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Story by : kapil kumar
venue: Pipalkoti, Joshimath, Uttrakhand
Sun was setting on Badrinath Dhaam.... it was getting dark in the Shivalik mountains. Bum Lahiri Expedition leader Nitin Kahera was preparing for an evening move to Ookhimath. Ookhimath is a remote town in Uttarakhand and quite far from Pipalkoti where Nitin was stationed. Pipalkoti is a place that come enroute to Badrinath. But to drive in the night in these high mountains is not recommended just because land slides can take place anytime - the weather changes just in seconds....But the expedition team did not want to waste time and they left Pipalkoti at 6 pm in the evening.
So, the journey started but it was a long long way to reach Madmaheshwar - first they had to cross a leopard reserve in the night and from then they had to reach Chopta. It was too dark in the Shivaliks at that time - the expedition team could sense some drizzling on the front screen of the car. But they kept moving on because the team had to reach Chopta if they have to start tracking tomorrow. After a long driving finally the team reached Chopta but they kept moving on till Ookhtimath. So they halted for the night there. 4 am next morning everyone got up and moved towards Ransi Village which was last motor able village before Madmaheshwar.
So the team was all set to START the expedition now. Leaving the car behind everyone was on their feet - the height of the mountains can be gauzed by the fact that the Himalayan Eagle was spotted very early. Himalayan eagles fly very high in the himalayas. Team Leader Nitin Kahera was heading the expedition followed by Mayank who is also a great tracker. For the team the initial journey was more or like a straight road and MadhuGanga was flowing right besides them.
If someone might have seen Harshil a place near Gangotri they can connect with this place too - Madhuganga is as clean as Ganga herself in Harshil. So the team enjoyed sometime in the river and than taking some rest moved on. After crossing a bridge - the team was back on track. Still the road was not that steep - so the team thought reaching Madmaheshwar will not that be difficult. But they were wrong. After 5 kms they met a Sadhu team - they offered food to them but warned them that too much haste is not good at this track.
As the left the Sadhus the track became STEEP - too steep even for the best climbers. The sun was so harsh that it was making them parched and the gravitational pull was taking their energies. Though there were water springs everywhere but bodies ran out of fuel. To walk 50 meters was like running a kilometre. And the worst part was that it was a 12 km long steep height. Team was showing signs of breaking up - but Nitin kept inspiring them. At 3200 mtrs above seal level going back was not an option now, so the team decided to move ahead come what may.
After sometime the track became too narrow - that only we can cross it one by one. There was fatigue - we were tired and there was big gorge on one side of the track. So one wrong move someone could actually fall down the hill and none had to time to react or save the climber because everyone was having a problem of breathing and everyone was fighting the altitude problems.
Chanting OM NAMAH SHIVAYA was the only hope to survive here - and actually it was working too - we started at 9 am in the morning and it was already 3 pm. We realised our mistake that to cover Madmaheshwar one must walk only 8 kms a day - now the problem was shelter because if it rains than DEATh is inevitable.
After feeling that it could be the last expedition of life suddenly Nitin saw a light..... that light brought tears in his eyes because now they have a hope of living and going back. Walking another 2 kms they reached a pond and a meadow - budgyal - sheep and goats were grazing freely and without any fear. And from there the first sight of Shri Madmaheshwar temple made the team cry like babies because they knew that it was like Life and Death for them.
The pujari of the temple gave them food and shelter for the night. Everyone thanked Shiva for that. Madmaheshwar yatra fall under panch Kedar Yatra - it is 500 kms from Delhi and includes 18 kms tracking as well. You must take a guide to go there otherwise it could be a nightmare. The Bum lahiri Team came back succesfully and are planning to go again.
Bhole baba ki jai
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| Mandakini in the Shivaliks |
Story by : kapil kumar
venue: Pipalkoti, Joshimath, Uttrakhand
Sun was setting on Badrinath Dhaam.... it was getting dark in the Shivalik mountains. Bum Lahiri Expedition leader Nitin Kahera was preparing for an evening move to Ookhimath. Ookhimath is a remote town in Uttarakhand and quite far from Pipalkoti where Nitin was stationed. Pipalkoti is a place that come enroute to Badrinath. But to drive in the night in these high mountains is not recommended just because land slides can take place anytime - the weather changes just in seconds....But the expedition team did not want to waste time and they left Pipalkoti at 6 pm in the evening.
 |
| Beauty of the Shivaliks |
 |
| Ransi Village |
So the team was all set to START the expedition now. Leaving the car behind everyone was on their feet - the height of the mountains can be gauzed by the fact that the Himalayan Eagle was spotted very early. Himalayan eagles fly very high in the himalayas. Team Leader Nitin Kahera was heading the expedition followed by Mayank who is also a great tracker. For the team the initial journey was more or like a straight road and MadhuGanga was flowing right besides them.
 |
| Madhuganga near Madmaheshwar |
 |
| The Steep Height at Madmaheshwar |
As the left the Sadhus the track became STEEP - too steep even for the best climbers. The sun was so harsh that it was making them parched and the gravitational pull was taking their energies. Though there were water springs everywhere but bodies ran out of fuel. To walk 50 meters was like running a kilometre. And the worst part was that it was a 12 km long steep height. Team was showing signs of breaking up - but Nitin kept inspiring them. At 3200 mtrs above seal level going back was not an option now, so the team decided to move ahead come what may.
 |
| Snow clad mountains enroute to Madmaheshwar |
After sometime the track became too narrow - that only we can cross it one by one. There was fatigue - we were tired and there was big gorge on one side of the track. So one wrong move someone could actually fall down the hill and none had to time to react or save the climber because everyone was having a problem of breathing and everyone was fighting the altitude problems.
Chanting OM NAMAH SHIVAYA was the only hope to survive here - and actually it was working too - we started at 9 am in the morning and it was already 3 pm. We realised our mistake that to cover Madmaheshwar one must walk only 8 kms a day - now the problem was shelter because if it rains than DEATh is inevitable.
 |
| Shri Madmaheshwar Temple |
After feeling that it could be the last expedition of life suddenly Nitin saw a light..... that light brought tears in his eyes because now they have a hope of living and going back. Walking another 2 kms they reached a pond and a meadow - budgyal - sheep and goats were grazing freely and without any fear. And from there the first sight of Shri Madmaheshwar temple made the team cry like babies because they knew that it was like Life and Death for them.
"WHEN LIFE & DEATH ARE VISIBLE - ONLY SHIVA SAVES YOU", - Nitin Kahera, Bum Lahiri Team Expedition
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| Nitin at Madmaheshwar |
The pujari of the temple gave them food and shelter for the night. Everyone thanked Shiva for that. Madmaheshwar yatra fall under panch Kedar Yatra - it is 500 kms from Delhi and includes 18 kms tracking as well. You must take a guide to go there otherwise it could be a nightmare. The Bum lahiri Team came back succesfully and are planning to go again.
Bhole baba ki jai
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