How beautiful would it be when
you are travelling on a ghat road, located 2000 meters above mean sea level, and
when the orange coloured morning sun rays just strike the snow-capped Himalayan
mountains in February. The enchanting sight was a life time experience and we
were filled with joy. We were going away from the bustling towns and cities of
Northern India and what one would call, away from the modern civilization and
into the wild. The place was Joshimath in Uttarakhand.
It was an off-season and the small town was
still sleeping. The ancient and mystic Deodar trees which lined the slopes of
mountains added to the beauty of the scenery. The tranquillity of the place was
just fascinating. As we got down the vehicle we could see a couple of grey hornbills
flying valiantly and graciously in the sky. As we turned around we could see a
wood pecker, perched on a tree and pecking at its bark. Our movements were the
only source of disturbance to a flock of sparrows that were enjoying the warmth
of early morning sun.
Joshimath derives its name from
Jyotirmath, which is the first of the four Hindu mathas (matha=monastery) established by Adi Sankaracharya in the 8th
century. ‘Kalpavriksh’, a tree believed to be 2500 years old and still alive
can be seen near the matha. A localite told us that this is the tree under
which Adi Sankaracharya attained wisdom.
Our next destination was Auli ski
resort. Positioned comfortably at a height varying from 2500 meters to 3000
meters, the ski resort is apparently one of the best in the world. Auli offers
a 180 degree view of surrounding snow clad Himalayan Mountains and we saw the
majestic Mountain Nandadevi from there.
From Joshimath and along a
different route, as we travelled, we entered the Nandadevi biosphere reserve. The
higher Himalayan Mountains started appearing before our eyes from here and this
region is mostly untouched by human beings and one can only imagine the beauty
of this place. Moving along we reached Hanuman Chatti, a resting place for
pilgrims going to Badrinath, it is the last approachable place on the route
during winter. Badrinath is roughly just 15 to 20 kilometres from here. We were
disappointed that we could not move any further because of severe snow along
the route. There is an interesting historical significance to this place. According
to local folklore, it is believed that Hanuman Chatti is the place where
Hanuman humbled the ego of Bhima.
The return journey was a tough
one for us as we didn’t want the journey to end so soon. As we were returning back,
I remembered the lines of a telugu poem written by the great poet Allasani Peddana from our school telugu
text book, ‘Atajani kanche bhumisurudu...’ from Manu Charithra, where he describes the beauty of Himalayas. No one could have described it better.
We live in a pessimistic modern
world. In pursuit of all the material comforts how many times have we failed to
make notice of the little beautiful world around us, from which we owe our
existence? Seeing nature in its best hues is the best way to overcome the heat
of our modern day chores. The trip also underlined the importance of protecting
nature. As they say in Sanskrit: ‘Vruksho
rakshati rakshitaha’, which means, 'Protect trees and they will protect you'.
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| Wood pecker on the tree |
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| Auli |
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| Narasimha Mandir-Jyoshimath |
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| Jyotir Math |
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| Deodar trees on a Himalayan Mountain |
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| Hanuman Chatti |
