Skip to main content

THE CALL OF THE MOUNTAINS AT JOSHIMATH



As I stood there, my feet numb and mind lost, I tried to identify the majestic peaks all around, but in vain...stretches of mighty white peaks which appeared intimidatingly close. There were layers of clouds at different heights of these peaks...touching one and then passing through to  the next one. Sometimes a peak, high and white, would emerge out of the clouds to be right in front...and in a while, would hid behind a new set of clouds. The weather was chilly and temperature close to freezing. For about half a day, I decided to walk around this lovely town Joshimath, getting to absorb as much as I could....the interplay of the clouds and the peaks.


During one of my earlier trips to Uttarakhand a few months back...from Mussoorie and Dhanaulti..on a clear morning, all those peaks had appeared on a single  line from east to west. From the locals, I had gathered that the white chain of mountains at a distance included the likes of Swargarohini and Bandarpoonch peaks in the west to  the Nandadevi and the Trishul  in the east...and in between were the peaks of Gangotri...including Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Satopanth, Bhrighupanth, Thalay Sagar, Meru and Shivling. There were locals around, who claimed they could identify these peaks from a distance. Must be so, as they have co-existed with these mountains for so long. My untrained eyes had failed to identify the peaks and I had returned home with the aspiration of visiting the peaks close enough...

Next time, before my visit to Joshimath, I ensured reasonable research on each of the peaks of the Gangotri range of mountains. I was aware that most of the tributaries of the Ganga melted from their glacial origins of these peaks. The turbulent Bhagirathi, one of the two head streams, emerges from the Gangotri glacier at Gaumukh. The thirty kilometer long Gangotri originates from Chaukhamba peak and is guarded by the Kedarnath, Thalay Sagar, Meru and Shivling peaks on one side and the Satopanth and the Bhagirathi Parvat on the other side. The other head stream of the Ganges, Alaknanda takes birth from the Satopanth glacier which passes by the Chaukhamba, Satopanth, Janhukut and the Nilakantha peaks for about thirteen kilometers... before  melting into Alaknanda as she streams ahead to reach Mana and Badrinath. Another important glacier of this region is the Chorabari glacier of the Kedarnath peak. This glacier melts into the Mandakini river which flows for seventy kilometers before the confluence with the Alaknanda at Rudraprayag. 

In spite of all my  homework, walking on the narrow streets of Joshimath, I was  unable to identify the peaks to confidence. In fact, the realization dawned  that it would take months to get even the slightest understanding of these peaks and their glaciers and rivers. Nevertheless, the experience of such proximity with  these peaks was surreal. Hopefully, someday, I will get a chance to spend more time trying to decipher these enigmatic peaks, their glaciers and the origin of the mystic rivers. Hopefully, some day, I will get a chance to respond to the call of the mountains.



All around from the streets of Joshimath...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ANTWERP CENTRAL STATION

 As deep as I can peep into my past, I always sense very fond and nostalgic memories of railway stations. So many moments of  childhood began and ended in railway stations. My love for railway stations continues and whenever I get a chance I don't miss a visit into a station to experience the magical energy of the mixed sound of thousands of  fast moving footsteps and eager voices. European settings provide infinite moments to any traveler. Antwerp is no exception too. Like any other  European city with a strong medieval connect, Antwerp owns its history and legends. While it may take pages to write about Antwerp, let me restrict this post to the first landmark of Antwerp, its getaway - its very own train station, the Antwerp Central, located in Koningin Astreidplein, in the heart of the city.   The brainchild of King Leopold II and designed by Louis Delacenserie, Antwerp Central, with its stone clad structure and huge dome, has s...
20 comments
Read more

THE CLASSIC RIVALRY OF OLD ZAGREB

We stood there absorbing the beautiful sunset that Old Zagreb, locally known as Gornji Grad, offered. The February evening was delightfully clear and presented a view to remember. In front of us,  mingling with the red tiled roofs, dominated majestically the two famous monuments - the Zagreb Cathedral of Kaptol and the St. Mark's Church of Gradec...along with the bits and the pieces of the historic panorama of a thousand years.  Few centuries back, during the medieval period, when the region was not known as Zagreb, existed two hill top settlements - the Kaptol and the Gradec, separated by the then existing rivulet Medvescak. The Kaptol housed the Cathedral and was the religious center while the Gradec was home to the merchants and the craftsmen. It took the two settlements centuries of bitter rivalry before prudence took over and they decided to unify during the nineteenth century, thus together becoming Zagreb. The reasons for this bitterness were many ranging from s...
3 comments
Read more

LAKE TITISEE AND THE BLACK FOREST

Just about an hour's drive from the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen can take you to a different sort of forested mountain range...which dates back to the Roman era. Located in Germany's Baden-Wurttemberg and very close to the French border. and known locally as "Schwarzwald", this dark canopy of evergreen pines and firs block out most of the day light thus creating an almost dark effect within the forests. The cold fog adds to the aura making these almost eerily beautiful. Add to the setting, the well preserved medieval villages with their vineyards, waterfalls, hiking trails, castles and rivers. Not to forget that the Black Forest is the setting for  Grim Brothers' Fairy Tales. The tale of Hansel and Gretel took shape here. So did the fables of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty...in these forests and castles around.  At the heart of the Black Forest, sits cozily the largest natural lake of the region, with the name Titisee. With prehistoric glacial origin an...
1 comment
Read more