We were there for only one day and were allowed to go out till the evening to explore the city. In the evening, we were supposed to attend a training session conducted by our travel supervisors. We were put up in a three star hotel near the airport. Yatris (pilgrims) coming from various part of India were there. Our batch of pilgrims consisted of around twenty yatris from Karnataka. A small group had come from Delhi. All of us were set to start our Yatra the next day.

We woke up to a misty morning; the city was drenched in rains the night before. The local guides had told us that they would take us to see Pashupatinath Temple at around 9 a.m. We, three ladies (me, my aunt and my sister-in-law) wished to have a morning walk. We found a joggers pathway just in front of our hotel.

We found group of ladies wearing red and yellow saris walking up and down that path. Some passerby said that the pathway leads to the Pashupatinath Temple and the ladies were dressed up for Naga Panchami celebrations. As we moved back, we were tempted by a roadside tea vendor and we sat on the small cane stools before the vendor. It was she. Her name was Manju. As we were sipping the hot tea served in tiny plastic cups an old woman whose hair was knotted into a bun on top of her head came there, took another stool and perched there. She had worn a brown colored sari and was joined by another woman wearing similar kind of sari. As we greeted they smiled at us. Manju served black tea to them. They were conversing in Nepali Bhasa. In a few minutes, as we were watching, Manju offered a cigarette to the top knotted old woman, and the lady started puffing fumes!

The moment was like a flash of experience for us. I knew about Nepali men and women puffing Ganja (Marijuana). One can recall the song ‘Dum Maro Dum’ from Devanand’s film Hare Rama Hare Krishna! When we asked, the woman told her name, it was Velmayi. Earlier, on our walk, we had met another old woman plucking some tender herbs on the roadside. Whenever I recall this ‘flash of experience’, I feel like visiting Kathmandu once again to spend lengthy hours with these women to hear their stories!  

We took a round of the city in the noon. We visited Pashupatinath Temple. This ancient temple of Shiva is situated on the banks of Bhagmati River. It was crowded with women in bright hues. Saris in red, yellow and green combination, bright red lipstick, vermillion on the forehead, flowers to hair and bead necklaces…gleeful Nepali women in groups were seen everywhere. 

 Some were sitting before priests performing rituals, some were dancing in the temple courtyard, and some were standing in the long queue waiting for their turn to have a darshan of the deity. We were not allowed to take the camera inside the temple premises. So, I missed taking a picture of that ancient structure. 
 After that, we were taken to the well known Bouddhanath Stupa of Nepal. That evening we attended a briefing session about trekking. We were given down jackets; these are provided by the travels people for rent. They took 500 Nepali rupees. Next day, we were supposed to cross the Friendship Bridge at Kodari and reach Nyalam. 

 

Image Credit:Prajna LS

Route:

Lake Manas Sarovar could be approached by more than two routes. It is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region that is generally considered an occupied territory of China. Geographically, the lake is situated on the rugged Tibetan plateau which is a territory of China now.

We had booked 13 days yatra starting from Kathmandu, Nepal. One can reach the lake by road. So, it would not be a problem to reach Lake Manas Sarovar. The lake is connected by a smooth tar road on the Chinese side. It is called the Araniko Highway.

We took flights to Delhi and from Delhi to Kathmandu. Kathmandu is the base destination. The route we took was this: from Kathmandu to Kodari (Border), Kodari to Nyalam, Nyalam to Dongba, Dongba to Manas Sarovar. We stayed in Kodari, Nyalam and Dongba on the way to the lake. We had to cross the border between Nepal and China occupied Tibet (Tibet Autonomous Region) at Kadori which is located at about 115 km from Kathmandu.

Once after reaching Kathmandu the pilgrims will have to travel in a bus provided by the travel agency. Till the Chinese border we traveled in a Nepali travel bus and after crossing the border the Chinese guides arranged our transportation. That means the bus which carried us till the border will go back to Kathmandu and will come again the day when we return from the yatra.

The next step to be achieved after arriving at Manas Sarovar is the three day Kailash Parikraman. This is a tough job to be accomplished on foot about which I will write later.

Preparation:

The destination is located in the Tibetan Plateau which is known for unpredictable climate conditions. On the way to Manas Sarovar and in the three day Kailash Parikrama period be prepared for unexpected rains, sudden variations in temperature and heavy wind. More than that, the location is situated at high altitude. One needs to get acclimatized in those extreme climatic conditions.

The main difficulty is to manage ‘altitude sicknesses. Acute head ache, loss of appetite, nausea and fever may trouble you any time. Do carry a medicine kit along with you.

Do carry enough cloths to keep yourself warm. Dress up in layers. Wear thermals first. Then, wear your normal dress; it could be either salvar or jeans. Over that, wear a winter jacket (either a woolen sweater or a jacket). The outer layer should be a down jacket. Depending on the climate, you would be asked to take off warm cloths if it is hot.

A pair of leather (or woolen) gloves, 6 pair socks, winter cap, muffler, raincoat, torch, dry fruits, flask, a walking stick, sunglass, lotions, sports shoes with good grip are necessary things. You may buy these things in Kathmandu or in Nyalam. Go through a medical check up to assure that you are fit to take up trekking at high altitudes. A medical certificate is a must.

You are required to get a Chinese Visa and for that you need to have a valid passport. If you go through a private travel agency, then, the group Visa will be done by the travels people. Carry Chinese currency as much as you require and remember notes of rupees 500 will not be accepted in Nepal.

Start doing physical exercise (brisk walking or yoga) at least a month prior to the yatra. Take care as not to catch cold during that period that would make you vulnerable to adverse climate. Successful completion of the Yatra solely depends upon your health and will power.

Hear the experience straight from the horse’s mouth! I will start the narrative in the next episode.

[To be continued…]

I am not a travel buff. Most of my expeditions are of recreational kind, and family oriented trips. Love to sit and sip in a couch at a corner of my sweet home and I do travel through my mind, and try to reach across all depths of my inner world!

Kids do not listen. As and when they declare their holiday schedule, it has been mandatory for us to look out for various travel destinations. This year we were at Nashik during Deepawali vacations. The pilgrimage city Nashik is located in Maharashtra on the banks of Godavari River. It is at about 180 km away from my home town Aurangabad; about three and half hours drive in a taxi.

However, we decided to travel by train. We took the morning Jan Shatabdi express from Aurangabad that leaves at 6 ‘O’ clock and reaches Nashik at about 8.45 am. We had already booked rooms to avoid last minute anxiety and had hired a taxi for travelling around the city. We were there for only two days, next evening were back to Aurangabad by the evening train.

Nashik is gearing up for Maha Kumbhamela to be held in 2015. Everywhere in the city, we could hear the buzz about forthcoming Kumbhamela. A 13 km long flyover bridge has been built to control the major traffic. Maha Kumbhamela is a huge congregation of devotees to be held at river banks for a ritual bath. 

People belonging to all sects and traditions (not necessarily Hindus) gather at river banks for a bathing ritual that would be fixed according to Hindu calendar. This congregation takes place once in twelve years or once in six years. Kumbhamelas are held at four places in India: Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain. It is a kind of ritualistic Yatra in Indian traditions.

Nashik is one of those cities in India that houses a ‘Jyotirlinga’. The ‘Jyotirlinga’ lies inside an ancient temple. There are twelve ‘Jyotirlingas of Shiva’ in India and one among them is located in Trimbakeshwar near Nashik city. This is situated at the foothills of Brahmagiri where Godavari River originates.

As we had already decided, we moved towards Trimbakeshwar directly from the railway station. The temple is located at 40 km distance from Nashik city. If you visit the temple during hot seasons, say for instance during festivals or holidays, you will have to stand in a long queue for the Darshan. Since it was a holiday season, we had to wait for about two and half hours to get the darshan.

It is an ancient temple built by a Peshwa King. Visitors are not allowed to take photos. We were moved by the beautiful stone carvings on the outer portion of the temple. There was huge crowd that day, so people were pushing us for quick ‘darshan’ of the deity. The ‘lingam’ is said to be invisible there. Actually, what we see as lingam is a hollow.

Trimbakeswar is best known for performing ancestral rituals of Hindus. We see people performing various other kinds of rituals also, especially the Naga Bali Puja. We dipped our legs and sprinkled the water on ourselves in ‘Kushavartha’, that is the pond from where Godavari River takes its further course.

It is such a beautiful place that we wished to stay there for some more time. One can visit the place all through the day, so a visit during evenings or in the early mornings would be more pleasant I feel. We returned to Nashik thinking about spending an evening at the temple to enjoy the sunset.