My holy trip to Badarinath & Kedarnath

Visit to Badarinath & Kedarnath in May, 2011

We recently visited Badarinath ( one of spiritual Dhams & Kedarnath (one of the 12 jyotirlingas) yatra at the end of May, 2011. It was wonderful holy trip we travelled ever.

We planned atleast 2 months before and booked all our travel tickets. Before booking, we explore all options to visit i.e. through private taxies, buses and other modes. Finally we zeroed on Garwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) tour package, since it includes bus journey alongwith accommodation at night halts and tour guide (which is necessary to know the importance of each and every enroute place as well as holy places.

Garwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) has different packages listed on their website www.gmvnl.com.  We took the package of Rs. 9,000/- per head from Rishikesh-Kedarnath-Badarinath-Rishikesh which includes entire bus cost and stay in their Guest Houses at every night halt. So we started our journey from Delhi upto Rishikesh by Dehradun Shatabadi via Haridwar. It had two advantages- one most holistic purposes was achieved to visit Har Ki Pauri which was not planned otherwise, another is money saving. By finalizing tour trip from Rishikesh-Kedarnath-Badarinath-Rishikesh, it saved us atleast minimum Rs. 2500/- per person and we were 8 persons, which saved Rs. 20,000/- as a whole.

On 26^th of May we started from Delhi by Shatabadi and reached Haridwar by 11.30 am. Took bath in holy Ganga and took big tempo to Rishikesh at Devlok GMVN Guest House. The journey was to start next day morning and they provide one prior night stay at Rishikesh in the package. It gave us to have a visit to Rishikesh Ghat arti in the evening also.

On 27^th May, 2011 In the morning  our group of 24 passengers started journey upto Rampur making halts for breakfast, tea and lunch and stayed in their Guest House. Next day morning, half of the passenger were to go by tracking/horses/ponies etc. via Gaurikund and we were 12 passenger who had booked helicopter to Kedarnath. We all had a stay at Kedarnath through both the routes. There is usually a heavy traffic jams especially while reaching Gaurikund. Some people had to track reaching Gaurikund due to traffic jam.

It is very hard journey by tracking and even through horses or ponies. My advice is to get advance booking of helicopter which is costing Rs. 7204/- per person to & fro. Because ponies and horses owners also charge money heavily according to the weight of traveler. In many occasions, it becomes costlier than helicopter fare.

On 28^th of May we proceeded through helicopter. Helicopter yatra to kedarnath is thrilling seeing the valley beneath. We reached Kedarnath by helicopter at 3.00 clock in the evening despite of bad weather many a times there is a danger of cancelling of helicopter service due to bad weather, which may many a times have a danger to re-schedule the itinerary. But if you plan in early May, the risk of bad weather is very less.

Warm clothings are required at both the places, especially at Kedarnath where many a times mercury drops down even below 0 degree. So keep inners and woolen clothings intact to well protect from bad weather.

It was very chili at Kedarnath. At first instance on reaching Kedarnath, you have to book a Special Darshan which starts minimum with Rs. 3100 for a group of 5, since in general line there is always a long queue of about 2-3 hours and it entitles simple darshan only.  So the booking for special darshan starts at 5.00 pm. The darshan time is given for 15 minutes for 4 groups of 5 devotees in each group.  Here it is important to immediately get timing booked for Special Darshan queuing atleast 4.30 pm to get booking atleast in next early morning at 4.30 am. Because the booking of 15 minutes block is in descending order which may many times result to get timing in midnight disturbing whole night. 

So it is better to book Special Darshan queuing before 4.30 pm getting timing for next day early morning.  However if you have same day return helicopter services then there is immediate Special Darshan just you have show your boarding pass. So keep your boarding passes safe.

On 29^th of May we started return journey by helicopter from Kedarnath after doing special pooja in the midnight and reached Phata helipad, then to Guest House and proceeded for further journey to Badarinath by road. GMVN has GH enroute, so the journey was very comfortable taking rest during the holy trip staying at another points way to Badarinath

30^th of May was a day to proceed for Badarinath by road, it took us to reach Badarinath at 6.30 pm. Before reaching Badarinath, there is a halt at Joshimath from where one way traffic is manned. So it is better to reach at Joshimath in time because there are timings set to release each way’s traffic from Joshimath-Badarinath-Joshimath with a long queue of vehicles. At Badarinath, there is also a special darshan by ticketing of 501/-. At Joshimath, there is Shankracharya's Math. where meditation hall and Gaddi of current Shankracharya is established. We had meditation there in a group and were briefed about the history of the place by the priest demonstrating the crystal Shivling. Near Joshimath, it was beautiful place  named Auli which we could not visit due to maintenance work of ropeway.  It is Asia's longest & highest Ropeway (5.25 Kms stretch).

It is advised to immediately get the darshan ticket even before checking in the hotel or Guest house, because there is a long queue for general devotees of 3-4 hours as compared to Kedarnath, which may disturb your yatra plan. There is a hot water pond to take bath, can take bath who believe to do, otherwise it is not necessary, just go and see.

31st of May was a completion of Darshan at both holy places. Since it was a long and tiring journey, there was a halt at Pipalkoti as per their trip plan, so we stayed at Pipalkoti on the way.

Ist June, 2011 it was a day of return journey to the point from where we started in a group. By starting at 7.00 am we managed to reach Rishikesh by 5.00 pm visiting Lord Shiva's Kamleshwar Temple at Srinagar enroute which is known for blessings to childless couples.  We already had a Delhi Dehradun AC train booking which originates from Dehradun and reaches Haridwar at 12.30 night. We again visited Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar and picked up the train and reached Delhi next day  2^nd June, 2011 early in the morning at 5.00 am.

It was a ever remembering holy trip to Badarinath and Kedarnath, since it was in a group of likeminded 24 devotees (12 matured couples) in a bus. In the bus it was a mini family of mini India, since there were 12 couples from different parts of the country. We were 4 couples who started journey from Delhi.  Worth unforgettable holy journey having a taste of different kind of human nature, behavior and feelings of the trip members especially a couple Mr. Rao and Rani from south entertained group members with their talent in spiritual songs as well as filmi songs while we all were on return journey after completing darshan at both holy places. All members of the bus enjoyed and shared with jokes, stories and songs.  

Dr. Ramesh Kaushal

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