Journey
of lifetime to the abode of lord Shiva
Kailash,
abode of mahadev the god of gods. It felt
like a dream come true when I got the
intimation from ministry of external affairs that I was selected among the
luckiest few for the Kailash Manasarovar yatra.The intimation came on May 2014
and I would be one among the 18th
batch (the last batch of the year) of the yatris for Kailash Manasarovar yatra
on 15 Aug 2014. All the instructions and the requirements of the yatra were clearly mentioned in the website of ministry
of external affairs and the advices of former yatris from VSSC, Shri.
Raghunatha Pillai (gsLVM3) and Shri. Vikram (SOG) helped me a lot in prepararing for the yatra. In addition to getting a long
leave for a month sanctioned and the clearance formalities of foreign travel, I
had to carefully pick the items needed
for the yatra and prepare my mind and body for the journey.
As instructed, I reported at Delhi on
15th August 2014 at Gujarathi Samaj Sadan where accommodation and sumptuous
Gujarati food were arranged for all the
yatris for 4 days. The Kailash Tirth Yatra Vikassamithi at Delhi arranges all
the facilities for the yatris and the satsang organized by them helps to create a team spirit among the members. The
next day was dedicated for detailed medical tests at the Delhi Heart and Lungs
Institute and I underwent a series of medical checks. The results were reviewed by
the medical team of Indo Tibetan Border Police on the following day. I was
relieved when my name was announced among the 40 members declared fit for the
yatra. We stayed in Delhi for one more day for a briefing on the yatra at Ministry of external affairs and
for completing the visa formalities. The payment was made to Kumaon Mandal Vikas
Nigam Limited (KMVN) who arranges the food and accommodation for yatris on
Indian side and also acquired the necessary US dollars and Chinese Yuvan
required for the journey in Tibet region. On 19th Aug early morning,
after receiving a warm sent off from the Delhi Nivasis with prayers, we set off
for the Kailash Manasarovar Parikrama.
The kailash yatris are treated with
reverence wherever they go. From
the beginning of the journey itself warm receptions were given by various
organisations. At Kathagodam we had our lunch and switched our Volvo bus for a 27 seater bus to
Almora where halt for the night was arranged at KMVN guest house. The bus ride
continued the next day and we visited a few temples on the way through Almora.
By evening we reached Dharchula, an ancient city on the banks of Kali river
sharing the border with Nepal. The arrangement of the ponies and porters were
made at Dharchula. Due to shortage of ponies I got only a porter to assist me,
Mr. Devendra Singh Ghuniyal. Mr Devendra Singh is a first year BA student who
provides his services to the Kailash yatris to earn money for his studies.
Next day we were taken to Pangla, a
village 40 km from Dharchula in Jeep as the traditional route from Narayan
Ashram was closed due to landslides. All the mobile communication with the
outside world ends at Dharchula as no
networks are available beyond . From
Pangla our trekking commenced. The baggages were transported by ponies and I
carried only an overnight bag with provisions for a night halt at the next
destination. The destination for the day was Sirkha, 7 kms from Pangla. The route is steady
climb up through the mesmerizing Himalayalan Mountains filled with greenery and
exotic flowers. By lunch time we reached Sirkha. After lunch the liason officer
of our batch, Mr. Prem Singh a veteran in mountaineering who conquered the
mount Everest 2 times and now working as DIG, ITBP, Chandigarh assessed the
fitness of the yatris and was happy at everybody’s performance.
Next day, early morning at 5 O’clock,
the trek commenced after consuming tea and biscuits. The destination was Gala a
remote village in Indo Nepal Border 14 kms away from Sirkha. Though it was
drizzling when the trek commenced, the sky became clear as we progressed the
journey. By lunch time we reached Gala and rested for the day at the camp
there. Destination for the following day was Budhi, 18 kms from Gala. One has
to climb down 4444 steps near the banks of a roaring kali river in this route
and there are many water falls that will drench you in this route. The Malpa
village where a land slide took the lives of all the Kailash yatris including
Protima Bedi (a famous Odissi dancer) and the porters in 1988 is in this route.
I came to know from my porter that his father Devendra Singh was also among them. Fourth day trek started
from Budhi as usual at 5 O’clock. After a 3 km steep climb we reached the
plains of Chilalekh a wonderful valley full of flowers. Further 7kms trek took
us to the sinking village of Garbiang famous for hot samosas. From Garbiang,
Border Road Organisation(BRO) has constructed a fairly motorable road for defense
purposes and ITBP was kind enough to spare us their truck to cover the 7 km
stretch to Gunji.
At Gunji
we reached an altitude of 12000 feet from mean sea level. The climate was very
chilly and I had to wear 3 layers of warm clothes to protect myself from the
chill . Medical tests are conducted to find out if any of the yatris are
vulnerable to acute mountain sickness (AMS) and hence there is an extended day’s
camping at Gunji. At Gunji, one gets a mesmerizing sight of the peaks of
Annapoorna Mountain range in Nepal . We participated in the Bhajan at the ITBP
camp temple there and also took part in
planting deodars as part of reforestation programme in the region. The Chinese
border is just 22kms away and the last village Kuti on Indian side is 5 kms
away from Gunji. Luckily all the members of our group were declared fit for the
further yatra. On third day (From Gunji), we started in the morning to
Nabhidhang which is 14 kms far from Gunji. We were dropped by the BRO trucks at
Kalapani which is the source of Kali river where an ancient temple of goddess
Kali is also situated.
After breakfast at Kalapani camp the
trek started towards Nabhidhang. The lush green forests and deodar trees gave way
to barren terrain with a few cactus plants.. We could see the mighty Mount
Sheshnag from there . By afternoon we reached Nabhidhang camp at the foot of
the Nabhidhang mountain which is revered as a shakthipeet of Devi Parvathi (The
mountain resembles the nabhi (naval) of goddess Parvathi). From Nabhidhang the Om parvat is visible.
Though the sky is always cloudy in these parts we were lucky to see Om parvat and Mt. Seshnag. Nabhidhang situated
at 15000 feet altitude is the last Indian army base near to Chinese border
which is only 8 kms away from there . The base operates only 4 months in a year
due to harsh environment. We were to reach the border next day by 05.30 hrs IST
to match the Chinese timing of 08.00 hrs in the morning. The supper was served
early by 6 pm itself and after a short nap we woke up by 1’O clock to get ready for the trek. The
trek started by 2 am in the morning with the help of torch lights. The night
was very chilly and the cold wind penetrated even four layers of thick sweaters
and jacket. Though the climb was difficult in the rarified atmosphere we
reached the Lipu la (Lipulekh pass at 18000 feet altitude– Indi Chinese border)
by 05.00 hrs IST. At Nabhidhang itself we
had deposited our memory cards and mobile phones containing the pictures taken
at Indian side as a matter of National security
as advised the ITBP officials and loaded the cameras with fresh memory cards.
By 08.30 hrs Chinese time the Chinese
convoy reached and the yatris from the 16th batch of yatris were
seen coming back up the path. The Chinese foreign ministry official and
soldiers arrived at the spot and exchanged greetings and we started the climb
down the pass. A 5 km trek through steep downhill was required to reach the motorable road at the
Chinese side where buses were awaiting
to take us to the nearest town, an old trade hub, Taklakot (12000 feet
altitude) 11 kms away. Our passports were verified at Lipulekh and were briefed
about the Kailash Manasarvar Parikrama programme in Chinese territory. All
yatris were told to stick to the
scheduled programme and visit to any other place other than those included in
the programme were prohibited. They also
informed that photography in Taklakot city and Chinese military establishments
are prohibited and if someone was found violating this they will have to face the
consequences.
At Taklakot we were taken to the
Chinese emigration office for customs checks and passport verification. We had
one more day stay at Taklakot to complete the visa formalities and for
acclimatization. Taklakot is a fast growing small city. Everywhere construction
was progressing. The roads are all well paved and
all the nooks and corners are fitted
with surveillance cameras. We spent the 2 days at Talkalot roaming around the city and doing some
shopping. Most of the vendors are Chinese at Talkalot, however a lot of Nepalis
are working here and a market selling Nepali goods is also there. The next day
we set for the Kailash parikarman after morning prayers. Two buses were
arranged by the Chinese authorities for the yatra and we were taken to another
small city called Darchen at the Southern side of Kailash. The road to Darchen
passes through the small stretch between RakshasTaal and Manasarovar Lakes. We
stopped at the permitted view points at both the Lake sides to enjoy the view.
We checked into the hotel at Darchen
and went for a stroll after lunch. Since it is year of Kumbh a lot of Budhist
and Jain believers had come for the
parikrama and to avoid the crowd and due to landslide the route to Ashtapaad
(Southern view point of Kailash 5 kms from Darchen) was closed. (Mt.
Kailash is holy place for Budhist and Jains and is also called as Kang
Rimpoche). Next day after breakfast the buses dropped us at Yamadwar from
where the Parikrama (circumbulation) of Kailash starts. At Yamadwar there is a
gompa and the view of southern facet of kailash is also visible from there. The
selection of the porters and ponies were at Yamadwar. Smt. Peyma and Smt.
Serene (hope that’s her correct name, anyways she was answering to my calling
her Serene ;)) was selected as my Porter and pony handler.
The 9 km trek from Yamadwar leads to
Deraphuk camp from where the north face of Mt. Kailash is visible. The trek
path is through barren plane land between many hills on left side and Kailash
on the right side. Many streams originating from Kailash is flowing near to the
trek path. (Mt. Kailash is the source of
many holi rivers like Sindhu, Bhrahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali a tributary to
Ganga) At Deraphuk we can go as
close as 2 km to the mountain and the spot is called Charansparsh. After lunch
we spent rest of the day enjoying the scenic beauty of northern facet of
Kailash and though we were hit by a small hail storm we could reach the Charansparsh
and perform prayers. Mt.Kailash, pleased by our prayers provided us with its
shining scenic views.
Next day’s trek started at early
morning as we had to cover nearly 19 kms
and had to cross Dolma la enroute (Dolma pass – 18000 feet altitude). The climb was at slow pace as breathing was difficult and as we reached the
highest point snow fall started with a freezing wind. Prayers and offerings
were made to Dolma (goddess Parvathi)
and without wasting time we started to climb down the steep pass. At the foot
of the steep is Parvathikund, a small pond (though small in comparison to other
water bodies, it is as big as a football ground) which is believed to be the
bathing place of Parvathi at Kailash. The water in Parvathi kund is considered
holy and many pilgrims collect a sample of the water from the pond. Due to
adverse weather conditions many porters were not willing to go down and collect
water, luckily my pony handler Serene went down and brought the holy water for
me.
The hail storm was terrific and walking
became more and more difficult. A local Tibetan’s camp shed was on the path and
we rushed inside. Luckily they were serving hot tea, soup and other Chinese
foods. The hot Chinese green tea proved to be a good medicine against the
freezing cold and all felt better after consuming few bowls of noodles. When the intensity of
hail storm reduced we resumed walking.
As we moved along, the snow fall stopped and the sky became clear. The
camp for the night halt was at Zunzhuipu.
An unfortunate incident happened at
Dolma pass. One of the yatri Smt. Annapoorna Devangan was affected by AMS while
crossing the Dolma-la. The porters had carried her to Zunzhuipu camp. Since
there was no improvement in her health condition, it was decided to evacute her
to Delhi at the earliest. She was sent to Lipu-la in a land rover, ITBP
soldiers carried her in stretcher to cross the pass. Due to bad weather
helicopter could not be made available at the pass. ITBP soldiers again proved
their efficiency. They carried her in the stretcher up to Gunji and from there air lifted her to Pithoragargh where she was
admitted to a hospital. Later she was
taken to her home in Bilaspur,
Chatishgarh and as per the latest news her health is improving though she is
still in ICU.
After the stay at Zunzhuipu, the next
day early morning we started our journey back to Darchen. The sky was cloudy
and it was drizzling; however we resumed our trek through the slippery track.
After 7 kms we reached the motorable road and waited there for the buses to
pick us. We went back to Darchen in bus (5 kms), had light breakfast in the
hotel and proceeded for Manasarovar parikrama as per the programme. After 90 kms travel in bus we reached Qugu
camp in the shores of Manasarovar lake. The camp at Qugu was a wonderful place
with windows opening towards the serene lake. Themonastry of Qugu was nearby.
Two nights stay was planned at Qugu camp.
After a hearty brunch everyone was busy
washing the soiled clothes and drying it. In the afternoon we went for a stroll
along the stretches of the Manasarovar and also had a dip in the holy lake. The
atmosphere at Manasarovar lake was quite calm and energizing and many went into
deep meditation at the shores of Manasarovar where the shining south face of
Mt. Kailash was visible as clouds permitted.
Group prayers and havan were conducted at the Manasarovar lake during the two
days stay at Qugu camp. On third day morning at Qugu camp the buses took us to
hotel in Taklakot and we visited the memorial of Zorawar singh and Karchak
monastery on the way. The Chinese authorities organized a farewell party at
Taklakot and the party was delightful with many members from China and our
group engaged in singing and dancing. Next day early morning at 5 am Chinese
time (02.30 IST) we started our journey back to Lipu pass. The Director of
Chinese external affairs and the Chinese army chief of the region came to see
us off and then we bid adieu to the Chinese guides and porters.
Though the 5 km climb at Lipulekh pass
was difficult we were happy to be back in the home land and was delighted to
see the ITBP soldiers and porters waiting at the peak to welcome us. The return
trek was tiresome as the camp at Nabhidhang was omitted. We had our breakfast
at Nabhidhang and reached Gunji by evening. ITBP soldiers organized a farewell
dinner for us. After the Bhajan with ITBP soldiers at the camp temple, we had
dinner and the dinner party turned out in to a dance party soon. Next day early
morning the trek resumed to Budhi. After night halt at Budhi the trek continued
and we took a diversion from the path to Gala after climbing up the 4444 steps
near Bindakoti and reached Garbadhar a small village where Jeeps to
Dharchula were awaiting us . At Dharchula we said good bye to the dear
porters who were of great help throughout the journey. Next day trip was to
Almora by bus and a welcome back party was organized at the ITBP head quarters
at Meerthiand. We also visited the Jageswar temple complex on the way. From Almora
the journey resumed next day with warm receptions at Kathagodam by Uttarkhand Govt
and reached Delhi by mid night on 9 September 2014. After the night stay at
Gujarat Samaj Sadan, the next day we bid adieu to each other and I started for Trivandrum.
The KailashManasarovaryatra is
organized by Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India and the yatra is
conducted as 18 batched during June – September. The yatra is approved by
Indian Mountaneering Foundation as a high altitude trek and Central Govt
employees are eligible for 30 days of special casual leave. Any Indian citizen
below 70 years old holding a valid passport can apply for the yatra and the
applications are invited by April through the website. The selection is based
on luck draw and the medical test results at Delhi. The details about the yatra
is given in the following link.
http://www.mea.gov.in/kmy.htm
