Yamunotri – VAGABOND IMAGES

Lockdown effect | A yatra without yatris!

Upendra SwamiMay 25, 20201892 Views2

Chardham yatra is one of the India’s major pilgrimage and it is second time in last eight years that it has to be shelved. Last time in 2013, it was due to an altogether different reason as Yatra has to suspended and finally called off due to devastating floods in Uttarakhand. But that year, Yatra started in usual manner with all customs and rituals, but met a catastrophe on 16th & 17th June when extremely heavy rainfall and sudden melting of glaciers created a havoc like never before. Thousands of lives were lost and villages after villages were washed away. So, that year Yatra didn’t resume. Now this year again Yatra has been suspended because of lockdown due to Corona pandemic. The temples have been opened but routes are closed for yatris as no travel is allowed for this purp...

AdventureIndia

Why travelling to Yamunotri is just not a pilgrimage!

Upendra SwamiJune 12, 20183796 Views6

When the District Tourism Officer of Uttarkashi, Prakash Singh Khatri told me that before taking us to Sayanachatti rest house in the evening, he wants to take us to a majestic waterfalls, enroute Yamunotri, which is hardly visited by anyone, I was thrilled. There were two reasons to get excited, having been to Kempty Falls in the morning, I desperately wanted to see some real waterfalls. Secondly, I wanted to explore the non-mythological aspects of this fantastic valley. That was also the brief for us during Uttarakhand Tourism’s first ever Blogger Bus in the state. Yamunotri has got all sort of mythological importance. It is indeed known as the source of river Yamuna. Although the actual source of river lies somewhere 14 kms up in the mountains, river Yamuna is worship...

AdventureIndia

World Environment Day: Where even the source is threatened

Upendra SwamiJune 5, 20181176 Views4

How often when we talk talk of polluing rivers we discuss about the ways big cities are pushing their dirt into it. While talking about rivers, we cherish, how pure the rivers are at their source and then get polluted down the stream. In that sense, it was indeed painful to see the source of one of our most sacred rivers Yamuna at Yamunotri. It was pristine all around--weather, nature and the faith, but the condition of river was not at all that healthy. We have probably ourselves to blame. Problem is, we are unwittingly perhaps encouraging what should have been discouraged downrightly. With the increasing connectivity, increasing number of travellers all the stops on the way are being converted into mini city hubs. With hundreds of buses coming daily during the Yatra time, we can ...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Faith sees no fear at Yamunotri

Upendra SwamiMay 26, 20182286 Views18

Rubbing your shoulders against the ponies, fear of being hit by wooden sticks protubering out of palakis (पालकी), getting squeezed between rush of pilgrims on one side and rocky hillside on the other and a long tiring journey--nothing deters you from your faith that drives you to reach the Yamunotri temple on the foothills of Kalind mountain. Here faith sees no fear. And you have enough of motivation to do that, even if you are not a traditional pilgrim type--a breeze of fresh air, song of the river flowing deep in the beautiful lush green valley on your right and a majestic sight of snow-clad peaks of Garhwal Himalayas. THE YATRA Yamunotri is the westernmost shrine of this region. Hence it is traditionally the starting point of the Char Dham Yatra of...

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Nature’s fury at Holy Shrine

Upendra SwamiJune 19, 20131834 Views2

One of India’s most known religious shrine has been facing nature’s fury like never before. Little township housing Kedarnath shrine at an altitude of 3593 metres above sea level in hill state of Uttarakhand has been ravaged by a sudden cloudburst on Sunday, 16th June 2013. Euphoria over early onset of yearly monsoon in the peninsular region has quickly turned into tragedy and despair of very large magnitude. Both the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have suffered through a sudden downpour, nobody was ready for this early in the season. With casualty figures in hundreds and thousands other missing and loss of property worth millions, worst still seems to unfolding. More than 75 thousand pilgrims and tourists are still stranded at various places in both the states. Catast...