Saturday, December 26, 2015

Trek to Rudranath Temple(Day3), Uttarakhand, India.

Rudranath temple was the ultimate destination. Most of the way was cloudy with shot bursts of sunlight peeping through. Reached there by 4pm (day 3).

Few shots on the way before reaching the temple. Temple is a dot in the centre of the frame below. Though we could get a clear shot only the next day  (scroll down/see later)





























About 100 meters downhill from the temple was a small hut where we decide to rest . We had Maggi
(instant noodles) and a cup of tea to satiate our  hunger, in fact that was the only thing on the menu. What followed next was not expected- torrential rains!!

In the cold and rains we climbed up the temple to offer Aarti (Hindu prayers ritual) later that evening. The five minute climb seemed endless with the cold and torrential downpour. After the prayers caught up with the priest and his assistant, they said the idol is worshipped only for a few months in that location as it is bitterly cold and difficult to survive in winters. The idol is transported every year to another temple downhill to Gopeshwar (where we started the trek). The priest presented us two Brahma Kamal's (Lotus flowers, native to the Himalayan region).

The torrential downpour continued overnight. At night we feared the hut would give-in to the strong wind and rains. Luckily it held its own. Eventually the rains stopped next day around 8am. The sky was clear, fresh and were awed by the beauty of the place. I would like to repeat again, the views are no match for the experience on the ground.






 

Rudranath Temple from a distance.

 




 
 
View from the temple.
 
Rudranath temple.


 
Eventually time had come to leave this beautiful place.  Few pics on the way back.





Later in the evening  we reached back to Panar Bugyal.


A view of Alaknanda river in the centre of the frame below.  Along with another river Bhagirathi, confluence of the two rivers form the mighty Ganga river (one of the largest rivers in India). A journey of 2500 KMs (1600 Miles) starts here before it meets the sea.



 
Climbing down to the base camp, the next day, was treacherous with loose rocks and slippery terrain. Knees and ankles could feel the pressure.  The only casualty of the trip was my 3 day old pair of hiking boots with glue giving way and the boot turning into a soft pulp compared to its initial rocky stature when bought. Eventually the trip ended. An experience of a lifetime. A special word of  thanks to Praveen Purohit for making this a success.

38 comments:

  1. Stunning photos of a gorgeos landscape...
    Greetings from Germany

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  2. Beautiful and very scenic place.

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  3. Very nice. Interesting terrain.
    Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/12/little-painted-desert.html.
    Please have a great year in 2016!

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  4. Wow - how majestic and gorgeous!

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  5. Wow. Beautiful I would love to see this some day. I love the foggy photos at the beginning.

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  6. Gorgeous views of the mountains, love these scenic shots. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your new week! I wish you all the best in 2016, Happy New Year!

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  7. Absolutely stunning pictures. I'm so moved by your pictures that I really want to make plans to visit the place.

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  8. Oh gorgeous shots!!

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  9. Wow - that blue sky is amazing!!

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  10. Wonderful views! Happy New Year!

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  11. How incredible! I don't know if I've ever seen something so beautiful. & such a hike to get there...that's dedication! Thank you for sharing with us at Photo Friday!

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  12. What a spectacular outing you had!

    Happy New Year!!

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  13. Such wonderful views of this stunning landscape. Love the temple so creatively built into the rock face.

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  14. Wow these are breathtaking, I bet it feel incredible being up there in those gorgeous surroundings x

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  15. Your photos of the mountains are breathtaking! The temple looks like an amazing place to visit and I'm glad you got the opportunity to explore and share your beautiful photos with us!

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  16. Wow, what stunning landscapes

    mollyxxx

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  17. breathtaking views from this spiritual place! wow!

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  18. Some gorgeous mountain photography. Glad it wasn't me walking in the cold rain. What a beautiful place.

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  19. Wow! That scenery is absolutely stunning! I'm not big into trekking, but those views...I might have to try more.

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  20. Beautiful series of images! I'm so glad you shared at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/01/nosey-cat-yep.html

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  21. The views are fantastic, the topography gorgeous!

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  22. Fantastic landscape images, everyone is different. Have a beautiful 2016.

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  23. These images are reaching up to heaven.

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  24. Those mountain vistas take my breath away. Thanks for linking in with "Through my Lens"

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  25. What a climb! To be above the clouds must be amazing!

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  26. Wow, what a marvelous journey… beauty at every turn.

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  27. What an amazing landscape ! So beautiful !

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  28. Oh wow.... The awful weather cleared to stunning views... Michelle

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  29. Breathtaking shots of your trek to the temple. Absolutely glorious scenery.

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  30. Hello,
    an impressive country, very beautiful landscapes, something I just happened to like
    greetings Frank

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  31. Amazing pictures!!
    This is wonderful!!
    Have a nice day!

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