Day 2 March 02, 2017
Having trodden through the crowded Ganges river banks at Haridwar, we departed for RISHIKESH at 09:00 am.
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R I S H I K E S H
Sixteen kilometres North of Haridwar, on the foothills of the lower Himalayan range "SHIVALIKS", lies Rishikesh which is the gateway to the lower Himalayan range, SHIVALIKS. The one who goes with preconceived assumptions on Rishikesh to be very much like any other North Indian township will be disappointed and the one who goes with no expectations and assumptions will be awed by its mere presence. Or for some exceptional cases it might be both disappointing and awe at the same time.
I thought, as Haridwar is the end of the plains and up north of it starts the mountainous region, the demography of Rishikesh will be less, a tad smaller township with minimum development.
Yes in deed Rishikesh is located at a higher altitude when compared to that of Haridwar. But Rishikesh is far modern, clean, fresh, calm and serene than Haridwar in many aspects, despite a huge population of locals and tourists.
Rishikesh, a global attraction for its various schools of Yoga and Ayurvda, is quite aptly nicknamed as the "YOGA CAPITAL OF THE WORLD". Hence people from all over the world have been flocking Rishikesh throughout the years. We could almost see as many foreigners for every local guy. Many of them seemed to be staying there for months or years together.
There were one too many shops to purchase tees, pajamas, beeds, rudraksha, yoga materials and anything else one could expect in a mini world hub. Anand is visiting Rishikesh for the third time. Hence he is familiar with nook and corners of Rishikesh. He walked us towards the other bank of the Ganga through "LAKSHMAN JHULA".
There were many excellent multi cuisine restaurants which looked very simple and blended with its surrounding, situated along the banks of River Ganga.
Anand ordered an Israeli food whose name we could never pronounce in this life time along with a papaya squash. Excitingly both were of good taste and texture. If you wonder why am I elaborating about the food, it is because I was totally awe struck by the availability of an Israeli breakfast in the foothills of Himalayas and also a papaya squash which is a tropical fruit. One will fell they are at home when in Rishikesh - at least during food time.
Had we knew that it would be the last time until we return to the plains where we can have good food, we might have ordered more and filled us. For another five days we endured much hardships in search for good food except Chappathi, Roti and Chapathi again. The only alternative to Roti anywhere in those mountains was maggi noodles.
Now you could get a fair glimpse of understanding on why I still remember and elaborated on the food in Rishikesh.
Coming back on Rishikesh,
Rishikesh as a whole is dynamic, tranquil and vibrant. A profound sense of calm, nourishing, peace can be felt engulfing if you sit on the banks of River Ganga which here in Rishikesh is pristine, flows gracefully. The closest word to express the feel is in Tamil "இனம் புரியாத ஒரு ஆழ்ந்த அமைதி". I don't know if the placid, peacefully flowing crystal clear waters of River Ganga did influence my mind, emotions and soul.
If allowed, I would have sat at the banks of the River for hours to allow myself to be embraced by the blissful vibes at Rishikesh.
But as we had other plans such as to reach Kedarnath the next day, we slowly accelerated out of Rishikesh.
It has ever been calling me since.
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Right at the foot of The(e) Adhi Guru (SHIVALIKS)
Lies the Abode of Yoga.
Enchanting and energizing it was
To every Soul that arrives here.
Graceful as She ever is, Mother Ganga,
As She transcends the ones who sits beside her.
Is there anyone not embraced by the Grace of the Guru
Who devoted himself at His foot ?!
உன் திருக்கமல பொற்பாதம் பணிந்தோம் ஸர்வேஷா
R I S H I K E S H
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En route K E D A R N A T H
It was early March. We were aware that it was very much unlikely that the roads to Kedarnath were opened, as winter hadn't fully withdrawn. But the little thought of reaching Kedarnath gave us the much needed audacious courage to push forward and further up North. Is it not this one little thought of pushing further, the curiosity to explore what lies beyond, the basic tenet for the existence and exploration of Humans on Earth and beyond ?!. Carrying the fire lit by this very fundamental thought, which sufficiently kept up warm from inside, we drove through rough terrains, steep valleys, slippery mud paths, crunchy curves. Siva took the responsible role of a Captain to steer us through all these adrenaline pumping path to KEDARNATH.
Kedarnath is situated at a height of 3,583 m (11,755 ft) from MSL, around 250km North of Rishikesh. As the roads were very difficult to drive, we hardly sped over 30kmph. Easily one might become tired with continuous up-shift and down-shift of gear. Also I must remind you that these roads along Himalayan ranges are prone to landslides as the Himalayan region situated right above the fragile colliding boundary of INDIAN TECTONIC PLATE AND EURASIAN TECTONIC PLATE, is a hotspot of seismic activities that often causes earth quakes. Hence while driving, we must be of absolute vigil all through these roads.
PRAYAG is the sanskrit term used to connote the place where rituals and offerings (தர்ப்பணம்) are performed where two or more rives (or water bodies) confluence. On the way to Kedarnath from Rishikesh, one can see five such PRAYAGs which are holy and revered throughout ages on Indian culture and traditions. These five vibrant prayags are collectively called as "PANCH PRAYAG".
DEVPRAYAG
At around 75km from Rishikesh, the first prayag we arrived at was DEVPRAYAG, where the rivers ALAKNANDHA originating from SATOPANTH glacier and BHAGIRATHI originating from GANGOTRI glacier confluence to form the Holy river GANGA. It is from here and through the South, the river is called GANGA.
The arrival of Devprayag indicated the steep upward climbing of the Himalayan range. With every curve we turned, we rose up few metres above mean sea level. It would be a shame if I fail now to introduce you Sethu again and not forget to mention the animal that was sleeping inside him until we started climbing steeper. Yes, to even his own surprise, Sethu had a terrible "ALTITUDE SICKNESS". The flamboyant youngest lad amongst the five of us, who with his on-spot counters and ostentatious talks was engaging himself and us in this long journey until the hell inside him broke lose. The one, who was in a non-stop chatter mode from the very moment of the start of the trip from Delhi suddenly turned very much like the former Prime Minister of India Mr. Man Mohan singh, who hardly utters a word or at times talks feebly. I believe Director Manirathnam was inspired from this incident which made him cast R.J. Balaji, a non-stop chatter himself, in the completely contrasting role of Dr. Ilyaas Hussain, who hardly speaks n the film Kaatru Veliyidai.
For the next five days, Sethu hardly ate anything. Or even if he forced himself to push some food in through his throat to gain some strength to keep him warm, it all came out with equal and opposite force of reaction. Typical example of Newton's third law of motion. Like most pregnant women who are fond of mangoes, Sethu so suddenly became very fond and desperate on Lemons that he carried a few of them everywhere with him. I am not sure if he ever held the hands of his girlfriend so long in his hands like he held those lemons. He became so intimate with those lemons that he frequently smelled them, kissed them and bite them. It was as if he could not live one moment without those lucky lemons.
PRAYAG is the sanskrit term used to connote the place where rituals and offerings (தர்ப்பணம்) are performed where two or more rives (or water bodies) confluence. On the way to Kedarnath from Rishikesh, one can see five such PRAYAGs which are holy and revered throughout ages on Indian culture and traditions. These five vibrant prayags are collectively called as "PANCH PRAYAG".
DEVPRAYAG
At around 75km from Rishikesh, the first prayag we arrived at was DEVPRAYAG, where the rivers ALAKNANDHA originating from SATOPANTH glacier and BHAGIRATHI originating from GANGOTRI glacier confluence to form the Holy river GANGA. It is from here and through the South, the river is called GANGA.
The arrival of Devprayag indicated the steep upward climbing of the Himalayan range. With every curve we turned, we rose up few metres above mean sea level. It would be a shame if I fail now to introduce you Sethu again and not forget to mention the animal that was sleeping inside him until we started climbing steeper. Yes, to even his own surprise, Sethu had a terrible "ALTITUDE SICKNESS". The flamboyant youngest lad amongst the five of us, who with his on-spot counters and ostentatious talks was engaging himself and us in this long journey until the hell inside him broke lose. The one, who was in a non-stop chatter mode from the very moment of the start of the trip from Delhi suddenly turned very much like the former Prime Minister of India Mr. Man Mohan singh, who hardly utters a word or at times talks feebly. I believe Director Manirathnam was inspired from this incident which made him cast R.J. Balaji, a non-stop chatter himself, in the completely contrasting role of Dr. Ilyaas Hussain, who hardly speaks n the film Kaatru Veliyidai.
The Essence of Himalaya
"Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the Universe"
~ Anatole France
Leaving aside all those religious significances, Himalayas in itself is a natural wonder. The magnanimity of the Himalayan mountain system is very overwhelming that one who tries to grasp every bit and boulder of it into them will suffocate. How can one be expected to possibly withstand the two contrasting factors -" the steep valleys that sends chills down the spine and the tall, high and huge mountain range engulfing on all sides", simultaneously. One can easily feel trapped inside these contrasting figures. But then, let me remind you folks, it is "ebbs and flows" that make life interesting and lively.
Being an Environmental Science graduate, having huge curiosity towards knowing the formation of the Earth and Cosmos around, I have read a lot many books on the geological structure of Earth and especially on the formation of the Himalayas and every time it feels fascinating and the curiosity grows even more.
Despite having studied extensively on the river system, the Himalayan fold mountain system, the soil structure, natural vegetation, cropping pattern, to see and feel them real for the first time excites me even more.
I would happily be suffocated with awe and wonder the Himalayan mountains rather be loitering n the ordinary plains. The more it suffocated me, I wished for much more. There are two ways to attain "ONENESS". One is to dissolve us with the existence around. The other is to allow ourselves to grasp more and more of the existence into us. While at Himalayas, I tried the later, allowing the Himalayas into me, to let me be filled with it in every cell of mine, thereby the "I" be replaced by "HIMALAYAS" to become ONE with it.
You could easily go around the Himalayas, just seeing it through your eyes, enjoying the nature and wild around. But that is not the actual point. Right from Haridwar a different sense of Vibrant atmosphere can be felt around which gets intense and intense as we move upwards. While the feel of those vibes vary from place to place, for example the vibes in Rishikesh varies from that of Haridwar, one can never be gone untouched. Seems like the whole Himalayan mountain system especially the stretch from Haridwar to Kedarnath is a Consecrated one. I believe, the Hymns of Vedas that has been recited around here over thousand of years have a deep influence on the elements of life to make them reverberate intense vibes.
RUDRA PRAYAG
As I watched through all these elements of nature around us, thinking about its vibes, we reached Rudraprayag. This is the second of the five Prayags (Panch Prayag) from Rishikesh to Kedarnath. Rudraprayag is where River Alaknandha and River Mandakini, originating from Chorabari glacier near Kedarnath, confluence. It was around 7 in the evening and we have started searching for a good place to stay for the night and to eat.
KARNA PRAYAG
33 kilometres and an hour later from Rudraprayag, we reached Karnaprayag, the third in line of the Panch Prayag. Here River Alaknandha confluences with Rivewr Pindar originating from Pindari glacier. We booked room for our night stay at Shri Krishna Palace which is situated right at the banks where the rivers Alaknandha and Pindar confluence. After Rishikesh, this is the only place where we got good food. The hotel was of acceptable standards. But more than all comforts what fascinated us was the sound of rivers running just five metres out of our room. Literally we could jump off our beds straight into the river.
The night in the Wilderness
Oh what a feel it was !, "to imagine all alone in this cold dark night, striding on the banks of a Himalayan river that burbles while trickling down through those rumbling boulders, originating from a permafrost glacier way up North in Upper Himalayas, the clear dark sky where stars twinkle more brighter, the gentle whistles of those leaves and trees that dances with the flow of cold winds from the mountains around".
With this soothing feel that mesmerized us, we fell asleep in to the Wild !
Shavin Earthy
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