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June 08, 2005
The Char Dham Yatra
The Naini Tal, at Nainital
Nainital Ropeway
Despite six previous trips to India, and a marked preference for hill stations, a visit to Nainital, in lower Uttaranchal, had always alluded me, despite having heard so much about it from other travellers. This trip, therefore, I made a special point of catching the bus from Haldwani for the long climb into the hills, and a chance to see for myself.
Looking down on Nainital
I was sorely disappointed. Thronged with hundreds and thousands of eager holiday-makers, this once quiet resort had turned into the Blackpool of the Hills, with little more enchantment that the afore-mentioned English seaside town. Gaming machines, rowing boats and pedaloes in the shape of giant ducks, restaurants with barkers outside, and a myriad of gift shops selling tacky Chinese souvenirs; it took very little time to convince that for me at least, Nainital was not the place to pay homage to India or the mountains. After a brief one-night stay, I left for the much more interesting and very ancient city of Haridwar, on the holy Ganges River.
Haridwar
The banks of the River Ganges
Busy enough throughout the year, Haridwar, said to be one of the oldest cities in the world, was likewise packed with a teeming throng of Indians. But unlike Nainital, these Indians had come not for pleasure but for the serious business of Pilgrimage. Legend has sanctified the city by placing the god Vishnu's footprint on the river bank, making Haridwar one of the seven holy cities of Hinduism. From sunrise to sunset, pilgrims come to bathe from the ghats to cleanse themselves of their sins. Priests perform puja, and holy men and sadhus wander the banks, begging for alms.
The crowded bathing ghats
Haridwar street-scenes
Haridwar is also famous as being the starting point for the mighty Hindu pilgrimage known as the 'Char Dham Yatra', that visits four of the holiest temples in the Uttaranchal Himalayas: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and the holiest of all: Badrinath. This religious journey, or Yatra, had for many years been something that I wanted to experience, and was the main reason that I had made this visit to India during the summertime, the only period when the high hills and mountain passes were clear enough of snow and ice to let the Yatra take place. Unlike Nainital, I was not to be disappointed, and enjoyed my journey with Indian pilgrims very much indeed.
Into the mountains
To experience the Yatra to the full, and to learn some of the importance and religious significance that calls many hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over India to make the arduous journey each year, I decided it would be more appropriate to travel with a group of Indians, rather than by myself, so joined a 10 day tour organised by specialists GMVN.
Roadside tea-stalls
Our bus set off into the hills, soon leaving Rishikesh and the Ganges plains behind, and heading over the Nag Tisha range of mountains for the first night's stop in the pine-clad village of Barkot. Our adventures had begun!
Barkot
Posted by travellingtim at June 8, 2005 09:33 PM