It is a bit old, when I used to work. It had been only 6 months since I started the new job and it didn't take even 6 minutes to leave it. The sudden death of two people in the family left me devastated along with the entire family. All the people who have felt the last breaths of their close ones very closely can understand how this time makes us disabled in body and mind and like me, all the people will also agree that time is all. Wounds heal but it does take some time.
On May 5, 2010, when I told at home that I wanted to go to Yamunotri, the application was approved without any questions. I put a pair of clothes in a small black bag and left home on the evening of 7th May. I knew only two things about Yamunotri, firstly it is one of the four Dhams and secondly the bus here is available from Dehradun and Mussoorie.
I have done many previous journeys with friends and these names were also theirs, but this time I wanted to make the journey with myself and name it as my own. With this thought, I boarded the bus from Kashmere Gate to Dehradun which would take me to the mountains. The queen will take you to 'Mussoorie'. I don't remember the bus fare now, but I definitely remember the tasteless food of Rs 80 that I had at a dhaba after crossing Meerut.
There was no problem till Dehradun but the winding roads of Mussoorie made the head spin like a charkha. Thankfully, we reached Mussoorie Devi before vomiting occurred. The bus dropped at Mussoorie Library at 6:15 am where the library was closed and the market was opening.
Talked to many people but they had no idea where to get the bus to Yamunotri? After getting 'No' answer from 7-8 people, I felt very strange that "If the people here don't know, then what will happen to me?" , Seeing my hanging face, the cheerful looking uncle wearing a white shirt asked, “Are you going to Yamunotri?” , Yes, uncle ji, but how do you know? He started laughing and said, those whom you asked have all come here to visit, they don't know that beyond Mussoorie, the 'Queen of Hills' is also famous as the 'King of Hills'.
I was looking at the kettle hanging in his hand when suddenly he asked, would you like tea? After saying no-no the first two times, I said yes to his generosity for the third time. After walking 5 steps, both of us reached his tea shop which was on the road in front of the Gurudwara. I put on my warm jersey before I could get my hands on a cup of hot tea. Of course, summer is at its peak in Faridabad but here it is 2006 m. It is quite cold at this altitude. While I kept drinking tea, the cheerful uncle kept telling me the way to Yamunotri like his child.
With folded hands, I first greeted Hansmukh uncle and then thanked him and as he said, I started towards Mussoorie bus stand, meaning by auto. After paying Rs 15, I reached the bus stand where some buses were standing ready after washing and some were taking bath. The bus stand was clean and small. My turn came after a line of 7 people. Instead of a hand full of money, one got disappointment in the reed net. The ticket-slicing creature sitting behind the net made a face and said, “Jankichatti's bus has left.” After saying oh shit, I was thinking what to do now, when suddenly the harsh creature behind the net shouted loudly and said, “If you don't want to buy a ticket, Step aside”. I felt that this time he shouted at me deliberately.
While the man with the net in front of me appeared to be a demon, the one behind me appeared to be the Messiah. The messiah person behind me suggested this and I immediately accepted it and took the ticket for 'Barkot'. Later the Messiah said that from Barkot the whole world is going to Jankichatti, from there you will not face any problem in reaching Jankichatti. As soon as the first ray of sun fell on both of us from between the trees, I swear it felt as if Shri Krishna was preaching Geeta to Arjun in Kurukshetra.
Shri Krishna rode the second chariot and traveled towards Chamba, while Arjun traveled towards Barkot. The chariot started moving and along with it the Sun God also. Soon we crossed Kempty Falls. It was good that I did not eat anything in the morning otherwise I too would have started a fall. As soon as we crossed the Yamuna bridge, we saw Yamuna river for the first time. What a disparity, how white the Yamuna river flows here and how black it flows in Kalindi Kunj. To satisfy our greed, we have changed a river from clean to unclean. The color of the greed of the factories faithfully spread on the river, making it 'black'.
Even here in the afternoon it is very hot, but I didn't realize it but the smell of sweat floating like clouds in the packed bus from Barkot made me realize it and shivered me from head to toe. Till my feet because I have to do this journey standing. There was more luggage in the bus than there were passengers. It would be better to call it a goods train and not a bus.
While taking the fare, the conductor said that the passengers sitting behind the driver would get down in front and when I looked around the driver, I just kept looking because there were no passengers there, only sacks of luggage. The driver would also be sitting somewhere among them. Traveling while standing would not have been a difficult task if a fat woman had not fallen on top of me. To fill the empty space in the bus, bus drivers often adopt such a trick by applying sharp brakes.
At 2:30 in the afternoon, Jankichatti got down with the help of faltering kicks. If legs and waist could speak, they would probably have said F**k you to me in English. Of course, along with my body, my mind was also tired due to this journey, but as soon as I set foot on this land, it was as if a magic had fallen on me.
The wet black clouds seemed to be drying on the stars in the sky, the sunlight was filtering through and beautifying the earth, the cool breeze was creating a romantic atmosphere, the black mountains clad in white snow visible at the end of the valley were attracting the travelers towards themselves. Were enticing, children were running on air wheels, travelers were circling the 'Tourist Information Centre', mischievous rays were shining on 'Swayamsevak Sangh'. People were hugging the statue of Rajendra Singh Rawat as if in respect, horse and mule drivers were bargaining with the travelers and I was forgetting myself and living this scene as if this whole scene was welcoming me.
There was not much time yet and the journey on foot to Yamunotri is not long, so what was the delay, saying “let's start”, I set out on my own to start. After walking a few steps, we found a welcome board on which it was written “Shri Yamunotri Temple Committee heartily welcomes all the devotees on their arrival at Yamunotri”. The welcome ceremony was completed peacefully without anyone being present.
Forgetting all my fatigue, I started the journey at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. According to the information received from internet, Yamunotri is 6 km from Jankichatti. Far away and the king of the earth is 3291 meters above the bottom of the ocean. It is situated at an altitude of. It may take 3 hours to cover a maximum distance of 6 km, which means I will be in Yamunotri at 6 o'clock.
Disclaimer: I have also posted the content (text and photos) posted in this blog in Hindi language on my Hindi blog www.himalayanwomb.blogspot.com. The English version of the same Hindi blog on Hive has been posted here with the help of Google Translate.
Rest in the next part, till then stay safe and happy. Namaste
[//]:# (!pinmapple 30.99997 lat 78.46148 long Trekking to Yamunotri, the Abode of the Goddess (Part 01) d3scr)