Six
AT BADRINATH TEMPLE
Before the ascent for Badrinath started, on the right hand side mountain, work to channelise the waters of Alaknanda were seen to have commenced. On the right side also, a water channel was seen. There, on a large platform, heavy equipment was seen lying for fixing. These works appeared to be the part of a large project being set up to generate electricity. Our bus continued to move up hill. At last, we reached the top. At the top there was sufficient plain ground. There were buildings available for yatris. There was a bus stand. There were P.C.O.’s available. In a dharmashala, sermons were going on. The bus was parked in the compound of the dharmashala where all our buses and that of others were standing. We got down from the bus. It was 11: 25 a.m. and we were standing on the ground at 3411 mt. above sea level. Our companions were very happy to see us.
After that, we proceeded towards the Badrinath temple. On the way, we tried to call up Dehradun from a P.C.O., but in vain. We moved on. After crossing the mini bazaar we were just at the banks of the river Alaknanda. We crossed the bridge and the temple was visible at some height. The photograph hitherto seen on paper was now present before us in the form of an actual temple.
We purchased 'parshad' placed in the pan, for Rs. 21/-, consigned shoes to the care of the shopkeeper and went upstairs to offer parshad and prayers before the Deity. There was great rush. Movement inside the temple was very slow. The yatris carried parshad platters on their heads. Time for 'bhog' of Deity was near. The door for incoming yatris could be closed any time. Thank God, the entrance door was shut after we had entered the temple. All the devotees, standing jam packed were to offer prayers and parshad before the Deity through a single line. The pujari handled the parshad platter with a prayer to the Lord.
We stood for a while, with folded hands, before the Lord Badrinath, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The existence of the temple is also linked to the visit of Adi Shankaracharya. The pujari after performing the small ritual, exchanged some parshad and returned the platter. Lord Badrinath was honoured with embellishments and offerings from the devotees. Low intensity dhoop was lit on at various points in the inner temple.
Having stood at the feet of Lord Badrinath and having got His blessings, we got out of the temple with our platter of parshad. Outside, near the temple wall, another pujari was selling tulsi water priced at Rs. 10/- per small phial. Paramjit purchased one. The structure and look of the temple revealed that it was a very old temple. We stepped down the temple and went to the parshad vendor, returned his platter and put the parshad in a plastic bag. We then proceeded towards the hot water spring just at the foot of the temple. This kund of hot water actually had hot water spring, which was at a very high temperature. For bathing purposes a small tank was there, where several persons were either taking bath or sitting on its banks with their legs submerged in water. For women folk, a separate facility existed. It was a wonder of nature that by the side of the glacier fed river, there also smiled a hot water spring. After a brief stopover and having a look at the nature around us, we crossed the river over the bridge. A few snapshots of the temple were taken from the bridge, as cameras were not allowed inside the temple.
Behind the temple, the mountain appeared very rugged. Even around, the peaks were not so high. The mountains were also some distance off the river. It was a snow prone area. Here all businesses and the temple were closed by the end of September to reopen in the June of next year.
We waded back through the narrow bazaar. Some purchases were made as a token of memory of the holy visit. The P.C.O. booth was again knocked at but with no success. We reached the place where our buses were parked. The sermons were still going on, in the dharamshala. People who had been resting in the rooms of the dharamshala, were now seen roaming about in verandas. A good number of saffron clad mahatmas were seen at the spot. It was a test of perseverance and strong devotion that some mahatmas had come to Badrinath on foot all the way from their Ashrams. It makes a world of difference, if the journey to Badrinath is undertaken entirely on foot or entirely on a vehicle, which stops just near the temple.
It was lunch break. Khichri was being distributed. We got paper plates and had our share. The langar place was the veranda of the dharamshala. Having finished lunch, the yatris were asked to occupy their seats. All those standing outside the buses got in. The cooking hardware had been re-loaded in the buses. The buses were ready to move.
It was exactly 2 p.m., when we started our return journey from Badrinath temple. The buildings around, the kund and the adjoining mountains slipped into memory as we continued with the descent.
Now, all the seven buses were moving within short distance of each other, so as to maintain visual liaison. We passed along the Hydel works that were in sight from the height. By now the valley had become narrow. The road and the river ran almost parallel to each other. Nothing, except the sound of the vehicles and that of the speeding river water, was audible.
The vehicles stopped one after the other. We had reached back Pandukeshwar. All vehicles had to wait for the next 'gate' timing. After waiting for half an hour, the vehicles moved at 3:30 p.m. Within three minutes, we reached the Bus stop, Gobind Ghat, back which we had left in the morning at 9:10.
www.hemkundji.com
AT BADRINATH TEMPLE
Before the ascent for Badrinath started, on the right hand side mountain, work to channelise the waters of Alaknanda were seen to have commenced. On the right side also, a water channel was seen. There, on a large platform, heavy equipment was seen lying for fixing. These works appeared to be the part of a large project being set up to generate electricity. Our bus continued to move up hill. At last, we reached the top. At the top there was sufficient plain ground. There were buildings available for yatris. There was a bus stand. There were P.C.O.’s available. In a dharmashala, sermons were going on. The bus was parked in the compound of the dharmashala where all our buses and that of others were standing. We got down from the bus. It was 11: 25 a.m. and we were standing on the ground at 3411 mt. above sea level. Our companions were very happy to see us.
After that, we proceeded towards the Badrinath temple. On the way, we tried to call up Dehradun from a P.C.O., but in vain. We moved on. After crossing the mini bazaar we were just at the banks of the river Alaknanda. We crossed the bridge and the temple was visible at some height. The photograph hitherto seen on paper was now present before us in the form of an actual temple.
We purchased 'parshad' placed in the pan, for Rs. 21/-, consigned shoes to the care of the shopkeeper and went upstairs to offer parshad and prayers before the Deity. There was great rush. Movement inside the temple was very slow. The yatris carried parshad platters on their heads. Time for 'bhog' of Deity was near. The door for incoming yatris could be closed any time. Thank God, the entrance door was shut after we had entered the temple. All the devotees, standing jam packed were to offer prayers and parshad before the Deity through a single line. The pujari handled the parshad platter with a prayer to the Lord.
We stood for a while, with folded hands, before the Lord Badrinath, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The existence of the temple is also linked to the visit of Adi Shankaracharya. The pujari after performing the small ritual, exchanged some parshad and returned the platter. Lord Badrinath was honoured with embellishments and offerings from the devotees. Low intensity dhoop was lit on at various points in the inner temple.
Having stood at the feet of Lord Badrinath and having got His blessings, we got out of the temple with our platter of parshad. Outside, near the temple wall, another pujari was selling tulsi water priced at Rs. 10/- per small phial. Paramjit purchased one. The structure and look of the temple revealed that it was a very old temple. We stepped down the temple and went to the parshad vendor, returned his platter and put the parshad in a plastic bag. We then proceeded towards the hot water spring just at the foot of the temple. This kund of hot water actually had hot water spring, which was at a very high temperature. For bathing purposes a small tank was there, where several persons were either taking bath or sitting on its banks with their legs submerged in water. For women folk, a separate facility existed. It was a wonder of nature that by the side of the glacier fed river, there also smiled a hot water spring. After a brief stopover and having a look at the nature around us, we crossed the river over the bridge. A few snapshots of the temple were taken from the bridge, as cameras were not allowed inside the temple.
Behind the temple, the mountain appeared very rugged. Even around, the peaks were not so high. The mountains were also some distance off the river. It was a snow prone area. Here all businesses and the temple were closed by the end of September to reopen in the June of next year.
We waded back through the narrow bazaar. Some purchases were made as a token of memory of the holy visit. The P.C.O. booth was again knocked at but with no success. We reached the place where our buses were parked. The sermons were still going on, in the dharamshala. People who had been resting in the rooms of the dharamshala, were now seen roaming about in verandas. A good number of saffron clad mahatmas were seen at the spot. It was a test of perseverance and strong devotion that some mahatmas had come to Badrinath on foot all the way from their Ashrams. It makes a world of difference, if the journey to Badrinath is undertaken entirely on foot or entirely on a vehicle, which stops just near the temple.
It was lunch break. Khichri was being distributed. We got paper plates and had our share. The langar place was the veranda of the dharamshala. Having finished lunch, the yatris were asked to occupy their seats. All those standing outside the buses got in. The cooking hardware had been re-loaded in the buses. The buses were ready to move.
It was exactly 2 p.m., when we started our return journey from Badrinath temple. The buildings around, the kund and the adjoining mountains slipped into memory as we continued with the descent.
Now, all the seven buses were moving within short distance of each other, so as to maintain visual liaison. We passed along the Hydel works that were in sight from the height. By now the valley had become narrow. The road and the river ran almost parallel to each other. Nothing, except the sound of the vehicles and that of the speeding river water, was audible.
The vehicles stopped one after the other. We had reached back Pandukeshwar. All vehicles had to wait for the next 'gate' timing. After waiting for half an hour, the vehicles moved at 3:30 p.m. Within three minutes, we reached the Bus stop, Gobind Ghat, back which we had left in the morning at 9:10.
www.hemkundji.com
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