The Himalayas, the mind-blowing marvel …!

Oxygen level was so low that we found it extremely difficult even to move one step forward …

Rampur is a small town. The main occupation of the people here centers around the pilgrims who cross that town on their way to Kedarnath. They run their business with just ten or twelve rooms and a tea shop! The elders look after the tea shop and renting out the rooms. The youngsters’ main occupation is breeding mules. Like donkeys, they are of medium height and obey our orders. They climb heights like horses with men on their back. There was a stable just behind the building where we stayed. The neighing of horses and the sound of their hoofs were continuously rocking our ears.

Viswam and Sekhar, our cooks prepared tasty food for us with the provisions and vegetables available in wherever places we stayed. The travels and the lodge owners have a good understanding between them in places like Rampur. They give us stove and a place to cook. We reached Rampur at 8 o’clock in the night. At nine, we had our dinner with hot rotis, dhal, rice, appalam and rasam! Then, we prepared our plan for Kedarnath. You can go up to Gowrigund in a vehicle. Then, you have to climb a height of 1500 mts. We can cover this distance by climbing ourselves, or traveling on mules or in dolis. Walking the distance was out of question. We decided that youngsters and middle aged people could go on mules while the elderly and children could go in dolis. The charge to and fro for mule was Rs. 750 while for doli it was Rs. 2,000. We hired seven dolis and seventeen mules. “We should start at 5.30 a.m. Hot water will be available at the tea shop for bathing. The breakfast and lunch will be packed and given to each separately. We’ll reach Gowrigund at 7 a.m. From there, if we go on mules, we can return before dark after having our darshan. It is risky to stay overnight at Kedarnath with small children. So, please follow my instructions correctly,” our guide Ayyavu told us.

It is very important to have suitable dresses and other things for our journey to Kedarnath. We all took woolen dresses, woolen cap etc. and also our medicines. We started our journey at 5.30 a.m. with joy, devotion and a little fear! On the way, we saw the hilltops shining, reflecting the sunlight that fell on them. Gowrigund was 25 kms away. Our driver cautioned us that we should cross that distance on our return journey before it was dark and should reach Rampur before 7 p.m. as it was a forest path and wild animals’ movement would be there after sunset.