Leh-Ladakh Trip Day 4 & 5

Kargil is at a height of approx. 2600 meters above sea level and hence the weather here was pleasant. Neither too cold nor warm. After a leisurely breakfast in the morning we went for a long drive to Suru valley. This meant a drive northward from our hotel along the Suru river. The land was green and a pleasure to the eyes. We passed a few small villages along the way as well as a hydro power generation station. 

There is nothing in particular to write about Suru valley except that it is a fertile land with fair amount of cultivation along the way. We could see small orchards as well as small fields. We could also see some people using small oar boats to perhaps cross the river or do some fishing. Children walking to school or playing near the roads was another sight. After driving some distance, we stopped at a place to take some pictures. After that we crossed a bridge over the Suru river and went around a village on the other side.

After spending some time thus, we returned to our hotel for lunch. In the evening we hired some local taxis to take us to the Hundarman village which is close the the LOC with Pakistan. We used the telescope there to sight our army stationed at various place on the mountains. We also saw the border where our army personnel were camping within a short distance from the Pakistani army. We also saw bunkers on both sides as well as small shrines used by the army on each side.

After spending some time here we returned to our hotel. A couple of us took a walk around Kargil town to do window shopping and get a flavour of the place. We were surprised to see people closing shops by 7 p.m. even though there was plenty of light. We went to a pure vegetarian restaurant / dhaba and were informed that they are about to close shop. We realised that people retire early here as they have to attend their evening prayers. We returned to our hotel, had dinner and also hit the bed.

One our our tour members (Lakshmi) was still feeling unwell and the hotel people kindly helped in getting a doctor to examine her and even arranged for a visit to a local hospital. The doctor made more that one visit and did not accept any payment for her services. She said you are our guest and it is our duty to take care of you. This was a very impressive gesture on their part.

The next day, Day 5, we checked out of the hotel after our breakfast and drove to Drass War Memorial. I can say that this was one of the highlights of our trip. The war memorial is maintained by the army to commemorate the bravery and the sacrifice of our soldiers during the Pakistani aggression in 1999. We went around the memorial and had goosebumps hearing the tales of valour displayed by our bravehearts. We saw the guns on display, including the famous Bofors guns, which were used to pound the enemy positions on the top the mountains. We were told that many of the mountains were reduced in height due the pounding. We also saw the Tiger Hill in the distance that was captured by a daring act of our troops.

We saw the busts of the soldiers who were awarded the highest awards for their bravery and courage. One of them was Captain Vikram Batra whose twin brother is an ex-colleague of mine. We also went inside the display hall which contained various articles captured from the enemy, the last letters of our soldiers to their family, the stories of the carious battles fought and won over the years etc. Later we also went to the place where the tombstones of some of our Martyrs are kept. We also saw an audio visual of the entire operation narrated by Amitabh Bacchan in his inimitable baritone voice. To say that this kindled a strong sense of patriotism in all of us would be an understatement. We realised the true nature of the sacrifice of our armed forces and our respect to them became stronger after this visit.

After this, we drove towards our next destination which was the Uley. We arrived late in the evening at our resort. It was very chilly at that time. We had to quickly wear our sweaters to cope with this. After some freshening up, we went for a fabulous dinner where we were treated like Royalty. The resort people took great care to cater to our varied requirement. More about the property and the locale in my next blog...

Leh-Ladhak trip Day 3

On Day 3 of our trip, we got ready by 8 a.m. with our bags all packed for the onward journey. Our last meal at the Angkasa Ladakh Resort, Leh was our breakfast. Our vehicles had come by 9 a.m. and after saying our goodbyes to the hotel staff, taking final pictures and  loading our bags into the cars, we were on our way.

Our first halt was at a Gurudwara called Pathar Sahib. Guru Nanak had come here and had converted a demonic man who used to harass the local populace by using a gentle & compassionate approach. The man tried to crush Guru Nanak with a large rocs by sliding it down from a hillock when He was meditating below. The rock became soft on touching the Guru and did not harm Him. Seeing this, the man realised that this was a great soul and sought His forgiveness. Guru Nanak instructed him to be kind and serve the people instead of harming them. The man became a gentle soul after that.

This Gurudwara is maintained by the army folks and is on the main NH1 highway. We went inside and listened to the Gurbani bhajan for some time. Then we came out and had a cup of delicious tea that was being served at that time. After some customary pics, we boarded our cars for the next leg of the journey.

Along the way, we stopped at a place which is famous as the magnetic hill. Here, at a particular spot on flat land, the vehicles automatically move forward even though the engine is switched off. It is believed that this is due to magnetic force of a hill on the opposite side. We experienced this first-hand but didn't wait much here. Further down the road, we came to the confluence / sangam of the Sindhu & Zanskar rivers. It was a beautiful spot. Almost everyone tends to stop here and enjoy the lovely scenery. We too got off our cars and took many pictures. It seems that rafting is allowed here during the months of July / August when the rivers have more water flow.

Driving down further, we came across a lovely carving of the Maitreya Buddha on a small rock along the roadside. An inscription here said that this was carved on the first century BC and that this Buddha was the successor of Gautam Buddha. Maitreya Buddha means one who shows kindness to all fellow creatures.

Along the way, we came across the beautiful Alchi Gompa monastery situated at a high altitude along the road. However, we did not go inside as we were hungry and there were no pure vegetarian hotels nearby. After driving some distance, we stopped near a roadside restaurant and ate some of the snacks that we were carrying. It was cold and the winds made it even more chilly. After a short halt, we proceeded and finally reached Kargil by evening time.

Kargil is the second largest town of Ladakh situated at a height of approx. 8000 feet above sea level. It is also the second capital of Ladakh. With a population of approx 1.7 lakhs (mainly Muslims), it is sitting on the banks of the Suru river. We checked into The Kargil hotel in the heart of the town, surrounded by residential houses on all sides. The rooms were nice here even though the location was not. We freshened up and went for a short walk around the town. It was congested and not well maintained. We came back after some time for dinner at the hotel. Dinner was good. There was a South Indian chef called Raju Nair who went out of the way to make us feel comfortable.

After dinner, it was time to hit the bed as we were exhausted and tired after a hectic day of travel and had to catch up on sleep.

Leh-Ladhak trip - Day 2

The Sun rose early on Day 2 and it was fairly bright by 6 a.m. As we were not used to the cold, we woke up leisurely and after getting ready went for breakfast at the restaurant within our hotel property. The fare was limited but very delicious. We had juice, fresh cut fruits, bread butter jam, some paratha, some Upma etc. Followed by tea / coffee / hot cocoa.

Raju, who was feeling unwell the previous day and had literally fasted & rested the whole time, was up and about having recovered. Lakshmi was still feeling down and everyone tried their best to cheer her up.

After breakfast, we went in the three cars for some sight seeing. The first was Stok Palace which was a half hour drive away. On the way, we had our first glimpse of the mighty & holy Sindhu river. The Stok palace used to be the residence of the Namgyal dynasty of Leh for many decades. It is now converted into a hotel which captures the rich heritage of Ladhak. The location was very scenic but the palace was closed for renovation. We were not allowed inside even for a quick glimpse and had to be content to walk around the compound and take pictures outside.

After this we went to the Matho Monastery which is located about 26 kms from Leh. It was an impressive structure which must have once been inhabited by thousands of monks. There were multiple places for worship and reading of scriptures. However, the place was literally deserted when we arrived. We went around the monastery, took pictures, read the inscriptions etc. before coming back to our vehicles to head for our next destination.

About 30 minutes drive away was the Leh Palace which is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful heritage structures of Leh. Built over 3 years using local materials in the 1600s by Sengge Namgyal, it is a 9 storeyed structure with hundreds of rooms & wide balconies. Some of our team members decided to stay put near the entrance daunted by the number of floors to climb. Some of us went up and had the fortune of seeing the exhibition as well as the audio visual describing the history of the palace. Many of the rooms are locked and out of bounds for visitors due to security & safety reasons. The Palace is being restored to its original glory to showcase this marvel the World.

After this visit, we decided to go back to our hotel for some lunch and rest. The drivers were given the day off after dropping us back. After a simple yet sumptuous lunch, we took some rest. This was essential to get fully acclimatized. In the evening, we played some cards inside our rooms. Later we had an early dinner before retiring for the night.

Thus ended Day 2 of out stay at Leh.

Leh-Ladhak trip Day 1

Five couples from our yatra group decided to go to Leh-Ladhak in May of 2023 and this blog captures the day 1 of the trip.

We left early morning to catch out 7.20 a.m. direct flight to Leh. In the last minute rush, Raju has left behind his sling bag containing his medicine and we had to turn back to retrieve it. Fortunately due to empty roads at that hour, we still reached well on time for our check in.

Flight took off on time and the 2.20 minutes flight was smooth. We had some Theplas carried by Raju and hot tea on the flight. As we neared Leh, we could see beautiful snow capped mountains welcoming us. The Leh Airport is run by defence personnel and photography is strictly prohibited here. We did manage to get a group picture inside the baggage hold area as well as outside the airport.

We were received by Mr. Wangyal, from our tour operator's team, who welcomed us with traditional & colourful Ladhaki neck scarfs. It is supposed to bring good luck to the visitors.

The temperature at Leh when we landed at 9.45 a.m. was 9°C which was quite a change from the 27°C at Mumbai when we departed at 7.20 a.m. We had to wear one layer of warm clothing at least to cope with this. Luckily it was sunny and bright bringing us some cheer in the cold weather.

Leh is situated at an altitude of nearly 12000 feet above sea level. It is one of the two capitals of the state of Ladhak. The other being Kargil which was part of our itinerary later during the trip. Leh has a population of roughly 3 lakhs which comprises of 45% Muslims, 40% Buddhists and the rest are from various religions.

We got into 3 Innovas and were driven to our hotel - Angkasa Ladhakh Resort. It was a short drive of about 25 minutes from the airport. The resort is located in the area of the model village Saboo. The property is well furnished and modern and yet has an old world charm in the form of cottages. It has a total of only 16 rooms and is only a year old.

We were received by the owner Mr. Dorge who also welcomed us with traditional Ladhaki good luck pure white neck scarves. He also gave us some advice on dos & don'ts for the first couple of days to help us acclimatize well.

After a cup of coffee at the reception, we went to our respective rooms and after some time assembled in a room to chat & decide on the plans for the day. Unfortunately, couple of our members faced health problems (nausea, breathlessness, headache etc.). So, we decided to take it easy on Day 1. We had a light lunch of Dal Kichadi, mix vegetables, plain rice, dahi and roast papads.

After that we spent some time chatting and in the evening four of us decided to go to the market area to look it up while the rest remained at the property to rest.

The market was nice. No vehicles allowed. Very few people in the streets as compared to the mass rush at Mumbai. We did quite a bit of window shopping in various shops selling local & Kashmiri artefacts. We were accompanied by Mr. Wangyal who acted like a local guide and answered all our questions while giving his own perspective of things. We also visited a monastery near the market where our guide gave us good insights into the Buddhist way of worship. Later, we had tea at a local nukkad shop before returning to our hotel.

In the night we had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel where the owner was celebrating his 2 year old son's birthday. We also were treated to the birthday cake. Dinner was skipped by the two group members (Raju & Lakshmi) who were resting.

After dinner we retired early as all of us were tired and wanted to catch up on our sleep. It was the end of a hectic and tiring first day of our Leh-Ladhak trip.

Jammu - Himachal Yatra (Part 10 of 10)

The last day of the yatra (31st May, 2022) started like all other days. Before I describe the day, let me give you a brief description of the hotel where we were staying - Anand at the Sutlej. It is one of the premium properties in Sri Anandpur Sahib. We got to know about this property from various hotel booking sites and were impressed by its ratings of 4.5 out of 5. The pricing of the property is also premium which we were OK with as it was the last leg of a strenuous and long yatra. 

The property is located a few kilometers away from the main Gurudwara just besides the river Sutlej (or one of its streams). All residences in the property are in form of cottages - either one bedroom or two bedroom plus a hall. The rooms are well furnished but has a rustic feel when it comes to the walls, flooring, ceiling etc. The furniture also are not the modern plush variety but rather like vintage stuff. The food served was decent but service was slow and quantity was a challenge - a few times they went out of stock of an items which everyone liked.

The sound of birds was always there and we could see / hear a variety of birds. The early mornings were especially beautiful as it was cool and the silence interrupted by the call of the birds was pleasing. Evenings were not as good as there were many mosquitoes and other insects to disturb us besides the heat. The flowering plants, the fruit bearing trees and the other vegetation of the farms were nice to behold. Overall, this place is worth a visit, although slightly expensive, especially in the winter or rains.

On the last day of the yatra, we had a good breakfast as always, packed (rather cramped) our luggage into our vehicles and began our ride towards Chandigarh. We were forced to keep all 20+ pieces of luggage inside the vehicles due to some local rules as explained by our drivers. We first drove towards Mansa Devi temple at Panchkula. The drive was long and at times through uneven roads. We arrived in the peak of the hot afternoon at this temple. Constructed by Maharaja Gopal Singh about 200 years ago, the complex spreads over an area of about 100 acres. It is considered and important shrine for worshipping Devi in Shakti form. A hundred meters away is another attractive temple called the Patiala temple.

We had to climb up one storey to reach the main temple. As the crowd was less at that time, we had a comfortable and easy darshan. We also visited a small Shiva temple in the premises and offered water to the Lingam. Some of us also visited the Patiala temple. As it was getting very hot, we rushed back to the vehicles. Some of us had sugarcane juice near the parking area and left immediately for the airport.

Arriving at the airport a little early, we checked in and had something to eat at the lounge there. Our flight was direct to Mumbai and arrived before time, much to our delight. 

Thus ended one of our longest, most hectic & tiring but satisfying yatra which was focussed on visiting Devi temples and Shakti Peethams. Hope you enjoyed the virtual journey and feel free to comment with your thoughts as well as questions, if any.

See you here again after the next yatra.

Jammu - Himachal (Part 9)

It was Amavasya on 30/05/22 the 9th day of our trip. Most of us did our tarpanam at our hotel property in which our group was the only guests. It was quite a sight to see dhoti clad brahmins doing tarpanam in the morning hours. It almost seemed like a Agraharam at Sri Anandpur Sahib. That day the hotel chef was instructed that all meals should be "Jain" meals only. So, we had nice upma and Puri bhaji for breakfast along with usual accompaniments like cut fruits, porridge and tea / coffee. 

In the morning we discovered that our two vehicle drivers had left in the night along with the vehicles without informing any of us. Apparently, they were unhappy with the property staff not treating them well or that the quarters given to them was not good enough. So, our co-yatri who had made the arrangements for transportation for the yatra, Narayan, called the people concerned. They were apologetic and substituted with 2 Innovas & a sedan car at the same price. We were happy to get better & more comfortable vehicles. We made groups of 4,5 & 6 yatris to occupy the vehicles.

We first went to Naina Devi temple. This is another Shakti Peetham at Himachal which is about 25 kms away from Sri Anandpur Sahib. The eyes of Goddess Sati are believed to have fallen at this spot. There are a few other stories associated with this sthal (place). One of them is that a Gujjar boy who was grazing his cattle at this spot saw that a white cow was showering milk from her udders on a stone. He observed this for several days and one day the Goddess appeared in his dream and told him that the stone is actually Her pindi. He informed about this to the local king Raja Bir Chand who built a temple here. Yet another story goes that the demon Mahishasur who was killed by the Devi at this spot and his eyes were gouged out. The happy Gods exclaimed "Jai Naina'' and hence this name got associated with this spot. 

The road to the temple was winding and uphill. We reached within an hour at the place where vehicles are parked. We were happy to note that there were very few vehicles which meant that there was not much of a crowd. There are about 130 steps to go up the temple. One of our co-yatris took a Doli to go up while the rest of us walked. Along the walkway, there were several shops selling prasad offerings, some selling eatables, juices etc. like it is in every typical temple area. We bought some prasad articles as well as a small silver pair of eyes which are offered to the Devi. 

Once we reached the temple, we could see that there was a small number of devotees. The queue was not more than 10 minutes long. Once inside, we could make our offerings to the Devi through the priest and collect the prasad. After we came out we went to a nearby small Shiv temple and offered water to the Lingam. We then took our pictures for remembrance of our visit. On the way back, I saw a langar (free meals) and had a token meal there. It was very simple yet very tasty. 

After returning to the parking area, we took the vehicles back to Sri Anandpur Sahib and visited the famous Gurudwara there. This is one of the most sacred places for the Sikh religion as this is where the last two Gurus (Guru Tej Bahadur Singh and Guru Gobind Singh) lived. This is also the place where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. The city is home to Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Third of the five Takhts in Sikhism.

It was extremely hot when we reached the Gurudwara. The vehicles dropped us at a place close to the entry point. By walking a couple of hundred meters, we were inside the Gurudwara. It is a lovely pure white structure. Looks striking from a distance. The air was sombre and devout. All of us had to cover our heads with some cloth while going inside. We could purchase and carry some halwa as an offering which is collected by the authorities near the entrance and this is distributed to all devotees who come on their way out. Inside, there is a continuous chanting of the hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib. It was pleasing and melodious. 

Basically, they propound the philosophy of the Gurus in the form of songs which devotees can reflect, introspect and imbibe in their lives. After spending some time inside, and witnessing a change of the people who sing the hymns, we came out. We took some pictures of the stunning place. A few of us went and partook in the langar which consisted of a simple meal of rotis, dal, rice and a sweet. Rest of us had refreshing sweet water outside. 

A view of "Anand at the Sutlej" at dusk time

Then we came back to our vehicles and returned back to our hotel. On the way, we asked the hotel to keep a simple jain lunch for those who had not eaten at the langar. We stayed in our air conditioned rooms during the afternoon venturing out only after the Sun had come down and was no longer blazing. The evening was spent exploring the place. They have a farm, as mentioned in a previous blog, and also a Gaushala. The hotel keeps on playing the Gurubani over the p.a. system throughout the day. We also took some nice pictures of the place. The evening ended with a nice dinner.

Jammu - Himachal Yatra (Part 8)

29th May, 2022, the 8th day of our yatra, we were actually coming down from the mountains to the plains. We left after breakfast at our hotel around 9.15 a.m. A few of us went to Agarwal Pure Veg for the last time. The Posh hotel is actually owned and run by a Kashmiri Muslim. He was a pleasant person. Soft spoken, humble and decent. Apparently, his family owns a few hotels in Kashmir but he branched out almost 2 decades ago when the local troubles started against the Hindu community which he calls is a purely political activity to grab power. He says he is happy in Himachal which is peace loving and away from the violence of Kashmir.

Maa Devi Chintpurni

Our co-yatri Raju did an excellent job as always in taking care of the luggage and tipping the hotel personnel for their services. Within a short while, we had said our goodbyes and left MG. Our first destination of Chintpurni was about 71 kms away, in the same road that we had taken the day before to visit Jwala Mukhi. After a brief halt on the road for some tea for the drivers, we reached by a little after noon. It was sweltering hot in the bustling town. We could see some nice hotels / restaurants, rest houses and a Langar hall in the town. We were directed by the police to a parking place from where we had to walk nearly a kilometer to reach the temple. The walk was on a poorly maintained road which gave us no shelter from the Sun who was blazing in all fury at that hour.

Chintpurni Devi is yet another Shaktipeeth which represents the severed head of Devi Sati which fell down here after Her dead body was cut by Lord Vishnu with His Sudarshan Chakra. It is thus considered as one of the most important of Shakti Peeths.  The Goddess residing in Chintpurni is also knows as Chinnamastika. As per Markandeya Purana, after the Goddess Chandi defeated the demons after a fierce battle, Her yogini emanations were still thirsty for more blood and the Goddess cut off Her own head to quench the thirst of Jaya & Vijaya. She is believed to help the sincere devotee to dissolve his / her own mind, including all preconceived ideas, attachments and habits into the pure divine consciousness. Cutting off Her own head signifies the separation of the mind from the body. People come here with their worldly concerns or chinta and, the wishes of those who come with a pure heart are granted.

The queue to reach the temple was very long and spilled on to the road we were walking on towards the temple. There must have been a few hundred people on the line waiting patiently in the Sun. Being a Sunday, the numbers were 3-4 times the normal crowd. We asked some people returning from darshan as to how long it will take for darshan and if there was some way to get in quickly. We were told to stand near the main gate and that some tout will help us. Accordingly, we went to a shop in front of gate 1 and enquired there for a quick darshan. The shopkeeper called one of the priests inside the temple and made arrangements for us to get entry from a special door. Although we felt bad about doing this, we had no option for we had to proceed further to another destination after this. Moreover, we were a group of mainly senior citizens and spouses which meant we could take some concessions without feeling too guilty.

The priest's brother came to the shop from where we bought some prasad to offer to the Devi. He then made us wait at a separate gate which too was very crowded and looked impossible to breach. After about 15 minutes, he took us to another gate where we were allowed inside. From there we had to climb up a couple of storeys to reach the main area of the temple. We were allowed to join the queue very near the sanctum (something similar to Jwala Mukhi) from where the darshan took hardly 10 minutes. We had to wade through the crowd of devotees each pushing and jostling one another to reach the front. The main darshan lasted for less than a minute. The Devi was fully covered and Her head was near the feet area. Our priest asked us to look at the eyes which we did. He gave our offering inside and gave us a small packet of prasad in return. 

After circumambulating the sanctum, the priest took us to the side of the temple and gave each of us a one rupee coin to keep in our safe back at home as a prasad from Chintpurni Devi. He also gave us some halwa (sweet) which we were asked to consume there itself. As per local customs, one is not supposed to take the halwa away from the temple. One thing we noticed in every Shaktipeeth & Devi temple in Himachal was that the place is guarded by Hanuman and Bhairav.

 After this we took our pictures for memory and returned back to our vehicle. Due to the excessive heat, most of us were only thirsty and didn't have any appetite for lunch. We had some sugarcane juice at Chintpurni and on the way from there, we stopped at a restaurant for some more light snack / juices / buttermilk.

Our next destination was the holy city of Sri Anandpur Sahib which was 88 kms away. As it was in the plains, the drive was faster. We saw the beautiful river Sutlej on the way as well as the famous Bhakra Nangal dam. As we arrived at the holy city, it was nearly 5 p.m. Our hotel was a unique property situated off the main city on the banks of the river Sutlej. The hotel's name is "Anand at the Sutlej". As there is no clear approach road or signage to reach the hotel, we were lost for a little while in the middle of a local village where we could see the small farms being tended to. After some time, we were guided by a man and reached the hotel where we were greeted warmly by the hotel staff.

This property spread over a large area comprises entirely of cottages with green well maintained lawns and even a small farm within. It turned out that we were the only guests in the property on that day. After freshening up, we had a round of tea & snacks. Later, after finishing our evening prayers, we had dinner which was cooked exclusively for us. The food took some time coming and service was slow. After dinner, we went into the confines of our air-conditioned rooms for a well deserved rest & sleep.

Jammu - Himachal Yatra (Part 7)

Yellow was the theme

Our first dawn at McLeod Ganj (MG) was early as in Dalhousie nearly as beautiful. I had a room with a view of the mountain facing the east side. As the mountain was huge, the Sun came to view much later after the Sunrise. As it was warmer here, some of us managed to wash a few clothes in the morning and left it to dry. Breakfast at The Posh was good but some of the yatris preferred to go to a nearby restaurant called Agarwal Pure Veg. The food service starts here late (by 8.45 a.m.) and there are only 4 tables here too. The quality of food was really excellent.

By 9.30 a.m., we left for our first destination which was a Shakti Peetham called Jwala Mukhi. Most of us were dressed in yellow or similar shades as we were told that it is the custom in one of the temples we were to visit that day. Jwala Mukhi was about 58 kms from our hotel and the ride lasted almost 2 and quarter hours. The route was very warm almost bordering on hot once we left the cooler climes of MG. It was nearly noon at Jwala Mukhi where a long queue awaited us. We had to walk nearly 700 meters slightly uphill from the vehicle drop area to reach the temple. 8 of us walked while about 7 took a local autorickshaw.

The Perpetual fire 

Jwala Mukhi temple is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths of India situated in the lap of the Shivalik range of Kangra valley. It is believed to have been the first temple built by the Pandavas and is dedicated to the Goddess of Light. Sati's various body parts which had fallen in different places became ShaktiPeeths and this place is where her tongue fell. There is no deity or idol that is worshipped here. 

The queue outside the temple was virtually not moving due to aarti going on inside and the heat became unbearable. After some time, I went to a nearby shop to buy some water and prasad offerings. The shopkeeper told me that he can arrange a quick darshan for us by talking to a priest who will take us inside from a side door in exchange for some consideration. A deal was done, a phone call was made and soon a young priest appeared before us and escorted us to a small waiting hall which had a number of paintings and idol of the Devi.

Outside Jwalamukhi temple

After the aarti got over the regular queue started moving and he took us along with some other devotees and made us join the que near the entrance of the temple. As is the situation in most Indian temples, people go inside temples in a disorderly manner, shouting loudly praises of the Deity, carrying their offerings above the head and almost causing a stampede like atmosphere. We managed to go in after a short while and had the darshan of Jwala ji which is an eternal fire coming out of a rocky pit-side. The source of the fuel for this fire is unknown and it is always burning. In the pit a few priests stand and accept the offerings and return the prasad to the devotee. There is also yet another eternal fire on a side wall. The temperature inside the sanctum was very hot. 

Bagala Mukhi temple

After this darshan, we paid dakshina to the priest, took some photos and returned down to the parking area. On the way, we had some cool drinks and did some minor purchases from the shops. After we boarded the vehicle, we travelled for some distance back towards MG. On the way, we stopped at a pure vegetarian dhaba for lunch. The place was deserted till we came but on seeing us, some more vehicles stopped. The food was cooked only after we gave our order. It was fresh, tasty and very cheap. The meal for 15 persons plus tips was only Rs. 2400.

Havan in progress

10 kms from this place, we arrived at the Bagala Mukhi Devi temple also known as Pitambari Devi. This is a Siddha Peeth which is believed to be one of the 10 Mahavidyas  created to destroy evil. Yellow is the favourite color of the Devi and the entire temple is painted yellow. Devotees wear yellow dress, offer yellow desserts to the Deity.This Devi is worshipped to win over the heart of ones beloved and to defeat enemies.

It was mid afternoon and therefore very hot when we reached here. Fortunately, there weren't many people in the que. Within 15 minutes, we got the darshan of the Devi and stepped out of the Sanctum. About 3 large havans were being conducted just outside the temple. The fire from the havans and the heat from the overhead Sun made a deadly combination. After taking pictures, we went to the parking area and boarded the vehicle for our next destination. 

Bajreshwari Mata

The next destination was the Bajreshwari Devi temple which is another Shaktipeeth. This is also known as the Shree Vajreshwari or the Kangra Devi temple. The left breast of Sati fell here when her deceased body was cut by Lord Vishnu with the Sudarshana Chakra to prevent Lord Shiva from destroying the world with His Tandav dance. This temple was also built by the Pandavas who saw Durga Devi in their dream and were told to build a temple for Her.

Outside Bajreshwari 

The temple is beautiful and serene. We had to walk almost a kilometer through crowded market place to reach here. With hardly 20-30 people ahead of us, the darshan was comfortable and priest was kind enough to allow us to photograph the deity. After coming out, we took some photographs of ourselves also. Then we walked back towards our vehicle. There was a slight drizzle on the way which we considered as the blessings of the Devi being showered upon us.

Behind Bajreshwari temple

MG was at a distance of only 25 kms from here and we were thinking we will be well on time for some shopping near our hotel. The place is amazing and has a flavour of a country from the far east due to the large presence of Tibetan and other people of that side. There were many lovely small shops which we would have loved to explore. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. We were caught in a huge traffic jam just outside of MG. And as it was raining, we could not leave the vehicle to walk back. After more than an hour, the rains stopped and some of us walked back the 1.5 kms to the hotel. it was too late by then to think of any shopping. The rains as well as the altitude of MG made it pleasantly cool which was welcome.

Some of us skipped dinner and had fruits instead. A few others had a small meal at Agarwal Pure veg after waiting for some time to get a table. When we reached back, we found the clothes kept for drying had got wet in the rain which had to be kept under the fan during the night for drying. The next day, we were checking out of the hotel and proceeding down in the plains which was expected to become hot as ever.

Jammu - Himachal Yatra (Part 6)

Yet another glorious morning marked our last day at Dalhousie. Waking up by 5-5.30 becomes the norm in the mountains thanks to the brightness of the morning and the early dawn. Likewise, the dusk is equally brilliant and extends well towards 7.30 p.m. in Summer. The long hours of Sunshine gives ample time to explore the place thoroughly, if one is so inclined.

After yet another lovely breakfast at the Snow Valley Resort during which Vikram Singh, our waiter, did his best to give quick and efficient service, we were ready to check out of the hotel. Our co-yatri Mr. Raju Subramanian did an excellent job coordinating with the hotel staff and ensuring all bags were safely stored on the top of the TT as well as in the other luggage space available.

Although our next halt, Mc'Leod Ganj (MG) at Dharmshala, was a short 3 hour drive, we decided to leave early in order to see the local sights there. The drive was uneventful except that it got progressively warmer as we descended from about 2000 meters above sea level to about 1500 meters above sea level. We were in MG by 2 p.m. and checked into a hotel called The Posh.

Soon, we stepped out for lunch at a nearby pure vegetarian restaurant called Anand Dhaba. The restaurant had limited seating space (as do most places in MG). We squeezed 5 or 6 in a table and had the lunch. The food was ok and reasonably priced. The Dhal was spoilt and although the restaurant manager insisted that it was fine, he did not charge us for it. After that we returned to The Posh for a short break in the afternoon.

By 4.30 p.m., we were ready to go to our first halt which was the Swami Chinmayananda Tapovan Ashram at Sidhbari. This is the place where the Guru's Samadhi is also present. Sidhbari is about 9 kms from Dharmshala. The place is serene and away from the crowds. The ashram itself was immaculately maintained with lovely flowering plants all over. There was a nice Ram temple very near the entrance which we visited. After this, we hurried towards the Samadhi as they have an aarti at 6 p.m. There were about 25 devotees present there who were singing a nice song in chorus. After that, they had a small abhishek for a Spatika (Crystal) Shiva Lingam. We were thrilled to witness this being Pradosham time and day. This was followed by a short aarti to the idol of Swamiji and prasad distribution.

We left the Ashram and proceeded towards Chamunda Temple. This was the first of the Shakti Peethams we were visiting in Himachal. Chamunda is a short 20 minute drive from Sidhbari. It is set against the backdrop of the Dhauladar mountains with a small stream flowing alongside. The Goddess Chamunda derives the name from the two demons (Chanda & Munda) She slayed in the very same mountain. She is believed to be one of the seven Matrikas created by the Gods to destroy evil. There is a also a Shiva temple in a small cave under the ground for which one has to walk down several steps to reach.

We had a nice darshan at both temples and took photographs for memories. Then, we boarded our vehicles for the return trip to The Posh at MG. After a light dinner, we retired for the night. The next day was a long day to visit 3 temples and we had to rest ourselves for the long journey ahead..