| Char Dham Yatra, towards Kedarnath, Day 19 |


Char Dham Yatra – Pilgrimage to the Himalayas

Day 19 – Towards Kedarnath

Having had the awesome Darshan of Gangotri, nobody wants to leave from here. The love of Mother Ganga and the beauty of Nature entices the heart and mind of every believer who comes here. The intoxication of Nature’s beauty and love is such. The love that one feels and receives from Mother Ganga and the sound of Har Har emanating from Her flow; enchants everyone’s hearts. Today everyone has a heavy heart because nobody wished to leave Gangotri for elsewhere but, there is also this joyful anticipation of the Darshan of Kedarnath next. Having loaded our luggage in the vehicles and hailed Mother Ganga with our Jaikar, we set off towards our next destination Kedar. We will also have Darshan of all the places that fall on the route from Gangotri to Kedar and know of their significance. Every heart is filled with a treasure trove full of memories, even as we journey ahead. Some are a bit somber and morose, while some others are busy chatting. The vistas of Nature and the Bhagirathi flowing by the side remind us of the scenes on our way up. Bidding goodbye to them we continue our descent. The eyes are turning moist as we recall Mother Ganga’s Love. Ganga is not merely a river. She is the embodiment of purity, fortitude & love that has emerged from the tresses of Lord Shiva. She is Love itself, that flows in the form of a river, as the one who washes away all sins. A thousand salutations to you O Mother. Hail Mother Ganga!

Tihari

After a long journey down the mountains, we have arrived at Tihari. Tihari is the district headquarters. Tihari is a beautiful place nestled in the mountains. Tourists come here in large numbers every year, for a holiday. This place is quite famous as a religious place too. The main town of Tihari is situated on the banks of the rivers Bhagirathi and Bheelangana. In the earlier days, Tihari was just a small village but the King of Garhwal, Raja Sudarshan Shah made Tihari the capital of his Kingdom and the kingdom came to be known as Tihari-Garhwal. However, the whole of Tihari was submerged in water during the construction of the Tihari dam. Many people and the nearby agricultural villages in the area were also inundated. You can see the Tihari dam from your vehicles as we are moving on the road; the dam that  contains blue water and the sorrow of an unknown number of people within. After crossing Tihari, we will have Darshan of yet another ancient temple endowed with the Divine powers, called Chandravadani. So, come let us have the Darshan of this temple and learn of its history. Hail Mother Chandravadani!

Chandravadani Temple

Our country Bharat is known the world over for its spiritual, religious & cultural heritage.

Known for the sacred Himalayan peaks, known as the land of the Gods, Deities and Sages, known as the abode of both Hara and Hari and the parental home of Mother Shakti, known as the birth place of the most sacred rivers Ganga & Yamuna and the dwelling place of the Yakshas (demi-gods), Kinnaras (celestial musicians) and the Apsaras (celestial nymphs), also known as the land of penance; graced and adorned by these and many other such titles and names, the soil of Uttarakhand, right from the beginning of creation, has been a very important and prominent spiritual and religious haven for Sanathan Hindu Dharma, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Uttarakhand, with its rich civilizational, cultural and spiritual heritage, has always been an enigmatic and thrilling destination radiating its refreshing and effervescent energy, to people from the world over. Looking at the tide of devotion that flows incessantly through the temples, monasteries and ashrams of Uttarakhand, the seed of faith and belief sprouts even in the atheists. The Chandravadani temple located on the Chandrakoot mountain of Tihari Garhwal is one among the trio of Devi temples (the other 2 being Kunjapuri and Surkanda) containing their energy. It is also one among the 52 sacred Shaktipeeth (Siddhpeeth) temples.

(To be continued .. )