Chardham

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Chardham......my MIL's dream. This summer we thought of fulfilling it. We started our research on chardham. Best months, best vehicle, etc etc.......
My husband wasn't happy with hiring car because he loves driving and he is from himachal pradesh so he can drive in hilly areas he has that experience. So finally we decided to go in our own car. My hubby, my MIL and SIL and my 2 year old daughter and myself. Now we planned something unusual, everybody goes from yamunotri to badrinath we planned it reverse. In that case we were able to drop my MIL and SIL tof Ambala. We booked all the hotels and helicopter in advance.only we kept pending our first day hotel booking because we were not confirm about our destination because of traffic and all.
Finally the day came when our journey started from gurgaon. 2nd June 2016 on Thursday, My husband came little early from office at 4pm. We all were ready by 4pm we kept our luggeges in car and started by 4.15pm. After beating heavy traffic in Delhi, gaziabad we reached meerut at 7pm and we took our first tea break. My hubby said now traffic will be less so he will drive till haridwar mostly by 11pm so we booked hotel, we faced little problem in booking online because all the hotels were full.we got only 1room of 3beds we booked that and started our journey.we reached roorkee by 9pm. But after that 30km to haridwar was very tough. Single road, lights of vehicles coming from opposite direction, no street lights, we reached haridwar by 10 pm. Gurgaon to haridwar 250km. We had dinner and slept by 11.30pm.
3rd june 2016.Friday.
We woke up at 8am got ready and left room at 10am. We went to mansa devi first. We booked rope way and had a darshan, it was too crowded it took too much time first in rope way booking counter then rope way turn waiting then darshan queue then again ropeway turn waiting. After mansa devi we went to chandi devi there we didn't face waiting problem we had a hassle free darshan. We came out of the temple and had our lunch it was already 4,30 so we went to har ki pauri for ganga snan we reached 5-5.30 we had snan there we clicked some pics it was around 6.15pm. My daughters daily routine of dinner is 7pm and bedtime 8pm. We didn't want to break that so my hubby daughter and me came to hotel did check in into our pre booked hotel. My MIL and SIL came back after attending aarti. Our hotel was on walkable distance from har ki pauri. We had our dinner at 8.30pm and slept by 10pm with the alarm of 4am.
4th June 2016 Saturday
As per our plan we started at 5.30am and reached rishikesh by 6.30 spent some time there at lakshman and ram jhoola clicked some pics. And started rest of journey by 7am, reached devprayag at 9am clicked some pics at sangam of alakhnanda and bhagirathi. Then at 10.30am we took break for breakfast at srinagar, 12.30 we reached rudraprayag, sangam of alakhnanda and mandakini. Another break at karnprayag, sangam of alakhnanda and pindar river. Then around 2 pm reached nandprayag, sangam of alakhnanda and nandakini. We reached chamoli at 2.30pm we took break for lunch but nobody was hungry so we had some sacks and tea and reached our pre booked tents at dream mountain resort in joshimath by 5.30 pm. We all were too tired of 12hr journey. The atmosphere at resort was very refreshing and staff was very kind and helpful. We had dinner and slept early with the alarm of 4am.
5th June 2016 Sunday
Again left for badrinath at 5 30am. Except my MIL we all had a cup of tea and banana. My daughter was still sleeping she continues her sleep in car also without any disturbance. Joshimath to badrinath is 45km. We reached badrinath at 7.30am by the time my daughter was awaked and of full of energy. I covered her with warm clothes and took shawl for myself because early morning temperature was little cold. There was heavy rush at darshan queue, it took 1.30hr in queue. We had darshan and came out of temple at 9.30am by this time temperature increased so we took off our shawls. After breakfast we left for Mana village. It's last Indian village on indochina border. It's 3km from badrinath. After roaming their for sometime we started our journey back to joshimath in resort. Before that we took small break at vishnuprayag, sangam of alakhnanda and dhauli ganga. We reached resort at 1-2pm. After lunch we all slept then in the evening we spent quality time in resort, with colorful flowers and trees of plum, apple, walnut etc. It was drizzling so climate became little cold so again we took out our shawls. We slept at 11pm again with alarm of 4am.there were many helicopters flying in air of differ companies my daughter wanted to go in helicopter when we told her we are also going she was jumping with joy. It was 11am. We came to know that we will fly at 11.45. First batch of 6 people went for take off and without going to kedarnath returned back because news came that climate at kedarnath is jam, no landing will happen.so again waiting started for green signal from kedarnath.
6th June 2016 Monday
After completing first dham successfully we left joshimath at 5,30am again started journey towards second dham kedarnath. There are 3 routes we chose shortest route via chopta. That road is very narrow, only one vehicle from either side can go at a time. But the view is amazing, we had breakfast at 10 am, and again took break at chopta for snaps. We reached guptkashi at 1 2pm my hubby went out to take some guidelines then we came to know that car will go till sonprayag then we have to go by shuttle bus till gaurikund where our gmvnl room was booked. We were thinking of cancelling our gaurikund stay and stay at guptkashi but after thinking we took bad decision of going to gaurikund. Why it was bad that you will come to know later. We did photometric registration and then started travelling towards sonprayag before that we took hault at pinnacle helicopter office, we did report of next day travel. They offered us to go to kedarnath by that day itself but we denied because in that condition we had to spendo that night at kedarnath because of small baby and old age MIL we refused that offer and made another mistake. We promised to report next day at 7am and parked our car at sonprayag and reached gaurikund by 2pm. After lunch we wanted to go to gaurikund but it was raining outside so we slept then at 6.30 when rain stopped we went to gaurikund.
7th June 2016 Tuesday
Gmvnl service boy came to wake up us at 4am we ordered tea and slept in waiting of tea which didn't come till 5.30 we woke up and got ready by 6.30am and left gaurikund at 6.30 without having tea. Sat in shuttle bus but this time rather than dropping us to sonprayag parking they dropped 500-700km brfore because of security gates of police. We started walking towards car it was already 7am so I called pinnacle office and requested for reporting on phone which they denied rudely. From sonprayag to helipad is another 30 min journey. We were in hurry, we reached near car and saw rear tyre was flat. With the help of some guys my hubby started changing the tyre but that tyre was not ready to come out of car. Screw was too tight by 7.30 my hubby told us to go by public conveyance and do reporting. We didn't get public bus so hired taxi and reached office at 8.30 am. Office guy assured us to send by 11-12 slot. By hubby changed tyre got puncture repaired and came around 9.30 am. We had our breakfast and started waiting for our turn. Now their also weather started changing, it was drizzling their and climate was heavenly beautiful, a bunch of clear white fogg was coming up from valley and going up merging with black clouds. But I was in no mood to enjoy that. I just wanted to go to kedarnath, I was worried thathat my daughter won't be comfortable at kedarnath during night because of chilled climate and low oxygen level, my hubby saw my worried face and like every time he started conveyancing me, he said we should prepared ourselves for worst condition it's okay to stay their at night we have warm clothes for baby we will take care of her. And more over if bholenath wants us to stay their during night we should take it as blessing he will surely take care of us.after hearing these kind words I started preparing myself for night hault bacause rain was not ready to take small break also, and clock crossed 1pm. Around 2pm office guys told everyone to go for lunch but nobody moved and they announced for compulsory night hault at kedarnath. I did packing for everybody and specially for baby, warm clothes, medicine not oxygen cylinder etc. It was babies afternoon nap time so she slept in the office only now felt little bad because she was very much excited about helicopter ride and she will be sleepy so can't enjoy her first helicopter ride, but soon my this worry changed into another fear that whether will go to kedarnath or not because rain and clock was racing against each other and nobody was ready to slows down. Office guys were saying that no tickets will postpone to next day, everybody will get refund 100%. But again tickets for next 15days were full so if anyone want to go kedarnath has to opt other option. It was 4pm we spent whole day in the office we were tired and upset, my daughter woke up with full energy and water again started asking for helicopter ride but this time none was saying yes to her demand. My MIL chanting aarti in fact we all were praying for darshan. After 4pm suddenly hopes started rising because climate started changing. By 4.30 it became sunny and good news came that helipad at kedarnath is ready for landing. After that very soon our turn came and we were ready to fly. My daughter got scared during helicopter ride but she was excited after landing. At kedarnath climate was sunny little chilled but not as expected. After reaching we booked rooms and headed towards temple we had nice darshan within 15min. Everybody was enegatic their. The people who came by trekking was wet because of rain and shivering in that cold. Oxygen level was pretty good we didn't use cylinder at all. Again because of daughters daily routine I came back to room and all other came back to room at 9.30. After attending aarti and had dinner after that. We slept at 10pm.
8th June 2016 Wednesday
My husband went to counter by 5am but the counter timing was 6.30am. We went their at 6.30 am directly from bed, at 7am we were back to our car and went to guptkashi were our room was booked but we didn't do check in in earlier day. Checkout time was 11am so we were having booking for 3-4hrs. We took bath and then around 9pm westarted our journey. Via agstmuni we started towards uttarkashi. We had breakfast at some place but didn't like it then at Ghansali we had lunch. We reached uttarkashi around 4pm. Checked in hotel and took a rest for that day.
9th June 2016 Thursday
Again started our day at 5.30. Uttarkashi to gangotri 100km. We reached at 7am 500m walk from parking to temple and without any queue we had nice darshan. Spent some time at riverbank. Water was too cold still so many people was taking bath. We had breakfast and started our journey back to uttarkashi. We took break at pilot baba temple. Then reached our hotel at 2pm. After lunch slept and evening spent at hotel campus.
10th June 2016 Friday
Left our hotel at 5 30am. GPSwas showing some shortcut to yamunotri so rather than going from highway which was 109km we chose 45km from village, but soon after starting our travel we came to know that we did a blunder because road was pathetic. We coverd only 10km after leaving uttarkashi and it was already 7.30 am. We took a break for tea and their we came to know that there is no road for yamunotri we have to go by highway only. We were worried about those 10km which we covered after so much struggle, but after confirming with many people we started coming back to uttarkashi and crossed our hotel at 9am. We had breakfast and 10am started to yamunotri by highway. We reached barkot and then kharadi at 12,30pm where our room was booked. After checkin we went to janki chhattiat 2pm, had lunch their and finally at 3pm started trekking. My hubby and me was carrying baby in every alternate km. It was 1 km straight and 5km trekking. We reached at temple at 5.30pm. It was drizzling their after Darshan at 6.30pm we started coming down.8pm we reached at parking and without wasting time we started our journeyto hotel in kharadi, where we reached at 9pm. We were fully exosted because of adventures day. We slept after having bath and dinner.
11th June 2016 Saturday
Today our alarm wasn't banging at 4am because we planned to sleep till latend, but all of us woke around 5-6 am. So around 9am after having breakfast in hotel we left. We took 2 small breaks for clicks then around 1pm we reached ponta sahib. We took blessing in gurdwara and then we had lunch and started our journey to Ambala. We reached Ambala around 4pm. Our chardham was completed successfully, everybody was happy. My hubby daughter and me stayed their for that day and next day Sunday morning came back to gurgaon.

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