A legendary land of ethereal beauty and thrilling valor

Scintillating Rajasthan

               
My latest visit to Ajmer and Pushkar had a lot in store for us than usual. I was accompanied by the untouchables Manan and Robin along with a very good friend Kaku (Kartikey Sharma). It all started from Delhi. We decided to leave at night and to set the mood we had some beers, and our next destination was ISBT Delhi (we tried the train but all in vain as no seats were available as our trip was not pre-planned). The only train journey we had was in the metro till Kashmiri gate (Bus station). On reaching, we found out that there is no bus service to Ajmer at night of either state. Seeing us strolling on the platform where one is supposed to get the bus to Jaipur and Ajmer we were approached by a bulky man with a fair complexion. He asked us where were we heading to  and  told us that he could arrange for our travel. He took us to a office of a traveling agent who charged ₨350/- for each seat in a bus that was heading to Ajmer. The bus was supposed to leave at 10:00PM from Fatehpuri or the old Delhi railway station. We reached at around 9:30PM at Fatehpuri and there was this whole fleet of semi-sleeper/semi-deluxe buses lined up to leave for different places with luggage stacked over them as high as the bus was itself making it look like a double decker bus. The luggage had everything from a needle to a television. The bus which was supposed to leave at 10:00PM left at around 12:30AM as it was being turned into a “double decker”. The driver was so sleepy that he was sleeping on the drivers seat and he just woke up and started driving the bus. It was a relief as the bus rolled out of Delhi. The normal rout to Jaipur is N.H.8 but these buses take a different route to Jaipur once they cross Gurgaon as the toll on N.H.8 lessens the margin of profit for the buses, even the State transport buses follow the same rout. Rest of the night we were all asleep and I realized that the nights in the deserts are quite cold. The morning was all together a different experience with a totally different flora all around. The most part being dominated by the camel color. We were welcomed by a bright orange  sun showing the massive walls of ancient times which encircles the Jaipur city. We were still 18Kms from Jaipur but could easily make out that the city is full of palaces, forts and temples. We were not to break our journey as our destination was yet 148Kms away. We passed through the entire Jaipur city seeing the rich heritage of ancient India. The area around the Hawa Mahal is painted pink and thus the city is known as the ‘Pink city of India’. The Hawa Mahal is itself a big structural marvel, housing around 500 or more shops with the pink color dominating the scene. Jaipur is a big city and it took us around an hour to cross it. It took us around 6 hours to cover a distance of 272Kms from Delhi. After Jaipur the buses follow the N.H.8 till Ajmer. The topography and scenery varies from place to place but it remains fairly constant throughout. The region beyond Jaipur is hot and semi-deserted with very few trees and green vegetation. The prominence of the camel color is made indifferent only by the colorful clothing of the traditional Rajasthani people especially the women. The men usually are seen dressed in white dhoti-kurta with a bright lehariya turban. Providing a contrast to men,  Rajasthani women present the true essence of life, dressed in a bright color (red, green, pink, yellow) ghagra-choli or a saree with lots of ornaments like jhumka, nathani,necklace and a number of bangles made of ivory and lakh, there are a few more but I can only name these.  Truly the women there fill the environment with color which the god’s has deprived the landscape off.  We were about to reach Ajmer and the arravali hills started along the road 30Kms short of Ajmer. At 11:00AM we were there, it was scorching hot so we decided to head to Pushkar directly. Ajmer is like an oasis and is quite a big city. Pushkar lies on the other side of the arravali hills. To reach Pushkar, one has to cross these hills, which are locally known as the Nag (snake) hill as we move on a serpentine road. Pushkar is a small holy city and is more deserted. The arravali hills divide the semi-desert and desert area. It is famous for its lake, Brahma temple said to be the only temple in the world dedicated to the deity and the Pushkar (camel) fair. The life in the city is very much related to the Pushkar Lake. Mythology mentions that the ancient lake was formed when a lotus flower fell in the valley from the hands of Brahma. The lake is surrounded by 52 ghats and the area constitutes more than 1000 temples. Our first aim on reaching Pushkar was to satisfy our growling stomachs. Rajasthani food is generally spicy. Specialty of the state is dal, batti–churma but spices are an inevitable part of the diet. The food was delicious and with our tummies full and a journey of 400Kms behind us we needed rest, so we went through the market to find a hotel. We were amazed to see such a huge, colorful and vibrant market in a place like Pushkar . There were more  foreigners than Indians. Later when we got our hotel (The same hotel in which David Coleman Headley stayed), we came to know from the manager that the Pushkar fair was about to start in two weeks time.  The reason for the presence of a  large number of foreigners was the fair. We took rest for an hour or two and later left to explore Pushkar. The idea was to have something, to get rid of the heat.  We asked for the wine shop from the manager and came to know that Pushkar is a liquor free city and we will have to go 4Kms to another neighboring village to get it. We just rushed through the market to reach there. At the end of the market came a place, with a large number of camels. This place was for camel safaris and after sorting out a deal with the camel handler to take us to the wine shop and back.

The Camel Safari

                We hopped into the camel cart, the name of the camel was ‘Raju’ and his handlers name was Bagha Singh. The camel, at the first touch feels like a rough carpet. After moving for just a few meters, Raju farted and we just died laughing.  Bagha Singh ji very innocently told us “agar paadhega nahi to marr jaayega” if he’ll not fart he’ll die. Clarifying, he told us that Raju drinks 35 to 40 liters of water a day.He can survive for 4 – 5 days easily and many more things about himself and his camel. We reached the wine shop took beers from there. The most amazing thing was that the shop adjoining the wine shop was labeled ‘Sarkari manjoorshuda bhang ka theeka’ (A government authorized Cannabis Shop) On enquiring, we came to know that one gets the Bhang ladoos there. We decided to try them the next day. We left the place to get back to the starting point and had a beer each including Bagha Singh ji . I was amazed to see him drink beer like it was water; he was thirsty for ages, I thought. It was really an extraordinary experience to meet such a humble man. With the sun setting on the far horizon and you enjoying beer riding on the back of the ‘Ship of the Desert’, truly a fuck all experience. On our way back, we were chased by the kids of the Gujars (Gang of Ballia and his friends)  asking for the bottle of beer (empty of course) When asked they told us they get a Rupee for each bottle. Later we decided to take the camel cart to our hotel. He agreed as it would have been difficult to sneak through the market carrying beers. On reaching the hotel we were overwhelmed by the experience, had our beers there. Later left to see the sacred lake at dusk. As we approached the lake through one of the 52 ghats a hyperactive holy man appeared, telling us that we needed to have a puja (prayer) performed. We refused for an obvious reason that we were drunk and just wanted to enjoy the splendor and tranquility of the place but he refused to budge. He was mean, forceful and annoying and told us that we were disrespectful and were accumulating bad karma.We simplified it for him telling him that we were drunk and will perform the puja the next day. He disappeared without uttering a word. 

The Pushakar Lake

                The lake was pleasant with a very relaxed atmosphere; it was really an enjoyable and memorable evening. As the darkness leaped over the lake we again decided  to have something for the night. We hired the rickshaws to the wine shop, we bought a vodka for the night and those ‘Bhang ladoos’ for the next day. On our  way back, we were held by the Rajasthan police just 100 meters from the wine shop (Pushkar city boundary starts from their) with a bottle of vodka and those ladoos. We were made to sit in the police jeep on the charges of smuggling drugs . It took us about two hours to negotiate with them and the amount of bribe was Rs10,ooo. The main cause of such a huge bribe was that it was a festive season and Diwali was just around the corner. (Hamara diwala nikal ke saalon ne Diwali manai) Those assholes took everything from us the vodka bottle and the ladoos. We, shameless people were not even moved by this but were laughing on our stupidity enjoying the moment. I guess the beers we had earlier were making us enjoy the moment rather than regreting it. The night was all obscure as we all fell asleep on reaching our hotel and yes we covered the distance on foot (4Kms). The next morning completing our routine, we left the hotel. Our whole budget was shaken; as the policemen were to have a Diwali with our money and we went to the lake to perform the puja . The same man appeared to take us to perform the puja. He told us that each one has to offer prayers separately and only couples can perform a combined puja, and from god knows where three more holy men appeared to make us help perform puja. Trust me they all are burglars with a sole motive of bringing out as much money as they can in the name of god.  I was even wondering how a true priest or any good person for that matter can have such a blatant negative motive. Anyhow having said all this and being a Hindu, even I couldn’t refuse him anything. After the completion of the puja and satisfying our ancestors, we went to have our breakfast after which we left for Ajmer. Ajmer is surrounded by hills and lies on the edge of the arravali hills. The city symbolizes unity in diversity with an extremely secular environment and a unifying shrine. It is known for its famous Dargah Sharif, the abode of the heavenly soul of Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti. It is also known as the ‘Garib Nawaz’ and ‘The Madina of India’.

The Dargah Sharif at Ajmer

                Men and women, young and old in countless numbers from every nook and corner of the country and abroad, of all religion and cast flock  the Dargah. In the spiritual ambience of the shrine they all are just human beings and nothing else. Here too like Pushkar the holy men are greedy with a sole motive of fleecing money from the visitors. It was heartbreaking. Dargah is quite massive, with lots of small housings around the sanctum-Santorum. One can easily get confused with the number of people there and the complexity of the Dargah. There is a ‘Jannati Darwaza’ in the vicinity of the Dargah said to lead to Jannat(Heaven). It is said that the sufi saint has such a grace there that the two big handis installed there never fill up, no matter how much you pour into them. Be it money or the grain. The Dargah market is full of sweet shops ,flower shops, Chadder shop which are offered in the Dargah as offerings to the sufi saint  and meat shops as eating places. There is no place for a vegetarian (like me) to eat in the whole market. The other annoying thing was that there were lot of beggars in the market . Once you come out of the Dargah they ask for money or food. As was the case with us,we were followed by a very young woman carrying  a baby asking for money and food. She followed us all the way through the market. The remaining time of ours was all spent at the Anasagar lake right their in the Ajmer city as we had to catch a bus in the evening back to Delhi.All thanks to those policemen. Anasagar is a big lake, the Ajmer city is all settled around it. The lake is named after Anaji Chauchan ,once a ruler of Ajmer. The ‘Verandas’ (galleries) from where one could enjoy the view and the shade was built by Shah Jahan. It’s a nice place to keep one protected  from direct sunlight. It has beautiful surroundings with lots of eating joints. I realized that Rajasthan is a place of extremes, it’s good and it’s bad, genuine and artificial. My emotional contrasts echoed everything I saw. I felt pacified, detached yet connected. As a whole I loved it, can’t wait to return.

            

A Passover To Churdhar

AN IDOL OF LORD SHIVA AT THE SUMMIT OF CHUUR DHAR

Shivlingam situated in Churr Dhaar is a subject of deep belief and faith. The summit is capped with a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. In the inner precincts, there is an idol of Lord Shiva while on the outside, a Shivalingam has been installed. A 1o foot ideal of Lord Shiva is there sitting at the apex. It is said that during the Mahabharata, the head of Bhim’s grandson, Barbareek, considered mighty, beyond most warriors and granted a boon of invincibility from Shiva, was put by Krishna on the summit.
The legend is that Barbareek had promised his mother that he would fight the war on the side that was weaker. Unable to grasp the full meaning of his vow, he reached the Pandava camp in Kurukshetra. Only Krishna read between the words and understood the blunder Barbareek had committed. By his word, he would start fighting on the weaker side till it became more powerful than the other. Then, he would have to switch sides till that side became stronger. Sensing Barbareek’s word and power as a threat to the Pandava camp also, Krishna in the guise of a Brahman asked for the sacrifice of his head. As the last request, Barbareek asked Krishna to show him his universal form and make his beheaded head witness the war. Thereafter, Krishna kept the head on the summit of Churdhar and granted him a boon that he would be worshipped in Kalyuga. A unique combination of faith and adventure. 

NAUHARADHAR 

Situated in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 3647 mts  is Chooddhar, once known as Chood-chandni, which holds attraction for its picturesque locales as well as its association with mythology. Being a moderate trek to tread, the scenery en route turns out to be a paradise for trekkers. After a two and a half hour drive from Solan, one reaches Nauharadhar, the base camp for the summit of Churdhar. Small villages, terraced fields and thin streams dot the route.We were a group of five including me,Vishu,Karun,Yashika and Jagriti.We hired a taxi to Nauradhar from solan at 0800 hours and reached at around 1030 hours. Nauharadhar is a small hamlet with nearly 60 shops catering to the requirements of tourists. It is here that the trek begin.We started at 12oo hours. After the steep climb during the first two-km stretch, the trek eases out into a track amid the hills and yes it was raining. Wading through the greenery in the terraced fields, we reached Jau ka baag, the last village en route to Churdhar.We maintained a fair pace as we had fresh legs. Ascending the trek further, we entered green forests.

Trek rout

 The forest with its scenic beauty and cool, fresh air enlivens one with energy and enthusiasm and this was the reason that after walking for 2 hours15 minutes we reached Jamnalata at 1415 hours, a lush green level ground with just two rest stops in between,the stretch is 6 kms fromNauhradhar . Engulfed by forests, the land is a gujjar settlement. The gujjars, along with their cattle, settle here in summer and move to the plains in winter.We had tea here and halted for half an hour. At this time Yashi was full of energy and was saying 'Mein tez challi na?' (Was I walking fast?) and indeed it was true as the owner of the dhaba their told us that the normal time to reach this place from Naura is 2 hours. At 1445 we left the place  to enter a forest of deodar trees with fog engulfing it all around.The place has many trees which has faded with time and died.

Teesri

 We could find fallen trees throughout until we reached Teesri at 1630 hours.  The trek from Jamnalata to Teesri takes around one-and-a-half hours, the trek is leveled and mild, the distance is 5kms from Jamnalata.We had our lunch here. The dhaba is owned by a 72 years old man Jagar Singh from Naura itself.We had allo and chappaties here with a cup of tea and yes it was good. Saying goodbye to meet again tomorrow we left Teesri at 1700 hours.   The road hereafter is fine for another 2kms after which it is arduous.We could see the idol of Shiva at the apex of the Churdhar peak.

Bhimkhanda

 After almost another 1km we reached Bhimkhanda.After this the place is strewn with rocks and I mean massive rocks out of which the trek has been carved out. It is a 75 degree climb for another kilometer after which the trek gradient falls to 45 degree.  The route ahead Bhimkhanda is very rocky and the path has been carved out through huge boulders. Walking up ahead for another hour we reached the apex of the Churdhar peak at 1830 hours and right into the feet of Lord Shiva.

JAI CHURESHWAR MAHADEV

 Stayed their for half an hour offered prayers, clicked photographs and started descending towards the Sarain on the other side of the idol. The feeling was just amazing as all the exhaustion vanished after scaling the Churdhar peak. Descending for a kilometer we reached Sarain at 1930 hours. Yashi was most excited as this time she made it to the top in 7 and a half hours comparing it to her last attempt timing at 14 hours. The sarain was all full of people chattering. The accommodation in sarain is free and you just have to pay for the blankets that you take, at Rs 5/- each. They hold a free langer for all the devotees their which we also had like rest of people. In the morning after completing our morning routine we went to the temple right their dedicated to Lord Shiva.This temple is accessible only from May to November each year. Heavy snowfall during the remaining part of the year forces the closure of this temple.After this we went towards the peak where it is said that a huge stone in the shape of a snake head is resting, it is said to be the sheshnaag, and believe me it was a head of a snake. Bowing to the sheshnaag after climbing the big rock we returned to have breakfast at a nearby inexpensive dhaba,had pranthas and tea their and  left. The irony is that we all were so excited that we took 11 hours to descend down to Nauradhar. Extended rest sessions with Jagar Singh ji and the man at the second dhaba and furiousness of weather god's added hours to our descend back down to Nauradhar. All soaked up in water we reached Nauradhar at 2000 hours and came to know that the road is cut off due to land slides and decided to stay their. All in all it was a great walk to Churdhar.

JAI BHOLE.     

Shiva in the high Himalayas: Between Heaven and Earth.

 JAI MANIMAHESH

THE TEMPLE DEDICATED TO LORD SHIVA WITH THE MANIMAHESH KAILASH IN THE BACKDROP

The Manimahesh lake also known as the Dal Lake is situated in the Pir -Pangal range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 4080 m. The Manimahesh kailash or the Bharmouri Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva. 

I started from Shimla and took a bus to Chandigarh from where I was to catch a bus to Chamba at 9 PM but I was late and reached Chandigarh after 9, may be I was late by 15 min. Now the bus that I took was all full as it was coming from Haridawar and there was no seat available, I took the bus ultimately despite the warnings of the conductor that it would be hard to travel to Chamba. I thought that the testing time has started and now there is no scope for me to step back. I was standing right beside the front door till Una where the conductor offered us (three more except me) the cardboard sheets to sit on the floor which I accepted and sat right there on the stairs of the front door and it was a big relief. For the rest of the journey I was relieved and happy that I'm going to Manimahesh and also that I'll meet Sandy in the morning. After 10 hours of journey I reached Chamba at 7AM in the morning. I hired a taxi to Sandy's place; he was ready to leave for the office with breakfast ready for me courtesy Shipra, who was also leaving for office. After freshening up I rested for whole day. In the evening when Sandy came from office we went for the ongoing Minjar fare. The famous Chaugans of Chamba were hosting a wide variety of activities on the occasion of the Minjar. It was fun. The next day we planned our trip to Manimahesh, and decided to pack ourselves with the necessary goods. We went shopping and loaded our bags with dry fruits, chocolates and many other energy food and other necessary items like torches, extra batteries, rain coats (a must for this trek) etc.

Bharmour

Sandy and I left for Bharmour (64kms) at around 8AM the next day, had our breakfast at a place called Rakh which is just 22 kms from Chamba. We just move along the Ravi River through out our course till Bharmour. Then there comes a place called Lahala from where one gets the first glimpses of the Manimahesh Kailash. Bharmour is a beautiful village with lodes of apple trees and lush green valleys. It is said that the ancestors of Mehru Verman setup this village as their capital and named it Bhramapur, which gradually changed to Bharmour. It is called 'Shiv Bhoomi' (Land Of Lord Shiva) or 'Shiv Gaddi' (Where lord Shiva resides) thus the people here are called Gaddies, the true disciples of Lord Shiva.

The Manimahesh Mahadev temple at Chaurasi Temple Complex

Bharmour is famous for it’s 'Chaurasi Mandir Complex’ (84 temple complex), with the main temple dedicated to Manimahesh Mahadev with lots of other temples in the courtyard. Another main temple in this complex is of 'Dharamraj Mahadev' and it is said that this is the only temple dedicated to Dharamraj in India. It is believed that after death Dharamraj himself decides here only that you are a pure soul or a sinner. There are two and a half steps right in front of this temple about which it is said that the two full steps are for pure souls and sinners respectively where as the half step is for ones who could not complete their life and died unnaturally, they spend rest of their life on this half step. In the early part of the seventh century an emperor named Sheelbhram came, who was hunchbacked and was treated by lord Shiva himself. He then made these temples again which were in ruins previously and formed his capital here and named it Bhramapur. He was later ordered to shift his capital from here so he again setup his capital on the banks of river Ravi naming it after her daughter Champavati as Chamba.

Bharmani Mata Temple

 Another old tradition is to visit the Bharmani Mata temple atop the same hill on which Bharmour is situated. The distance to this temple is around 4 kms on foot, although a road has been constructed but is seldom open. There is a belief that one must visit this temple before heading towards the Manimahesh Kailash otherwise the yatra is not considered to be complete. Sandy and I started for the Bharmani Mata at around 12 noon and it took us an hour to reach the temple. The place is just awesome, with you walking firstly in the village and coming out of it right into the middle of the apple orchards. The heartwarming scene from the top is such that it never fades away from ones memory. On reaching the top there is a pond of water which is fed by another pond situated right in the front of the Bharmani Mata temple known as the Bhram Kund. The ritual is to take bath in it and offer prayers to the goddess, and we both did the same. The tough part was taking bath in the chilled water. It was bone chilling water and it took both of us a little time to gather our guts and had a dip in the water but in all it was all awesome. The pandit ji (priest) at the temple told us the story of the Mata and its relation to the Manimahesh yatra, and the legend goes like this, Maa Bharmani resided where now stands the Chaurasi mandir complex. One day when she was away in the nearby jungle Lord Shiva with his 84 disciples halted here for an over night stay. Mata Bharmani on returning and seeing all this got annoyed and told Shiva to leave immediately, as this place belonged to her. But somehow Lord Shiva convinced her to allow them to stay for a night. The trick here was that Shiva had to leave behind all his disciples one by one, but knowing that they all would be safe in this very same place, he buried them all in the earth and left early in the morning for Kailash. When Bharmani Mata came to know about the trick played by Shiva, she was angry and made all the 84 disciples come out from the earth and they all came in the form of Shivalingam. Knowing this Shiva returned and Mata, furious and angry, tried to curse Shiva and said that she now cannot live in this place as there are too many Shivalingams here and that now no one will ever offer prayers to her. Shiva then told Mata that whenever someone will come to Kailash, firstly, will bathe in your waters and offer prayers to you before coming to me, otherwise the yatra or pilgrimage will not be complete. Hearing this Mata told Shiva that she will move to the place from where she would not be able to see these Shivalingams and thus she moved up to the top of the mountain, and believe it or not the Chaurasi Mandir courtyard and the village of Bharmour is not visible from the Bharmani Mata temple and also the place where she used to meditate is still empty in the courtyard of the Chaurasi temple, although a temple has been setup there but their is nothing in it.

The rout map of the trek to Manimahesh

                      After hearing this story and having Maggie at a nearby shop we started for Bharmour again and reached at 4PM, from where we hired a taxi to Hadsor(16kms). This is the place from where trek to Manimahesh starts. At Hadsor we had snacks and left for Dhancho, our first halt, which is 6kms from Hadsor at around 5:30PM. The trail is mild and it goes along the Manimahesh Ganga originating from the Manimahesh Kailash Mountain. The Manimahesh Ganga was in full flow with deafening sound of water striking against the rocks. Two and a half hours of hike and we were at Dhancho, the trek is mild and the gradient only takes toll when you reach Khada nala from where Dhancho is 2 kms.

Dhancho as seen from Bander Ghatti

It is a beautiful place and at dusk it’s even better. There were almost 100 tents for stay already, no matter there will be more once the official yatra commences. We stayed in the tents provided by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Bharmour. They provided us with sleeping bags and blankets at a reasonable price of Rs 100/- each, and extra charges for food, and trust me the stay there was comfortable and satisfactory. There was a foreigner girl staying in the tent adjoining ours with her guide and we got to interact with her and came to know that she was here for the cleaning of the Manimahesh trek when yatra commences and was surveying the area for the same. 

The Garbage Girl with her Guide and locals

She is the founder of the organization '  The Mountain Cleaners'    situated in Dharamshala and carries the tag of         ' THE GARBAGE GIRL'  her real name is Jodie Underhill,  a British National who came to India on a tourist visa to sponsor the education of  some Tibetan children and soon got involved in the cleaning of the mountains after seeing the piles of garbage destroying this beautiful hill state. After talks with Jodie on dinner we went to sleep, talking about the stupendous beauty of the place. We had decided to leave early but it was raining when we woke up at 4AM and decided to sleep again. At around 7AM the rain stopped and after completing our morning routine we left for Manimahesh an hour later. There are two ways to reach Gauri Kund from here; one is Bander Ghatti route named so, as in previous times one had to climb like a monkey on the cliffs. The other one is Phuwara Marg named so as there is a waterfall on the way known as the Dhancho waterfall; this one is easier but longer than the Bander Ghatti route. 

Dhancho Waterfall

The Dhancho waterfall is said to be the place where Lord Shiva entered when Bhasmasur was behind him and appeared at the top of the Kailash where the Mani (Jewel) of the serpent in his neck The Sheshnag fell and this Mani reflects the moon rays from the jewel and can be seen from the lake on full moon nights and thus is known as The Manimahesh Kailash. After a 2 kms walk from Dhancho there is a place called Shiv ke Gharat where one can hear the sound of grinding, as someone is using the grinder. From here one can see Gauri Kund, moving further we reached Sundrasi, from here two tracks again split, one is via Bhairo Ghatti which is short and tough, so most of the people take the longer easier route.

Bhairo Ghatti

 Small houses of stone can be seen in Bhairo Ghatti as it is believed that one who wants to build his own house makes out a replica of a house using the stones and Lord Shiva helps them make one in reality. After almost 3 hours of hike from Dhancho we reached Gauri Kund. Here only ladies are allowed to take bath and here too one can find tented accommodation and food stalls. The distance of Manimahesh is just 1km from here and one feels excited and it takes no time to cover this last kilometer. At 13,500 feet we finally reached the Manimahesh Lake and a sense of satisfaction prevailed. We took bath in the lake as it is believed that it frees you from all your sins and trust me the water was so cold that it felt like a slap from Bholenath himself for our sins and that yes he is making you free from all yours sins by slapping you through the bone chilling water of the lake. Compared to this the water at Bharmani Mata was hot.  All our tiredness vanished and we were as fresh as we were born today.

Me and Sandy at the sacred Manimahesh (Dal) Lake

There is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva where we offered prayers and circled the sacred lake, we then waited for the clouds to clear up. At 19,000 feet high Kailash mountain it is just an ordinary thing to have clouds but we felt like they were our enemies hiding Shiva within them, we waited and waited but all in vain and decided to descend back to Hadsor. As we reached Gauri kund again, we had tea and Maggie there and after that decided to move at a brisk pace as we had to catch a bus to Chamba which was to leave Bharmour at 6PM and it was already 3PM. We tried but couldn't accomplish the task and reached Hadsor at around 7PM. When we were to reach Hadsor we met an old lady around 70 - 80 years old  from Lahaul and was moving very slowly and asked for our help in walking and we said that why didn't you hired a mule and she said that yatra is done on foot no matter what and I thought one with strong will can do anything no matter how big or difficult the task may be. I'll never forget her. That day we had to stay at Bharmour as no one was willing to go to Chamba, as we had missed our bus already and the taxi operators were not interested in driving on that road at night as it was raining.  The next morning at 6AM we left for Chamba. All in all it was a perilous journey.

JAI MAHADEV!

MANIMAHESH KATE KALESH

Trek To Divinity

 JAI SHRIKHAND MAHADEV 

Shrikhand peak is the abode of Lord Shiva situated alongside Great Himalayan National Park in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Despite its closeness to the National Park it is approachable through Shimla district. Shrikhand Mahadev is a naturally rock made Shivalingam  which is 72 feet high. It is at a height of 5227 meters and holds a legend that when Lord Shiva granted Bhasmasur his wishes after his long and hard meditation, of burning anyone on whom he will lay his hand upon, he tried to burn Bholenath itself as he thought that who else is better than Lord Shiva to test your powers. So he ran behind Bholenath and Shiva in turn ran towards the Shrikhand peak and he entered the so called Shivalingam or Shilla atop the mountain to hide from the demon.Seeing all this mata Parvati cried and her tears fell near the Shivalingam and formed a pond known as Nainsarovar. Vishnu was watching all this and seeing mata Parvati crying he couldn't  resist and took a shape of a exceedingly beautiful young lady which is known in common as the Mohini roop of Vishnu (The word Mohini itself means hypnotic). Bhasmasur on seeing this lady was awestruck and forgot about Bholenath. Mohini took Bhasmasur to the same place where Shiva fulfilled all his wishes , the trick was that Mohini was dancing and Bhasmasur followed each and every step, so at this point Mohini took her hand on her head and Bhasmasur, all mesmerized by the beautiful lady did the same and was turned to ashes instantaneously. Since, Lord Shiva is said to be residing in the Shivalingam atop the Shrikhand mountain. Even today one is able to see an image of Bholenath in the Shivalingam.     

The trek to Shrikhand Mahadev is arduous, but the arrangements made by locals and organizers (Shrikhand Sewa Dal), as well as the panoramic view along the way make it an exhilarating experience and trust me some things can be felt by being there.

I recently concluded my first yatra to this pilgrimage site of Lord Shiva where I intend to go every year from now on. I was accompanied by three other friends of mine namely Karun,Rohit and Raghav. All of us except Raghav was going for the first time where as it was second time for him. We started on 23rd night from Shimla. All of us gathered in Shimla and after having our dinner hired a taxi for Rampur (120 kms) at around 11 PM. On reaching Rampur we met Rachoo our friend, as it was early 5AM we rested at his place. At around 7-8 AM shops started to open. We started to shop for our basic necessities for the trek which included Maggi, torches, raincoats, first aid kit, chocolates and lots of other energy food. It took us about an hour or two for shopping and filling up our bags which now weigh around 8-10 kgs each. Saying goodbye to Rachoo we left for Baggipul (34 km) at around 11AM. It took us 2 hours by bus to reach Baggipul.

 THE ROAD FROM BAGGIPUL TO JAON

Inquiry there reviled that we were the first one to reach there as the official yatra will commence from the 16th of july, a bit further we met four other persons with bags on their back and trident in their hands. Talking to them we came to know that they were also going for the yatra , so we hired a Bolero Camper for Jaon (7 kms). The driver charged  Rs. 200. These people were from Dalash, a small village near Nirmund in Kullu district itself. They intended to go up till Thachdu and we had different ideas so we parted away once we reached Jaon half an hour later. We had our lunch at Jaon and stayed there for another hour. Later we headed for Singhbad (3kms), the trek was mild and takes you through apple orchards and some last permanent human settlements. Its about an hour walk from Jaon.

          THE LAST PERMANENT HUMAN SETTLEMENT 

For night stay there is tented accommodation as well as a forest hut. But as yatra hadn't started yet we had to stay at a Baba's kutia aur dera. We reached Singhbad at around 4PM and were greeted by the Baba. After formal intro we all settled down. The baba was from Harayana  and was residing there for the last three days with one of his followers. Baba offers free food and shelter for the yatris. At the dusk we heard the voice of  "BUM BHOLE - JAI SHANKER KI" and we saw two men with their backpacks and soon the rest of the group (toli) followed. They were nine in total from the Baggi - Khatrala belt of Shimla district.They were greeted by the baba in the same way as we were. We prepared food for all of us including baba and his chela, the menu consisted of kadi , chawal and roti. After dinner we kept on enchanting the name of lord shiva and went to sleep at around 12 midnight.

We woke up at around 7Am and after completing our morning routine and having morning tea left for Thachdu.  For the first 30 min we were moving on the narrow path along the Shrikhand river. As we reached Barati nalla we noticed the trek now turned into a very steep climb. This steep climb is called Dandidhar (straight as a stick). I asked Raghav if this is how it is going to be for the rest of the way , he informed that it is for few kms. But this was certainly not the case.

A LOCAL MAN ON THE DANDIDHAR

The good thing about Raghav's answer was that he never mentioned the distance. The trek was unlike any other trek I've ever taken before, despite belonging to a hill state it was no piece of cake for any of us. After almost 6 hours of pain staking effort and 9 kms of steep climb we reached Thachdu with numerous insect bites and bruises on the way.The water bottles that we were carrying were all empty at the 3 km mark of the climb and the rest of it was all without water. The only water that we could see was the sweat tripping down our faces and we were desperate for water(Carry as much water as you can on Dandidhar if you are early than the yatra).

THACHDU

In Thachdu local people were setting up tents, but had a problem of water shortage as water has to be brought from the source which was two and a half kms away but anyways our need of water was satisfied with what they had.It was like getting the nector which bestows immortality. We all were exhausted and decided to stay their only.While the local people were busy setting up the tents we lit up the fire and prepared maggi for our self  and trust me maggi has never tasted so good before. In the meanwhile the other toli arrived and they too decided to stay their itself. The weather gods were all happy and the weather was all clear . We got the first glimpses of the Shrikhand peak and it was breathtaking.

    THE LAST RAYS OF SUN ON THE SHIVALINGAM AS SEEN FROM THACHDU

We spent our evening in front of the bonfire with Shrikhand peak in the backdrop, while local people were busy setting up tents and bringing water for us to drink and prepare food. The dinner was just rice with salt and turmeric as the local people were also exhausted by the day long hard work. We slept at around 10PM and it was just a matter of closing your eyes and witin no time we were into deep sleep.

We were refreshed and roaring to go after a good night sleep.To wake up amidst nature in the middle of a jungle is a beautiful feeling.We packed paranthas for our way and decided to stick to the other toli. Again we started moving up the same steep hill and after walking for around 20 min we were out of forest and into the grassland with not even a single tree, it was just unbelievable with an open valley behind and the ridge atop the hill. After walking for around two hours we reached the ridge atop the hill marking the end of dandidhar and the place is called Kalighatti (3904 m) as you can see a mountain of black rock right in front with seven divisions on its face (Thus sometimes called the seven sisters peak) and snow in between, it is said that Kali the Hindu goddess of eternal energy resides there in seven forms :- Mahakali, Nityakali, Bhadrakali,Rakshakali, Bhimachandra, Shayamkali and kalratri.

    THE SEVEN SISTERS PEAK

The view from kalighatti was panoramic with snow clad mountains in front and a lush green valley behind and lush grasslands beneath. We rested for half an hour there. There is a small temple dedicated to Maa kali atop the hill. Now one could see a wide plateau with wild flowers ahead of us. The shivalingam was visible from this point. Now all of us were relieved as now there was a deep narrow gorge to move down and more over now there was no scarcity of water as the natural sources were in plenty with water full of minerals, that tasted great too. It was an hour descend to Bhimtalai where two tents were put up, we had tea and paranthas at this place and rested for an hour.

RESTING IN A TENT AT BHIMTALAI

 Bhimtalai is so called because it is said that bhim used to bathe here. It is also known as kalikund as it is right at the bottom of the seven sisters peak. Although a permanent structure (sarain) was setup here for yatris but it couldn't withstand the harsh weather that this place experiences in winters. One could easily spot the debris of the building on the next hill far - far away.The trek beyond bheemtalai was mild with narrow path, steep falls and numerous water sources. We have to exactly cross 7 hills up and down to reach bheemdwari. As we descended the first hill there was a glacier to cross, as it hasn't receded yet. It was scary, as one has to go through a thin sheet of ice which is moving very slowly with a stick in one hand and the baggage of necessities on your shoulders, with jaw dropping falls in the corner of your eyes. This was just a trailer of what lies ahead. After crossing another 2 hills there is another resting place called kuncha, it too had tents for rest. We kept on moving with rest in between and admiring beauty. This valley is full of wild flowers and is often called as the valley of flowers.

THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS 

This is a very rich valley in terms of herbs. One can feel dizzy here once the flowers are at their full bloom. The local people come here in the month of September  to collect these herbs for main contractors. This valley is full of colorful flowers and leaves. We reached Bhimdwari at around 4PM covering a total distance of 9 kms. From here one could see the nainsar ganga waterfall and the shrikhand waterfall. Bhim used to sleep here, he also fought with a demon named Bakasur at this place and killed him. Even today at that place where the demon was killed the water bursts out from the earth and flows over the rocks making them red as blood in color and thus it is called the Khooni nalla(blood river).When this water joins the nainsar ganga it pollutes the water and now the water is impure, otherwise the water before this point is as pure as the Ganges water that never decomposes.

  KHOONI NALLA 

The food prepared here for the night was just awesome, the best food of the whole trek. The next morning was chilling and the man moved upto parvati bagh early as he had to setup tents for us. We left after two hours after Govardhan, the man responsible for our arrangement at Parvati bagh. It is a distance of 3 kms with breathtaking views on the way- waterfalls , snowclad mountains and the deep gorges. It takes about 2 hours to reach atop as the terrain is again steep and this time muddy too.

Once you reach Parvati bagh you leave behind all the green and there is just snow and rock to welcome you with a scenic view of bhimdwari beneath.

ALL FOUR OF US AT PARVATI BAGH

Its just a splendid feeling , you at a height of 4500 meters right at the base of a mountain with fog and clouds right into your face, playing with you. We had a mixture of rice and maggi that day and were very excited that we are going to scale the last mountain now. The next morning was all clouded, the day was Monday. Kanu and Rohit were so excited that they were the first one to wake up and they woke up all of us.We started for the shilla at 7AM, the first km was all rock with snow in patches, but beyond that it was all snow and after walking for an hour or a bit more we reached Nainsarovar the same place where Mata Parvati tears fell on earth. The water of this pond is as pure as the Ganges, but it was all frozen.

  NAINSAROVAR

The time was now for the most difficult part of the yatra due to heavy snow. Rohit and Kanu were called by Lord Shiva till this point only and they were not able to complete the yatra. It was heartbreaking that after coming so far they couldn't reach the shivalingam. The climb was almost 85 degree with snow and rocks in between. One has to be very cautious in this stretch.As we were moving up, the sun came up and the view was clear when we reached the top, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the place. I've never been to such a place whole my life.

 THIS IS WHERE WE CAME FROM

Walking right at the top of the mountain with tons of snow under your feet and thousand feet drops on both sides, the feeling is mutual, its scary and its fabulous. The rest of the trek was like this right at the top of the mountain with drops on both sides and snow all around. There is an area called bhim pahian aur bhem pauri(steps). It is full of big rocks with different kind of markings on them, although we were able to see the top as rest of it was burried under the snow but Raghav told me that the stones were as big as a small truck. There is no water beyond Nainsarovar so carry adequate amount of water. Finally after Bhim pauri we were able to see the shivalingam, but still we had to cross three more hills  to reach there. Finally we reached the  Shrikhand mahadev top, after a walk of 4 hours we were at the top. The feeling was great. A scence of satisfaction was prevailing. We spent one and a half hour there, offered dhoop and prayers to Parvati - Ganesh and then to the Shivalingam of Mahadev. Then we started our journey back as one cannot spend much time there as weather can change in no time. It took us two and a half hours to descend till Parvati bagh and reached there at 2:30 PM where we came to find out that Kanu and Rohit has already left. So we decided to catch them, but it was not an easy task and we couldn't catch them, despite our best efforts. We walked for 14 hours that day covering a distance of 38 kms in a day, but it was not worth. We reached Singhbad at 10 PM. The baba there offered us food and blankets. Our whole body was aching, specially legs. Dandidhar is very heavy on your legs both when you ascend and when you descend, but the stress is on knees when you descend. I realized that why it is called Shrikhand, Shri means body and khand means pieces and yes I felt that my body is broken into pieces. We were sleeping in the sarain and late at night Raghav waking me up said that something has gone to his eyes and that he is under excruciating pain, same was the case with me when I tried to open my eyes, it felt like some one is pricking with a needle in your eye. with some effort I was able to open my eyes with a flood of tears from our eyes. Raghav's condition was even worst, I immediately realized we have been flashed by snow.I took Raghav outside and made him wash his eyes with cold water and did the same myself it gave us some relief (So please carry a good reflector with you). Next morning we woke up at 9Am and left for Jaon, Raghav's eyes were swollen and blood red with rivers of tears from both eyes. We reached Jaon an hour later where we had our breakfast, then hired a taxi to Baggipul from where we called Kanu and Rohit as our batteries has drained in the course of 5 days, they were in Rampur.We were not able to walk our normal walk as each and every muscle of our legs was under immense pain, and seeing this everyone could make out  that we were coming from the yatra. We took a bus from Baggipul and reached Rampur from where we hired a taxi to Shimla .

Overall the yatra was an amazing experience, the memories are precious and trust me its really a hard trek so prepare yourself mentally and physically.

5 days trek of almost 70 kms, back in one piece though shattered. A splendid feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JAI MAHADEV!

  SHIV PARIVAR 

SHIRIKHAND MAHADEV(LEFT),

KARTIK MAHADEV IN THE MIDDLE

GANESH - PARVATI (RIGHT).  

DO'S

1. Good trekking shoes or any other shoes with good grip.
2. Carry your own gear, be well equipped, despite this be as light as possible.
3. maintain your own speed, don't rush or compete. Take adequate rest where ever possible.
4. A walking stick really helps specially in snow and slippry conditions.
5. Be prepared for rain, it can pour anytime.

DONT'S

1. If you suffer from breathing problems, asthma  or  similar health issues avoid this trek.
2. Don't carry alcohol, it is more of a holy place than a trek.
3. Don't expect any facilities except some resting points and tea stops en-rout, its only you and wilderness.