Gangotri !

A very Happy New Year to all who get to read this!A part of my NewYear resolutions is to quit my voluntary sanyas from Blogging and try to chip in something at least every once in a while.If there's anything i truly miss writing about in these last 6 or so months, then it has to be about 2 of my most memorable trips to date, both for different reasons though. It'd be a shame if i don't document them now - this is the stuff i started blogging for in the first place.

The 1st and certainly the best ever was my trip to Gomukh, the source of Ganga, the most sacred of our rivers and the cradle of the Hindu civilisation.The Gangotri-Gomukh-Tapovan trek is open only from mid May to mid Oct each year,(June-July ruled out due to monsoons), when the snow melts down making the highway accessible.I got the opportunity to make this happen thanks to a 2 week gap between switching my workplace.So on 25th August,2006, i took the early morning flight from Bangalore to Delhi and on landing took a bus to Rishikesh, which is the base point for most of the magnificent ranges of the Uttaranchal-Garhwal himalayas.Here i was joined by my childhood friend from Chandigarh, Gaurav who had earlier joined the Indian Army but had to quit due to medical reasons.We checked into a hotel, had lip-smacking dinner at a nearby dhaba and planned for the trip late into the night.We took the 1st and only bus leaving for Gangotri at 5 am next morning for a 13 hour long drive through high mountains and treacherous roads.There was a 3 hour long delay midway at Uttarkashi due to news of landslides blocking the highway up ahead, but luckily the B.R.O. (Border Roads Organisation) got them cleared and we reached Gangotri just after dark.

It was freezing cold and there was no electricity or mobile phone access in this small settlement amongst high mountains and icy-roaring Ganga.(Bhagirathi, to be precise)We quickly checked into a decent hotel run by the Birla trust which had a generator and more importantly-hot water. So after taking a relaxing shower we visited the shrine which most pilgrims come to Gangotri to visit, and very few of them actually do the 19 km trek from here to Gomukh, while we had plans to go upto 25 kms to Tapovan - a meadow situated amidst glaciers and snow mountains.So next morning we were again up at 5am and since everyone around warned us not to trek in the glacier without a guide, we hired a porter-cum-guide to carry our sleeping bags and tent up the trek.

As we started hiking up, i could hardly control the excitement building up inside me.I'd been dreaming of this trek for 2 years now, and finally i was walking in the larger than life surroundings that uptil now i'd only seen in photographs.It was a mild and pleasant trek for the 1st 5 kms with the sun shining bright and the mighty Ganga keeping us company throughout.I must add that one should not compare distances in hills with plains - a km in mountains with it's inclines and curves is anyday equivalent of 2 kms in the plains.After 8 kms of nonstop marching we reached a small pine forest called Chirbasa and stopped at a tea stall for refreshments and breakfast.The biggest advantage of an adventure at a pilgrimage place is that food and help is never too far. Yet we could only see a few firangs and sadhus on the trek.We 2 were almost the only Indian adventurers.Further up it kept getting more thrilling, with plenty of rough streams and tributaries on the way, that had to be crossed on makeshift wooden logs-if you slipped you could easily be washed away.

After 2 more hours we reached the last human habitation in the region called Bhojbasa,which had 8-10 small stalls, an ashram, a small guest house and a Geological Department's Glacier study camp.Also , it was here that we got our 1st clear view of the mighty Trishul peaks ahead of us.I'll never forget that formidable sight- 2 huge beautiful snow capped mountains floating above clouds- I couldn't fathom any man made structure to even stand in comparison with this towering beauty- no wonder countless rishis had meditated here since time immemorial.

We pitched our tent in the valley, just next to Ganga, and got in to relax a bit.The best part was when i opened the zipper of the tent to peek out, i could see the mighty peaks overlooking us.Whoever said "If there's heaven on earth, them it's here" must've meant this place.

Now was the time for some intro and retro-spection.Time to figure out our purpose in life and the why's, where's and how's of our mundane existence - easier said than done! ;)At night it was freezing cold outside - must be sub-zero - we couldn't take even our gloves off! Yet it was remarkably comfortable inside the tent.


We had a dinner of Maggie and khichdi at 1 of the stalls up on the hill, and then tried to sleep but in vein(inspite of the exhaustion).High altitude sickness was taking it's toll on us since we were at a height of 11,000 feet plus,(Shimla is 6,000 ft) and our bodies were not used to the lack of oxygen in the air.My friend got pretty sick and vomitted a couple of times and kept mumbling throughout the night.Even i had a piercing headache throughout the night.Anyhow, we got ourselves up next morning(with swollen faces), and continued the journey to Gomukh, stopping intermittently to shoot photos and videos.



Soon we reached Gomukh at 13,000 ft - literally "Cow's mouth" - the cave like edge of Gangotri glacier, from where Ganga comes rushing out, bearing testimony to the birth and progress of an entire civilisation.It's called Bhagirathi here, after the Rishi who's supposed to have brought it down from the heavens.

We decided to proceed to Tapovan and started climbing up the glacier, we could actually hear snow rumbling under our feet and thundering sounds of huge ice blocks crashing from the glacier somewhere nearby.My friend wanted to return from here and this caused a bit of an arguement between us since i'd been dreaming to go upto Tapovan all this while.Finally, i reluctantly agreed and we started on our way back, bidding farewell to the most beautiful place i'd ever seen - but with a resolve to be back and go upto Tapovan the next time!