Haridwar
Located at the foot of the Shivalik hills,
on the right banks of the river Ganga, Haridwar is a city and
centre of great antiquity. It is here that Ganga descends on the
plains on its onward journey to the Bay of Bengal. The celebrated
bathing ghat, Har-ki-Parui, on the river Ganga, is the most sacred
spot where devout Hindus collect in thousands to have a dip. It
is another site for the twelve yearly Kumbha Mela’s occurrence.
Huein Tsamg, the famous Chinese pilgrim had paid a visit during
the reign of Harshavardhan. The cool and serene waters of the
river send a wave of rejuvenation in the bathing persons. There
are many temples of great antiquity. The most enchanting spectacle
is the evening worship (Aarti) of the river Ganga in which hundreds
of lamps are used. Haridwar is well connected by rail with Delhi,
Calcutta, Lucknow, Varanasi, Dehradun, etc. It is just 200 kms.
away from Delhi. Regular Deluxe and ordinary buses by between
Delhi and Haridwar. Besides Western style hotels, there are Dak
Bungalow, PWD Inspection House and numerous comfortable inns and
Dhararmshalas are available for tourists’ stay.
Rishikesh
21 km. away from Haridwar, on the right banks
of Ganges, at altitude of 458 meters lies Rishikesh, a gateway
to the kingdom of gods. Its serene and holy atmosphere inspires
the pilgrims with pious thoughts. Around Rishikesh is the area
where sages, seers or the Rishis and Munis in ancient times, practised
severe penance and meditation. Across Ganga, on the other side,
are Tapovan, Swargashram, Geeta Bhawan and a host of other well
known temples, yoga centers, etc. To cross the river there are
two hanging brides, Ram Jhoola and Lakshmaii Jhool a. Rishikesh
is an excellent place for Yoga Sadhana. The holy stream of Ganga
abounds here in fish, as in Haridwar, but in these places they
are fed instead of being caught. A branch railway line from Haridwar
leads to Rishikesh. There are regular buses to Rishikesh from
Haridwar and a trip by bus hardly takes an hour. There are Tourist
Bungalows, Western style hotels and numerous Dhararnshalas which
offer free lodgings to pilgrims.
Badrinath
Altitude: 3133
meters
Climate: Nov.
to April—Sow bound
May
to Nov.—Cold
July
to Sept.—Monsoon Season
Temperature: Max. I 7.9 C (August)
Mm 5.6 (Oct.)
Best
Season : May-June & Sept.-October
On the confluence of Rishi Ganga and
Alaknanda River lies Badrinath, one of the four Dhams founded
by Adi Shankaracharya. It is 296 km. From Rishikesh. Badrinath
takes its name after “badri” or the wild berries which
once grew here in plenty. The ancient Hindu scriptures declare
in no uncertain terms that no pilgrimage is complete without a
visit to the sacred shrine of Badrinath. The deity presiding over
here is Lord Vishnu. Just opposite the temple, on the banks of
Alaknanda, are a hot sulphur spring and 4.5 km. from Mana, the
last Indian village beyond Badrinath, is the magnificent waterfall
of Vasudhara. There are many shrines and hills of religious importance.
Ganesh Gufa is supposed to be the cave silting in which the sage
Vyas narrated his creation Mahabharat’ to Lord Ganesh to
write it down. One can take direct buses from Haridwar-Rishikesh
to reach here. Other places worth visiting are Rudraprayag, Devprayag.
At Badridham (Badrinath) as also at other places there are many
Dharamshalas, Tourist Bungalows, PWD Inspection Houses, Hotels,
and Rest Houses.
Foreigners are allowed to travel ups Rudraprayag. Then after,
they must get special permits from Home Ministry, North Block,
and New Delhi if they desire to go to Badrinath or Kedarnath.
Kedarnath
The climate of Kedarnath is almost identical
with that of Badrinath. Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas
of Lord Shiva. This imposing shrine stands near the head of the
Mandakini Valley on a level ground against fascinating backdrop
of magnificent snow. At the entrance is a huge Nandi Bull, the
mount of Shiva. The walls inside are exquisitely carved with images.
The to south of the Temple is the shrine of Bhairava on the top
of the hill. Closely is the Samadhi of Adishankar who is said
to have died here after building the Badri-dham. There are a number
of holy sarovars and kunds (ponds or small lakes) in thc area.
The bus from Rishikesh reaches up to a point 15 km. from the shrine
which has got to be covered on foot.
Valley of Flowers
The celebrated Valley of Flowers at an altitude
of 3,500 meters to 4,000 meters is little away from the route
to Badrinath beyond Joshimath. The credit of discovering this
Valley goes to Frank Smythe, a famous English mountaineer, while
returning after having scaled MountKamet(7750m.) in 193l. During
the monsoon days the entire valley turns into an exquisite flower-carpet.
From Govind Ghat (1829 m.) which is 20 kms. from Joshimath, the
Valley is a 16kms. trek, Ponies and porters can be hired fromGovind
Ghat for the trek. The trek passes through excellent scenic beauty.
After crossing the suspension bridge over the river Alaknanda
the winding mountain bridle path goes along the gurgling stream
of Lakshman Ganga. The trek then leads on to a beautiful village
called Ghangeria (3,200 m.) past dense forest, breathtaking scenes
andpassing through the captivating valley of Kak Bhushundi. This
pretty village is the base point for the Valley of Flowers, nestled
so charmingly amidst towering deodars, lofty snow peaks and lush
green vegetation. From this village onwards there is a gradual
ascent, and the 3-5 km. trek passes by glistening glaciers, snow
bridges, crystal clear streams and forests.
The Valley is now covered into a National Park, and it will go
a long way in preserving the balance of so delicate an ecosystem.
The entry fee to the Valley of Flowers National Park is Rs. 15
per person for foreigner and Rs. 2 per person for Indians. In
monsoon, that is between mid-July and mid-August the valley is
at its best when it bursts into blooms of all colors and descriptions.
At Ghangeria there is a Gurudwara, a Forest House, a Tourist Rest
House and private lodges.
Gangotri
Gangotri is believed to be the source of
Ganga’s origin. It is situated at an altitude of 3,140 meters.
There is a temple dedicated to the Goddess (river) Ganga. The
place is called Gangotri because the Bhagirathi or Ganga flows
to some distance due north. The tiny but picturesque village of
Gangotri is inhabited by priests, pandas, few shopkeepers, yogis
and sadhus. The temple of Bhagirathi was built by ‘Amarsingh
Thapa, the Gurkha Commander, early in the eighteenth century.
For reaching there, the starting point is Rishikesh; and then
one has to go to Narendranagar, Tehri, Srinagar, Dharsu, UttarKashi,
Ganganani, Sukhi, Harsil, Lanka where the bus service ends. Then
the remaining 12 km. route is covered on foot or by a jeep available
there n hire. At Gangotri, there are a Travellers’ Lodge,
a Forest Rest House, and PWD Inspection House. Log cabin and some
Dharamshalas. Gomukh, the source of Ganga is 18 km. beyond Gangotri.
Foreign travellers can visit Gangotri, Yamunotri, Uttarkashi and
Gomukh. There is no need to obtain a special permit.
Yamunotri
This source of the river Yamuna, lies at
an altitude of 3,322 m. on the western edge of the perenially
snowclacl mountain of Bunder Punch. The source of Yamuna is called
Saptarshi Kund. At Yamunotri stands the temple of Yamunaji, closely
are a few hot springs where the boiling water gushes out of the
rock-cavities. Surya Kunda is the most important of these, A handful
of some rice or potatoes tied loosely in a piece of cloth is dropped
in the Kunda, which gets completely cooked after a while and taken
home as the prasad. The road to both Yamunotri and Gangotri is
common up to Dharsu, 126 km. away from Rishikesh and at a height
of 900 meters. From here the road bifurcates to Gangotri via Uttarkashi.
From there to Handmanchat-ti whence the remaining 13 km. distance
is to he covered on beauty. After crossing the suspension bridge
over the river Alaknanda the winding mountain bridle path goes
along the gurgling stream of Lakshman Ganga. The trek then leads
on to a beautiful village called Ghangeria (3,200 m.) past dense
forest, breathtaking scenes andpassing through the captivating
valley of Kak Bhushundi. This pretty village is the base point
for the Valley of Flowers, nestled so charmingly amidst towering
deodars, lofty snow peaks and lush green vegetation. From this
village onwards there is a gradual ascent, and the 3-5 km. trek
passes by glistening glaciers, snow bridges, crystal clear streams
and forests.
The Valley is now covered into a National Park, and it will go
a long way in preserving the balance of so delicate an ecosystem.
The entry fee to the Valley of Flowers National Park is Rs. 15
per person for foreigner and Rs. 2 per person for Indians. In
monsoon, that is between mid-July and mid-August the valley is
at its best when it bursts into blooms of all colors and descriptions.
At Ghangeria there is a Gurudwara, a Forest House, a Tourist Rest
House and private lodges.
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