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Day-3: Yamunotri. Barkot to Yamunotri is about 3-3½ hours (50 km). As we learned that on the previous day the traffic was very heavy with about 1.5 lac devotees visiting Yamunotri, it had taken more than six hours to return from Yamunotri, we were warned to be ready in time. Morari Bapu’s Katha was going on at Kharsali – Yamunotri. Kharsali is the place up to where the motorable road for Yamunotri is available from where 7 km trek to the Temple starts.
Morning tea was announced at 4.30, breakfast at 5.00 and start up at 5.30 with food packets for lunch ready! Everything on time!! We reached Yamunotri parking area (Kharsali) at around 9.00.
For trek leading to the temple and mind well, it is a steep climb from Kharsali at nearly 8,800 feet to Yamunotri temple at 10,800 feet (comparable to Girnar in Junagadh, Gujarat), either you walk or take ‘Doli’ (palanquin – carried by four men) or ‘Pithu’ (a single porter – they said only Nelaplis have such strength – not locals) carry you on his back in improvised chair made of cane) or
take pony. Rates of Doli / Pithu / Pony vary with the traffic. On the way to Yamunotri, an agent (self-made) known to our tour manager joined us and offered to help in fixing a Doli or Pony for an unspecified ‘nominal’ fee. What is important is, that you collect the ID of the Doli / Pony man and keep with you else they blackmail you half way by asking for more money or by dumping you. The agent was not necessary and we could manage a Pony on our own. Doli would cost around Rs. 6,000 per person (including village tax and tip). Pony – Rs. 1,200. On the previous day, Doli rates had peaked at Rs. 9,000.
Trekkers / Doli / Pithu / Pony – they all use the same narrow path rarely more than 6-8 feet wide, including several flights of steps (50-100 at a time) for going up and down – and it is a real chaos. We were on pony and we had to duck if the pony moved towards mountain side to save our heads from banging in to the mountains and if the pony walked in the middle, our both legs would
kick those on either sides and if the pony walked on the valley side…..scary…..! It takes nearly two hours (by any means of transport) to reach the Temple. Since Yamunotri is the first major Dham on the tour, we had decided not to tire ourselves out by trekking. But if you can, you can certainly enjoy the beauty of the surrounding much more.
All Himalayan rivers start from some or the other glacier. As the glaciers have receded over the years the actual origins of these rivers is far up in the mountains. Temple is the last approachable point. Next to the temple the Yamuna flows like a rapid. Water is clean and icy cold. Yamuna water is said to be black (because Krishna was black) – we disagree, water was as colorless as clean water can be.
Next to the river is a hot water spring (converted to filthy Kund). Such hot springs are quite common in Himalayas. It is said that if you bathe in the river Yamuna and participate in mass ‘snaan’ in the Kund all your sins are washed away. We returned back with our sins – we did not bathe. Kund was out
of question. River water was too cold. True devotees reach Yamunotri wearing winter jackets and woolens, then take bath in icy cold water and then put on rain coat on their way back – rain at 2.00 pm is almost certain – and it did drizzle at its appointed time.
It is very very exhausting even on a pony. You have to climb down those straight flights of 50-100 steps as it would be highly uncomfortable and risky to be on pony while climbing down the steps. Last half an hour on pony made us wonder if walking would have been easier! One must gather enough ‘sins’ before undertaking Yamunotri Yatra as you can’t go again to wash the remaining ‘sins’. It is very tough. Two hours going up, about 1½ for climbing down and 1-1½ hrs at the temple – total 5 hours.
If you are fit and on your feet, the atmosphere is wonderful, really enjoyable! We enjoyed as much as we could!
Photographs here do not reflect the true atmosphere. I could not take proper shots as I was on a pony clinging to the saddle most of the time!
Returned to Barkot
tents at about 5.30 pm. Night was again cold and tents were not exactly comfortable.
Click on any photo to start full size slide show. Description of photographs is embedded.
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