A memorable visit of Gangotri
After a night stay and a good breakfast of Paratha-Sabji at HNB Guest House Srinagar (UK) on 20 November 2024, we departed at 8.30 AM and reached Uttarkashi by 2 PM. The PWD Guest House was closed and the caretaker was not available, therefore, we took a round of the city and had Darshana of Uttarkashi Vishwanath Shiv Temple and temple of Ma Annapurna. The pujari at the Uttarkashi Vishvanath Temple tried to explain that Linga of the temple is original and one of the biggest and is slanting. One young Pujari sat in the premise of the temple to perform ritual on demand happened to be an Acharya, did his MA in Sanskrit but opted for this profession. We went to Ganeshpura a nearby place where Swami Preamanand Sarasvati of Shivanand Ashram has established an Ashram on the bank of river Ganga. Swami welcomed us and offered to stay in the Ashram which we couldn't deny though Mr. Negi from PWD Guest House had confirmed our reservation. The place was 5 kms away from Uttarkashi and enroute to Gangotri and we had planned to leave for Gangotri very early in the morning next day, we accepted the loving offer. We joined the evening prayers where few foreigners were present. There were books of translated prayers in English made available to them. I don't know their tour model but many of them come in Himalayas, buy Indian clothes, find a place in one of the ashrams, stay and eat whatever is served, participate in the morning and evening prayers and do their touring of interests. They may be coming in groups but live scattered as per the availability of accomodation in ashrams and manage their tours and travel in coordination with each other. However, their love for the Indian spirituality, prayers and practices are sometimes more than the Indians. We did enjoy the prayers and the dinner of the Ashram. The Swamiji took special care, made a rasam soup and sweet dish available to us. He arranged for a glass of milk and place a cup full with freshly made Chyavanpras in our room. Next day morning before Lakshmi got ready I had attended the morning prayers and enjoyed a cup of tea. We started from the Ashram at 7 AM and reached Harshil by 9.30 AM. My wife has a picture memory and I have a sound memory, therefore, she immediately recollected the places of our first visit to Harshil and take me to the Post Office where heroine Mandakini (Ganga) of Raj Kapoor's blockbuster movie Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985) used to come to find a letter from her Hero Rajiv Kapoor (Naren). Set up in a rented house in 1960, built of wood and local materials, the post office was featured in several key movies. There were Apple trees without Apple as the season got over. The shops were closed but one tea stall was open. I tried to feel taste of the watery tea but my wife served it to an ox standing besides. Two more oxen joined him. The vender was drunk. We stopped at Kedareshwar temple at 10.30 AM which is half in water and half above the ground. We bought some Rajma and apple from a shop in Dharali. Harshil is famous for pahari ivory rajma, greenish royal apple and potatoes. We reached Gangotri at 11.15 AM. The valley approaching Harshil and from Harshil to Gangotri is scenic and beautiful surrounded by mountains and forests. It is thrilling experience to travel through the curvy roads. Barring few cuts on the mountains the roads are not made national highways like Badrinath route, and that way the beauty of the valley hasn't been disturbed.
The shops and houses in Gangotri were closed but we could see few tourists. We went to the Gangotri temple premise, had darshana from outside, took prasad from a bottle kept out side, took pictures and sat on the bank of River Bhagirathi to enjoy the nature. All know the story of King Bhagirath who invited river Ganga from the heaven for salvation of his thousand step brothers. Gomukh is about 19 kms away from where the river originate. It suggests how much of the glaciers has been melted over the centuries.
It was scenic view in a sunny day where the river was flowing softly in the calm of mountains. I saw a small stone mobile Shivlinga at the edge of the river, took it and use it for worshiping using water of Ganga. My wife followed me. She offered the water 11 times and to her surprise, received coins of ₹11 from the river Ganga where she sat. She tasted the fresh ice. Both of us used the moments for meditation.
We got up to return but my wife took me to the other side of the river towards Surya Kund the place I had seen in past but forgot. We enjoyed the flow, fall and sound of water in the valley. As usual we took some pictures, videos and departed at 12.45 PM. On return, we stopped at Bhairav temple of Bhairoghati but it was closed. We took our lunch at Dharashu paying ₹60 for a plate of Rajma and Rice. I bought one radish @₹10 to rich my salad. We purchased sweet karela and semi as taste of mountains and returned Uttarkashi.
That evening of Shri Shivanand Ashram became vibrant with the visit of few local school girls in the prayer. They were so accurate in their pronunciation, rhythm and melody of the music and with speed that they could finish prayers, hanumanchalisa, some path of Ramcharitmanas and some verses of Sarasvati Rahasya Upanishad in one go of singing in 60 minutes. They made the prayer room vibrant and energetic.
Swamiji Premanand Sarasvati (84) was a nationalist participated in the freedom movement with his father and cried when Gandhiji was killed. He is BSc (Agr) but life took him to renunciation. He walked by foot from Rishikesh to Uttarkashi and settled in 1964. It took him 5-6 decades to reach to the state of an Ashram establishment. He was still sharing happy moments of his past when there was no electricity and thick chapati made of his hands added with salt giving him more happiness than the modern life of different facilities. He is working for the Divine Life Mission of community upliftment and helping the deprived of Ganeshpura. He gifted us Bhagwad Gita, Life mission Picture book of Swami Chinmayanand and 1 kg box of Chyavanpras.
Next day morning, we departed the Ashram after the breakfast and with one stop on the way at Adra Kheda, bought some pulses and Rishikesh in the afternoon. We visited Lakshman Jhula which is undergoing repairs and came to Chotivala restaurant travelling a big round of a circular route of 45 minutes in a car to have our lunch at 2.30 PM. Rishikesh has one road bridge to the east end for the four wheelers, therefore, it takes extra time to reach to the places and ashram at the west end. The market near Lakshman Jhula is losing it viability in absence of customers as the repairs of Jhula is taking longer time than expected. People are awaiting when the glass Jhula as promised will be completed and open for public.
Chotiwala's Thali is expensive costing ₹415 but one persons can't eat all therefore sharing makes it economical. After a thali lunch of Chotiwala, we took a room in Parmarth Niketan Ashran, placed our luggage and joined the evening Sandhya Aarti of River Ganga. The booking can be done online and if rooms are available one may get it from the reception on arrival. It costs only ₹500/bed. The canteen of the ashram is open to all, very economical as the fix thali costs only ₹100. There are other varieties available at very reasonable price. As we had late lunch therefore enjoyed mung dal halwa as sweet dish of the Ashram in dinner and concluded our trip to Himalayas.
Punamchand
3 December 2024