“We’ll be landing in Pune in a few moments. The outside temperature is 37 degrees centigrade”.
Surely, the pilot was making a mistake. 37 degrees in mid-March! A surprised murmur ran through the passengers. And I, who only two days ago would have given anything for a little more warmth, was amongst those who had sighed the loudest. As the Airbus began its descent, I relived the extreme cold temperatures of Harsil where Sushil and I had camped only last week.
Our plan was to travel without any plans. Many saints and rishis trek up to Gangotri and we wanted to be with them for a while. Uttarkashi was our last “civilized” halt where we could still make STD calls and eat oily food. And then we were on our way to Gangotri which is as far as the motorable road would go. After that? No questions were asked – everything was left open. Anything could happen. We were living only in the moment. Here and Now! (Thanks, Osho). [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
gangotri,
harsil,
Himalayas,
uttarakhand
In the Himalayan foothills, darkness comes early. It is still only 3:00 in the afternoon and the sun is shining brightly but the mountains are already casting strong oblique shadows. We have a long walk ahead and must make quick tracks if we are to get back to our camp before nightfall. We are headed towards Sonapani Estate which is in the middle of a dense jungle and where a ‘maharaj’ has been in residence for the last few weeks.
Gopal, a resident of the nearby Kaphuda village has agreed to escort the two of us to the kutiya (cottage) of the maharaj. The dirt-road from Gopal’s house takes us through terraced fields ploughed with many already-sprouting shoots of sarson (mustard) and a variety of other grains and flowers. In just about 10 minutes, the initially broad road has petered out into a 2-feet wide pathway as we come to the fringes of the jungle. Cowherds appear ready to herd their wards back to the relative safety of their sheds. We walk on a trunk of felled pine which is a bridge over the small brook that bubbles under our feet. The brook bisects a deep gorge where two half-eaten carcasses of cattle have been temporarily abandoned – the big cats must have fed well. Animal smells permeate everywhere. This is leopard country. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Himalayas,
Kumaon,
mountain walk
