Kedarnath

MAIN DHARTI PAR SWARG DEKH AAI HU JABSE KEDAR HO AAI HU

Summers have always been my headache period either to celebrate or to just come out of the home in that burning out heat.

But I wanted to go to such a place where I could spend my few days forgetting about that ‘lazy summer’

The Lazy Summer

It was mid of may 2019, just like others I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and saw a picture with beautiful scenic locale, covered with mountains full of shinny snow, alpine forests with river Mandakini flowing in such way that gives breathtaking landscapes.

Backpack & Convincing parents

When I planned to go to Kedarnath. Convincing my parents, making them believe that I can do it all on my own..!!! I packed my stuff and left with three of my mates to Kedarnath on the bike. Yeah, you read that right.

my first longest trip with three boys

It was my first ever longest trip then on a bike with three boys. We started our journey from Dehradun and by 12 at midnight we were there at Gaurikund. I must say, Uttrakhand has the beauty preserved so well that one can have the best long drive on a bike having the most beautiful view and scenery all the way. We had thousands of conversation about the journey.

itinerary

We figure out an itinerary

Day 01: Dehradun -Sonprayag – Gauirkund
Day 02: Gourikund – Kedarnath same day back to gaurikund
Day 03: Deparutre for Dehradun

Here we go

Distance

After Sonprayag we were not allowed to continue the journey with our own vehicle. There’s huge parking at reasonable prices. We just parked there and took public transport (Tata-sumo) that dropped us to Gaurikund.

Day 01 : accommodated in Gaurikund

Gaurikund is a very commercial place and congested at the same time. You’ll see dhabas, hotels, restaurants, and various pooja-items-shops there.

So just make sure that you carry only important stuff with you in a particular bag and rest you can leave at your personalized vehicle.

We reached the place by 12 midnight. Somehow we got the hotel as it was one of the most crowded places in the month of May. We had dinner and got to sleep

Day 02: bath on hot water spring

We woke up by 3 am for the trek. There are two ponds (kund), one for bathing and other for worshipping. Gaurikund is a hot water spring so no hotels provide a bucket of hot water.

You just need to visit water spring place to bath and just have a (doobki) and get back to your room.

Day2: Shiva Bula rahe Hain( trekiing day)

We started trek of 16km by 4:30 am.

It slowed down and after 3-4 km of the trek. It stopped raining. Now you’ll see there are a number of ways to reach the temple

trekking
helicopter
Mules/Palkies/candies

So if you want to experience the best version of Kedarnath’s beauty so please go for the trek. I saw the natural beauty of the valley, waterfalls, glaciers, and breathtaking landscapes. AS the higher I trekked, the more I found peace and beauty of nature.

Reached in Rambara

As distance get decreases. We started to see many shops for refreshments. We were having tea after 4km of the trek.

Finally, while we trekked 7km, we reached a place called Rambara.

There are proper resting shades available at every 1km of the trek. The government has made camps here for resting. We ate Maggi and had a bit rest here and then resumed the journey for a place of lord Shiva “Kedarnath”.

Finally we reached in Kedarnath

The thing that I experienced was the till Rambara, the trek is inclined and one can easily cope up with it, but after crossing the rambara bridge the trek becomes steeper and the air gets thinner. So do check the medical fitness before the trek.

It was around 11 am and we were at the Kedarnath Base camp, I could feel the sensation of nature and Jaykara of lord shiva. Finally, my eyes were just close to the place of Shiva.

We could see the temple. But really my feet were paining, I was drizzling due to cold.

My eyes were close to the shiva.

As I saw the temple. Everything just vanished. We all were motivating each other by saying “JAI KEDAR-JAI KEDAR MAHARAJ- JAI BHOLE BHANDARI” some of the visitors where playing bhajan that made my inner fire walk me faster as I could. Finally, we were standing in a queue of almost 1km, everyone waiting for their turn for Darshan.

It was such a long queue that we reached the place at 12 pm and got darshan at 4 pm. Now you can imagine the curiosity, the love and the bhakti that pilgrimage has towards the Kedarnath.

It was raining-snowing and everyone was in pain of trekking 16km steep slope but all of us the thousands of pilgrimages were standing only for a darshan.

let me show the shiva through my eyes

The temple is nestled in the midst of the imposing peaks of the Himalayas, this holy city with its breezy gentle wind offers an unflustered ambiance. All the hard work was so successful for us that it can’t be expressed in words. Just in front of Kedarnath temple is sacred Nandi. The vahana of lord shiva, resting in such a position that it hears all the prayers of pilgrims.

It is just not the temples and shrines that Kedarnath is famous for, it is the peace-lovely and adorable environment that one gets to see.

It was a mesmerizing and captivating feeling of each of us to reach such a naturally bestowed nature.

Just like Sadhguru has said:- “ When we say ‘SHIVA’, it is not about creating one more idol or god that we can ask for more prosperity or better things in life. The word SHIVA means that which is not. “

Kedarnath temple is an important pilgrim center for the Hindu community. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kedarnath Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Being the highest among the 12 Jyotirlinga, it is also one amongst four major sites in the “CHOTA CHAR DHAM” pilgrimage of northern Himalayas.

Kedarnath is the place where you’ll experience positivity, the energies, and the vibes that will make you feel like home. There are thousands of yogis in meditation, who have no connection to the outer world, making an offering to the world by their energy of sayings!