashi, the most admired place id Harsil. George Wilson, a Britisher settled here over a century ago who was allured by the beauty of this place. The Harsil apples were brought by him, when he fostered the apple plantation amongst local natives. To this day, the Harsil apples have a unique place in the market. The place has not been commercially developed but definitely has a potential.

Lanka : This place is 86 km from Uttarakashi. Lanka is connected to Bhaironghati by a bridge. Both Lanka and Bhaironghati are famous for their giant deodars. Small shops are available at both the places.

A new road has been construction, which shortens the route by 52 km via Suakholi and meets Chinyalisaur.

A short description of this new route is as follows:

Place	Altitude	Distance	Progressive distance
Dehradun	701
Suakholi	1925	50	50
Ritu ki Beli	1825	8	58
Alamas bend	1780	7	65
Bhawan	1600	6	71
Moryana	1500	15	86
Chinyalisaur	970	30	116
Dharasu	1036	5	121
Uttarakhashi	1158	28	149
Gangotri	3140	97	246

Gangotri : The name means where the Ganga descends on earth. At an altitude of 3140 mtr. this holy place has found a great importance in our religious texts and every sacred ritual and religious activities. The Ganga river is heart line of Indian subcontinent. After reaching here, a person gets spell bounded by the beauty and serenity surrounding him. The spiritual atmosphere here is serendipitous and charming. One should visit this place once in his life time to know the spiritual values in Hinduism.