Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Day 03

CONTINUED FROM HERE: Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Day 02

Date: 08-Oct-2024

Day 03: Bhojwasa (3830m/12565ft) to Tapovan (4460m/14632ft) via Gaumukh (4025m/13205ft) 

Distance/ Time: 6km (5H)

Simplicity

I woke up at around 4:30AM. We all got ready by 5:30AM and assembled at the dinning tent. After breakfast, we headed to the river. Three people were already there, waiting to cross. Soon several lined up behind us. 

Here, I met a man from Tamil Nadu. He was travelling alone from Trichy. The previous day, one of our porters had misguided him on the trail to Gaumukh and he ended up wasting several hours on a wrong trail. He returned back to the Ashram in Bhojwasa where he was provided food and blankets by the Sadhoos. He did not want to trouble them more, so, he plans to reach Gaumukh and then head back to Gangotri the same day. He had two layers of Lungi, a sweater and a skull cap to protect him from the cold winds. If not for those ashrams, he could not have withstood the freezing cold at night. 

The carriage had to be pulled manually from the other side. During one such trip, a loose cable got stuck under a rock. One of our porters - 17 year old Kagendra had to cross the river barefoot to the dry patch in between and release the cable. Everyone applauded his bravery. I had crossed one such river barefoot during Hampta pass and my legs had gone numb due to the cold water. 

A forest guard came and tried to fix the slack in the cable. That took a long time for him to finish. It was of no use though. After a few trips, the cable got stuck again and someone had to cross the river to release. I feel that the outdated system is still active for a reason. They want to limit the number of people crossing or reaching these places. 

Our 10 porters from Nepal were truly amazing. Their fitness level is unmatchable. These young boys pulled the carriage filled with luggage and people every time, until our entire team was on the other side. I tried to help them but honestly, it was very difficult. 

By 10:15AM, we all had crossed the river. I treated our porters with the special chikki that I always carry with me. 

We continued our journey towards the Bhagirathi massif. We crossed patches with white stones, red and yellow shrubs. A long tiring walk towards Gaumukh thus continued. 

On our way, we crossed little streams rushing towards the river. The walk was on a river basin - flat but long. 

On our way, we stopped to feed the friendly Alpine chough (Yellow-billed chough). I tried feeding them apple but they wanted biscuits or nuts. They would come and pick the food very carefully, making sure not to hurt our hands. 

After a long walk, we finally reached Gaumukh. Gaumukh is the terminus of 30.5km long Gangotri Glacier that originates below Mount Chaukambha. It is the precise source of the Bhagirathi River, an important tributary of the Ganges. This glacier has been constantly receding since measurements began in 1780. 

The thick layer of ice appeared more like rock from the outside. Water and rocks were trickling down from the glacier. There were huge blocks of ice as well at the terminus. 

Some young men took a dip in the freezing cold water. We sat there for a while and had our packed lunch. After we had relaxed enough, we were ready for a steep climb up to Tapovan. 

Tapovan is a plateau 1000+ feet above Gaumukh. The climb was challenging but the views were spectacular. At a distance, we could also see Kedar dome. With small steps at a time, we climbed the last stretch for the day and reached our campsite by 4PM.

We also saw a herd of Bharals (Blue sheep) cross our path. The campsite is at a beautiful location, facing Mt.Shivling and Meru peak on one side and Bhagirathi massif on the other. 

At the summit, I learnt that there is a man who has been living there since several years. He is popularly known as Mauni bhaba. “Mauni” translates to “silence”, as in, one who has taken an oath not to speak. I had a wish to meet him or at least see him. I wondered how a man could live here all alone. Manjul ma’am Ankush, Nidhi and Sushrut joined me. On a raised platform, few distance away from our campsite, facing the Mount Shivling, there is a shelter built with rocks. Outside the house, there was a small vegetable garden. There were few more cabins built around the area. Ankush called out for Bhaba and he came out of his house to welcome us inside. As we entered the house, we entered a kitchen where a local guide was cooking dinner. Bhaba asked us to wait inside and rushed out to get something. The kitchen was fully equipped. The shelves were packed with utensils and bottles full of spices and pulses. 

Bhaba was wearing a yellow panche. His thick grey coloured down jacket covered the kurta and other garments that were keeping his upper body warm. He wore eyeglasses and a woolen skull cap. He looked far from what I had imagined - Quite equipped for the extreme weather and also, in a way, fashionable. He walked in with some mustard leaves. “This would add some flavour to the dish he is cooking”. He then invited us inside to the next room.  The floor of the room was covered with thick woollen blankets that kept the room warm. There was a picture of Lord Rama on one of the walls. 

Seated in the inner room, we began a long conversation with him. It was mostly Manjul ma’am who had questions. She had questions about how his life there, how he managed ration and what tips he could give us about living happily. Bhaba was very shrewd. Most of the questions seemed silly to him and he would say - “Ghazab log ho aap” (You amuse me, don’t you know…). Manjul ma’am was quick in identifying that he hailed from UP. She was familiar with this accent. 

He told us that the original Mauni Bhaba had lived here for 40 long years. He had setup the place. He had visited the OG bhaba in 2008 and liked the place so much that he decided to move there. After OG Mauni Bhaba passed away in 2012, he choose to stay back and has now taken the same title. He had been in “Maun wrath”  (Oath of silence) too but has broken the oath of silence two years ago. He grows vegetables outside and makes sure to keep enough ration for winter. He showed us some huge radishs that had grown in his garden. Villagers help him bring other required ration from Gangotri. He visits Gangotri sometimes if he is invited by families there for Keerthans or other religious events. 

To questions of Manjul ma’am on life and how to live happily, he spoke about Vairagya (detachment) and how one should live peacefully without harming others. He emphasised on not being caught up in rituals and traditions. He noted that people are more focused in unnecessary rituals and they blindly follow some leaders or customs. He seemed to deny everything that was devoid of reason. He emphasised that Man is different from other animals due to his ability to think. But people hardly use this ability. He asked us to focus on our own “Vivek” (wisdom) and not listen to what others say. I found his thoughts similar to some teachings of Aristotle and Jiddu krishnamurthi. He was also focusing on Karma yoga a bit. Additionaly, he spoke of how people today want excess of everything - Money, fame, power etc and that brings them unhappiness. 

Manjul ma’am asked him, how he managed to live there and lead a life. He mentioned that he lets out rooms to trekkers and tourists who visit. He manages his stay through the payment he receives for that service. Some well wishers from Gangotri also help him from time to time. However, he told that the Government now wants him out of there. They have not directly asked him to leave but made his living difficult there. They have brought in many restrictions on guides. Only a trained and registered trekker can bring tourists. This has led to less customers at his place. Currently, a woman from Italy was staying there. It was her guide who was cooking in the kitchen. 

I had just one question for Bhaba. I asked him - “ You mention the importance of using our thoughts and wisdom. But is there such a thing as “our wisdom” (Free will)? Are we and our thoughts not a result of what we read or experience?"

He did not fully understand my question. Maybe, I wasn’t very clear in the Hindi language. He told me that there will be influences but one must not listen to others and despite what others say or do, one should always reason out things and follow the path one wants to. 

After about 30 mins of talking, I think he had had enough of us. He thanked us for coming and we left. Back in the tent, our guides Pachu and Shivahul did not have a good opinion about Bhaba. Pachu was more vocal about his opinion. I did not want to critic the Bhaba. Such superficial analysis does not give answers. 

I am not sure if I can call him a sage. He is still attached to worldly affairs - he earns money through hosting guests at his place. Therefore, I don’t see him fully giving into Vairagya. But. He is certainly a man with considerable amount of wisdom that I believe, comes through deep contemplation and self reflection. He seemed calm, composed and rational. Perhaps the nature around him also had great influence on his thoughts. After traveling this far, the answers I found through him were linked to being rational. I think it is the nature that teaches us this lesson. 

Regarding a house in the best spot, overlooking Mt.Shivling and running a homestay, I am not sure whom should I side. We take it for granted that Government owns everything. It is very difficult to draw a clear line of distinction between Locke's idea of natural freedom within the bounds of law of nature and the agreements of social contracts signed as a citizen. The topic is often subjected to fierce debate. However, I must note that Bhaba is practical. He is not living a luxurious life there. He is doing what needs to be done to survive and lead a simple life. After all that searching, Man finds happiness in simplicity. 

One of our Trek-mates Nidhi was celebrating her birthday and Pachu prepared a special cake for her. It was not really a cake but was sooji halwa covered with an icing made of milk powder. After dinner, I went straight to bed. Everyone was so tired that we needed a good sleep. 

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To Be Continued...