Chaukori - A Secluded Hill Station

When I made my first visit to Kumaon in October 1985 for Pindari Glacier trek, I was familiar with only a few places of Kumaon region such as Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet, Kausani as these were popular hill stations. In August 1993, while returning from Chhota Kailash trek, our bus passed through Chaukori when I got the first glimpse of the place which looked like a small hamlet. The place impressed me a lot. In July 2009, while proceeding from Kathgodam to Dharchula for Darma Valley trek, I once again passed through Chaukori. This time, despite the start of the monsoon season, I was fortunate to witness the almost 180-degree view of the Himalayan peaks - from Trishul to Panchachuli. The place had still retained a sleepy village atmosphere.  At that time, I had decided that sometime, I would like to spend a couple of days in Chaukori in a peaceful environment away from the hustle and bustle of popular hill stations of Uttarakhand.

In January this year, my son told me to plan a visit to some places in Uttarakhand during the first week of April 2024 to take advantage of the start of a long weekend. So, while planning the itinerary, I included Chaukori as one of the places to be covered which was my long pending dream. In our trip, I also included Karnaprayag and Rudraprayag which my son wished to visit to relive his visits to these places during our Kedarnath and Badrinath yatra in June 1993. 

The broad itinerary was as under:

Mumbai-Dehradun-Karnaprayag (1 night)

Karnaprayag-Chaukori (3 nights)

Chaukori-Rudraprayag-Kartik Swami Temple-Rudraprayag-(2 nights)

Rudraprayag-Dehradun-Mumbai.

After landing at Jolly Grant airport in the morning, we immediately took a taxi from pre-paid counter for Karnaprayag (185 kms). We reached Karnaprayag in the afternoon and stayed in GMVN. After some rest, we took a walk to Karnaprayag Sangam of Pindar River with Alaknanda River and thereafter took a round of the Karnaprayag market. 

Confluence of Alaknanda River (left) and Pindar River (right) with Karnaprayag town in the background.

The next day, we engaged a taxi to drop us at KMVN, Chaukori (156 kms). After some slow traffic up to Simili which was about 5 kms from Karnaprayag, the rest of the journey to Chaukori was smooth. On the way, we had a good view of Mt. Trishul and Mt. Mrigthuni about 4 kms before reaching Gwaldam.

Mt. Trishul and Mt.  Mrigthuni clicked from Karnaprayag- Gwaldam road about 4 kms before Gwaldam.

We reached Chaukori in the afternoon. The famed Himalayan view from the place was missing as weather had turned hazy. After finishing our lunch at KMVN's restaurant, we walked towards a place called Hanging Rock which is about 1 kms from KMVN. The walk is mostly through rhododendron forest. On the way, there were couple of bungalows under construction, probably homestays in the making. After reaching a meadow, we saw a flat rock on the right side which protruded in a deep valley. So, at the outset, it does not look like a hanging rock. But in all probability, it may look like a hanging rock for the people watching from the valley. It is said that from the Hanging Rock, one gets a better view of the western side of the Himalayan peaks which are not visible from KMVN due to tall trees. However, due to haze, we could not see any peaks. It appears that a further walk on the trail can lead to villages in the valley.

Our room in one of the cottages of KMVN, Chaukori.

Standing on the Hanging Rock. On clear days, Himalayan peaks are visible from this place.

We got up early in the morning to watch the sunrise on the Himalayan peaks. The sunrise scheduled for the day was 5:58 hours. However, the aroma of the sun rays started falling on the peaks much earlier, but the peaks were still covered by the thin layer of white cloud. It was only when the sun came out from behind the hills, the peaks' visibility became somewhat clearer. By 06:15 hours, the most of the western side peaks were covered with sunrays while eastern side peaks, mainly Panchachuli were still in the dark. It was only when sun fully rose, the eastern side peaks became visible.

Close-up views of left to right: Nandadevi, Sunandadevi, Nandakhat in front of them and Nandakot.

Wide angle view of the Himalayan peaks from KMVN, Chaukori.

Mt. Panchachuli group of peaks on the right, viewed from KMVN, Chaukori.

Himalayan peak view from the Viewing Tower of KMVN, Chaukori.

Close up shots of (left to right) Panwalidwar, Nandadevi, Sunandadevi, Nandakhat in from of them and Nandakot from KMVN, Chaukori.

I would say that while it was not the best view of the Himalayan peaks due to prevalence of haze in the atmosphere, nonetheless, it was worth a watch within the limitation, given the fact that for the next two days, the hazy and cloudy sky did not allow us to watch Himalayan peaks when we were in Chaukori. Probably, a short spell of rains in the evening would have cleared the haze in the next morning. 

Our day's programme was to visit Dharamghar Tea Gardens, Musk Deer Breeding Centre on the way, Berinag and Gangolihat for which we had hired a taxi. We dropped the idea of visiting Patal Bhuvaneshwari Cave temple as we were told that senior citizens should avoid entering the cave temple due to risk involved in negotiating the narrow and slippery cave with a couple of places having almost 75 degrees of gradient. 

After breakfast at KMVN restaurant, we first proceeded to Tea Garden at Dharamghar which is actually called as Simgarhi Tea Estate, about 12 kms from Chaukori on the Bageshwar side. It is a small tea garden on the roadside giving a splendid Himalayan peak view. We spent about 30 minutes inside the tea garden. 

Himalayan view from Chak Pipariya on the way to Dharamghar. Peaks from right to left are Maiktoli, Devtoli, Mrigthuni, Trishul and Nandaghunti (faintly seen) on left.

Dharamghar Tea Estate with Himalayan peak view in the background. Mt. Maiktoli on the right.

On returning from the Tea Estate and driving towards Chaukori, we stopped at the road end at Mahruri from where the 1.5 km of trails starts with a gradual ascend to visit Musk Deer Breeding Centre.  On the way, we did not com across anyone. The trail was well-marked. So, we reached the gate of the Musk Deer Farm in about 30 minutes which included the time spent for photography. The caretaker of the farm allowed us to enter the farm which is enclosed with iron mess all the sides as there is a danger of wild animals especially leopards for whom, musk deers are prey. The photography inside the farm is prohibited so is talking loudly. Since it was noon, musk deers were resting in their cages. One worker brought out a musk deer from the cage to the open which was in the size of a Himalayan goat. All the musk deers are kept separately, especially from the males as they tend to attack other deers with their two canines which are located outside their jaws. The male and female musk deers are brought together only during the mating season. Only the males have musk glands. 

Enroute Musk Deer Breeding Farm.

My impression about the visit to Musk Deer Farm is that authorities are reluctant to develop it as a tourist place. Visitors' movements outside the enclosures are restricted to only one side. They are not allowed to take a round of the enclosures. The reasons caretaker gave us were that Musk Deers are shy in nature and they get disturbed by the visitors. Also, the Park is located inside a dense forest where the frequent movements of wild animals have been observed. Our return from the park to the road end was faster as it was down all the way.

Our next destination was Berinag at a distance of 14 kms, bypassing Chaukori. When we passed through Berinag main market to visit Naag Devta temple, we found that the temple was closed in the noon for some renovation work. So, we drove ahead to our last destination of the day - Haat Kalika temple at Gangolihat which was at a distance of 24 kms from Berinag. The temple was established by Adi Shankaracharya and is regarded as one of the Shaktipeethas. The temple is located in the midst of dense Deodhar Forest and is dedicated to Goddess Kali. There was not much of a crowd, and we could get the darshan easily. The temple is well maintained by the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army.

A view of Gangolihat from the Haat Kalika temple road.

Way to Haat Kalika Temple.

Haat Kalika temple.

A beautiful structure in Haat Kalika Temple complex where the Akhand Jyoti is kept.

We returned to KMVN in the afternoon and had lunch at their restaurant. Rest of the day was spent in strolling around Chaukori. 

On the third and the last day at Chaukori, we had planned a visit to Birthi Waterfall which is about 65 kms from Chaukori on Thal-Munsiyari road. Ideally, Birthi Waterfall is a pit stop for those who are on a visit to Munsiyari. However, since we did not have enough days to cover Munsiyari as well in the trip, as a small compensation, we thought of spending some time at Birthi Waterfall. 

We got up to a hazy morning without any Himalayan peak views. It was a disappointing day for those tourists who had come to Chaukori last evening with a hope of watching the Himalayan peak view in the morning sunrise. After an early breakfast, we left for Birthi Waterfall in a hired car. It took about 2:30 hours to reach Birthi village. After paying the entry fee @Rs.20/- we started our steady climb of about 1 km to reach the base of the waterfall. The trail was a paved one with steps and the support of railings. On the way, there were a couple of tea shops. It took us about 30 minutes including the time for photography to reach the base of the waterfall. We did not get down to the base of the waterfall as the 10 odd stone steps were loose and risky. There was hardly any tourist at the waterfall when we reached. After spending about 15 minutes at the waterfall, we started return trail during which we came across a few tourists heading towards the waterfall. 

Ram Ganga River seen from the Iron bridge at Thal on the way to Birthi Waterfall.

Climbing to reach the base of Birthi Waterfall.

Halfway to Birthi Waterfall.

Almost at the base of Birthi Waterfall.

Video of Birthi Waterfall.

After a tea break at Birthi, we commenced our return journey to Chaukori which took about 2:30 hours. Instead of taking lunch at KMVN, we went to a nearby Paharan Cafe to eat Paneer momos with Coffee. In the evening, we took a stroll to the Himalayan Inter college complex and visited Mahakali temple located in their complex. With this, our 3 days of sojourn to Chaukori was virtually over. The next day, after the breakfast, we bid goodbye to Chaukori and proceeded to Rudraprayag by a hired car.

 

  

 

   

A Walking Tour Around Mukhba Village

In October 2022, my friend K Srinivasan and me had made a brief visit to Mukhba village (2620m of altitude), the winter abode of Maa Ganga. There is a Maa Ganga temple, almost a replica of Gangotri temple. Due to paucity of time, we decided to make our return journey from Harsil to Uttarkashi via Mukhba village, a 3-km detour from Sundar Homestay where we had stayed. During our 30-minute visit, we realised that there are lots to see around Mukhba village such as trek to Thui Top, walk to Bheem Ganga waterfall and to Markandeya temple etc. Even exploring Mukhba village itself which has some old wood-carved houses, will require at least one hour.  One can also visit Dharali village across Bhagirathi River by crossing the suspension bridge to see 'below the ground level', Kalp Kedar temple and spend watching the wide riverbed of Bhagirathi with water flowing close to the shore. Hence, those who are interested in exploring Mukhba village and its surrounding areas would require sparing at least 5-6 hours of their time.

When I got an opportunity to make a re-visit to Uttarkashi-Harsil-Gangotri in April 2023 with my son, I planned the schedule to give one full day to Mukhba village at the cost of sacrificing the trek to Lama Top in Harsil. The reason was that in April, the Lama Top would be snow bound making the trek risky especially the top 100m of trek. When we reached Harsil, we came to know that the snowfall in this season was the lowest during the last 10 years! Even on Sukhi Top which is at 3000m+ altitude, there was no sign of snow anywhere on road or in the valley. My son became interested in attempting Lama Top trek. We enquired from our homestay caretaker about the trekking condition on Lama Top trek. He cautioned us that though there is no snow on Lama Top, the continuous rains during the last two weeks have made the trekking path slippery which makes the steep descends on return from Lama Top trek riskier.  We gave up doing Lama Top trek and our planned schedule of a day visit to Mukhba village remained unchanged.

On the third morning of our stay in Harsil, we proceeded to Mukhba on Harsil-Mukhba road on the true right of Bhagirathi River. From the road one gets spectacular views of snow-capped mountains and Bhagirathi River valley. The weather was fine for a walk and the sky was free from the cloud. The two weeks of continuous rains and snow on the upper reaches have cleared the haze on the mountains with well spread-out snow than what I had seen in October last. This time, we took a short climb from the road end to enter the Maa Ganga temple premises (as against the short climb to the main gate which we took in last October visit). With snow-capped mountains and the blue sky forming the backdrop, the views of temples from all the angles were spectacular.

View of Bhagirathi River valley from Mukhba road.

View of Maa Ganga temple from the entrance to Mukhba village from road-end.

In Maa Ganga temple complex.

Idols of Gods and Goddesses inside Maa Ganga temple with priest.

Side view of the Maa Ganga temple complex.

Since the priest had come with the holy water to conduct pooja of Maa Ganga and other Gods inside the temple, we followed him and watched for a brief moment the pooja conducted by him. This was followed by Arati along with the sound of dole. We spent some time in the vicinity of the temple complex admiring the spectacular views of snow-capped mountains and Dharali village across Bhagirathi River.

Mt. Srikanth (middle) seen from Maa Ganga temple complex, Mukhba.

Dharali village across the Bhagirathi River with snow-capped mountains in the background. On the right is the suspension pedestrian bridge over Bhagirathi River connecting Mukhba with Dharali on Gangotri road.

The display board at Maa Ganga temple showed the distance to some of the tourists/religious places around Mukhba. The distance to the Thui Top was shown as 1.5 kms.  The pathways were through the Mukhba village. So, while trekking to Thui Top, we are also going to explore Mukhba village. On the way to our ascend to the upper Mukhba village, confusion prevailed as to which was the correct path which would lead us to Thui Top because there was more than one diversion on the way. The problem was that there was hardly anyone on the pathway to guide us. Many of the inhabitants of Mukhba village have shifted to either Uttarkashi or Dehradun. Most of them visit their village during the summer. We got a couple of people on the way, but they were confused with the place 'Thui Top' as if the place they heard for the first time. We proceeded ascending on the pathway without knowing whether the path we had taken was correct or not. Finally, we met one gentleman who appeared to be educated by his talk in pure Hindi which only a person staying in the town could speak. He told us that 'Thui Top' is pronounced by the local villagers as 'Shui Top'. He said that the distance of 1.5 km shown in the display board was wrong. He told us that it would take at least 3-4 hours to reach Thui Top and comeback. Instead, he suggested to visit Bheem Ganga waterfall which is about 1 km of walk and thereafter to Markandeya temple on return from the waterfall. Of course, we had planned for Markandeya temple trek after Thui Top trek. So, after halfway to Thui Top, we dropped the idea as we were not fully prepared for 3-4 hours of trek which required packed lunch and water.

Houses in Mukhba village. The ruined wooden house in the foreground is the reminder of the good old days of a prosperous Indo-Tibetan trading family. The house is now used as a storage place.

A newly constructed house at upper Mukhba village with a large open space.

Climbing aimlessly in upper Mukhba village without knowing the correct path to Thui Top. The idea is to ask someone at the junction on the top for direction.

View from Thui Top pathway. Maa Ganga temple in the foreground, Dharali village across Bhagirathi River with Mt. Srikanth in the background.

We reverse out direction of trekking and walked towards Maa Ganga temple side. We took a left diversion (right diversion goes to the temple) and walked more or less on the plain pedestrian path which took us almost out of the Mukhba village with no houses in sight. We could see a waterfall from the distance. Because of dense forest cover, the top of the waterfall was not visible. It is only when dense trees are out of the way from waterfall, it becomes visible. The waterfall is not huge but certainly a long one. In rainy season, it must be making a roaring sound upon its fall on the ground. The water flows below a cemented pedestrian bridge which gets again converted into a mini fall to flows on the pathway to Markandeya temple.

Bheem Ganga Waterfall, one km from Mukhba village.

The waterfall finally flows through a pathway to Markandeya temple and further falls on the right side to meet Bhagirathi River.

By the time we turned back from the waterfall, it was almost noon. Our next and possibly the last one at Mukhba was trekking to Markandeya temple which is about 1.5 kms from Mukhba road end. Since we were already on the pedestrian path leading to Maa Ganga temple, we could join the pathway to Markandeya temple on the way near the back side gate of Mukhba village. After walking about 200 metre from the waterfall flowing point, a right descend in a narrow pedestrian path led to the main pathway to the Markandeya temple. The shaded route was more or less on descend. The entire route gets uninterrupted views of snow-capped mountains. The temple is located at the shore of Bhagirathi River. About 500 metres before the temple, a cemented gate welcomes the visitors, and the temple becomes visible. With a huge snow-covered mountain in the front, the temple looks dwarf. It was around 12.30 p.m. when we reached the temple complex. The temple was closed probably after mid-day Arati. we did not come across anyone in the vicinity of the temple. 

The shaded pathway to Markandeya temple. Photo by Sandeep Kamath

View from the pathway to Markandeya temple. Photo by Sandeep Kamath

About 500 metres to the temple on the left at the shore of Bhagirathi River. The huge mountain opposite the temple makes it dwarf.

Markandeya temple complex. One of these temples have Shiv lingam.

View from Markandeya temple complex (Photo by Sandeep Kamath).

The story of Markandeya Rishi is that he was born with Lord Shiva's boon with a short life of 16 years. He was devotee of Lord Shiva. When he attained 16th year, Markandeya continued to worship Lord Shiva in the form of a lingam. On the completion of his 16th years, a representative of Yama failed to take his life away due to his power of devotion to Lord Shiva. At last, Lord Yama himself came to take Markandeya's life even though he had embraced the Shiv Lingam. Yama encircled his noose around Markandeya's neck which also encircled the Shiv Lingam. Angered by Yama's action, Lord Shiva emerged from the lingam and killed Yama to save his devotee. On the request of Gods, Lord Shiva gave back life to Yama on the condition that Markandeya Rishi remains at the 16 forever. Markandeya Rishi is supposed to have embraced the Shiv lingam at this temple. Hence it is called Markandeya temple. In the complex, there is also a temple of Annapurna Devi.

Markandeya temple from an upper slope to get the full top view.

On the dry bed of Bhagirathi River.

A look of Mukhba village while returning from Markandeya temple path.

A last look at Mt. Srikanth as we entered Mukhba from the gate of the road end for onward journey back to Harsil.

When we were about to complete the Markandeya temple round, we saw a man perched on his small agricultural field. When my son asked him whether we can get some tea, he invited to his house to have tea with him. The house was not visible as it was perched on 10-12 steps above the ground. His wife who was working in the field, served us tea with chivda. He told us that during Chardham yatra season, he stays in Gangotri where he does the business of lending on hire the blankets and razaai (quilts). 

A good time pass on Markandeya temple vicinity is the closeness of the vast shore of Bhagirathi River. I guess, the River is the widest between Dharali shore to Markandeya temple shore. The River flows in two strips in the middle leaving the vast dry bed on either side. My son was tempted to walk on the dry bed of the river which becomes like a beach walk after a km or so. Then cross the river at its shortest width to reach Dharali village on the other side of the river from where we can get in our vehicle to return to Harsil. I did not evince interest in his suggestion. Later, a person from the village told me that even though depth of the river is low, the uneven loose and slippery stones underneath the flowing water can be risky. 

We returned to Harsil via Mukhba-Harsil Road by 2.30 p.m. and had lunch at one of the restaurants on the Harsil market for a change even though hour homestay tariff included breakfast, lunch and dinner.

With this, our 3 days of stay in Harsil was over. The weather was very cold during our stay with a maximum temperature of 12 degree Celsius and minimum temperature dropping to as low as 1-2 degree Celsius. But the cold weather did not deter our activities due to a good sunshine most of the days. 

Visit to Nelong Valley and Gartang Gali - The Adventures of Two Different Kinds

In October 2022, during my rambling in Uttarkashi district, I had visited Gartang Gali from Lanka bridge on Gangotri road. This was the only route, a pedestrian path, till 1962 for people of Nelong, Jadhang and Naga villages to undertake cross-border barter trade with Tibet.  People of these villages had to carry goods bought from the Indian side markets through Gartang Gali pedestrian path which was the shortest route to the nearest Nelong village (around 30 kms) for onward journey to Tibetan border. Incidentally, this was the route which Austrian mountaineer, Heinrich Harrer used for his escape from India to Tibet from the clutches of British soldiers during World War-II. He spent 7 years in Tibet. 

After the Indo-China war of 1962, this route was closed by army and people staying in 3 border villages were shifted lock, stock and barrel. With Indo-Tibet trade on this route coming to a virtual end, there was a problem for the people of these three borders villages who were deprived of their livelihood. Government gave them free houses in Bagori village in Harsil Valley and in Dunda near Uttarkashi. They were given the status of scheduled tribe to get them preference in employment in Government and semi-government undertakings. They were also given the free ration and children were given free education. I understand that many of the current generation of family from 3 border villages are well educated and some of them have settled in Dehradun.

Since 1962, this pedestrian path has remained unused for nearly six decades. On this path, there is a wooden stairway of about 140m length which is fixed partly by cutting the vertical granite rocky mountain and partly hanging over Jadh Ganga River with wooden sleepers and railings. In 2020, the wooden stairway was repaired extensively by PWD, Bhatwadi and it was opened for tourists in limited numbers from August 2021. Depending upon the snow conditions, the Gartang Gali is opened for tourists from April to November. Tourists intending to visit Gartang Gali are required to register their names on the spot at the Forest Check Post near Lanka bridge with Aadhar Cards (or other eligible photo identity cards) and pay the entry fee of Rs.150/- per head.

After 1962 Indo-China war, the army has constructed a road from Bhaironghati (on the opposite side of the mountain from Gartang Gali) up to the Tibetan border covering all the three villages mentioned above. The road was opened in 1975 only for army and para-military forces. No civilians were permitted to cross the check-post at Bhaironghati for Nelong valley. Even the original inhabitants of three border villages were not allowed to visit their homes except for one day during the first week of June every year for conducting prayers at Lal Devta temple. 

From May 2015 onwards, the authorities have opened for very limited tourists to visit Nelong Valley up to ITBP Check-Post (25 kms of road journey from Bhaironghati Forest Check-Post). Initially, the tourists were required to use only Forest department's vehicles (4-wheel drive) each carrying not more than 4 persons and not more than six vehicles a day. With the improvement in the road condition, one can travel in their own/hired SUVs. Overnight stay in Nelong Valley is not allowed. 

Drive to Nelong Valley - April 03, 2023

I was keen to travel to Nelong Valley in my last October 2022 visit. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the cumbersome procedure for obtaining a permit from Sub District Magistrate, Uttarkashi which may take 2-3 days because of multiple agencies involved in the clearance of permit. So, I abandoned the plan of visiting Nelong Valley at that time.

A window of opportunity came to me when my son showed a keen interest in replicating my October 2022 visit to Uttarkashi district during the first week of April 2023. My friend, Tilak Soni of Eagles Nest in Mando, Uttarkashi who was my host in October 2022 as well as in April 2023 informed me that this year, Nelong Valley will open for limited tourists from April 1, 2023, as snow had cleared from the road earlier than expected. In fact, he was one of the first visitors to Nelong Valley on the opening day. He suggested that we should make a visit to Nelong Valley, and he would help me in getting the Inner Line Permit. I at once jumped on his suggestion and sent the required documents in advance for processing for the issuance of permit. We landed at Eagles Nest on April 1st, and we had the permit to visit Nelong Valley for April 3, 2023.

Tilak ji explained to me the procedure for obtaining the Inner Line Permit for Nelong Valley. The application for the permit is first submitted at Sub-District Magistrate's (SDM) Office in Uttarkashi along with the photocopies of Aadhar Cards of visiting tourists. If the vehicle is to be hired for the purpose, the name of the driver, copy of his Aadhar Card and the vehicle registration number have to be given. If the documents are in order, SDM office will stamp the application with instructions to submit the same in the office of Superintendent of Police (SP), Uttarkashi for police verification. This may take a day or two depending upon the availability of SP. After getting the police clearance from SP. the same application is carried to SDM office who will issue the Inner Line Permit. I understand from Tilak ji that the SDM will put the system of issuance of ILP on-line shortly to make it a single window clearance for the prospective visitors to Nelong Valley.

The photocopy of the Permit for Nelong Valley. Please note that the applicant has to give the name of the driver and the SUV registration number in advance.

The route map to Nelong Valley

The Scorpio vehicle arranged by Tilak ji arrived on time. After a sumptuous breakfast of Idli-Sambhar-Coconut Chatney and the Masala Dosa followed by an authentic South Indian filter coffee - all items personally prepared and cooked by Tilak ji, we commenced our dream journey of Nelong Valley (109 kms) from Uttarkashi at around 09:15 hours with our driver, Sandeep Semwal who is also the Sarpanch of Sangrali village (11 kms from Uttarkashi). The weather was fairly clear with some patches of white cloud formation at the higher level. It was cold and windy even in bright sunshine when we reached Sukhi Top (3290m altitude). We took a small break here for taking pictures of breathtaking sceneries.

View of winding road from Jhala to Sukhi Top.

Jhala village (right below) at the shore of Bhagirathi River seen from Sukhi Top (3290m)

 

The author on Sukhi Top

Sukhi village from Sukhi Top.

We proceeded to Bhaironghati from where the road to Gangotri (10 kms) goes towards right. The left diversion is the Nelong Valley road where there is a forest department's check-post. The Gangotri temple, the Nelong Valley and the Gartang Gali are the part of the Gangotri National Park. At the forest department check-post, our permit was checked along with our Aadhar Cards. Since the original permit was to be retained by the forest officer, we took a screen shot of the permit on our mobile. We paid Rs.550/- (Rs.150/- each for 2 tourists and Rs.250/- for the vehicle). The road journey is allowed up to the ITBP check post in Nelong Valley (25 kms from Bhaironghati). Overnight stay is not allowed on any part of Nelong Valley. Two Wheelers are not allowed on Nelong Valley road. 

Forest Check-Post on Nelong road. The right turn to Gangotri temple (10 kms)

It took hardly 5 minutes to check the permit and collect the fees. Now the moment of 'dream comes true' has caught me to view the Nelong Valley. I had seen the road from Gartang Gali trek from the opposite mountain which looked precarious with rock hangings. However, the road's surface was not visible from the trek path which gave me an impression of a rough surface with bumpy rides. It was, however, a pleasant surprise for us that it was two-lane tarred road with a smooth surface. The hanging granite rocks from the mountain were not as menacing as looked from Gartang Gali trek path.  The mountain on the right was of solid granite rocks. It is also surprising to note that the adjunct mountain on Gangotri road is very fragile resulting in frequent mudslides during rains. 

The first 1 km of road to Nelong Valley. It is wide two-lane road.

 

A small patch of tarred road where the broken rock fragments got accumulated probably carried by snow in winter. The mountain on the left looks solid with granite rocks.

As we drove further ahead, the vegetation on the mountain on our right became thinner. After about 5 kms of drive from Bhaironghati, we saw the full length of about 140 metre of Gartang Gali wooden stairway which appeared to me of about 45-degree gradient from the starting point on the left to the finishing point on the right as seen from Nelong Valley road.

Author is clicking from Nelong road, the photo of Gartang Gali wooden stairway on the opposite mountain.

Gartang Gali wooden stairway with Jadh Ganga River in the valley clicked from Nelong road.

A close up shot of Gartang Gali stairway from Nelong road.

The rest of the road journey was fairly smooth except some three places where due to ongoing construction of RCC bridges over streams, we had to drive the vehicle via a short diversion on mud road. Another feature of Nelong road is that there are very few sharp bends on the way. Also, ascent on the road is very gradual. The smoothness of the road can be judged by the fact that it took us about 40 minutes to cover a distance of 25 kms to reach Nelong Valley by 13:00 hours which is a good for a mountain driving. The ITBP police did not check any papers but advised us to stroll in a designated places and avoid going on snow field.

Nelong road

One-km to Nelong Valley Check-Post.

From ITBP Check-Post, the author is walking towards the snow field just to observe the snow-capped mountains from the close range.

The author is walking from the ITBP Check-Post. One can clearly see the Ladakh type coloured mountains in the back.

After getting down from the vehicle, the first thing we experienced was some light dizziness even though it was a plain walk. We were also experiencing a slight breathlessness. Probably, this was the effect of reaching a higher altitude in short span of time. We had started from Uttarkashi which was at an altitude of 1160m. In about less than 4 hours, we were at a significantly higher altitude of around 3450m. We got ourselves adjusted by walking slowly and standing at one place for a couple of minutes until the breathing became normal. Even in mid-day, there was a strong cold breeze blowing with hissing sound. No doubt, Nelong Valley is called the cold desert of Uttarakhand.

Nelong Valley is a part of Gangotri National Park which have the endangered wildlife such as snow leopards, musk deers, blue sheep (Bharal) etc.

Snow-capped mountains from Nelong Valley.

The author standing with the backdrop of snow-clad mountains in Nelong Valley.

The author coming out of one of army bunkers in Nelong Valley 

After strolling for an hour or so in the cold breeze, we came back to ITBP Check-Post. After about a walk of about 100 metre, we came across a plain area where we decided to have packed lunch of Parathas and the dry Aaloo Subzi which Tilak ji had kindly prepared in the morning for us. It was the time for a goodbye to Nelong Valley which I had not even planned in my itinerary. The visit to Nelong Valley was a God-sent gift to me which was handed over to me through his 'Devdoot' in Uttarkashi.

The icing on the cake was that in our return journey, we got to see three musk deers crossing the first bend of Nelong road leaving the Nelong Valley. We reached Harsil by 15.30 hours. We checked in our pre-booked Sundar Homestay which will be our 'nest' for three nights.

Three musk deers (on the left) waiting after crossing the Nelong road before a BRO truck comes from right.

Sundar Homestay, our 'aashiyana' for three nights in Harsil. 

Soon after check-in, rain showers started which continued intermittently until the late evening. We had to drop the idea of a walk through Bagori village in the evening and carry forward for the next day. We could see from our room balcony that the upper reaches of region near Harsil Horns had received fresh snow fall. The midnight temperature at Harsil was forecasted to a minimum of 1 degree Celsius.

Trek to Gartang Gali - April 04, 2023.

Having drove through Nelong Valley road yesterday, today was yet another time for me to replicate Jadh-Bhotia traders who used pedestrian path through Gartang Gali to reach the Nelong Valley 6 decade back. This time, the trek to Gartang Gali gives me an opportunity to compare the topography of Nelong Valley road versus Gartang Gali trek, though to a limited extent, as we are not permitted to trek beyond the end of wooden stairway which works out to barely 2 kms of trek.

We commenced our journey from Harsil at around 09:00 hours in a cloudy weather with diffused sun light piercing through the thin layer of cloud. Today Sukhi Top did not have the grand-stand views because of the cloudy weather. So, we drove non-stop toward Lanka bridge where the Forest Check-Post for Gartang Gali is located. After completing the registration formalities, we commenced our trek. It appeared that we were the first tourist of the day for Gartang Gali trek. Since I had already covered my Gartang Gali trek of about six months back in a Blog, I will skip the details. I will post few pictures of the trek which will be self-explanatory.

The initial trek path of Gartang Gali.

The curvature trek path.

The climb.

The start of wooden stairway in the background with Jadh Ganga River on the right.

A large protruding rock hanging above the wooden stairway with Jadh Ganga River on the right.

The end point of Gartang Gali trek as well as the wooden stairway. No one is permitted to cross beyond this point.

The stairway railing with Jadh Ganga river on the left.

The end of the trek outside the forest check post.

Having allowed the tourist to trek Gartang Gali since August 2021, the moot point is as to why the forest department has restricted the access to Gartang Gali up to the end of wooden stairway? My friend, Tilak Soni had visited the entire Gartang Gali till the base of Jadh Ganga River, about 5 kms beyond the end of wooden stairway. He was a part of forest department's team to reconnaissance the trek path. So, I thought he was the right person to shed some lights on this matter. He told me that at some places, the trek path was badly damaged which required major restoration works. Also, the 100+ years old rickety wooden bridge over Jadh Ganga River connecting Gartang Gali trek route with Nelong Valley (now Nelong road) had collapsed. So, the Government of Uttarakhand has to work out the cost estimation for restoration of the trek path as also the construction of a pedestrian suspension bridge over Jadh Ganga River to connect the trek route, say at Karchha, about 8 kms from Bhaironghati on Nelong road. Let us hope that the authorities would get the budget sanctioned for restoration of the trekking path beyond wooden stairway.

We completed the Gartang Gali trek (to and fro) in 2:30 hours with lots of break for photography. From Lanka bridge, we proceeded to Gangotri temple (12 kms) where the refurbishing of the temple was in progress before the start of Chardham Yatra on April 22, 2023. The weather had improved from cloudy to a sunshine. 

While returning from Gangotri, we took a break at Dharali to visit 'below the ground level' Kalp Kedar temple. It is said that the temple is many centuries old, probably belonging to the Pandavas time. There is also a theory that the snout of the Gangotri glacier was located near the temple from where Bhagirathi River originated. Over a period of time, the Gangotri glacier receded due to climate changes and now the snout of the Gangotri glacier is located at Gaumukh.

Kalp Kedar is an interesting and unique temple. It is at least 25 feet below the ground surface. It is said that the temple which was on the banks of Bhagirathi River got submerged in flood waters during the annual flooding. The sediments brought during the flooding over many years covered the temple with only shikara of the temple visible above the ground level. Two subsidiary temples – Parvati and Ganesh – were washed away in the floods. In 1980, the temple was excavated but still about 5-10 feet of the temple base is submerged in the water depending upon the level of water of Bhagirathi River, now flowing about 300m away from the temple. The temple has the Panchmukhi Shivling which remains submerged in water. Hence, it is not possible for devotees to worship inside the temple. So, a Shivling has been installed outside the temple for devotees to worship. Once in a year (in the month of Shravan), the water from the temple is pumped out. The priest goes inside the temple to wash the Panchmukhi Shivling with the fresh underground water flowing from Bhagirathi River. The temple is a protected monument under Archaeological Survey of India

We reached back Harsil around 15.30 hours.

Kalp Kedar temple, Dharali.

The main door of the temple remains submerged in water throughout the year

A sculpture of Kaal Bhairav adorns the main door of the temple. A Shivling has been installed outside the temple for devotees to worship.

The location of Kalp Kedar temple in Dharali village. Now Bhagirathi River is flowing at least 300m away from the temple.

Having done the drive to Nelong Valley and trek to Gartang Gali in more or less the same timeframe, I find in these visits, the different kind adventures and the topography. The drive to Nelong Valley is all along the true left of Jadh Ganga River with mountain devoid of much of vegetation. One gets a feel of driving on the road from Leh to Kargil. Also, the Valley is located at an average altitude of around 3400m. 

On the other hand, the trek path to Gartang Gali is through the dense forest located on the true right side of Jadh Ganga River. The highest altitude on this route is around 3000m. The walking on a wooden stairway which is partly hanging over Jadh Ganga River flowing about 300m down, gives a feel of a different kind of adventure.

When the Gartang Gali trek is fully opened, the tourists will have a choice to see the Nelong Valley - by the comfort of driving on Nelong road or trek through dense forest on Gartang Gali. One may also come across endangered wildlife species such as musk deers and blue sheep as we saw them during our visit to both these routes.