The Mighty Himalayan Experience

It all started when my wife saw a newspaper insertion about a proposed tour of the Himalayas during the month of May 1999 ! Yes- I am gonna share with you all, a jaunt we went over two decades back! Things would have definitely changed from the time we undertook the trip – be it the transportation, logistics, accommodation, health facilities, Safety etcetera.. etcetera… It was a long-cherished dream of ours to undertake such a trip and this particular itinerary seemed tailor-made for us.

When we put forth the proposal to our close circle of relatives and friends, it was grasped with all eagerness. Thus formed a lovely group of 27 members! The eldest couple were my parents and the youngest member was my daughter and the average age of the group was 30+.

Things had moved pretty fast and settled in place, and by that month end, we were off to the northern tip of India for undertaking the Spiritual/pleasure/sensational ‘excursion’ of a lifetime! The first destination from the capital of Tamil Nadu was to the capital of our Country. The Tour Manager greeted us with all smiles and warmth – a person who is going to be our custodian for the next fifteen days-ready with a luxury coach exclusively for us. Apart from our luggage we saw a few more cartons, stove, vegetables and fruits already stacked up in the trunk of the bus. We were introduced to four more people by the Manager, who would be accompanying us for the entire trip- a cook, two drivers and two assistants . We were thirty three in all!

In just more than five hours, we reached the ancient city of Haridwar where the River Ganges exits the foothills of Himalayas to run in the plains. Our hotel accommodation was on the banks of the mighty river. After a quick limb stretching and change of attire, we proceeded on to ‘Har ki Pouri’- the site of the evening ‘Ganga Maha-Aarti”-prayer to Mother Ganges. Before that, we visited the shrine of Manasa Devi on the hills-beautifully connected by cable-car. Remember-all these some 21 years ago … We descended the hills and were on time for the powerful and uplifting spiritual ritual that happens every evening on the banks of River Ganga. Landing at the ‘Malviya Dwep”- an island-like very huge platform built over the river, we chose a vantage point to witness the soul elevating event. The icy waters gush through the landing packed with impenetrable human masses and honeycombed with shops.. At the ‘dawn of dusk’(?!!) the whole place became silent-an occasional sound of someone coughing and a small decibel whimpering of a child were the only ‘noises’! Focusing the mind’s on the frothy running water and letting the soothing sound engulf oneself gets our body into an ultimate state of bliss and relaxation. The priests on the temples opposite the platform-which is hardly 50 meters – separated by water-are ready for the moment. A long blowing of conch symbolises the beginning of the ceremonial action of the evening. With the clanging of bells, blaring of the loud speakers resounding the Ganga-Aarti by the pandits and the multitude gathering and hundreds of floral floats with lamp sent on the water as a salutation to Goddess Ganga elevates us to a different level. With that experience, we also floated back to our hotel. We were greeted with hot dinner cooked specially for us by our mobile cooking team!  

The next day was our first feel of the Himalayas – on the first lap we touched Rishikesh. We got to see the width of river Ganges spread over a furlong. The town is dotted with many ashrams and is famous for a couple bridges Ram Jhoola and Lakshman Jhoola which are built runs across the river, suspended in the air. The bridges sway with the winds and the crowd movement- no pillars or piers supports the bridges. A real engineering marvel indeed. As in Haridwar, Rishikesh also hums with activity with thousands of devotees thronging the town. Contrary to what I thought of the weather, it was quite hot and we were thankful to get into the cosy comfort of the coach. Our bus followed the winding track beside the Ganga, tossing into foam scalloped eddies. The purple hills looked like giant cut outs as we zoomed past them. About one hundred kilometres uphill from Rishikesh was our next destination- the place called Devprayag-the confluence of the two mighty rivers Bhagirathi, and Alaknanda -one as clear as a plain glass and another in the color of tea decoction. It is a spectacle to watch the two colours merge and continue to flow as one. It was a tremendous experience to take a quick dip in the not so defined bathing ghat. Remembering that after these two decades, brings a chill down my spine- how were we so dare some to have ventured in taking bath in the chill, thundering waters. At that time, it did not matter a bit!! This was the exact place where the Revered Swamiji Haridas giri attained jal samadhi-wilful water burial.

The aroma of fresh sambar and rasam with potato curry and papad filled our nostrils as we headed to the bus- handiwork of our cooks- we had a hearty meal. No sooner, we started inching our way up the steep mountains. As much as it shined, suddenly there was a heavy downpour. Our scheduled halt at a small town Rampur could not materialise as there were severe landslides enroute . The Team Manager opted to halt at Guptkashi instead. It was pitch dark by then and drizzling. The accommodation was quite decent and by the time we settled down , our wizard cooks had with their magic wands prepared an awesome meal. After a hearty dinner, we called it a day!

 I could not catch proper sleep as thoughts about the next day’s schedule was overwhelming in the mind. The many write ups I had read, hearing the personal experiences of our friends about the hazardous climb on to the Kedar and the amazing altitude of about 12700 feet above sea level we were going to be in the next day was too much for me from the plains in a hot city. Even before venturing into the reality, I mentally became tired!!! At the break of dawn, I could be compared to a hippopotamus opening its mouth or a crocodile opening its snout- I was not able to control my non-stop yawning!! After a very light refreshment we moved on to Gaurikund situated at around 6000 feet above sea level-the commencement point of the trek to the holy place of Kedar. Adjacent to the holy temple of Goddess Parvati, there is a natural hot spring, where our entire group had a refreshing dip.

There are no motorable roads beyond this point- the only mode of travel is by foot, or ride on a pony or be carried in ‘Doly’- a palanquin carried by 4 people. Both my parents had engaged the dolies, some preferred to trek and the rest on ponies. How much ever I refused to climb the pony, my daughter-who was barely eight then and my mother-in-law saw to that I accompanied them in a pony. My wife had tied my daughter in her waist like Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi. The entire family of the Jayarams and the Ramans were at the mercy of the ‘Equine’ family!! The tracks were very slippery and narrow at some places, the width was barely 7 feet-imagine ponies, palanquins, trekkers share this space – both way traffic?! We were sandwiched between the steep Himalayan mountains on one side and deep gorges on the other…

Sitting atop a pony had the disadvantage for weak hearts like me- the height in which we are seated on the saddle further showcased the ravines without any hindrance – whether the pony galloped or not, my heart was on its four !! The ponies take the extreme right side of the pathway- one false step will transport us to “Kailash” instead of Kedarnath! There was hollow silence except for the clip-clop  of the pony’s hooves added with the mild chime of the collar-bell of the numerous ponies. Midway, at a place the path widened and there were tea stalls and restrooms- what amazed us was, there was a place for all the ponies to relieve themselves and despite the stench , we cannot help appreciate the discipline imparted to them and how orderly they followed it. Not long after, we had to wear the ponchos as the sky was covered with dark clouds – the winds were chill and small pebble-size ice started falling on us. All the while, the dutiful pony like an austere, self-disciplined abstemious ascetic kept on walking. Muttering constant prayers and thinking of the beautiful hot Chennai(!?!!) we went on and on. At one point, even I seemed to have lost my body consciousness and  started enjoying the surroundings. The eyes were feasting on the gushing waters of Alaknanda some 5000 feet down. As sudden as it rained so sudden was the shine as well… momentary sight at a distant of the shrine brought a splurge of energy in us. It was a spectacular- suspended against the snow-capped peaks. It took us five hours to climb the distance and disembarking at the pony stand was an ordeal by itself.

I was gasping for breath due to the low content of oxygen at that altitude. In fact, my parents had to be administered oxygen by the doctors in the ashram that we were to spend overnight. Chillness was too much, that my limbs were so rigid and inflexible. After a hot shower and hot refreshments served by our ever energetic cooks, I felt that I was infused a new life. I was now ready for my spiritual sojourn. Kedarnath has its reference in Mahabaratha- this is the place where Lord Shiva disguised himself as a bull when the Pandavas were searching for him in the mountains not satisfied with the Ardanareeswara darshan at Guptkashi. The Linga we sit around and worship is believed to be the hump of the bull that Bhimasenan managed to grab before the Lord dived underground. That glimpse was enough to cleanse the Pandavas of sin and sorrow.

The entire congregation of pilgrims from several parts of India-separated by language and sub-cultures joined the chant in a ringing swell of adoration as the prayer became an incantation. It was a moment beyond ritual and religion. We were allowed to sing bajans and perform abhishekams to the Almighty with scores of saffron powder, sandal paste, holy ash and rose water that we had taken with us. Each one of us had the feeling of having merged with the Lord.

Kedarnath, as with any shrine in the Himalayas, is open for public only for six months in a year-from May to October. The rest of the year, the whole place is evacuated due to inclement weather-the Border Security Force alone remains there.

The descend was more hazardous than the climb. It was like a free fall of the roller coaster- some four hours just clinging on to the saddle-not the bridle!! The path was more slippery and this time it was all tall ponies for all of us. The strides it took and slight gallop it made at times was more a threat stimulus- the fear it triggered in the mind and the motor functions of the brain running at full speed – a real nightmare . My heart was already in my mouth!

I was more worried about all the elders and rest in the group -as none of us could even see each other- nobody could wait for anybody!! Enroute, I saw my paternal uncle and aunt were treading down the mountain- my uncles horse had pushed him down and so my aunt also preferred to walk back with him. We were almost near Gaurikund when my wife’s pony skidded and fell down with my wife and daughter- the pony trying to get up with my wife and daughter below its legs. My pony man ran for their aid ( and so were few other people there). My pony was unattended and it kept walking and walking nearer and nearer and nearer to the brink- I could not even jump down as my legs were stiff and my boot caught in the footrest that hangs down from the saddle. Shamelessly I was crying for help in trilingual combined with a guilt feel that I could not be by my family’s side to help them out. Somehow, we all reached the base camp in one piece (I lost my peace of mind!!). The rest of the day was dedicated for the recompense of the sleep- though the cottages were in a picturesque place at the peak of a hillock surrounded by  magnificent mountains with couple of waterfalls that could be sighted and a small valley, I can recollect that most of us were not in a mindset to enjoy the scenic beauty. Such was the fatigue that I even skipped my dinner!!

During the peak season- I am told that the porters some days make two trips from the base to the shrine – for us to ride on a pony itself was so tiring- how much God has kept us in a better position to support our financially weaker brethren- one lesson learnt-never bargain with them- they are not unreasonable-it is only a seasonal job-they really toil hard for their earnings.

After a sumptuous South Indian breakfast complete with idly, vada, Pongal and a piping hot coffee we hopped on the coach for yet another spiritual elation-we are on our way to the holy town of Badrinath- the Skanda Purana extols the holy town of Badrinath as being holier than all other shrines that exist in the seven worlds!! The ride is around 5 hours- a narrow road then -2 decades back- just enough for 2 vehicles to cross each other. One false turn-it is all over!!

The characteristic of the mountain is very sandy and the thus the fear of landslide is always lurking. The one hour drive from Joshimath to Badrinath was vvvveeeerrrryyyy hazardous. Moreover lots of check posts manned by the Border Security Force were enroute.

All the tiredness and fear dissipated the moment we landed in the serene atmosphere of Badrinath. Again, the Pandavas have their role in Badrinath-this is where they attained salvation and moved on to Vaikunta. The great seer Adi Sankaracharya to revive the lost prestige of Hinduism and to unite nation in one bond re-established the Badri shrine . The Alaknanda river gushes tossing into foam scalloped eddies- to call it water flowing may be a mis norm- it is real ice. Dipping the finger in it made it momentarily numb. What that amazed was a couple of ascetics were having their bath without any qualms.

As we were a big group by itself, we had the opportunity of being in the sanctum sanctorum for a very long duration- more over at that point in time there was not much crowd also there. The temperature consistently kept dropping at by 7pm it was minus 10 and the whole town shut for the night. Early next morning, as scheduled we were ready for the home run. There was heavy traffic enroute. We could see lots of our army movements in the mountains and at places the traffic was regulated for the army convoy to pass through and there were numerous check points. Little did we know at that point of time that the Kargil war brewing.

It took us over ten hours to reach our base camp in Haridwar. The driver and co-driver deputed for the mountain drive took leave of us. It was a real emotive moment. We profusely thanked them with their much deserved fat purse for bringing us back safe. After a quick dip at Haridwar the next morning, we left for Delhi and on to our home, sweet home. Back from the deep freezer to the oven!!

Till I lace for the next…

Your roamer, J. Ram