The
remotest locale in the Yatra would be a test of your endurance and physique by
the time you are done with it. The uphill climb added to a mild drizzle and
biting cold can make it highly uncomfortable for a pilgrim but then you also have
some who dare to make it on foot just to prove a point.
The
journey starts from Gaurikund which is 17kms away. Unlike some other sites such
as Uttarkashi or Badrinath where you have the option of good accommodations or
a buzzing marketplace, this region is relatively barren at both ends of the
journey. At the base you have the option of hiring a Horse for the trek or a
Senior citizen can choose a palanquin. Rates for both have been fixed by the
local villagers and you cannot haggle over it.
As you start your journey on the
paved path, you encounter various small shrines which have been setup by the
villagers. You can take a short break here or on one of the relatively sparse
food joints. The path is narrow enough to manage 2 horses, and with a rock face
on one side and a valley on the other, you need to be alert throughout the ride.
The
horse ride takes close to 2 - 3 hours to reach the top, and by the time we reached
at mid noon, there was hardly any strength left for any activity and we spent
the rest of the day in our beds. The accommodations here were woeful, a room as
wide as the size of your bed and the bathroom which is best avoidable. Food
joints are equally pitiable and if you are carrying some of your own food you
are better off.
An interesting anecdote was recounted by our
guide on the trail. Post the war of Kurukshetra the Pandavs as came here on a
pilgrimage to atone for their sins and desirous to see Lord Shiva. At
Gaurikund, Lord Shiva disguised himself as a buffalo when he saw them
approaching. The he buffalo was noticeable as he appeared different than the
others in the crowd and the Pandavas saw through this immediately. Bhim tried
to grab the buffaloes tail, which hid its face in a crevice in the earth. The
ensuing result was that the face of the buffalo appeared at Pashupatinath in Nepal
and the rear in Kedarnath, reason why you may see a peculiar triangular shaped
Shivling being worshipped in the temple
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