Char-Dham Nomenclature

Well the first thing people think when they hear “Char-Dham” (Yamunotri, Gongotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath) is “Religious, spiritual ….” But this is a trek that is very very picturesque and refreshing. I believe one must do it in young age to be able to really enjoy the treks and soak in the nature beauty.  Reaching these places is not easy wrt connectivity. Slow but extreme driving is common there. The paths are narrow and land slides often put boulders on the way. Personally, a drive with 3 or 4 turns would pounce my heart and I would close my eyes and better put myself to sleep with the hope of waking up only if all is good 😊. Sights of accidents where vehicles falls into deep valleys are also common. Unless there is a vehicle behind, an accident could remain unnoticed.

At each of the religious place there is a trek. There are aided horses, Pittus and Dolies to help pilgrims reach the destination. They earn as they assist each pilgrim. Horses might not be actual horses but mules. “Pittu” is a basket in which one would sit and the basket would be carried over shoulder of a person. One would get an endless view of the sky for hours making them feel sick and depressed sometimes. Doli or palki is nothing but a chair tied to sticks there would be 4 people to carry and one can comfortably sit in a chair.

The horses, Dolies and pittus rush and brush through the crowd and sometimes it gets annoying to the pilgrims on foot as the paths are narrow with deep valleys. The paths at some points are stinky with horse shit. Showers are expected often. One would feel hot due to exhaustive steep walks, drenching in rains and cool breezes at high altitudes would make you feel the chillness. This would be a very unique experience.

The hardwork of the Pittu and Doli folks to ferry pilgrims is truly touching. Lots and lots of efforts. Also the stall owners still serve something for few little bucks While they really put in a lot of efforts to get their stocks.

Devariya Taal

A serene Lake uphill. So quiet as the sunrays dance in peace over the lake and distant snow clad mountains. An extremely satisfying 2.3 km hike as we started early in the day. Hardly people around.  The morning freshness flowing and cleansing every inch. Chirping birds, cool breeze, buds and flowers blooming, rose trees loaded with flowers adding the to the grace with the steep hike.

Huge trees with thick shadows and very narrow stone laid path to walk! We crossed a few closed stalls and soon had a few people walking with loads to open their stall. All in peace as we stretch our muscles for the hike, we reached a point where we couldn’t see beyond due to the inclination. As we hiked further high to the point, it opened up to a slight slop leading to the picturesque Marvel of Nature. This treasure is worth the struggle to hike. The place seemed like a small master piece worked up by creative baby angles up in the corner hiding it away from mommy and daddy.

It is a great location to relax and soak yourself in this gem of Nature. Magical airs of nature took away the strain and gifted calmness. 

Mussoorie - Kempty Falls

In the morning as we set off from Haridwar for Barkot via Mussoorie. I happen to notice the hills and mountains that promise fear but at the same time are getting tamed with a step fashion cultivation. it is a visual retreat to see the the hills carved to steps and have rich crops of Apples, walnuts and highly energetic herbs apart from the regular crops. Thriving life in serene back drop. Life almost never stops but adapts. Innovative, creative, simple, humble and adaptive living there is so inspiring and fills you up with positive energy.

 We had a break at Kempty falls. We stopped on a small bee busy street and were shown a way down to the falls. It was crowded and lined up with shops and stalls. There was a ropeway to go down but we choose to take the stairs as it looked promising for shopping and we can get to taste the local culture. There were great articles of wood and other crafted stuff here and we decided to shop on the way back. We finally reached the falls. It was too crowded with people enjoying in the water. In a couple of clicks we decided to fall back on shopping as it is getting difficult to stand near the falls.

Seems like the beautiful falls lead to tourism and then a mushroom growth of market around it.

Shopping! if you live in a metropolitan, it is a hard pinch as you realize how much you shell out for the antique look corner piece on online portals/ malls as the price for the same here would be less than half. Sometime even one seventh the price you pay in a city. There were a lot of wood crafted stuff to buy but we din want to get overloaded. After decent shopping, we proceeded to Barkot. 

Sikkim - Temi Team garden and Namchi

We got back to Gangtok very late from Lachung as there was a vehicle ahead of us which would break down every 10- 15 mins and our driver was trying to help the other vehicle start. We checked into the hotel at around 09:00 PM. checked into the hotel at Gangtok. Well the next day was time to take off Sikkim and we were really clueless on how to reach West Bengal as there was an ongoing strike, we did not have any cab to take us from Gangtok to New Jalpaiguri and may be, we had to rely on buses run by the state government. Hotel Tashi Tagey was a very charming space run with passion. The couple running this are really passionate and have good ambience set with simple and great artifacts. The view from the terrace is great and to add to the delight they have a beautiful terrace garden. Alas!! It was only the view in the dark but indeed seems promising for a pleasant stay though this is away from the main market.

The couple maintaining Tashi Tagey almost signed off for the day when we checked in but did their best to make us feel comfortable. We felt very homely as they asked us if we would to have dinner. The lady did not hesitate to get back to the kitchen and prepare something for us as it was already getting late as uncle helped us get comfortable with the space. We did discuss ask them how far the bus stand was and explained them the discomfort of not finding a cab to ferry us to West Bengal. Uncle soon extended to help us. Not just help but he gave us hope to squeeze in more and more of Sikkim into the day. We quickly made a plan to go to Namchi and then head to New Jalpaiguri. Silence followed with no confirmation. As it was too late we did not want to bother the elderly couple. Our time to start was 04:00 AM if the plan is on. We retired for the day with a plan to be ready by 04:00 AM and fall back on plan B of taking a Govt. bus if nothing works.

Knock! Knock! At before 04:00 AM, the cab is ready! Uncle could not reach to his driver the previous night and so had gone to his house early hours to check if he can make it by 04:00 AM. And yes it all worked out very well. 

We started off for Namchi enroute Temi Tea gardens.

We were not very keen on Temi tea gardens as we have seen enough of estates at Ooty and Coorg. We happen to be there as it is on the way and we had sometime. This turned out to be very worthy! We reached there early in the morning around 07:00 AM. The tea garden seemed to be a jewel of pride bestowed amidst the white capped mountains, the green hills and blue skies. The early morning sunrays seems to be polishing this jewel of pride as it wipes the sprayed dew. The tints of hue slowly changing to green as the light brightens up was indeed a refreshing sight. We walked along in the total calmness. I strongly vouch, you start your day early on your vacations. The fresh look and the no much crowd gifts you a great experience.

Namchi has a few attractions but with the time on hand we could just do the replica of char-dhar where all the major pilgrimage spots in India are replicated. It is a peaceful and nice place to visit. Just a co-incidence, my Sikkim trip ended with visiting char-dham at Namchi and my next trip after Sikkim happens to be Char-Dham (Haridwar- Mussoorie – Yamunotri – Gangotri – Kedarnath – Badrinath – Rishikesh).

Sikkim - Lachung - Yumthang Valley

The Yumthang Valley is a promise of surprise. The valley is covered with a bushy shrub “Rhododendrons”. This is considered to be “The valley of flowers” but not really as it is more appropriate to call it “The valley of Rhododendrons ”. It was not the flowering season that we visited in and hence all we could see is a rocky abode. All the way Teesta river was luring us to get closer to it but the killer chill hurled us back after short ventures.

We reached a cheerful street that serves breakfast (warm bread and molten butter) and sells colorful woolen stuff and some gift articles. Prices are very reasonable.

Zero point is interesting, picturesque place as we got to see different phases of freezing water. Completely frozen waterfalls, flowing river, fascinating patterns formed by the impacts of nature on the freezing and un freezing water were just amazing. A deep breath in the freshness is very very relaxing. The hush hush of the water was soothing. I shall let the pictures do the talking here.

There is an army maintained coffee shop here that actually serves coffee and biscuits to the tourists free of cost. They sell deep fried bondas. Best of all, they have a good fire place. All we could ask for at that point is warmth and yeah, it is a blessing there. Appreciate and respect the army service. Though we readily had the free stuff accepted, we also wanted to pay something and hence had the snacks they sold. We also bought a coffee mug. The money shall be for a good cause.

We proceeded to a glacier near by. This had a hanging bridge decorated with Buddhist flags. The glacier water is supposed to possess medicinal value and there are local ways of curing people here. The glacier is thin and domed by a small room not very well maintained. 

Sikkim - Gurudongmar Lake & Bheem Naara

A pious lake at 17000 ft in the Himalayas near to the borders is a picture perfect sight. Reaching here is not easy as the climate and terrain throw challenges. The terrain is just too rough and you get tossed in the slow moving vehicle. The day we headed there was relatively blessed as there were no major weather issues. Yes of course!! It is December and it is slicing chillness around. Cold burns are common. The worst is a problem with your nose nostrils. Breathing gives you a lot of pain due to the cold burnt nostrils but you know you need to. We started in the dark at 03:00 AM. Seeing the sunrise in the mountains is a very different experience. Frozen water on the path is a common sight all the thin waters are frozen there. You can witness the slightly glowing frozen blue stuff turn shiny white as the sun rises.

Tall mountains standing black and white block the views beyond. Sun was shining bright enough as we reached Gurudongmar lake. Oxygen level at these heights are not consistent and so there is an element of risk involved. With sufficient understanding and preparation, you should be fine. The driver also warns and dictates the time you could spend as spending more time could lead the driver to sickness. At the snap of the lake, all the pain the terrain gave us was paid. It is a beauty that the eyes take a while to soak in. Pristine Natural beauty!

There are around 50 rough steps that lead you from the view point to the lake. Reading too many articles about how people go down, effects of low oxygen kicking in and never been able to get back had a profound impact and hence we refrained from venturing there as it was pretty much the same view we could get. The lake is actually not carnivorous, all it needs is good acclimatization and definitely good judgement. Few locals and the army troops walk around the lake. Yet there are frequent incidents of people choking to death there.

The way back was equally tiring and we had stopped at a remote hut for breakfast. I was skeptic to enter the hotel for breakfast by the look and feel of it. But yes, it is a well-served cozy space with a fire place that was a blessing then. They serve the typical breakfast of warm bread and molten butter and hot coffee. Appreciate the service at that altitude in the border areas.

On the way back, we visited “Bheem Naara” Water falls. This is a thin shooting tall water fall. Recently probably a few fans have renamed the water falls to Amita Bachhan (famous tall Bollywood actor). They put up a few posters, and some music there. Post lunch we set off for Lachung.

Sikkim - Lachen

Heading to Lachen from Gangtok is a strenuous 7 hour drive. There are many small water falls on the way but not very impressive. You would get Views of Kanchanjunga! The third highest mountain in the world. What a sight! What a muse. To me it seemed like a grumpy tall old uncle with a pipe often messing up with something or the other. LoL!! Wondering what am I talking about?? Just because it stands so tall, as we know mountains stop the clouds ….. Kanchanjunga always had some cloud that it is stopping. This to me seemed as if the mountain is smoking a pipe. As this could get big, it is as if Kanchanjunga messed up with something. For me, it was rear to see Kanchanjunga alone (without the pipe or mess :P) Hope that defines “The tall Old Grumpy Uncle”.

While nearing Lachen, we see heavy smokes high up and higher in the air. There was a forest fire believed to be sparked by a short circuit. The tall trees have been fire monsters for days now. Combating it as this altitude is a challenge.

We reached Lachen, a dream town uphill at 2750 metres above the mean sea level (MSL). It makes me J. We reached late evening and hence could hardly see the room we live in as there was a no power due to forest fire. It was chill outside and the tap water was too too toooo cold. We went down the street to take a stroll of the town. Simple living in the pure atmosphere. It seemed so dark and blacked out due to the mountains and tall trees but the skies were clear and near. Living in a city, though we know by book knowledge about the numerous stars, it seemed as if the stars from far off also have gathered to make this sky so bright. We retired for the day with dinner served hot. Yes Yes! The no power living in that chillness was indeed an experience. 

wonder how the wonderers get here amidst the curls, curves and heights to establish the same living

Mekedatu

After visiting a few top listed pristine places, when in in Awe! Mood, we do not want to come out of it as we are still relishing the time that just passed. Well in such a phase, we set off to “Mekedatu” on a bike trip. With climate getting warmer, we would have to wait till the next season if not this day. A prejudice set that this place is not going to be impressive for it is too close to the city and not much talked about. Such wrong notions that we get pushed into often! The spirits were high as it is going to be a motor bike trip. A group of us started early in the day and reached a road side restaurant for breakfast. A low profile space with an unusable bullakart. The bullakart was the center of attraction as few folks could associate memories of their village time. Folks who had no such memories were just fascinated to see their buddies muse over something so trivial. Well we all lived in the moment and yup! What a start of the day when little things could put the grown ups to smile. Drive there on was beautiful with roads lined up on both sides with orange red bloom.

We reached Mekedatu. There were a few small shed shops lined up and a gate. As we entered, we noticed a board with warning on the whirlpools in the river Kaveri and how trying to swim beyond the marked limits could lead to fatalities. The presentation was different as it was written as if the diseased were writing the message by narrating their fatal story. As we walked in, we could see bus that would take us up the hill but on the other side of the river. How do we cross the river?? NO boats! We are to cross it by foot. WoWWwww!! Interesting isn’t it? There start the fun. We crossed over the river on foot in around 2 to 4 ft deep water with slippery rocks beneath. We preferred to walk on the gravel and avoid stepping on the bigger rocks. There we could board a bus that takes us up a hill over a rough road.

From the view point we could see the river between layers and layers of rocks. The rocks here are different. It is as if peaceful sea waves turned up to rocks. They had that smooth wavy pattern. As we went down over the rocks, the magnificence was unfolding. We were awe struck with the beauty of the rocks and the green waters. Nature never fails to impress! After spending good time there we headed back in a hot climate exhausting ourselves. 

Dal Lake

Nature often gives us what we can enjoy. Learning its depths is indeed nice but leaning too much …. Can cost you something to anything. Enigmatic isn’t it? Well my experience at the visual of Dal Lake is amazing. A water body with snow capped hill in the backdrop on one side, green life cladded hills on the other side, the capital city thriving around and in it. Decorated shikars lined up at the coast and floating here and there, make the view colorful and cheerful.

We had a booking in a houseboat. To get to the house boat we need to take the shikara boat. Luggage is boarded and once in this little decorated boat, it slowly and steadily drifts across the waters. Unplugged from city life, it was just an awesome feel to soak the soul in the beauty of nature and drift slow. You can opt to sit or lay at leisure on the couch in the shikara just for you. What more comfort can you ask for? As we drifted, we had Knock! Knock! Wondering who can knock at a boat with your luggage? LoL! Not the pirates but the merchants who are on a small boat knocking at different shikaras trying to sell what they have. They try to sell tea, snacks, shawls, dry fruits …. Well it’s a market. Seems crazy and funny but could get annoying with too many which usually does not happen.

There is a floating market area where you actually have to stop by your boat to step in to the shop. There is an entire colony of people who live in the Dal lake. Yes! their houses are floating in the water. People residing in the lake move in boats to run errands like get vegetables, attend school ….. May be getting to a boat is as simple as wearing footwear before stepping out for them.

We reached the houseboat floating in the water. This is a small but richly decorated place. There is literally nothing you could do other than relaxing and gazing at the beauty. Watch the same picturesque space in different hues of the day. For lunch and dinner, Yes! Yes!! Row to the banks and get to a restaurant. This was enjoyable but seemed restricted mobility to us. Being there for an experience is worth but killing time in days needs a taste for it.

With nothing much to do in the house boat we set off on a Shikara ride of the lake. Was surprised to learn that there is a seasonal grass that grows and floats on the lake (as seen the picture) that would also provide a base for growing vegetables in the lake. May be a kindaa native hydroponics. They showed us few places that are guarded by fences for the lotus bloom. There was not a single lotus we could see but yes when there is bloom in the area that is shown to us, yes it would be spectacular.

Coming to the enigmatic expression!! As I looked down into the thick dark waters of Dal lake I could see a lot of water weed swaying. There are people who are deployed solely to pluck the weed. Their boats are on the patrol to rip the weed and load their boats. But somehow looking at the deep waters gave me an impression that it would have its crime fossils on the lake bed. Well this is true with any water body.

Sikkim - Nathula Pass, Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir

Woke up early in the chill!! Believe me, if not a new place to explore, I should have given in to the lazy cloud that day. We were to reach the pickup point by 7:30 AM which is a steep walk of 10 mins from the hotel. Reaching the pickup point in advance, we got some time to leisurely feel the chill and watch the morning at Gangtok. We then were taken to an assembly point and had to wait for permits until 09:30 AM.

Nathula pass, baba mandir and Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake as the locals call it) was the itinerary of the day.

The first halt was at Changu Lake, bounded by hills, it is believed to be sacred and hence no boating or fishing in the lake. It has a small temple and cheerfully decorated Yaks. 

Then we headed to Nathula Pass. This is open for business for few months a year when both the nations would open their gates to facilitate movement of vehicles by road. Being at a high altitude, people could experience some discomfort due to chillness and altitude change. Medical aid is available for assistance. Vehicles would stop in the parking area and then we need to walk and take few stairs to get the view.

Our heartbeats were jumping too. Not very sure it is the excitement or the altitude and climate taking a toll. With all the self-preparation we could relax and get to the top. LOC cautions us not to talk loud or shout out slogans. I totally understand why this is needed. Any difference in energy here could be interpreted as an alarm on the other side! We definitely do not want to alarm the armed men out there.  

Visiting Nathula pass is a moment of pride with high respect and dubious silence. Standing on the edge of India at a friendly border with China. With my feet in India I can raise my hand in China. I can see China standing right in India without a visa. I could see the tough Indian army guarding border in the crux of harsh scenic nature. Their hardship is for us to breathe free yet we overload ourselves with complexities at different levels. At a height of 14000 ft, standing tall we soaked ourselves in the AIRS GRACED BY NATURE BUT MARKED BY MANKIND.

Har Bhajan Baba Mandir is temple of a soldier. There are a few stories on this but as I cannot judge, I prefer not to pen down any. With all due respect to soldiers and no doubt on Indian army’s belief for such a place, I do bow to it. On entering the temple, you would see a worship place, an office room to the right and a water room to the left. Soldiers leave a bottle of drinking water in the water room when they reach Nathula and take it with them as sacred water when they return home. It is believed that the soldier “Har Bhajan” guards the borders and the soldiers in the harsh climates. They give sugar chips as Prasad, and have a certificate to declare your visit to that place at a nominal price. There is a small shop monitored by Army where they sell artifacts. Assuming the contribution would directly reach the army pockets for a good cause, we were determined to shop there. I wonder how they are selling at a low price in such remote places. Some of those artifacts like a metal bike model are priced higher in other places of India.