Garhwal

Hemkund & Valley of Flowers – An Overview

1) Travel Package / Own itineraryThere are plethora of travel websites who provide a travel package as per their pre-determined departure dates and itineraries. Along with Hemkund & Valley of Flowers, they also have .......more.......

 

Char Dham Yatra - An Overview

(Summer approaching, domestic and overseas tourists, who are planning or already booked for their Char Dham Yatra for May/June, will find this blog useful. Only important info has been compiled, so it serves as a quick guide.)

Char Dham ........more.........

 

Rishikesh To Ukhimath – Worth While Journey In Uttarakhand

Rishikesh, the Gateway to Garhwal Himalyas, has been my destination since 1984, when I first ventured to visit the shrines of Kedarnath–Badrinath through a package tour conducted by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited. The Rishilok at Muni-ki-reti, happens to be my most favourite overnight stay prior to undertaking........more.........

 

 

 

Hardwar, Rishikesh - Gateway To Devbhoomi, Garhwal Himalayas

Mansadevi Temple

Hardwar can be called gateway to Devbhoomi and is accessible round the year. It’s easy connectivity with North Indian cities and towns by rail and road make people from all walks of life, spend a few days on the bank of the holy river Ganges. The Har– Ki–Pairi happens to be the focal point for the pilgrims to visit Ganga Mandir, have a holy ............more......... 

 

 

 

 

Karnaprayg – A Relaxing Retreat in Garhwal Himalayas

A twin trek of Madmaheshwar and Rudranth in a space of eight days does leave one yearning for a break just to recoup and laze away some time. On 7.6.2011, after completing Rudranth trek and having a good brunch at ...........more.........

 

 

 

 

Rudranath Yatra in Garhwal Himalayas

Day 1 Sagar to Panar Bhugyal

We pick up the threads from Mandal after returning from Madmaheshwar trek. The next day on 4.6.2011, we woke up to find a bright sunlit day. Two successive days of sunshine and what more could we ask for? As usual, by 5.30 am, we were ...........more...........

  

Madmaheshwar Yatra in Garhwal Himalayas

 
We pick up the threads from day minus one (30.5.2011) when we reached Ukhimath around 4 pm, in a hired Maruti Alto from Rishikesh, traversing a distance of close to 182 km. We easily recognized the seven storied brick red coloured Bharat Sevashram Sangha guest house, at the extreme end of this town, on main road, having visited ...........more...........

Char Dham Yatra In Garhwal Himalayas

Mt. Neelkanth, Badrinath

Day 1

In early morning, GMVNL Bharatbhoomi complex at Rishikesh was abuzz with activity. Fifteen tourists arrived last night to undertake 11 days and 11 nights package tour to Kedar, Badri, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Gaumukh. Sanjay, my trek mate, ............more..........

 

 

Gorson Bhugyal Trek – Himalayan Green Top and More

Bhugyal, in Garhwal Himalayas, mean ‘green meadows'. With the advent of summer, snow melting along the lower Himalayas, the Bhugyals are aplenty. Such spots have given many an opportunity to our city tourists, the relaxation it offers for their tired soul, clambering out from the rat race of work places.............more.......... 

 

 

 

 

Trek to Kalpeshwar - Easy and Fruitful

 

In Garhwal Himalayas, the religious shrines of Badri-Kedar, Gangotri-Yamunotri and Hemkund, take the cake; the rest, unfortunately, the crumbs. This has been my realisation from last four years of summer treks in this part of Uttarakhand region. Yet some of those unsung places offer you much more than you can get anywhere in Himalayas. One such place, which I discovered is Kalpeshwar..........more...........

Hemkund Trek – Second Time Lucky

   

My first attempt to trek Hemkund in the year June 2008 was aborted due to the collapse of glacier enroute Hemkund and the trail was blocked for three days. We made a course correction and headed for Badrinath. The desire to take one more shot at it continued during summer of 2009.

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Valley Of Flowers – A Memorable Trek In Garhwal Himalayas

The twin destinations of Hemkund and Valley of Flowers, have their base as Ghangaria in Garhwal Himalayas. The tourists visit these places between first week of June and last week of September. Since both these destinations fall on the Badrianth route, a day’s program of Badrinath also gets thrown in. After visiting valley of flowers twice and Hemkund once, I realized that best time to visit both these places differ. Hemkund is seen at its best during the month of June and Valley of flowers between mid-July to mid-August..........more......... 

 

Deoria Tal Trek & Unusual Guide

 

Since 1984, on my Himalayan Treks in Garhwal Hills, I seldom availed of  a guide. My treks were mostly along routes which had religious shrines, a well defined stone paved trails and were trodden by many. A few treks which resulted in routes sans religious importance, along with my small group, did pose some problems. One such treks in summer of 2007, which resulted in our group getting lost and finding our way rather uncharacteristically, is Deoria Tal trek, which is worthwhile recounting ..........more............

Trek to Chandrashila Top – The Spectacular Sunrise

The early summer trek to Tunganth and an overnight stay at one of those cottages sans much amenities will be worthwhile if one attempts the mini-Himalayan peak of Chandrashila, the next morning before the dawn breaks. Tunganth located at 12,500’ elevation and Chandrashila at 13,200’ elevation leaves one to climb height of 700’ over a distance of 2 km ...........more...........

Sri Tunganath Yatra in Garhwal Himalayas

 

Those who have made the Do Dham Yatra or Char Dham Yatra in Garhwal, the scenic place called Chopta is not is not unfamiliar on the Kedarnath route. The Himalayan panorama from Chopta is awesome to say the least. The signboard on the main road reads ‘The Mini Switzerland,’ is an understatement. The place abounds one of the densest of forest, greenest vast expanse of Bhugyals (green meadows.) This place still .........more..........

 

Gangotri to Gaumukh trek – Garhwal Himalayas

 

Those who have had the experience of Char Dham Yatra including Gaumukh in Garhwal Himalayas, will recount the hectic scheduled itineraries involving a lot of traveling by road and some 72 km of trekking. The to and fro Gangoti - Gaumukh trek of 36 kms of one and a half days duration will leave an impact like no other trek in this travel circuit...........more..........

Yamunotri Trek & Vanishing Glacier

My first visit to Yamunotri was in the year May 1985, when I availed of Yamunotri – Gangotri travel package offered by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Linited, Rishikesh. Some noteworthy recollections are worth mentioning. We trekked for 18 km in a single day, on a gentle upward gradient track, for a round trip starting from Hanuman Chatti via Jankichatti to Yamunotri and back. The first impression I had was the scale of importance of this Himalayan shrine ..........more...........

Trek To Vasudhara Falls – Badrinath Revisited

The Himalayan shrine of Badrinath will rank as the most visited among all the shrines and temples in Garhwal Himalayas. The temple gates opening around first week of May, will see pilgrims in buses, minibuses and cars line up on the steep hill road from Joshimath. Generally Do Dham Yatra ..........more..........

Trek to Gandhi Sarovar – The Glacial Grandeur

The holy shrine of Kedarnath is visited by a large number of pilgrims and nature lovers from early summer after the temple re-opens around first week of May. The itineraries offered by most of the travel operators allow a full day’s trek from Gaurikund to Kedarnath. The following morning, some time is allotted to yatris for a darshan at the temple and the return...........more......... 

Gaurikund to Kedarnath Trek In Garhwal Himalayas

The State of Uttarakhand was carved out of a very large State of Uttar Pradesh in the year November 2000. The region consists of seven districts of Garhwal and six districts from Kumaon. Garhwal region or better known as Garhwal Himalayas is endowed with a very large number of important religious shrines, smaller temples and Gurudwaras. The region is reverently called as Devbhoomi, amidst the...........more........... 

 

Trekking in Indian Himalayas – An Overview

India is endowed with the largest tract of Himalayan ranges extending from states of Jammu and Kashmir through Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Well known and famous destinations in Indian Himalayas are visited by a large section of inland as well as overseas tourists............more.........