“I completed the 46km-long Kedarnath Yatra on foot” – Paulamii Dutta

My father completed his Kedarnath Yatra in 1992 and I have heard numerous stories of his adventures and misadventures in the Himalayas. I got my travel bug from him and Kedarnath was a long pending dream. I wanted to walk up the 23km-stretch and walk down as well to complete my pilgrimage.

The biggest challenge I faced while planning the Kedarnath Yatra was finding people who would agree to take the foot track. Almost all my friends wondered why I wanted to walk 23 kilometres each way when a helicopter could take me there in 15 minutes.  I am not ritualistic but feel a deep connection with Shiva and I knew if I wanted to reach Kedarnath, it had to be in the traditional way.  Going on horseback was out of the equation as I couldn’t meet Shiva who is also Pashupatinath the lord of animals by exploiting an animal.

The second challenge was to find a way to navigate through the Chardham crowd. I’d call it a crowd because the number of reel enthusiasts, ‘influencers’, and YouTubers seemed to have overshadowed the pilgrims over the past couple of years.

You may also like: Takdah Diaries: Why the misty hills are my pilgrimage…

First step is to register for Kedarnath Yatra

After finding a reliable tour operator, the next step was registering. For anyone wanting to take the Hemkund Sahib or Chardham Yatra that includes Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath; registration is mandatory. You can register here: https://registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in/

The drive from Delhi to Sitapur

Like every over-enthusiastic traveler group, we made the mistake of driving from Delhi to Sitapur (Uttarakhand) in one single day. The drive lasted for almost 16 hours and when we reached our hotel at Sitapur, we only wanted a warm shower, daal chawal, and a warm bed. Our 16-hour misadventure led us to a very late start the next day.

Also, staying at Sitapur (a lovely cottage with the Mandakini River flowing next to it), meant we would have to wait in two queues. One at Sonprayag to get our registrations checked and then again for the taxi to Gaurikund. You’ll be told there are no good hotels at Gaurikund. But when you sign up for Kedarnath Yatra, you must know you’ll have to give up on luxury for a few days.

For history and significance of Kedarnath check this: Kedarnath Temple: A Journey Of Faith And Adventure (culturalindia.org.in)

Staying at Gaurikund is a better option

So, staying at Gaurikund and not Sonprayag or Sitapur is the best option. We started our hike from Gaurikund at 11 am (shocking and ill-planned), while the best time to start the hike was by 4 am. Staying at Gaurikund will also save you from the extra 2.5 kms walk and once you cross Rambara (on the Kedarnath foot track) you’ll thank yourself for staying at Gaurikund.

Our Kedarnath trek began

Energized after a sumptuous breakfast that comprised paneer parathas and chai at Gauri Shankar Restaurant, and excited to reach Kedarnath, we began our hike from Gaurikund. Everything seemed like a dream. Smiling fellow travelers, inspiring senior citizens with just a small potli and a stick, kids holding their parent’s hand firmly and asking cutesy questions. This dream lasted for about 800 meters and then we got a reality check.

Make way for horses

The first milestone, Ghora Padav, the place where Yatris rent horses for the hike was chockablock with horses. We were naive pedestrians till this point and thought once we left Ghoda Padav, we’d get ample space to walk.

But then, came the rude shock.

The foot track is ruled by horses and their owners. The narrow path that goes uphill till Kedarnath sees thoroughfare of horses from both sides and their owners do not care about the safety and security of pedestrians. At any point in the trek, you can get run over by a horse. Worse still you could fall on the track and hurt yourself if you are not quick enough to move away from the path of a charging horse.

The nightmare begins

The foot track is also ill-maintained and at any point, you can twist an ankle, even if you are careful. I hurt my ankle several times and Volini came to my rescue. Thankfully the sprain was not that bad so I could carry on. The sticks that are available at Gaurikund for Rs 50 are of immense help.

If you are not aware of what middle-class privilege looks like, you’ll get a taste of this on the Yatra. Able-bodied, young men and women on horses will kick pedestrians if the need arises. A man about 6 ft tall, and maybe in his mid 40s and at least 80kgs heavy, suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder from a horse, and then his entire weight, because he wanted to get off the horse. Like the average Indian man, he had no remorse for his actions and his friend apologized maybe because a crowd began to build up.

At Junglechatti, an elderly man was pushed by a horse and he fell, hurting his hips badly. Horses will hit you because horse owners manoeuvre the horses roughly.

Horses are also given hardly any time to rest, fed jaggery and water, and beaten even if they trip and fall.

Who cares for the Hindu pilgrim…

We are told the government deeply cares about Hindus and Hinduism; but does zilch for Hindu pilgrims who are taking one of the most important pilgrimages for Sanatanis.  For most of the foot track, you feel like the administration is punishing you for deciding to complete this pilgrimage in the traditional way that is by walking. Also, I saw about half a dozen cops on the way; about 3 at Ghoda Padav, 1 at Bheembali, and maybe 2 more at Badi Lincholi.

If you have ever wondered what the phrase ‘bhagwan bharosey’ means; you should walk to Kedarnath. That no major accident or mishap happens because Shiva is protecting you at every step. For this long a track, anything can happen and you will have to keep walking because there is not a policeman in sight. I met a young man who was asking where he could find a cop and the cop was about 7 km away. Maybe the administration in charge of the Yatra needs classes from administrations that conduct the Kumbh Mela or Ganga Sagar Mela.

There are some medical centres at Junglechatti, Bheembali etc where oxygen is available and a hospital at Kedarnath.

The Safai Karmacharis are the saving grace

The only people working on the Yatra are the Safai Karmacharis, relentlessly cleaning the foot track off horse dung and keeping the washrooms clean. They seem to be like Shiva’s personal army striving to make the Yatra comfortable for the pilgrims.

My eyes well up even as I write this. The incredible work they do for us will always remain a precious memory.

I felt totally safe

I travel whenever possible and a lot of these travels over the past few years have been solo travel. There is some energy in Kedar Ghati that you do not feel unsafe as a woman for a moment. And the hills look breathtaking as you keep climbing. There are natural springs and we did try the fresh water from the springs.

Unimaginable beauty

Apart from the hardships, every frame is worth capturing. Soumya (my friend) and I took numerous shortcuts. The shortcuts will turn your pilgrimage into a full-fledged trek and you will climb mountains and hillocks, meet helpful strangers on the way, cross streams and melting seasonal glaciers, and cut the distance by a few kilometers.

If you are planning a Kedarnath trip check this: Kedarnath – How to plan a trip [Complete Travel Guide] – Discover with Dheeraj

The hardships of the local people

There are shops on the way and the shopkeepers are sweet and helpful. Long chats with some of them gave us an idea about the hardships of the people of Kedar Ghati. These shops are open only for 6 months, from Akshay Tritiya to Diwali. Once Shiva’s doli is shifted to Ukhimath for the winter and the temple remains closed, they also trek down to their villages.

The washed away village of Rambara

We had uncountable cups of chai and survived primarily on Maggi since it is lighter than paratha and feels good in the mountains. ORSL and taking regular sips of water are also a must. We took a long maggi and chai break at Rambara. Earlier this was a full-fledged village where people would stop for the night. The entire village, including their houses and countless pilgrims and locals, was washed away in the 2013 disaster.

All that is left of Rambara now is the haunting memory of 2013 and some makeshift shops.

Water at Rs 80

As you keep climbing, two things increase. One is the beauty of the view and the second is the price of bottled water. By the time you reach Kedarnath, you are buying water at Rs 80 a bottle. But there’s no complaint here. All essential supplies come from Sonprayag which is 25 kms away from Kedarnath. The only way to get supplies to these hills is by hiring coolies or horses and paying a hefty sum for the same.

No lights in long stretches

Post Rambara the climb gets steeper. This is a new route created after the 2013 disaster. It started getting darker and colder and alarm bells rang when we found entire stretches without lights. Mobile flashlights and Shiva’s help were the only saviors for those stretches.

GMVN and local shopkeepers have tent facilities at all the major points on the way and the logical thing to do is to stop walking when you feel completely exhausted.

And since this might happen while climbing up and down, keeping a buffer day is necessary. If you go down to Gaurikund on time, you can use that buffer day to visit Triyuginarayan, the temple where Shiva and Parvati got married.

Night in a tent

Since we started the trek late, we missed the evening aarti at the temple. Some say it is so windy at Kedarnath because the winds are coming from ‘swarg’ and I’d say there’s something magical in the winds. It was freezing and even though we were in a Decathlon tent with comfortable blankets, I didn’t feel the chill. The sound of the wind also fell like a lullaby.

The next day after our darshan as Soumya and I sat down at the temple premises, some young men asked us where we had come from. We realized they were priests at the Kedarnath temple and we had a quick chat with them.

As I narrated the challenges of the hike one of them said, “You wanted to walk to the temple and Babaji has completed your sankalp.” 

It was one of the most fulfilling moments of my Yatra and I felt all the blisters and aches didn’t matter. The trio also guided us when they heard our next destination was Badrinath.

The spiritual people of Kedarnath

The priests at Kedarnath are helpful and kind and so are the sadhus who are found around the temple. As we were clicking pictures, a sadhu with a smile and standing right beside the idol of Nandi Maharaj said something about praying to Nandi and seeking his blessings and offering some dakshina.

It didn’t occur to me that he was a Sadhu and I asked him to give us some time to get clicked. The sadhu smiled and his smile was so infectious that I kept grinning too. After praying I realized he was blessing all the devotees and I asked him to bless us abundantly and we exchanged another grin.

Despite the crowd, horses, and challenges I found a long moment where everyone blurs out and it is just me sitting there feeling the peace and Shiva’s presence in the mountains.

Climbing down

Leaving the temple premises is not easy. You get that feeling of emptiness that Bengalis have on Bijaya Dashami. Honestly, my story with Kedarnath hasn’t been completed by Shiva and maybe I’ll have to go again to complete that story.

The downward climb is easier, but since we started late it was 9 pm by the time we reached Rambara. While our other group members decided to walk the entire night, Soumya and I took a tent and called it a day there. The tentwalas kindly delivered our food to the tent and gave us an extra blanket.

We were in the middle of nowhere and yet, even for a moment did we feel unsafe.

The next morning, we resumed our journey at 5 am and continued walking while being pushed by horses and their handlers. Breakfast was aloo paratha and sweet chai.

The feeling of exhilaration

When we reached Gaurikund, we were so excited to have completed the Yatra that we had forgotten all about our exhaustion. We went to the Gauri Mata temple. Myth has it that it was here Parvati did her penance for years to win over Shiva. There is also a hot water spring here and it is said to have medicinal value. We were grateful to dip our sore feet into the water.

Can another disaster strike Kedarnath?

Kedarnath, however, is a disaster waiting to happen. There was an avalanche on June 30 this year, and though this one did not affect anybody, a disaster even bigger than 2013 can strike any day. The continuous noise pollution created by the helicopters that are flying in and out every 15 minutes, the dhols that people carry to make reels, the JCB machines brought in for construction, and the latest addition to the modernization of Kedarnath, a Thar, made me wonder if we understand why some places need to be left alone.

Kedar Ghati is not prepared to take in 15 to 20 thousand people every day. Himalayas are not like the amusement park in town, and we need to find a way to stop reel enthusiasts and ‘influencers’. Once mobile phones are screened or stopped completely beyond a point the number of Yatris will be drastically cut down. All major temples have a ban on mobile phones. What is stopping the administration from applying the same rule at Kedarnath?

Paulamii Dutta is an award-winning scriptwriter, an author and an avid traveller. When she isn’t at her laptop keying in words, she is usually travelling, sometimes solo, sometimes with friends or family. You can find Paulamii’s books here.