When my mother suggested that the family visit Kedarnath and
Badrinath, two of the holiest cities in India, I wasn't quite sure how to
react. "A pilgrimage? Now? But I'm not old!” I first complained. I started
reading about the places and slowly my interest developed. Soon it was time to
get going!
We took a flight to Delhi and then proceeded to Rishikesh by
bus. From there we passed by many towns and finally reached Rampur. From
Rampur, we went to another town called Gaurikund. Gaurikund is the last point
before Kedarnath that you can reach by bus or car. From Gaurikund, you have
three options to travel the 15 kms up the mountain to Kedarnath. You can choose
to travel by horse, by a palanquin, or on your own two feet. You also have the
option of going from Rampur to Phata (skipping Gaurikund) and taking a
helicopter from Phata to Kedarnath.
We reached Gaurikund at 6pm in the evening. We
were a bit sceptical about taking horses that late in the day and we knew
we wouldn’t be able to walk up the distance. Amidst all the chaos, somehow, we managed to get a one
way ticket by helicopter to Kedarnath! We decided to take it!
At 6:00 a.m. the next morning, we dressed in our warmest
clothes and excitedly waited at the helipad at Phata. The whole operation is
extremely well handled and professional. Once you go into the makeshift “airport”,
you are weighed and then given your seats accordingly. The instructions are
brief: No waving, no clicking of photographs, no touching and no talking. Once
you get onto the helipad, five men rush you to the helicopter, help you in,
fasten your seatbelt and give you a quick recap of the instructions. I got the
chance to be seated in front, next to the pilot! I held on tightly to the handle
and to my nerves as the chopper started lifting. A few seconds passed and I was
at ease.
Ease soon turned into wonder at the beautiful sights around me. On my
left, I could see the zigzag narrow path up the mountain, filled with people
and horses. On my right, I could see lush green mountains with tiny streams of water
trickling down. Below me, I could see the river rapidly flowing over huge boulders.
In front of me, I could see the golden sunlight peeking out from behind majestic,
imposing white peaks.
The journey was short; we reached the town of
Kedarnath in just seven minutes. Next... the temple and the way back down.
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| The town of Kedarnath |
