Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath & Badrinath Travel Notes

Pleasant is when everything goes on well as expected in a tour. Me and my wife had a very pleasant trip of Chardham i.e. Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath & Badrinath via Rishikesh and Haridwar from 6.10.2017 to 17.10.2017. I would suggest those who want to go select October only to go to these places (purely based on my experience). I have already visited in September 2009.  However, it is coupled with receding rains.  Kedarnath and Badrinath would be very cold, but with proper clothing you can manage.

Day1 (6.10.2017)

Left from Delhi by road to Rishikesh

Hanuman Mandir, Delhi

Day2 (7.10.2017)

Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh

Laxman Jhula - This 450 feet wire rope bridge was opened on 11.4.1930 for use of travellers by H.E.M. Malcolm Hailey C.C.I.E., Governor of United Provinces. The construction of this bridge was done during 1927-29. The old 284 feet bridge which was constructed by Roy Bahadur Surajmal Jhunjhunwala washed away due to left portion washed away in floods in 1924. His son Roy Bahadur Shivprasad Tulshan has helped in constructing the new bridge at approximately the same place of the old bridge in his father's memory. No tax will be levied for using the bridge anytime. The bridge pillar has a plate "Wilkins Wire and Wire Ropes Ltd., Eastwood, Notts, England 1928" on it. The company was established in 1850. Later in 1922 this was named as mentioned in the bridge. After registering for chardham trip at a biometric centre (which is nowadays mandatory), reached in the night Barkot, our base camp for Yamunotri. 

Yamunotri Temple

Day3 (8.10.2017)

Yamunotri is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna. It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 metres (10,804 ft). The sacred shrine is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, perched atop a flank of Bandar Poonch Parvat. The actual source of Yamuna, a frozen lake of ice and glacier (Champasar Glacier) located on the Kalind Mountain at a height of 4,421 m above sea level is not frequented generally as it is not accessible; hence the shrine has been located on the foot of the hill. The approach is extremely difficult.

Day4 (9.10.2017)

On our way to Uttarkashi, we saw Dhari Devi, Tehri Dam, Uttarkashi Vishwanath Mandir. Dhari Devi is a temple on the banks of the Alaknanda river in the Garhwal Region. It houses the upper half of an idol of the goddess Dhari that, according to local lore, changes in appearance during the day from a girl, to a woman, and then to an old lady. The idol's lower half is located in Kalimath where mata is prayed in Kali Roop. This shrine is one of 108 shakti sthals in India, as numbered by Srimad Devi Bhagwat. Dhari Devi is revered as the protector of the Char Dhams.

Dhari Devi Mandir

A legend is that Dhari Devi, guardian deity of Uttarakhand, whose idol was removed from her temple shifted at about 7.30 pm on Sunday, 16 June 2013 by priests and locals, few hours before the cloudburst. As per believers, Uttarakhand had to face the Goddess’ ire as she was shifted from her ‘moolsthan’ (original abode) to make way for a 330 MW hydel project. A similar attempt in 1882 by a local king had resulted in a landslide that had flattened Kedarnath.

The Tehri Dam of Uttarakhand is the highest dam in India, 2nd highest in Asia and 8th highest in World. It is on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. The dam is expected to generate about 2400 megawatts of electricity. The total cost associated with the Tehri Dam project is around Rs 8000/- crores. Tehri dam is about 260.5 metres (855 ft) high rock and earth-fill embankment dam. Its length is 575 metres (1,886 ft), crest width 20 metres (66 ft), and base width 1,128 metres (3,701 ft). The dam creates a reservoir of 2.6 cubic kilometres (2,100,000 acre.ft) with a surface area of 52 square kilometres (20 sq mt).

The installed hydro capacity is 1,000 MW along with an additional 1,000 MW of pumped storage hydroelectricity. The Tehri Dam and the Tehri Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant are part of the Tehri Dam Hydro Power Complex which also includes the 400 MW Koteshwar Dam.

Uttarkashi Temple

Shakti Pillar

Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1158 m above sea level. According to Kedarkhand 95/60, 61, Uttarkashi was called Varnavat Gram during the time of Mahabharat.  This is where Parshuram, (son of Renuka and Jamdagni) performed strict penance to gain control over anger. This town was also the capital of Naga Kings from 1^st Century till 5^th Century AD. The Shakti Pillar of approximately 6 meter in height that stand in front of the Vishwanath temple has etchings about Naga Kings family tree and its unique feature (believe it or not) is that one cannot make it vibrate this Shakti Pillar with his/her full force but it vibrates the moment you apply pressure with one of your fingers. Uttarkashi is surrounded by Balkhily, Indrakeel (Hari Parvat), Varunavat, Mahendra Parvat (Mahindanda) and Airavat mountains and situated at the base of Varunavat mountain. Uttarkashi also finds mention in the travelogues of the famous Chinese traveller Huen-Tsang.

Day5 (10.10.2017)

On way to Gangotri our first stop was at Gangnani, hot water springs. It is also called Rishikund.

Gangotri Temple

Gangotri, the origin of the River Ganges and seat of the goddess Ganga at a height of 3,100 metres (10,200 ft). The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga (the Ganges) from Devprayag onwards where it meets Alaknanda river. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, in the Gangotri Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri.

Day6 (11.10.2017)

Guptkashi Temple

Guptkashi is located at an altitude of 1,319 metres (4,327 ft) in the Kedar-khanda, in Garhwal Himalayas of Rudraprayag. It is known for its ancient Vishwanath Temple dedicated to the god Shiva. The other well-known temple here is dedicated to Ardhanarishwara, a half man half woman form of Shiva and Parvati. It has the scenic backdrop of the snow-covered peaks of Chaukhamba. Popular legend holds that subsequent to the Kurukshetra war of the epic Mahabharata, the Pandavas on the advice of Lord Krishna and other sages wished to atone for their sins of fratricide and Brāhmanahatya committed by them during the war by seeking pardon from Shiva and also pray for his blessings before attaining salvation. But Shiva was not willing to meet them since he was annoyed with them for the unjust events of the war. He, therefore, avoided meeting them at Kashi and went incognito as the bull Nandi to Guptakashi in Uttarakhand. But Pandavas pursued him to Guptakashi and recognized him in the disguised form of Nandi. When Bhima, the second Pandava brother tried to hold the bull by its tail and hind legs, Nandi vanished from Guptakashi, into the ground (into a cave for hiding), but reappeared later as Shiva in five different forms namely, hump at Kedarnath, face at Rudranath, arms at Tungnath, navel and stomach at Madhyamaheshwar and the locks at Kalpeshwar. The vanishing act of Shiva gave the name Guptakashi to this place on the bank of the Mandakini River. Reached Sitapur our base camp for Kedarnath.

Day7 (12.10.2017)

Mandap at Ukhimath

Ukhimath is situated at an altitude of 1311 meters. Its ancient name is Ushamath.  It is named after Banasur’s daughter Usha.  Usha and Anirudhha (grandson of Lord Krishna) got married here, and the mandapa is still located here.  Lord Shiva is in Omkareshwar form.  Every year in winter, Lord Kedarnath is worshipped for 6 months at Ukhimath.

Kalimath

Kalimath is regarded as a divine place and shakti peeth. It lies at an altitude of around 6,000 feet (1,800 m) on the river Saraswati in the Himalayas, surrounded by the peaks of Kedarnath.  Kalimath is situated close to Ukhimath, and Guptakashi. It is one of the "Siddha Peeths" of the region and is held in high religious esteem. This holy shrine is one of 108 Shakti Peeth as per Srimad Devi Bhagwat. The upper part of Goddess Kali is worshipped in Dhari Devi and the remaining part in Kalimath Religious tradition is that Kalimath is where Kali killed the demon Raktavija and had gone under the earth. Kalimath is only the place where the goddess Kali is worshipped along with her sisters Laxmi and Saraswati. A peculiar thing about the temple is that there is no idol that is worshipped here, instead, the Shri Yantra, is the object of devotion.

According to Hindu mythology, Triyuginarayan is the venue of the celestial marriage of Shiva and Parvati, during the Satya Yuga, witnessed in the presence of the holy fire that still burns eternally in front of the temple in a Havana-kund. Vishnu formalized the wedding and acted as Parvati's brother in the ceremonies, while the creator-god Brahma acted as the priest of the wedding, that was witnessed by all the sages of the times. The exact location of the wedding is marked by a stone called Brahma Shila, in front of the temple. The greatness of this place is also recorded in a sthala-purana (a scripture specific to a pilgrimage centre).

The Triyuginarayan temple resembles the temple of Kedarnath in architectural style and hence attracts a lot of devotees. It is believed to have been built by Adi Shankaracharya. The shrine houses a silver, 2 feet image of god Vishnu (Narayana), accompanied with consort - goddess of wealth Laxmi and the goddess of music and learning - Saraswati. In front of the temple, the havana-kund with the eternal flame - the witness of the wedding of Shiva and Parvati - is situated. A stone called the Brahma Shila - in front of temple - is regarded as the exact spot of the divine marriage.^[The ponds of Rudra Kund, Vishnu Kund, Brahma Kund, where the Gods bathed at the time of Shiva-Parvati Wedding.  The water in these kunds flow from Saraswati Kund which is said to have sprang from Lord Vishnu’s Navel.

Day8 (13.10.2017)

Kedarnath temple, at a height of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), on the shores of Mandakini river, a tributary of Ganga, is an impressive stone edifice of unknown date. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open only between April-end to October-end. The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 16 kilometres uphill trek from Gaurikund. Helicopter, Pony and manchan (doli) service is available. The temple was built by Pandavas and revived by Adi Sankaracharya and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Shiva.

Kedarnath

Kedarnath side view

The stone which diverted the cloudburst on both sides of the temple, Kedarnath

Day9 (14.10.2017)

Reached Badrinath in the evening

Day10 (15.10.2017)

Badrinath is at an altitude of 3,100 metres (10,170 feet) on the banks of the Alaknanda River. The town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges 9 km east of Nilkantha peak.  According to legend, Lord Shankar discovered a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made of Saligram stone in the Alaknanda River. He originally enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs. In the sixteenth century, the King of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple.

Badrinath

 

Sun rays on Neelkanth Peak, Badrinath

The way to Satopanth Glacier, Badrinath

Day11 (16.10.2017)

Due to technical snag in the engine of the bus, we were held up at Nandprayag for over 9 hours which resulted in skipping of our Aarti at Haridwar. We saw Rudraprayag one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River, the point of confluence of rivers Alaknanda (on the left) and Mandakini (on the right). Rudranath Temple at the confluence.

Finally, we reached Haridwar around 1.00 am on 17.10.2017, and Delhi at 5.30 am on 17.10.2017