Chardham Yatra - Part 4 (Yamunotri Darshan)

Our first Dham darshan was to happen on Day 3 (21st May, 2019) at Yamunotri. This is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna. It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 metres in the Garhwal Himalayas. The actual source, a frozen lake of ice and glacier (Champasar Glacier) located on the Kalind Mountain at a height of 4,421 m above sea level, about 1 km further up, is not frequented generally as it is not accessible; hence the shrine has been located on the foot of the hill. The approach is extremely difficult and pilgrims therefore offer puja at the temple itself.

We woke up early at 4 a.m. and after finishing morning ablutions & prayers and having morning coffee, we were ready to leave by 5 a.m. Hot water buckets were provided by the hotel for Rs. 30 per bucket. By 4.30 a.m. the sky starts reflecting the light of the day and by 5.30 it is almost daylight in the mountains. As we did not have any bags to be loaded on the vehicle, our departure was prompt.

We drove towards Janakichatti (the last point for vehicles) by passing through Ranachatti and Hanumanchatti. As we drove, we saw hordes of vehicles driving in the same direction. At several places, we had to wait for the traffic to clear up. By the time we reached Janakichatti, it was nearly 7.30 a.m. As soon as our vehicle halted, it was surrounded by numerous pony owners & porters looking for business. It seemed that there are more helpers & support staff than pilgrims !

Most of us (except one senior citizen who decided to take the help of porters to carry him up) decided to trek up the 5 km that is required to reach Yamunotri temple. Doli cost depends on the weight of the person being transported and it is typically about Rs. 6000 to 7000 per person for both ways. On top of that the pilgrim is expected to buy lunch & tea on the way for the coolies as well as tip them at the end. Pony cost is approx. Rs. 1500/- per person for the up & down journey. Many of us took bamboo sticks to help in the trek (purchase cost Rs. 20 & hire cost Rs. 10 per stick). Ranveer had packed our breakfast (4 Puris with potato bhaji). We carried small bags with essential items like umbrella, change of clothes, towel etc.). The climb was tough and often very steep ascent. The paths were narrow and one one side were the mountain and the other side, a sheer drop (luckily, there were railings for support). 

The tough part of the climb was the traffic. By the time we started the climb, there were many pilgrims already on their trek up. The path was filled with people going up and those coming down. There were a huge number of ponies going up and coming down. There were also a large number of dolis (people being carried up by 4 porters) and Pittus (children or small adults being carried by an individual porter) going up and coming down. At some places, ponies would be parked on the way for people who changed their minds and wanted a ride up. Along the way, there are also many shops selling snacks, drinks, tea etc. At many places, the traffic of people came to a standstill due to the pressure of people movement.

After walking up for an hour or so, we stopped at an eatery on the way to have our breakfast. By this time, our group had got separated. Four more members decided that the trek was difficult and took ponies to go up. After walking for nearly 3.5 hours, we reached the top only to find it chocked with pilgrims who had already reached. The movement was slow and we inched our way to the temple to find it flooded with people.

I had a quick dip at the hot springs (Tapta kund) called Surya kund adjoining the temple. After changing into new clothes and went in for the darshan of the Yamuna Devi temple. The temple is quite small and has a single sanctum where one finds the idols of Yamuna Devi in black marble. One of the customs here is to dip cloth bags with grains of rice & potato inside the hot springs (separate for bath and cooking) and within minutes, it gets semi cooked. This rice is used as an offering to Devi Yamuna and also consumed as a prasad. One can see the Yamuna river flowing past the temple and it is a wonder that the cold waters of Yamuna co-exists with the hot springs within a few meters of each other. 

After our darshan, we decided to depart quickly as it was already past noon time. Walking down was equally tough through the shops, traffic etc. At many places, one had to wait for 15 minutes or so while the traffic eased. We were really worried about the possibility of a stampede and were praying that it does not occur. Luckily, we moved past the initial choke up without any mishaps. On one occasion, I volunteered to direct the movement of people to ensure that people followed a single line. There is a need for sufficient police / security personnel here to prevent any tragedies.

Walking down seemed endless. Although it was only 5 kms, we must have walked another 3.5 hours to come down. Many pilgrims who are not used to long walks / climbs were seen struggling to walk and needed support. As we came towards the parking slot, we spotted a small chemist shop and bought a gel to massage the muscles that were paining. There were very few toilets on the route and those that were there were also not very clean. This is another area to be improved by the authorities. Pilgrims esp. ladies really need this facility.

When we came near the parking area, we were received by our driver Pradeep & cook Ranveer who were waiting for our return. It was nearly 5 pm when we returned. By the time the last of our group came down, it was 6.15 pm.

Coming and sitting on the vehicle seemed so nice after a hard trek. All of us skipped lunch that day and decided to have an early dinner. The drive back was uneventful and we reached by 8 pm. By 8.45 pm, dinner was ready. Hot steaming spicy Rasam with rice and a vegetable and curd rice was heavenly. It was fitting finale to a tiring day. When we hit our beds that night, we were asleep in moments.

Thus ended Day 3 of our Yatra.

PS: If you are planning to go to Yamunotri, I would recommend to either go post mid-June when the crowds will be less or start very early in the morning, say 5 a.m. to avoid the maddening rush