Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Day 05

CONTINUED FROM HERE: Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Day 04

Date: 10-Oct-2024

Day 05: Chirbasa (3600m / 11800ft) to Gangotri (3415m / 11200ft)

Distance/ Time: 11km (3H)

Where men exploit nature

I woke up at around 5AM. Manjul ma’am left early to reach Gangotri and catch a taxi to Dehradun. She wanted to save a day of leave and plan another trek. That is the true spirit of a dedicated trekker.  After she left, I went to the river. I sat there for a while enjoying the view. This was my last day in the mountains. Nothing felt more important.  I wanted to soak in all this serenity, as much as I could. 

We had breakfast, thanked the porters and gave them a tip and began our trek to Gangotri at around 8:10AM. The trek was easy. On the way, I got some interesting thoughts. So, I noted it down. Find the text at the end of the post. 

We reached Gangotri within 2 hours. Cellphone networks were back and we got busy with the updates. Gangotri was crowded with devotees. 

After lunch at Hotel Krishna Palace, Nidhi , Sushrut and I went to Surya Kund, Tapovan Hiranyagarbha art gallery, Gowri Kund and Panadava caves. 

The Pandava caves is occupied by two sadhoos. One of them had gone out and the other was watching some mythological film on YouTube. The cave had been turned into a house for them. There was a small kitchen, sleeping area and even a commode.

Back in town, we headed to Gangotri temple and watched the evening Aarathi. While the others were invited by some purhohits for a special Pooja, I walked away saying I did not want to participate in such rituals. After doing some rites and rituals, the purohit asked them all for dakshina (Money). When Sushruta paid Rs50, the purhoit said - “Zara zor lagayiye janab”. (Try increasing that amount please Sir). He paid another Rs100. 

In one of the ashrams near the temple, we sat listening to some Bhajans. Prasad was served outside. After dinner, we went to bed. Here is what I had noted down during my return - 

The Flow 

From the mouth of a mighty glacier that runs kilometres, a river originates. The shining sun from the vast skies, melts the ice and the water droplets trickle down. It is impossible to tell which droplet began the flow. An inseparable accumulation of such smaller units take a formidable shape. Thus a river is born. The slopes of the majestic mountains pushes the river down, taking it along its wide spread arms. A long and unknown journey hence begins. 

The river, now with full force begins to flow downstream, cutting through gigantic rocks, flowing over the dry sands, thus allowing flora and fauna to flourish within it and along its banks. 

Streams join along the way and the river gains more force as it makes its way towards an unknown destiny. While a river can be a life source, it can also perish everything that obstructs it. Carrying everything in its infinitely long arms, it aggressively flows downstream. No hill, no rock can deter its strength. It flows with a ferocious energy, assimilating everything that comes along. There is no stop; flow it must. 

Tributaries join and fill the river with more energy. Loaded with experience, the flow becomes calmer as the river approaches the plains. With a steady pace, it advances. 

After a long unmeasurable time, it reaches the ocean. A tiny droplet that it once was has been enriched with experiences, with a unique story to tell.  But the long journey has worn it out and the river disintegrates forming deltas and blends into the ocean and merges into the infinite. 

One may pontificate that this is the end and the destiny of the river was but the ocean. Here, the tiny droplets wait patiently exposing themselves to the sun. They await an ascension to reach a passing cloud that shall carry them back to the mountains where it shall snow down and reunite with the glacier again. 

So is the source of life and its end the same? Only between that unknown origin and an undetermined end, lies the force. Longer the route, interesting the journey becomes. More the accumulations along the way, richer and complete is the experience. 

However, one must never fail to acknowledge the fact that, in the end, everything disintegrates into a collective consciousness from where new, evolved sources emerge to combine and flow again; thus enhancing a set cycle.  

Ajeya 

Gaumukh Tapovan trek

10-oct-2024