Kedarnath & Badrinath

5 years back I along with mother went on Kedarnath-Badrinath Trip. The tour operator was M/s Panicker Travels, New Delhi.  I booked the tickets online. It was a week long tour. My personal opinion is, if you like Kerala/Tamil Nadu style boarding go for Panicker Travels and for Andhra style boarding go for Southern Travels. There were 22 persons in all, 2 from Mumbai, 3 from Delhi, 2 from Karnataka, 4 from Tamil Nadu, 8 from Kerala. There was one cook, one helper and one guide.

Note: This particular tour length has been changed by the Tour Operator now.  But the places mentioned here are covered by them.  You can click for details www.panickerstravel.com or www.southerntravelsindia.com

Day 1

We were told to assemble at 6.00 am at Karol Bagh, which is the starting point. After doing pooja at Hanuman Mandir, New Delhi, we reached Haridwar around 3.00 pm. After refreshing ourselves at the designated hotel, we went to Manasa Devi Mandir by way of cable car. But to reach the point also one has to walk a little extra. After darshan at the mandir, came down to Har-ki-Pauri for evening Arti. It was a wonderful experience. (Beware of touts who will offer to do sankalp at the river front). We returned to the hotel for our dinner and went for asleep.

Day 2

Early morning we started our tour through Rishikesh. Our first halt was Devprayag. Devprayag along with Rudraprayag (confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers), Vishnuprayag (confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers), Nandaprayag (confluence of Alaknanda and Nandakini rivers), Karnaprayag (confluence of Pindari and Alaknanda rivers) are called Panch Prayags.

We went to Gupta Kasi where Lord Shiva hid himself when searched by Pandavas. He is called Vishwanath here. When Pandavas successfully located Lord Shiva at Gupta Kasi, Lord Shiva again went unnoticed to Kedarnath. The temple is in the midst of residential settlement and near Gupta Kasi bus stop where vehicles can be parked. From here you have to climb the mountain through the residential settlement. We later reached Sitapur and refreshed ourselves at the hotel. Then we went to Triyugi Narayan Mandir where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married.  It is believed the agni (where the marriage took place) is still carried by the descendants of the family here. You can also put a twig in the fire and blessed to be part of the tradition. The Basma (Vibudhi) is believed to cure any mental illness.

Day 3

Bus was ready by 5 am and we reached Gaurikund around 6 am. The formalities for persons who wish to go by dolly, should weigh themselves at the office and pay the requisite fee. The guide arranges for those who wish to go by pony.  Those having asthma problem can get Oxygen cans from Gaurikund on hire and if not used can get the money refunded on return.  We started at 7 am our climb to Kedarnath.  Mother went by Dolly and I went by walk. It is a 14 km trek. First one km of ascend is plain and the first halt is at Rambada at 7 km. After 11 km climb the trek is on plains. I crossed the Mandakini river through the pedestrian bridge and reached the Kedarnath Mandir at 1.45 pm. After darshan and puja I again started my trek back at 2.30 pm to Gaurikund as the Bus will pick up us all at 7.00 pm.  However, the trek was easy for the first few kilometers. Then I realized how difficult it is to climb and get down on the same day.  I reached Gaurikund at 7.30 pm. The bus has already gone. Our guide was waiting for me and we took a share jeep (tempo trax) by paying Rs.50/- per seat and reached the hotel at Sitapur.

Kedarnath is highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas. This ancient and magnificient temple is located in the Rudra Himalaya range. This temple, built of massive stone slabs over a large rectangular platform. It evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs had been handled in the earlier days. The present temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya. It is situated at an altitude of 3,581 meter. The holy statue of Lord Shiva, is carried down from Kedarnath to Ukhimath in November, and is reinstated at Kedarnath, in May. i.e. The shrine closes on the first day of Kartik (Oct-Nov) and reopens in Vaishakh (Apr-May) every year. During its closure the shrine is submerged in snow.

According to legend, the Pandavas sought the blessings of Lord Shiva to atone their sin after the battle of Mahabharata. Lord Shiva eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed, he dived into ground leaving behind his hump on the surface. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared at four other places and are worshipped there as his manifestations. 

The arms appeared at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madmaheshwar and his locks (hair) with head at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath and the four above mentioned shrines are treated as Panch Kedar.

Day 4

Started our journey from Sitapur to Joshimath (200 km) in the morning at 5.00 am.  As the road is prone to landslides, the gate system is applied to vehicles on the road to Badrinath.  We had to wait for more than 4 hours at the gate near Joshimath. Restoration to clear the landslide resulted in allowing vehicles to Badrinath. There was heavy rains enroute and we reached Badrinath in the night around 9.00 pm. Our tour guide introduced the pandit who normally does puja for tourists of Panicker Travels. He has informed about the Kuber Puja and Shradha (according to our ability the dakshina is fixed).  The cook was briefed about the palhar (fasting due to next day shradha) and he accordingly prepared cook without using onion and garlic.

Badrinath is situated in the lofty Himalayas at the height of 10,248 feet above sea level. Pandukeswar where king Pandu observed Tapasya with his queen Madri and where his sons Pandavas stayed during their pilgrimage to heaven, and the site where Bhima and Hanuman (sons of Vayu) met.

At Badrinath Lord MahaVishnu is believed to have done his penance. Seeing the Lord doing his penance in the open, Goddess Mahalaxmi is believed to have assumed the form of Badri tree to provide him shelter to face the onslaught of the adverse weather conditions, therefore the name Badri Narayan. It is believed that Sage Narad, who also did his penance here, is even now worshipping the supreme God in the form of Nar and Narayan with Ashtakshara mantras.

The image of Badrinarayan here is made out of Saligram. Badrinarayan is seen under the Badri tree, flanked by Kuber and Garuda, Narad, Narayan and Nar. Mahalakshmi has a sanctum outside in the parikrama. There is also a shrine to Adi Sankara at Badrinath.

Day 5

In the morning, at Brahma Kapal, shradh ceremony (propitiating rites) or the offering of pind was done. It is believed, once pind offered at Brahma Kapal, no more pinds are to be offered elsewhere. The Brahma Kapal, on the bank of the Alaknanda is a flat platform a few yards north of the temple. Legend has it that when Shiva chopped off the fifth head of Brahma, it got stuck to his trident. With the blessing of Lord Vishnu at Badrivan, the head of Brahma fell down from the trident at this place & hence the name Brahma-Kapal (head).

Tapt Kund is just below the temple, at the meeting point of Alaknanda and Rishi Ganga rivers. It is a hot sulphurous freshwater pool. The bathing area, has separate arrangements for men and women. Although the water is at normal temperature, the water temperature keeps rising gradually during the day. It is considered to have high medicinal value. A dip here is considered to be a good cure for skin diseases. We kept the coins in Kuber puja and it was returned to us in a neatly packed bag with Prasad.

As the road to Badrinath was cut off due to landslide, after our batch of vehicles, no vehicles came on that day. Hence by Lord’s grace, we had many times darshan on Day 5. Afternoon we went to Mana which is the last village on India-China border. It is 4 km from Badrinath, and it is said that Ved Vyas dictated his famous epic of Mahabharat to Ganesh, in one of the caves, now known as Vyas Gufa. On this route a natural bridge (Bhim Pul) over the Saraswati river can be seen from and it is believed from here Saraswati river goes underground and comes and joins Ganga and Yamuna at Triveni Sangam at Allahabad.

Day 6

After the road was repaired, vehicles started coming in to Badrinath. We started our journey back. Our first halt enroute to Rishikesh was Joshimath. Joshimath, established by Shri Adi Sankaracharya, is located at a distance of 14 km. Adiguru Shankaracharya got enlightenment here in a cave and atop the cave is the Kalpvriksha, a Mulberry tree that is said to be 2400 years old under which Adi Guru is believed to have attained enlightenment. After that we went to Srinagar on way to Rishikesh and halted for a night there.

Day 7

From Srinagar we started in the morning and reached Rishikesh. There we saw Paramarth Ashram, Ram Jhula, Laxman Jhula, Gita Bhavan. You are given time to shop here. After taking lunch at Kovilur Mutt, Rishikesh, we started our journey back to New Delhi and reached in the night.

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