Hemkund Sahib Revisited

The Journey begins at Govindghat
which is a 9-10 hour bus ride from Rishikesh. There are many ways to do it, by  taxi (expensive), shared taxi, small bus; and  one can break the journey or do it at one go.  I  spent the night at Srinagar and so had a shorter journey to Govindghat the next day., here I spent the night so that I could start my walk early next morning.
I have been to this region before and both times have combined a pilgrimage to  Hemkund Sahib with hikes to the Valley of Flowers.  My blog to the Valley of Flowers this year is placed here.  For a blog of my previous hikes please see Valley of Flowers and Hemkund -a Trek to Paradise ;  the photographs I took are at Valley of Flowers  , and at The Flora Around Hemkund.  

From Govindghat to Ghangariya
is a journey that is now made easier by riding in a  shared taxi for 4.8 km until Pulna and walking 10 km from there to Ghangariya, which is to be my home for the next four nights. The walk is along an easy, well paved path with gradual steps and climbs.  At this time there are many pilgrims along this route, most walking, some riding and the very old or infirm being carried up in  dolies.

Great faith in people going up...
...this young mother  walking barefoot, carried her sleeping child, for almost the entire distance.  The child was blissfully unaware of the tiring steps of faith her mother had taken. For the unfit like me, baggage can be carried up by porters who are mainly itinerant workers from Nepal who lift loads of 30 kilograms or more  with ease.

From Govindghat to Hemkund there is plenty 
to eat and drink along the way.  Catering to the popular taste of the pilgrims, tandoori paratha, fruit, cold drinks and water are available at path-side eateries along the way. The lemon tea peculiar to this region is particularly refreshing and a must try.  I spend my next four nights at GMVN at Ghangariya.  GMVN has a comprehensive network of staying places (about 90 or so) all over Garhwal.  They are not very expensive, neat and clean.  On the other hand they have elaborate rules of booking in advance with full payment and a cumbersome cancellation policy.

Mules and Porters
line the end of the busy bazaar of Ghangariya. There are hundreds of mules, in fact, I believe there were more mules than pilgrims as at every stop the mule drivers were touting rides. People go up by mule, doli, pithoo, but the intrepid majority just walk.  Walking up is a true act of faith as it  is a 6 km steep climb (from 3000 metres to 4600 metres) from Ghangariya.
On my previous pilgrimage in August 2015, the monsoon had already set in and it got considerably overcast by mid-morning.  Since I wanted to take photographs I went by mule, (excuses, excuses), which is much faster. 

Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara
one of the places of Sikh  pilgrimage at high altitude, it is located at  4600 metres and is the place where Guru Gobind Singh is believed to have obtained Enlightenment.  I reach it after a long and arduous journey over two days by road, walking and a mule. One can not spend the night here and it is best to start down by 2 pm if one is to reach Ghangariya before dark as it is the nearest where one can stay the night. 

The view from the top
is spectacular. The Gurudwara Sahib is nestled in a hollow with a lake (sarovar or kund) by its side, both being surrounded by lofty peaks and the most breathtaking views. The mule I rode up heaved an audible sigh of relief at the top when I slid my rather heavy frame off its back, at last he could rest before the return journey.  From a riders perspective, going up is easy, its the descent which is a bit hairy as the mule nonchalantly goes to the edge of vertiginous cliffs and turns. 

Inside the Gurudwara Sahib
on this day there are many pilgrims, in various attitudes of worship, most are exhausted by their walk up.  There are raagis singing and later prayers are said.  This time I found far more pilgrims than the few last time hence the tranquility was less and the bustle more.  There are blankets everywhere for exhausted and cold pilgrims who have walked the 6 km up.

The devout by the lake side at Hemkund Sahib
the lake is clean,  clear and very cold, in fact there is snow and ice right up to its edges. At 4600 metres it is cold here, though the sun is very sharp, (very carelessly I got sunburned) the ice remains in shadowed areas.  I saw traces of ice along the entire way, right until Ghangariya, being residual ice, at most places it was dirty.  There is a path around the lake, but I was forbidden to go along it by one of the caretakers, I didn't argue.

A ritual bath
in the ice cold waters cleanses these pilgrims, who take it in turns to  dip in while the others give encouragement. There were many pilgrims on this day, possibly because it was a weekend and that the season had not yet started in VoF and so there was accommodation available.  The support infrastructure for pilgrims along the entire route is very well laid out in terms of stay and food at Gurudwaras and travel.

Ringing the bell
at the entrance arch to Lokpal Laxman Temple right next door. This temple and the Gurudwara are in total harmony in prayers, bells and timings. Most pilgrims visit both places as the the temple is nearby and situated on the edge of the  same lake.

The langar at Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara
is a simple but delicious fare of khichdi, almost every activity in the langar and elsewhere is done as sewa, voluntary work so essential to the Sikh faith. Cooking, serving and cleaning the utensils are all done voluntarily here and at every Gurudwara, where one can get a meal and a place to stay at no cost.

The rising clouds are a sign that I have to start back.
I had climbed another 100 metres up a hillside by the side of the Gurudwara.  On my last visit here I had seen the famous Brahma Kamal flower, this rare plant blooms in August for a short while only so I did not get to see it this time.  With a last wistful look at this wonderful scene, I begin my descent and journey back.

As the famous Russian mountain guide, Anatoli Boukreev so aptly said:
"Mountains are the cathedrals where I practise my religion"

Sojourn in the Sahyadris - Kalsubai

Kalsubai


“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.” 
― Barry Finlay, Kalsubai is the highest peak in Maharashtra, but that is not saying much; as at 1646 metres it is hardly the "Everest of Maharashtra" it is made out to be. Nevertheless it is an invigorating climb and though not a technical ascent it is steep and tests ones stamina. The panorama from the top make the arduous climb worth it.

Vishnu, the guide 
 There are many "how to" blogs on the net so I will refrain from a travelogue style, rather giving a potpourri of my experiences. Kalsubai is about an hour from Igatpuri and there are many ways of getting to Bari, the village at the base.  I drove from Igatpuri and taking a wrong turn finally ended up at Jahagirdarwadi, a few hundred metres short of Bari. It is possible to start climbing from here as well, so good luck for my guide Vishnu whom I found here, he was waiting and hoping for a stray tourist like me. I recommend that you engage a guide for two fundamental reasons, firstly you are contributing to the economy of relatively poor people; and secondly getting out of the cluster of huts in the village in the dark of early morning can be confusing. Besides, for a lone walker like me, Vishnu was great company.

The first temple about an hour into the walk
Start in the dark to avoid the heat of the day. I started at 5.30 am in January, it was pitch dark and I needed my head torch continuously  till the sun rose over the horizon at about 7.30 am.   Early in the morning at this time of the year it can be quite chill, specially before I started climbing.  I quickly warmed up into the walk and in a short while had to roll up my sleeves. 

Sunrise 
Due to the haze and hills on the horizon, the sun becomes visible a while after actual sunrise.Because I started early, I had finished the three hour climb (for me) before it became too warm. Once the sun is out it gets hot. Carry lots of water, as there is no natural source and the bottled water at the stalls en route are expensive.  I met families who had started on their "picnic" at about 10 am, I wonder how many reached the top in the heat later in the day?

The climb is steep
and there are iron ladders at three places to enable walkers to cross tricky rock walls. My walk-meter showed a climb of  900m in a little over a kilometer. Be that as it may, the steepness is evident in the thighs and calves on the return.  It took me three hours to reach the top and about two easy hours to return.  Being a Sunday, there were many people on the route, hundreds, and at some ladders one had to step aside to allow people to pass. 

Kalsubai, the top
is on a rocky promontory at the top of the hill. The rocky top is accessible by going up a steel ladder for about 20 metres.  Just before the final ladder, visible in this picture, there is a flat ground with many stalls selling food and drink.  The 'kanda bhajjia" were deliciously hot and tasty but the tea was insipid.  Most people stop for a snack here on their way down and on Sundays the crowd can be large. The flat ground around allows groups to gather and some to even camp for the night.

Kalsubai, the temple
is located at the apex, a tiny temple, but it has a flourishing economy of stalls selling "peda" and other pooja ingredients outside. During various auspicious festivals, I am told, crowds throng here for the pooja.  In this picture one can see some of the number of walkers at the top.  Some trekkers come the previous evening and camp here and around, or start climbing at 2 am so as to be at the top at sunrise.  The views from the top are breathtaking and despite the haze one can see the range of hills around. The view is enhanced by the long shadows of the hills in the range in the early morning.   

A hungry monkey
has two fruit,  one gripped in each set of paws.  Trekkers feed the monkeys who have become bold and aggressive, grabbing anything loose.  My guide told me that unattended rucksacks and water bottles  are often picked up by these animals. The route is dry and dusty at this time of the year; a fine dust is kicked up by those passing and many stall operators are seen covering their nose and mouth.

Stalls everywhere...
Most flat spaces have a local selling something, from the ubiquitous nimbu pani and  guava grown in home gardens, to the more commercial bhajjia and packeted eatables. The route is lined with commerce, a cloth spread on the ground, a table with the makings of nimbu pani and well covered stalls with tables and chairs. There is someone selling something somewhere.

And finally...
having been up and down, I drove off to a wayside dhaba and treated myself to the most delicious hot and fresh tandoori rotis and tadka dal.  The resort town of Bhandardara with its famous dam and waterfall is nearby and the route is lined with eating places big and small. Climbing is hungry business and so till my next walk I leave you with this sage advice:

“Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end.”  -Edward Whymper