Char Dham Yatra: Gangotri

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Day-4: Barkot to Dunda - Uttarkashi.

Dunda was our next halt before proceeding to Gangotri. It is almost 7 hours journey from Barkot to Dunda. We started from Barkot at 7.00 and reached Dunda around 1.30.

On the way we stopped at “Pragateshwar Mahadev Shiv Gufa”. But like most other places of worship, here also there was a long queue, so after climbing about 150 steps and waiting in queue for some time I dropped the idea of going inside.

We also stopped at Radi Top (6600 ft). Here there is a ‘money tree’ next to Hanuman temple. You insert a coin in the tree and ask for a wish! Actually the tree is very soft and it is easy to push a coin in the bark. Money making gimmick!

Dunda is 45 min before Uttarkashi. We were given two nights in Dunda. Hotel River View Resort is on the banks of River Bhagirathi. Hotel is moderate. Afternoon was hot. Air cooler was available. Nights were again cool.

The evening was kept free – for resting. We were taken to Uttarkashi for visiting Kashivishvanath temple.

I have mentioned in ‘introduction’ that Dunda is not the best choice for stay prior to Gangotri. Staying at Uttarkashi proper is a better idea. Or proceed further up to Harsil, a place said to be located in picturesque surrounding and much closer to Gangotri. Staying in Dunda meant that we travelled less on day-4 but travelled for 11 hours on day-5 for Gangotri and back. RadheShyam must have chosen Dunda for commercial reasons!

Day-5: Dunda to Gangrotri to Dunda:

We started our long day at six in the morning and reached Gangotri (10,300 feet) at around 11.30. It is hardly 500m walk up to the temple from parking area.

Ganga or Bhagirathi as it is known at this point, originates from Gangotri glacier some 18 km further up in the mountains from a place called Gau-mukh (because of the shape of the glacier like mouth of a cow). Trekking is possible up to Gaumukh.

The temple is the summer home for the idol of Ganga. During winters when the Char Dham closes, the idol is shifted to a lower altitude at a place called Kalp-Kedar.

The Gangotri temple is beautiful. We had to wait in queue for a short while and had Darshan for a few seconds.

It is considered important to bathe in every river to cleanse the soul and body of all the sins – you do it at every place in the Char-Dham – now what does that mean? Does it mean that bathing in Yamunotri was not effective? It will be repeated again at Haridwar 200 km down the stream when the river has gathered even more dirt!

We collected Ganga-jal (water of Ganga). Plastic containers of all sizes ranging from 100 ml to 5 liters are available for water collection. Surprisingly, although there is no human habitation beyond Gangotri temple, water was not clean. It was muddy. Now, pooja must be carried out, of the Ganga-jal that is collected. Plus, Gangotri is considered an auspicious place for ‘pitru-tarpan’ – religious rites in the memory of fore-fathers and departed family members. We did both, pooja of Ganga-jal and the ‘tarpan’. A brahmin known to the tour manager was readily available at nominal fees (because the pooja was carried out collectively!).

We again had food-packets for lunch and returned to Dunda after dark, stopping at Kalp-Kedar and Manati dam mini-hydro-power station on our way back.

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