Badrinath - Beautiful Badrinath

The morning of 12^th October was one of the coldest I have experienced in a very long time. Memories of dressing up in layers upon layers of clothing before setting out for Kerala School, Vikas Puri came rushing in as I bathed and got ready to pray at the Badrinath temple. Sankarji had advised us to keep our slippers at the Rawal’s house and also suggested we try meet him. Walking across the cable bridge towards the temple amidst gusts of white steam from the geothermal springs that abounded in the place was indeed a serene feeling. There was a moderate queue to get into temple and the ubiquitous hawkers, instant photographers and sadhus abounded the place. Spotting the Rawal’s house, which was described to us by Sankarji we walked in. We were first met by an acolyte of the Rawal named Narayanan Namboodiri. Requesting permission to keep our sandals outside and making our introductions, we were instructed to wait at an antechamber to meet with the Rawal himself. Now that was indeed a pleasant surprise.

The very young Rawal, the head priest of the Badrinath Temple, met with us and after receiving our introductions gave us small parcels of Prasad. Duly prostrating before him we made our leave and prayed at the temple. The queue was fast moving and we had a pleasant darshan before the Lord. After the prayer and thoroughly refreshed in body and spirit we set out to explore the town. The rising Sun had started creating beautiful vistas in the land. Walking ever more South of the temple we left the normal touristy places and we were walking amidst t regular population and habitations of the people. Looping East we crossed the river across another cable bridge and soon reached the main highway, the NH58. The highway, one of the border highways of the nation going from Ghaziabad to Mana village soon reached a fork going towards Badrinath and Mana village. It was a pleasant day, nothing much had been planned so we just decided to start walking towards Mana village, a distance of just around 3 kilometers. After yet another exorbitantly priced Masala Tea (15 Rs) we started walking casually. It turned out to be one of our better impromptu decisions. The sheer landscape was an artist’s dream. Various angles of the great Mount Neelkanha flanked by t Urvashi and Nara peaks and soon the great mastiffs of Mana and Satopanth trail making their glory visible to us.

A very comfortable road to walk on I was surprised that people pay Rs.150 per jeep ride to go from Badrinath to Mana. Why give Rs 50 per kilometer for what is otherwise a very easy and pleasant walk?

The village of Mana, the last Indian village as it proudly proclaims, is a Bhutanese settlement, quaintly perched across the sides of a mountain. Extremely narrow roads we walked through taking ever more clicks before stopping at a beautifully located coffee shop. Resting for a while being refreshed by delicious coffee laced with chocolate powder and with me downing a delicious Maggi noodles we watched in amusement as a little kid was playing with a hammer by the side of the street playfully attempting to break rocks. The hilarious antics of the toddler further lightened our mood and we walked on.

Reaching a fork in the street we took the rightward fork first. The upward going trail led first to Ganesh Gufa ( Ganesh Cave). Further up is the Vyas Gufa (Vyas Cave) which apparently is more than 5100 years old!! It was indeed a serene place and a place fit for meditation and contemplation. Resting for a while there and taking numerous photographs of the simply beautiful vistas all around we were also accompanied by two Sadhus sharing a beedi. Adjacent to the Vyas Gufa is the self proclaimed “IIndia’s Last Tea Shop”. The temptation was given way to and soon we were on the way to the second of the forked roads. This road angling downwards led to a beautiful waterfall and a rock bridge across a massive gorge. This was what the locals called as the Bhim Pul or Bhim’s Bridge, a stone bridge laid out by Bhima during the Pandavas’ Swargarohan or Ascent to the Heavens. The waterfall had a rainbow adorning it in a beautiful play of lights. However the presence of a pretender Naga sadhu who had set up a shrine in a roadside rock crevice and another shop named “India’s Last Shop” were eye sores. Angling closer to get a better shot of the waterfall I was horrified to see the trash heap that people had made this place. The abhorrence deepened as I saw several rock faces defiled by people proclaiming their loves and sundry whatevers, an act of eternal infamy in defacing this beautiful land. From there the trail to Vasudhara Falls and Satopanth trail starts. Since I was wearing only a slipper and not my boots I did not progress further but Jayan was lured up the trail by the prospect of yet more amazing shots of this wondrous landscape. By this time it was afternoon giving way to evening and we hurried to earlier located vantage points to attempt to take rare and choice photographs of the mountains in the dusk sun. The image of the golden Neelkanth, an image that had tantalizingly lured us to the mountains was however elusive.

That evening as we talked to Sankarji in one amongst several interesting and education conversations that defined our stay at the Sankar Madham he instructed us that the best time to take the pictures we wanted was early in the morning ideally at 4 AM or at best 5.30 6AM. This amazing person, a former Indian Navy officer who later worked with ONGC had set this institution up several years ago as a resting place for the Malayalees who travelled to Badrinath. In all the pilgrim places of the Himalayas every single community have their own establishments and institutions which gives shelter and succor to travelling pilgrims except of course Malayalis. Hence affiliated to Sankara Ashram, the Rawals of Badrinath, Sankaran Nampoothiri set this place which had literally become a home away from home for us travellers, who did not have luxury of package arranged pilgrimage. A very erudite scholar and a remarkable wit, Sankarji or Sankarettan as we have come to call him have made a massive impact on us travellers.

So the next day woken up abruptly by loud knocks on our door we were met by Sankarji who reminded us about taking the early morning photographs. Hastily dressing up we raced out to find some good vantage points unobstructed by electrical cables and pylons, that great destroyer of beautiful photographic frames. The silvery Neelkanth was shining ever brightly, apparently taunting us for our slovenliness, however we persisted in waiting in the frigid morning air. We were standing there like a bunch of fools staring off into just a routine piece of landscape when suddenly our wait attained fruition. I had surmised that it was only oblique light that is shining upon Neelkanth now and direct rays of sunlight would bring out an altogether different visage of the mountain. A golden crest that slowly spread downwards, turning silver into liquid gold gave me satisfaction of a bet hedged right.

Towards evening we bathed and set out for the temple where I hoped the Rawal would consent to bless some prasads I was buying for my family and relatives. It was then that I encountered the pleasant surprise of the well warmed ATMs and due to the absolutely scant queue, we prayed to our heart’s content, unhurriedly and peacefully at the shrine of Lord Badri Vishal. We then rested and drank in the serene and peaceful atmosphere to await our expected appointment with the Rawal. After buying the selected Prasad packets we went to the Rawal’s house and after being assured that we can collect the duly sanctified prasads at around 9PM we left back to Sankar Sadan.

I had come to Badrinath with two principal aims, to see Mount Neelkanth in all its resplendent glory and to see the glaciers. The first was granted to me but the second blessing was denied to me. I could not go on the trek to Vasudhara falls, I could not go to the base of Mount Neelkanth and neither could I go on the Satopanth trail. However I am thankful that I have those mesmerizing lures to draw me many more times to Badrinath.

Cutting short our stay at Badrinath by a day in view of the cancelled treks, we left for Srinagar, the intermediary point towards Uttarkashi on the morning of the 14^th. As we boarded the bus and bid mental goodbyes to Badrinath, the gods bid us adieu in their own fashion. The mountains of Nara, Narayana and Urvashi had accompanied their sibling Neelkanth in being snowcapped that morning. A truly memorable goodbye to us.

Until next time.