Family tour to Uttarakhand in JUNE 2018

Planning phase of 10 day trip to 2 Dhams and Nainital

Part I   From Mangalore to Badrinath 

“What you seek is seeking you” 

What you want will find its way to you –only if you work towards it, stay focused, and utilize the opportunities

Plannng for the trip
A lazy Sunday afternoon in May 2018 impulsively spent to check the airfares and possible dates for Badrinath tour was wrapped up by evening booking to-and-fro air tickets from Mangalore to Dehradun . Motive for this tour was to participate in Kashimathadipathi H.H. Samyamindra Thirtha Swamiji’s Badrinath Yatra 2018 and visit Kedarnath, Nainital. In the meantime we also enrolled (registered?) in GSB Seva Mandal, Mumbai that organized the yatra ,this is to ensure access to   prerogatives such as GSB food, accommodation  at Badri . 

So the arrangements made were:

• Departure from Mangalore IXE Airport to Bengaluru : 15/06/18  at 9:30 am        

• Travel from Bengaluru airport to Jolly Grant airport, Dehradun 12:50 p.m  to 3: 50 p.m

• A  Taxi was also booked for the entire 10 days travel  to pick us from Jolly Grant Airport on 15/6 and drop us at same point on 24/6/18.

• To and fro Helicopter ride tickets from Phata to Kedarnath

Previous night  14/6/18 we stayed at my sister Sujatha Prabhu’s residence, Mangalore.

Day 1 to Day 5 Departure from Mangalore(15/618) to departure from Badrinath

Day 1

The flight was as per the schedule. The first day was not devoid of any tension, as the tourist cars were off the road on 15/6/18 due to the strike called by the Tourist Taxi association in Uttarkhand   to protest against the fitting of speed   governors  in Vehicles.  It was a relief when a  Private car was arranged  to drive us  till Rishikesh  .

 Every evening as the dusk descends ,(remember sunset is at 7pm in Uttarkhand),its time for Ganga arti at these holy cities Haridwar, Rishikesh, Varanasi. Incidentally  Triveni Ghat was nearby to our  Hotel ,we left to the Ghats passing through the market. It is the confluence of  3 rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

Entrance to Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh

Evening at the Ghats

Waiting for the Ganga Arti

Ganga arti in progress

 Happy to dip our feet in the horlicks color Ganga waters, more happy to find that there was a place to sit very near to the stage. A very well organized daily evening ritual, priests arrived at the Pandal by 6 pm.Live music and Bhajans makes the divine experience unparalleled. Anyone  interested  can buy a ticket and perform the Ganga  pooja under  the directions of priest before main arti starts. When the 16 priests perform the  Maha arti in synchronizing movements one forgets all the things and feels as if fresh energy is fed into life .The diya held by Pandit is huge with  21 vaats in all directions…. we also felt privileged to perform Arti when some devotee passed the arti thali to the audience.  Walking back to hotel  feeling blissful after  the event ,simply divine experience. 
A buffet was arranged at Hotel for dinner, pay Rs 180 per head and eat as much as you want..Dal,chawal,papad,salad roti,dahi, icecream. 

Day 2  Towards Phata

Cab driver Ritesh –( a young chap in late 20 s )arrived at 9.a.m to hotel .I turn to find that its a Hyundai Accent Taxi that can handle punishment on the mountain roads,at the same time keep us safe.At the mercy of Ritesh’s driving skills we steadily delved into Uttarkhand soon getting accustomed   to the roaring sound of flowing Ganges on one side of the road .

Approach to Tera Manzil temple

Dilip leaning on Lakshman Jhula ( Tera Manzil temple in the background)

 Tera Manzil temple and the suspension bridge can be spotted  from a long distance. As the name suggests the holy shrine has 13 storeys, with each storey housing several idols of Gods and Goddess. There is no lift, one has to Circumambulate the temple to get to  the next staircase flight. The perspective  view of Ganges and Laxman Jhula  gets splendid from higher storey, we cut down  after 5th storey,to comply within the time  precincts. Walking on the Lakshman Jhula through the squished crowd , looking down at the flowing Ganges in awe, at the same time being alert with 2 wheeler riders , clicking pictures  from different angles was a sense of accomplishment .Had tea at a stall watching the locals rescuing a monkey getting trapped in a power transformer.

While we were enjoying the journey, suddenly driver stopped the car saying tyre puncture ,he changed the tyre  in few minutes. On the way we stopped at Devprayag, more than its spiritual significance I’m attracted to the beauty of  earthly and emerald colored gushing waters of Alakananda and Bhaghirathi. Wayback in June 2016 during our chardham yatra, I had seen it up above from the road side , so not to miss the pristine beauty we descended down the steps .As the most photographed and posted confluence on Himalyan Club ,I have seen countless edited pictures of this Sangam . Dilip posted 360 view of this sangam in fb and instagram.  Aloo parota and a cup of tea satiated our hunger pangs after that tasks.

Pristine Sangam at Devprayag (Alakananda +Bhaghirathi= Ganga) (Unedited pic)

That night, accommodation  had been booked at Hotel Thulsi outskirts of Guptakashi, we did not like its location and its isolation, no human beings, so we moved on to  Phata from where our helicopter ride was booked nest day morning at 8.0 AM. The distance from Guptakashi to Phata is merely 15 kms, but as that stretch is prone to landslides it took nearly an hour to muddle through bumpy patches. We had to forego the amount paid at Thulsi for the sake of anxieties, but the one pitched up at Phata was spacious with all the topical amenities. The view of valley from the hotel was mind blowing; no one cannot resist trolling the hamlet.

 We met some Kannadigas from Gokarna who had come all the way driving, one gentlemen said that after having waited for Helicopter for past 3 days in vain he went to Kedarnathji by trek. No helicopters took off for past 3 days due to rains and mist, suddenly we started feeling doubtful, but the optimistic soul in us  maintained “in Himalayas everything is unpredictable “. To call it a day, we had early dinner, one can choose the vegetables for the curry, the cooking will definitely impress the taste buds and tired bodies. It was a feeling of staying in a hill station enjoying the climate, watching the scenery.

Day 3

Early morning we did Photometric registration, had a butter- bread toast and left to Helicopter boarding point. It was drizzling at Kedarnath ,very much disappointed to hear that  rides were cancelled. Clung to hopes of resuming the flight and allaying fears of hiring a pony to Kedarnath we waited till 1.00p.m .There was no chance of rains stopping nor skies becoming clear.

 We cancelled our journey to Kedarnath, returned to our room, and continued our journey. The other option was to stay that day and hire a pony from Gaurikund next morning. But the fear of getting drenched in the rains during the first leg of our journey was not an acceptable idea. Pradeepji words “Lord Kedarnath blesses his devotees who pray at Guptakashi with fervor”, satiated our seeking minds. Performed Pooja at  Guptakashi and Ukhimutt .

Passing through Picturesque town of Chamoli and  Gopeshwar was a brilliant feeling.  After a long journey for overnight stay ,our driver chose Birahi- a scenic hamlet on the banks of Alakananda and Birahi Ganga .Its a beautiful place surrounded by mountains, valleys, river, trees. The customer service acumen of young lads at the road side hotel is to die for-the way they persuade the tourists, instantly bring the luggage, arrange for hot water. The mulee ka parota and dishes served for dinner was a treat to savor.

Day 4

Next morning after enjoying the early morning sights of rugged green mountains  and sounds of flowing rivers, at Birahi,we hit the highway for Badrinath. On the  way, we paid a visit to the Lord Narasimha temple at Joshimut. When the Badrinath temple closes its  alters after Diwali every year, the sacred murthy of Badrinathji is brought down and worshipped here for 6 months. Birahi to Badrinath is 80 kms, Birahi to Joshimath is 37 kms and Joshimath to Badrinath is 43 kms

After crossing Joshimath, the roads ahead are challenging , with curves and cataract of rocks. A first time visitor Dilip, found the height of the mountains and cut through the valleys incredible, but could not enjoy the view. The short winding roads and driving put him to travel sickness. We reached the sacred soil of Badrinath by 1.00p.m.  It was absolutely ecstatic to view Nara Narayan Parvat , mountains with glaciers and the Badrinathji temple from the entry gate.  Our driver helped us in locating an ashram very near to Sri Kashimutt where our Swamiji had camped. Although accommodation was arranged at GMVN guest house for all GSB devotees; we preferred to have a personal and private accommodation.

 We proceeded to Mutt for Trikala pooja , the arrangements decoration especially the Chandeliers in the congregation area were divinely appealing .After enjoying a 3 course satvik and  sumptuous lunch followed by a short nap we visited the temple in the evening.  I was just spellbound with the views and vistas surrounding the sacred temple. Draped in a jamboree of bright and colorful hues, temple looked magnificent, yet close to heart while standing on the narrow footbridge over the Alaknanda river. Experiencing a sense of calmness in its salubrious air and gorgeous natural settings that even this din of pilgrim traffic could not rob away from us. The evening was chilly, to remain warm we purchase woolen hand gloves . Night attended Bhagavatha sapthaham at Badarinath Kashimath, the audience were 5 members. Devotees were arriving in small numbers, expected to around 6000 during Swamijis visit to temple.  We spent a cold night at the Ashram room kept  windows closed.

Day 5
 Early morning took bath at the Tapt Kund .Its very refreshing,feels like body is relieved of  pain atleast for some time. Dilip liked bathing at the Kund, but when he saw a boy fall sick due to long  exposure he cut short the time.This day we planned to spend at Mana. Its on the border between India and Tibet also identified as Last Indian village , just 3 kms from Badrinath.

Blissful trip to Somnath and Kutch ( Part 2)

Welcome to Part 2 series ,Part 1 was about nurturing ourselves with spiritual diet, this leg of travel is about sojourning Saurashtra and Kutch.

This travelogue is published in Tripoto,com as "Blissful trip to Duuwarika, Somnathji and Kutch (Part 2)"

Day 4 

Early morning performed Abhishek at Somanthji temple ,thrilled to view Ganga abhishek getting done electronically without entering the sanctum.

Jai Somnath, May God SOMNATHJI bless you all to fullfill your goal and desires !!

After Abhishek, we tasted South Indian Food prepared on request at Maheshwari Bhavan.Special ginger tea complemented the taste .The next spot in our itinerary was Lion safari at Devalia Safari Park . On the way to Gir,a peep into  Sinh Sadan  for Safari Tickets did not give the efforts. Our driver narrated his experience of seeing lions point blank when he was sleeping inside his car, lions preying upon cattle during night. He was ready to arrange Safari at Gir park, but there was no guarantee that we would spot lions. We dropped the idea of seeing the lions and moved on to Junagarh.

ENTRANCE TO SIMHA SADAN AT SASAN GIR

Please do book the Safari Permit online on the following link :

http://girlion.in/ForestVisitDetails.aspx

At Devalia Safari Park too, we were disappointed, safari was closed at 11.00a.m and scheduled to open at 3.00p.m. We moved on.., from jungle road to cultivated land of mango groves, green- white coriander fields and then to hilly landscape. As one approaches Junagadh ,one can spot the Girnar hill.

Junagarh

The prime attraction of Junagarh is the Girnar mountain ,panaromic view is visible  at entry to this historical place.Standing tall at 3672 ft, this mountain is older than Himalayas.It is a scared pilgrimage center to Hindus and Jains, lakhs of devotees visit during the Girnir Parikrama.

 Reached our point of shelter- Hotel Somnath and kept luggage. Savoured Kathiawadi Thali at Patel’s restaurant, the food is wholesome and reasonably priced, more servers than the customers. Thali's at Gujarat do not come with sharing privilege,unlimited servings of Papad,roti,rice,dal, chaas etc can be enjoyed ,needless to say.

Kathiawadi thali with 3 types of rotis, seasonal sabji, dessert

Sakkarbaug zoological park

Sakkarbaug zoological park is opposite to this restaurant. One can find almost all animals found in mainland India with detailed description printed on boards. There is a museum, an aquarium , snakes enclosure and safari in mini bus.We spotted white tiger, leopard, lion,black bucks, birds .What we missed in Gir, we found them here albeit in enclosures.

Uperkot fort is an attraction for spotting old cannons ,Adhi kadi Vav (stepped well),Navgan Kuha and Buddhist caves. Archaeological survey of India board mentions that caves are dated back to 2nd century A.D. The fort built by Chandragupta Maurya in such a manner that there is only one entrance and exit. Like all other forts this one has a moat and in olden times the settlement was within the fort and they had granaries for storage for food grains to tide over siege. There are two cannons Neelam and Manek tope kept side by side facing the city. There is a Buddhist cave complex in the vicinity of fort. We go down 2 floors below,surprised to find sunlight reaches the 3 rd tier below .These  caves bear testimony to the Ashokan rule as are the nearby edicts. Local guides can be engaged to get historical information although there are boards, but some hidden among bushes ,the fort is littered and side walks are interrupted by vegetation.Rain water harvesting, water storage structures ,step wells called vav can be seen here.These step wells served as water sources for the residents,Adi chadi vav is not ornate unlike other step wells of Gujrath but resembles canyon.

Evening visited the base of Girnar hill,making use of telescope viewing facility near Raghunath dwar ,we could spot Temple of Neminath, Amba matha and Dattatreya temple nestled at different heights in the hill. This spot is called the Devbhumi of Gujarat. 10,000 steps to the summit can be reached by walk or dholis. Visited the Damodar temple nearby the base of the hill.Enjoyed the panaromic view,retired to room ,did not miss the opportunity to taste the delicious thali at Geeta Lodge.

Day 5

Early morning left to Bhuj . On the way stopped at Jetpur – textile town in Rajkot district (70 km from Rajkot) for purchasing Bandhini sarees, visited Textile dying and block printing workshop.After passing through Morbi, Surajbari bridge , Bhachau where factory outlets of Ajanta, Orpat, Atop International,JK Machine tools are located,when the parched landscape is in sight it is Bhuj, we entered Bhuj at 4.00 p.m.Our accomodation was booked at Hotel Mangalam.

Evening driver drove around the city showing important spots.

Swaminarayan temple

This new temple built according to Swaminarayan Sampradaya stands bathed in pure white marble and gold and is a delight to behold. The intricate carvings inspired by episodes of Ramayana and Mahabharata and the architecture never cease to amaze you .The environment of the temple, is neat and clean ,kept us engrossed devouring the beauty of this place.

Night savored Mysore Masala dosa at Sankalp South Indian food joint.

Day 6

Early morning after a wonderful breakfast of mutter Poha and Methi parota at hotel, left to Kutch. Western side of Kutch is dotted with 3 prominent pilgrimage centres Ashapura Mata na Madh, Narayan Sarovar and Koteshwar .

Mata na Madh is a highly revered temple of Asha pura Mata, after darshan , we did shopping for bags and jewellery at the local stalls.

Koteshwar Mahadev Temple (152 km from Bhuj)is at the dead end of the land mass beyond which is the vast salt marsh and the sea. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is situated at the edge of the vast water body of Kori Creek hence, constructed on a high platform and bounded by stone boundary to protect damage from constant water splashing. It was told that the lights in Karachi, Pakistan are visible from here in clear nights.

Narayan Sarovar temple (5 km from Koteshwar)houses innumerable deities but the main shrine is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Mythology says that the holy water of River Saraswati, all the way, reached to fill the lake, thus sacred. The water didn’t look clean, people were taking a dip in the sarovar. You can spot the board reading 'Tropic of cancer while passing through Bhuj - Narayan Sarovar - Koteswar route and dont forget to taste Dabeli of Kutch.

Camels sunbathing near Kutch

Finally we were driving to the much awaited Kutch, it was the time of Rann Utsav . PM Modiji had visited the Utsav previous day. The stalls were put up , it was afternoon , only few visitors .We had lunch, walked around the stalls selling colorful handicrafts, dresses, bags, foot wear, shawls. After taking permission from BSF check post we were allowed to walk into the White desert. On both sides you can see a white expanse of sand with pockets of crystallized salt. Although the place did not live up to the hype created by Amitabh Bachanji’s Advt “Kutch nahi dekha to Kuch nahi dekha” Kutch is a memory to cherish forever. The Great Rann of Kutch can be understood as having 4 major types-brownish at the entrance, spongy soft further down, stark white later and crack- land in the interiors. We had seen the 3 types, the salt plains and that infinite blanket of white earth.

Rajkot

After long driving of 5 hours reached Rajkot at 9,00p.m, approached Hotel Babha kingstone,room was available.After a tiring journey we were in need of a good night's sleep.Early morning after a delicious breakfast at the hotel left to roam around Rajkot.

Pradyumna Park is well maintained and clean zoological park with a good collection of white tigers, lions,Cheetah,black bucks,deers in their natural habitat. We availed the Battery operated vehicle to move around . We were told that the tigers ,lions are fed with 8kg of buffalo meat daily inviting them to enclosure separately every morning.

With Mukesh Bhai -our cardriver hired from Deepak Travels, Rajkot

Undiyu prepared from fresh vegetables in a gravy of coconut and peanuts 

Aji dam with its lush green garden and dam is a good place to view birds at close quarters, our last spot turned to be a peaceful one before catching flight to Mangaluru

Visited Deepak travels, paid their bill and had roti with Undhiyo for lunch. Boarded evening flight at 3.30 P.M ,reached Mangaluru at 7.30 P.m.Its trip with colorful memories of kites, flying dwaj of Mandir, birds, blue sea, creek , green fields,white/pink temple and white desert.

Around Thrissur with family

About tourism in Kerala

Nestled between the pristine waters of Arabian sea on west, cordoned by Western ghats on east,Kerala has one of the most scenic flora and fauna ,water bodies and beaches. True to its origin as per mythological stories and the present branding slogan  Gods own country, Kerala is blessed with rich culture ,places of worship and diverse forms of performing arts. Onam the internationally renowned state festival is a celebration of its rich traditions. The state attracts international tourists to a larger extent, it  earned a total revenue of Rs 33383.68 crores during 2017, in which the share of foreign exchange was Rs 8392 crores. If the district wise tourist arrivals are taken, Ernakulam followed by Thrissur district clocked the first and second positions respectively in attracting domestic segment.

Our annual tour to Kerala happens effortlessly, thanks to its proximity and train connectivity from Kasargod (the nearby railway station) to any major town along the Kerala coast line.I’m nostalgic narrating our  holidays undertaken in the month of October 2017 to the cultural capital of Kerala,  Thrissur. This tour was a complete package of fun, trekking, temple visit and watching elephants. A recap of our Itinerary for 3 days -Day 1:Anakutta, Guruvayurappan temple,          Day 2: Thrissur, Day 3:  Athirapally falls               Day 4: Journey back home

 Day 1

Guruvayaur temple 

Early morning (19/10/2017)we left Sullia, parked our car at Kasargod railway station, boarded Parasuram Express at 5.40 AM to Kuttipuram then took bus, reached Guruvayur at about 1.00p.m .Straight away headed to Temple to have Darshan of Lord Guruvayurappan. The sitting queue system for Darshan is fabulous here because one keeps hopping from one bench to another bench. It did not take much time for us to reach and pray at the sanctum. Happy after blissful darshan, we had lunch and a short nap. Off we set to Anakotta (called elephant fort) the shelter and sanctuary for the elephants. It’s a rare opportunity to watch (tamed ?) elephants doing their activities like eating palm leaves, bathing from a distance. Although there are sign boards which caution about some elephant’s unexpected behaviour, many tuskers are chained. Dilip was disappointed that photography is prohibited here. Elephants are taken care well , they get their food and medical attention.

Shri Guruvayurappan temple queue 

Mural paintings around the temple

Evening we hired a rickshaw and visited some of the temples Partasarathy temple, Mammiyor temple. The main diety at Mammiyor temple is Lord Shiva in the form of Lord Uma Maheshwar, there is another sanctum dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The pilgrimage to Guruvayurappan temple is complete only after a  visit to this temple . The mythology puts up that Lord Shiva voluntarily moved from Lake Rudrateertha  ,the place where Guru and Vayu consecrated the idol of Kid Krishna (presently Guruvayur temple) to  Mammiyur spot . In the Guruvayurpura mahatmyan purana  penned by Sri Narada ,it is  mentioned that King  Janamejaya was cured of leprosy by taking refuge under the feet of Guruvayuruppa.

Day 2  Thrissur 

Early morning we went to the temple side to have a look at the  mural paintings, depicting episopdes from the Puranas. After one circumlocution around temple, left Guruvayur in a bus to Thrissur. We checked into Ammus Regency , the hotel  is in close proximity to Bus stand. With the reference from travel desk , a taxi was booked to cover Thrissur and Athirapally falls. 

Thampuran Palace

Built in Kerala and Dutch style architecture ,is a 2 storeyed building with Kerala style Nallukettu. This palace dates back to the time of Rama Varma Shakthan Tampuram,the ruler of Thrissur. The palace converted into museum since 2005 consists of various unique bronze and granite sculptures, coins, inscription plates, utensils used by the royals and currency used in the Kochi dynasty. Various antiques belonging to the stone age are also on display. Well maintained butterfly garden and heritage garden inside the premises is a home to various species of flora and fauna. 

Tampuram palace,Thrissur

butterfly garden

Heritage garden

Thrissur zoo 

Enjoyed watching the birds, animals and rare species of trees inside the zoo.

Athirapally  waterfall

It took an hour and half  drive from Thrissur to reach this waterfall. The angelic waterfall pictured in the initial   frames of Bahubali movie where drowning Rajamata Shivagami leaves her just born grandson is the Athirapally  waterfall located  near Chalakudy of Thrissur district.  It’s an thrilling experience to trek through the forest to view  the bottom of the  falls  dropping from a 24 metre height granite rocks .This point is crowded with tourists who are not willing to return, indulge in dancing and photographic mood from the nearest point ,blocking the full view. When we visited in November there was heavy flow of water, hence spared from seeing bathing tourists. Even the top of the falls where Chalakudy river flows just before the falls offers an amazing view.

Chalakkudy river before flowing into falls 

Vadakkunathan  Temple 

Is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Situated at the centre point of Thrissur at a higher level, the temple has an enclosed 9 acres premises with teak wood forests fortified  by  granite wall.  It is said that this is the first temple built by Lord Parasurama. There is an inner complex with 5 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Devi Parvathi, Ganapathi, Shankaranarayana, Shri Rama .All the shrines except Shri Rama’s have circular structures. There is a prescribed procedure of offering prayer to various shrines as put up in the board at the entrance. We simply followed the local pilgrims , wondering the magnanimity of the temple  The shivalinga  is fully covered in solidified ghee and hence we will not able to see the vi-graha but only a mount of ghee. The daily abhishek is of 1.8 kg of pure ghee.One can feel the solemn atmosphere associated with age and centuries of devotion – a Characteristic feature of South Indian Temples. The vastness of the temple premises makes a visitor 

feel that  the entire city life revolves around this temple.

Entrance to Vadkkunathan Temple

21/10/17 Back home

Morning breakfast was Charata puttu, Kadala curry and idlies.For the journey back home, we took the Ernad Express that departed from Thrissur at 9:20 a.m. Dilip was hooked to gadget while myself and Pradeep were enjoying the view outside. The 2 day tour was so exciting with lots of adventure, sight seeing and temple visits.