Road trip across Garhwal...

 

A road trip across Garhwal in Uttarakhand offers an unforgettable journey through the heart of Uttarakhand’s breathtaking landscapes, cultural heritage and religious significance. It is often said that one can find peace here, just by looking at the mountains. 

To explore and experience the soul of Garhwal, we planned a 7-day road trip to trace the course of holy river Ganga, across Garhwal going through Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kaudiyala, Devprayag, Srinagar and Rudraprayag - each stop rich in culture, spirituality, and natural charm. Starting early morning from Delhi-NCR, as we drove away from bustling Delhi-NCR, the landscapes also started transforming from urban chaos to serene hills A stop in the way before Haridwar for a quick breakfast sets a perfect tone for the exploratory drive as follows - 

 

Day 1: Delhi-NCR – Neer Waterfall, Rishikesh – Kaudiyala

Day 2: Kaudiyala – Devprayag – Kaudiyala

Day 3: Kaudiyala – Devprayag - Jayalgarh – Dhari Devi - Rudraprayag – Tilwara

Day 4: Tilwara – Ukhimath – Deoria Taal – Guptkashi – Narayan Koti group of Temples - Kalimath Shaktipeeth – Tilwara

Day 5: Tilwara – Koteshwar Mahadev – Srinagar - New Tehri

Day 6: New Tehri – Surkanda Devi – New Tehri

Day 7: New Tehri – Rishikesh – Haridwar – Delhi-NCR

Around 5 hours into the drive, we were at outskirts of Rishikesh approaching our 1^st stop, Neer Waterfalls. Perfectly hidden on an offbeat road, the waterfall opens up like a khul-ja-sim-sim spot and offers a picture-perfect setting to enjoy the falls while exploring the surrounding natural beauty. 

Drive beyond Rishikesh turns photogenic beyond expectations with winding roads weaving through lush green valleys. Driving for another 40 km. we reached Kaudiyala, our home for the next 2 nights. GMVN Kaudiyala mesmerizes with its panoramic views of the mighty Ganga, rushing and roaring through the valley below. One can stand for whole day in the lawns, writing poems on the course of Ganga.

Apart from majestic landscapes, best kept secret is Kaudiyala beach. White sands and sprawling waters transport you into a fantasyland. It's a magical haven where children are bound to have an unforgettable time.

 

Day 2: Kaudiyala - Devprayag - Kaudiyala

Starting early gave us the time to stop to enjoy a cup of tea on the way. Devprayag is the spot where Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet and merge to form river Ganga. 

 

Merging of river streams with waters of distinct colours makes for a beautiful spot to rest and soak in the spiritual vibes. Know more about history of Devprayag and connection with Shree Ram.

 

Day 3: Kaudiyala – Devprayag – Jayalgarh - Dhari Devi – Rudraprayag - Tilwara

Approx. 90 minutes, Dhari Devi is considered as guardian goddess of Uttarakhand, and a lovely temple is in middle of Alaknanda River. 

Read more about Dhari Devi goddess, which transforms 3 times in a day per cycle of life - girl in morning, young woman in afternoon and old woman in evening.

 

Picking up a few freshly prepared Bread Pakoras from a small kiosk and we continued the drive to Rudraprayag, thus saving some time for exploring the spots. It took us around one hour to reach Rudraprayag, a small town nestled at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. Here serene beauty and a sense of divine calm awaits the visitors Check the dusky evening ambience - 

Apart from the confluence, hilltop Rudranath temple and Chamunda temple at the confluence is worth visiting. It is believed revered Sage Narad ji had prayed at this place and got Music knowledge from Rudra (Bhagwan Shankar). 

For the first time I came across a statue of Narad ji, spot is called as Narad Shila. 

By the time, we finished exploring the hilltop temples, evening had started to set, and it was the time to bid adieu Rudraprayag confluence and to restart driving to Tilwara, our home for next 2 nights.

 

Day 4: Tilwara – Ukhimath – Deoria Taal – Guptkashi – Narayan Koti group of Temples - Kalimath Shaktipeeth – Tilwara

 

For Day 4, my car had requested a break, so we hired a local taxi as there was a lot of trekking in the schedule. Right at 6 AM we were on our way to Ukhimath, around 35 km. from Tilwara, Omkareshwar Mandir at Ukhimath is the home of God Kedarnath (Shiv Bhagwan) during winters. As the first ray of light unfolded, we stepped into divine Omkareshwar mandir to seek the blessings of Bhagwan Shiv. 

After praying at Ukhimath, it was time to trek to pristine Deoria Taal. With such views, this road trip was turning into a soul-refreshing experience along the way. 

Deoria Taal is associated with times of Mahabharata. This is the place where Pandavas were tested by Yaksha by series of questions in order to drink water from the lake. Check out the pristine Lake -

Till date water of the lake is not used for any purpose by the locales. Post Deoria Tal, we started to Vishwanath Temple in Guptkashi which is considered as one of most sacred spots in India. Guptkashi means Hidden Banaras (Varanasi). After the battle of Mahabharat, Pandavas were praying to meet Bhagwan Shiv to get absolved from the sin of killing Kauravas (despite evil, Kauravas were cousins of Pandavas). However, Bhagwan Shiv did not want to meet Pandavas, so hid himself in this temple and took the form of Nandi and thus got disappeared. 

That is why the place got its name Guptkashi, gupt means secret or hidden in Hindi.

 

A couple of kms. from Vishwanath temple is the Narayan Koti group of temples. Narayan Koti means abode of God Vishnu. 

The only temple of its kind in the World dedicated to Navgrah (9 celestial bodies) and there are 2 temples dedicated to God Veerbhadra and Satya Narayan. Read more about Narayan Koti group of Temples.

 

Now the last spot of day, Kalimath Mandir was waiting for us. Little we knew that that this was going to be the most fascinating drive and spot of the trip. Check the views -  

Kalimath is the ancient & mysterious Shaktipeeth dedicated to Bhagawati Mahakali, as significant as Kamakhya Devi and Jwalamukhi Devi. 

Here instead of idol, a kund (pit) covered with a silver plate is worshipped. Read more on how Bhagwati Mahakali disappeared into the pit after stepping on Bhagwaan Shiv post killing demon Raktbeej. Sacred temple is located at sacred Saraswati River, locally called as Kali Ganga.

 

As night sets early in mountains, we had to return to Tilwara, but not before buying locally produced pulses (Bhat ki daal) and pickles from a local shop. We returned to GMVN Tilwara around 6 PM, closing a 12-hour continuous exploration of the fantasy lands. 

 

We spent 2 nights in Rudraprayag, an ideal destination for nature lovers, spiritual seekers, or anyone looking to find oneself. However, a couple of nights more could have been planned. But as Mr. Rocky says, there is always a next round. 

Journey Day 5 onwards - Coming up soon.  

 

About Garhwal:

Garhwal is a land, known for majestic mountains, sacred rivers, cultural heritage and religious significance. Garhwal and Kumaon makes up for 2 administrative regions in Uttarakhand. Garhwal is the western part and Kumaon is the eastern part of Uttarakhand. (About Kumaon)

Nearest stations are Haridwar and Rishikesh. Regular bus services are available from Haridwar/ Rishikesh to Devprayag and Rudraprayag. Better to get down at Haridwar station as most of the buses start from Haridwar.

By Train: Haridwar/ Rishikesh are connected to New Delhi with regular train services.
By Road: Devprayag is well connected by bus services from Delhi, Haridwar, Rishikesh and other nearby cities.
By Air: Nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun which is well connected to major cities by flights. 

Keep exploring Folks...