 The Almighty has manifested Himself in natural splendour in this world. The mighty
Himalayas is said to be the foremost amongst them. The breathtaking view of the Himalayas and the gushing
Ganga which pierces through the mountains is a scene to be experienced by each and every individual. It looks as if the
mountain peaks almost reach Heaven, beckoning the celestials to come down to earth. It is visually stunning.
Having heard so much about the natural beauty of the Himalayas and the temple at
Badrinath on the mountains, it was a long-cherished dream of the elder of our family to visit the place. It finally happened in September 2003.
Rishikesh is supposed to be the gateway to the 'Valley of Gods',
Badri, Kedar, Kailash, etc. To see the Himalayas and the sacred Ganga for the first time is an event to be cherished. The Ganga flows swiftly as if in a hurry to reach mankind. Puranic lore mentions several saints and rishis who performed
'tapas' here and hence the name 'Rishikesh'. 'Rishikesh' is about 4 to 5 hrs drive from New Delhi.
 Taking a dip in the holy Ganga is sacred to many of us. There are many
ashrams and dharmashalas nestling the riverbanks. The river is covered in froth and foam. The tiny waves seem like silver-coated ornaments adorning the river. The view from the bridge is panoramic.
We start ascending the Himalayan range. Our next stopover en route to Badrinath was Deva
Prayag. The sangamam of
Bhageerathi and Alakananda occurs at Deva Prayag after which the river is called
Ganga. The unimaginable speed, coupled with the roar, is a treat for any human being to see and hear. The hills are covered with rich flora and fauna. Tiny hamlets dot the hills here and there. The Ghat roads are so narrow that a tiny slip will land us in the
Ganga. The clouds play hide and seek with the mountains, covering the peaks at one spot and clinging to their belly at another. Not to forget the river which chases you wherever you go.
The cool breeze caresses you and seems to sing a lullaby to the
travellers. Our next halt was at Pipal Koti which is about 3,500 sq ft above sea–level. The sun conveniently forgets to rise early and we catch a glimpse of the sun-bathed mountains only at noon. The journey from Pipal Koti to
Badri via Joshimutt normally takes about 3 to 4 hours. We travelled in a mini-bus with 25 of us including three children. We were lost in the chanting of hymns and singing of
bhajans. We were dragged unconsciously into a make-believe world of ‘Badri Narayanan’. The whole atmosphere reverberated with ‘Badri
Vishal’.
 The stretch beyond Pipal Koti bore ample testimony to the havoc created by recent heavy rains. There were landslides at a few places and worse still, “sinking points” at three locations. The travel in these segments was frightening. The drivers who drove the vehicles with great caution cannot be forgotten, and we proceeded. Dame luck wore out at one spot where the landslide halted us. The roads were badly damaged and the buses were not allowed to pass through. An alternative route is available – 2 km of trekking the hills on a narrow, slippery path: Even a slight turn of the head towards the river was sending cold shivers down our spine. But we set on the trek while our goods were transhipped on ponies.
The seemingly never-ending trek concluded after two hours when we arrived back on the road, clearing the landslide area. From there we were taken by another bus to
Badri. To quote
Gandhi, “Strength does not come from physical capacity but from an indomitable will”.
The total distance from New Delhi to Badri is approximately 520 km but the climb on the mountains is not through one hill but through several hills in the Himalayan range, where you keep constantly climbing up and down. The altitude of 10,500 ft is not reached in a straight climb but by a zig-zag route.
 On reaching the shrine and worshipping the Lord, one forgets the trials and tribulations. It is a very small town surrounded by imposing hills with snow-capped peaks. The approach to the temple is through a small road with shops on either side terminating at a jhoola across the
Alakananda. The river, with the by now familiar deafening roar, flows majestically beneath the jhoola with copious water – this place being just 3 to 4 km from its origin. The wonders of nature are so many and never ending – see, on the banks of this cold river there are hot springs.
Our return journey was accompanied by a drizzle. Again, we had to trek down the mountains because of the landslide. The bus came to a halt and we started our great descent. The whole route was so slushy that we had to walk barefooted. I was literally on all fours because of the very narrow paths with myriad hairpin bends. The whole world seemed to come to a halt and I caught hold of roots and trunks of
trees for support. The slippery pathway proved to be very dangerous. It is only Providence which made us return safely. We got inside our bus with a sigh of relief.
 We reached Pipal Koti that evening en route to
Hardwar. The mountains appear as if they are draped in a green velvet sheet. The stretches of verdant forests with the meandering Ganga and the waterfalls which resemble a white ribbon is a rare sight and a feast to the eyes. The lush green meadows at some places make viewers go into raptures. The huge mountains seem to zoom large in front of you. The boulders which block the roads, the pebble-filled pathways and the uprooted trees bear ample testimony to the fury of rains. The rivers are fed by rivulets and waterfalls at regular intervals and the sound they generate is mind-boggling.
It took nearly 12 hours from Pipal Koti to
Hardwar, a large town on the plains. We come across many prayags on our way. Fear vanishes once you come down to the plains. The oversized vegetables and fruits are proof to the fertility of the Gangetic delta. At
Hardwar, the Ganga flows at an alarming speed. The holy place is famous for ‘Kumba Mela’ and lakhs of pilgrims gather there to have a dip during that period. The ‘Manasa Devi’ temple atop a hillock can be reached by a ropeway. The famous ‘aarti’ in the evening along the Gang is a wonderful sight. People from all walks of life gather to witness it.
 It took exactly a week from New Delhi to Badri and back. That is one week of being blissfully oblivious of this mundane world. We were lost amidst the rivers and mountains. The humdrum of mechanical life never visited us. The drabness of worldly life was absent there. The salubrious climate, coupled with the unpolluted atmosphere, which is surcharged with devotion and
bhakti, was like an elixir.
It is the life-time goal for the pious to visit the Himalayan shrines. Some may reach the goal at an early age but for many it happens only in the twilight of their life. But whatever your age when the Himalayas rise in front of you, you cannot but bow before its sheer beauty.
Usha Raja
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Peak of perfection
