| Char Dham Yatra – Towards Yamunotri, Day 7 |


Char Dham Yatra – Pilgrimage to the Himalayas
Day 7 – Towards Yamunotri

Having had the Darshan of Shiv Mandir and the historical Cave of Maa Bhavani in Lakhamandal, let us journey ahead with zest, reciting Bhole Baba’s name in our hearts and enjoying the beauty of Nature all around. From Lakhamandal, we have now reached another beautiful village in the Himalayas called Badkot. Come, let us get to know of some of the special aspects of this village.

                                Badkot

Situated in the lap of Uttarakhand, is this beautiful town of Badkot. It is an hour away from Lakhamandal, on this route. More or less untouched by tourists, Badkot is one amongst the best kept secrets of Uttarakhand. Located in Uttarkashi district, on the banks of the Yamuna, Badkot is an important stop for all pilgrims traveling to Gangotri & Yamunotri. Small and beautiful, this town provides an amazing view of the Bandarpoonch peak along with a few other mountains of the Himalayan range. It is an ideal spot to take a break and rest. And, it is a place where you merit some spiritual experiences too! When you are in the very lap of nature, the need to see or remember anything else does not arise at all, because this form or perspective of Nature itself is akin to the Vishwaroop Darshan of the Lord in His Cosmic form. It is no less than an ethereal & spiritual experience. The trip through Badkot with it’s very serene and picturesque view, flora and fauna is very mesmerising. The monsoon season is the best time to travel to Badkot, because the earth radiates a unique splendor and aura. The majestic Bandarpoonch peak of the Himalayan range and some other grand peaks too are clearly visible from Badkot. Badkot is an ideal holiday and adventure destination because it offers several trekking trails. This quaint, laid back hill station is the ideal getaway for those who wish to flee from their busy lives. Badkot, along with the fabulous view of its vast landscape, also presents an awe inspiring morning view of the huge Bandarpoonch peak. The morning weather here is very delightful because the birds wake you up with their pleasant chirps and the gurgling river Yamuna then accompanies you on your nature’s walk and exploration. In the glistening apple orchards over here, you can also smell the fresh blooming flowers. Not just this, the scenic hill station is ideal for both adventure enthusiasts & pilgrims, providing all visitors with the joy of both adventure tourism & spiritual experiences.

On a pilgrimage to Gangotri and Yamunotri, Badkot too is an important halt for the pilgrims. There are many pilgrimage spots and ashrams in Badkot where visitors can receive mental peace & joy. They can also engage in sports like white water rafting. Every Himalayan region has it’s own charm & energy. When you go here, enjoy it to the fullest. From Badkot, we shall now depart for Hanumanchatti. So, having boarded our bus with spirited shouts of Jai, we drive ahead admiring the beauty of nature, hearing the sweet gurgling sounds of the river and its streams, intermittently experiencing both rain & sunshine, seeing the mountains nearby wrapped in sheets of green and the distant snow capped peaks of Himalayas, braving the ditches and the bumpy ride, stopping here or there and breaking into song & dance, cooking food together at some point and partaking of it, we arrive thus at Hanumanchatti, a place close to Yamunotri.

                       Hanuman Chatti

Hanuman Chatti is located at the point of confluence of Ganga & Yamuna. Situated 13 kms before Yamunotri, Hanuman Chatti is a very serene place, with adequate accommodation facilities. Hanuman Chatti is an ideal location to enjoy the natural beauty of the river and some town areas. The Hanuman Chatti temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. This is at a distance of approximately 286 kms from Rishikesh. In the Garhwal Himalaya region, there are two villages with this same name – Hanuman Chatti. This particular temple is situated near Yamunotri Dham whereas the other Hanuman Chatti is located near Badrinath temple. As such, the temple is quite small, but it is very beautiful and has a glorious past to it. This is the very spot where Lord Hanuman had embraced one of the Pandava brothers – Bheem and squashed his ego. Travelers from far off places visit Hanuman Chatti, as this is also a popular trekking point. Apart from Yamunotri itself, the two best trekking trails of Hanuman Chatti are towards  ‘Darva Top’ and ‘Dodi Taal’. Earlier, the starting point to reach Hanuman Chatti was a trek, but now there are roads motorable by jeep and thus, the distance has been reduced by 7 kms. From Hanuman Chatti there is a new road – Janki Chatti road that shortens your travel, but, trekking is a very good and memorable experience. Tourists and devotees travel to Hanuman Chatti in large numbers from the May to October period every year. You can also procure medicines, raincoats & other essentials in Hanuman Chatti.

Bheem was one of the Pandava brothers renowned for his strength and power. One day, when Bheem was passing through this route, he came face to face with an old monkey. Actually, in order to block Bheem’s path, Hanuman had spread his tail out and was squatting there in the guise of an old monkey. Bheem requested the old monkey several times, but the old monkey declined Bheem’s repeated requests saying he was too old and tired to give way to him. Bheem became very angry because of this and decided to take the matter into his own hands and started to move the old monkey’s tail. When, after several attempts, he still could not move the tail, Bheem was very surprised and he realized that this was no ordinary monkey. Then, with humility he requested the old monkey to reveal his true identity. It is only after Bheem’s humble requests that Lord Hanuman – a fully surrendered disciple of Lord Rama, revealed his true form & thus, this place has come to be called Hanuman Chatti, dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Now we move further ahead to Janki Chatti.

                            Janki Chatti

Janki Chatti is a religious place, 2 hours by road from Badkot. In Janki Chatti, there are plenty of scenic religious  places. The hot water spring in Jank Chatti is very popular among pilgrims who take a dip in the pure warm water.

Jank Chatti is located a few kms away from the Yamunotri temple dedicated to Devi Yamuna. Yamunotri is the most popular temple in this region amongst a few others in the state of Uttara Khand. People pass through Janki Chatti to come to Yamunotri. Tomorrow, we will cover the 6 kms journey to Yamunotri by foot, from here. This is the spot in Janki Chatti from where all devotees walk upto Yamunotri to have the Darshan of Mother Yamuna.

(To be continued …)