■87861
REDISCOVERING INDIA
ABODE OF GODS :
UTTARAKHAND
SHAH G.
COSMO PUBLICATIONS
First Published 1984
This series 1987
Published by
RANI' KAPOOR (Mrs)
COSMO PUBLICATIONS
24-B, Ansari Road, Daryaganj
New Delhi-110002 (India)
Printed at
M/S DA Printer
New Delhi
Jo the Memory of those M ho have laid their lives on the
heights of Himalayas and left a trial to be treaded
by those who walk on the sands of time .
Shripati Misra
Chief Minister
Uttar Pradesh.
Vidhan Bhawan,
Lucknow.
FOREWORD
Himalayas have evoked wonder, praise and veneration. Accord¬
ing to scriptures, “Himalaya is the king of mountains, five and
three thousand leagues in extent at the circumference, the source
of nearly five hundred rivers, the dwelling place of the pantheon
of Gods and Goddesses and enriched with hundreds of magical
drugs, is seen to rise aloft, like a cloud, the centre (of the earth)”
—that is Himalaya, truely the abode of Gods. In fact, Himalayas,
have occupied a place of pride in / our scriptures, literature and
our culture and form an integral part of our life.
Even though man has moved far into space and depths of ocean
but there is still much more for him to explore nearer home. It
is this quest for the unseen, difficult and unclimbable, the sense
of adventure it provides, that man seeks the heaven of the
mountains. I am glad that Giriraj Shah has brought out this
travelogue, the second in the series, after the publication of his
book ‘The Kingdom of the Gods—Uttarakhand/
Uttarakhand is situated as the Crest-Jewel amidst Himalayas.
It is the source of the Ganga and the Yamuna which nourish the
plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal and ultimately merge
and mingle in the ocean. Uttarakhand also houses the holy
dhams of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri which
are visited by pilgrims from different parts of India, braving
incalculable hazards. Now with the passage of time, these pilg¬
rims are joined by a new clan of tourists known as trekkers and
mountaineers who seek the unseen and unclimbable.
I am deeply concerned with the preservation of Himalaya,
which can be achieved only through the involvement of the
people in Government efforts to that direction. I hope the
readers of this book will find sufficient material of abiding in¬
terest to attract them to the places which Mr. Shah has so vividly
described in lucid style.
SHRIPATI MISRA
PREFACE
Himalayas have attracted the attention of all, particularly of
those who seek to see ‘the true, the good and the beautiful’. This
instinctive urge is fully reflected in the writings of ancient Indian
sages who valiantly treaded the unclimbable and treacherous treks
in search of the incomprehensible being the creator and
destroyer of the world. Probably this alone inspired the system
of pilgrimage to the sanctum sonctorum the kingdom of Gods.
That is why the Holy Dhams of Kedamath, Badrinath,
Yamunotri and Gangotri are located here where Gods are said
to dwell and today these holy places are visited by teemi g
millions, year in and year after.
The celebrated lake of Hemkund-lokpal is also located in this
part of the Uttarakhand here where once Lakshman and Guru
Govind are said to have meditated in one of their previous
births. Today devoted Sikhs and locals, Yatris from different
parts of the country, and tourists come here to have a holy dip
in the lake and have a darshan of the Lakshman temple and
Gurudwara.
As the summer approaches, pilgrims, tourists, trekkers and
mountaineers start pouring in pursuit of having a vision of the
bounteous beauty of the Himalayas but many of them are not able
to enjoy their sojourn due to lack of knowledge and information
about the route, geography, climatic conditions, Flora, culture
and civilisation of the people. This dearth of information,
particularly about the central Himalayas has always irked me
and inspired to write about trekking in Uttarakhand from time
to time and towards this end was intended the publication of my
other books.
This urge to lay bare the hidden, strange and baffling features
•of the Uttarakhand was given further vent and culmintated with
X
the writing of a book in 1975 entitled “KINGDOM OF GODS ::
UTTARAKHAND”. The book was well received, hence this
book in the series.
I am grateful to the Director Information, U.P., Sri Thakur
Prasad Singh, Sri B.L. Shah, ‘Mamajf and Pradeep Kumar
for excellent photographic illustrations.
The inspiration to write this travelogue came from Cosmo
Publications who not only evinced keen interest in the project
but have kindly undertaken to publish it well in time in the best
available format.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Dhwaj temple.
2. Surya temple, Katarmal (Dist Almora).
3. Nanda Devi temple, Almora
4. Holy Badrinath temple, Garhwal Himalayas
5. Jageswar temple, one of the Dwadash Tyourlingas,
District Almora.
6. Baijnath temple, Kausani—Almora
7. The statue of Bada Aditya, Pithorgarh.
8. The Surya image, Jogeswara.
9. Temple Kedamath.
10. Gangotri temple, district Uttarkashi.
1L Chipko andolan, Garhwal.
12. Tharu women of Terai.
13. Mahakali temple—Gangolihat temple.
14. Trek to Rupkund.
15. A Sharp twist and a bend, Musoorie—Dehradun road. •
16. Rappling down the hill.
17. Mountaineering Uttarkashi.
18. Kempty Falls, Musoorie.
19. View of Himalayas from Ranikhet.
20. Lake View, Nainital.
21. Kali River—the border river between Nepal and India.
22. Bhonya women, district Pithoragarh.
23. Jaunsari beauties: A feast for eyes.
24. Valley of Flowers.
25. View of snowclad Himalayas from Pauri.
List of Maps
1. Route followed by Indian explorer of 9th century
2. Route to Rupkund
3. Trekking routes in Kumaon Garhwal Himalayas.
4. Map showing the places of tourist importance in DistL
Uttarkashi and Chamoli.
CONTENTS
Foreword vii
Preface ix
List of Illustrations - xi
I. The lure of the mountains 1
'■ 2. Pleasures of a journey into Himalayas 5
3. Remember if you are going to the hills 11
4. The story of pilgrimage 17
5. Himalaya—the divine king of mountains 25
6 . Uttarakhand—The cradle of early civilisations 35
7. The land and people of Garhwal 45
8 . The land and people of Kumaon 53
9. Swargarohini—the expedition to heaven 65
10. The Holy Ganga 77
II . The ascent on the sources of Ganga 85
12 . Trek to the Valley of Gods—Kedarnath 91
13. Yamunotri Valley 97
14. Journey into the interiors of Himalaya 101
15. The lake town—Nainital 107
16. Almora 113
17. Trek to Pindari Glacier 117
18. The lure of the valley 121
19. Jaunsar Babar 129
20. The mysterious lake—Rupkund 135
21 . The Gods, Goddesses, Demons and Devils
of Uttarakhand 143
22. Katyur—The Switzerland of India 149
23. The land of free love—Rang Bhang 153
24. The way to Heaven 157
25. Hari Ki Doon 161
26. The high land fairs and festivals
27. Flora and fauna of Uttarakhand
28. A journey into the invincible
*29 Journey behind the curtain Kailash hfansarovar
.30. Stirimg rod of the earth—Meru
. 31. Religious beliefs of Uttarakhand
.32. A journey into the invincible—Nanda
Devi sanctuary
33. The king’s elder brother
34. The green belt—Terai-Bhabar
■ 35 ’ Nagnath Pokhri—The village of the Serpent
36. The men who matter
37. Come to Uttar Pradesh
,38. Uttarakhand—A challenge to planners
Appendix—Guide to Uttarakhand
Bibliography
Index
ERRATA
On page 18 headline is Sanctum Sanctorum
On page 73 heading is Rawal not Rawali
On page 86 headline is Jadh Ganga not Todh Ganga
On page 114, line 3 read the first word as Nestung
1
THE LURE OF MOUNTAINS
The scenic beauty of the Himalayas presents a panorama of
infinite variety when viewed from different places, time and
season of the year. The viewer never loses sight of the ever
changing panorama with its thickly wooded mountains, dark
blue ranges, one piled over another and in the background
of the landscape of magestic snowy peaks, each rising higher
than the other, behind the morning mist or when gradually eve¬
ning falls and fades into dark after having shed golden light.
Down below the hills, we have the grand panorama of green
fields and woods encircled by silvery streams, and at night the
fierce flare of the jungle fire illuminating the surrounding
areas. Grander still is the moonlit night which makes the
leaves of forest trees quiver with delight and makes the peaks
spark with silvery shine in the background of the a jure sky, the
rivers reflect the silvery moonlit reflection. The burst of the
monsoon creates mixed reaction in the mind of the locals and
visitors and when the water-laden clouds burst over mountain
barriers and quench the thirst of the valley setting every stream
and revulet into spate which in turn floods the rivers with so
much mud and silt that they roar down the gorges sweeping
everything which falls in their way. Still more captivating is
2
Abode of Gods
the sight of rolling mists of enveloping valleys in a pall of
vapour. This land of fact and fables has been described as the
abode of Gods and Goddesses; in fact what Palestine is to the
Christian and Mecca to a Muslim, likewise Uttarakhand is to
a Hindu—the home of the great Gods which hold the way to
final liberation.
There may be dozens of reasons why people come to the
Himalayas, since time immemorial but the most appropriate
seems, as a guide said, that he is fully alive on the mountains.
Others do it because they want to escape from society either
in search of spiritual longings or for their sheer fascination
for solitude. Some take to trekking and mountaineering to test
their physical endurance and to be free and breathe fresh air.
Companionship is a strong motivation too, because the pilgrims,
tourists, trekkers and even mountaineers stay in close touch
and this chance for lasting friendship lifts climbing above
other sports because society tends to make human relation¬
ships superficial, mountaineering deepens them since ‘shared
adversity has a lot to do.’ Another reason is that human mate¬
rial for climbing attracts substantial men. In fact, there is a
clique of super climbers who starve for new vistas of vision,
strange people and new peaks, seeking unclimbable and for
this purpose spend nights roped together on sheer wall bivou-
ces or snug in a bed roll under constant discomfort of falling
ice and snow on the high Himalayas. Indeed this is a different
treed of visitors to the Himalayas.
The trekker meets through his mind’s eye new civilizations?
inhabited by strange people who practice different trades and
indulge in uncommon traits of socio-economic behaviour. The
entire phenomenon is baffling. The disire to see strange cul¬
tures holds irresistible attraction.
Trekking as a sport
Like all other sports, trekking is a safe sport, provided you
are well equipped and know what you are doing. It strips
character to the bones. A few minutes in a camp or on a rock
can tell you more about a man’s character than five consecu¬
tive cocktail parties or continued sessions of gay games in a
disco. On a ledge, no one can fake anything. Words hardly
Uttarakhand
3
count here. Cowardice shows quickest. Besides will power,
good physique also has a lot to do with trekking and fortuna¬
tely if you are so, your mind becomes gurgling fountain of
ideas. Probably this factor alone led the Gods and Goddesses
to dwell here. Our ancestors were also never tired of visiting
these places by the same urge of discovering the real and ulti¬
mate.
On the mountains, you find answer of all problems; in fact,
■each upward step seems to bring you closer to a solution,
gratefully, you keep in moving, and next moment aesthetic ex¬
perience takes hold of you. Knowledge seems to break instan¬
taneously. This fact is very well illustrated from the life and
deeds of Sankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda, Ravindranath
Tegore, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Nicholus
Roerick, Udai Shanker and many other known and unknown
luminaries who either craved for this experience visited, or
have lived in this part of the Himalayas which has been des¬
cribed by Kalidasa—
In the north lieth
The king of mountains—Himalaya
The stirring rod of the world
The divine king of mountains.
The lure
During my extensive stay in the Uttarakhand, I have obser¬
ved that the same mountain is different each day with subtle
changes and each trip a different experience. You drink the
water which never tasted so sweet, and any food digests well.
As the climber’s hands reach out, they march in a silent, rhy¬
thmic and joint step after having covered tiresome motor
journey. The process continues, at the foot of the hills where
a river must be crossed on a log serving as a bridge. After
some route march, at the end of approach march, where trees
end and rocks start, ropes bind the climbers who shake hands
before rock climbing commences. A little further lies a sheer
wall which the leader climbs and stands on a ledge, giving
smiles of encouragement to the co-climbers. A little higher,
above the ledge, everything becomes intensified—the sun is
fiercier, the rocks dizzying and wind blowing but the views are
4
Abode of Gods
stunning.
You stand on the very parapet of heaven.
Trekking, and for that reason even rock-climbing and moun¬
taineering require only basic commonsense and courage of con¬
viction. An alert man with basic commonsense can go anywhere
since climbing of mountains and trekking in the interiors of
Himalayas is basically an adventure wedded to hard work, pati¬
ent organisation, continued experience and unwavering devo¬
tion to an end such as is not the exclusive possession of a spe¬
cialised group of experts, because in fact, in the words of
Geoffrey Bruce “it can be found , gosping and defiant on the
heights of Everest and in the whistling of two Sunday compa¬
nions.”
Whistle your way to mountains.
2
WHY UTTARAKHAND
The number of travellers who are never tired of visiting
known places and peaks and meeting familiar faces of people
and yet seek the unclimbable, is increasing year after year.
People who want to know places and learn unknown things
about the known places is true about the Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand has unique things to offer to the visitor in
terms of its excellent scenic beauty, marvellous sceneries of
ancient arts and architecture, flower laden valleys, luxuriant
meadows* emerald green lakes, simple people, folk tales and
folk songs of highland people, glaciers and source of life giving
Ganga and Yamuna, the celebrated saints of Satyuga and the
hippies of Kaliyuga. There is so much of everything that you
only need to come once.
The journey to Uttarakhand
The traveller whose destination is the mountain province of
Uttarakhand must first of all make his way up to the railway
terminals of Kathgodam if proceeding towards Kumaon hills
and Rishikesh if his destination is Garhwal. The other im¬
portant railway stations are Tanakpur, Haldwani, Ramnagar,
Haridwar, and Dehradun. The railway line passes through a
6
Abode of Gods'
flourishing agricultural country of Tarai with their usual scen-
ary of wide stretches of unfenced fields and land waste diver¬
sified here and there with clumps of trees and cluster of mud
villages. The Tarai or the “fresh greenery” as the name imp¬
lies, is properly the belt of grassy swamp which has been,
turned into rich fertile agricultural land. It owes its origin to
the marshy nature of the ground from which sluggish streams
ooze and flow lazily or stand in stagnant pools. Tall reeds and
grasses, higher than a man on horseback once used to cover
the soil, the remnants of which are still found occasionally
at some places. At the foot of the hills, thick jungle encircles
the Himalayan range, extending several hundred miles between
Garhwal, Kumaon and Nepal.
After crossing the Tarai, we enter the forest belt called the*
Bhabar, which has formed part of Kumaon and Garhwal king¬
dom from earliest times, and immediately skirts the moun¬
tains. The Tarai forests are clearly visible, now, presenting a
massive wall of forest clad slopes and heights rising steeply
from the vast plain which we have been traversing so long. We*
now pass through a thick tropical jungle, in which the sal
trees figure largely. The water courses have entirely disappea¬
red. There are no pools.
After a rather tedious travel through north-eastern Railway
systems or through roadways with stoppages at small sleepy
stations, we reach Kathgodam or Rishikesh preceded by Hald-
wani or Haridwar in either cases. Here is the terminus of the
last railway station from where the tourists board buses or
hire taxis for their onward destination.
Climbing the heights
So much has changed in Kumaon and Garhwal but the
buses of KMOU Ltd., G.M. O.U. Ltd., the T.G.M.O.U. Ltd.,
have not changed. Still they look like the wooden boxes with
their rickety structure and most uncomfortable seats. The tou¬
rists or pilgrims are stuffed like luggage or sheeps, one over
the other. The bus starts, with a jerk, leaving a trail of burnt
diesel.
As the bus climbs up, after leaving Kathgodam or Rishikesh
or Tanakpur or for that reason Ramnagar or Dehradun, while
Uttarakhand
7
ascending the winding roads when we turn our head from the
windows and look outside, we see the great hazy plain below
stretching as far as the eye can reach, its greenery interse¬
cted by the white line of one or two wide river channels. The
journey by the latter route is one*of endless variety and charm.
At one time the traveller surmounts passes of great height,
at another time winds along dark gorges, with occasional
views of the great peaks, their silvery glory, bright against
the deep blue heavens, amply repaying him for the toil of the
way. The richest vagetation is always to be found between the
heights of 6000 and 10000 ft. In autumn the ground is covered
in many places with flowering plants like white anemone,
columbine, and a kind of strawberry of delicious flavour that
grows in great abundance, as well as the common fragrance
indicating resembling a raspberry.
In rainy season the bus journey is very troublesome; there¬
fore, no trekker should hazard a journey into Himalayas bet¬
ween June and September. Most of the bus accidents do take
place at that time of the year.
The vehicular journey’s end is normally at the end of the day¬
long ride over the shrieking buses which appear and disappear
at each bend. The tired traveller encounters the coolies, por¬
ters and travel agents who take care of you till you arrive at
your lodging place.
The tourist rest houses
Europeans were great trekkers, keen lovers of nature and
very particular about the places of their stay. Entire Uttara¬
khand is studded with beautiful inspection houses at scenic
places. To these old inspection houses, today hordes of tourist
rest houses of the Tourism Department and tourist lodges of
the Kumaon and Garhwal Mandal have been added besides the
ever increasing number of hotels and other forms of accomm¬
odation. You only need to know about them in advance or
consult those who have gone earlier. Always try to get prior
reservation. Once lodged safely in a comfortable place you can
operate suitably on your jaunts of trekking.
Most of the rest houses provide bedding. This can help you
economise on your burden of loads.
8
Abode of Gods
Coolies, ponies and jhaboos
For journey to distant places, foot journey is to be under¬
taken for which luggage in the high Himalayas has to be carried
on backs of hired coolies, ponies or jhaboos which forms an
inseparable part of Uttarakhand scene. Excessive baggage in
the hill is like baggage to the army in war.
Sturdy ponies are also available at the starting point of
the journey at a fixed price for the varying distances of places
in the hill country. The pony as a ride is an excellent animal,
very sure-footed and by far the most suitable carrier in the
hills.
Amongst the coolies available, one class of coolie is
Dotiyal, hailing from Doti on the eastern side of Nepal.
He is one of the sturdiest carrier of loads who carries the
load on his back, supported by a rope passing round his
forehead. The strength and endurance of these men are mar¬
vellous. If you give Bin’s and offer occasional tea to the porter
he is your best friend. It is always better to settle rates with
them and in cases of doubt consult the local Tehsildar or the
Sub-Divisional Magistrate. In case of large parties on long
trekking routes or mountaineering expedition, the District
Magistrate of the concerned district can be helpful. Large
trekking parties always consult them.
The pleasure of foot journey
I have done hundreds of miles of journey, through all
possible modes of transportation but the best has been foot
journey. Foot journey is pleasant because of delicious cool
breezes are encountered on the slopes and as one rises higher
and higher a feeling of exhalation possesses the mind, the
lungs are filled with pure, sweet air and a sense of liberation
is felt, after the dead land of the Indian plain is crossed.
Down below us, as we ascend up and up the zigzag road, the
deep gorges filled with sub-tropical growth and above us the
high clad peaks with pine and deodar filled forests present
surprise of the unexpected.
While walking on foot, the trekker quite frequently sees
the sight of a family with a woman seated on a jhaboo or
pony, usually over household stuff; chubby infants are also
Uttarakhand
seen tied up and supported on the luggage animals, or seated
astride of their father or mother’s side as the latter walk along.
Another amusing sight sometimes met with is that of a baby
few days old carried in a basket at the mother’s back.
When walking on foot, it is always advisable to walk in
the early hours of the morning and it is at this hour when we
can see the glimpse of snow-capped peaks particularly between
the months of September and March. Number of times, I have
seen such scenes but the most unforgettable has been that of
Panchachuli peak, which I witnessed from Chyoribagarh in
November 1968. I witnessed one of the white pinnacled ridges
of Panchachuli soaring upwards from the shadows of the dark
gorges at their feet—a glory of delicate sunset red light shown
in delicate shade and red colour against the background of
ajure sky.
The pleasures of foot journey are immense because after a
suitable pause of walking over rock precipices, we descend for
some miles through thick shady forest where in winter the snow
lies in the path, and even in summer the air feels cool and wet.
Such forests as this are still there.
In a few places one still sees the “jhula” or rope bridge,
though these have been now much improved. Two strong ropes
of twisted grass are stretched across from cliff, and to these
are attached shorter ropes supporting transverse piece of
wood, while over the latter are laid lengths of split bamboo,
upon which the passenger has to walk. The rack or foot way
is only about ten to twelve inches wide and the whole bridge
•swings about in an alarming fashion. Another type of bri¬
dge consists of few fire logs thrown over the small chasms.
These adventurous crossings are unforgettable.
The memorable events of trekking have been best described
by Jim Corbett who writes “Times, there will be, a many, when
gasping foi breath, you toil up the face of steep mountains on
feet torn and bleeding by passage over rough rocks, sharp
shale, and frozen ground, when you will question whether the
prospective reward you seek is worth the present price you
pay in suffering, but being a good Hindu you will toil on com¬
forting yourself with the thought that merit is not gained
'Without suffering, and greater the suffering in this world, the
10
Abode of Gods
greater the reward in the next.’* 1
This alone makes me to leave my home and go to the hill,
year after year, a pursuit which can be best put in the words
of Aurobindo:
With the wind and weather
beating around me
Up to the hill and moorland
I go,
who will climb with me
Wade through the brooke
and tramp through the snow.
1. Gim Corbett, Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag t p. 3..
REMEMBER—IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE
HILLS
Trekking is more than an individual visit to a distant place.
It is a team work where living, acting and thinking together is
involved with a fraternity of like-minded people who seek high
adventure in high places, considering that courage lies in
adventure.
Today trekking has become a popular sport which is spe¬
cialised with the use of artificial aids to accomplish ascent
that would otherwise be impossible. The practice has become
so widespread and so developed that it may be said to consti¬
tute a new and separate phase of human endeavour in the field
of trekking and mountain craft.
Equipment
In the good old days walking stick,'rope, ice axe and impro¬
vised boots constituted part of a mountaineer’s equipment.
Those early trekkers braved the hazards of trekking with im¬
provised equipment. After continued trekking, fresh experi¬
ence, incessant experimentation and prolonged research has
brought forth a variety of new instruments and sophisticated
appliances amongst which most important are pitons and
carabiners. The former is a horizontal or vertical iron or steel
12
Abode of Gods
pike which is hammered in to tiny cracks in the rock to afford
support to hand, foot or rope, the latter is a snap ring which
when attached to a piton, rope or sling helps the mountaineer
to make ingenious manipulation on the rope. Rope forms an
important part of a mountaineer’s equipment with which two
major manoeuvers belay a stance allowing you to protect and
pull other climbers by tying up four or six persons in a rope
and secondly rapple which permits you to get down quickly
through bodily articulation. Rope also provides protection for
the porters who move up and down with heavy loads. Ropes
are differentiated as climbing and manila rope.
Aluminium ladder has also come in use for climbing, cro¬
ssing crevasses and negotiating rivers.
Requisites for trekking
Initial trekking and subsequent climbing demands good
health and a measure of aptitude, strength, agility, endurance,
co-ordination of the body, soul and of the nerves, and a certain
amount of the technical knowledge derived from experience.
■One should ensure following before embarking on any trekk¬
ing, climbing or mountaineering venture:
Reconnaisance : The leader must collect all information (
data about the area of climb. It is well to bear in mind|
Mallory’s remark, “Reconnaisarice, reconnoitre, reconnoi-i
tre*’ and besides reconnaisance one can always take advan-j
tage of previous experience because final victories belong]
not only to those who climb the peaks but also to those]
who went before.
Members of the party : Companionship he. esprit-de-j
corps, is one of the strange motivations for mountaineermg|
since shared adversity has a lot to do. The members of the;
party should be selected after careful examination of their
past performance and climbing experience.
Health : An alert man with good physique can go any^
where since he knows the struggle of the heart, lung and'
limb on the long upward pull and the sharp, sudden thrill
of negotiating a cliff or cornice and after day’s hard work
•snug in a bed roll or sleeping bag under constant discom¬
fort of falling snow and wind.
Uttarakhand
13
Weather: Every member of the team must undergo a
period of gradual acclimatisation before the organs can
operate and get adjusted at height, it has been found that if
one spends too long time in rarified atmosphere serious
bodily deterioration sets in which may result in sleepless¬
ness, vomiting and loss of appetite.
Equipment : All equipment and clothing must be colle¬
cted and arranged before starting for a trek or expedition.
It should be both best in type and condition, particularly
the mountaineering equipment has to be best.
Leadership: Last but not least, comes the question of
leadership because in his hands depends the fate of the
party. A leader is not one who has climbed the highest
point but is one who succeeds in placing the maximum
number of men on top. Achieving this is no ordinary job
since it requires good organisation, coordination, admini¬
strative arrangements and the highest order of proficiency
in rock and snow craft.
Hazards of mountaineering
Accidents do take place in trekking, climbing and mountai¬
neering due t3 over-ambition, climbing above, pushing in bad
weather and lack of experience. For climbing the Himalayas,
the obstacles of rock, ice, snow, precipice, avalanche, inacce¬
ssible wilderness, physical endurance, elaborate, arrangements
of supply, transport and communication and above all weather
are to be faced. Monsoon is perhaps the most treacherous
and relentless enemy which the Himalayan trekkers have to
face every year from June to August which turn heights into
vast death traps of melting and crumbling ice and snow: there¬
fore, it is necessary that every trekking party setting 'out on
an Himalayan adventure must keep in mind.
High altitude sickness. Trekking and expedition parties
pay little attention to acclimatisation and in their haste to
trek the desired place of climb or the peak rapidly go up
and run through the mountains which results in high alti¬
tude sickness due to lack of proper acclimatisation, the
climbers find themselves gripped with sleeplessness and
giddiness. Most unpredictable are the mental reactions of
14
Abode of Gods
men transplanted from their natural low land habitat to
the bitt.r, almost airless heights of the substratesphere,
where sleeplessness takes place, perception becomes dulled,
judgement faulty, emotion unstable, due to giddiness, will
atrophied and sometimes due to continued vomiting, extinc¬
tion itself seems preferable to the next gasping and stumb¬
ling step. To avoid all this proper acclimatisation must be
done with the suitable stopovers after every 2000 or 3000
feet of trekking.
Weather. Over-enthusiastic mountaineers keep on pushing
inspite of deteri-orating weather which ultimately results in
devastating catastrophes.
Smoking and drinking. Smoking is dangerous on the moun¬
tains, because it requires extra breathing effort on the part
of smoker at a time when lungs require maximum rest.
Drinking affects the circulation of blood and the intake of
oxygen increases, thereby causing breathlessness at higher
altitudes. Drinking on the mountains is hazardous since it
impairs judgement and burns physical reserves of energy
on which we may have to call at any time.
Ice and snow hazard. Except moraines other glacial pheno¬
menon presents, varied and complex problems, including
long and tiring walk over unending and slippery glacier
underneath which are hidden deep crevises and from the
sides hang huge ice falls and seracs which keep hurtling
loose stones and bombarding the area with heavy stones and
ice pieces which fly like projectiles and missiles hitting the
unwary with bullet like ferocity. Most treacherous of all
is the impending threat of falling avalanches which roar
down with tons of ice and snow enveloping everything on
its way and hitting the ignorant and unwary.
Frostbite : Frostbite is temporary or permanent freezing of
limbs which may result in permanent incapacity due to
sudden exposure or lack of precautions. Limbs must be
saved from compression and lack of oxygen. Rapid rewarm¬
ing by luke-warm water and warm clothing also helps.
Never rub petrol or kerosene oil.
Dehydration : It is due to shortage of liquid intake and by
excessive breathing which causes rednotirm
Uttarakhand
15
reserves of moisture which causes swelling of the face and
body. More intake of liquid food, hot tea and other
beverages is recommended.
Chilbilinis . This is caused by extreme cold and results in
parts of the body becoming red with severe irritation
which later on turn blue and become awfully painful.
Fomentation with warm water helps to remove it.
Trenchfoot. This is caused by prolonged exposure to wind
and cold combined with the damp footwears which stagnates
blood circulation, due to lack of movements. As it deterio¬
rates it turns into chilbilinis and not properly attended to,
it may lead to permanent loss of that part of the body.
Lukewarm water treatment and warm clothing coverage is
advisable.
Sunburn. It happens due to reflection of ultraviolet rays
from the snow and the affected parts are mostly chin, ear
lobes, optum and eyes which may be affected by snow
blindness. Wearing of snow glasses and use of lip saliva or
vaseline is suggested.
Pulmonary oedema. Pulmonary oedema takes place due to
poor acclimatisation or exposure of body to severe cold
which results in mild cough, pain, sore throat and body ache.
As the case deteriorates, due to lack of timely aid, patient
fights for oxygen. In such cases, immediate removal to
lower altitudes is advisable and for temporary relief treat¬
ment of and pedermycine aspirin alongwith oxygen is
advisable.
These are some of the basic hazards which a trekker has
•to encounter; others come by lack of experience. Therefore
•continued efforts should be maintained to streamline the
arrangements on foolproof basis.
As such, the technique and craft of trekking can be
summed up as an adventure wedded to hard work, patient
•organisation, experiment and above all unwavering devotion
to an end which lifts it above other sports.
4
THE STORY OF PILGRIMAGE
Why people come to the Himalayas ? What moves them to be
there ? These are some of the questions which are raised by the
inquisitive pilgrims, trekkers and avowed mountaineers. To my
mind, there are two reasons : firstly to see the unseen, breath
fresh air and be finally free, and secondly, to pay homage to
the Gods and Goddesses who are supposed to dwell over the
unapproachable and inaccessible snow-capped summits which
when viewed from a distance inspire devotion and reverence.
These men who want to see the unseen and are constantly in
search of the true, the good and always seek the unclimbable,
Himalayas hold irresistible charm for them. The svarga or
heaven of the Hindus has been located here and in fact, pro¬
bably this search for the heaven inspired the Pandavas to pro¬
ceed on “Maha-Prasthan” interesting details about which are
available in the epical poem of Mahabharata. Every year, sco¬
res of pilgrims still try to find the traces of this great pilg¬
rimage.
Ved Vyasa, the composer of Mahabharata lived at Mana.
He surveyed the entire Uttarakhand either physically or scan¬
ned the interiors of Himalaya through his mystic power, the
minutest details about which have been given in the Skandpu-
18
Abode of Gods
rana which divides Himalayas in five parts out of which
Uttarakhand has been described as a country of ‘Kedarkhand’
and ‘Manas Kband.’ The contemporary name of all the peaks,
glaciers, rivers and places are derived from this monumental
work of great antiquity.
The Buddhist missionaries were the first trekkers who voyaged
into far and distant lands defying the airless, dreary and dese-
lated heights. After crossing high 1 imalayas and traversing
the great mountain barriers they reached Tibet and from
there moved on to Mangolia, China and Central Asia. In fact,
it was Buddhism which brought Huen-Tsang, Itsing and Fa-
Hien to India unmindful of the risks which were involved.
They travelled hundreds of miles to witness the magnificence of
the land where once Buddha dwelled and delivered the gospel
of truth Dhammachakra Pavattanasutta or the wheel of law.
Indian classical Sanskrit literature is full of the episodes
from the lives of the pioneers who lived and meditated upon
the heights of Himalayas.
The Sanctim-Sancterus
In the Hindu mythology, the name of Jagadguru Sankara-
charya ranks very high because of his lasting contribution of
evolving the system of four Dhams—Kedarnath, Badrinath
Dwarka and Jagannath. Sankaracharya strode through the
rocky terrain of Uttarakhand and established the famed dhams
of Kedarnath and Badrinath and thetirathas of Yamunotri and
Gangotri. He became Jagat Guru by constant striving. Eversince
multitudes of people flock to these distant places drawn by an
insatiable desire to have a darshan of the Gods and Goddesses
defying the vagaries of nature. This and other factors have
played significant role in making trekking a part of human life
in the form of pilgrimage.
Early beginnings of trekking as a sport in India
Trekking untenanted lands without religious sanctity was not
acceptable to Indian thinking. They have lived and believed in
pilgrimage. The modem concept of trekking and mountaine¬
ering came to India with the Britishers who were pioneers in
the survey work. They brought science at the service of man-
Uttarakhand
19
kind. The earliest inquisitive trekker was Moorecraft who inve¬
stigated the interiors of Karakoram as far back as 1820. Ever-
since, multitudes of surveyors, geographers, geologists, trekkers
and mountaineers have continued to find out the secrets of the
high and holy Himalayas. In these early efforts the role play¬
ed by Pd. Kishan Singh and Nain Singh of Millam is signifi¬
cant for their fantastic discoveries of the unknown lands.
Modern mountaineering traces its origin from Lloyd and
Gerard of the survey department who climbed Leo Pargyal in
Himachal Himalayas while surveying the neighbouring vici¬
nity. In the central Himalayas which is also known as Uttara¬
khand, the pioneers were Capt. Herbert, Hodgson, Capt. R.
Stratchey, Capt. H. Stratchey and Dr. T. Thompson. After
their pioneering efforts, numerous other peaks were scaled by
the survey parties with the help of crude and improvised
mountaineering equipment. Thus by 1850, the height of most
of the peaks had been trignometrically determined. The finest
hour in the field of early mountaineering came when a party
of surveyors climbed 23000 ft. Schillapeak. This success estab¬
lished a climbing record in those days when men hardly knew
anything about air pressure, lack of oxygen and living condi¬
tions on such airless heights.
The stirring rod of the earth
In the year 1852, the highest peak of the world was discove¬
red by an Indian named Radanath Sircar, the chief computer
of the survey department. He was following up the results of
the measurements collected by the department. One day, dur¬
ing such check up, he found that the peak No.15 stood up not
only as the highest amongest the Himalayan peaks but as the
highest peak of the world. This was a startling discovery He
ran out and burst into the office of Sir Audreen Waugh’ and
exclaimed “Sir, we have found the greatest mountain in the
world. It is peak No. 15. It is 290,28 ft. high.” Yes, it was the
highest peak of the world. It was named Mt. Everest by the
survey department after the name of Sir George Everest
However this peak was not unknown to the locals because
they ^called it Sagarmatha” in Nepalese, Gauri-Shankar by
20
Abode of Gods
mother of the earth’ to the Tibetans. Eversince this new found
discovery, this peak has always stirred the imagination of
daring mountaineers who seek high adventure in high places.
Age of mountaineering
The first organised expedition to the Himalayas was laun¬
ched under the leadership of W.H. Graham. He made a num¬
ber of successful attempts in Sikkim and ultimately succeeded
in climbing 24000 ft. high Kabru, which lay in the neighbour¬
hood of Kanchenjunga. In 1882, Sir William Conway headed
an expedition to Karakoram. At the same time, Douglas-
Freshfield made a difficult and adventurous circuit of
Kanchenjunga and the indenitable Munnery was still
exploring approaches to Nanga Parvat, The most fantastic
feat of early mountaineering was appearance of an American
couple Dr. and Ms. William Hunt Workman who led six
expeditions between 1909-1912 and succeeded in climbing
pyramid peak at the age of fifty-six which itself is a record.
In subsequent years. Dr. Kallas and Dr. T. G. Lomgstaff
succeeded in climbing 23060 ft. Trisul peak. By now, most of
the important peaks had been climbed.
Sherpas, the spiders of Himalayas
At this stage, induction of a local element known as sherpas*
was a significant landmark in the history of Indian mountai¬
neering. It proved a significant introduction because in the
years to come they were destined to play an important role in
all the mountaineering expeditions.
Sherpas are the natives of Himalayas who were initially hired
by the expedition parties as coolies but with the passage of
time, as they gained experience, began to take part in more
advanced mountaineering activities and soon established them¬
selves as an indispensable institution.
Everest expedition
In 1922 Mt. Everest climbing expedition was led by Briga¬
dier Charls G. Bruce and included such eminent mountineers
as Col. E. L. Strutt and Dr. T.G. Longstaff. Oxygen was used
for the first time in this expedition. Earlier in 1921, Howards
Uttarakhand
21
Bury, Mallory and Bullocks, had attempted Everest successi¬
vely but failed. In 1930 Jonksong peak (24340 ft.) which lies
between Sikkim and Nepal was climbed by Prof. Gunther Dy-
ren Furth. In 1931 Frank S. Smythe and Eric Shipton won
their way atop Kamet (25441 ft) in Garhwal Himalayas. They
discovered a valley which had rare flowers in abundance and
named it as the valley of flowers. In the year 1933 aerial reco¬
nnaissance was introduced in the field of mountaineering
when two adventure loving flying officers named Marquis of
Douglas, Glydesdale and Fit. ft. MacIntyre flew at a height of
over 33000 ft and had a close view of the ultimate height of
the world. Gunther’s wife won recognition in 1934 when she
climbed Queen Mary in Karakoram.
Some fifty miles southeast of Kamet stands Nanda Devi
(25615 ft.) which has always held irrestible lure for men with
courage and conviction. Eric Shipton climbodand surveyed the
neighbouring area of Nanda Devi sanctuary in the year 1934
.and again in the year 1936. Another batch of climbers set out
to climb it and claim to have climbed it. Probably, this was the
last climb before the war started except with the exception of
Arnold Heims and August Gausse’s Swiss team which climbed
some places in central Himalayas and while war was on the
Poles marched on an expedition over Nanda Devi but failed.
Second world war eclipsed mountaineering activities for full
five years but no sooner the war was over, the tents were again
pitched and the great caravan of mountaineers was once
■more on the march. In 1947 Andre Roche’s Swiss party made
a number of successful ascents in the Garhwal Himalayas. In
the year 1950, the French climbed Annapurna (26493 ft) peak.
In 1951, yet another unsuccessful attempt was made on the
Nanda Devi. But the finest hour in the history of human ende¬
avour to climb the unclimbable came on May 29, 1953 when
“Sri Ed mu ad Hillary and Tenzing Norkay stood on top of the
world. The year 1953 brought yet another significant success
when Willy Merkel memorial expedition succeeded in placing
Dr. Herrmann Buhl on top of Nanga Parvat which had been
defying the Germans hitherto. Karakoram 2 was climbed by
the Italians in 1954 and in 1955 British climber ascended the
•divine height of Kanchenjunga.
22
Abode of God$
In all these expeditions, Indian mountaineers like Tenzing,
Norkay, Gurdayal Singh and Nandu Jayal had started playing
significant role.
Advent of Indian mountaineering
While foreign expeditions continued to probe the secrets-
and mysteries of high Himalayas, few daring Indians kept
on pursuing their desired ambitions through dedicated endeavo¬
urs. Amongst such early enthusiasts were Gurdayal Singh,
Tenzing and Nandu Jayal. In fact mountaineering had come
to be recognised as an established and adventurous sport.
Keeping in view the interest by the Indian youths, the Govern¬
ment of India opened a mountaineering institute at Darjeeling,
in 1954 at the instance of the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lai
Nehru who had great love for the mountains. He became its
founder President, Dr. B. C. Roy, the then chief minister of
West Bengal, Vice President and H. C. Sarin, its Secretary. In
order to systematise, organise and streamline mountaineering
as a sport, Indian Mountaineering Foundation was established
which has done yeomen service to the cause of mountaineering
eversince its birth in following manner :
(i) Aid, guide and advice the mountaineering clubs.
ii) Render technical advice to mountaineering expedition.
iii) Provide financial assistance to Indian expeditions.
iv) Issue on loan or hire at reasonable rates mountaineer*
ing stores to Indian expeditions through
(a) Juyal Memorial Stores, Darjeeling.
(b) Dias Memorial Stores, Uttarkashi.
(c) Bahuguna Memorial Stores, Nainital.
The Indian Mountaineering Foundation has done remarks
able service to the cause of mountaineering, eversince its incep¬
tion by liberally sanctioning grants to mountaineering expedi¬
tion and giving' training fees to young boys and girls who can¬
not afford it. It has also organised training camps for selected
mountaineers and has sponsored both Indian and the first ever
expedition with foreign mountaineers to difficult and unsealed
peaks. The most prestigious expedition organised in 1959 by
the Indian Mountaineering Foundation was under the leader-
Uttarakhand
23
ship of Comdr. M. S. Kohli and K. P. Sharma who climbed
22510 ft. Nandakhat. In the same year, Gunner climbed Bander
Poonch (20456 ft) and Capt. (now Colonel) N. Kuwar climbed
Neelkanth (21640 ft.). Thus in the post-independence era, moun¬
taineering came of age and during this period Uttarakhand
became centre of active mountaineering activity.
In the year 1960, the French climbedfAnnapurna I (26041 ft.)
and Annapurna 11(24688 ft,) was climbed by the Germans and
Britishers. The first all Indian expedition was launched in the
summer of 1960 under Brig. Gyan Singh which unfortuna¬
tely narrowly missed the peak. However, Chinese claim to
have climbed it from the Tibet side. The second party was
sent in 1962 under John Dias which again failed to scale the
peak. In the year 1963, the Americans successfully hoisted
their flag on top of the Everest. They were followed by the
Indians, the Swiss and the Japanese who pinned their national
flags on the ultimate height of the earth.
Mountaineering In Uttarakhand
A befitting tribute was paid to the land and people of
Uttarakhand in the year 1964 when the government of Uttar
Pradesh and the Indian Mountaineering Foundation decided
to establish a mountaineering institute at Uttarkashi and
name it after Jawahar Lai Nehru as Nehru Institute of
Mountaineering, Uttarkashi. At the same time, the Manali
Institute of Mountaineering was opened by the Himachal
Pradesh Government. These Institutes opened vast area of
activity which ultimately led to the opening of numerous other
institutions, viz, the National Mountaineering Club, Nainital
Dutugar Mountaineering Club, Calcutta, Himalayan Enjoyers
Association, Chittaranjan, Mountaineering Institute, Mt. Abu
and Maharashtra Mountaineering Club, Bombay. These
pioneering clubs are doing remarkable service to the cause of
mountaineering by instilling an instinct of adventure amongst
the young boys and girls who wish to see the unseen and climb
the uuclimbable.
The call of the mountains
I had my own share of humble contribution to make in the
24
Abode of Gods
field of the trekking by virtue of my inborn inclination towards
the breath-taking beauty of the mountains and the challen¬
ges posed by the stunning views of sky rocketing heights. In
the year 1967, 1 did my basic mountaineering course from the
Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi under the
guidance of Brig. Gyan Singh and in the year of 1968, 1 climb¬
ed Bhagirathi II (21365 ft.) while undergoing advance course
at the Institute. After this, I had an extensive opportunity of
trekking in the interiors of Uttarakhand.
I have given in brief the story of human endeavour to climb
the mountains because it calls for a spirit of adventure and
seek the difficult. My purport is to aquaint my readers about
the what and why behind the spirit of adventure. I hope this
will fire many a youngmen to leave their homes and move up
the mountains to see the unseen and seek the unclimbable.
5
HIMALAYAS-—THE DIVINE KING OF
MOUNTAINS
"Before I tike you to the celebrated abode of the Gods and
Goddesses, I would like to aquaint my readers with the basic
structure of the Himalayan geography and geology so that
they are able to enjoy and understand the Himalayas in a
better way.
In Bhagvatgita, Lord Krishna describes himself as “Sthavar-
anam Himalaya”, that is ‘among the mountains, I am
Himalaya/ Kalidasa has described Himalayas as ‘Devtatma
-Bimalayanam Nagadhiraj’ which dipping its eastern ridge in
the ocean formed the spine and measuring rod of the earth.
The name Himalaya has been derived from two Sanskrit words
Turna* and ‘alaya’ which mean the repository of snow. The
ancient sages have showered immense praise on the beauty
and majesty of the mountains and glorified it as the abode of
Gods and determining factor for the history and culture of
this part of the country. The Vedic Rishis have unceasingly
sung about the beauty of the Himalayas. The epics Mahabh-
arata and Ramayana have described it as the kingdom of
Gods. Puranas describe Himalayas as the stage for many of
the historical incidents depicted therein. In the famed book
Skandpurana there are two separate chapters entitled ‘Kedar-
26
Abode of Gods'
khand” and ‘Manaskhand’ which describe the geographical
features, history and passage of civilisation in this part of the-
country. In fact, Ved Vyasa has named almost each and every
peak, river and valley with appalling accuracy, giving it an aura
of religious sanctity. Buddhist literature also makes numerous-
references about the high peaks and passes which Buddhist
missionaries often frequented during their extensive travels.
Buddhaghosa, the famed Buddhist writer mentions that the-
Anottatta is situated in the vicinity of Kalashuti and other
Himalayan peaks out of which flow four rivers viz. Simka-
mukha—the lion or east face, Asva Mukha—the horse or
west face, the Hathimukha—the elephant or south face and
Usvamukha—the bull or north face.
Truely, Sanskrit literature describes Himalayas as the home*
of Gods and Goddesses.
The geography
Dr. D. N. Wadia has described the geography of Himalayas
in the c e words : “The rise of the Himalayas from the floor of the
ancient mediterranean sea is an epic of the geological history
of Asia. This evolution was not accomplished in a single"
moment but the uplift was secular and periodic in at least'
three stages, beginning with the Eocene period of the tertiary
era.”Now it is a well known fact that the Himalayas gradually
rose high and they ^re not continuous chain or range of
mountains, instead a series of more or less parallel or conver¬
ging ranges intersected - by enormous valleys and extensive
plateaus. A mountain range is fixed by the continuity and direc-
tion. No great physical boundary could be more marked
than the base of the mountains between the Jhelam on the
west and the Brahmaputra on the east, a distance of 1500
miles..Throughout its length, the Himalayas rise from alluvial
plains. The chain of mountains in the north that forms our
boundary with Tibet-China is in reality the southern face of
the mountains, below which lie the plains of India. The loft¬
iest summits are normally found towards the southern edge.
The Himalayas lie stretched uninterruptedly for over 2500
kilometers in length and 350 kilometers in breadth. They are'
the highest mountains in the world, yet they are the youngest
Uttarakhand
27
mountains because in prehistoric times what was sea bed sud¬
denly came out on the surface as the longest and highest
mountain range on earth where peaks crowd on peaks as far
as eyes can see with a crumpled confusion of rock, snow and
ice surrounded by deep gorges and valleys which have sheer
drop of thousands feet til us making them unapproachable and
inaccessible. At places, peaks have become so rugged and
pointed due to continuous wind and avalanche that they pie¬
rce straight into the sky, particularly between the altitudes of
14000 ft. to 16000 ft. It seems as if they are in the process of
fragmenting and gradually breaking down and I suppose (the
geologists may agree) that a few centuries later, they may be
reduced to gentle sloping hills and with the passage of time
vegetation may grow on them. This gradual process can be
seen in the Arwa valley and lower Millam valley of central
Himalayas (Uttarakhand).
The Himalayas starting from Brahmaputra in the east stre¬
tch westward through Bhutan and Sikkim where snow peaks
ranging from 20000 ft. to 25000 ft, soar into the sky shedding
golden light when the sun sets behind ;them. Further towards
west, along Sikkim and Nepal lie the fabled giants of mountai¬
neering ranging from 20000 ft. to 29000 ft. including the tall¬
est among the mountains, the Everest, locally known as
Chomolungma, the mother Goddess of the earth. A little ahead
lies the sacred most among the divine—‘Kanchenjunga’ and the
awe-inspiring ‘Makalu’ and further west, in the interior
of Nepal lies “Dhaulagiri” or “Dhawalgiri” meaning
sparkling while. A little ahead lies Mansa and the magnificent
group of Annapurnas. The main range snails past Nepal and
moves northward into the beautiful land of Kumaon and Garh-
wal which is known as Uttarakhand. Here lies the magnificent
group of Nanda Devi, with its camel shaped 25645 ft. dome
which is surrounded by a garland of Rishi Ganga on the three
sides and Gori Ganga on the other side. These two rivers lie
spread round the neck of Kumaon-Garhwal Himalayas and
fall below the towering shoulders like the beautiful hairs of a
lovely maiden. Such is the beauty of Himalayan peaks and
rivers which I had occasion to visit and watch from different
places at different time and season of the year. The other
28
Abode of Gods
famed peaks of Uttarakhand Himalayas, which I had an occ¬
asion to see at close range or climb the outskirts or ridges are
Kamet, Trishul, Nanda-ghunti, Sudarshan, Shivling, Bandar-
Poonch, Pancha-chali, Chaukhambha, Neelkanth and Bhagi-
rathi group of peaks. I had an opportunity of climbing
Bhagirathi II (21,365 ft.) in 1968, a description about the climb
been given elsewhere in the book.
From Garhwal, the Himalayas, bend a little northward tak¬
ing in their stride Himachal Pradesh where lie the famed
peaks of Leo Pargyal and Kinnat Kailash. From Himachal,
the Himalayas stretch all along the Kashmir and end up at
the end of Laddakb where the Pamirs, Hindukush and
Himalayas meet and mingle. Here, at the end of the valley
where the Pakistan border meets India’s stands Nanga Parvat
which culminates at the top into a dome in the sky. At the feet
of the Nanga ends Himalayan range and starts Karakoram
which houses the famed 2—the second highest peak of the
world.
Thus lies stretched the 2500 km. long range of Himalayas
which girdles Asia and tops India like a diadem crested with
the finest jewels which attract men of courage and conviction
who revel in deeds of adventure.
The Himalayan system
Longitudinally, the Himalayan system consists of three par¬
allel zones.
(0 The Great Himalayas — Bahyagiri .This comprises northern
most ranges forming an array of magnificent peaks, all above
the snow line. They have an average elevation of 20000 ft. and
more than 100 peaks exceed this height. Some of the
prominent peaks within Bahyagiri are as follow.
Name of the peak
Height
Region
Mt. Everest
29,028 ft.
Eastern Himalayas
It lies at the Border of
Tibet-Nepal.
Gurla Mandhata
25,355 ft.
Western Tibet
Kailash
22,028 ft.
—do—
Kanchenjunga
28,168 ft.
-do—
Dhaulagiri
26,869 ft.
—do—
29
Uttarakhand
Chooy
Manashi
26,769 ft.
Western Tibet
26,658 ft.
Western Nepal
Annapurna I
26,041 ft.
— do—
Annapurna II
Kabru
26,041 ft.
24,096 ft.
—do—
Border of Nepal a
Tibet
Nanda Devi
25,645 ft.
Kumaon Himalayas
Kamet
25,443 ft.
—do—
Trisui
23,366 ft.
—do—
Mana peak
23,802 ft.
Garhwal Himalayas
Mukut Parvat
23,781 ft.
—do—
Chankhamba
23,420 ft.
—do—
Satopanth
23,183 ft.
—do—
Dunagiri
23,183 ft.
—do—
Kedarnath
21,700 ft.
—do —
Gangotri
21,700 ft.
— do—
Bhagirathi II
21,365 ft.
—do—
(ii) The Middle Himalayas (Antargiri). The mountain ranges-
in this zone form an intricate system with an height of 10000
ft. to 18000 ft. above sea level. Here we come across challen¬
ging and unapproachable rock faces. Which vertically rise high
forming steep chimneys or genderme over a ridge* It is here
aDd nowhere else that the art of rock climbing can be best
judged with accurate harmonisation of the arms, knees and
body. Use of rope becomes a must. After crossing rocky
terrain, we land in glacial field where large sections of ice
sheets are located and as we march forward we find moraines
along the glacial field which is normally above 16000 ft. We
find here ice falls formed due to flow of snow from high
mountains. Big crevasses separate the glacier proper from the
ice falls. At times, due to great pressure, ice seracs or
pinnacles of ice are formed which hang dangerously and hurt
the unwary by frequent breaking.
(iii) The Outer Himalayas—Upagiri : They consist of the foot
hills and range from 1500 ft. to 10000 ft. varying in altitude
from place to place. Most of the hill stations are located in
this area and forests spread over 86% of the total area which
can be broadly thus classified.
(A ) Monsoon forest : This covers the thickly wooded Tarai and
30
Abode of Gods
lower Himalayan forests upto 3000 ft. and covers the plains
between Yamuna and Sharda and more particularly the
area which lies below the foothills. This area has remark¬
able absence of water.
The great rivers preserve their course with same dimuni¬
tion in their volume, but all the minor streams that have
their origin in the lower hills on entering this belt lose
themselves in ice deposit that constitutes the substratum.
This area is called as Tarai and Bhabar and the forests
covering it provide an apron to the great Himalayas.
{B) Coniferous tree forest area : This is normally above 3,000 ft.
and constitutes Binus Longi-flora, carpifolia (Khirsu) fir,
and shodendron forests. In fact, most of the hill stations
are located between 5,000—7,000 ft.
(C) Alpine area : Alpine shrubs are found above 10,000 ft. and
a little above are alpine grasslands, which provide excellent
fodder for the cattle and sheeps which move up during
summer to these places. As we mount upwards to the pass,
the chir or pine tree (Pines longifolia) with its long feathery
tufts of leaves gives place to thick shady ibex (onerosu
delical) zunipurous and rhodendron bushes.
Due to these interesting aspects and their monolithic magni¬
tude, the Himalayas are not only a climbers’ paradise but
explorers’ ideal haunt too.
JFlora and fauna
The Himalayas are known as the repositary of vast mineral
and herbal wealth. Besides its rich forests and rivers, it is the
best habitat for the medicinal plants like Pyrethrum (vegetable
insecticide), digitales piar putea (loxglosi) and aromatic plants
like nepeta, mentha, juniperous saussaria, artemesia etc. which
forms raw material for atrophine, tincture and many other
ligaments etc. The other well known plants are Jatawasi,
Guggal, Manure and Hathajari etc.
Today, the Himalayan fauna is thus classified :
(i) Wild animals like boar, 1 ; panthers, tiger are found upto
6,000 ft. Elephants live in Tarai.
(ii) Musk dear, barking deer, ghural and Himalayan black
Uttarakhand
31
beer are available upto 10,000 ft.
<(iii) Id the higher alpine gzone, ghural, snow leopard and
bharal are found.
Truely, the Himalayas are the repositary of minerals which
.are being extensively surveyed by the Geographical Survey of
India.
"The moisture reservoir of India
To Himalaya alone and nothing else, India owes the piomi-
jient features of her climate. The massive barrier interrupts
the monsoon clouds advancing from the southern seas and
precipitates heavy rains on the Indian plains. At the same
time, it protects the Indian mainland from the icy blasts of
.cold wind which originate from the Arctic region that sweeps
.across Siberia, central Asia, Pamirs and parts of Tibet, but do
not reach India due to the massive Himalayan barrier.
Another important aspect of the Himalayan geology is that
.about twenty-two principal rivers which drain the Himalayan
region emanate from high glacial fields, the most significant
•being Ganga and Yamuna, both in antiquity and sanctity.
Atkinson has observed about this feature: “In the Himalaya, it
is observed that all the main ridges and valleys have a constant
tendency to follow the direction either parallel or at right
angles to the main line of water parting. This tendency, it is
true, is often disguised by the rapid succession of several
-sudden changes of direction which when represented on the
small scale of our maps gives an apparent obliquity to both
'ridges, and rivers which has no existence in the elementary
-portions of which they are composed.” 1 The draining area of
-the Kali is completed on the east by a great transverse ridge
-which runs down across western Nepal from the Tibetan water
parting. The Ganges system on the other hand is bounded by
another range near Rishikesh and Haridwar.
According to Dr. Chibbar, the Himalayan rivers can be
conveniently classified into the following categories :
(i) The pre-Himalayan rivers —these areSutlaj and Indus. The
catchment area is nearly 1,25,460 sq. miles.
1. S.K. Bauer]i, Himalaya Gol. I, 1952, P. 26.
32
Abode of Gods*
(ii) The Great Himalopan Rivers—In this category fall the
famed Ganges, Kali, Gori, Gandak and Teetsa.
(iii) The lesser known Himalayan rivers— The geologists have
counted Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelem etc,
(iv) The Shivalik rivers— Tons, Hindon and Satlaj are counted
as Shivalik rivers.
The Himalayan rivers get maximum water from melting of
ice and snow as has been pointed out by Dr. S.K. Banerji:
“An analysis of the river discharge data and precipitation in
the catchments in the froms of rain and snow shows that the-
Himalayan rivers get nearly 60% from precipitation
that falls as rain in the lower catchment. During July to
November, when the sky remains cloudy, the contribution,
from snow and glaciers is reduced to about 35 percent. In
fact, Himalayan hydrography forms an independent branch,
of study which may prove helpful for planning our irrigation
and hydel projects.” 1
Civilisations have risen and fallen on the banks ot these
famed rivers. Men have solemnly pursued the silent paths,
lying above treacherous rock faces, to the source of these
rivers. Probably for this reason alone our ancient sages
located the famed Dhams of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath
and Badrinath and the perennial source of these life-giving
rivers. Is it not a wonder of nature or divine will that
Bhagirathi and Alakhnanda meet at Deoprayag and become
Ganga while Yamuna meets Ganga at Allahabad after taking
a bend of a quarter of North India.
Truely, the Himalayas are the moisture reservoir of the-
whole of north India. The future of entire human conglomera¬
tion in the vast plains of North India rests on how efficiently we
plan the conservation of water which can be best done with
the conservation of our forests and digging up of diversionary
irrigation canal and small dams which will not only generate
power but will also provide water for irrigation canals r
drinking purpose and growing fruits and vegetable.
The exploration and study of Himalayan geography, geo¬
logy, flora, fauna and its climatological phenomenon and a.
1, S.K. Banerji, Himalaya , GoL 1, 1952, P. 26.
Uttarakhand
33
hundred other matters connected with its life has now become
most urgent for all those who are interested in the develop¬
ment of Himalayas and welfare of India.
6
UTTARAKHAND—THE CRADLE OF
EARLY CIVILISATION
1 had ample opportunity of travel in the interiors of central
Himalayas which has been given the ascription of Uttara¬
khand. Uttarakhand presents a panorama of infinite diversity,
thickly wooded Tarai forests, arid zones, high altitude tracts,
popular hill resorts, small isolated hamlets, roads and rivers,
cooler 'places, green valleys, succulent pastures, places of
pilgrimage and perpetual snows. It comprises of the four
hill districts of Tehri, Pauri, Nainital and Almora and the
three border districts of Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pithora-
garh. It borders Tibet in the north, Nepal in the east, the
plains of Uttar Pradesh in the south and Mahashu and Kinn-
aur district of Himachal Pradesh in the west. This area of
18530 sq. miles in the central Himalayas with its rising peaks
and densely wooded valleys, has from time immemorial lent
glory and dignity to the image of India. The Holy Dhams of
Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath are situated
in this area and have ever since been the source of culture,
tradition and reverence for the people of the Indian sub-conti¬
nent. Every year, thousands of pilgrims from different parts
of India flock here thus cementing the emotional unity of the
36
Abode of Gods
country. Probably this alone led our chroniclers to describe
these places as the holy home of the Gods and Goddesses
“The existence of the great shrines of Badri and Kedar, cont¬
aining forms of Shiva and Vishnu, still hold a foremost posi¬
tion in the beliefs of the great majority of Hindus—to many
the fruititious of all early desires is the growing glory of a
visit to the sacred Tirthas by which the sins of the former
birth are cleansed and exception from metamorphosis is obtai¬
ned. Here are laid many of the scenes in the life of the dei¬
ties, here Rama propitiated Mahadeva . . . here Arjuna and
Krishna meditated on the Supreme Being and the Pandavas
ended their earthly pilgrimage. Every rock and rivulet is
dedicated to some deity or saint and has an appropriate leg¬
end. Nature in her wildest and most rugged form bears wit¬
ness to the belief that here is the home of Gods, and when
journeying to the mountains, which form the approach to
the principal shrines, the traveller from the plains is told to
proceed in respectful silence lest the Gods should be angered.
He wearily feels the presence,and should the forbidden sound
and music arise and the God in wrath hurls down avalanches
on the offenders, then the awe-stricken pilgrim believes that
he has seen God, terrible and swift to punish and seeks by
renewed austerities to overt his displeasure. ... In fact what
Palestine is to the Christian, the home of this great gods, the
great way to the final liberation”. 1
Uttarakhand continues to be the home of Gods and will 1
certainly remain so in future.
The land
The three hill districts of Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttar-
kashi have been given the ascription of Uttarakhand in the’
government records and as per local geographical denomina¬
tions, the districts of Dehradun, Tehri-Garhwal, Pauri-Garh-
wal, Chamoli and Uttarkashi are known as Garhwal; that is :
how we separate Uttarakhand from Kumaon and Garhwal and
always confuse it with mere three border districts of Uttar¬
kashi, Chamoli and Pithoragarh. In fact, the entire Kumaon
1. Himalayan Districts t F.T. Athinson.
Uttarakhand
37
and Garhwal inclusive of three Uttarakhand districts was once
known as “Uttarkuru” or “Brahmarishidesh”. It extended
from Kalsi-Arakote in the west to Vyas-Chandaus in the
north-east and Tanakpore, Ramnagar, Muni-Ki-Reti and
Dehradun in the south-west. Puranas have described this area
as Kedarkhand which extended from Nari Khorsim (western
Tibet) to Tarai Bhabar in the south-west. Puranas have des¬
cribed this area as Kedarkhand, Kinnerdesh and Manaskhand
which extended from Nari-Khorsim (Western Tibet) to Tarai-
Bhabar in the south, Garhwal in the west and Nepal in the
east. Later on, the Puranic chronicles started describing the
present Kumaon as ‘Manaskhand* and Garhwal as ‘Kedar¬
khand’. The entire areas has been thus described in Skanda-
purana—
A gang ad war maryadam swetant barwenium tarns at at-
patati purvarwaks bauddhachalam subaham
Kedarmandalam khyant hhumyast dwichala sthalam
References about Kedarkhand, Manaskhand, Kinnerdesh
.and Uttarakhand are found in various scriptures including
Mahabharata and Ramayana which make pointed reference to
Kulinda, Kalkoot and Anartdesh. In Mahabharata detailed
description has been given about the various kingdoms and
places which were subjudicated by Arjuna. This is probably
one reason that Garhwal has been referred in some ancient
texts as Panchaldesh and even today numerous places are
known after the names of Pandavas as Pandosera, Panai,
Pandukeshwar, Nili and Panduakhal. In these places, several
dance forms are in existence after the glorious tradition of
Pandavas and are known as Pandava Nrityas.
Shaktisangam Sutra has described Uttarakhand as—
Kurmashya maheshani kadhyate
srincesampratam
Shankesh dakshbhage kamakhya
purvagochar uttere
Man she sh pachhima shardabhawet .
The very name Kumaon is derived from Kurma, the
tortoise incarnation of Vishnu giving it a mythological
colouring. Legend has that Shri Ram sent the head of
Kumbha Kama, the brother of Ravan to Kumaon through
38
Abode of Gods
Hanuman who left it near Champawat. As per Puranic story
Lord Vishnu assumed the form of a tortoise or Kurma to
destroy the demons. The scene of the fierce battle between
Danawas and Devas came to be known as Kumaon.
In harmony with the geographical, description in the ancient
scriptures, we have definite traces of archaeological finds at
Kalkoot (Kalsi), Haripur, Jagatram, Sinhpur, Lakhamandal,
Birbhadra, Mayapur, Brahmapur, Mordhwaj, Kotedwar,
Khilkuli, Govisana, Ujjain, Baijnath, Kartikeiapura
(Joshimath), Champawat, Dwarahat, Gangolihat, Arakote,
Srinagar, Simli, Tunganath, Chandrapuri, Katarmal,
Gangotihat, and Jageshwar. These places remind the traveller
and compel them to refresh their memory about the glorious
cradle of civilisation that was once Uttarakhand.
The people
This land of fact and fables is peopled by short heighted,
tough and sturdy people who trace their origin from the
Yaksas, Kinnars, Guhyas, and Khasees whose fortunes dis¬
appeared into oblivion with the passage of time. The Khasees
have been identified by some historians with the early Aryan
settlers whose counterparts have been found in other parts of
India, speaking a dialect similar to theirs. Very often, they
have also been identified as Yodheyas Greek writers like
Hixodotus and Straha have referred to them as ‘Kissi*.
Ptolemy calls them <f Kissia\ The Khasiyas divided themselves
into Thoks in lower area of the Himalayas and their chieftain
was known as Thokedar or Sayana.
The Thoks fell before the onslaught of Katyurs who
established a flourishing kingdom with their capital at
Kartikeyapura (Joshimath) and later on at Baijnath.
In fact, Uttarakhand resembles a great smeltering pot, into
which races and tribes have been thrown together and
subjected to every kind of intermixture, as a result of which
the social framework of today fs something very different from
anything belonging to the remote past. There were frequent
in-roads of invading armies who came to conquer but remained
as local citizens and with the passage of time their identity
was lost. "However, some of them still maintain their old
Uttarakhand
39
like taunsaris, Gujars, Bokshees, Rawats and Tharus.
“However the history of Kumaon and Garhwal in ea.ly
times is not clearly distinct from that of Northern India as a
whole The inhabitants also, as they now exist, may be said
To belong to wider divisions of population. Those dwelling in
the lower hills between the snowy range and plains are
practically Hindus, and enjoy what is really and Indian
climatic conditions as prevail in the plains below. But we have
also to include within the ambit of the area the area known
as Bhot, inhabited by the Bhotiyas, a tribe of Mongolians and
Tibetan affirmities, whose proper habitat is the snowy tract
lying beyond the first range of high peaks and extending upto
the watershed, when the headwaters of the great rivers take
their rise. The climate there differs widely from that of the
sub-Himalayan hills, and the conditions of life resemble those
of Tibet, which it adjoins. ,
The history of the region is mostly disjointed and is availa¬
ble in piecemeal, tillKatyuris finally settled over the region.
The glimpses of early history are available through Lakha-
mandal inscription of Isvara Devi temple, Bageshwar, inscrip¬
tion as rendered by Atkinson, Taleshwar copper plate-grant,
Pandukeshwar plates, Gopeshwar inscription of Ashokachalla.
The inscription carved on trident at Uttarkashi and Gopesh¬
war are remnants of ancient history. These landmarks of early
history were visited and interpreted by early historians like
Atkinson, Buhler, T.D. Gairola, Cakley, Jt. Goetez, Hari
Krishna Raturi, Badri Dutt Pandey, Badri Shah Thulgharia,
Rahul Sanskrityayan and Shiv Prasad Dabral. Amongst early
pioneer writers Cunningham worked very hard to find out the
real background of Kulindas who were supposedly preceded
by Kujatas who inhabited the region around the sources of
Ganga and Yamuna.
Amongst the most exciting and living trace of Indian
history in Garhwal is Kalsi where in i860, a rock edict was
unearthed, heralding a new dimension in the history of
Uttarakhand. .
From the archaeological 4nds, the Ashokan pillar at Kalsi
and the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta, we
came to know about a place called Kartikeyapura or Kartipura
40 Abode of Gods
which was the capital of the Katuris. Huen Tsang has referred
to it and in Kavyamimamsa of Rajsekhara we find definite
descriptions about this ancient city. It is just possible that
the ancient Kiratas established Kartikeyapura and later on
came to be recognised as Katyuris like Khasas and later on
recognised as Sakas. Instead of accepting the theory that all
great races like Aryans and Sakas came from outside, why we
can’t accept the theory that these great races were born here
as is made explicit by the facts of history and discovery of
archaeological find that Aryans or Sakas were the original
inhabitants of Uttarakhand which has been so much eulogised
in our scriptures as the kingdom of Gods.
Definite traces of history
Definite traces of history are available in Uttarakhand since
and after the Mauryas, the positive piece of evidence being the
Ashokan pillar at Kalsi. Kunnindas followed Mauryas and
according to Menander territories falling between the Ganges
and Yamuna were parts of the famous kingdom of Kulinda
dynasty. In fact, the present Jaunsars seem to be their
descendants. Ptolemy has also placed them in this region.
Their coins have been found at various places. The coins of
Amoghbhuti whom Cunningham places in 150 B.C. are
similar to those of Sivapalita, and Hardatta, all of second
century B.C. Kunnindas had some sort of trade and inter¬
communication with the Greeks. Kunnindas were also
contemporaries of the Yodheyas and Arjunayanas.
The physical aspect of the Khasiyas of Kumaon is distinctly
Aryan. Their language is almost pure dialect.
Imperial Guptas had definite influence over Uttarakhand
and probably their arms reached Kartikeyapura during the
reign of Samudragupta, mention about which is found in the
Allahabad pillar inscription. Some authors have identified
this Kartikeyapura with Baijnath (Kumaon). This contention
also does not seem tenable because Baijnath became Katyari
capital only after a branch of Katyuris had shifted from
Kartikeyapura (Joshimath) in about seventh century A. D.
Fanshta mentions not only about the extensive sway of Gupta
arms but also of Rashtrakutas from south, upto the Himalayas.
jam motri
11TTARAKHAMD YATTRA ROUTES
puiyuMiTir. maps
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■ ‘■AHtCA # ...»GAHWTR» • MAHAPASS
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‘Uttarakhand
41
“The visit of Huen Tsang
Huen Tsang visited this part of the country in 634 A. D.
.and proceeded from Thaneshwar to Strughana in Saharanpore
.and across the Ganges to Madawar in the Bijnore district* He
describes Mayura and Mayapur close to Haridwar. He has
also given vivid description of his journey to Po-hi-ki-mo-pou-
to or Brahampore, which lay 50 miles north of Madawar.
-Cunningham was the first to place Brahmapore in Garhwal
about which he observes that the Huen Tsang must have
visited it.
It has been pointed out by some historians that Harsha
^extended the sway of his arms upto parts of Uttarakhand and
.annexed it within his territory.
-Signs of early civilisation
The small city kingdoms or scattered principalities which
'Were being administered by indigenous or imported dynasties
were only a passing phenomenon in the history of
Uttarakhand. The central point of power in the annals of
* Himalayan history was the rise and fall of Katyari Dynasty,
the traces of which can be found from the scattered remains
of Lakhamandal, Kharsali, Barahat, Trijugi-Narayan,
Kedarnath, Madhyawaheshwar, Adi-Badri, Dwarahat,
Jageshwar, Bageshwar, Baijnath, Qangolihat, and Champawat.
I had ample opportunity of visiting these temples not once but
number of times and thus had ample opportunity to evaluate
their historical importance in the history of Uttarakhand.
The architectural remains of these places when put together
and placed in right perspective reveal and reflect the perfect
^designing and skill of execution of Uttarakhand style which
had taken shape during the reign of Katyuris. The salient
features of this architecture were lotus shaped roof, lion
mounted over the elephant has been projected over lower
.shikharas of the temple which normally covered the audience
hall. The outer walls of the temple were executed either in
.Panch Rath or Sapta-Rath pattern, giving the temples a
cylindrical shape. The main temple is invariably surrounded
by a couple of smaller temples which housed Gods and
^Goddesses of lower intensity.
42
Abode of Gods
Advent of Katyuris
The extensive sway of Katyuri empire is proved not only
from the archaeological finds which are strewn all over, but:
also from various inscriptions which are found in
Uttarakhand. The most remarkable of these are the Katyuri
inscriptions of Bageshwar which have since unfortunately
disappeared, but fortunately for the benefit of historians,.
Mr. Atkinson had studied it and translated it. In this inscrip¬
tion, we find the name of JLalit-Surdeva who has also been
named in Paundukeshwar copper plate grant. This copper
plate grant has been placed by Kielhorn between 853 A. D.
and 854 A. D. On the basis of calculations Jadunath Sircar
has assigned the four rulers named in these inscriptions, viz,.
Nimbaraka, Istagana, Lalitsura and Bhudeva to the period
between 796 to 890 A.D. If we accept the date 790 A.D. of'
Nimbaraka, we can easily reconstitute the entire Katyuri his¬
tory because there were five more kings before him, starting,
with Basantan who migrated to Kartikeyapura to Bageshwar
around 690 A.D. Kanakpal laid the foundations of Paramar
dynasty at this time of the history near Devalgarh.
The great exodus from Kartikeyapura to Devalgarh and
Bageshwar had started, in all probability, the last king at
Joshimath was Vasudeva about whom Atkinson writes, “The
ancient temple of Vasudev Giriraj Chandra Churamani”.
Thus Basudev' seems to be in all probability no one else than
Basdntan who migrated to Katyur valley in Baijnath after the-
rise of a new power under Kanakpal in Chandpurgarhi.
It is not known who were the rulers before Basantan
at Kartikeyapur. However, it can be conjectured that the
Naga and Shalivahan kings mentioned in the Puranas and
referred to in the inscription of Barahat were certainly prede¬
cessors of Katyuris and descendants of Khasees or Kissias or
Yodheyas referred to in the inscription of Barahat were cer¬
tainly predecessors of Katyuris and descendants of Khasas or
Yodheyas referred to in ancient books and Greek writings.
As per Bageshwar inscriptions, the geneology of the Katyuri
kings is as follows :
Uttarakhand
45
Basantan
I
nameless king
Karpardeva
I.
Kalyan Rajadeva
I
Tribhuvanara Yanadeva
I
Nimbaratadeva
i
Ishtaganadeva or Ishtarandeva
I
Sri Lalit Sardeva
Sri Bhudevadeva or Bhudeva.
The kings who migrated to Bagsshwar were great builders
of temples and palaces but unfortunately little is known about
them. The kings were probably Shaivites but in their enthu¬
siasm for Shaivism they did not neglect other religions.
While Basantan consolidated his gains at the new place, his
successors tried to expand it, the most powerful amongst them
being Nimbaiatadeva. It is implied that during his reign Pala
kings invaded Kumaon under Dharampala who was fired with
a missionary zeal to establish Dharam and extirpate the wicked.
He probably visited Kedarnath also. The coming of Dharam¬
pala in the Uttarakhanda has also been referred by Rajsekhara
in Kayyamimamsa. It is narrated that inspite of his defeat at
the hands of Dharampala king Nimbaraka continued to ex¬
pand his kingdom and patronised the construction of the
famed temple at Jageshwar which bears testimony to the gol¬
den prime of Kumaon. Nimbaraka’s son Ishtaganadeva suc¬
ceeded him in 810 A.D. According to available evidence, he
had to fight with his enemies with the edge of his sword sla¬
ying furious elephants which goes to show that the invaders
were from the plains. Besides being daughty fighter, he was
‘parammeheshwarah’, a devout devotee of Lord Shiva. He
caused to be constructed the temples of Navadurga, Mahisa-
surmardini, Lakulisa and Natraja at Jageshwar. He was suc¬
ceeded by his competent son Lalitsurdeva, who was an intre¬
pid fighter like his illustrious ancestors. However, he had the
44
Abode of Gods
misfortune of meeting the mighty warlords from Bengal, parti¬
cularly Devpala, who according to Dr. R.C. Majumdar “is
said to have exacted tributes from the whole of Northern India
from the Himalayas to the Vindhyas and from the eastern to
the western occean.
The line of Nimbaraka was succeeded at the tailend by
Bhudeva, who succeeded his illustrious father Lalitsurdeva in
875 A.D. It is not known how his family rule came to an end.
Solenadeva (895 A.D.) ascended the throne of Kartikeyapura.
The new king was quite competent to safeguard the four cor¬
ners of his kingdom. He was succeeded by his son Ishtadeva
in 920 A.D. He had a brief spell of rule and was soon suc¬
ceeded by his son Desatdeva in 931 A.D. who acquired “by
the might of his arms unnumbered provinces on all sides, the
owners of which coming to make his obeisance poured forth
such incessant gifts of horses, elephants and jewels before him
that they held in contempt the offerings made to Indra”. He
extended his territory right upto Tarai and caused the cons¬
truction of some beautiful temples at Narayankoti and Baijnath.
His successor Subhikshrajadeva was not as competent as his
father but he kept intact the glorious traditions of his fore¬
fathers. He was a man of letters and a dedicated Vaishnavite.
The glorious kingdom of Katyuris started disintegrating
after Subhiksharajadeva. His successor Dhanadeva and
Bisadeva proved incompetent and caused widespread revolt by
their tyranny. Smaller Thokedars of Askote, Doti, Baramdeo,
Dwarahat and Lakhanpore rose in revolt and established
themselves as independent kingdoms. The main line of the
Katyuris had to satisfy itself with the control of the Katyur
Valley and Danpur till Chands of Champawat rose into
prominence in Kumaon and Pauwars in Garhwal who closed
a crowded page in the history of Uttarakhand and inaugurated
.an era of intense activity in Manaskhand known as
Kurmanchal and Kedarkhand which came to be known as
•Garhwal.
In next chapters, I shall give you a brief account about the
land and people of these regions so that my readers are able
to enjoy the best of the land, hosnitalitv of the neonle and
Iheir culture.
7
THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF GARHWAL
In order to better understand a place, it is better to know'
its geographical feature and people. Keeping this in mind,
I will like to give you a glimpse of the land and people of
Garhwal and then about the Kumaon.
Garhwal, the epitome of the Himalayas where Lord Vishnu
chose to act the world drama is inhabited by tough, hardy
and enduring people. It is bordered on the north by Tibet
and in the east by Kumaon, on the south by Bijnore and-
Dehradun and on the west by Sirmaur and Nahan. The
physical features of the area have been best described by
Walton as “The vast tracts are composed of bare rocks or are’
covered with forests. In some parts such features are canfined
to the upper parts of the mountains whose sides and base are
adorned with the richest fertility, whilst in other parts the’
fairest slopes or the finest valleys are succeeded by continuous
miles of river glen where precipices and woods extend to the
lowest depths.”
It was divided into petty chieftains, numbering fifty two
who were put together by Ajaipal in fifteenth century A. D.
46
Abode of Gods
The land
The territory east of Alaknanda on the one hand, Nainital-
Almora on the other and Bijnore, Dehradun district in the
south was known as Pauri Garhwal (British Gaihwal) and the
territory of Alaknanda on the one hand, Pauri—on the
east, Sirmaur and Saharanpur in the north was known as
Tehri-Garhwal (Royal Garhwal) till 1960. Chamoli was
carved out of Pauri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi outofTehri
Garhwal in 1960. This region is very well connected with the
roads from Rishikesh and Kotdwar which merge at Srinagar
and from here, the road climbs all along the Mandakini and
Alaknanda right Upto Gaurikund in Kedarnath and Badrinath
dham. Starting from Kotdwar to Srinagar, the road passes
through Dogadda and Satpuli to Pauri where the District and
Divisional headquarters are located. Pauri presents infinite
view of britliant Himalayan panorama.
The road descends down from Pauri to Srinagar. Srinagar
is a beautiful town which is gradually coming up. It was once
seat of the Panwar kings but due to Gmkha plundering and
the floods the town lost most of its magnificent buildings
particularly in the floods of 2830 when most of the magnificent
buildings, parts of which could still be seen or imagined
through the paintings of Maulafam. However, Srinagar still
preserves some remnants of the glorious past,
A little ahead of Srinagar is Rudraprayag which is known
for the confluence of Mandakini and Alaknanda. The spot
where Jim Corbett had his famous kill of a tiger suddenly
brought this incongrous place inte a famed place.
Across Mandakini lies the glorious Kedarriath valley.
The main route teaches to Badrinath all along the upstream
of Alaknanda passing through Rudraprayag, Karanprayag,
Chamoli andd Joshimath. ' ^ )
The people
Garhwalis prefer physical labour and they are good tillers.
In short, they are honest and hardworking. This makes them
intrepid fighters which facilitated their entry 'into Garhwal
regiment and in 1853 they were combined in the 2nd Battalion
of the Third Gorkha regiment in Almora and were sub-
Uttarakhand
47
jsequently sent to Landsdowne Cantonment where a separate
.unit was established. Their skillful soldiery brought them to
the forefront and in 1901 a new Battalion was created and
.named 39th Garhwal Rifles. During world war I of 1914 for
"this uncommon courage and valour Naik Darban Singh Negi
» was honoured with the highest insignia —Victoria Cross. The
jnext was Rifleman Gabar Singh Negi of 2nd Bn. Garhwal
JRifles. Many more followed afterwards.
The legend
It may appear surprising to some readers that the name of
a holy land should be applied to the Himalayan province of
•Garhwal, yet there in no difficulty in proving the claim to the
title. The great shrines of both the leading deities of modern
India, Shiv and Vishnu, the active partners in the Hindu triad
•or. trinity, are situated within its bounds, and these places,
Kedarnath and Badrinath, are the supreme objects of
pilgrimage to devout Hindus beyond all Tirthas or holy places,
either at Benares, Gaya, Prayag or Puri. The mountain
Tastness, which are believed to be the dwelling place of Siva
and Vishnu, are regarded as sacrosanct, and more merit is
obtained by the long and toilsome journey to the snowy peaks
than to any other of the numerous centres of pilgrimage
throughout India. The very sight of everlasting snows is-said
to bestow sanctity and bliss; nay, it is written in the
:Skandpurana—“He who thinks of Himanchal, though he
should not beheld him, is greater than he who performs all
worship in Kashi (Benares). In a hundred ages of the gods
I could not tell thee of the glories of Himanchal. As the dew
is dried Up by the ihorning sun, so are the sins of mankind by
the Sl^ht of the Htitianchal:”
According “ to POranas", the early inhabitants were either
Asuras or Nagas and 1 Painkhanda (Badrinath Dham) was the
'kingdom of legendary demon king* J Hiranyakashyap and
Yodhipur (present Joshimath) was his capital. Leaving aside
the hypothetical stories about the divine kings and queens, we
have ample evidence of men and women who lived and
^meditated here on the divine heights of Himalayas. The most
remarkable and momentous incidents in the history of
48
Abode of Gods'
Garhwal was when Ved Vyasa wrote Mahabharata and
Skandpurana near Badrikashrama and centuries later
Sankracharya travelled the interiors of Garhwal and establi¬
shed the famed Maths of Josbimath and Okhimath and the
holy Dhams of Badrinath and Kedarnath.
Kedarkhand now described as Garhwal is the birthplace of
Ganga and Yamuna, the twin holy rivers, on the banks of
which scores of holy places like Panch Kedars, Panch Badris r
Panch Kashis and Panch Prayags are located. I had the
privilege to visit each and every place connected with our
divine tradition not once but number of times.
History
During Brahmanical period (after Vedic period), Garhwal
had come to be known as Brahmarshidesh. In Mahabharata r
Garhwal has been described as Panchaldesa. Even today,
many places are known and identified as Pandusira r
Panduakhal etc. Panch Pandavas entered Garhwal alongwith
Draupadi on way to Swargarohini and that is why even today
numerous places are known after them and certain dance
forms exist after the folklore of Pandavas. Such folktales are
enacted, year after year, with great gusto and fervour.
The Lakhamandal dynasty
Apart from the dynasties at Brahmapore and Govisana, we
also find traces of ancient civilisation supported by sufficient
inscriptions at Lakhamandal across Jamuna in Dehradun
district on the Barahoti-Mussoorie road. The archaeological
finds reveal besides rich art work, the history of the two
dynasties which ruled in this part of the country. The first
dynasty belonged to about 5th century A.D. The Lakha¬
mandal inscription opens with salutations to Nagendranya
(Parvarti) and proceeds to give the geneological tree of the
local dynasty as follows:
Uttarakhand
49
Jayadeva
Name lost
I
Guhesha
I
Achala
i
Chhagaladisa
Rudrasadasa
Chhagales (Ketu)
I
According to the editor of the inscriptions, the blank space at
the fourth order of chronology suggests that one more name
being between Achala and Chhagaladesa also might have been
lost; who were these rulers is a pertinent question. This dynasty
was later on overthrown by Singhpura dynasty in around 6th
century A. D. A list of the Prasasti of Isvara who belonged to
the royal race of Singhpura, for the spiritual welfare of her
deceased husband, who was called Sri Chandra Gupta, the son
of king of Jalandhara. The following geneology is available
from the inscription of Rani Isvara :
Senavarman
I
Aryavarman
I
Dattavarman
I
Prodipattavarman
Singhavarman
Jalavarman
i
Yajnavarman
i
Acharvarman
Samarghanghalavarman
Devakavarman
Bhaskarvarman
50
Abode of Gods
Ripughngkala
Kapil'varman
I
Chandragupta
Kapilvarman was the prince of Jalandhara who subsequently
married Isvara who caused the inscription under reference to be
inscribed.
The dynasty belonged to the line of Yadu or the Yadavas of
the lunar race who had ruled over the country since the begin¬
ning of the Yuga. The history of this dynasty is nowhere available
for a detailed study. It can be an interesting conjecture to attri¬
bute the Asvamedha sacrifice at Jagatram (Kalsi). To this dynasty
of Lakhamandal which has been described by some historians as
Yodheyas who could possibly be intercepted as Yadavas or Yadus
of these inscriptions. In fact Silavarman of the Asvamedha Yajna
of Jagatram could be no one else than Singhavarman of this
dynasty.
The downfall of Katyuris
I have already dealt about the Katyuris whose empire started
disintegrating after Subhikshakata Deva. His successor Dhanda-
deva and Biradeva proved incompetent and caused widespread
revolt by their tyranny. Smaller thekedars of Askote, Doti,
Baramandala, Dwarahat and Lakhanpore rose in revolt and
established themselves as independent kingdoms. The main king
of the Katyuris had to satisfy himself with the control of Katyur
valley and Danpur till Chands of Champawat in Kumaon and
Panwars of Chandpurgarhi in Garhwal rose into prominence and
closed a crowded page in the history of Uttarakhand and opened
a new one, full of historic events.
The kingdom of Garhwal
It has already been explained how Kanakpal established himself
around 753 A.D. and laid the foundation of an independent
Garhwal kingdom at a time when Basantan moved into Katyur
Valley. It is really shocking that from Kanakpal (713 A.D.) to
Ajaipal (1358 1398 A.D.) we have no definite trace of history.
In fact, there is an ample scope to make research into the secrets
of history during this period of history when Garhwal seems to
Uttarakhand
51
have fallen into oblivion.
Since and after Ajaipal, we are on much firmer ground due
-to u Manodanya-Kavya” written by Yetis Rai who has supplied
the list of kings after Ajaipal. Ajaipal established his capital
at Chandpurgarhi, the remains of which can still be seen. He
has been compared with Yudhistra who descended from the
Lunar lineage and whose name was sufficient to give a tremor
to the heart of many a king. He is said to have unified
the entire tract of Garhwal and was probably the first ruler
to call it Garhwal instead of Kedarkhand. His territory extended
from Badhan Pargana on the borders of Kumaon in the east
and Yamuna in the western limit of his possessions. He also
transferred his capital from Chandpur to Devalgarh in 1412 and
•subsequently it was shifted to Srinagar in 1517 by later kings
who found Srinagar centrally and strategically located.
Man Shah ascended the throne of Garhwal (1571—1610) and
successfully carried his arms right upto Champawat and after
crossing Kali subdued the Gyalpo of Dapa in western Tibet. The
Mughal emperor conferred the title of Shah on him. In the year
1625, the Garhwalis procured the aid of Rikha Lodi and marched
into Dapa (Tibet) in retaliation for raiding the upper part of
Garhwal. They took control of the Tholing Math and even
annexed upper reaches of the Sutlej river. Raja Fateb Shah
(1634—1710) proved a powerful ruler whose exploits have been
mentioned even by the hermits of Tsaprang mission (1625—50).
The Panwars received first setback in their prowers from the
Rohillas who defeated and plundered the Garhwalis in the year
1557 when Raja Pratap Shah was controlling the fortunes of
Panwar dynasty. Raja Pradyumna Shah (1787—1804) was the
last absolute ruler of Garhwal and incidentally of Kumaon also.
The chaotic years
Gorkhas—the short statured, daughty fighters who wrested
Kumaon in 1970—were now threatening Garhwal. Pradyumna
Shah tried to ward them off by paying a tribute of Rs. 25,000/-
which the Gorkhas initially accepted but later on revoked it and
held seige of the capital—Srinagar. Maularam, the court poet of
the Panwars has thus portrayed the entire incident in these
words :
52
Abode oj Gods
Daughty fighters were Gorkhas,
Guns roared all around the hills.
They raised such thunder and fire
That the downfall of Srinagar
Seems imminent, and comes.
Pradyumna Shah fled to Saharanpur and the Gorkhas in their
goose chase succeeded in annexing Dehradun in 1804. Pradyumna
Shah did not sit idle and continued to counter Gorkhas with the
help of Britishers who ultimately drove them away from Dehradun
arid Garhwal after a series of campaigns which ended with the
treaty of Sigauli in 1814-15. As per terms of the treaty Kali river
was fixed as the western limit of Nepal and the Britishers annexed
the entire Uttarakhand except Tehri Garhwal which lies east of
Alaknanda and Mandakini. Sudharshan Shah (1814—1850) was
the first ruler of Garhwal with his capital at Tehri. it has now
been divided into the twin districts of Tehri Garhwal and
Uttarkashi.
The Garhwal kings were great builders of places and patronised
fine arts. Maularam lived in the court of Pauwar kings at
Srinagar.
8
THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF KUMAON ■
The area consisting of three hill districts of Almora, Nainital and
Pithoragarh is known as Kumaon and its inhabitants as
Kumaonese. Sanskrit poets have unceasingly sung about the
beauties which nature has bestowed on this part of the country.
It was probably this reason which inspired eminent Indians like
Swami Vivekanand, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi,
Subhash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru to visit Kumaon
and meditate there on the problems of life space and divine.
People
This fairyland of fact and fables is peopled by short statured,
tough, sturdy, honest and intelligent people who are known to
the outsiders as ‘Pahari’ but the appropriate word for them is
Kumaoni since former is a vague term to describe any class of
people. Ancient texts have made numerous references about
people inhabiting this land. Kumaon was known as Kinnerdesh
which extended from Nari Khorsem (western Tibet) to Tarai
Bhabar in the south and from Garhwal in the east to Nepal in
the west. It was inhabited by Yaksas, Kronar, Guhyas and
Khas. Khas people have been indentified with the early Aryan
settlers since their counterparts have been found in other parts of
54
Abode of Gods
India, speaking a dialect similar to them. Even Greek writers¬
like Hirodotus and Strabo have referred about them as Kissi and
Ptolmey mentions them as Kissia. The Khasias divided them¬
selves into thoks and their chieftain was known as thokdar.
These thoks fell before the onslaught of Katyurs but did not dis¬
appear altogether. The end of these thoks came centuries later
when Gurkhas annexed Kumaon in 1770 and finally Britishers
gave the last nail in the coffin in 1815. Britishers took hold of
Kumaon administration under the treaty of Sitoli.
Whatever may be political implications of Khas history but
there is no doubt about their intrepid qualities as daughty fighters-
to which Kumaon Regiment bears testimony. Besides martial
tradition they have inherited belief in numerous gods and goddesses,,
ghosts and spirits. They burn sacrificial fires with Trisuls (three
pronged lance) and red of Airhi fixed in the centre of sacrificial
pit. Abounding is the faith of a Khasia in Lord Shiva and his
consort Parvati who protects the four comers of Kumaon.
Amongst the local gods and goddesses Bhumia, Bhairav and
Nanda are worshipped. They protect the land, harvest and people.
Khas people did not recognise vedic gods and goddesses till recen¬
tly and many of the Brahmanic rituals were- unknown to them.
Crime was hitherto unknown and all cases of indiscipline were
settled by invoking the village god Jagar. So menacing is the
impact of this system that the danger of being indentified by the
village god keeps defaulters shuddering under the devastating
impact of public insinuation and exposure.
The main occupation of a Kumaoni is agriculture, rearing
cattle, small trade and join army.
History—the ascendency of Chanels
Before the ascendency of Chands the history of Kumaon is
available in piecemeal.
Som Chand was a Chandrabansi Rajput who founded the dy¬
nasty of Chands at a time when he found chaos and established
order. According.to tradition, when Katyari Kings were unable
to control the country, some wise men were sent as messengers to
Kannauj and Prayag who selected Som Chand as the new king.
According to another legendary account when a Raja of Kannauj
was going to Badrinath for pilgrimage, he was accompanied bv
Uttarakhand
55
his younger brother who was liked by the ruling Katyari king
Brahmadeva and married his daughter to him. He gave entire
area in and around Champawat to his son-in-law. Whatsoever
may be the cause of Som Chand’s ascendency, it is known for
certain that he appeared in the history of KLumaon around 953
A. D. and not only consolidated his position very well but soon
launched annexationist campaigns in the neighbouring territories.
He was followed in quick succession by Atma Chand, Puna
Chand, Indra Chand, Sansar Chand, Sudha Chand, Hammira
and Bina Chand. Atkinson has assigned nearly eighty years
to these rulers and he is again of the opinion that the reign of
Bina Chand ended around 1100 A.D. when the Khasiyas rose
in revolt. In fact, after him we have a thick veil of oblivion
except for the meteoric rise and fall of Crachallaneva (1223 A.D.)
who like Ashokachalla of Garhwal advanced up to Katyar
Valley and is claimed to have annexed Kartipura (Baijnath). He
was a devout Buddhist.
Restoration of Chand rule
The reign of Chand rulers was marred and interrupted with
occasional rise and falls, after the royal diadem fell under spells
of historical causation. The first comeback to power was staged
by Bina Chand who wrested power and cleared his country of
petty chiefs. He was probably succeeded by Neera Chand who
engaged himself with the task of consolidating his gains. There is
no continuity during this period and moreover according to cer¬
tain historians a new line of Chands was established by Tohar
Chand who came from Jhunsi (Allahabad). He was succeeded
by his illustrious nephew Garpur Gyan Chand after a brief
interlude. Raigaon pillar inscription of A.D. 1367 speaks of his
extensive exploits. He also tried to wrest Katehar (Rohilkhand)
and probably succeeded in getting hold of it with the consent of
Feroz Shah Tughluq. His reign was quite long as is evident
from his other inscriptions of 1390 A.D. and 1419 A.D. He
also constructed a temple at Champawat. Harihar Chand succee¬
ded Garur Gyan Chand but his reign did not last long and soon
he was succeeded by Bharati Chand (1437—59) who overthrew
the yoke of Doti after prolonged conflict and his son Ratan
Chand (1459—88) extended his sway over Jumla (Nepal) and his
56
Abode of Gods
expansionist designs were carried further by Kirti Chand (1488—
1503), Raja Kirti Chand shifted his capital from Champawat to
Almora. Nothing is known about the intermediate period which
passed between Rudra Chand (1566-69) and Kirti Chand (1488—
1503). It is related that Rudra Chand visited Lahore to meet
Akbarin 1588. Farishte has mentioned that “of these princes
there are five principal reigns on the north and five others on
the south, each of whom has numerous tributary rajas dependent
on him. The Raja of Kumaon also possesses an extensive domi¬
nion and a considerable quantity of gold is produced by washing
the earth mounds in the country.’* 1
It is not known who succeeded Rudra Chand except for the
well known fact that in 1638 Raja Baj Bahadur Chand ascended
the throne of Almora and continued to rule till 1678. He is
said to have lent considerable support to Shah Jehan’s Commander
Khalilullah Khan in the latter’s campaign in Doon Valley and
Garhwal foothills. He also advanced into western Tibet and
defeated Tibetans in 1671. He is also said to have defeated
Raja of Garhwal and wrested large chunks of his territory. Thus
by the close of his reign, he was almost master of entire Uttara¬
khand. But unfortunately, after him deluge followed and
in 1743 Rohillas laid the country waste and committed arson,
loot and plunder. In fact, due to continued attacks of Rohillas,
Raja Kalyan Chand (1731—48) and Deep Chand (1748—74)
had to face serious problems during the reign of Raja Mohan
Chand (1977—79) and (1786—88) Harak Deo Joshi the trusted
minister and Commander in Chief of Kalyan Chand, was arres¬
ted and held captive by the enemies. But Joshi was the last
person to sit idle and curse the cycle of time and fate. Soon he
engineered the help of Raja Lalit Shah of Garhwal (1778—80)
who sent Prince Pradyumna to control and capture Kumaon and
protect the throne of Champawat. In 1779 he became the
virtual master of the entire Uttarakhand but as luck would have it,
soon the fierce fighters from Nepal marched into Kumaon and
threatened Garhwal. Wars between Garhwal and Kumaon
proved ruinous for both the kingdoms.
1. Atkinson. Himalayan Gazeieer voi. IX, P. 452.
.Uttarakhand
57
"The lightening campaign of Gurkhas
From 1778 onwards, Ran Bahadur Singh was the Raja of
Nepal and it was during his reign that the aggressive policy of
the state was pursued vigorously. Knowing the distracted con¬
ditions of Kumaon, the Nepal Durbar in 1789 resolved on a
invasion of Kumaon. Early in the following year, two forces
were sent into Kumaon, with the result that after some
skirmishes, the country was conquered and Almora was entered
by the victorious. Ironically, the loading spirit behind Gurkha
invasion was again Harak Deo Joshi, who for some years had
acted as a king maker and dictator in the hills, and now, in
despair of any settled government, is said to have thrown his lot
with the Nepalese, and assisted them in the invasion of Kumaon
and then Garhwal.
The short statured but daughty fighters who were fierce
fighters pierced straight across the invincible Himalayan barrier
of Uttarkhand and made a headlong thrust into the kingdom of
Kumaon, Garhwal, Sirmaur and Kangra. The Garhwalis appear
to have formed a well laid plan of aggression with great deter¬
mination. Pradyumna Shah tried to ward them off paying an
annual tribute of Rs. 25000/- which the Gorkhas initially
accepted but later on revoked it and besieged Srinagar.
Maularam, the court-poet of the Pauwars has thus described the
siege of Srinagar—
Daughty fighters as Gorkhas were
Guns roared across the hills
They fired thunder and fire
The fall of Sringar was imminent.
Pradyumna Shah fled to Saharanpur and the Gorkhas in their
goose chase succeeded in annexing Dehradun in 1804. But
Pradyumna Shah did not sit idle and continued to counter
Gurkhas with the help of Britishers who ultimately drove them
away from Dehradun and subsequently from Garhwal after a
series of campaigns which culminated with the signing of the
treaty of Sigauli in 1814—15. As per the terms of treaty Kali
river was fixed as the western limit of Nepal and the Britishers
annexed the entire Uttarakhand except Tehri Garhwal which lies
east of Alaknanda and Mandakini. Sudarshan Shah (1814—50)
58
Abode of Gode ar
became the first ruler of Tehri Garhwal. He established the
capital at Tehri which was subsequently shifted to Narendra-
nagar.
The rule of the Gurkhas was oppressive in the extreme
and very heavy taxes were imposed. The people of Kumaon
and Garhwal still remember the Gorkhali period as “Gor-
khiyana.” However, the Gurkhas as a race have been described'
by Fraser in his words “Veteran soldiers, with a fearlessness-
of danger and much of the true and high spirit of a soldier—that-
self-being of life at naught in comparison with the perfor¬
mance of duty, and that high sense of honour which forms his*
most attractive ornament and raises his character to the highest.
They are cheerful, patient of fatigue, industrious at any labour*
to which they are put, very tractable and quiet, and from what
has fallen under my own observation and knowledge, not cruel.”'
The British occupation of Uttarakhand
The lightening campaign of the Gurkhas did not last long and'
soon they were driven by the Britishers across the Kali river but
not without mere fighting at stiff opponents with the British
occupation of Kumaon and Garhwal, the ancient dynastic rule*
of the Panwars in the Garhwal and Chands in Kumaon ended.
Under the terms of treaty of Sigauli, Kumaon was given the
status of new regulated province, although it formed part of the
north-western provinces of the company’s dominion in India.
The administration of Kumaon was handed over in the hands of
Commissioner in the year 1839.
Parakramo vijayete
So runs the war song of Kumaon Regiment which was raised as-
far back as 1780. The present regimental centre at Ranikhet was
founded in 1917. Kumaon troops have fought on all the battle-
fronts and have brought home numerous awards for valour and
conspicuous gallantry. Kumaon Regiment has the rare distinction
of producing two Chiefs of the Army Staff i.e. Gen. S.M,
Srinagesh and Gen. K.S. Thimayya.
The borderland
In the upper region of Kumaon which consists of Millam,
Uttarakhand
59
Darma, Vyas and Chaudans is inhabited by Bhotias. They are
also known as saukiyana. The principal castes amongst them are
Pangti, Jangpangi, Rawats and Dhammasattus, rest of them add
the name of their village after their surname e.g. Gunjiyal,
Martolia, Burfal and Netwal. Bhotias are short statured, sturdy
and honest people, usually moving around in tight fitting pants
with a loose garment fastened arround the waist with a cord and
topped by a wool cap over the head. The men plough the land
at the beginning of the season, tend cattle or sheep, trade in wool,
shilajeet, herbs and kasturi. They while away leisure time in
drinking chakti or chang—a local variety of liquor. Women keep
the house economy supplemented by collecting grass, fuelwood
and herbs. They never sit idle and can always be found weaving
carpets in their spare time. With the beginning of winter they
come down to their lower settlements and go up at the start of
summer season. The scene of a Bhotia family moving up and
down with their household apparels loaded on the back of yak,
jhaboos and goats presents unique sight. The caravan is normally
led by the women in their best attire and migration is announced
with the beat of drums.
Keeping pace with the changing time and advancement in
education the Bhotias also changed their outlook and aptitude*
They began to work with the survey parties and won laurels the
most remarkable figure being Pd. Kishan Singh and Nain Singh.
From this illustrious family in our times, we have Harish Rawat as
one of the foremest mountaineers who climbed Everest.
We have numerous castes and sub-castes inhabiting Kumaon,
prominent being Joshi, Pant, Pandey, Thulgharia, Shah, Rautela,
Manral, Pal, Rajbar, Chand and Bist. Most of them trace their
origin from Maharashtra, Marwar, Gujarat, Central India, Nepal
and even Bengal. Their belief does not seem unfounded since
their height and complexion are unusual as compared to an aver¬
age Kumaoni. They are intellectually much advanced and have
been pioneers in the field of politics, literature, administration,
science and social work. The greatest amongst them are
Pandit Gobind Ballabh Pant, Badri Dutt Pandey, Mohan Lai
Shah Thulgharia, Badri Shah Thulgharia, Dr. Hem Chandra
Joshi, Sumitranandan Pant, Dan Singh Bisht, P.C. Joshi, Narayan
Dutt Tewari, K.C. Pant and Chandralal Shah Thulgharia, who
60
Abode of Gods
ha y e made outstanding contribution for Kumaon.
In addition to above classes of people there are numerous
other nomad,c tribes like Dok Pa, Gaddi, Khadewa? Z
R f r; DOl 7 r al and Tharus who wander place to place in pursuit
of livelihood forming an inseparable part of Kumaon scene!
Self-pcrpetnating society
The Kumaon way of life is most simple and self-perpetuating
cwJ? eSSen T Ce the very ^"thesis of ancient culture and modem
avihsat.on In giving this dynamic character to the culture of
Kumaon, Almora has always played significant role like Lucknow
beins'thesea? 11 ^ 1311 ' 11 ' 111101 ' 6 ’ 11 pre ~ partition Punjab. Almora
emg the seat of power, people flocked here from different parts
t India and carried home latest cultural trends and advancement
m civilisation. Kumaonese till recently followed the rigours of
... 6 assiduously but now in pursuance to the general trend a
! f Ud ? has come t0 take P ,ace - However, these rules
e not strictly applicable to Bhotiyas since they had their own
Wni 0f , propr j et J' lm P roprict y, marriage and other ceremonies
mainly derived from Indo-Tibetan cultures. The Bhotiyas of
Darma Valley have distinct customs for marriage. They hold a
R !" g Bhang ’ in whioh a11 the villagers gather
rmf f f age fire ’ where a barrel containing chakti is placed
out of which men and women drink freely. They merrily go round
the fire singing and dancing. It is during this process that pros-
pec ive pairs enter into a pleasure sequence and ultimately to
disappear for making love, which is never looked down. Later
bridegroom s party contacts bride’s family and asks for the hand
of the girl. Another feature of Bhotiya life is sharing of one wife
hv ^ °f Ju 01 ? k r ° tllers or marrying the widowed sister-in-law
by one of the brothers of the deceased. Their society does not
-R sex and drinking is never looked
down. B ut with the spread of education and increasing commu-
mcatem with the outer world the old taboos are fast breaking.
Women and folklore
eJdTfrT 11 ' WO “ en , arefair comp exioned, wefl built, pink che-
nettirnnt if ^ g0o< * looking. They attire themselves in a
petticoat like frock over which they wear full sleeved blouse and
Uttarakhand
61
wrap round their shoulders and hips a coloured cloth . They are
fond of jewellery and love to wear beeds, rings and other trin¬
kets. Women do more work in Kumaon than the menfolk. Edu¬
cation among the women was very low at one time but now it
is becoming popular. Like every other Indian lady, they are
fond of music and sing songs in sweet memory of their husbands
who are mostly in army. Down below the pine trees one can
hear the unmistakable voice of the love lorn lady—
Had I been a bird,
I would have flown to the border
Where my husband is
On the sentry post.
Malusahi
In the folklore of Kumaon, the legend of Malusahi is as intri¬
cately woven as Hir-Ranjha in Punjab. The story in brief, as it
runs round, narrates that Malu, a boy living in Dwarahat once
saw Rajula—a Bhotia girl, in dream. He was so charmed by her
beauty that he left his home in search of her and after walking
some two hundred miles on foot contacted the girl who had also
similar dream. Malu approached girl’s father Sunapati Shauka for
the hand of his daughter but he did not agree. Malu had to
struggle a lot to win the hand of Rajula. Nevertheless, he succee¬
ded. This story forms an integral part of Kumaon folklore.
Lore for art and music
Closely associated with the Kumaonese love for nature is the
love for music and art. Local folk dances and songs are supple¬
mented by wind and percussion instruments like bansura, bina
and hurak. He who plays hurak is khown as hurkiyani, most pro¬
bably his wife or daughter. They go from place to place, narra¬
ting folklore, singing Riturena (change of seasons) or depicting
the sports of gods and goddesses. At the time of fairs and festivals
or at the harvest time, Kumaonese can be seen dancing jwara or
other forms of folkdance. Music is so much in the blood of
Kumaonese that the ringing voice of a Kumaonese belle can be
heard from a distatnt place—
Bern pako bar maso
O Narena
62
Abode of Gods
Kafal pako cheta
O meri chela
O men chela
It was probably this love for music which attracted Udai Shan¬
kar and Anna Pavalova to set up their dance schools in Almora.
Kumaon inherits its rich treasures of art from Katyur Kings
who built magnificent temples of Baijnath, Dwarahat, Jageshwar,
Bageshwar, Katarmal and Champawat. These temples have been
built after the style prevailing in central India where each temple
is surrounded by smaller temples which house smaller deities of
the four corners. The figures of Yaksha and Yakshanis have been
carved out in detail with great grace and poise but the finest
specimen of Kumaon art are the sculptures of Lord Shiva and
Mahishashurmardini which have been chiseled out with exce¬
llence. Besides these ancient forms of art, Kumaon inherits a rich
tradition of folk art, samples of which can be seen outside every
house. Kumaonese also model figures of Shiva and Parvati during
Haro la, a local festival which falls during rainy season.
In modem times the music and art of Kumaon has produced
gifted artists of stage and painting like Mohan Upreti, Lenin
Pant, Brijendralal Shah, Brij Mohan Shah, Bhuwanlal Shall, Ran-
dhir Singh Bisht and Salim.
Kumaonese are fond of fairs and festivals because they provide
them ample opportunity for social mixup visiting places, reviving
old friendships, trading and display their wear and jewellery;
about which women are very enthusiastic. The prominent fairs of
Kumaon are Jauljibi, Bageshwar, Debidhura and Thai. Amongst
festivals the most famous are Nanda Devi, Olkiya and Diwali.
The festival of Nanda Devi has a legend behind it. Nanda
Devi, the sister of Chand kings was once chased by a buffalo
while she was strolling in the royal gardens. Fearing the impen¬
ding doom the young maiden took shelter benind a banana
plant. Learning the plight of his sister, the Chand King killed
the buffalo. This story was subsequently interpreted as Durga
story and ever since buffaloes began to be sacrificed at different
places before the altar of Nanda.
Jauljibi and Bageshwar were our trade centres for the people
of Tibet, Nepal and India. Once traders traded here in borex,
sheelajeet, kasturi, wool, ghee, carpets, honey, herbs, sohaga,
Uttarakhand
63
cloth and other items of hill industry. At Debi-dhura a mock
fight scene was enacted after the best traditions of thok wars.
The most colourful festival of Kumaon is Nanda Devi when
figures of Nanda Devi are taken in procession round the city and
ultimately immersed in some water tank.
Rural economy
Often I am asked by inquistive people about Kumaon econo¬
my and their means of subsistence, for which my usual answer
is ‘well’, I am not a economist but being a Kumaoni who has
extensive travel experience inside and outside Kumaon, I am of
the opinion that Kumaon economy is based on the princi¬
ple of scanty food supply for which every home sends at least
one male member down to the ‘desh’ for service who sends
money orders home. Women and remaining male members take
care of the agriculture and cattle. The result of this balanced
‘money order’, economy is that today Kumaon throbs with
lower middle class of people who eat well, live well and are con¬
tented with their lot.
Road to prosperity
The backbone of Kumaon industry is its forest wealth and
Kumaon had the privilege of producing the timber king of
India—Dan Singh Bisht. Today forests are being exploited to cap¬
ture timber markets and furniture industry. In order to further
augment Kumaon industry, vast resources of hydel power are
also being tapped in order to give Kumaon economy agro-indus¬
trial vent, with the increasing network of roads, the fruit garden¬
ing and apple orchards are also flourishing. Disposal of finished
goods now hardly poses any problem, but on the other hand
search for better land, milder climate, easier conditions of living
.and new prospects of advancement is drawing Kumaonese from
their natural habitat to lower areas as a result of which village
after village are becoming deserted in upper part of Kumaon
.and in turn a new agro-industrial area is fast developing in Tarai
which once used to be a thickly wooded land infested with wild
.animals. Today simple Kumaoni farmer is handling sophisticated
farm machinery alongwith the Panjabis and retired servicemen
under the guidance of Pant Agricultural University, Rudrapur
64
Abode of Gods :
which is playing significant role in this area.
Economic advancement has brought in its wake desire for a
separate hill state, although Kumaonese had no political aspira¬
tions beyond national liberation through freedom struggle, but
with the advancement in the economic condition and in harmony
with the current inquistic tendency they have also started asking
for separate hill state. Some prominent Kumaonese have formed
a hill state front. Whatever may be the motives behind this move¬
ment, an average Kumaonese remains sensitive, intelligent, hardy,
honest and basically a mountaineer who mends shattered dreams
with his delightful behaviour and frankness.
8
•aBSWCi
15
19
22
SVARGAROHAN—THE EXPEDITION TO
HEAVEN
Himalayas have been described in Skandpurana as “He who
thinks of Himachal, though he should not behold him, is greater
than he who performs all worship in Kashi (Banaras). In a hun¬
dred ages of the gods I could not tell of the glories of Himachal.
As the dew is dried up by the morning sun, so are the sins of
mankind by the sight of Himachal.” The five sons of Pandu,
retired to die amidst Himalayas. Walking in single file, clothed
in dresses of bark, accompanied by their common wife Draupadi
and followed by their faithful dog, they ascended the mountain
path of Painkhanda. Their names and traditions of their wonder¬
ful deeds are still preserved in the names of many places. Here
they were visited by Krishna himself, who is said to have per¬
formed penance at another time on the great Gandhmadhan
Parvat, now known as Chaukhambha, which is so prominently
visible from Almora and Ranikhet.
Abode of Gods
The Kedarkhand has been truely described as the abode of
Gods because it is full of numerous shrines and holy places, whose:
fame and efficacy is described in Skandpurana and other scrip¬
tures. Indeed, that precious collection of marvels has a special
66
Abode of Gods
section or chapter devoted to this region. Parvati, the wife of
Shiva is presented in many a scripture as conversing with her
spouse, Mahadeo that ‘What are the fruits of visiting a particu¬
lar sacred place and bathing at a specific river bank’. Mahadeo
answers, “The place that you have spoken of, O Goddess, is
peculiarly dear to me because Brahma and other Gods are there;
though his sins were so great as can be imagined, the virtue that
accrues from a visit to Kedar is sufficient to cleanse them.” In
proof of this sin cleaning potency of the region sacred to Mahadeo,
stories are related of great sinners whose crimes were absolved
by visiting it, even though involuntarily, a crow, for example,
carried the bone of a deceased sinner, and dropped it there,
whereupon the man’s soul, though he had been guilty of the most
flagrant crimes, was borne to heaven, and all his sins were for¬
given. This factor alone has counted for driving the devoted
pilgrims to visit holy dhams for deliverance of the self and family.
Even today as the pilgrim approaches the snow clad heights
with bated breath, he believes himself in the presence of divinity.
The route
The opportunity to visit the abode of Gods—Holy Badrinath—
came in 1968 when I was asked to take over the Joshimath
Sector of the Special Police Force for a brief spell of one month.
Charged with intense desire to see the holy land, I left from
Moradabad by road which gave me an opportunity of seeing the
picturesque greenery of the Tarai Bhaber, as I progressed along
the Moradabad-Kotdwar road passing through places like Kanth,
Dhampur, Nagina and Nazibabad rolled one after another. As
the evening fell I was in Kotedwara. 1 halted there. This small
town is the nerve centre of trade activity for the Garhwal hills
and is the source of supplies of various articles of daily use and
regular consumption. Kotedwar is also last railway terminal,
being connected through meter gauge with the Nazibabad. In
1892, the Oudh-Rohilkhand Railway which was running between
Saharanpur-Mugalsarai extended a branch line upto Kotedwar.
Step into Garhwal
From Kotedwar to Pauri, the route passes through Dogadda
from where one road bifurcates to Landsdowne which is a famed
Uttarakhand
67
hill resort and houses the Garhwal Regiment Centre which was
raised here in 1815 and in 1890 it was named after Lord Lands-
.downe; I had an opportunity of visiting this picturesque hill town
as-far back as 1945, when we came here from Nainital as part
of my maternal uncle’s marriage party by train upto Kotedwara
and from there moved upto Landsdowne in small buses. The
old reflections are still in mind but I have not been able to visit
Landsdowne again.
The other places of interest arc connected with military tradi¬
tions. From the marble view point, one can see the famed
peaks of Nanda Khat, Trishul, Nanda Devi, Dunagiri, Nilkantha,
Badrinath and Kedarnath.
Hill resort
Pauri is the headquarters of the Garhwal District. Once it
was the headquarters of unified Pauri District where it controlled
both Chamoli and Pauri Garhwal. The Commissioners and
D. I. G. Police headquarters are also here. Pauri presents
magnificent view of the Himalayan range. There are blue ranges
one behind the other and in between the snow clad mountains
and Pauri, there is nothing to obstruct the grand view.
The seat of power
Next we landed at Srinagar which lies on Ihe bank of
Alaknanda. The view from the ridge while descending to Srinagar
valley is wonderful. Another picturesque view of Srinagar is
from the Kirtinagar P. W. D. Inspection House. I am not
aware how many times I have viewed this beauteous scene with
intense admiration. It is just unforgettable. The Ganga near
Srinagar normally remains enveloped in fog about which a story
is told narrating the escapades of Dhaurya Rishi.'
Srinagar has been the seat of Panwar kings since Ajaipal who
moved in here from Chandpurgarhi. The tradition narrates
that Sankracharya also halted here and liberated this place from
the tantric spell of Sri Yantra. He threw it in the river. This
small riverside town has seen many ups and downs during
Kumaonese attacks and Gurkha plunderings. The town was
badly mauled and damaged during the flood ravages of 1830 and
1970.
68
Abode of Gods
In fact the grandeur and magnificence of old Srinagar is
now visible only through the paintings of Maula Ram who lived
in the court of Panwar kings. Besides being a gifted poet and
painter he was also a versatile writer. He wrote Chandrodaya
Kavya which gives deep insight into the functioning of the
Himalayan Kingdom and the tales of its friendlines, feud, dissen¬
sions and wars with its neighbours.
Srinagar has also been a centre of intense religious and politi¬
cal activity because of Kesoraya Math and other traditional
houses. Today Srinagar is seat of Garhwal University.
The Tiger of Rubraprayag
From Srinagar onwards the journey to Rudraprayag passes
all along the Alaknanda. Rudraprayag is 30 kilometers from
Srinagar and a little before it lies the spot where Jim Corbett
shot his kill, the Tiger of Rudraprayag.
On this very spot
was killed
The man eating leopard
of
Rudra Prayag
by
JIM CORBETT
On 1 May 1926 at 10 p.m.
At Rudraprayag Mandakini meets Alaknanda after descending
down the slopes of Kedamath valley. A motor road passes all
along it up to Gaurikund from where foot journey to Kedarnath
starts which has been described elsewhere in this book.
The Pindar Valley
Karanprayag is 30 km. from Rudraprayag. It is situated on
the confluence of Alaknanda and Pindar. From here one motor
route bifurcates towards Katyur Valley all along the Pindar up
to Gwaldam (6000 ft.) which lies at a distance of 66 kms. and
from where Baijnath is further 18 kilometers. From Garur one
route goes to Kausani-Almora and another to Bageshwar and
further. Gwaldam presents a magnificent view of the Trisul
group of peaks. From here one trek leads towards Rupkund
Uttarakhand
69
where remains of a party of pilgrims which went on a pilgrimage
are still found, scattered all over the place.
Another route from Karanprayag goes to Gairsen, Pandua-
khal, and Dwarahat to Ranikhet passing through Simli,
Chandpurgarhi and Adi Badri. The remains of ancient temples
which lie at Simli and Adri Badri are famed pieces of ancient
Indian architecture and sculpture. Although only few remains
of the past grandeur are available, yet the sculptures inside the
temple are gorgeous in majesty and beauty. The Shiva Par vat i
forms have been carved out with perfect ease and precision.
The Trident of Gopeshwar
From Karanprayag, some 20 kms. ahead is Nandprayag
where Mandakini meets Alaknanda. It is a small town full of
activity. A little ahead is Chamoli, the Tehsil headquarters of
the Chamoli district Tehsil. At a distance of 10 kms. on the
rocky hill terrain is located the District headquarters of the
Chamoli district at Gopeshwar which also houses probably the
oldest temple of Garhwal. It is huge in dimensions, magnificent
in execution, perfect in style and abundant with the beauteous
sculptures which adorn the temple. But the most significant
feature of the temple is the famed trident which declares “The
illustrious prince Aneka Malla having extendedh is conquest on
all sides, brought together upon the spot sacred Mahadeva,
under the emblem of a pillar, the very sovereign of the world
whom his prowers had overcome and thus having re-established
this same pillar of victory, he acquired reputation. It is a pious
act to raise up a worthy foe where he has been humbled.” Thus
runs the inscription in the trident. Aneka Malla was probably
a Nepalese king who invaded the interiors of Kedarkhand
around 1200 A. D.
I stayed in Gopeshwar for nearly three years. I still remember
many memorable incidents of my stay over there. It was only
there that I could learn much about Garhwal and the history of
Uttarakhand.
Joshimath—the gateway to Holy Dham
From Chamoli Joshimath is only 54 km. but the journey is
over precipous rock faces, scree and deep winding valley. The
70
Abode of Gods'
motor road provides thrilling ride over dangerous mountain
faces, except upto Pipalkoti, the road is even and the surround¬
ings pleasant. In this eventful journey the most horrifying place
is Belakutchi where in the year 1970, 28 buses were washed away
with some of the passengers. Only few could escape to tell the
horrifying tale.
A place called HeJong lies deep in the gorge of Alaknanda.
From here one route proceeds towards Urgam valley where
Kalpeshwar and Dhyan Badri are located. Lord Badrinath chose
this place for meditation, hence known as Dhyan Badri. It is
really very beautiful valley. You only need to go into it and see
for yourself the many splendoured beauty of the valley. As we
leave Helong, the dangerous curves and climbs start and pass
through Vriddha Badari (old/original Badrinath).
Joshimath is an ancient town of significant historical value.
It was once the kingdom of Katyuri Kings and was renowned
as Katripura. It houses ancient temple of Vasudeva and
Narsimha. As per legendary accounts, Vasudeva temple was
very high and in course of time it gave way due to earthquakes
and ravages of nature but some of the sculptures which still
adorn this temple are unparalleled in details of exquisite ornamen¬
tations, beauty and dignity of human body. The lips and eyes
are so pure, simple and serene that they inspire the feeling of a
living god before the devotee.
Here lives the old Rawal, whom I met quite frequently and
learnt from him so many things about the Holy Badrinath.
As per traditions, Jyotirmath is the seat of Lord Narsingha
whose deity is worshipped during winter by Sri Badrinarayan,
since times immemorial. Here Sankracharya meditated under a
tree. The light of knowledge descended upon him. He establi¬
shed here one of the four Maths of his order now called
Joshimath. These Maths (houses of religion) were to become
centre of all religious activity for the Sanatana (eternal) Hindu
Dharma.
Joshimath today occupies pivoted position and holds key to
the Indo-Tibetan borderland. In fact, since ages, it has been
centre of cultural exchange, therefore, the local population is of
mixed blending, mainly consisting of local cultivators, families of
Bhotias, priests of Badrinath, traders drawn from locals,
Uttarakhand
71
Kumaon and Kotedwar. The semi-pastoral, nomadic, Bhotia
people are drawn during winter from Doti and upper valleys to
Joshimath, Chinka (near Chamoli), Maithana (near Nandprayag)
and other lower areas when heavy snowfall envelops upper
approaches of the valley.
Joshimath grows abundant apples of delicious variety.
Joshimath is the headquarters of Painphanda sub-division and
is divided into two patwari circles Malla and Talla, which
comprise mostly of high mountains. Joshimath forms the central
point from where one route stretches towards the abode of
Gods—Mana—and the valley of Flowers and another road
proceeds via Tapovan where there used to be hot springs and
further to Bhavishya Badri, (future Badrinath) temple which
lies amidst thick Deodar forest from where route goes to Nanda
Devi sanctuary. The motorable road goes upto Malari and
again from there upto Barahoti and Niti valleys. I had immense
opportunity of visiting these valleys not once but number of times,
which I shall describe separately.
Joshimath has immense potentialities of developing into an
ideal hill resort particularly because of Kunwari pass (12000 ft.),
Auli Bugyal (pasture) valley of flowers and Hemkund-Lokpal.
Auli and Kunwari pass provide a magnificent window into the
picturesque sanctuary of Nanda Devi. These places are also
developing as ideal skiing resort.
Joshimath as centre of trekking sojourns is an idyllic resort.
I have memories of many a nostalgic trekking days when we
started from Joshimath for various trekking routes and had so
much of nights out and days rest on the marshy grass of
Bugyals.
Joshimath is the embarking place for onward journey to the
abode of Gods— Badrinathdham and Nanda Devi sanctuary.
The abode of Gods x
From Joshimath, Mana is only 46 km. The road which leads
to Badrinath descends down the perilous slopes of Sinhdwar right
upto Yishnuprayag where Dhauli meets Alaknanda. The road
takes a sudden sharp bend and moves towards Govindghat from
where a foot trek leads towards Hemkund-Lokpal and the valley
of flowers. Before reaching Badrinathdham, the devout Hindu
72
Abode of Gods
has a quick glimpse of Pandukeshwar, and Hanumanchatti. At
Hanumanchatti sheer rock faces pierce straight into the sky. The
road climbs from Hanumanchatti to Badrinath through hairpin
bends. The awe-stricken trekker looks out of the moving bus
window with bated breath.
Deo-Dekhni—the first darshan of the Dham
The first view of the Holy Dham is visible from Deo-Dekhni
from where we could see the golden roofed temple in the shining
background of snow-capped peaks. As we proceed further and
get down from vehicles, we have a full view of the golden roofed
temple in the shining background of Neelkhanth (21,639 ft)
which penetrates deep into the sky with its captivating beauty
and majesty forming reverse map of India.
The Hindu scriptures record different names of Badrinath
through the ages : in Satyug, it was Muktiprada or the land of
salvation; during Treta, Yogasiddna or the bestower of Yogic
attainment; during Dwapar, it was known as Manibhadara
Ashram after the name of king Vishal. The present name Badri
is derived from Badri tree which grows in abundance here.
In Mahabharata, it has been narrated that Vishnu assumed
four forms—Nar, Narayana, Krishna and Hari. Nar and Narayana
went to the Badrikashram to perform tapasya for the good of
the world and mankind. As per the version of Narayanaya por¬
tions of the Shantiparva of the epic, Narada went to Badrinath
and wished to know the identity of the Yogis who were leading
austere life. The yogis advised Narada to proceed to the sveta-
dweep in Ksheer Sagara. Narada went there and found that Nar
and Narayan were only forms of Vishnu. He returned to
Badrikashram and spent there many years.
The legend
According to legendary accounts, the first person to reach and
settle in this place was Dharma Rishi, son of Lord Brahma. His
wife Moorti was the wife of Daksha Prajapati. Here they did
penance to propitiate the creator who blessed them with two
sons, Nar and Narayan, after whose names the twin peaks Nar
(19210 ft.) and Narayan (19750 ft.) stand on either side of the
temple. Since time immemorial, faithful Hindus have endea-
Uttarakhand
73
voured to cross the high and perilous mountains, particularly
in those days when there was no well laid out trek. Out of
these early trekkers one was Yed Yyasa who settled near Mana
and wrote famed epic Mahabharata and Skandpurana after exten¬
sive survey of the Himalayas.
Here, there is a thermal spring which gives forth thick
smoke or steam, of a strong sulphurous smell, and the water is
so hot as to be scarcely endurable to the touch.
The temple has a c Taptkund\ Though Sankracharya arrived on
the scene quite late but he made his mark as an ardent exponent
of eternal (Sanatana) Hinduism. When he arrived at Badrinath,
he learnt that the original idol of Badrinarayana had been thrown
in the nearby Taptkund (hot spring) by the infidels, most proba¬
bly Buddhists. He retrieved the idol and installed it at its rightful
place and thus laid the foundation of Chaturdham (fourth house
of religion), the other three being at Jagannathpuri, Rameshwaram
and Dwarikapuri. Thus Sankracharya gave to India the idea
of socio-religious unity which has always been a driving force
behind Indian political framework.
The hot spring in so hot that cold water has to be mixed before
we could take a bath in it. The idol inside the temple is formed
of black stone which is locally designated as Saligram. It is
usually clothed with rich gold brocade, and above its head is a
small mirror which reflects the objects from the outside. In
front are several lamps always burning, one of which is Akhand
Jyoti—which bums round the year, to the right over the
images of Nar and Narayan. As per traditions even today a good
deal of ostentatious attention is paid to the personal comforts of
the idol at Badri. It is daily provided with meals, which are
placed before it, and the doors of sanctuary are then closed and
the idol is left to consume its meals in solitude and quietness. The
doors continue to be closed and are opened at sunset and later
the bed of Lord Badrinath is prepared by the attendants, the
doors are again closed until morning. A large number of devoted
Brahmin attendants look after the temple beside the Rawal.
The institution of Rawali
Eve since the installation of this Dbam the opening and
closing ceremony of this temple is performed by the Rawals who
74
Abode of Gods
are Namboodri Brahmans from the Malabar. When the head',
priest opens the kapat (doors) of the holy temple in the month
of May after winter lull, hundreds of dedicated devotees stand
outside in shivering and biting cold after having taken bath in
192°F thermal spring—Taptkund—which is just below the
temple. After the opening of the temple, Srinagar, bhoga and
Nirvana Puja is done day in and day out by the Rawal with the
help of a team of other assistants who do various odd jobs. When
the temple is closed in November, the image is bathed and then
covered with aromatic scents, ghee, sandal paste and a cloth is
wrapped round it. A wick lamp is lighted with eighteen, sears of
ghee which miraculously keeps on burning till the temple is
opened in April-May after a .apse of six months.
An important part of Badrinathdham management is the insti¬
tution of Rawal which was founded by Adi Sankracharya who
established four maths and handed over the administration respec¬
tively to Swami Hastamalik of Dwarikapuri, Jagannathpuri to
Swami Padampal, Rameshwaram to Swami Rameshwaram and
Jyotimath to Swami Totaka. The rules governing the adminis¬
tration of these Maths were laid in a book called ‘Mathanya’.
From 1497 to 1776 nearly 21 Acharyas handled the administration
of Badrikashram. However, the management of Sri Badrikashram
passed in the hands of Maharaja of Tehri in eighteenth century.
He was conferred with the title of ‘Baland Badri" i.e. the living
incarnation of Lord Badrinath. The selection of Rawal was
made by the Maharaja of Tehri and Rajas of Travancore- Cochin.
With the passage of time as the control of Rawal became weak
the Rawal increased his independence and he was virtually Pops
and Ceasar combined. From 1776 to 1893 A.D., 11 Rawals
presided over the temple, the tenth Rawal, one Yasudeva fell in
love with a Brahmin girl who came for the Darshan of the
Lord Badrinath but got married to the Rawal. The matter'
went to the court in 1898 A.D. and as per the judgement of the
court, the Rawal was given absolute power. In 1919, a manager
was appointed in the person of Shaligram Vaisnauv in consultation
with Rawal and Tehri state. In 1928, the Government of United
Provinces appointed a Committee for investigating the religious
matters of the Hindus of the province. The Committee consulted
people from different walks of life and the deliberations
Uttarakhand
75
continued for almost a decade until it culminated in the passing of
Badrinarayan Temple Act on 3 November 1939. Under Sec. 27 of
the Act Shri Pratap Singh Chauhan was appointed special officer.
At that time the temple was in a stage of complete mismanage¬
ment.
The architecture
The existing temple was constructed over the old structures by
Sri Baradacharya around the year 1920. The Sinii Dwar (entrance
gate) was constructed separately over the previous structure.
The entire structure is a unique blending of Rajasthanis, Moghal
and Uttarakhand style. Today its place is being taken by a cement
concrete structure which may not harmonise with the nature.
The holy land
The holy temple of Badrinath has also been claimed by the
Muslims as the Maqbara of Badruddin and the Buddhists iden¬
tify the Shaiigram Narayana figure as the Buddha, In fact, the
. majesty and magnitude of Badrinath has attracted other religions
to lay a claim on the holy dham—truely the God is one.
There are five other temples of Badri known as Raj Badri, Yog
Badri, Dhyan Badri, Narasinha Badri and Bhavishya Badri. Out
of these, it is said about Bhavishya Badri in Skandpurana.
‘Prapte Kaliyuge dhire agamy a bhawet’ {that is, with the approach
of Kaliyug the present Badrikashram will become unapproachable
then Bhawishya Badri will be worshipped).
The entire area in and around Badrinath is full of holy places
which are associated with one or other mythological events of the
legendary past. Two miles ahead of Badrinath is Mana which
is inhabited by Marchas, as branch of Bhotiyas. Mata Moorti is
located near Mana village. From here one trek leads to Vasu-
dhara fall (400 ft.). It is said Pandavas traversed this route on
their way to Svarga.
The Valley of Gods
Another bridle path climbs all along the Saraswati towards.*
Mana Pass (18200 ft.) through Arwa Valley. At a place called
Ghastoli a trek from Gaumukh connects here after crossing
Kalindi Khal. After Ghastoli, the ruggedness of the mountain is
76
Abode of Gods
replaced by smoothness of the towering snowy peaks. A little ahead
is Rattakona from where Mana pass lies just above the Tara
Glacier. At Rattakona, vision becomes dulled and each step
becomes gasping and defiant due to airless heights. I made three
trips to this place at different times and seasons of the year.
The twin peaks of Kedamath and Badrinath rise at a distance
of about ten miles apart, the former being 22853 ft. and the later
22,401 ft. above sea level. Perhaps nowhere do the snowy
summits appear grander than here. These places are visible from
a few miles down the valley of the Mandakini, the two sharp
peaks seem to pierce the very sky and the white battlements,
with their enormous slopes of smooth and shining snow tower
into the air in a wonderful manner. Travellers have dwelt
enthusiastically on the scene. At the pilgrims feet, edging the
beds of snow which the pilgrims have to traverse at intervals, grow
a profusion of pale rose coloured auriculas and yellow primroses
of delicious fragrance.
Strange sounds are also heard in that rarified atmosphere, the
effect probably of distant avalanches and rendings of the ice and
snows, but which superstition has fancied to be the voices of
the Gods, assembled for sport or council. This is the abode of
Gods.
10
HE HOLY GANGA
Bol Oanga Maiya Ki Jai
‘Among the rivers, I am the holy Ganga’. This is the dictum of
Gita in the words of Lord Krishna.
There is no doubt that this portion of the Indian Himalayas
owes much of its repute for sanctity to its beneficent characters,
as the source of mighty Ganges and disperser of water to the
thirsty plains below where water is prized because it gives life,
rears agriculture and generates electricity. We can very well
understand the fanciful legends which have grown up regarding
the origin and nature of the Indian rivers and especially of the
Ganges. The sources of the Ganges are the glaciers of the snowy
range though the longest of its feeder takes rise beyond the first
line of feeder, in the high ground between Bhot and the
northerly ranges in Tibet, and burst through gorges of marvellous
depth into the rocking hilly region of the Sub-Himalaya.
The Himalaya is the mountain lord. The father of lordly pair
of daughters, fairest of the fair, Ganga whose waters cleanse and
save, who roams at pleasure, fairest and free purging all sinners
to the sea.
Garhwal is the birth place of twin holy rivers Ganga and
Yamuna and Kumaon is the gathering place of all the waters of
the sacred river. Sir William Hunter has paid this glowing tribute
78
Abode of Gods
■to the Ganges, “Of all the great rivers on the surface of the globe
none can compare in sanctity with the Ganges, or mother Ganga
as she is affectionately called by the devout Hindus. From her
source in the Himalayas to her mouth in the Bay of Bengal her
banks are holy and grand. Each point of junction of her mainstream
with a tributary has special claims to sanctity. Having legends
hallow each part of her course and from the names of her
tributaries and of the towns along her banks, a whole mythology
might be built up to die and be buried as the river bank in the
last wish of millions of Hindus.” Ganga has been the most
sacred of rivers, visited by the crowding myriads of India who
pray to her to have their sins washed away in her magic waters.
Gangajal has medicinal efficacies also. Akbar used to drink it
daily. L
The legend
The mythological legend about Ganga-avtarani-‘descent of
Ganga -forms the subject of many a ballads, folktales, stories and
other interesting classical literature. As per narration available
Sagar a descendent of Ikshavahu clan was the king of Ayodhya’
He had two wives—Keshain and Sumati. He was issueless for
several years; therefore, he performed several penances to
please Rishx Bhrigu who granted his wish and blessed him with
a son through Asmanjas and sixty thousand sons through Sumati
When the sons grew young they formed themselves into a strong
.army. The kmg decided to conquer the world for which Asva-
teIrv I WaS he a' The y ° UDg PriDCeS marChed int0 India's
territory who in order to teach them a lesson diverted the
Asmedha horse towards Patal where Kapil Muni was meditating.
disturhpHrtT 18 prm0e ?’ bhnded b y Power entered Patal-lok and
anger Ind no age in a trance ‘ The looked in
rXe<T£to J°° ne c ^ fe “ ° nthe princes ^ were
■sons and when h-*’ agar waited in vai n for the return of his
Pa .f nCC bl0ke d0wn he ^nt Ins grandson
investigator At r ° Ut , the thereabouts. Ansuman was a patient
investigator. At long last he found the cause of disaoDearance
He returnTd^to the ,, deliverance of his sixty thousand uncles.
beseechecT h-m t Ay ? dhya 311(1 unrated the incident. Sagar
° un erta ke the task of bringing down Ganga
.Uttarakhand
79
-from heaven but he failed. Ansuman’s son Dilip also failed and
ultimately the task fell on the shoulders of Bhagirath who
.succeeded in winning over Ganga to descend on earth but she
feared the earth may not take her load, therefore, he will have to
-find out some solution. Brahma advised Bhagirath to please Lord
Shiva, who alone was capable of receiving Ganga. Lord Shiva was
propitiated who agreed to receive the Ganga. Ganga descended with
full fury and majesty on mount Kailash but was caught in the golden
tresses of Shiva. For many years Ganga remained in the Shiva’s
Jata. Bhagirath was tested to nerve-breaking petience. He again
waited and finally Lord Shiva waked up to release Ganga. Thus
Ganga gradually flowed out of Shiva’s locks on the tenth day of
the bright phase of the moon during Jyeshtha. It is an auspicious
day called Shukla Dashami and is celebrated as Ganga Dussehra.
Ganga emerged from Gaumukh to quench the thirst of millions
but it was not the end of miseries because at Bhairanghoti, in
her gay and gushing course Ganga washed away the offerings
of Rishi Janhu. Janhu was obviously annoyed over the distur¬
bance and in anger drank the Ganga. Bhagirath could only pray and
ask for forgiveness. Jahnu agreed to release the Ganga from his
-thighs, hence Ganga is also known as Jahnavi. At long last
Ganga reached Gangasagar to liberate the sins of Raja Sagar in
the bay of Bengal, after meeting and merging with Yamuna at
Prayag.
Not only the sons of Sagar were liberated through the efforts
of Raja Bhagirath but millions of people who have lived and
died all along the 2500 kilometer long and hundreds of kilometer
wide banks of Ganga, also known as Bhagirath! have been
nourished and nurtured. Countless persons have washed their sins.
The route—all along the Bhagirathi
The route to Bhagirathi valley lies from muni-ki-reti (Rishikesh)
to Gangotri through Narendranagar-Tehri-Uttarkashi all along
the Ganga upto Deoprayag from where a route goes upto Tehri
and another upto Srinagar.
Narendranagar was founded by Maharaja Narendra Shah who
caused to be constructed a beautiful palace at Narendranagar in
1930. From Narendranager we can always see the magnificent
view of Himalayas and down below the Doon valley with its
Abode of Gods'
glittering townships of Rishikesh, Haridwar and Mussoorie
Darker the night grander the view. From Narendranagar onwards
lies Chamba (5,000 ft.) from where one route bifurcates towards
Mussoorie (63 km.) via Dhanotli. Chamba presents magnificent
view of the Banderpoonch range. Down below Chamba lies the
sprawling township of Tehri which was once capital of the
Panwar kings.
Tehri became the capital of Royal Garhwal after 1815 when
Britishers had wrested Pauri Garhwal. Tehri is a doomed town.
Here Bhilangna meets Bhagirathi and takes a sharp turn towards
Deoprayag where it meets and merges with the Alaknanda. In
recent times Tehri has come into light because of the gigantic dam
which is under construction here. The entire city will be submerged
under deep water. There is unfortunately lot of local resentment
against this dam because this will mean dislocation of hundreds
and thousands of families. Government has provided alternative
site for them. From Tehri one route goes towards Kirtinagar
and merges at Srinagar on the Badrinath route and another route
goes towards Ghansali-Ghuttu and meets the main Rudraprayag
Kedamath route near Tilwara.
Life in Tehri-Garhwal district is much more difficult due to
lack of forests, rocky terrain and shortage of rainfall as a result of
which people are generally poor and population is scarce. As
against this, Uttarkashi district is more green and prosperous due
to fertile valley of the Bhagirathi and Yamuna.
Uttarkashi
t Puranas describe Uttarkashi as Varanasi that is situated between
Varna and Asi’ rivers, hence the seat of Lord Shiva. It has been
forecasted in the scriptures that when Varanasi will loss its religious
sanctity, Uttarkashi will assume some importance. According to
another story, the Kiratarjunya battle also took place here. As
per Mahabharata when Yudhistara was appointed heir apparent,
Duryodhana formed a nefarious scheme for killing all the five
sons of King Pandu. He (Yudhistara) with his brothers and
mother, was induced to pay a visit to Varanavrata where a house
of firewood and other inflammables material had been built for
flieir residence.” This house of firewood (Lakshagrah) was pro¬
bably located at Barahat. The present Barahat has been referred
Uttarakhand
81
by Huen-Tsang as Brahmapur. Another important aspect of
ancient history rnd mythology is the trident which stands erect at
Vishwanath temple. While some writers point it out as the vic¬
tory Trisul erected by Ancka Malla, some identify it as the
trident used in Devasura Sangram, detailed description about
which is found in Skandpurana, eulogising the Guhya kings of
Bhanduk, or Bhattaraka—the Gupta general exercising his sway
over these areas cannot be ruled out. The base of this trident is
made of copper, and the shaft is of brass about twelve foot long.
Leaving aside conzectural history, we can study the translated
version of the inscription.
Uttarkashi has many other interesting places to visit like the
Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and Maneri-Bhali project site.
There is also a Parshuram temple due to which Uttarkashi is
given the ascription of Saumya-kashi which derives its'name from
the incident that Renuka, the wife of Jamadagni got enamoured
of her brother-in-law Kartavirya. As Jamadagni visualised this
through his Divyadrishti (third eye) he asked his sons to behead
their mother. None agreed to do this except Purshuram who did
the job obediently. Jamdagni asked Purshuram to seek some
boon. Purshuram asked for his mother’s life.
The road to Gangotri
The road to Gangotri passes through Maneri-Bhali where a big
dam is coming up. The entire topography of the area has been
given a complete overhauling. It is a feat of engineering that
major water flow of the Bhagirathi has been turned and put
inside a tunnel.
As we proceed further, we pass through Bhatwari, a small town¬
ship which is also Tehsil headquarters. From Bhatwari one trek
leads to Kedar valley through Budha Kedar.
As we cross the ridge of Sukhi (9,000 ft.), we find ourselves
confronted with a most picturesque valley called Harsil (8,400 ft.)
Harsil is known for its old forest rest house (1,864 ft.) which
was built by F. Wilson. He also planted an apple orchard.
Mr. Wilson is also credited for the introduction of potatoes in
this valley. He was the first to nse river for the transportation of
fallen wood and other wood. He masterminded systematic
exploitation of the forest wealth.
82
Abode of Gods
From Harsil there is a trekking route to Simla in Himachal
Pradesh. It goes all allong Hari Ganga which is also known as
Jalandhari Gad. This route was once quite in vogue.
Bol Ganga Maiya-ki-jai
Leaving Harsil is no pleasure but since our destination is Gan-
gotri and Gaumukh, we proceed on. A little ahead lies Dharali and
Mukhwa, the twin villages on either side of the Bhagirathi.
Walking through thick deodar forests, we now cross into an area
of blue pine and spruce. At Jangla we cross Bhagirathi. Here
the river seems to have cut deep gorges over the rocks which
look like a thigh, hence Bhagirathi is known here as Jahnavi. A
little ahead is Lanka. A huge bridge hanging hundreds of feet
above the Jadh ganga has been constructed. One can see Jadh
Ganga meeting and merging with Ganga. Formerly, this valley
had to be walked on foot. Opposite Lanka is Bhairon Ghati.
From Bhairon Ghati onwards, the whole environment changes.
Everything seems crystal clear. There is no noise, no disturbance,
no whim of whine of engines. There is perfect ease, calm and
tranquility except for the shouts of yatris from different parts of
India singing or shouting in unison 'Bol Ganga Maiya ki jai.’
Gangotri is at an altitude of 10,700 ft. At Gangotri, Kedar
Ganga meets Bhagirathi. Gangotri is a small town. It has
Tourist Rest House, Dharamsalas and ashrams of Sadhus. All
basic amenities are available.
The source of Ganga
Gangotri is designated as per legendary accounts as the source
of river Ganges. A huge temple of Mother Goddess 'Ganga’
has been constructed here which was remodeled by Amar Singh
Thapa, the Nepalese General who held the belief that “By the
practice of charity, the territory acquired in four generations may
be preserved and, through the favour of God, our power and
dominion may be still further extended.” 1
The temple built by Amar Singh was damaged by a rock fall
which was subsequently repaired by the Raja of Jaipur. The
existing temple is magnificent and spacious. The sanctum sanc-
1. Himalayan Districts , p. 694.
.Uttarakhand
83
<torum is approximately six and a quarter meters square. In the
.centre is the icon of Ganga which is about half a meter high.
A little lower are the images of Laxmi, Saraswati, Annapurna,
Bhagirathi, Yamuna and Jahnavi. The Bhagirath shila (rock) on
which Raja Bhagirathi meditated is below the temple where
shraddha ceremony is performed and oblations are paid to the
.ancestors.
About hundred and fifty meters downstream is Gauri*kund
where the Bhagirathi falls into a hugenatura ltrough. It is believed
■that when Bhagirathi started flowing towards Patal, Lord Shiva
intervened and checked. The entire site is awe-inspiring.
The system of puja and archana is quite interesting and reflects
.a great tradition.
There are some very good saints with whom I had many
■encounters particularly with the holy saint Swami Shardanandji,
.Jalahari Baba and Swami Hansanand.
Trek to Caumukh
From Gangotri, most of the pilgrims, who are physically fit
and agile, proceed on onward journey to Gaumukh, Tapovan and
very few cross the high mountainous pass and descend into
Arwa valley on way to Holy Badrinath dham.
The route from Gangotri to Gaumukh is very pleasant. It has
almost no climb. As we arrive at Bhujbas, a majestic view of
Bhagirathi group of peaks confronts us. In one of my early
journeys, we had a night halt at Chirbasa. Climbers have a big
rock at Chirbasa where many rock-climbers find time to practice
•rappling which is succeeded with campfire.
From Chirbasa we proceed to Bhujbasa where a saintly person
has built a small hutment to the great relief of pilgrims.
In and around Bhujbasa bhojpatra or silver birch trees grow in
abundance. The ancient rishis used to write ever its thin bark.
Bhojpatra is replaced by juniperous bush which grows in abun¬
dance. These are called Thalujari in local dialect. Growing
about a feet and half in height, the bush spreads like a mesh
forming a net. The oil content in its wood is quite high and it
burns well.
Right from Bhojbasa, one can see the massive column of Shiv
Ting rising high and opposite it lie the twin peaks of Bhagirathi,
84
Abode of Gods
and at the feet of these massive peaks lie the huge moraines on
the sides of Gangotri glacier. At the feet of these gorgeous peaks
is a snout, looking like the mouth of a cow from which Ganga
comes out. Many devotees take bath here which sends shivers
down the spine. The water is terribly cold.
I have been to Gaumukh number of times and have stayed
there for number of days. Each experience has been different.
Evenings in the Gaumukh are pleasant expereince. The setting
sun converts peaks into molten gold which gradually changes
into red, pink and finally steel grey. And soon moonlight ecli¬
pses the valley with the shine of silver. At this moment every¬
thing is so quiet and silent except for the sound of flowing river,,
breaking ice or occasional avalanches.
Here iternity walks in silence and time stops.
11
the ascent on
Arnonz the risers I
t r + t, &1 v o^nctitv to its antiquity *■
The Himalayas owe much o t Y am una* Naturally*
the sources of these ‘* " v “ * ol GW W «“®
'SSSSSS .—
along these rivers are narrated herem.
Tributary of Bhagirathi , «,i„de with river Bhagirathi while
The first riverto meet which comes fto» K«to
going near Gangotn »s Kedar ^6. d;tion we halted at
lamak. While going for Bha i‘^ Ked ar Ganga. The trek was
Gangotri and decided » go np envelops my ®md jh<m
86
Abode of Gods
mistake and we would be in the gorge. It was a life and death
struggle. No sooner we crossed rock faces there was a long
avalanche which had to be crossed. It was excessively slippery
and no sooner one of our party members Thakur stepped out,
he fell and slipped but as luck would have it, his fall was arrested
by a bush and simultaneous use of the ice axe. We proceeded
further and went for nearly nine kilometers upstream. It was a
memorable trip up a valley. The views which we witnessed were
stunning. We could see the login group of peaks and other
peaks rising above the glaciers and moreover Kedar Ganga could
be seen oozing out of Kedarbamak.
Todh Ganga
At Lanka Jadh Ganga meets Bhagirathi. It is a major tributary
of Bhagirathi. For reaching upto the source of Jadh Ganga, we
have to go up stream. The route is good except for initial dangerous
path which lies over a huge rock face below which Jadh Ganga
flows fiercely. But the human ingenuity has done miracles by
driving iron bars over the rocks and putting wooden planks on
them. It is known as Gartang Gallery.
From Lanka Nelong is 35 kilometers on foot with two halting
places at Karcha and Dhumka. There is nothing to stay except a
small log hut at Karcha. Opposite Dhumka lies the valley of Tibet
which is known as Chaukgaliya. Nelong nestles in the lap of Nandi-
Parvat. The Jads follow Tibetan form of Buddhism, the traces
of which can be found in the shape of fluttering flags and rota¬
ting wheels of om mahi padrhe aham. Flags called £ tharchens’
are nailed high up on poles to keep ghosts away. The most
dreaded variety of them is £ Kolong\ From Nelong,! there is a place
called Naga from where one route bifurcates towards Nilapani
from where one can cross into Himanchal or Tibet. The track is
very dangerous.
Proceeding all along Jadh Ganga I have been right upto Jhelu-
khaga ridge and the pass. The route which Jadh Ganga takes and
the area surrounding it is most beautiful except for some distance
between Sonam and Pulamsandha. The entire route presents
craggy appearance. The hill sides consist of conglomerates. The
flowers which adorn the area form a carpet of choicest designs.
The valley is also full of wild life. Wild Yak and Bharal are found
Uttarakhand
87
in plenty. I have seen Bharals in hundreds, negotiating sheer rock
faces or crossing the ridges.
Ascent on the sources of Ganga
From Gaumukh onwards, I have ventured journey on two
occasions, one towards Tapovan and then undertaken an ascent
on right shoulder of the Shivling, upto a height of 19,500 ft. The
area beyond Gaumukh, after crossing the ridge, the entire scenery
is exceptionally beautiful. There is a big even ground which is inter¬
sected with small streams and in the background of which lies
magnificent peak of Shivling. A little ahead is Kedamath dome,
the climb to which consists of crossing big crevasses. We
halted at Tapovan, in the lap of Shivling and had three memorable
days of climbing there. The climb upto right shoulder of Shivling
was a memorable feat. From the top we could glance on the
other side of the valley and see magnificent range rising over
Chaturangi Glacier.
Ascent on Bhagirathi group of peaks
It was in the year 1968 when we marched quickly upto
Harsil and from Gangotri to Gaumukh. At Gaumukh we
had intensive training of ice and snow craft. We did scrambling
on the rocks and enjoyed the evenings with campfire. After
having fully acclimatised ourselves we proceeded determined
onwards on our journey. The trek from Gaumukh to
Nandan Van is very difficult. It lies overs heer rocks and
huge boulders. While we walked and walked we had crossed
Chaturangi and Rakta Varna Glacier. As we moved on, we
saw Shivling and Kedamath dome from different angles. The
other peaks visible at close range were Karchha Kund, Chauk-
hamba, Bhagirathi sisters, Bharat Kuntay, Bhrighu Panth and
numerous other peaks. We could see the vast plains of Tapovan
which we crossed last year.
We halted at Nandan Van which was at a height of 15,000 ft.
The colours and dramatic change from sunset to night and the
appearance of noon which we viewed there is unforgettable. The
wonderful moonrise behind the Bhagirathi can be put into words
only by a celebrated poet, like Kalidas. Next morning, we got
up early and left for Vasuki Tal. This part of the trek was easier
m
Abode of Gods
to negotiate. We reached Vasuki Tal (16,000 ft.) in the evening.
The lake is beautiful. We could see pheasant and other birds here.
At Vasuki Tal we rested for two days for acclimatisation, clim¬
bing practice over snow and ferrying of goods upto higher camp
I at 18,500 ft. It was a tiring job but good experience of
climbing nearly 2500 ft. over thick sheet of snow and that too
in a process of continuous climb. Ultimately, we established our
camp 1 and halted there. It was terribly biting cold over there.
Everything was frozen and night was full of chill, gale and snow
storm was beating around our tent but fortunately for us the
morning was pleasant and we started early about 6 a.m. for the
ascent and acclimatisation.Next day we repeated the process. Maj
Surat Singh was leading, the other members were Dr. Chaudhari,
Thakur, Rawat, Jamil (Instructor), Suanglu (Instructor) Bhagwal
and myself. I also led for nearly 500 feet at the initial stage of the
climb. At about 11.00 a.m. we were at 20,000 ft. From here
rocky ridge started which was very difficult to negotiate but
fortunately for us Rawat took the lead. He showed immense
reserves of energy. Progress was very slow. After four hours of
climbing we could reach the top 21,365 ft. around 1500 hrs. It
was the finest hour for us. We remained there for half an hour and
had couple of quick photographs. It started snowing, therefore,
soon we started descending down. Driven by excessive enthu¬
siasm, I started descending down but soon lost control over my¬
self as a result of which I slipped in an uncontrollable manner for
a few hundred feet but as luck would have it, I arrested my fall
and got a lease of life.
The return journey was eventful.
The trek to the source of third river—Saraswati
The third river which meets Ganga and Yamuna at the holy
-confluence {Sangam) of Allahabad is Saraswati about which various
.stories are narrated. River Saraswati originates from Tara Glacier
below Mana Pass and meets Alaknanda below Nana village, thus
it has a very short career but as per traditional accounts it goes
underground over here and from here emerges again at the holy
confluence {Sangam), I went three times all along the course of
this river, which descends down Arwa Valley. The vegetation is
scanty.
Uttarakhand
89
Svargarobini —the source of Alaknanda
From Badrinath to Mana (11,000 ft.) is a well frequented route
but from here goes a track over Bhim-Pul (bridge) towards Svar-
garohini on way to which falls the Basudhara (440 ft.) fall. A
little beyond we can see the vast expanse of snow from where
Alaknanda trickles out from the snout of a big glacier.
The source of Dhauli Ganga
Leaving behind Joshimath, after climbing upto Baragaon,
we started descending down and saw Tapovan. There was a hot
spring also. From Tapovan a foot trek leads upto Bhavishya
Badri which lies amidst thick deodar forest. As the road proceeds
it passes through Lata from where one foot trek leads to difficult
Nanda Devi sanctuary, trek to which is undertaken by the reso¬
lute types who always revel in adventure. Since our destination
is the source of Ganga I shall take you further. After crossing
Reni where Rishi Ganga from Nanda Devi sanctuary joins
Dhauli, we land into Surahithota which is very picturesque.
Moving all along Dhauli we reach Jumma from where Drona
Giri is clearly visible. From Bhapkund there is a continuous climb
over sheer rock faces till we reach Malari (10,000 ft.). Malari is
the last village, except for few more villages in Niti valley. At
Malari Girthi Ganga meets Dhauli.
Niti valley is picturesque. As we cross Dhauli over the rope
bridge, we land near a village called Kaiiashpur. The entire route
s covered with deodar, kail, blue pine, spruce and at higher
idges with bhojpatra. The valley is immensely beautiful. Quite
frequently, we meet the Bhotia families carrying or going up.
Bampa is very big village. It has an intermediate college, a
hospital and other important government establishments. Another
big village which lies in the lap of Dronagiri is Ghansali. The
sunset scene which I saw there is memorable.
Niti is the last village. It lies a little ahead of Timmersen.
Niti has many attractions to invite a visit to this place. From
here one can cross into Barahoti after crossing Kala-Jhabar- The.
other attraction is Bimlas (14,500 ft.) hillock which overlooks a
wide range of Himalayas.
Thus I have travelled through all the bylanes or valleys of
Painknanda and Gahgotri where the tributaries of Ganga originate
90
Abode of Gods
AhtadflST" “I’* 1 ”" 5 ' ™ rge StagiratM ml
and t^ d h ? turn merge into one another at Deopravaz
and then proceed on to Rishikesh, Haridwar, Allahabad
ultimately into the sea at Gangasagar.
12
TREK TO THE VALLEY OF
GODS—KEDARNATH
After leaving Rudraprayag, the bus moves all along the Manda-
kini. A little ahead is Talwari from where one route bifurcates
towards Tehri, little further lies Agastya Muni. There are nume¬
rous historic places in and around Agastyamuni. One needs
only time to investigate these places. From here, the route
goes to Guptakashi via Kund from where one route bifurcates
towards Okhimath. Okhimath is also famous because of the
legend of Banasur and his daughter Usha's love for Aniruddha.
Okhimath was once called Ushamath. Vishwanathji is wor¬
shipped at Guptakashi.
As we proceed further we have to cross Nala, Narayankoti,
Rampur and Soneprayag. From Soneprayag one track goes to
Trijugi Narayan. Each and every place is associated with some
mythological incident. Now buses ply on to Gaurikund. In fact
the entire valley is so beautiful about which Atkinson has rightly
written “Nagpur will never be forgotten by those who have spent
a day on the bank of Dioori Tal and it is Chandrashlla where
the visitor enjoys perfect freedom, as imposed, it travels far and
wide on all sides, no hills to stand in its way,' no angry clouds
to mar its course, exuberent flowers make almost the whole of the
way a veritable field of cloth of gold, yellow, blue and purple
92
Abode of Gods
flowers are met within wild plants. Lots of lilies, violets, daisies
and tulips of different varieties, guggal, mamira, mitha-telia,
salam-panja misri and other plants, exhaling exceedingly sweet
scent and lovely Brahma-Kamal (lotus) with its clayx filled with
fine icicles of frost, all these things make these mountains a
pleasure garden of the Lord of earth and heaven.”
The foot trek from Gaurikund
Travellers have dwelt enthusiastically at length, about the
scene visible, particularly from a point a few miles down the
valley of the Mandakini, the two sharp peaks seem to pierce the
skies, and the white battlements with their enormous slopes of
smooth and shining snow, tower into the air in a wonderful
manner. At the pilgrims feet edging the beds of snow which the
pilgrim has to traverse at intervals, grow a profusion of pale rose
coloured auriculas and yellow prim roses of delicious fragrance.
He passes through primeval oak woods, the gnarled boughs of
which are festooned with long white mass, thick ivy and beauti¬
ful festoons of creepers, which here and there are mingled great
walnut, chestunt, maple and hazel trees. As he mounts the steep,
the woods become thin and scanty, but their place is taken by
roses and syringe bushes of powerful scent. So strong is the fra¬
grance of flowers near the Rambara and Deo Dekhni when we
near the border of eternal snow, that travellers have sometimes
been completely so overwhelmed by it, and that combined with
the rarity of the air, producing a, feeling of faintness has no
doubt cdntributed to the belief in the peculiar presence of the
gods in such places. Some travellers in order to counter this
depressing feeling fortify themselves with long quantities of
peppers and cloves to eat. Such belief is further strengthened by
the poet that due to rarified air and distant avalanches and rending
of the ice and snow, but which superstition has fencied to the
voice of the gods, assembled for sport and council.
Holy Dham
Suddenly the pilgrim finds himself in the vale of Kedar encir-
cled by high mountains clad in white. The Kedamath is situated
at 11,735 ft, between Gangotri and Mana Valley where below
Mahapanth peak stands magnificent temple of Lord Kedamath,
Uttarakhand
built of grey stones. The temple is dedicated to Sadash a who
fleeing from the Pandavas took refuge here in the form of a
buffalo and finding himself hardpressed dived into the ground
leaving the hinder parts on tire surface which continue to be the
subject of adoration.
The temple is finest piece of art and architecture, particularly
when executed at that height where working season could be
hardly three months. In fact, construction of the temple at that
height is not only a feat of architecture but a marvel of human
endeavour and ingenuity. Each time, 1 have visited this temple,
more perplexed 1 have felt.
Shiva’s ling is worshipped in the form of a phallic god. To
propitiate this god people perform unheard of austerities. At
Kedarnath people used to leap into death as an offering to Shiva
from Kal-sila. The practice has since been stopped.
The sculptures which adorn the temple are unique blend of
central Indian and Uttarakhand style. A huge Nandi has been
carved out with great precision in sitting posture. The front
portion of the temple is known as the garba-ghiha and at the
rear is Sabha Bhavan. In the garba-griha, images of Kunti, Panda¬
vas, Draupadi, Krishna and Ganapati have been carved on
stones laid in the walls. The five-headed idol of Shiva is in the
middle. There are the images of avatars on the main gate of the
garba-griha. In the Sabha Bhawan, a triangular icon of impressive
dimension covered by a canopy represents the hinder parts of
divine buffalo form of Lord Shiva.
The construction of the temple, as per legendary accounts is
attributed to Sankracharya but it is just a conjecture because the
temple was obviously constructed much earlier. Some ascribe its
construction to Ahilya Bai but we have no definite information
about it except the fact that, she visited the ptece and got the
wooden roof repaired with coppers topping which has recently
been repaired by the Birlas,
The temple is closed for winters on the first day of Kartika
falling during October or November. It is normally closed
about a week prior to the shrine of Badrinath and is also opened
earlier in Vaisakha corresponding to the end of April or early
May. During winter Kedar Puri is completely covered with
snow the accumulation being about 2 to 5 meters high.
94
Abode of Gods
Some hundred feet above the valley is the source from which
the river Mandakini takes rise. Its precipice is famous as Bhairva
Jhamp or “leap” from which pilgrim used to throw themselves
offering their lives to the god, until the practice was stopped by
the British rulers. In former times, also, it was not uncommon
thing for pilgrims to give up their being to Mahadeo by climbing
up the snows until overcome by fatigue and cold, when they
sank down to sleep and wake no more.
Nearly five kilometers ahead of the temple is Vasuki Tal.
The legend
The whole tract of Kedar is full of shrines and holy places,
whose fame and efficacy has been best described in the ‘Skand-
purana*. Indeed that precious collection of marvels has a special
section or chapter devoted to this region. Parvati, the wife of
Shiva or Mahadeo, represented as conversing with her spouse a
frequent device of introduction in the Puranas and inquiring
what are the fruits of visiting its sacred places and bathing in its
waters. Mahadeo answers “The place you have spoken of, 0
Goddess, is peculiarly dear to me. Brahma and the other Gods
are there, whoever dies there becomes one with Shiva. If any
one desires salvation he shall find it there; though his sins were
as great as can be imagined, the virtue that accrues from a visit
to Kedar is sufficient to cleanse them.” The Puranas are full of
the narations which describe the stories of great sinners whose
crimes were absolved by visiting it, even though involuntarily, A
crow, for example, carried the bone of a deceased inner, and
dropped it there, whereupon the man’s soul, though he had
been guilty of the most flagrant crimes, was borne to heaven,
and all his sins were forgiven. According to traditions, the
water of Sailodah spring if applied to the eyes enables one to
see even hidden treasure. Whatever may be the desire, if even
once one visited and supplicated the Kedar through the priests
he is bound to attain Moksha.
There are four other Kedar where other bodily parts of Lord
Shiva are worshipped :
( 1 ) The arms are worshipped at Tungnath which is 18 km.
from Okhimath on the Kund-Gopeshwar road, situated at a
height, of 13000 ft. Here Ravana is said to have propitiated Lord
Uttarakhand
95
.Shiva.
(ii) Thirdly Shiva’s belly is worshipped at Madhyamaheshwar,
which is 30 km. east of Kedarnath and 50 km. north of Okhi-
math. The Rajputs of Okhimath used to dedicate their first born
daughter as the “Rani of Madhyamaheshwar”. The temple has
■some of the best remnants of ancient sculptures.
(iii) The head and ears are worshipped at Kalpeshwar, near
Joshimath in Urgam Valley.
(iv) Fifthly, Rudranath is situated just above Baitarini river at a
distance of 31 km. from Gopeshwar. The climb to this place is
very difficult but the views are stunning.
The Madhyamaheshwar
On return from Kedarnath, one can always stop at Guptakashi
and from here can undertake a journey upto Madhyamaheshwar
via Kalimath. Kalimath has inherited some rich and rare sculp¬
tures from the ancient heritage.
From Kalimath one walks and walks upto a suitable place for
night halt and makes it at some convenient time. From that
place Madhyamaheshwar peak is only 10 km. ahead but the
journey to this place is very difficult which makes it memorable.
The views are fantastic. The sculptural pieces are extremely
beautiful. One only needs to see them in person, in order to pro¬
perly appreciate them.
Okhimath and the Rawals
On return journey, I made a day’s halt at Okhimath and visited
the local temples which are managed by Jangam Rawals. The
Rawal of Kedarnath resides at Okhimath during winters. The
dwelling of Rawal is inside the Okhimath temple. It is a large
-square building with galleries surrounding a central court, and a
“dewal” or a temple. Both he and his associates are always from
.Southern India, and belong to the sect of Nambudiris in
Malayalam. Sankracharya brought them here from Kerala for the
worship of Lord Kedarnath.
Dioorital
Any description of Kedarnath valley will be incomplete with¬
out a mention of Dioorital which is situated at a height of 8000
96
Abode of Gods
ft. and at a distance of nearly 8 kilometer from Okhimath. The
lake is about 390 meters long, 240 meters wide and upto 30*
meters deep at some places. It has some good fish also. I
visited it number of times.
Okhimath-Gopeshwar road and the hillock of Tungnath
I have travelled hundreds and thousands of miles through
mountain road and through the length and breadth of India but
I am yet to see a more captivating, fascinating and thrilling road
which may provide stunning and grander views than those pre¬
sented by the Okhimath-Gopeshwar road. It is a paradise drive
on earth. Moreover, it provides Darshan of Jangannath.
Such is the pleasure of travelling in Kedarnath Valley.
13
YAMUNOTRI VALLEY
Yamunotri shrine is situated at an altitude of 3,292 metres at
a distance of 226 kilometres from Rishikesh. Yamunotri is
famed as a source of Yamuna and also for its sulphur hot
springs.
The legend
Surya, the God of light, once saw a beautiful maiden and fell
for her. Surya was now in a predicament since he could neither
stop his daily rounds nor forget the beautiful lady. He started
languishing which was reflected in his change of character
and behaviour. Obviously this affected the Gods in heaven and.
men on earth because it could ruin their lives. The Gods deput¬
ed Vayu, the ruler of winds, to investigate. Vayu found that
Surya had fallen in love with Sanjaina, the daughter of Visva-
karma, the architect. Gods approached Viswakarma and
requested to consent for the arranged marriage to which Viswa¬
karma had no alternative but to accept. Surya and Sanjaina
henceforward lived happily and soon Yamuna was bom to them
who is referred as Surya Kanya, the daughter of Surya or Surya
Tanaya. Two sons, Yama and Dharma Uog were also bom
from this marriage. With the passage of time when Sanjaina.
98
Abode of Gods
got wearied of Surya, she requested Chhaya, her own shadow, to
live with Surya and she herself reclined to the coolness of jungles.
With the passage of time, Chhaya gave birth to Sani and Tapati.
Chhaya started illtreating Yamuna and her brothers. Yamuna
was very sensitive and loss of paternal care made her sick. She
prayed to Brahma who advised her to descend to Mrityulok
and relieve the people of their miseries and sufferings. Yamuna
met her brothers before leaving for Mrityulok who gave her
the boon that anyone, no matter what sins he committed, would
attain mukti if he took bath at Yamunotri.
The route
The shrine is situated on an altitude of 3,292 metres. The
Yamunotri valley is separated from Uttarkashi valley by Rari-
ka-dande (9,600 ft.), the highest parting point, from where one
can look down into the picturesque Yamuna valley on the one
side and Bhagirathi on the other side. The breathtaking view
of setting sun behind the Rawain Jaunsar ranges, far in the west,
shedding golden light behind the silvery clouds which shine like
illuminated metal pieces as if flung in the sky to create an aura
of littering objects round the setting sun. As the sun gradually
grows red, they change their colour into colourful prisms.
As we descend down the valley, a sense of spaciousness envelops
the visitor and when he touches Barakot he is embraced by
most salubrious climate and fascinating view of Yamunotri valley
underneath towering Banderpunchh peak. Barakot is the
terminus of routes coming from the Dehradun—Moussorie—
Dharashu—Barakot—Uttarkashi—Baraket— and Simla—Tuini—
Natwar—Purola road (under construction). All these lead to
only one place that is Sayana-chatti which is 29 km. ahead. From
Sayana-chatti, the pilgrim has to walk upto Yamunotri, a distance
of 20 km. Pilgrims normally make a halt at Beef (also known
as Nanaki Chatti). Pandas of Yamunotri live in Kharsali village
and till their land during slack season and winter. Yamunotri
is only 7 km. from Beef and this part of the journey is very
difficult due to steep climb. But when the panting and sweating
pilgrim reaches Yamunotri (800) he forgets tiredness and other
worldly worries and ultimately when he takes a dip in the holy
Yamunotri, his sins are washed away altogether. In the 194°F
Uttarakhand
99 -
•sulphur spring and icy Yamuna. The origin of these hot springs
is traced from the Saptrishi. A hundful of rice or some potatoes
tied loosely in a piece of cloth is dipped in it, and after a while
it is completely cooked. Above the sulphur springs is Yamunotri
temple about which Tracer observed in 1915-18, “It is in fact very
beyond the place where the various streams formed in the moun¬
tain brew by melting of masses of snow unite in one fall into a
■basin below.” 1
Yamunotri stands on the western bank of the great
peak of Banderpunchh which is 4,421 metres above sea level.
The peak is always snow clad and forms the watershed of
Hanumanganga and Tons rivers. It is said that the sage Asit
had his hermitage here and all his life he bathed daily in both
the Yamuna and the Ganga. During his old age, when disability
prevented him from going to Gangotri, a soft stream of Ganga
emerged from the rocks before him at Yamunotri. The temple of
Yamunaji is the main temple of worship. Close to the temple
there are few hot water springs where the water gushes out of
the mountain cavities at boiling point forming pools. Out of
these pools, Suryakund is the most important pool. Near the
Suryakund there is a rock called Divya Shila which is worshipped
before puja is offered to Yamunaji.
On the other flank of the shrine is the majestic peak of
Banderpunchh (20,731. ft.) which is the eternal source of
Yamuna which flows down slenderly but as it descends down
the mountain path, it grows in shape, size and spiritual content,
till it meets and mingles holy Ganges in Sangam at Allahabad.
The Yamunotri valley is highly enchanting and captivates the
heart of pilgrims.
The inhabitants
There is absolutely no positive trace of history except a few
references here and there. Thus far from the current of political
upheavals, the inhabitants of this valley are full of joys of life,
steeped in tradition and living amidst beauties of nature. These
good-looking people lead a busy life carrying long cylindrical
baskets to hold the wooden revolving spindle ( Takli ) and wool
1. Paripoornanand Paiauli, A Tourist’s View of the Valley of Gods.
1 00
Abode of Gods,
for spinning. Men and women often dance together in v
colourful circle in measured rhythmic stepping. Festivals nre^'f
most colourful sight when women can
giggling with innocent pleasure. Their men folk carry idols of
gods in resplendant crimson palanquins which are preceded bv
the drummers and trumpeteers who tug flowers over their head-
gear Besides the Yamunotri valley along the Yamuna, there are
smaller side valleys also, the most famous being Sarnole which I
had an occasion to investigate and see its villages with their wooden
houses and temples which presented an interesting phenomenon
of ancient tradition and culture. V n
Trudging on, we reach the Yamunotri from where emanates
Kalrndi which cascades down the mountain slopes. There are
Yamunotri. ^ be “* y " ,ho oM «°” as
14
JOURNEY INTO INTERIORS OF
HIMALAYAS
In the year 1968 (November) my posting in the Special Police
Force provided me an opportunity of entering the very interiors
of Himalayas. In fact, I was very keen to visit Millam Glacier
about which I had read and heard so much. I drove from Dhar¬
chill a to Jauljibi, and after attehding the Jauljibi fair at Jauljibi,
I proceeded on my onward journey on my Jeep and after cross¬
ing through Askote, Didihat, Thai, Tejam, Girgaon, Kalamuni
I ultimately arrived at Munsiyari.
Sat sansar adhmunsiyar—half the world Is equivalent to half
of the Munsiyari
Munsiyari is a small township. It is also a sub-divisional
Magistrate’s headquarters. The local inhabitants are known as
Bhotiyas in general and Jauharis in particular. They have a
migratory life, and have their homesteads at three places, viz.,
one in the upper reaches of the valley, one in and around
Munsiyari and third one downwards in Kumaon. During
summer months, these Bhotiyas live in upper reaches of the
valley, in and around Millam and about September, they remove
their family to the lower part of the valley. These Bhotias for¬
merly traded with Tibet. "
102
Abode of God 't
The deep cleft of the Goriganga, through which we pass on
this route, really takes us beyond the great chain of snowy peaks-
into the tract on the farther side. At one point on the road,
not far from the village of Martoli, a glorious view is obtained
of Nanda Devi (25,600 ft.).
The whole stupendous mass of the mountains rises before the
eyes, like a huge dome in the sky, where every single black rock
jutting out of the snowy vesture clearly outlined, and the vast-
peak towering into mid heaven.
At Millam, the valley is wider, with the glacial river flowing,
at the bottom, and surrounded by high hills, some of which are
crowned with snow, affording pasturage to a few flocks of hardy
sheep. As we proceed ahead on the road to Millam the vegetation
is very scanty, though potatoes are grown near the village. At
Burphu and Tota, the Tibetan God Lamsal is worshipped. The
people fell a large tree, and carrying it to an open space fix it in
the ground and make it firm with three ropes. Strips of cloth-
with every description are then fastened to every portion. Near'
Millam flocks of white pigeons fly frequently.
Millam
Millam is a village of stone huts. There are still some rem¬
nants of ancient worksmanship, particularly on the wood. There
are remains of an old fort also.
■ Millam glacier is very large. Here we met famous geologist,
Mr. K. S. Waldia and party. We marched into Millam glacier
and walked over the ice debris for considerable distance, till we
arrived at the foot of the Hardeoyal peak.
Trek to Kingri Bingri
From Millam we can go to Kingri-Bingri Pass (17,000 ft.)'
from where one can see the Mansarovar lake in Tibet.
I trekked from Millam to Dung over thick snow. I had to
undertake one trip upto Dung (14,000 ft.). This strip was full of
thrill, excessive risk and involved trekking over hazardous freshly
fallen snow. In fact even the route from Millam to Dung was in.
utterly bad shape. Somehow, with great difficulty we reached
Dung, carrying loads of ration for the jawans. It was a memor¬
able trip over continuous sheet of snow for nearly 16 kilometres.
Uttarakhand
103
The folktale
There is a pretty story told of the first advent of the Bhotias
or Sekpas, into Johar, where they followed a people who had
covered with hair even to their tongues. In those early days
there lived a great bird of prey on the gori glacier, which daily
fed on one of these hairy inhabitants, and by its ravages reduced
their number to a mere handful. To free them from this curse a
holy lama, who with his magic powers of flight used to fly to
Lapthal and other places, sent his servant with a bow and arrow
to kill the evil bird, and gave him for a guide a man who ever
changed his form. This guide changed into the form of a dog,
hence the pass Kingri-Bingri, the former word meaning a dog;
then he became a stag, hence the name Pol Dunga; then a bear
hence Topidhunga, then a camel, hence the pass of Unta
Dhura; then a tiger, hence Dung-Udiyar; and finally a hare at
Samgaon. Thus the route from India to Tibet was first shown,
for uptil then there was no way known. The servant killed the
bird of prey, but by this time all the hairy inhabitants were dead,
and the servant, although wishing to make a colony there
himself, denounced to do so owing to the want of salt. The
holy Lama then took the salt and sowed it over the land like
grain, sufficient to provide to this day and it so saturated with
salt that there has never been any want for the Bhotia flocks. The
lama then flew out of sight, but when Buddhist priests visit the
valley they still ask for alms in the name of the lama who gave
the people salt.
Customs and cultural belief of Joharis
The residents of Johar were at one time completely out of
the main current of Hindu culture, instead they were pursuing
pastoral religion and culture which had its own pantheon of
local Gods and Goddesses and they have a different version on
the laws of propriety-impropriety, law of inheritance, adoption,
woman’s property and principles of adoption. The Hindu idea
of a joint family was quite unfamiliar to them. The Bhotia
father is the absolute owner of all family property including
ancestral, and can mortgage on his own without reference to his
sons, a state of things quite unknown to a Hindu. As regards
child birth and other ceremonies the Joharis were at some vari-
Abode of Gods
ance with the Hindu customs but now they have taken to the
traditional Hindu customary laws.
As is expected, we find that some of these Hinduised Bhotias
still worship Tibetan deities, for instance the Nikhurpas worship
the god Dhurma. This deity is specially sought after in the rainy
season when the people have tired of a long spell of hot weather,
and hope by propitiation of the god to effect a change in the
prevailing climatic conditions. Two poles are fastened in the
ground, to the top of one is fixed an iron or brass trident sur¬
mounted by a yak’s tail, and to the top of the other an image of
a man’s head; throughout the ceremony of worship music is play¬
ed and finally a goat is slaughtered. Meanwhile, the devotees are
anxiously awaiting the moment when the god will manifest him¬
self by taking possession of one of the throng. Suddenly some
man is seized by the religious frenzy and rushing forward drinks
the blood of the goat, and in this ecstatic state dances round the
people, and finally climbing the pole which holds the idol he
imprints a blood kiss on the mouth of the deity.
Migratory scenes
One peculiar scene of course very interesting in the hills in
general and in this valley in particular during winter is of large
number of families moving down from the hills, with their fami¬
lies and household goods to the Bhabar. Some characteristic
touches of the native life are to be observed. The wives of the
men especially if they have passed their youth, are seen carrying
fairly heavy loads and walking before or else behind their lords
and masters, who never walk with them, but always at a little
distance. This is the invariable etiquette.
Sometimes, women mounted on a mule or pony, seated usually
on some portion of the household stuff. Chubby infants are also
seen tied up and supported on the luggage animals, or seated
astride of their father’s or mother’s side as the latter walk along.
A different class of traveller on this road of the same season
of the year are the Bhotias from the snowy regions in the north
of the province, bringing down their loads of wool, etc. to the
depots, at the foot of the hills. They drive before them long
strings of sheep and goats, each loaded with a double pannier of
cloth (karboga) protected with leather. These traders use to
Uttarakhand
105
visit Tibet and the lower hills and plains, crossing the lofty passes
^Thfapproa^hrf these droves of Laden arrivals is announced
by clouds of dust, by the peculiar wbistlfflg of the dnvers an
by the noise of numerous little bells tied to the necks of the am
It to tinkling of which sounds pleasantly —“
■road. These are some of the pleasures of a journey to the m
riors of Himalayas which is worth undertaking.
15
THE LAKE-TOWN NAINITaL
The hill station of Nainital takes its name from the ake, on the
shore of which stands a temple of Goddess Naina Devi. The
lake itself is situated at a height of 6,350 ft in a circle of beauti¬
ful tree-clad mountains. It measures 1400 metre in length and
300 to 300 metre in width. The reflection of. hill sites, dotted
with cottages and buildings connected by enormous roads, is a
pretty site by day. At night the twinkling lights on the roads
and buildings are reflected as sparkling garlands on the still water
of the lake. Round the lake is a beautiful promenade where
hikers and riders can enjoy themselves and on the lake itself yat-
ching, boating and swimming can be enjoyed to the full. The
flats situated at one end of the lake, afforded ample space for
sports and athletics. Some of the best All India Tournaments
are held here. For the amusement seekers there are good cine¬
mas, tennis, roller skating and a running drama hall. The gay
socialiate finds himself fully occupied in well-equipped clubs and
a never ending round of parties, dance and entertainment in the
Boat House Club.
The view of the eternal snow clad mountains from China peak,
where a long cabin has been constructed for evernight stay is
glorious. From the land's end, and Hanuman Gadi the view
108 Abode of Gods
stretches towards the deep green of the Tarai forests to the light
green of the intensely cultivated fields.
This beautiful lake town came into being due to the efforts of
an adventurous Englishman named Batton who visited Nainital in
March 1839 while on a shoot at Haldwani with his brother-in-law
Mr. P. Barron. Mr. Barron gave a vivid description of his find
in 'Agra Akhbar’ under the name of pilgrims. Barron visited
Nainital again in December 1842. This time, he came via
Bhimtal and brought with him a boat. Thus Nainital was put on
the tourist map by this adventurous Englishman and thereafter,
Nainital has never looked back. Today it is one of the gayest
and most crowded hill stations.
The lake town
The name of Nainital is well known to all classes of tourists
but very few know the legend behind it which states that in
ancient times it was known as Tri Rishi Sarovar. The legend
goes that three of the seven Rishis, Atri, Pulsatya and Pulaha,
came to Uttarakhand for a pilgrimage to Chitrasila. They medi¬
tated on top of a hill and after sometime when they looked down
they saw that no water was available. They prayed to Brahma
for water who filled the valley down below with water. Thus a
lake came into being which later on became the abode of Narayani
Devi who is supposed to live in the bottom of the lake.
After thirty six km, drive from Kathgodam, the traveller
approaches the road’s dead end, where he confronts below his feet
the lake of Naina Devi, the local goddess whose temple stands at
the water’s edge.
The lake of Nainital with its shining waters of lovely turquoise
hue, glance up from the depths of their glen. The lake was first
sounded in 1871 by Dr. Ansbury. He fixed the length from east
to west as 702 feet, the width at Smugglers rock 792 feet and at
the broadest point as 1518 feet, the circumference as 11,880 feet
and the depth between 20 and 97 feet.
Nainital is surrounded with a cluster of lakes, out of which
Bhimtal is most famous where a beautiful sheet of water surroun¬
ded by high wooded hills, and just over a 800 metre in length and
3C0 metres in breadth. Its water is of a bluish green and very
clear. Fish is available in plenty and can be observed leaping up
Uttarakhand
109
in the air. The lake has a island which adds to the beauty of the
lake. At the end of the lake is an old temple which has a
wooden Chhatri or canopy built by a Kumaon Raja Baj, Bahadur
Chand.
There are other Jakes in the neighbourhood off the main roads
but known to enthusiastic anglers, such as Sat-Tal, Malwa Tal
and Naukuthiya Tal. Naukuthiya Tal is most famous because
of its nine corners and the legend attached to it. Birds from
Salim Ali’s book can be seen here. Another famous lake is
Malwa-ka-tal which lies about twelve kilometres to the east of
Bhimtal and is about 1460 metres by 210 meters.
But the gem amongst pearls of lakes remains Nainital. The
emerald coloured lake is encircled by graceful willows. During
the day, the city with brightly coloured tiny villas and bunglows
and ponies, rikshaws and sail boats backon the visitors to dis¬
cover the town in its own special way. And as the sun sinks
behind the mountains, the hill station turns into an enchanting,
alluring fairy land, reflections of the row of lights dancing in the
water to weave mysterious fantasies.
Rain-drenched town
Nainital remains bathed for weeks at a time, soaking in mist
and rain, the average annual rainfall being nearly ninty inches.
Nainital gets maximum rain because it stands on the outer range
of hills, considerably higher than the lower hills adjoining it, and
catches the rain clouds which are thus to a large extent exhausted
before reaching Ranikhet what to say of Almora.
Heavy rain played havoc in Nainital on 18th September 1880
when the entire hillside of China Peak collapsed and made a
clean sweep of Victoria Hotel premises. The entire targedy has
been thus described by Atkinson, “In a moment the whole pre¬
cipitous cliff overhanging the spot fell with a tremendous rear,
burying at once the hotel, the soldiers, the assembly rooms below,
the library, orderly room, road and garden. Almost every person
in the buildings and grounds was entombed, the place shook as
with an earthquake, and the water of the lake was driven to the
south part of it in an immense wave, while vast clouds of dust
rose from the falling masses like volumes of smoke after a terri-
HO Abode of Gods
ble explosion.” 1 The total number of dead and missing was 43
Europeans and 108 Indians.
A hundred years have gone by since the 18 September 1880
catestrophe. People have now forgotten the lesson taught by
one of the most tragic calamities of Kumaon hills. Unfettered
cutting of trees and hillside continues and the drains dug earlier
now remain choked. It must be kept in mind that lakes are
made in the hills due to landslides and they disappear like that
only as has been the case with the famed Gohna lake.
Nainital grows as a tourist spot
Nainital was first brought into limelight in 1841 through the
columns of £ Agra Akhbar’ and soon it attracted the attention of
Bishop Daniel Wilson of Calcutta, whose journey into this area
has been thus described, “The Bishop passed through Nainital
on his way to Almora in February and again on his return in
March 1844, The station had just been selected, no houses were
built. The weather was inclement during the Bishop’s sojourn
at the place his Lordship suffered in his health and having to
reside in a dark mud hut, which admitted light only by the door.
The whole scene appeared to him more of a wilderness than a
paradise. This, no doubt suggested to his mind the name which
he proposed for the church and by which the building since
created has been designed. Nainital is situated in a valley
running from West to East and bounded on the north by the
peak of China (2,590 metres) continued by Alma (2394 metres)
and Sker-ka-Danda (2360 metres) to the eastern extremity where
the ridge descends to the level of the lake 1805 metres above sea
level. On the west the rugged hill of Deopate (2,397 metres) and
on the south Ayarpata attains an elevation of 2,238 metres
diminishing gradually towards the east. The eastern boundry
is a pass through which the surplus waters of the lake find an
exit forming the principal source of the Baliya river which in
turn is the principal feeder of Gaula river. Oak, cypress and
other beautiful trees continue from the margin of the lake up¬
wards the ridges for 2 kms. upto the peaks which stands at the
extremes of this vast ampitheatre. There are two sulphur springs—
1. E.T. Atkinson, The Himalayan Gazeteer.
Uttarakhand
ill
One near the Rawksdale and the other just outside the southern
-end of the lake.”
_ Tile firs t building to be constructed in Nainital was of the “St.
ohn in Wilderness.” Few buildings were constructed later,
amongst which Victoria Hotel was prominent but unfortunately
it was washed away in the cloud burst of 1880. Amongst the
early settlers of Nainital were the Shah’s of Almora who caused
to be constructed most of the existing bungalows at Nainital. The
selection of Nainital as the summer seat of the government in
1856 was instrumental for large scale construction after which
extensive construction activity started on all sides.
Nainital, like other towns of India, is getting over-crowded due
to extensive and unplanned constructions. Today, Nainital is
not all that beautiful as it used to be with its spacious bazars and
by lanes.
View from China Peak
Nainital is surrounded from all sides with a chain of mountain
peaks which provide excellent scenic views of the down town and
the Himalayas which lie across the mountain ranges, one piled
after another, but the best view of Nainital is from the China
Peak about which what Sir John Stratchey wrote there in ‘Cal¬
cutta Review’ holds good even today. “Let us suppose that we
Lave ascended the first range of hills that rises above the plains,
in Kumaon, to the lofty peak of Cheena, which overhangs the
lake and station of Nainital. From this point, the elevation of
which is about 8700 feet, an observer can obtain an admirable
idea of the structure of this part of the Himalaya. Over horizon¬
tal distance from the foot of hills is only about five miles. We
look down over the beautiful wooded mountains of Gagar range,
covered thickly with oak and pine, mingled with the gorgeous
rhododendron, to the Bhabar forest, which lies almost at our feet,
700 feet below, and beyond to the Terai and the great plain.
Turning to the North, we have before us a scene which the pain¬
ter and poet can alone describe, but which can never pass from
the mind of one who has once behold it. A chaotic mass of
mountains lies before us, wooded hills, and deep ravines, and
dark blue ranges rising one above another, and behind all, piled
up into the sky, the snowy peaks of the great Himalaya. He
Abode of Gods
who has seen this view, or the still finer ones that are to be ob¬
tained from other parts of Central Kumaon, may feel quite satis¬
fied that he has seen the most sublime and astonishing of all
earthly spectacles. “ x
A gem in perfect setting, this charming lake resort was discove¬
red by an English traveller. Graceful willows encircle the emar-
ald mountain lake. During the day, the city with brightly colo¬
ured tiny villas and bungalows and ponies, rikshaws and sail
boats beckons the visitors to discover the town in its own special
way. And as the sun sinks behind the mountains, the hill station
turns into an enchanting, alluring fairyland. The lake reflecting
the row of lights dancing in the water wears a mysterious fantasy..
That is, how it is Nainital—the lake town.
1. Calcutta Review
16
THE HOME TOWN—ALMORA
Almora is my home town, hence the thought about it as
fanani janmabhumisch swargayapi gariyasi —the motherland is
not only like heaven but even better than what a heaven can
be—so is Almora for me. I am reminded of my childhood days
in Almora with nostalgia.
Historic town
Nestling amongst the lower spurs of the great Himalayas and
surrounded by range upon range of higher mountains, fading into
blue distance, is the town of Almora which has been described in
Skandpurana as kaushiki salmal maddhey punnayak kashagah
parwateh.
Almora was founded in 1560 by one of the Chand Rajas of
Kumaon, named Kalyan Singh (Chand). The Raja was hunting
in the forest and while chasing a hare he saw that in the midst of
forest it turned into a tiger. It was considered a good omen.
The advisers of Raja advised that this place should be turned into
a capital. Consequently, a crowbar was driven in the earth which
went deep and when withdrawn it came out blood stained.
The name of Almora is said to be a variant or corruption of
Kilmora, the native word for the red sorrel, which grows abund-
114
Abode of Gods
antly in the hills.
The landscape
Nothing among the lower spurs of the great Himalayas, and
surrounded by the magnificent range of Nanda Devi (25,626 ft.)
highest mountain within Indian Republic, Trisul 6,307 mts.
(23,460 ft.) the trident of Mahadeo, Pancha Chuli, the five fire
stalls of the Mahadeo, on the western extremity, the square
mass of Holy Badrinath group of peaks which consists of Hathi
Parvat—22,330 ft. (6827 mtrs.), Gauri Parvat—22,023 ft.
(6712 mtrs.), Kamet 25,417 ft. (7944 mtrs.), Nailkantha—
21,650 ft. (6597 mtrs.) and the massive square of Chaukhamba
23,420 ft. (7237 mtrs.), besides numerous other known and
unknown peaks. These are snowy summits, the sacred guardians
of the Indian Peninsula and the home of greater gods which are
visible from Almora.
From Almora the sharp peak of Nanda Devi may be seen at
times what looks like a wreath of smoke, which devout Hindu
sentiment has supposed to be the sacrificial fire of Shiva which
burns perpetually.
Almora is at its best during rainy season and in autumn when
the valleys and hill sides in and around Almora assume the most
verdure, covering every foot of ground, so that the eye is delight¬
ed with delicate and endlessly diversified greenery, which appears
to outlive in clearest colour every fold and dimple of the hills.
The rains in Almora are more endurable than in most other hill
stations, owing to the scarcity of the rainfall.
The town with its stone floored Bazar
The town lies on the ridge of a hill, a little over 5,000 feet above
sea level, and surrounded on three sides by deep valleys through
few small rivers, the Sual and the Kosi, they ultimately join the
Ganges. On the north-east/the ridge runs to meet the higher hills.
There are forests on the upper part of the most of the surrounded
ranges, but for a few miles around Almora there is a general
absence of trees, said to be due to the practice of the Gurkhas,
who were never prepared to accept any forest near fortresses
occupied by them because it would provide natural cover to the
advancing enemies. They denuded Almora hills of its rich forest
.■Uttarakhand
115
wealth for this awful defensive strategy. Most of the present
forest was planted by the Britishers.
Almora Bazar is perhaps unique in the sense that it has stone
flooring over solid rock, although its length with a row of exqui¬
sitely carved out houses and right in the centre of the Bazar over
the Almora hill top is located the ancient fort, the last defenders
of which were Gurkhas in 1815, when the place was captured by
the Britishers. Today, this fort houses the District Magistrate’s
office and the civil courts.
Almora Bazar is unique and picturesque in many ways, parti¬
cularly because of the excellently carved wooden fronts of the
houses, the lower storey of which forms a shop or an open
■verandah supported on small pillars. The oldest houses of Bazar
are located in Khajanchi Mohalla which was built by Narayan
.Sah, the businessman, steward and treasurer of the Chands who
are known today as Thulgaria Shah’s.
The Ramsay College
Further down the Bazar, we come to an assemblage of public
buildings, including the tehsii, hospital and Ramsay College. The
Ramsay College building is of historical importance because it
was built as far back as 1871. It has played pivotal role in the
upliftment of Kumaon. I had my early education in this school.
Almora has played vital role as seat of learning for entire
Uttarakhand.
The temples of Almora
Almora abounds with temples. In the true tradition of ancient
•capitals, it has Navdurga (nine goddesses) and Ashtabhairauv
(eight Bhairauv) temples, located at strategic point, the most
famous being the temple of Nanda Devi which was built by
Raja Baj Bahadur Chand, Tularameshwar by late Tularam Shah
Thulgharia and Murli Manohar temple. There are temples of
many other Gods and Goddesses out of which the Golla Devta
temple (Bhairauv) at Chitai and Kasar Devi at Kashaya Parvat
are most famous. The temple of Chitai is most acknowledged
as the dispenser of justice.
116
Abode of Gods
The seat of culture
The people of Almora leaving out the Khasiyas and Doms who
form primarily the basic agricultural bulk of the population live
in the rural area of Almora and are in fact the original inhabi¬
tants of Kumaon. The other castes are Brahmins andBaniyas
or small traders, Moussalmans and Christians, most of whom
migrated from different parts of India. The people of Almora
are fond of education and culture.
The chief occupation of the people of Almora is government
service, ordinary trade and barter. In fact there is a strong
desire of education in the people of Almora and this factor alone
has made it possible that you can find a man from Almora not
only in every nook and comer of India but almost all over the
world. Almora has produced reknowned scholars who have
done extremely well in different fields of occupation.
Almora, being the seat of the kings, has unique distinction of
being the centre of many cultural activities.
It was here that Udai Shanker and Anna Pavalova chose to
enact many of the dramas out of the pages of our scriptures.
Almora as a hill station
Almora is surrounded with a chain of scenic beauty spots which
can easily be approached from Almora. Out of these, such places'
are most famed like Binsar, Kausani, Jogeshwar, Mrigtola and
Simtola. Mr. E.S. Oakly has rightly paid this tribute to-
Almora—
Sweetest breezes blow athwart thee
0 Almora !
Roses bloom high all the year
In thy golden atmosphere,
And all flowers are dear,
0 Almora .
17
TREK. TO PINDARI GLACIER
It is understood that some Lt. Governor of the United Provin¬
ces, having a surplus at the end of his financial year, resolved
that it might be profitably spent on making accessible some ol
the glorious scenery of the Kumaon Himalayas. He accordingly
planted staging bungalows at convenient distances, right from
Bagesewar to the glacier from which the Pindar river flows, a
total distance of eighty miles from Almora and thus all lovers of
nature in her grandest manifestations are lasting debtors to his
generous thoughtfulness.
From the Pindari glacier one can move up the moraine and
reach Train’s pass, named after G. W. Traill, the first commiss¬
ioner of Kumaon who was desirous of finding a direct route to
Johar so as to give a boost to the trade. Smce then it is called
Traill’s Pass or Maluk Singh Buda Pass who was the first to cross
the Pass and enter into Johar valley-
Pindari
Pindari glacier is one of the most beautiful and well known
glaciers in the Central Himalayas. It originates from Nandakhat
21,690 ft. (6611 metre) high peak which lies within the Nanda
Devi sanctuary.
Abode of Gods
Uj9'
General Stratchey was the first person to record the move¬
ment of the snout. He observed in 1848 that the mean daily
movement in the uppermost part was 5.3 inches, in the lower¬
most part 4.8 inches and in the middle portion 10 inches for the
upper half and 9.4 inches for the lower half. In case we take
the average of all these, the mean movement of Pindari would
come about 7J inches per day. Taking the movement as a mea¬
sure the snow falling at the source of the glacier would take
about 44 years to reach the snout. Thus in 1984, the snow reach¬
ing the shout would be that which fell in the year 1940.
The route to Pindari
Pindari is approachable by rail upto Kathgodam from where
direct bus services are available upto Bageshwar passing through
such picturesque places as Ranikhet and Kausani. The closeness
of this glacier to the railhead and its exquisite beauty has drawn
the attention of trekkers and adventurers alike. The traffic to
Pindari has been continuous as is evinced from the glaring entries
made in the log books of Dak Bungalow.
After a day’s rest and sight seeing spree at Bageshwar, the trek-
ker can leave for Kapkot again by bus. It involves a journey of
24 km.
From Kapkot foot trek starts which passes through Loharkhet.
Enroute to Pindari, we travel for several miles upto the right
bank of the Suryu at first along a road shaded by bamboos and
other sub-tropical vegetations, for the valley is low and hot, but
afterwards usual pine, haze and maple trees are found. Oh !
what a charm of walking over forest paths. The sunlight falls
tempered by lofty foliage, between the tall straight stems of the
pines on the hillside, slopes or at higher elevation. One climbs
or descends among guarded leafy oak and rhodendron the earth
everywhere clothed with fern and moses and creeper, moist, cool
grass and emerald green river hank on every side tempting the
eye to linger on their beauty. The scent of sweet wild flowers
mingles with the rosin flavoured odour of the pines, and bright
blue sky and glorious sunshine, over teach all the fair scene, near
and far. It is indeed an earthly paradise.
A village here and there is passed,, near some clearing in the
forest, where the peaceful Kumaoni pursues his trade from gene-
Uttarakhand
119
ration to generation and the noises of children are heard in the
depths of the woods, as they drive the goats and cows along the
forest roads. One can quite frequently hear at height the shrill
cries of the jackals. Now and then a drove of monkeys breaks
away over the tree tops, startled by the travellers’ appraoch, or a
patridge rises noisily breaking the calm of the forest.
When with some toil, we reach the summit of a lofty range
wonderous scene expands on every side. How pleasant to sit
down on some fallen trunk under cool shade, and drink in the
freshening breeze, while the eyes stray from vale to vale and
range to range of snow capped peak.
The river is an interesting and fair companion on our upward
way, flowing sometime in broad shallow rapids, bright and spark¬
ling at the other time gathering its waters in dark deep pools
under lofty overhanging rocks, which the path skirts or climbs
as best as it may. The river is flanked on both sides by steep he¬
ights, which at times retire leaving fairly but level spaces where
some little cultivation is done.
The lofty hill side of Dhakuri is covered with forests of oak,
cypress and rhodendron, and carpeted with every variety of
flowers, ferns, mosses and abounding with wild strawberris. The
view from the top of the range is as a rule visible only in the
early morning, as during the day clouds invariably collect and
conceal the higher summits.
You cross Khati and then Dwali, which is situated at the junc¬
ture of the Kaphni with the Pindar. A continued roar and blasts
of water keep us awake. Here the mountains are clothed with
dense forest. Words cannot describe the grandeur of these towe¬
ring fortresses of rock, clothed as verdure and adorned with
foaming cascades and lightly spraying water falls which reflect
beautiful rainbow when sun’s rays fall on these.
The first impression of the glacier
Phurkia, the last stage, is about four miles from the glacier.
It has a small rest house. The elevation is 9,900 ft. From here
the glacier is not very far. The first sight of the glacier is little
disappointing. It appears to be a great slope of dirty snow com¬
ing down between two huge mountains, and between high banks
of moraine rubbish, and ending of suddenly in the valley. All
120
Abode of Gods
around are the great snow peaks, over 20,000 ft. high. In the
Tight rises the sharp cone of Nanda Kot. The river rushes out
of a kind of cave or mouth below the glacier, of considerable size
at its very base.
After crossing the first portion of the glacier, we come to the
formidable part where the ice begins to rise in great humps or
hummocks, with crevasses underneath which water flows. The
ice caves and pits with their depths of clear blue ice look very
beautiful.
Stunning views
At the foot of the Pindari glacier in Kumaon, the river Pindar
issues from an icy-cavem, and is poetically said to flow from the
locks of Shiva. The Pindar is a glorious river, filling the whole
gorge with its rear. There are water falls over the cliffs above
the river, some of which are over 400 ft. in height, and can be
seen for aloft falling over still higher precipices in some cases the
whole cascade with its various leaps being not less than 1200 feet
in perpendicular descent. The mountain scenery is simply stupen¬
dous. As we look up to mountain, rising sheer from the river
bank to a height of 8,000 ft. above the river and 16,000 ft. above
sea level, clothed with forest about half way and ending at the
top of terrific battlements and walls of bare rock. Then above
all this, glimpses of the snowy peaks rearing into the very zenith
as it seemed, at a height of 25,000 ft. But words and figures
can give no idea of the glories of such a scene. They are truely
“the wonderful works of Gods” and among the grandest sights
on the earth.
THE LURE OF THE VALLEY
The Himalayas invite the attention not only for their grandeur
■and sublimity but in the words of Holdsworth “All of a sudden,
I realised that I was simply surrounded by primulas. At once,
the day seemed to brighten perceptibility. Forgotten were all
pain and cold and lost prters and what a primulas it was ?”
There is something in the valley of flowers which holds the fasci¬
nation, arrests the attention, and contains constant charm to
come and enjoy the untrampled flowers as they grow in the
nature’s garden—Nandan Kanan.
The first Europeen trekker who struck upon the valley was
Col. Edmund Smythe who during the course of his extensive
explorations in the Uttarakhand crossed Lakshaman pass over
JBhyundhar ridge in 1862 and descended down only to find a
paradise of infinite beauty which was later further investigated by
Dr. T.G. Longstaff who points out in his famed book This My
Voyage that “Beyond these glaciers we looked down into a valley
of the richest green balm to the eyes after the stormy desolation
we had left behind we reached it on July 13th to find the most
luxuriant meadows we had met with in this part of the Himalaya.
We waded through flowers upto our waists fern, yellow lilies and
anemoneas, green frittillaries, purple monks-hood, blue dwarf-
122 Abode of Gods
iris, masses of forget-me-nots with yellow king cups by the
streams. Innumerable butterflies of alpine forms including at
least two species of large swallow-tails, with many singing birds
were about us on all sides we spent a whole day there.” But
unfortunately after these early wanderings, the valley fell into
oblivion. It goes to the credit of Frank S. Smythe that he broke
the spell by breaking the news that there was a place called
valley of flowers which could be bargained for “let civilisation
have its noise and me my quietitude.” .
Frank S. Smythe was so mtich fascinated and charmed by the
attractions of the valley that he again visited it in the year 1936
after having visited it in 1931 while returning from Kamet and
recorded his experiences, “wading knee deep through the ocean
of flowers, ranging in colour from the sky blue of the poppies to
the deep wine-red of potentillas. To us the Bhyundar Valley
will always remain the valley of flowers. It is a place to escape
for those wearied of modern civilisation.” 1 He submitted sam¬
ples of seeds and pods to the Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburg.
* The escape from the modern civilisation has become more urgent
in view of the crowded and chaotic' confusion of contemporary
civilisation and corrupting influence of the mod culture.
Frank Smythe reduced his experiences about the valley in a
book entitled Valley of Flowers which attracted wide acclaim
and made the valley a much sought after paradise. Amongst
such early enthusiasts was Miss. Joan Margaret Legge who was
commissioned by the Royal Botanical Garden of England for
investigating the valley and collecting the bulbs and seeds of rare
species of Himalayan flora. She was so fascinated by the divine
surroundings that she is reported to have remarked “I will lift
mine eyes up to the hills whence cometh my help.” This remark
bears testimony to her undying faith and unstinted dedication to
her pursuit to which the tombstone installed at the place where
she died after a fall over the rock precipices bears testimony.-
The inscription on die tombstone reads—
a. Smythe, The Valley of Flowers -
Uttarakhand
12J
In Living Memory
of
Joan Margaret Legge
Feb. 21st 1885
July 4th 1939.
“I will lift up mine eyes upto the hills from whence cometh my
help.”
The legend
The Himalayas are known as the abode of Gods and God¬
desses, mention about which quite frequently occurs in the Vedas,
epics, ancient scriptures, and other Sanskrit literature. The Pan-
davas, particularly the Garhwal Himalayas which were then
known as Kedarkhand. In the annals of ancient classic Sanskrit
literature, Himalayas find most celeberated place, particularly in
the writings of Kalidasa who has vividly portrayed the beauties
of nature in most exquisitely ornamented terms —
In the north lieth
the king of mountains
Himalaya by name, the abode of
perpetual snows, and home of Gods and
Goddesses.
In the classical literature, Himalayas have been described as
the storehouse of life saving medicinal plants including sanjee-
vanbuti which grows in these parts, particularly over the Drona-
giri hills. When Lakshaman was lying unconscious at the battle¬
field of Lanka, Hanuman took a whole chunk of Dronagiri hill
when he was unable to locate sunjeevanbuti. While Hanuman
was flying over Hemkund Lokpal, a few pieces of the buti fell over
the glacial lake where in memory of the incident a Lakshaman
temple exists which is frequented by the locals from the neigh¬
bouring valleys at the time of Janmashtami.
An interesting story is related in Mahabharara about the dis¬
covery of the valley. It so happened that when once Draupadi was
taking bath at the confluence of Lakshamanganga and Alapnanda,
near Panduke shwar, she saw a beautiful flower descending
down the stream. Draupadi picked it up and found that It
had exotic colours and exciting fragrance. Draupadi asked
124
Abode of Godi
Bhima to get some more flowers for her. Bhima left foi
the Bhyundar valley in search of the flowers and after climbing
considerable height reached at a place called Nandan Kanan
which lay on the banks of river Pushpaganga (river of flowers).
He witnessed a colourful panaroma of various shades of flowers
including the Draupadi’s much loved flower. Bhima picked up a
handful of flowers and while happily returning home he was appre-
handed by the guards of the heavenly garden (Nandan-Kanan) who
took him before the Gandharva king Chitraratha. The king was
furious with rage but when he came to know that Bhima was
brother of Arjuna he let him off with many more presents and
banquets of choicest flowers. Arjuna had once saved Chitraratha
from bis enemies.
Hemkund-Lokpal—the Sikh shrine
Just above Ghagaria lies Hemkund, meaning ‘lake of ice’
which is surrounded on all sides by seven peaks, a mention about
which has been found in the Vichitra Nataka composed by Guru
'Govind Singh.
Ab main apni katha bakhanoni
Tap Sadat jih bidhi mohi aanone
Hemkundparvat hai jahan
Sept Shringa sohat hai taban
Sapt Shringa teh nam kahawa
Pandu raj jih jog kamava
Teh hum adhik tapashya sadhi
Mahakal Kalika aradhi.
Guru Govind Singh has spoken about his previous births when
he performed penance at a place surrounded by seven hills, where
once Panduraja had also meditated. Here Guru Govind Singh
propitiated Mahakali and secured her blessings. This unique
place where wisdom broke upon him was unknown to the Sikhs
till Havaladar Sohan Singh who was serving as a Gyani at the
golden temple. Amritsar, set out on a perilous journey for un¬
known heights to locate and discover the lake which lay hidden
behind the seven hills. Durmg his wanderings in the Garhwal
Himalayas he struck upon a lake which was locally known as
Xokpal. Fired with an earnest desire to discover the lake which
Jay surrounded by seven hills, he set himself on the eventful jour-
Uttarakhand
125
ney, upstream Lakshamanganga. From Ghagharia, as if by in¬
tuition lie climbed the treacherous rocks and at the end of jour¬
ney he climbed the succession of stairs which ultimately led him
to the celestial lake which lay spread over a vast area in lap of
seven towering peaks—Saptsbringa. Here he had a divine vision
which revealed reality and truth to him. He stayed for some time
and then left for Amritsar in order to break the happy news. He
was given a rousing reception and wide acclaim. Encouraged by
the effect created by his find, he again set out for another journey
alongwith Bhai Vir Singh Ji, the famed Gurmukhi poet. They
established a Gurudwara, at a height of 3,400 m. Probably it is
the highest shrine. Havaldar Sohan Singh now became Gyani
Sohan Singh by constant striving and endless pursuit. He stayed
on there for the remaining part of his life and ultimately death
eclipsed his glorious pursuit leaving behind trail of his endeavour
and earnestness.
The route upto Hemkund is same as for the valley of flowers
from Govindghat. At Govindghat, the pilgrim is welcomed and
feasted by the Granthi of the Gurudwara. And after a brief halt,
the pilgrim sets out for the onward journey. At Ghagaria he
is again welcomed by the caretaker of the Gurudwara who not
only offers a hot cup of tea but makes arrangement for the night’s
rest. Next day the pilgrims set off for the valley of flowers or
the Hemkund-Lokpal or both. The trek to Hemkund is a steep
climb and at the end of journey there are some 1100 stairs. From
the hill top, the fluttering flag of the Nishan Saheb beckons you
to come up and leave behind the miseries of the world. Lo ! at
long last after day-long tiring journey, the beautiful lake lies there
reflecting the seven snowclad peaks with their flowing glaciers.
Most of the dedicated devotees take a dip in the icy cold water
of the lake which is always followed with a darshan of the Laksha-
man temple and the Gurudwara which has been built where Guru
Govind Singh once meditated. Today, a magnificent Gurudwara
has come up in place of the old.
Trek to the valley
Bhyundar Valley is sandwiched between Niti and Mana. The
approach to this valley lies from Govindghat which is only 11
km. from Joshimath or Rishikesh-Badrinath route at a distance
126
Abode of Gode
of 265 km. from Rishikesh. Sikhs have set up a Gurudwara at
Govmdghat which offers tea and food to the pilgrims and toJ
nsts, irrespective of their caste, creed and nationality, who are on
their way to the valley of flowers or the Hemkund-Lokpal or
both. From there, the foot journey starts and at the very out¬
set the hanging bridge over Alaknanda has to be crossed and
soon after the trek ascends all along the Lakshamanganga current.
The winding path leads to the hamlet of Punn, at the approach
of which the tired trekker is welcomed by a smiling tea stall-
keeper. Almost all the yatns sit round the wooden bench wait-
ing for their turn to drink the hot cup of tea. The inhabitants
of ftis vilbge move m the upper ridges where pasture lands are
available but during winter they come down to their villages
where they mostly rear sheeps or grow potatoes and beans in
abundance. From Punn, the trek enters a dense forest of oaks
chestnuts, willows and rhododendron. Across the river far in the
horizen, one can see the roaring water fall descending’ down the
hill slope like a necklace of pearls. As the climber goes up and up
bend alter bend, he is greeted by the smiling children or woman-
folk from the neighbouring villages who always carry heavy loads
over their backs. A little before the camping site of Ghagaria
the tourist witnesses the marvellous view of Hathi Parvat (22 070
ft.). Ghagaria is preceded with beautiful pasture lands which are
frequently dotted with deodar trees. And then, at the end of
evening’s journey comes the hamlet Ghagaria which lies amidst
thick deodar forest with its tourist bungalow and a forest rest
house. Few hutments lie scattered here and there selling tea
and wares of local necessity. They also provide food but it is
always Gurudwara which comes to the rescue of the pilgrims and
other camp attendants. y 5
The night s rest at Ghagaria is memorable because of the camp
fire lit night. Next morning, most of the trekkers leave for the
valley of flowers and the pilgrims always first make for the Hem-
kund. The trek for both the places is quite common for some
distance and then the trek for the valley of flowers proceeds all
along the Pushpaganga, while for the Lokpal Hemkund it climbs
up steeply.
Ordinarily, the tourists trek up to the Ghagaria from Govind-
Jhat on the first day either on foot or on ponies and make night
, Uttarakhand
127
halt at Ghagaria. On the second day, they journey up to the
valley and on return climb upto Hemkund-Lokpal and again
make a night’s halt at the Ghagaria camp. On the third day, they
descend down the valley and board their vehicles at Govindghat
for their destination carrying home sweet memories of the valley,
and the celestial lake shrine—Hemkund-Lokpal.
19
JAUNSAR BABAR AND ITS DREAMY
INHABITANTS
About sixtyfive thousand feudal and happy go lucky people
of Jaunsar Babar inhabit 446 square miles of hill locked region
of Chakrata and Purola tahsil, which forms the northern half
of the Dehradun district; its southern side is adjacent to the wes¬
tern Dun Pargana of the same district. The western and north¬
western boundaries are contiguous with Sirmur, Jubbal and Taroch,
all of which were princely states. It blends legacy of the fast
vanishing past which was sill recently untouched by the rise and
fall of the glittering empires down below in the plains. In fact
they could hardly aspire to play lofty roles in the history of the
sub-continent, however, from the pages of the ancient history,
we have sufficient evidence to prove that this area had
certainly some link with the northern part of the country,
particularly during Vedic, Mauryan, Kushan and Gupta period.
The^Ashoka pillar at Kalsi bears testimony to the fact. At Jagat-
ram, near Kalsi, on the left bank of Yamuna, archaeological finds
of an Aswamedh Yajna were unearthed. The excavation at this
site led to the discovery of the two out of four sacrificial altars of
king Shahasranama. The bricks unearthed describe him as tf Yug
Shilageti’ and ‘Yogeshwara’ or lord of age. These altars are in
the shape of a hawk which seems as if ready to take a flight. This
130
Abode of Gods
and other evidence goes to justify that Kalsi was once centre and
seat of an important ancient empire which initiated an entirely new
cultural pattern within Jaunsar-Babar-Mahasu and Rawain area.
The inhabitants of these places look alike and follow identical
customs even today distinctly different than those pursued by their
counterparts in Garhwal-Kumaon hills and Himachal Pradesh.
They are definitely of different stock which is further proved by
the fact that their physical features, customs and jewellery is dis¬
tinctly different. To strengthen this theory, the art and architec¬
ture of the area can also be taken into account. The temples are
of distinctly local design with a wooden frame outside them. A
close investigation of Lakhamandal (Dehradun distt.) reveals that
the stone used for the construction of the temples speak of highly
skilled execution, bearing explicit imprint of Greeco-Roman
impact, like of which is found in Mathura. The Yaksha and
Yakshani sculptures alongwith Shiv-Parvati figures as found in
Lakhamandal and parts of Ravain and parts of Fateh Parvat Ban-
gan go to show that Jaunsar is nothing but distorted version of
Yavansar, thereby meaning that the existing inhabitants are most
probably descendents of Kushans and Huns who settled in these
parts or were left behind when wave after wave of them swept past
these places.
Traces of ancient social order
As a result of above socio-political background there seems
ample justification for the locals’ claim of descent from Pandavas
and Kaurvas. A look inside the descriptive roles of Mahabharata
reveals that when Kauravas were engaged in a life and death strug¬
gle against the Pandavas in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, king
Bhogdutta of this part arrayed himself on the side of the Kaura¬
vas. This historical background is evident even today in the adjo¬
ining patti of Fatehparvat-Panchgain where Rajputs and Brah¬
mins intermarry and wives are priced which makes them open for
free and frequent safe. In fact, birth of a child shoots up her price
and more the number of houses she has seen more valued she
becomes and with the past experience of sexual liberty which she
enjoys at her paternal place, particularly during festivals compels
her to yonder for fresh experiences. However, leaving aside these
aspects of life she is the backbone of family economy because she
Uttarakhand
131
-is the collector of wood, fetcher of water and has to bear the brunt
of attending the daily cores of life while menfold normally sit and
drink. An interesting aspect of Jaunsari weddings is that the bride
goes to the bridegroom’s house where the marriage ceremony is
performed. The bride’s party is entertained by the groom’s father.
Queerly enough, they still follow the example of their ancestors
and adhere to a polyandrous society where wives are priced and
exchanged freely. But in spite of the sexual liberty which a woman
enjoys, particularly at her parents’ house, she is no more than a serf
who-serves the pay master. Polyandry has bounded and glued the
families together and has helped in keeping the population down.
Thus these people are still gripped by superstitions, orthodoxy,
disease and sexual complications which has accounted for poor
education and backwardness in them.
All efforts of reform have fallen on rocks. An interesting story
is narrated about the wife of a Meerut Division commissioner.
Fired by an ideal of social reformation, the enthusiastic lady visited
interior parts of Jaunsar and collected local women round the
village tree and told her listners, through an interpreter, that poly¬
andry was a thing of the past; she advised one lady should have
one husband, gave her example that she was living with one rnym
for the last thirty years and she has never seen anyone else. The
attentive ladies threw panetrating glances at her and after quick
whispering exchanges one of the older ladies got up and said that
‘well ladies’ what she was trying to say is that for the last thirty
years she has been so unfortunae that she has not seen another
man. What a pity ?’ The embarrassing remark was never trans¬
lated to the enthusiastic lady but she could see from the fixed
faces that her appeal was lost.
Pastoral religion
Mahashu is the presiding deity of Jaunsaris according to
the District Gazetteer of Dehradun. Jhe origin of the Mahashu
as given by Hamilton and reproduced by Mr. Williams is rather
different. Hamilton supposes him to be of scythian descent and
related that according to Brahmanical traditions at a remote era
of time ploughing in the Pargana of Bucan saw snakes which erec¬
ting itself before him said, T am sent by the divinity. Raise
near the place an image to be worshipped and call it the Mahashu
132
Abode of Gods
Deota and it will reveal to you laws that are to be obeyed. ‘Accor¬
ding to another local legend it is believed that one Uma Bhatt
lived in the village of Maindrath and had a large family of rela¬
tives and dependents. At this time, a demon named Kirber Danav
made its appearance at the confluence of the Tons and Yamuna
near Kalsi and day by day ate Uma’s family members until only
Uma and three sons and one daughter remained. Uma fled to
the forests of Yamuna and wandered about from place to place
seeking means to destroy the demons and avenge the death of
relatives. One night, the Mahashu Deota appeared before him
in a dream and said ‘be of Good Cheer, O Uma, proceed to
Kashmir where the four Mahashus dwell and invoke their aid, they
will destroy the demon for no one else can.’ Uma followed this
advice and succeeded in killing the demon.
The Chalta Mahashu frequently tours the Jaunsar Babar areas
on the invitation of Khat (a group of villages). In the good old
days a large party accompanied the Chalta Mahashu with great
pomp and show and at the end of the journey great deal of
dancing and feasting was arranged. Besides Mahashu, another
God to be worshipped is Narshingh Deota. The simpleton fear¬
ful villagers hold Baki (witch doctor) and Dag (witch) with awe
and reverence.
The temple of Halid is the most recknoned and popular
temple of Jaunsar Babar. Visits to this temple are frequently
made by the Jaunsaris and people from Himachal Pradesh also
visit this place and worship Baitha Deota here.
Fond of fairs and festivals
Full of the joy of life, steeped in tradition and living amidst
beauties of nature these good looking people always lead a busy
life, carrying cyclenderical baskets to hold the wooden revolving
spindle (taklz) and wool for spinning. Men and women often
dance together in a big colourful circle in measured rhythmic
stepping. Festivals present most colourful sights when women
can be seen in their best of attire all giggling and dancing with
gay abandon and pleasure. Their menfolk carry gods on resplen¬
dent crimson palanquins which are preceded by the drummers
and trumpeteers who tug flowers over their headgear.
The most important festival of Jaunsar is the Magh which is
Uttarakhand
133
followed by Besoo fair which normally falls in the month of
April. The Jagra festival is an entirely religions affair connected
with Mahashn when he is taken out for a bath in the river bed.
Another interesting fair is the Man fair which is solely connected
with the catching of the fish. A bark of tree, known as Tejbal
is collected and after crushing it is thrown in the water. This
powder has stunning effect over the fishes.
Peace loving people
During the British rule, the administrative pattern of Jaunsar
Babar was entirely different from what it is now. The locals were
left to their fate under the care of a Sayana who was appointed
to carry out certain official functions which were supervised
by the Sadar Sayana or Khat. Sayana has been explained in
the Dastur-ul-Amal as the keeper of law and order. Another
important institution was ‘Khumri’. Like the Panchayatsof
rural areas in the plain, the Khumri met as an assembly of
people. When Britishers took over this area, policing was left in
the hands of revenue police which still continues except in parts
of Chakrata Tahsil.
Now with the passage of time change is creeping in to which
people have responded well.
THE LAKE OF SKELETONS—RUPKUND*
Mysterious human skeletons, still well preserved and most of
them unmutilated lie scattered aU around the oval shaped lake
named Rupkund which lies at an altitude of 4780 mtrs., amidst
high Himalayas of Uttarakhand. This place is marked as Tribhuj:
in the survey maps of the district Chamoli (Uttar Pradesh) and
falls at a longitude E-79.44 and latitude N-30.16ata distance
of some 208 km. from Kulsari, a small village which is situated
in between Gwaldam-Karanprayag road. The lake is located
between two features called Jinnarangoli (16,300 ft) and Chaniya
Kot (16,556 ft.) which lie just below the magnificent Nanda-
ghunti and Trisul group of peaks. The lake is approximately
500 square ft. Its circumference and its average depth is 8 ft.
The lake remains enveloped under thick snow for most part of
the year except for a brief opening during August & September
when snow melts away. At this time of the year the trekker
can see the reflection of towering Nandaghunti and other peaks
on the placid waters of the, lake. All around the lake remains
of human skeletons still lie scattered.
For a hazarding, a sojourn into this mysterious land the inquisi¬
tive trekker has to reach first Kathgodam or Rishikesh from
where direct bus service is available upto Gwaldam. Gwaldam
136
Abode of Gods
has an excellent forest and tourist rest house for which prior
reservation can be made from Divisional Forest Officer, Badri-
nath, Gopeshwar, District Chamoli. Local guides and coolies
are also available here who can take you to this mysterious lake
which provides besides trekking scientific investigation and exce¬
llent opportunity of adventure which is full of scenic and scienti¬
fic attractions.
The trek to Rupkund calls for unstinted courage and the capa¬
city to snug in a bed roll and pass sleepless night under a
bivauac braving the hazards of a bitting wind, hail, storm and
snow.
For whom the heath dell tolls
The lone forest ranger who frequented this area suddenly
struck in the year 1944 on a heap of human skeletons which
were spread all over the place. Frightened by the ghastly sight
he fled and reported the matter to his higher ups who immedia¬
tely concluded that the skeletons must be of those fugitives who
had fled from the war front. But soon this choosy theory was
rejected since locals were already in the know of these remains
of the past and year after year they were frequenting the area
during Nanda Jat. They had a different story to tell.
In the year 1957 Dr. D. C. Majumdar visited this area and
made startling revelations about the human skeletons and pre¬
sented before the world the theory that the dead bodies were
either remains of some Buddhist mission or Mohammad Tugh-
luq’s army which went to invade China. Commenting on the
futility of these conclusions, some historians did put forward
the idea that the remains could be of Gen. Zorawar Singh's ill-
fated army, which went on a campaign of Tibet and met the sad
fate on its return journey. This theory stands rejected in view
of the fact that the route for Tibet does not lie from here.
The prevailing confusion about the identification of these
known skeletons drew the attention of Swami Pranawanand of
Andhra, living in Himalayas who hazarded a journey to the area
and came out with certain definite conclusions. He visited the
area five times and thus each time laid bare new facts of hidden
past each drawing its origin from the folklore, particularly that
of Raja Jasdhawal of Kannauj who undertook fateful journey to
Uttarakhand
137
this area in and around 14th century. His theory has also been
supported by the carbon test theory of bones which has placed
these human skeletons as of some six hundred years antiquity.
Tables of the folklore
The folklore of Nanda is sung by the old ladies and bardic
poets of the area which was translated for me by Sri Debram
Nautiyal—the Rajguru of the Nanda temple of Nauti. The
ballad when translated from original Garhwali text can be thus
expressed—
Once upon a time,
Lord Shiva married Parwati
And after day long celebrations
Happily returning home
The caravan stopped
At the behest of Parwati
She wanted to quench her thirst.
XXX
Oh what a place to drink water
All barren and desolate
Helter and skelter ran everyone
Nervous, not knowing what to do
Seeing the plight of his retinue
Shiva thurst his Trisul
Lo behold, a gush of water
Seen turned into a big pool—
XXX
Happily Parwati descended from the palki and slowly strode
•forward to quench her thurst—
Gracefully she walked
Bowed low to drink handful of water
Wonder struck she saw a beautiful sight
Umbelievable, yet it was there
Beauty lending charms to beauty
Fascinated by the charming site
She named the lake as Rupkund
The mirror of beauty
Thereafter,
138
Abode of Gods
It has come to be known as Rupkund
A sacred place for holy wanderings.
That is, how it is—the Rupkund and the mystery behind it.
The bard narrates further that there were twin daughters of Hima¬
layas—the divine king of mountains who were known as Nanda
and Sunanda; the later was affectionately named as Balpa also.
While Nanda was married to Lord Shiva, Balpa was married to
Raja Jasdhawal of Kannauj. Happily each lived with their hus¬
band till—
Once Nanda, while on a usual stroll
Walked up a hill
Talking about her childhood
To her companions,
Not knowing what lay ahead
She climbed a nearby mountain
From here she could see far and wide
and, far in the horizon
Lay the township with its golden pinnacled roofs
Set in the background of high towers and ramparts-
XXX
As if by impulse
Nanda decided to descend over this city
And beckoned the Vimana
And after bidding goodbye to her friends
She flew over the silvery clouds
And soon she was hovering over the city
. Nanda glanced down
For the Viman to descend
Below the Vimana
Lay Kannauj
She signalled.
XXX
A Viman with a beautiful lady
Ran the word round and round
Entire Kannauj was literally on housetops
Balpa also mounted the top floor of her palace;
To see who was this Goddess
Descending from heaven
Uttarakhand
139"
Oh! it was no one else than her own sister
She embraced her and wept with joy
Both talked and talked, endlessly
The Goddess was there, her own sister
People rejoiced that queen had a sister
A sister in the Himalayas
Where Gods dwelled.
XXX
Nanda was feasted and fetted
And for days together the celebrations went on
As day of departure approached
Nanda expressed her desire to return, but before it
To have a share in the fortunes of Kannauj
This was too much, yet
Balpa kept cool and assured
To discuss the demand with the king
For Raja Jasdhawal it was unusual demand
Wishful thinking, he told Nanda and
Sought to be excused.
XXX
Nanda felt insulted and dishonoured
She could hardly believe
That fortune could not be shared
Infuriated and burnt up
She left Kannauj but cursed
Fire and famine
Disease and disorder
Boil, boil, boil
Entire kingdom burn and boil.
XXX
The old ladies who sing the folk song narrate the pathetic fate
which befell on Kannauj. Complete confusion and disorder reig¬
ned supreme. Frightened by the intensity of misfortunes, the
king called his counsellors and royal atrologers who advised him
to worship and propitiate Nanda who dwelt in high Himalayas.
Taking to his heart the advice of the courtiers he proceeded on
His fateful journey along with his wife and a retinue of servants
and court entertainers. Unfortunately, against all wise counsel
and Jat tradition, the Raja took some dancing girls with him who
140
Abode of Gods
entertained the royal entourage all along the journey. This in¬
furiated Nanda and in her anger she turned all dancers into stones
at a place called Tatar Nachonia’ or the place of dancing girls.
Unmindful of the impending doom the foolish king cantinued on
his path and soon encountered the problem of labour pains of
his pregnant wife. The king left his wife at Balpa-Syaldeh where
she ultimately succumbed to the pains. Undeterred, the doomed
king proceeded further, unmindful of the disaster which lay in
store for him. Angered by the audacity of the king, Nanda struck
the party with thunder and storms which brought a fierce ava¬
lanche which carried away the entire party and buried them
under mud, silt and snow.
What was in store for the Raja
Everybody knew, except the doomed
Who unwary of the impending disaster
Continued to proceed
Unmindful of the evil signs and warning.
XXX
Hail, storm and avalanche struck
Just above the Jiurangali,
The party was attacked by
The nature’s worst agents
Resulting in the death of entire party.
XXX
Drowned and buried
In the placid waters of the Rupkund
Lie the dead bodies of Raja Jasdhawal’s party
Reminding every pilgrim, to
Bow low to Nanda in silence
That is, how it is the mystery of
The skeletons and the Yatra of Rupkund.
Nanda Devi Jat
According to the Nautiyals of Nauti Village and Kunwars of
Kansua, the Nanda Jat was started by Garhwal Kings to propi¬
tiate Nanda and pray for the peace of departed souls. This Yatra
takes place every twelfth year. Before the onset of yatra a Chau-
Singha (four-homed goat) had taken birth which is feasted and
fetted to lead the caravan all through the following route—
Uttarakhand
141
From
To
Distance
Nauti
Banam
9 kms.
Banaik
Nauti
13 kms.
Nauti
Kansua
10 kms.
Kansere
Sem
10 kms.
Sem
Kedhi
8 kms.
Kodhi
Kulsari
18 kms.
Kulsari
Cheparshyam
10 kms.
Cheparshyam
Faldiya-gaon
16 kms.
Faldiya-gaon
Mundoli
10 kms.
Mundoli
Ban
16 kms.
Ban
Gararipatal
10 kms.
Gararipatal
Patamacheniyan
13 kms.
Patamacheniyan
Sheela Samudra
16 kms.
Chandanikot
Sutal
17 kms.
Ghat
Laugashu
30 kms.
Banani
Navli
10 kms.
257 kms.
It is significant that all along the 257 kms. the Jat is led by
the Chau-Singha and the devotees walk barefooted braving the
hazards of yatra. The Jat is greeted at every village by large
number of crowds who feed and feast the yatra party and see it
off at the outskirts of the village.
A trek to Rupkund is a fair bargain particularly for those who
intend to see the strange, hidden and baffling aspects of nature.
21
THE GODS, GODDESSES, DEMONS AND
DEVILS OF UTTARAKHAND
Be sidesthe Holy dhams of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedamath
and Badnnath, the Uttarakhand is credited with a number of
other religions temples located at different places. “There are
250 Saiva temples in Kumaon and 350 in Garhwal, and 35 Vaish-
nava temples m Kumaon and 61 in Garhwal. To the latter class
however, may be added 65 temples in Nagraja, the Serpent king!
in Garhwal, which are by common report affiliated to the Vaishnava
a pIace ’ under the of
Bhairava of the Shiva temples, 130 in Garhwal and 64 in Kumaon
are dedicated to the Sakti or female form alone, but of the
7 a ‘f^ a tem P les m both districts only eight. The Sakti form of
oth‘Shiva and Vishnu, however, occurs also in the temples dedi-
■rated to Nagraja and Bhairava, or rather these deities and their
Saktis are popularly held to be forms of Vishnu and Shiva and their
Saktis. Of the Saiva Sakti temples, 42 in Garhwal and 18 in
Kumaon are dedicated to Kali, whilst the Sakti forms of the
Bhairava temples are also known as emanations of Kali Nanda
■comes next in popularity, and then Chandiga and Durga (all are
names of Siva’s wife), the son Ganesh and the minor deities and
-denied mortals and the pre-Brahmanical village Gods. The out¬
come of this examination is, therefore, that Siva and Vishnu and
144
Abode of Gods
their female forms are the principal objects of worship, but with,
them, either as their emanations or as separate divine entities,,
the representations of the holy demonistic cults of the older tribes
are objects of worship both in temples and in domestic cere¬
monies.” 1 The religion that prevails in Uttarakhand is one of
the oldest forms of Hindu religion.
Gods, demons and devils
The type of worship prevalent in Kumaon and Garhwal is
more of the character of demonism than of animism. It is
startling to find that the idea of possession seems to be its very
life and soul. It is believed that there exists a multitude of gods
or spirits, some ot them being old kings or members of the royal
families of Kumaon or Garhwal in former days; others, grote-
sque goblins, like those of our Europeon fairy stories; others
ghosts of deceased persons who have died a violent death,
committed some great crime, or differed in same way from the
ordinary run of people—ghosts of women who have died in
child birth, of men whose funeral ceremonies have been neglec¬
ted, and so on. These are nearly all malevolents by nature,
and all calamities and diseases are attributed to one or other of
them. When a man imagines he is under evil influence of some
god or spirit, he goes to a professional wizard, named ‘gantua’
who professes to find out what demon is tormenting him. By
appropriate means he brings himself into relation with the deity,,
becomes ‘possessed’ by him, and then as his mouthpiece, orders
what offerings or penances are raquired by the god. There we
have an ingenious system of priestcraft the possibilities of which
it is easy to perceive. Sometimes, quite a number of people, by
dancing for a long time on certain ceremonial occasions, succeed
in hypnotising themselves, and believe themselves to be possessed
by one or even several deities.
Gantua—the mediator
In Garhwal or Kumaon when any person is suffering from-
any calamity he seeks out the deity or ghost to be propitiated,
by going to a gantua. The relations of a man attacked by serious.
1. Atkinson, Himalayan Districts.
Uttarakhand
145
desease, or who has been robbed of property, or whose cattle
have been stolen or lost, or who are anxious about the safety of
members of their family at a distance, and so on, go early,
taking a handful of rice, with a piece of offering for the gantua
(sorcerer), and present them to him. He keeps the piece as his
fee, and taking the grains of rice in the palms of his hands, moves
them up and down, uttering incantations and the names of the
local gods and ghosts, professing to calculate by the movement
of grains of rice, he then declares who is the cause of the trouble,
and gives advice as to the worship of the deity whom he names,
and to whom the disorder or misfortune is ascribed. When
the name of the God under whose baleful influence the afflicted
person has fallen has been thus ascertained, resort is next made
to the “dungaria”, a devotee or dancer of the particular “deity”.
The name is derived from “Dungari” which means a hilltop, as
these rustic rites are often performed in such high places of the
field or perhaps because the dungaria usually resides in such
places.
In case of sicknesess or misfortunes, he is very frequently invited
to the house, and on his coming and taking his seat there, incense
is offered to him, and he is begged to make himself at home and
overlook any faults inadvertently committed by the afflicted per¬
son or by any other member of the family. Then a little tobacco
is given to him to smoke in a “katori” or easthen vessel used for
the purpose. After smoking it the man appears to show signs of
intoxication or narcotic influence, and then suddenly jumps up
with a wild yell. This is supposed to be the moment when he is
“possessed” by the deity. Incense is again offered to him as the
incarnation of the god, and he is humbly entreated to cure the
sick person. At this stage the man sometimes remains mute, and
deaf to all entreaties. Again and again he is propitiated with
clasped hands and prostrations. After a while the god begins to
attend, and the inspired man utters some stammering and my¬
stic words. Then he unfolds the cause of disease or calamity,
and enjoins certain gifts, offerings, or services for the satisfaction
of the offended deity.
It is remarkable that to an extent the idea of incantation, or
rather personation enters into the popular religion of the country.
The spirit of a god or demon is supposed to enter the bodies of
140
Abode of Gods
favoured worshippers, who are akin to all intents and for all
purposes incarnations of the deity, capable of uttering his mind
and endowed with his supernatural knowledge. It is something
more than inspirations. This phenomenon has always puzzled
me.
Dancing to ecstasy—Tagar
The royal gods or Katyur gods, so called from their descent
from the old Katyuri royal family, are opposed to a more plebian
party of spirits called by the name of Haru, and no associate
with them, though in general the two main classes of deities, the
royal and demonical, can be got to unite in the same dancing
ceremony. The Haru sections of gods have a place near tem¬
ples named dhuni or fireplace, where dancing is done. The
Katyur or royal deities have a place called Kholi for the same
purpose. Tire devotees of the Haru dance after applying to their
ladies the ashes of the dhuni (altar fire). They dance with a
bamboo in their hands. The Katyur gods are fastidious, and
will not allow anyone to bring into their dancing rites prohibited
articles. The buffaloes, pigs, cocks, the goats and coconuts are
offered to them. The devotees who personate the god are called
“deo” and are tinged with pithya (or red powder) as a mark of
their participation in the festivities. The entire place is kept
sacred.
The divine temptresses
A peculiar class of deities are the fairies, known by the name
of Anchori, Kechari, Pari or Chanchari. These are supposed to
be young females, of great beauty and artistically clothed, belon¬
ging to the court of Indra, to which they are attached as dancing
girls. Their habitat is the firmament and they are very fond of
bathing and disporting themselves in water, and gathering flowers
on die top of the lofty mountains or by the side of crystal springs
and lakes in remote forests. They correspond to the Apsaras,
or heavenly nymphs, of whom we read so often in classical
Sanskrit stories, whose principal occupation seems to have been
that of tempting ascetics to break their vows, lest they should
rival the gods in merit and consequent power. Young men and
women fall prey to their evil glances, and become ill and die.
iUttarakhand
147
.unless their friends find out the cause of their sickness and wor¬
ship the fairies, together with dancing at night. The fairies
are not regarded as goddesses, but as spirits, troublesome and
destructive to those who are possessed by them. The snow
■ranges are their popular haunts. Fanciful stories of their falling
in love with the mortals are told.
The ghosts
The earliest connected account of the province of Kumaon is
found in Traill’s settlement report, 1820. Traill found the popu¬
lation divided into two classes, human beings and ghosts * “The
ghost tribe” he says “is divided into many varieties. The first
and most formidable is the bhut or ghosts of persons, who have
died of a violent death, by murder, drowning, or public execution,
and to whose spirit due funeral honours have not been paid.
These require to be appeased by sacrifices and offerings. Masan
or Chanchri are the ghosts of young children, the ladies of whom
who are not buried and not burnt, and who prowl about the
villages in the shape of bears and other wild animals. Tola or
will-o’-wisps are ghosts of bachelors, that is males who die at
mature age unmarried, dwellers in solitary places and condemned
by other ghosts. The Airi or ghosts of persons killed in hunting,
wandered about the forests in which their death occurred, and
might be heard from time to time hallooing to their spectral dogs.
The Acheri or hill fairies were the ghosts of young female chil¬
dren, who flitted about the tops of mountains, producing wonde-
-rous optical illusions among the distant ranges, and descending
.at dusk to play in the valleys. The deos or demons formed a
numerous and malignant class, indeed scarce a village but had its
peculiar deo. This phenomenon of ghosts and godlings conti¬
nues to be operative in parts of Kumaon and even today it is
common to hear people professing to have seen spectres and
ghosts or evil spirits at night assuming male or female forms,
disappearing, and then appearing in some other forms, it may
be in the shape of animals and with their appropriate voices.
Occasionally they are reported to have apared in hideous
gigantic figures, then turning into a misty pilor and vanishing.
These are seen by one or more persons, and always at night*
perferably when people are alone. They play these trides to.
148
Abode of Gods
frighten people .... People, therefore, guard against them,
and have recourse to the personation and worship of the deities
as a safeguard against their influence.” 1
Amongst the most dreaded forms of ghosts is Masan, who is
said to exist in places where dead ladies are burnt, generally
at the confluence of two rivers. Ghantakaraena, or the
bell-eared, who is adored under the form of a water jar,,
and is supposed to cure skin diseases is another dreaded ghost.
His image stands at the entrance to many temples of the greater
gods. A similar and equally unedifying legend relates to Ganga
Nath, one of the favourite gods of the Dorns. He is said to be
very young and beautiful. Lower castes propitiate him. The
Dorns regard him as the chief of their Gods Nirankara, the name¬
meaning the formless. He is treated as a royal deity, though
no story of human origin is told concerning him. He becomes
incarnate into both men and women. Another strange deity,,
whose temples are found on mountain summits and in desolate
places, is Airi. He is believed to have a third eye and if anyone
is seen by him or he sees it, he instantly dies. He is accompanied
on his mighty rambles by a troop of goblins in various shapes,,
and by a pack of hounds with bells attached to their necks. The
malignant spirit Rumiya is propitiated in the northern part of
Kumaon. He is said to roam at night from village to village on.
steads formed of huge boulders of stone, whose rambling and
clattering noise is heard in darkness and illness. He is of amorous-
propensities and women who attract his attention pine away, and
soon joins him in the spirit land.
Uttarakhand holds irresistible charm for those who want to
enter the secret apartment of demonism and Tantra. The strange
ceremonies still hold key to many secrets of the strange tantric
cults, the interpretation of which is beyond ordinary comprehen¬
sion.
1. E. D. Atkinson, Himalayan Gazeteer.
22
KATYUR—THE SWITZERLAND OF INDIA
The moment you cross the Kausani ridge you find yourself face to
face with the wide expanse of Himalayan ranges and down below
lies the famed Katyur Valley. This valley lies between the course
of Saryu and Gomti. This exceedingly beautiful valley was first
described into a prosperous settlement by the Katyuris who
-shifted their capital from Katripur (Joshimath) to Baijnath-Katyar.
There is yet another important story about this place which
narrates that in good old days there was a big lake in which
many evil spirits lived and a vicious demon was living. He made
life hell for the people of neighbouring villagers; therefore, villa¬
gers gathered and prayed to Brahmari Devi for deliverance—
who kept on hovering over the lake with the result that
the rakshasa was compelled to starvation and as soon
as he came out of the lake, he was killed by the Brahmari
Devi. She also drained out the lake into Gomati and
thus the lake bed became habitable for the locals. With the
passage of time, the Katyuri kings also moved in here. Thus
the worship of Brahmari Devi has also came into prominence.
Now the main shrine of Brahmari is located at a distance of three
kilometres from Baijnath. Pujas are offered during Chaitra and
Baisakh. Childless women come here to pray for Children.
1$0 ' Abode of God&
They stand holding a lamp in one hand, whole night outside the
temple.
Baijnath is also famous because of the legend of Shiva’s-
marriage. There is a group of temples at the site. The temples,
have pretty carved stones, designs and figures.
The legend of Gomati
There is an interesting legend about the birth of Gomati. In i
the good old days, there was a man called Atma Ram. His
wife was called Dhundhali Bai. She was very beautiful but
unfortunately she was unhappy because she was childless. Her
husband Atma Ram performed several penances praying for the
fertility of his wife. God appeared in the shape of a Sadhu and
gave him a fruit which he gave to his wife. Dhundhali was told
by some people that childbirth would spoil her beauty; there¬
fore, fearing this, she gave the fruit to the cow for delivering a
child; she managed to get the son of her sister for herself who*
was named Dhundhkari. In the meantime the cow gave birth-
to a human child with the ears of a cow. Dhundhali brought,
him home and he was named Gokarna and both grew together
but with the passage of time Dhundhakari grew into a cruel
person and Gokarna into a God fearing person. Dhundhakari
drove away his parents and fell prey to a life of vice and
ultimately he was murdered by one of his mistresses. Since no-
one had performed his last rites, therefore, he turned into a bhoot.
Gokarna meditated at Badhangari for the deliverance of his
brother and his parents. God ultimately became happy and not
only liberated Dhundhakari but made a river flow from the place
\vhere Gokarna meditated and was named Gokarnawati which
is now named Gomati.
A journey to the valley
. I undertook the first journey into this part of the Uttarakhand
jn 1949. I accompanied my father on this trip to Bageshwar
from Almora. At that time, the bus used to go only upto Some*
shwar. The motor journey was also perilous because the road,
was narrow. From Someshwar, Bageshwar was nearly 23 km.
pn foot. My father hired a pony for me but I walked almost
tjie entire distance on foot because I did not like the idea of a.
Uttarakhand
151
ponyride. This trip was very enjoyable. We reached Bageshwar in
the evening. Next day we saw the Bazar and the temples. After
this visit, how many times I have been to Bageshwar I don’t
remember except for a trip in which I made halt at Kausani, the
most picturesque place which provides a panorama of infinite
variety.
Bageshwar is an old town. It houses Vyagreshwar temple
about which a story is told that a Sadhu once sat in the bed of
Saryu for tapasya. The river was blocked due to lack of water
in the lower villages, the crops withered. The people got worried
and prayed to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva thought of an ingenious
plan; Parvati became a cow and Shiva turned himself into a lion
trying to kill the cow. The Sadhu got infuriated and got up to
stop the killing due to which the barrier on Gomati was broken
and henceforth Lord Shiva came to be known here as Vyagre¬
shwar.
3
THE LAND OF FREE LOVE—RANG-BHANG
For going to the fabled village of love, about which I had
heard so much, I made up my mind immediately after joining at
Dharchula. I left from Dharchula for the valley of Darma. We
-could travel by motor - road upto Tawaghat and from here the
path lay all along the Darma gad (river). We first made a brief
halt at Kue from where constant climb started for Sobala. At
Sobala good apples grow in abundance. Two miles beyond
,Sobala is Dar which has also a hot spring. Recently, this place
was in news because of its sinking tendency. From Dar one
may approach Gori Chhal by Gavan Dhura passing through
Chiplakot lakes. Dar to Nagling, the route is interesting and
passes through thick forests. The medicinal plant called Soma
‘Mentha’ which is used for the treatment of asthma is found
here in abundance. The journey from Nagling to Dukhdu—
the trouble giver—is enjoyable. Opposite Dukhdu lies the villages
of Bon and Filma. Dukhdu lies at the footsteps of Pancha-
Chuli mountain, a group of five peaks which rise straight into the
sky forming a massive wall of ice and snow. According to local
traditions the five peaks are known as five stalls of the Gods—
* f Chuli”
154
Abode of God&
Strange custom—Rang-Bhang
u a ”■'»?«*™
tta three petti.;, Darma, By.y ,„d Ctioins ”1”“™™'" ° f
age at the Rang-Bhang, which is the village club- m ^ S T**'
a house or some spot is set apart, wfcchfs SJd
spend the night singing lewd songs smokine and d * v %
Married and unmarried men go there aToIL ^
SfpSta« R *s2r g , ttom “ ,g «'“ a ™,t
r-
,£rrs,rcr,““hr^
whisdii^ 'fi and * overs ’ and is frequently accompanied by
whistling two fingers bemg placed in the mouth as in the whist-
hng catcalls of downtown boys plavine hide and r%
hiring the whistles the girls take a little fire and issue forth from
X am olTteTu ^ *5 b ° yS to the «*«« W* 5
n they are old friends, they sit side by side round a burning fi™
whT ? ° n ° ne SWe and the ** face them Often
the girls dance, while boys join them, indulging in singing of
ewd songs, smoking and drinking until they are all weary when
p rings quiet at the height of sensual ecstasy to the scene.
Happy go lucky
his^deahngs' 3 He IT ““u T®. trader and circumpect in all
Si-SKSJt-sS 22=-«
™ assKsis
Uttarakhand
155-
of money, varying according to his own financial status. Normally,
the finance is not directly approached, instead through intimate
associates called taram (key). The lady conveys her reply
through her parents in the form of either retaining the gift or
returning it.
No marriage on Monday
The Bhotia women have complete liberty in exercising their
preference in marriage and many women have remained unmarried
because they could not find suitable match.
A marriage ceremony never takes place on Monday which is
considered inauspicious. In fixing a day for the marriage, Monday
is carefully avoided, as that is universally considered an unlucky
day, and although the date thus fixed is wellknown to both the
families, a pretence is always kept up that the girl’s parents are
not going to let her go willingly.
A pretence is always kept up that the prospective bride will
never go voluntarily. There is some semblance of force. On
the day fixed for marriage, the boy visits the girl and pretends to
take her forcibly but often this pretension results in the exchange
of mock fight and the father of the bridegroom byola invites the
bridegroom’s friends for a feast at night and issues formal instruc¬
tions to them. The party proceeds to the bride’s (byolo) village
under cover of darkness. Arriving at the village, they go to
Rambhang and carry the bride in their arms for a short distance,
where they call the bride’s maids and then proceed to the bride¬
groom’s village. On arriving in front of the bridegroom’s house
they are given drinks. On entering the house the first of the
ceremonies begins, the village elders present their Dalangs or
cones of dough with liquor which are given to the bride and
the bridegroom for eating and drinking. This is followed by
drinking bouts which may even last for a fortnight, each family
of relations taking it in turns to entertain the bridal party and
liquor is distributed until 4£ a man is bathed in drink” and the
whole village becomes a pandemonium of drunken men and
women.
The second caremony, the formal rite of Datu, follows. Dough
and fish are given to the bridegroom and the bride who exchange
with each other. This ceremony binds them in wedlock. In
156
. Uttarakhand
the meanwhile, the groom’s men have been lavishing their care
and hospitality on the bride’s maids who are then allowed to go
home. They are in turn invited to the bride’s village. It some¬
time happens that a girl is carried in reality by force from the
Rambhang but unless and until she eats “Dalang”, “Datu” and
drinks liquor with her captor she is not considered to be married.
End of a marriage
Divorce in a society of free love prevails in abundance. It is
a very simple process. The man, however, has an upper hand.
If a man wishes to be separated from his wife, all that he has
to do is to ask her to leave him. To quote Sherring “In
divorcing a woman, the husband gives her a piece of white
cloth. The cloth is invariably white, the idea being to give
her, and her children, by any subsequent marriage, purity
and legitimacy. Until the cloth is given, no divorce has taken
place; in fact, should a man elope with another man’s wife
he is shoe beaten and his goats and sheeps stolen from him with
their packs, while the chidren are considered illegitimate.” A
girl thus marries any number of times. Thus the chances of
staying together are very fickle.
24
THE WAY TO HEAVEN
In the pattis of Byas and Chandans cremation follows death
immediately, but m Darma patti burning follows death, imme-
diatety but m some pattis burning takes place only in the month
of Kartik, 1 . e. once m a year, and corpse are interned in the
ground during the interval and are exhumed in Kartik for crem¬
ation. The Bhotias of Darma Pargana, speak of the funeral
ceremonies as ‘Gwan’ but they are known amongst the western
Bhotias by the term 'Dhurung’.
The elaborate death ceremony
The death ceremonies are more elaborate and interesting A
distinction is made between small children and grownups. Those
children who have not outgrown their milk teeth are buried the
head placed northwards Others who are older are cremated
pie dead body is placed on a white log. The log with the body
is then placed on a bier. To the front of the bier is tied a white
cloth, cotton if the deceased is a man, and woollen, if a woman
The significance of tying the cloth is that the spirit of the deceased
can be guided forthwith in the next world. The cloth is known
as Amlugara’, ‘Am’ meaning way and ‘Lugara’ cloth.
The funeral procession is led by a young boy or a girl, who
158
Abode of Gods
holds fire in hand in the form of burning faggots, followed by
women and then the bier and finally the villagers carrying fuel
for the cremation which is held by the side of the stream. At the
pyre, the clothes belonging to the deceased are placed among the
faggots to be burnt and the corpse is placed in such a way that it
faces the east. Before it is burnt, the cloth bag is slit and a
piece of precious metal put into the mouth of the deceased, to
ensure that the corpse is purified.
On the following day, some people proceed to the burning
place and collect bones of the deceased, which are taken to a
place in the village where the bones of dead persons are interned.
Water and flowers are sprinkled on the ground by the girl and a
hole is dug in the ground where bones are interned with its
case and in the words of Sherring “After this, four corners, four
feet apart, like boundary pillars, and the tops are joined by three
threads of different colours, i.e. red, white and yellow. Next,
immediately above the interned bones, a forked stick is placed in
the ground, from one end is suspended a gourd fall of water.
Below the gourd is a place with flour covered with butter, and
as there is a small hole in the bottom of the gourd, water drops
continuously on the food beneath. 9 ’ The idea behind this cere¬
mony is that the spirit of the departed should not suffer from
thirst or hunger. The same night, a funeral feast is given and a
special provision of food is made for the departed person.
Dhur&ng ceremony
The last ceremony is Dhurang, also known as Gwan ceremony
This ceremony was universally performed among all the Bhotias
m the past but Hindu influence has eliminated it among some of
them, particularly among Bhotias of Niti, Mana and Johar. In
this ceremony an animal plays a prominent part, sometimes a
Yak or Jhibbu is chosen, or a goat or sheep. The forehead,
back and tail of the animal is marked white, the sex of the animal
represents the sex of the deceased. An old man who is supposed
to have mystic powers, and who is aquainted with future life is
present. It is his duty to instruct the spirit of the deceased to do
heaven t0 d ° tilmgs which Would ensure that it reached
I witnessed this elaborate
ceremony being performed at Gunji,
■Uttarakhand
1 CO
•while on a visit to that area. The ceremony lasted four days. :
■On the first day the animal was taken outside the village where
the deceased’s clothes are tied to it. Then barley is strewn over
the ani mal and the old spirits are beseeched not to take the food
belonging to the deceased. On the second day, nothing of impor¬
tance takes place, but on the third day, the animal is taken to
the place where the bones of the dead are interned. The casket
containing the bones is taken out and strict privacy is ensured
while doing this by erecting ascreen round the area where the
casket had been buried. The case is then put in the “Ghost”
boots. A procession is formed and on reachingt he village, the
.animal is fed and the case containing the bones brought into the
■deceased’s house, alongwith his clothes. Once again, the old man
with mystic powers gives detailed advice to the deceased as to
what he should do to reach the gate of heaven. The men and
women dance round the animal and often the animal is killed.
The departure of the animal signifies the departure of the spirit.
The rituals end with the breaking of the deceased into two, one
half is buried at some lofty place and the other half taken to a
■sacred place. So ends the strange ceremony.
Whatever the history of a race, and whatever the changes in life
■ due to migration and a variation of surroundings, practices such
.as Gwan which relate to some of the important events of life,
■drew their source from ancient times when the race under review
lived with those which are now extinct or are in distant places.
;Now it can be truly studied only on their original context and
previous surroundings.
25
HARI KI DOON—THE VALLEY OF GODS
One route from Barakote proceeds towards Purola via Naugaon.
Naugaon is now fast coming up as an idyllic setting for apple
gardening. From here, while one route leads towards Kalsi in
Yamuna valley, another route goes upto Purola, Jarmola,
Netwar, Tiuni and on to Simla.
Purola is a small township which is still steeped in tradition.
It holds gateway to famed Jaunsar and Fatehpur-Bagan area.
The interesting area of Rawain-Sirayain and Kamal Sirayain lies
enroute to Jarmaula (6300 ft.) where a big apple garden has been
developed amidst thick deodar, pine and rhodendron forests.
Another route to the Hari Ki Doon or the Valley of Gods lies
through Dehradun, Kalsi, Chakrata, Tiuni and from there to
Netwar.
The trek to Hari Ki Doon
Netwar is the starting point for a journey to Hari Ki Doon.
Netwar is 26 km. by jeep from Purola. Another route to Net-
war lies through Chakrata, Deoban (9503 ft.) and Ringali (7309
ft.). From Netwar, the trek to Hari ki Doon lies all along the
Tons which flows in broad, shallow rapids, sometimes, shining
162
Abode of Gods
and sparkling and at other times gathering its water in dark steep
pools under lofty overhanging rocks. Taluqwa (6700 ft.) is
twenty kms. from here, and next stop Osla to Hari Ki Doon is
(11700 ft.) 11 kms. The entire trek is filled with the scent of
sweet wild flowers which mingled with the odour of deodar
makes a pungeant effect over the nostrils and when wearied
traveller ultimately lands at Hari Ki Doon, he is greeted with
magnificent display of flowers from the nature’s garden and
herbs as described in the pages of Dhanwantari Nighantu and
Charak Samhita.
This place is also rich in wild animals. In the alpine pastures,
musk deer is found. This three feet long and two feet high
animal has varying shades of colour which it changes with the
season. The male musk deer has a musk pod situated between
the shin of the body and the abdominal viscera. The produc¬
tion of musk in this gland is due to the secretion as a shin pot in
animal producing secretion has a musky odour. In Dhanwantari
Nighantu, musk has been called as Kasturi, Mriga Nabhi, Mriga
Meda and Mukhaja. It is also called Yojana-Gandhi, contain¬
ing about three tolas of the size of a lemon in a full grown
animal. It is believed to be the content of a umbilical knot.
The people
Hari Ki Doon is situated in Panchgain-Fatehparvat area of
Garhwal. It has been thus described by Sri Paripoornanand
Pinuli: “The configuration of Panchgain-Fatehparvat hemmed
by the sinuous Tons and other rivulets rather deprive them of
irrigation and still ingeniously do they husband their terraced
fields and rear sheep, the mainstay of their life.’* The inhabi¬
tants of this valley, though having identical values in work, deed
and thought with their counterparts in Jaunsar and Rawanin,
claim descent from the Kauravas. In fact, they are the only
people who worship Duryodhana and still there are a number
of temples dedicated to him and year after year his one-legged
idol is taken out in procession in a palanquin from village to
village where the arrival of the God is heralded with merry
making and fanfare. Another God who is assiduously wor¬
shipped is Pakhu or sheep God who inspires them to steal sheeps
and ffoats from nearby herds and feast on them.
Uttarakhand
163
The inhabitants of Fatehparvat, like their counteroarts in
Jaunsar, still follow the example of their ancestors and hve in a
po yandrous society where wives are priced and exchanged freely
But it is strange that in spite of widespread polyandry, the
family ties are bounded and glued together and have thus helped
m eepmg the population under check and arresting the fragmen-
tation of land which is already so scarce
" ,omi is worse due ,o >” d
The people of this Gods Valley are still steeped in superstition,
orthodoxy disease and sexual complication which has accounted
for poor education and consequential backwardness.
• wave of new roads reaching distant places
when^Hari d °° rS ’ and the da ? is far
when Han KiDoon will be easily approachable and accessible
26
THE HIGH LAND FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
In all agricultural countries, especially where communication
is difficult, and where the land is cut by mountains or water,
the need is felt for periodical meetings at convenient centres,
where exchange and sale of commodities may take place.
The interior parts of Uttarakhand are absolutely dependent
on these occasional fairs and festivals for their supply of
common necessaries. These meeting places also provide ample
opportunity for the women to wear the best of their attire
and enjoy the dance sequences which take place either amongst
themselves or as provided by the Hurak and Hurkiyani. I
had ample opportunity to visit and participate in some of the
fairs of Uttarakhand out of which I would like to describe the
joyous moods of a few.
Uttareni—Bageshwar
The best known and largest fair of Kumaon is Uttareni held
at Bageshwar, each year around second week of January.
The town of Bageshwar is situated on the confluence of Saryu
and Gomati, thus the junction of two rivers makes it an impor¬
tant centre of pilgrimage. At the junction of the holy rivers
stands a large temple with its conical towers, better known as
166
Abode of Gods:
‘Vyagreswar’, the ‘Tiger Lord’, an epithet used for Lord Shiva,
The temple was erected by Lakshami Chand about 1450 A. D.
Lot of trading is done on the banks of Sangam (junction-
while most of the yatris take a dip and thus propitiate and wor¬
ship Lord Shiva.
At the earliest light of dawn, multitudes of devotees step down,
to the river where they wash away their sins and prepare them¬
selves sin-free for another year.
The curies and rarities can still be picked up at Bageshwar
which has a long reputation in India.
Thai Mela
Another important fair of Kumaon is Thai Mela which is held
at the temple of Baleshwar near Thai in the second week of
April. People from different parts of Kumaon gather here to
join the festivities and pay respectful regards at the feet of Lord
Baleshwar.
Bagwali—the stone throwing festival
Another strange custom once widely prevalent in the Hima¬
layas, and still practised annually at a few places in Kumaon,.
especially at Melas or fairs, is the Bagwali or stone throwing,
festival. It is said to have been introduced originally from Nepal,
where one of the kings named Gunkan drew up a strict code of
rules for the sport. In fact, in Nepal, it resembled actual war¬
fare : the men of rival villages or districts used to fight fiercely,
and the prisoners taken on either side were offered as sacrifices
to the Goddess Kali. In Kumaon, however, it assumed a milder
form, and parties oh either side defended a passage over a
river, or similar place. A relic of the custom is still to be witnes¬
sed at Devidhura, about 25 miles east of Almora. A stone
throwing contest takes place between the inhabitants of some
rival villages. Two factions range themselves opposite each
other and arm themselves with a leather shield to protect them¬
selves. The fight takes place to appease the Goddess Kali.
This fair attracts large number of people from the neighbour¬
ing areas.
Uttarakhand
167
Nanda Devi
Nanda is a favourite goddess in Kumaon, and her birthday,
the Nandashtami, in the month of Bhado (August-September)
is an occasion of great rejoicing. There is a large fair and
concourse of people at Almora, when a young buffalo is sacri¬
ficed in the precincts of the goddess’s temple. The first blow
is struck with a kukhri , a short, broad, and heavy sword, by the
descendant of the Almora Rajas, and then the animal is despatched
as a offering. This fair takes place in different parts of Almora
with great fanfare and rejoicing. If one can adjust his trip to
either Nainital or Almora, he can certainly enjoy the best of
Kumaon and its fairs and festivals.
The Gauchar Mela
In Garhwal, the biggest fair is Gauchar which takes place in
the month of November. Gauchar is on the Rishikesh-Badri-
nath road in Chamoli district. A ground is available there, thus
providing a large area for holding the fair.
People from different parts of Garhwal and even Kumaon
gather here to sell their wares and display their achievements in
the field of arts and crafts. I had an opportunity of actively
associating in this fair successively for three years. The colourful
gathering of men and women from different walks, of life is really
a scene to remember. Here army, police, civilian administration
and locals actively join hands. One can see perfect fusion of all
departments.
Cultural programmes and various other entertainments also
take place at the fair ground.
The Hurak and Hnrkiyani—the dancing tune
An unforgettable feature of Himalayan phenomenon is the
unending beat of Hurak (a small drum) and the untiring rhythmic
movement of the feets of Hurkiyani who aids lustre to every
celebration, fair and festival.
DAM. ..DAM ... DIMA .. .DIMA ...DAM. ..DA
I had the first chance of listening to a Hurkiyani probably at
the age of six, maybe seven. She was dancing and singing a
song which I came to know, years after, as Titurena—the love
168
Abode of Goa
song at the time of change of season :
Ayo basant phagun chait ko bhagi holo apnan may at ^
Timli ko pat no khayo bhat
Na anni chithi na kusalpatt,
Ayo basant phagun chait ko bhagi, holo apnan mayat.
It was explained to me that it was part of Riturena (the seaso
nal song) which meant—
‘The Spring has arrived, but
Here I am away from my kith and kin.
Lucky are they who are enjoying choice
Dishes at their parents’ homes’.
The Hurkiyas invariably accompany the Hurkiyani with a small
drum called ‘Huraka’ which resembles ‘damru’. The Huraka is
made from the skins of monkeys which are acquired from the
Harijans.
The Hurkiya songs axe transmitted from generation to gene¬
ration and they are almost the same all over entire Uttarakhand,
except with little local variations. The theme of these songs are
normally love, eulogies of past kings and princes, hymns in praise
of local kings, the change of season.
In the history of the dancing girls of Uttarakhand, the mention
of a class known as Nayaks is but natural because most of the
Hurkiyas and Hurkiyanis came from their families. The Nayaks
owed their origin to the campaign of Raja Bharti Chand (1437-
1459) against Nainka Raja of Doti. In these long drawn camp¬
aigns the Kumaon soldiers developed temporary alliances with
the women of Doti. The descendants of these temporary mar¬
riages were not admitted into any caste and came to be known
as Khadagwals or the children of swords. They were also named
as Nayaks, implying the descendants of a Nayika, meaning mis¬
tress. The female offspring usually took to dancing and many of
them found way into the houses of prostitution. These Nayaks
lived in separate villages or areas marked for them as Nayakana.
With the passage of time the practice of Nayika girls became so
corrupted that government had to intervene and two bills called
‘Protection of Nayak girls’ and the ‘Protection of minor ‘ girls’
were passed by the U. P. State Legislation Assembly vide their
Gazette No. 2 and 8 of 1929. The District Magistrate was given
Uttarakhand
169
vast powers for investigation and punishment in order to put a
stop to the evil practice.
Hurkiya bol, occasionally combined lewd dancing with tingling
bangles and jingling bells but now it has developed a grace and
also some film style in the gesticulation of hip swinging Hurkiyani.
The dance movement for the best song starts with the sinuous
slightly feline elegance. A pair of piercing eyes tends to show
precarious experience in all that adds to a woman’s strength.
The girls spread longing with every delicate movement of the arm
and tone of the singing voice. When I think of their love songs,
I am reminded of one such dance sequence at Lilam, while on
way to Millam.
The rhythm of joy
Hurkiya bol can be heard best at the time of sowing or har¬
vesting season in Katyur valley where the old traditions still
persist. The local gods are invoked to shower best of crops
through prayers, singing and dancing. The Hurkiyas are thus much
in demand before the transplantation starts in the paddy fields
in order to propitiate Bhumiyal. The women divide themselves
into groups and start transplanting, while the Hurkiya continues
to sing with the rhythmic play of hurak. At times the lilting
tunes set the feet of the planters tapping, and sometimes the
entire group is carried away by the gay mood. The tune charms
the whole valley and entire Uttarakhand—
HitoDitiHito Bhina
Hito Rito Ne Bhina
Hito Hito My ala Mien
Hito Didi Hito Bhina.
27
FLORA AND FAUNA OF UTTARAKHAND
The Himalayan phenomenon of flora and fauna has been
rightly described by Salim Ali in these words : “One of the
things that makes trekking in the Himalayas so particularly deli¬
ghtful is surely the constant change in the character of the plants
and birds that one meets as one climbs higher and higher, and
passes from one zone of altitude to another.”
The controlling effect of mountain chains and hill ranges on
local climate and vegetation, and, therefore, on the distribution
of animal life, is wellknown. The Himalayas stretches across
our northern frontier like a gigantic wall, cutting off the Indian
plains of the Gangetic valley from the high plateau of Tibet and
Central Asia. They bar the northward passage of the moisture
laden wind currents, driven up seasonally from the south-west
through the Indian Sea and Bay of Bengal to the land beyond.
This character offers an outstanding example of the role that
mountain ranges play in the character and local distribution of
animal life and vegetation. Botanists have long remarked upon
the general similarity of the flora of the higher slopes of such
widely separated mountain ranges as the Himalayas, the Nilgiris
and other hills of south-west India.
Truely, the Himalayas exercise profound influence on the
172
Abode of Go
climate of the sub-continent, as it has had in its past politic
history. As an impassable barrier to the north, the Himalayas a
as a climate divide, effecting the air and water circulation systen
of the region. What we receive as a monsoon rain is large,
because of the orographic influence of the Himalayas on tit
Monsoon winds. All this and other factors have affected tfc
flora and fauna of the region which can be best studied by takin
Uttarakhand as sample of Himalayan flora and fauna.
Himalayan flora
The variegated nature of Himalayan flora has been best des
cribed elsewhere in this book. However, it may be recalled thai
Uttarakhand has nearly 23000 square miles of forest which is
gradually diminishing as a result of which Himalayan fauna
has also been badly affected bacause a forest is a source foi
‘shelter and shade, fruit and flower, fodder and fuel’. We are
causing our own destruction.
The significance of the fauna of Himalayas can be best described
from the following sloka of Gita—
*fr<*TT 4 qrfer«mr it 30 U
that is—
Among Daityas, I am Prahalad, among
Calculators, I am mighty time, among
Animals, I am tiger and among the birds
1 am Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu.
Uttarakhand is house of many wild animals and birds. Such
as the ‘khakor’, barking deer, the ‘ghural’ or Indian Chamois,
the wild bear and occasionally a boar or leopard, not to mention
the Himalayan patridge ‘chakor’ and pheasants of different
kinds, the finest of which is ‘monal,’ with its splendid blue tint.
I saw hundreds of them at Nagling (9500 ft.) during my winter
halt at winter post of the special police force. Occasionally
‘himal’ is sighted above 14000 ft. We saw some of them at
Vasukital. In the high Himalayas, snow leopard is found ever
alert. His toes are well adapted for stalking on the snow. The
hoofed animal produces crunchy sounds but the well poded and
sheathed feet and toes of the snow leopard glide almost without
Uttarakhand
m
a sound or a dimple in the snow.
As per scientific exploration carried out by Salim Ali, bird
families endemic to the Himalayas, not found in peninsular India,
are broadbills (Enrylae midae), honey guides (Indica Tordae),.
Moots (Heliorinthidee), and parrot bills.
Another interesting aspect of Himalayan fauna is musk deer
which is at the verge of extinction due to the musk which it
carries in its gland which is used in some perfumes and is consi¬
dered a aphrodisiac. The poor animal is hunted for this musk
pod. Although killing is banned but clandestine trade goes on.
The tiger of Jim Corbett
The terror which a man-eating tiger or leopard imposes in the
area of its activity is unequalled even by severest of curfews. The
scene of a terror-stricken village and the deadly movements of a
tiger have been best described by Jim Corbett. In fact, the scene
is the same because during the hours of sunlight life in that area
is carried in normal way but as the sun approaches western
horizon and the shadows are lengthened, the behaviour of the
entire population undergoes a noticeable change and when night
falls an ominous silence grips the entire area.
A tiger’s function in the scheme of things is to help maintain
the balance in nature and if, on rare occasions when driven by
dire necessity, he kills a human being, or when his natural food
has heen ruthlessly exterminated by man he kills two percent of
the cattle he is alleged to have killed, it is not fair that for these
acts a whole species be branded as blood thirsty. Today the
population of tiger has gone down due to poachers and annually
there is an appreciable addition to the death toll.
Wild life sanctuaries
With an intent to protect natural life, the government has
opened several sanctuaries in the Himalayas out of which Jim
Corbett National Park and Rajaji Sanctuary in the Terai of Hima¬
layas are most famous. I have already described the high altitude
Nanda Devi sanctuary. Therefore, for the benefit of my readers,
let me describe the Jim Corbett Sanctuary which is internationally
wellknown.
174
Abode of Gods
Jim Corbett Park
The Corbett National Park is situated in Path Doon, the valley
of river Ram Ganga. At the decline of the Moghal power in
India, Patli Doon was the meeting ground of the dashing interests
of the Rohillas. This area of historical significance came into
importance in 1935 when Sir John Hewitt, Governor of U. P.
indicated that tigers were in plentiful in the area adjoining Patli
Doon. In 1935, the Government of United Provinces built the
Hailey National Park after the name of the Governor of United
Provinces of Agra and Oudh, Sir Malcolm Hailey. The park was
renamed Ramganga National Park in 1948 and in 1957, the name
of the park was changed, to Jim Corbett National Park. The park
covers an area of 528.8 sq. kilometres and lies at an altitude of
400 metres.
The route
The National Park can today be entered from any of the two
entrances, Dhangadi entrance to the east lying astride the main
Ramnagar-Ranikhet road and Kalagarh entrance to the west
which is astride the forest road joining Ramnagar and Kotdwar.
A complex hydro-electric project is located at Kalagarh on the
Ramganga. The major routes of entry to this sanctuary lie as
follows—
(0 Delhi-Garhmukteshwar — Moradabad — Kashiput — Ramnagar —
Dhangadi :
This route is approximately two hundred and fortyfive
kilometres long. The last petrol pump is at Ramnagar.
(«) Bareilly — Rampur — Kashipur — Ramnagar—■ Dhangadi :
This route can be adopted by visitors from the east. From
Bareilly, it is 180 kms. just 5 kms. Short of Moradabad, the
road bifurcates for Ramnagar.
(m) Nainital — Haldwani — Kaladhtmgi — Ramnagar — Dhangadi :
It is approximately one hundred and twenty kilometres. The
stretch between Kaladhungi and Ramnagar is a gravel road.
This road journey is fascinating because Jim Corbett frequen¬
ted it during his stay in the Kaladhungi.
Uttarakhand . 175
(iv) Kotedwar — Nazimabad—Dhampur—Kalagarh :
This route is approximately eighty kilometres long. The
petrol pump is at Kalagarh. A gravel forest connects Koted¬
war with Kalagarh.
Accommodation and eatables are available at many places,
though one should be prepared to rough it out a little. Facilities
for cooking, crockery etc. exist in the rest house and the guest
house.
The fauna
A variety of animals and birds can be seen in the park. With
little luck one can see the elephant, tiger, panther, beer, large
Indian antelope, sambhar, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar,
monkeys, porcupine, mongoose, crocodile, ghariyal (long snouted
crocodile) and pythons. The jungle noise mixed with the roar of
lions speaks of the richness and variety of fauna. Birds of different
variety sing in a crescendo and then abruptly stop off creating a
resonant silence. The occasional call of the pea fowl pierces the
still night to great distances. At times peculiar laughter of the
hyena is heard. At intervals, the colony of monkeys kicks up a
deafening noise. You can perceive the panther on the prowl,
■shaking the trees, the violent movement of the colony to the
higher branches gain momentum as the big cat comes near and
then as the tiger leaves the ground the noise slows down.
A variety of birds can also be seen in the park. A guide is
very useful to help identify the birds and beasts. Some of the
prominent birds that are seen at the park are babbler, bulbul,
crow, pheasant, paradise, fly catcher, flower pecker, golden wood
pecker, hornbill, snipe, robin, magpie, lark, oriole, pea-cock,
laughing-thrush, quail, sand piper, wrbler, white stork (Haji lak
lak), scavenger, vulture, black patridge, Himalayan wood owl,
common hawk, cuckoo or the brown fever bird (pipiha).
Tn spite of the depredations of poachers, the Corbett Park is
still a place where animals are free and safe.
Call for protecting the flora and fauna of the Himalayas
A clarion call has been given to protect the flora and fauna of
The Himalayas which has been reflected in the passing of the
176
Abode of Gods.
amended Forest Act and the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972
(Act No. 53 of 1972). Establishment of new parks and expansion
of old parks is being taken up but no Government measure can
fully succeed unless the people themselves resolve to stop the
wanton destruction of nature.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF UTTARAKHAND
This part of the country is most sacred to the Hindus including
those following Buddhism and Sikhism, and appealing as it does
with its awful solemnity and weird grandeur of landscape to all
that is romantic in the human soul, which makes it the fit abode
of the great gods of Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddha alongwith
Indian legendary Gods and Goddesses have left traces of their
greatness at various places. It is to Kedarnath and Badrinath in
the everlasting snows that they point as the home of their gods,
where gods lived. Mount Kailash is considered the perpetual
home of the Shiva.
Worship of Shiva
It was in the holy mountains of this part of the Himalaya that
the great Shiva is described as having dallied with the wives of
seven Rishis, or sages, who are the stars of the constellation
Ursa Major, and for this he was cursed that his ling should
fill the whole earth. He accordingly flung down his ling on
these very mountains and hence the origin of phallic worship.
The marriage of Shiva with the daughter of Himanchal forms
the basis of many a folklore which describes the nuptial attire
in truly awesome detail. “The Mahadeo smeared his body with
194
Abode of Gods
ashes, and threw over his shoulders the skin of deer, and
adorned himself with snakes instead of jewels, and took the
Trisul, or trident, in his hand and wearing a necklace of dead
men’s skulls, and seated on a bull, came to the marriage”. And
so the legends and tales go on, quaint in themselves, yet of
absorbing interest, when we realise that these form the mentle
of mystery which forever hangs round these sublime mountains,
in the minds of the millions of worshippers who live in every
part of India but throng to Himalayas in Search of the “the true,
the good and the beautiful”.
The spread of Buddhism
The spread of Buddhism in the Himalayas is a wellknown fact.
The Ceylonese Buddhist chronicle gives the names of missionaries
sent to Kashmir, to Gandhara and to the ‘Himalayas’. Five
missionaries were sent to the Himalayan region and the three are
named as Majjhima, Kassappagotta and Dundhubissara. When
the brick built mounds or “tops” at Sanchi in Central India were
opened by Cunningham some funeral urns were found with
inscription, and one of these bore the legend “of the good man,
Kassapa Gotta, the teacher of all the Himalayan region”. On
the inside of the urn is written “of the good man Majjhima”.
In another tope was an urn inscribed “of the goodman Gotiputta
of the Himalaya, successor of Dundubhissara”. The discovery
of these urns at Sanchi goes to show that there has been a
custom amongst the Buddhists to distribute portion of the ashes
of holy men to different places, where they were treasured by
the community, and topes were built over them.
After the entry of Aryans in India, the simple teaching of the
Saivites was soon overwhelmed with the entry of brahmanism
which worshipped pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. Thus
arose a peculiar caste of priests, which not only arrogated to
itself the first place in society, but soon Buddhism also made
Its headway in the interiors of Himalayas, particularly amongst
the Bhotias. Buddhism was, in fact, a protest against caste
privileges, ritualism, and priestly tyranny, and answered the
worship of a multiplicity of Gods, extending to thousands, nay,
millions, by the altruistic doctrine which denied that there were
gods. For years, Brahmanism and Buddhism contested the
Uttarakhand
195
field for supremacy, and in time the former gave place to the
latter but soon this short lived glory was blown away by the
increasing growth of Tantrik cults both within the Brahmanism
and Buddhism. What has been described above as the Bon
religion of Tibet had its counterpart in India in the horrible and
diabolical worship known as the Tantrik cult which revelled in
* obscenity, immorality, lust and all forms of wickedness and even
in murder and human sacrifice, setting up for itself goddesses of
revolting form and of abominable character, such as Kali, Durga,
•Chandi. They believed in five M’s of meat of fish, meat of flesh,
madness of wine, mating sexually with women and mystic
mummery.
The visit of the Huen Tsang
Huen Tsang visited this part of the country in 634 A. D. and
•proceeded from Thaneshwar to Strughana in Saharanpore and
across the Ganges to Madawar in the Bijnore district. He descri¬
bed Mayura and Mayapur close to Haridwar. He has also given
vivid description of his journey to Po-no-ki-mo-pore-lo or
Brahmapore, which lay 50 miles north of Madawar. Cunningham
was the first to place Brahmapore in Garhwal about which he
observed that the western bearing is certainly erroneous, as it
would have carried the pilgrim across the Ganges and trek again
into Strughana. We must, therefore, tread north-east, the direc¬
tion that once formed the famous kingdom of Katyuris. Besides
this kingdom the Chinese traveller described another kingdom
which was known as Son-fa-la-na-kie-Tn-Co or Suvamagotra,
because gold of superior quality was produced here. The king¬
dom was ruled by a woman. It touched Tibetan country in
the east, Khotan in the North and SAN-Po-Ho-OR -Lampha
{Himachal Pradesh) in the west. This description fits with the
kingdom of Katyuris which had its capital at Joshimath or
Kartipura. However, it is just possible that the Rrahmapura of
Huen Tsang was the Barahut in Uttarkashi district. Some scho¬
lars have suggested certain other locations including Dr. Goetz
who takes it to be Chamba, a theory which does not corroborate
with the description of the Chinese traveller. The reference to
Suvamagotra or ‘gold country’ has been taken by Goetz, to be
for Santhal in Tibet. Atkinson placed it to toe north of Garni
iyo Abode of Gods
in the valley of Gori. There is no doubt that the valley of Gori is
Jauharin which Millam is situated which had considerable
population and commanded large trade with Tibet. Hirodotus,
the Greek writer, also mentions the city of Kaspatyuris in the
extreme north “where men are sent forth to procure gold”.
This legendary ant gold ‘Paipilika’ was collected till recently
at Karanprayag. Thus the ancient Katyuri kingdom can also
be placed somewhere nearby.
As regards the woman ruler, it is known that the only woman
heir of Kartipura was married by Krnakpal of Gujirat in 17th
century A. D. and later on he shifted to Katripur and called him¬
self c Suvarna gotri’ because his land delivered gold.
. D ^ing this period of history, in the lower hills, prevailed the
kingdom of Govisana which has been identified by M. Julien as-
Kiu-Pi-Shwang-Wa of Huen Tsang which has been described by
him as a town ot two and half miles in circumference and was-
full of Stups and temples. This capital town was somewhere
near present Kashipore.
Considering the history of Kumaon and Garhwal as taken from,
internal sources, it will be well to refer to the evidence of the*
Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Huen Tsang, who in 634 A. D. passed
through northern India, and has left an itenerary of his travels-
giving most important and relevant facts regarding the condition,
and tradition of the country.
Huen Tsang’s account shows both Buddhism and Brahmanism
were flourishing side by side, and apparently are on fairly friendly
terms, in the Himalayan region. Buddhism in the Himalayas
was suppressed when Shankara came into limelight.
Contemporary religious points in Uttarakhand
The traditional beliefs continue to hover over the minds of Hindus'
of high Himalayas but with the change of time a stance of moder¬
nity has entered in their faiths. The age-old fanatic cults and belief
in the pastoral gods and goddesses is dying. In fact, even
amongst the Bhotias of northern Indian borderland, the age-old
customs and religious beliefs are just disappearing and its place
is being taken by more sophisticated and modernised Hindu
beliefs.
It is interesting to note that Bhotias have been left, ever since,.
Uttarakhand
197
untouched by the influences at work on both sides of them, viz.,
in Tibet and India. In fact, it speaks volumes for their character
that although they have been for centuries in constant touch with
Tibet for business purposes, they have never absorbed into their
own simple religion the extravagances of Hinduism or demonology
of Lamaism of Tibet.
It is significant that while rest of India was reeling under the
effects of Islamic expansion and conversion, the Himalayan
kingdoms remained safe from the foreign inroads and Islamic
influence as a result of which most of the religious beliefs that
exist in Uttarakhand are of original character, some of which
have already been described elsewhere in this book at appropriate
places.
32
A
JOURNEY INTO THE INVINCIBLE
NANDA DEVI SANCTUARY
p». -y* iszsxsrt
Wi!, 0ni S“” 0 ”S P ^M — (7*23 »«-). «»
inaccessible bo® by r^son of its tow.™ nJ ,
to thi^ *’ 6 Hclosdd flhdvdating high tableland. ^ P 9 .
Forthe fifty years, the P ^Snced movers but the
engaged the attention of expenenc
Goddess Narnia De*i stained ““ . ” c t tClUg b the
Rishi Gorge. The same y , weeks . exploring the
“SirSp" “«p^>“ ri sris
- -
flowers. . .... . Tll1v 1 Q 36 by an Anglo-
The sanctuary was again visited m July *
200
Abode of Gods
American team under the leadership of Tillman and the latter
alongwith Odell succeeded in reaching the top of Nanda Devi.
In 1951, a French party, under the leadership of Roger Duplat
attempted the traverse of formidable stretch, 3 kms. in length
which links east and west summits of Nanda Devi. Duplat and
Vignes lost their lives in this venture. In the year 1974 on 13th
June, two members of the Indo-Japanese team succeeded in
traversing the ridge connecting east Nanda Devi and north
Nanda Devi.
In 1957 Major Nandu Juyal and a German party made unsuccess¬
ful attempts on Nanda Devi. A party under the leadership of
Gurdayal Singh entered the inner sanctuary in 1960 with the
object of traversing the Rishi Gorge and climb Devisthan peak in
the western rim of the sanctuary. In 1961, two sherpas of the
expedition climbed the peak of Nanda Devi.
The exploration
While I was in Chamoli I had the privilege of launching
expedition parties of Nainital Mountaineering Club from time
to time. One such party was led by Anup Shah which left
Nainital on 13th September 1974 and reached Lata on 15th
September after a day’s halt at Joshimath. Lata is a fairly large
village of about 50-60 houses. At a distance of nearly 10 kms.
ahead from Lata, the party could find the medicinal and aromatic
plants like Salampanja (Orchis latifolia), Kutki (Picrorhize
Kurroa), Atees (Aconitum heterophyllum), Jambu (Allium Sp.),
Jatamasi (Nardostachys Jatamasi), Vish (Aconituns Atrox),
Gandaryan (Angelica glauca) and Guggul and Takkar could be
collected from the alpine meadows, such as Poling, Jeepur and
Lata Kharak.
The party left for Dibrugheta early in the morning of 17th
September. The weather was foggy and as we reached Bakhini
Dhar, it started raining. The plants observed on the way were
saussurea obvalata (Brahma Kamal) and Takkar, and umbelli¬
ferous plant. From Bakhini Dhar the party reached Dharansi
Dhar through Satkula Dhar and Ranikhola. From Dharansi
Dhar (4500 mtrs.) there is a steep descent of about 400
mtrs. to Dibrugheta. The party reached Dibrugheta in the
night and bivouched there, as the porters carrying loads reached
Uttarakhand
201
late. Dibrugheta is at an altitude of 4000 mtrs. and is about
12 kms. from Lata Kliarak and here amidst the cedars, firs
and birches, is a pasture forming an oasis of brilliant green
against the drab rocky slope, and the dark forest below.
LongstafF has described this place as “the most beautiful place in
the Himalayas” and few years later Tillman observed a
horizontal oasis on a vertical desert.”
From Dibrugheta, the party marched into Deodi and from
■there to Rhamni after crossing the Trisuli Nala. The species
observed growing commonly on the way were Rhodendron
Campanulatum, and Rheum sp., Swertia sp., Alium sp., an
bergenia Strachyi. The camping site at Rhamni is on the right
bank of the Rishi Ganga near a big rock with not much space
of pitching tents. From Rhamini, the party started for Patalkhan
on 25th September. The journey from Rhamni was quite
thrilling and at times hazardous. A scattered birch forest, often
mixed with Rhodendron campanulatum, is characteristic of the
trade The birch was found upto Bhujgar only, which literally
means the name of birch. After crossing this strip, the next
halting station was at Patalkhan (4000 mfxs.). From there one
can see the massive Nanda Devi peak. The distance from
Rhamni to Patalkhan is only 2 kms., but in terms of trekking i
takes one complete day. From Patalkhan onwards starts the
inner sanctuary. Then there was a succession of ledges ana
overhangs ending in straight climb.
The inner sanctuary
The inner sanctuary is highly picturesque. It can be l
topographically into three main regions, northern, sou eas
and western, with the Nanda Devi peak as the centre To me
north and south-east of the main peak flow two grea g ci
■which form the source of Rishi Ganga. The northern portion is
full of glaciers and moraine beds originating in die inner snowy
mountains ring wall and interspersed with mea ows ari S
lakes. The south eastern portion also contains glacial beds,
■western portion is formed mainly of a large sloping mea
Sarsonpatal, about 3 kms. broad and 7 kms. long. . f
meadow is separated from the rocky pinnacles of the mam peaK o
Nanda Devi by the western Rishi Ganga. The camping site at
202
Abode of God sr
Sarsonpatal (4500 mtrs.) was by the side of a glacial stream,
flowing from the unnamed peak of western hill of the sanctuary,,
at the edge of Rishi Ganga. This part is formed by morainic
deposits intersected with glacial streams originating from.
Devisthan-I, Devisthan-II and an unnamed peak. The lower
section of this deposit of rounded rocks and boulders can be seen,
from the Rishi river valley.
Inside the inner Nanda Devi sanctuary besides Bharals, Thar
can also seen and identified as the Himalayan Thar (Hemitagus-
Jemlahicus) and birds like Snow Pigeons (Columba Leuconota),.
Snow Cock (Tetraogallus Himalayansi) and few other birds. Inside
the inner sanctuary, we found many groups of Bharals and Thars
sitting on the sanctuary grasslands. Today unfortunately, poachers,
have moved into this sacred sanctuary against whom Tillman wrote,.
“Shooting for the pot may in some circumstances be necessary
but in the sanctuary both sentiment and expediency are strongly-
opposed to it.”
As the sun rises in the morning, the wind starts blowing from
Rishi Ganga towards the western ring of the mountains, fruits
and seeds of many alpine plants are carried away by the high-
wind. Plants like Bergenia stracheyi, Tanacetum sp. and Potentilla
sp., roll in their leaves, exposing the minimum surface, to
protect themselves from the night forest but the next morning,
sun makes them unroll their leaves again. This phenomenon is-
highly interesting and worthy of serious study.
Once inside the sanctuary, you enjoy the enchanting beauty of
nature in its glorious form. The attractions of visiting the
Sanctuary are many.
33
THE KING’S ELDER BROTHERS
“ “5 11
‘ was in l lived thm don- g «»»»«. Hj
kingdom. It had stx s Ab0 Uved nea rby in a place called
passed his winters e se ^ e _ w ho claimed royal descent
Chiplakot the Rajis or Ban Kawat^ of ^ king of
and described themselve attend the important functions
Askote. The representa sit invariably next to
SaS; P ‘«» *«““/ M “ d fl "“”
as youngs br ® ftM ?“ d J^awn&omg«wn«i<>n to generation.
As per &e ^ d b 'St d :“ Sri W, *> M ™ ■?*
their origin dates bac P fond of hunting,
T 2 <i.»ao«. »»»*•
a hobby which Kept mlu , the throne and never allowed
king died the younger son usurped This is the reason which keeps
the elder one to rett ** . ° think the city dwellers as cheats,
the Rajis out of cities^ y * J ents of Kirats. Dr.
SCO,® or then M ™”
204
Abode of Gods
amongst them must take outside main ‘Dhara’ (family). Child
marriage is unknown and disapproved. Hardly any ceremony
takes place at the time of marriage. Their Gods and Goddesses
are dimly known. Rajis are very particular about the purity of
the water they drink. Today lot of changes have come in their
customs and habits and today they are not so shy as they used to
be. The enigma of royal descent keeps them full of pride.
THE GREEN BELT TERAI-BHABAR
For centuries Terai remained in utter neglect because it was bone
of contention between the Rohilla Moussalmans, Nawabs of
Rohilkhand and kings of Kumaon. It quickly changed hands
from time to time. Today Terai is known as the granary oi
Uttar Pradesh.
On leaving Bareilly, we reach Terai which means fresh
greenery. As the name implies, the area is full of greenery and
green fields, although once it was the heart of grassy swamp
about ten miles broad which runs parallel to the foot of the
Himalayas for several hundred miles. It owes its origin to the
marshy nature of the ground, from which sluggish streams ooze
and flow lazily or stand in stagnant pools. Tall reeds and grass
use to cover the grounds and the entire area in pestilential region,
and the Terai fever was one of the most fatal forms of malaria.
During the hot and rainy season it used to be dangerous to pass
the night but now the whole phenomenon has been changed.
Bhabar
A few miles away towards the mountain slope on the approa¬
ches of Rishikesh, Kotedwar, Ramnagar, Kashipur and Haldwani
is Bhabar which presents a massive wall of forest clad slopes and
.206
Abode of Gods
heights rising steeply from the vast plains which lie mostly untra¬
versed. This area has been described as tropical forest which has
abundance of Sal tree. The ancient water courses have completely
disappeared except for one of the greater rivers flowing down
from the mountains pursues its wide sandy course. The numerous
shapely cut ravines, however, show that in the rainy season there
are many fierce torrents and these gullies reveal the fact that the
ground consists of a vast collection of loose boulders with a thin
deposit of earth on the top, sufficient to support the growth of
the tropical forest and abundant foliage.
It is in fact a tract in which all the water sinks deep down,
till finally arrested by the bed of the hardy day, and reappears
further on, in the marshy Terai. The explanation of these pecu¬
liar features is that probably in former ages there was a great sea
covering what is now the plain of upper India, and washing the
foot of the Himalayas, and that its level has been ruined by
volcanic agency and the action of rivers carrying vast quantities
of soil from the mountains.
Big game
This area once offered opportunities of big game but now
with the denudation of forest wealth and frequent poaching the
forest animals are fast disappearing. This landlocked area has
also the distinction of being one of the best regions in the world
for big game. Tigers and leopards are plentiful, and wild
-elephants are also found. Pythons of great size are sometimes met
with, wrapped round forest trees, or lying gorged with a repast
of a deer swallowed whole, Corbett travelled extensively though
these thick jungles. Even today shikaris travel on the elephant
back because on foot one can be lost owing to the high growth
of vegetation around him.
Seat of ancient culture
Terai-Bhabar are not without historical interest, because in the
midst of forest recesses lie the ruins of ancient towns, villages
and of temples, Buddhist and Brahmanical-vestiges of the ancient
kingdom of Govisana, Brahmapur and Sirihpur which were once
visited by Huen Tsang in the seventh century A.D.
There are no pools or streams, except where one of the greater
Uttarakhand
207
livers flowing down from the mountains pursues its wide and
•sandy course. The numerous shapely cut ravines, however, show
That in the rainy season there are many fierce torrents, and these
gullies reveal the fact that the ground consists of a vast collection
■of loose boulders, with a thin deposit of earth on the top, sufficient,
however, to support a great growth of forest trees. Bhabar is
still, mostly a dry belt of land which swallows up all the minor
streams coming down from the mountains and give back none of
its waters until the Terai is reached. Human art and industry,
however, have been at work to remedy this condition, and we
find, from earlier reports and descriptions of the country, that it
was the custom of the people to harvest several of the mountain
streams and distribute them canalwise over the Bhabar. This was
■done on a much larger scale by the government in the days of
Sir Henry Ramsay, when the surplus waters of the Bhimtal, and
other lakes were conducted by dams and sluices to the level below
and so the Bhabar has been to a great extent cleared and
■cultivated. A large number of Kumaonese, Punjabi refugees and
ex-army personel have settled in Bhabar and Terai and still many
of the Kumaonese spend the old tradition of spending the winter
■season in Bhabar with their livestock, and there they till their
well demarcated fields and fodder their cattle on the abundant
.herbage, at a time when all is dry and perched in the hilly tracts.
Today Terai holds the hopes of future agricultural revolution.
35
NAGNATH POKHRI—THE VILLAGE
OF THE SERPENT
The then State Minister for Finance Mr. Narendra Singh
Bhandari, hailed from Nagnath Pokhri. He was so much con¬
cerned about his area and constituency. He worked hard for
its development and all the time was worried over its develop¬
ment. He always took his officers to this area and during one
of his such jaunts, I joined him and went to Pokhri alongwith
the then Divisional Forest Officers, viz, Narendra Singh, Nirmal
Joshi and Darshan Singh. The trip was memorable.
The road for Pokhri bifurcates from Rudraprayag and climbs
east of Rudraprayag. As the road climbs up, from the elevated
position, you can see the cultivated land which is in the shape
of terraced fields. The village buildings are invariably set at
upper end of the cultivated land. The whole country, as you
look down on it, is rugged and rough, and is cut up by innume¬
rable deep ravines and rock cliffs.
From Nagnath Pokhri one can see the vast magnitude of
Himalayan ranges which are full of rhodendron flowers. The
entire scene is immensely beautiful and it was made more
memorable by Sri Bhandariji in his home village. The memory
of this visit never fades.
36
THE MEN WHO MATTER
A country is known by the men who flash in the horizon and
brighten the times they live and in the subsequent years the life
and times of their emergence are reckoned as the age of the historic
-figure in question. The great names of history stand for an age
and live forever, like Gautam, Ashoka, Akbar and Mahatma
Gandhi on the Indian scene and Christ, Cromwell, Peter the
-Great, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Lenin and Churchill in
Europe. Likewise in the history of Uttarakhand, the names of
Sankracharya, Maularam, Gumani, Sir Henry Ramsay, Govind
Ballabh Pant, Chandra Singh Garhwali, Barrister Mukundi Lai,
Badri Dutt Pandey, Sombari Baba, 1008-Tapovan Maharaj,
Krishashram Maharaj, Heriya Khand Maharaj and Neem Karori,
Sumitranandan Pant, Mohan Lai Shah stand out heads and
shoulders above others. They rose in eminence due to their
indefatigable efforts to uplift the lot of their brethren and fellow
people and untiring devotion to their cause which has left perma¬
nent imprint on the sands of time and pages of history.
We must, when we think of Himalayas, pay tribute to them
and remember them because whatever is there in the Uttara¬
khand is because of their untiring zeal and intense devotion to
the cause which was in ferment at the time they lived and pro-
212
Abode of Gods
pagated their ideals. They created such an intellectual ferment
by their words, actions and examples that even today, decades*
later, people talk of them with respectful silence and gratitude.
As such it is imperative that we must know about their life and
times and the contribution they have made to make Uttarakhand
whatever worth it is today.
Sankracharya
First and above all, I would like to take into account the
contribution made by Swami Sri Sankracharya.
The remarkable man may be reckoned among the “worthies ,y
of the province, owing to the important part played by him
in its religious history, and his death within the sacred boundary
of Kedar. Sankaracharya must be regarded as one of the
greatest spirits and most influential personalities of the world.
There is, in fact, no one, with the single exception of Lord
Buddha, in the range of Indian history who approaches to him in
greatness of mind and wide appeal. There have been monarchs,
like Aslioka or Akbar whose names are better known, but Sankara¬
charya by sheer force of intellect rose from a humble position
to sway kings and empires and inaugurate vast religious changes
throughout the length and breadth of India. The times were
then favourable for him because Buddhism had become* corrupt
and it no longer held the minds of men in thrill. The force of
Brahmanism, which was lying inactive was aroused by this
young Andhrite, who died at the age of thirty two, leaving,
behind him an array of literary works that might well have
occupied centuries. Today we feel bewildered over his bound¬
less zeal in preaching the dogmas of Brahmanism, reforming its
sects settling its disputes, defining its bounds, and organising its
priestly constitution, in addition to founding a sect of his own
the tenents of which strongly resemble the philosophic theism
of our own day, represents an amazing output of energy. The
attraction that drew him from far off Malabar to these northern
mountains must have been their well established sacredness as
the home of the gods, especially of Siva, for whose worship
he seems to have had a decided preference.
The religious unity of India owes its origin from Sankracharya
who established four maths in the four comers of India. Each
'Uttarakhand
213
,one is visited in turn by people from different parts of India,
thus signifying unity in diversity. When we visit Himalayas we
must see the Jyotirmath where light of knowledge broke upon
Sankracharya.
The legendary uncrowned king of
Uttarakhand Sir Henry Ramsay
Whenever there is talk of Uttarakhand, the name of Sir
Henry Ramsay flashes instantaneously for his statesmanship and
-magnanimity. He did yeoman service for Kumaon in his 28
years of service. He is well remembered for his benevolent
despotism. His authority was unquestioned and limitless, but
from all accounts he used that authority for whatever good he
was capable of doing for the people.
A story is told about his being the law of the land. During
the hearing of a case, a large number of rulings were quoted
on behalf of the landlord. Ramsay sat through the proceedings
patiently and at the end told the advocates pleading the case
of rich landlord that he was law in the Kumaon, and in
open court tore all rulings and decided the case in favour of the
tenant.
The Ramsay Hospital, Nainital, Ramsay Convent, and Ramsay
Inter College, Almora bear testimony to his greatness, his far¬
sightedness and his immense dedication for the land and people
.of Kumaon.
Kumaon Kesari
Think of Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant and the very picture of
Himalayas is before you. He was bom in Almora district on
10th September, 1887 in a remote village known as Khunt. He
had his early education in Almora and later on graduated in Law
from Allahabad University in 1909 in first division. He joined
'Nainital Bar and soon became much sought after lawyer.
.Freedom fighter
Charged with fierce fervor of nationalism he began to take
•active part in contemporary politics and soon came to be
recognised as undisputed leader of hill people. He won recogni¬
tion in 1923 when he was elected for the legislative council of
214
Abode of Gods'
United Provinces. In 1927 lie was elected President of the UP.
Congress Committee. In 1928 he received serious head injuries
while demonstrating against Simon Commission, but luckily his-
intellectual brilliance stood unruffled, in 1931 he was elected
member of Congress Executive Committee and few years later
in 1937 when Congress came to power he became its first
Premier in Uttar Pradesh. It was at this stage when he showed
signs of keen political insight and superb administrative qualities
which enabled him not only to keep the party machinery united
together and moving but succeeded in bringing home numerous-
progressive reforms for his people.
The year 1942 saw him in dynamic action.
Administrator
In 1947 he became first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in.
free India and continued to be so till 1956 when he was called
to join the central cabinet. It was here that every facet of the
life of state bore the imprint of his personality and made rapid
strides towards self sufficiency through his agrarian and economic
reforms. He abolished zamindari and laid emphasis on small
scale industries but the most characteristic point of his administra¬
tion was the maintenance of law and order at a time when rest
of India was being rocked by communal disturbances. This
attracted the attention of Mr. Nehru who ultimately called him
to join central cabinet as Home Minister, in which capacity he
remained till his death on 7th March 1961. All through his
years of sweat and toil he carved out a distinguished place for
himself because of his unrivalled knowledge of men and affairs,
figures and facts* unfailing skill in handling complicated issues,
and disposing even his rivals with a sense of satisfaction.
Parliamentarian
Above all he was a great parliamentarian. Whenever govern¬
ment found itself in deep water due to stiff opposition on matters
of national and international importance, inside and outside
parliament, it was his privilege to tear into shreds the opposi¬
tion with the deftness of a lawyer. He never missed a point
and showed uncanny coolness in the midst of turmoil, wisdom
when confusion was widespread, decision when indecision was.
Uttarakhand
215
order of the day. Due to these unfailing virtues, when he
was pitched against reputed debators he always came out triump¬
hant since he combined in his own words “wisdom with
knowledge, philosophy with science, prosperity with grace and
joy with beauty.”
The saints and sermons of Uttarakhand
May it be in the political development of a kingdom or an
individual personality, the influence of contemporary saints is of
far reaching consequences. In the history of Uttarakhand, since
time immemorial sages have appeared and left their mark,
Jagadguru Sankracharya being the foremost. In the recent times
saints like Sombari Maharaj, Swami Shivanand and Swami Neem
Karori Maharaj have held considerable sway over the minds of
the people and still their memory lingers on in their mind and
people talk in hushed voices the tales of their miracles keeping
their massive impact on the minds of people. I would like to
advise readers when they sojourn a visit to Himalayas, they
must also visit the places associated with the miracles of these
saints, because these saints illustrated in practical life what the
Indian philosophy preached through scriptures.
Neem Karori Maharaj
Amongst the most wellknown saints of the Uttarakhand, Neem
Karori Maharaj has left innumerable tales of his miracles for
the benefit of his bewildered followers and admirers alike. No¬
body knows fully well from where he came except for few facts
about his miracles at various places, like the one at Neem Karori
railway station at Farukhabad. It is related that suddenly he
had a fancy for travelling by train; he got into a coach and sat
in the compartment. Sometime later, a ticket collector came and
asked for ticket from the Babaji. Babaji kept quiet. The
annoyed ticket examiner halted the train at next railway
station and ordered Babaji to get down; Babaji obediently got
down and sat below a tree. He seemed absolutely unconcerned
of whatever had happened. The ticket examiner and the guard
blew the whistle and showed the flag, the engine was started
but it could not budge an inch. The engine driver tried again
and again with no consequence and ultimately good sense pre-
216
Abode of Gods
vailed over some one who suggested that only Babaji could
make the train move. The station master, the ticket examiner
and the guard begged Babaji to entrain and occupy his seat.
Ultimately babaji entered the compartment and settled on his
seat. The train gave a jerk, whistled and steamed off. The
station subsequently came to be known as Neem Karori station.
Encounter with the age builders
There are numerous other tales about Neem Karori Baba,
Heriya Khand Baba and Sombari Baba. Uttarakhand holds
secrets to the mystic past. I had numerous occasions of meeting
many good saints eversince my childhood but the most memora¬
ble were the brief but brilliant encounters with Baba Krishna-
nand Ji, Bharti Ji, Ramaswamy Abhdoot Chinmayanand Ji,
Akhandanand Ji, Swami Pundriksh, Ma Anandmayee and many
others who cast a spell of superhuman aura whenever they
met.
Not only this, I had an opportunity of meeting men of the
mountains and men who love the mountains. I still remember
the chance meeting with Pt, Govind Ballabh Pant, and Pt.
Jawaharlal Ji and Sumitranandan Pant when I was a child. I
met years later men of such eminance and dedication such as
Dr. Ram Rahul, Narayan Dutt Tewari, Hemvati Nandan
BahUguna, H.C. Sarin, M.S. Kohli, Maj. Cheema, Gurdayal
Singh, Brig. Gyan Singh, Mrs. Bosie Sen, Chandulal Shah
Thulgharia and Sunderlal Bahuguna. I had many close encoun¬
ters with them and still continue to be in touch because our
goals are common.
The purpose of writing this book has also been primarily to
attract the mountaineers, tourists and trekkers to come and visit
the Holy Himalayas—-the abode of Gods.
37
COME TO UTTAR PRADESH—HIMALAYAS
"When it is summer, we think of Himalayas and nothing else
than Himalayas because at this time of the year, the plains of
India burn and the great cities become burning ovens. At such
. a time, people want a respite, breath fresh air, see the unseen
and climb the unclimbable. The scenic beauty of the Himalayas
is immensely captivating when viewed from different places,
times and seasons of the year. The viewer never loses sight of
the ever changing phenomenon, thickly wooded mountains,
dark blue ranges, one piled after another and in the background
the landscape of snowy peaks, each rising higher than the other,
behind the morning mist when gradually evening falls and fades
into darkness after having shed golden light. Down below the
' hills, we have the grand panorama of green fields and woods
encircled by silvery streams, and at night the fierce flare of the
jungle fire illuminating the surrounding areas. Grander still is
the moonlit night which makes the leaves of forest trees quiver
with delight and when the peaks sparkle with silvery shine under
the bluish background of the ajure sky. The rivers reflect on
the dancing waves the silvery moonlit night. The burst of the
monsoon creates mixed reaction in the minds of the locals and
-visitors and when the water laden clouds burst over mountain
218
Abode of Gods,
barriers and quench the thirst of the valley setting every stream
and rivulet into spate which in turn floods the rivers and gorges.
Still more captivating is the sight of rolling mists of fog envelop¬
ing valleys in a pall of vapour. The attraction of the Valley of
Flowers and Dioorital lake which adorn the Himalayas is
everlasting.
Uttarakhand beckons all who wish to move out and be finally
free to come during summer in its lap when the temples open in
the month of May and remind you of the existence of the great
shrines of Badri and Kedarnath which are opened for yatra in
summer, year after year for the darshan of Vishnu and Shiva,
which hold foremost place in the mind of every Hindu and in
fact to many the fruition of the desires is the crowning glory
of a visit to the holy Badri, Kedar, Gaumukh, Gangotri and
Yamunotri tirthas which lie embedded in the midst of U.P*
Himalayas. In fact what Mecca is to a Muslim and Palestine
is to a Christian, the Himalayas with their holy dhams are to
the Hindus.
Uttarakhand also provides excellent experiences in wild life at
the famed National Jim Corbett Park near Ramnagar and
Dudhwa Park near Kheri,
How to go
If you are planning visit to Uttarakhand or any of its beaute¬
ous and bounteous hill stations or a religious place, always con¬
sult those who have been there or the professionals who take ■
care of you. It is better to consult the nearest tourist agency,
Kumaon Vikas Mandal or Garhwal Vikas Mandal, Tourist
Bureau of the U.P. Govt., Tourism department or the Director
of Tourism U.P. They will furnish the required details and also
reserve accommodation which is one of the most important
things for visiting any hill station or place of tourist interest or
hill resort. In fact whenever you decide on a trip to a hill
station following should be remembered :
Make a decision
You have always to make decision, therefore, decision has to*
be taken that you intend visiting certain tourist resorts on a fixed,
date and don’t change the date and leave on the fixed day.
Uttarakhand
219
Leave nothing to chance
Ensure advance booking of accommodation so that at last
moment confusion is avoided.
Do not carry heavy loads
These days, the hotels and tourist lodges provide ample
facilities, therefore boarding and lodging is no problem.
When to go
This summer and for the summers to come, I would like
to advice you on the visit to one of the following places in Uttar
Pradesh.
Nainital
Nainital lies at a height of 1933 metres and at a distance of
34 kms from Kathgodam, the last terminal railway station
on the metre gauge line which links Lucknow with Nainital.
Nainital is also connected by the weekly air service of Indian
Airlines from Delhi to Pantnagar from where Nainital is
70'8 kms.
Nainital offers most beautiful lake surroundings which provide
besides yatching and boating an ideal swimmer’s paradise. Pony
provides taste of riding. There is lot of trekking and a wide
expanse of rock climbing and mountaineering too.
Nainital has a satellite of scenic spots like Bhawali, Muktesh-
war, Naukuttchia and Sat-tal.
Stay facilities are available in abundance at Nainital.
Ranikhet
Ranikhet or the ‘field of the queen’ is an idyllic and unspoilt
retreat which attracts those seeking a quiet summer holiday
situated at a height of 1829 metres. It presents a panorama of
infinite variety of Himalayan ranges, particularly providing an
excellent view of Nanda Devi and Trishul ranges.
Ranikhet has ideal surroundings for golf at Kalika and fishing
facilities at Bhaluadam situated at a distance of 13 kms.
Ranikhet is situated at a distance of 84 kms from Kathgodam
and 60 kms from Nainital.
Abode of Gods
220
Mussoorie
The pride of the U.P. hills, is very wellknown as the queen of
hill-stations. It is easily approachable from Dehiadun, the last
broad gauge railway station which connects Calcutta-Bombay
through direct trains.
Mussoorie offers varied attractions including a dip in the
Kempty falls.
YamunoM-Gangotri-Kedarnath and Badrinath
When the summer approaches, the devout Hindu plans to
visit the sacred most tirthas or holy dhams which are situated
on the peaks of Himalayas. The inquisitive yatri must always
consult the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and Kumaon Vikas
Nigam which undertake guided tours to these places; even if
you don’t participate in one of these guided tours, you can
.always take advantage of the experience. I have named only
few. There are so many beautiful places in this kingdom of
gods that is Himalayas.
Always remember
When you reach strange places always remember:
1. Carry a small first aid box with few essential medicines.
2. Don’t go to strange places and do not stay in dark dingy
area.
3. Do not take your foodstuff from unknown places.
Truely, when you came to Uttar Pradesh Himalayas, you
: stand on the very parapet of Heaven.
38
UTTARAKHAND : A CHALLENGE TO
PLANNERS
Eversince the dawn of civilisation, the Himalayas have attracted
attention of the people who are always in search of new vistas of
vision and endeavour. This craving to see for one’s own self
and unravel the mystries of the Himalayas has always set many
a people to undertake an adventurous journey into the hazardous
path of high Himalayas. This search has been more intense in
the middle Himalayas which are known as Uttarakhand which
consist of the administrative divisions of Garhwal and Kumaon.
Uttarakhand presents a panorama of infinite diversity, richly
wooded terai forests, arid zones, high altitude tracts, hill stations,
isolated hamlets, winding roads, searing rivers, green valleys,
succulent pastures, forests, places of pilgrimage and perpetual-
snow. The scenic beauty of the land is so captivating when
viewed from different places, times and seasons of the year. The
viewer never loses sight of the ever changing phenomenon. This
land of fact and fables is peopled by sturdy and short heighted
faces who have won many laurels for the motherland as daughty
fighters.
Subject of neglect
Such fairlyland of fact and fables remained under constant
222 Abode of Gods
political and historical neglect because of the feeling that Himalayas
were invincible; therefore, there was no need to strain one’s head
because it was too big to be probed. Wherever there was any
talk of taking up development work in the Himalayas, we shouted
at the top of our voice that we will make it Switzerland of India.
It is there where it was and even now it remains outside the
mainstream of national life. In fact Himalayas have interested
only pilgrims, trekkers, mountaineers and tourists. For some¬
time, this dull lull over Himalayas was broken in 1950 when
Chinese annexed Tibet but after some hue and cry the country
fell into deep slumber and we woke up only after a decade when
Chinese showed evil designs over Barhoti and other parts of
Himalayan territories. Quickly, three hill districts of Pithoragarh,
Chamoli and Tehri Garhwal were created. It began to be felt
that Himalayas “had thrown up not only the challenge of the
underprivileged, poor and downtrodden people but also the
challenge of unassimilated citizens who have to be integrated into
our national life, on their own terms”. 1 Truely, while fortifying
the citadels of India’s defence, there cannot be a greater asset for
us than contentment and enlightenment among the citizens
inhabiting the borderland where “the prime requisite” in the
words of Sri V. V. Giri “is the establishment of a sound, stable
and broadbased economy and adequate training to the population
to make full use of the resources of modem science and tech¬
nology. In undertaking this delicate task under the hazardous
and inhospitable conditions of the unapproachable terrain of the
Himalayas, those in charge of social welfare work in the border
area will have to make a determined effort and utilise all the
resourcefulness at their command...Any change that we contem¬
plate should come about through the volition of the beneficiaries
as a result of their experience and self realisation. 2
In order to bring about wholesale change, study the basic
problems which are being confronted by the people living in the
high Himalayas in general and Uttarakhand in particular.
X. Sri B. N. Ganguly
2: Sri V. V. Giri.
. Uttarakhand
223
; Spotlight on basic problems
Himalayas have occupied a place of admiration for hundreds
and thousands of people and to the sages it has been a place of
meditation, for teeming millions a place of worship where Gods
dwell, to the mountaineers a challenge but to the social workers
it is all things combined because while the mountains have been
worshipped, the people living there have been subjected to
colossal neglect for centuries. This isolation, while protecting
these areas from foreign inroads and influences, tended to circums-
, cribe the social, economic, political and cultural outlook of the in¬
habitants of these long neglected regions and foster in them a sense
, of separateness and alienation from the rest of the country except
in the areas close to the railhead, hill stations, centres of pilgri¬
mage or conventional trading centres. Therefore, the service of
the people living in the interiors of Himalayas is a great challenge
and needs people with intense devotion, dedication and efficiency
who are prepared to brave the hazards of nature and discomforts
. of detached living.
In fact, social welfare projects in the Himalayas embrace a
wide range of activities, comprising community development
, and mobilisation of village volunteer force which can boost the
morale of the people and motivate them for adult literacy, social
and health education, provision of pure drinking water, inviron-
mental hygiene, cleanliness and productive employment oppor¬
tunities with a network of industries, mixed farming, horticulture,
road construction, development of useful as well as aesthetically
exquisite handicraft and above all reorientation in their standard
of living. As such, the work for the welfare of the Himalayan
community development is many sided and of complex nature.
It is going to be long and laborious but determined efforts on
this score will certainly bear desired fruits. For this, one has to
cultivate not only a clear mind but also certain amount of tough¬
ness, dedicatedness and courage of conviction. The soul and the
nerve should work abreast.
Because of spiritual and religious association, the high
Himalayas have always been a distant, tough and majestic moun¬
tains full of mystry and breathtaking beauty, abode of Gods and
source of life giving rivers. The fact that the people of Himalayas
-were also part of Indian mainstream was dimly known and beyond
224
Abode of God&
their introduction as pahari they have always been subject of
sheer neglect, the net result of which has been that today we
face following complex and varied problems about the land and
people of Uttarakhand.
Political neglect
Today, the Himalayas, particularly central Himalayas have thr¬
own up not only the challenge of underprivileged poor and down¬
trodden people but also the challenge of unassimilated citizens
who have to be integrated into the mainstream of our national
life. For doing so, it is necessary that the study of the history,,
culture and civilisation is encouraged. Their role in shaping the
national scene is interpreted and explained not only to them but
to the students of history. It should be so highlighted that
they could take a sense of pride in their past and prepare them¬
selves for playing such role in the future.
Economic degradation
What we see on the roadside is not Himalayan economy. It
merely reflects recent gains out of our new found love for the
Himalayas after 1962 or earnings from the traditional yatra trade.
Just below or above the roadside in the villages people are living
a life which is devoid of sanitation, hygiene and all modem
amenities. Therefore, the prime requisite is the establishment of
a sound, solid and broadbased economy. For establishing such
economy, the locals will have to be given adequate training to
make full use of the resources of modem science and technology.
In undertaking this delicate task under the hazardous and inhospi¬
table conditions of the unapproachable terrain of the Himalayas,,
those in charge of social welfare work in the border areas will'
have to make a determined effort and utilise all the resourceful¬
ness at their command It must be borne in mind that all change
must come through the volition of beneficiaries, continued experi¬
ence and local conditioning. It has not to emanate from the white
collared bureaucrats sitting in the air conditioned rooms or
through political gimmickery of the vested interests.
Illiteracy
The causes of low literacy in the region are far to seek, parti-
Uttarakhand
225
cularly, among the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. There
is neither tradition nor much enthusiasm for education. One
reason for this lack of enthusiasm is that literacy has not been
functionally associated with the occupation; that is why even now
inspite of much emphasis on education, the villagers still keep
themselves away from education as a result of which the
average attendance in the schools and colleges is very low.
Another aspect of literacy is complete ignorance about the history,
culture, geography and other aspects of their homeland because
nothing has been done to incorporate their history, culture and
geography in the text books. This has been a Himalayan
blunder. The need of the hour is that following subjects are
included in the curriculum of the schools and colleges of Uttara¬
khand because Universities of Kumaon and Garhwal have already
partially included these subjects in their syllabus. In order to
streamline educational system, it is imperative that following
subjects are included in a systematic manner in the curriculum
from the primary standard to university level, so that students
can know better the land to which they belong :
(i) Himalayan agriculture combined with horticulture and
vegetable growing.
(ii) Investigation and cultivation of medicinal plants in the
light of the Indian systems of medicine.
(iii) Animal husbandry combined with poultry farming.
(iv) Engineering in the context of irrigation and electric
generation.
(v) Himalayan geology with particular emphasis on mmerology
and metallurgy.
(vi) Problems of hygiene, sanitation and public health.
(vii) Study of Himalayan architecture, sculpture and other fine
arts.
(viii) Study of Himalayan phonetics.
(ix) Study of local geography, anthropology, botany, geology,
chemistry etc. with particular reference to Himalayan conditions.
(x) Investigation and open up the study of the mysteries of
Himalayan history and culture.
(xi) Study of local folk art and dance-drama.
(xii) Forestry be included in the curriculum of schools and
colleges so that students get involved in the maintenance of
226
Abode of Gods
national wealth*
(xiii) -Study of water resources and its use.
(xiv) Horticulture and agriculture in Himalayan context needs
to be studied.
(xv) Prospects of tourism.
At present, there is complete dearth of books on above
subjects; therefore, it is urgently required that a body of experts
on Himalayas should write text books on various subjects
involving above and other Himalayan problems. Having
imparted correct education to the children, we can make a stable
launching pad for our broad based future development plans.
Lack of local involvement
There is complete lack of local involvement in the develop¬
mental schemes due to faulty organisational education and local
apathy which is directly connected with the faulty educational
system and illiteracy. We have to evolve such educational
systems which will remove the student alienation and at university
level of education Universities of Garhwal and Kumaon will
have to put the students into inter-disciplinary groups. In fact
N.C.E.R.T. and I.C.A.R. will have to formulate such schemes
which will remove student alienation and drudgery from the land
and involve them in their community integration plans so that
ecological regeneration is achieved.
Low agricultural output
Since vast stretches of land are being cultivated on ancient
pattern of agriculture, and due to fragile nature of terraces,
cultivation is scarce as a result of which the people are forced to
live in small and scattered villages where they carry on cultivation
and other economic activities at a considerable low level of
technology. Frequent shifting cultivation is supplemented by
semi-shifting dry cultivation and some household industry for
supporting daily expenditure, both combined provides them
precarious means of livelihood. Mereover, the number of
personnel employed for cultivation is very high which includes
the women. It fact, women participation in Uttarakhand is
probably highest in India.
The productivity of the soil varies from place to place and
Uttarakhand
227
.double cropping is hardly known. Agriculture is not confined to
the above, even the mountain slopes and the ridges have been cut
.out into terraced fields but even then, the return does not fully
justify the labour. Every year, when the rain comes, it washes
away the top soil and all manurial dressing which implies shifting
farming as a result of which each year new ground has to be
broken at several places like the jhoom system of Nagaland,
causing instability and erosion of forest land. Moreover, increase
of population has also intensified pressure on the land.
In order to make hills self-sufficient in respect of food, it is of
utmost importance that people are educated about the importance
of modern agriculture and asked to plant fruit trees, cash crops,
flower seeds, medicinal plants, dry fruits, potatoes, ginger, pulses
and beans. In fact cereals and cash crops should be accommo¬
dated adequately.
In the field of agriculture some real constructive work has
been done by Vivekananda Institute founded by Mr, Boshi Sen
at Hawalbagh and agricultural Research Institute of the Ministry
of Defence, Almora and of course G.B. Pant Agricultural Uni¬
versity, Pantnager. The research attainments of these institutions
need to be disseminated to the villages through display, distribu¬
tion and consultancy units and development blocks.
Irrigation
Closely connected with the agriculture is irrigation. It has not
been brought under systematic planning and execution. One
can always find almost all the canals out of commission due to
nature’s curse, rampant corruption, landslides and neglect of
the engineers and the non-participation by the villagers. The
best way can be to dig irrigation canals all along the hill sides
and connecting them with one another. The maintenance of
these canals should be shared by the irrigation authorities and
villagers.
Some of the these minor irrigation canals can be utilised for
generating micro-hydel power also which will feed a nucleus of
villages and provide power for the cottage industries attached
to them.
228
Abode of Gods
Forests and hill economy
Forests occupy an important place in the life of the hill people
and that is why they frequently feature in the folklore also.
Living in the constant company of pine, deodar, rhodendron, oak
and birches at home and out in the forests, the villagers have
become accustomed to unrestricted use of the forest wealth.
Till the middle of the nineteenth century, this traditional
right remained unviolate but then about this time, appeared
Fredirick Wilson who offered some royalty to the Maharaja
and settled at Harsil in Uttarkashi district. As far back as-
1860 he started exploitation of rich deodar forests and deve¬
loped techniques of transporting it through river Bhagirathi.
Increasing income from the forests whetted the appetite of the
royal government and moved it to enact laws for the increased
exploitation of forests through contractors and forest department.
These laws were naturally resented by the locals and most of the
agitations in Garhwal centred round forest and land. It needs to
be stressed and well understood by all that the local people have
to do something with the forests. As such, there is need for
reappraisal of our forest policy, particularly in view of popular
public resentment and increasing denudation of forests due to-
excess in cutting and pilferage.
In this search for fresh look at the forests and in order to
make them basis for a viable economy, it is necessary to protect
forests from the contractors’ exploitation. A sense of responsi¬
bility has to be inculcated in the minds of the people for the
protection of forests. The menace of deforestation lias to be
combated seriously and effectively by educating the people
besides meeting severe punishment to the defaulters. Side by
side afforestation schemes have also to be taken in hand so that
phased plantation alongwith systematic cutting plan is properly
executed.
Animal husbandry
For supplementing food resources, providing raw material to
woollen industry and increasing cash income raising of livestock
comes next only to agriculture. Whereas the vast pastures-
support large flocks in summer, the withering autumn and the
snow blanketed winter deal, as it were, the death blow to most
Uttarakhand
229
of the cattle due to lack of fodder, resources. The flocks must
be migrated to lower altitudes. The demands of the plough and
restriction in the way of forest conservancy, soil erosion etc.
curtail the fodder resources, particularly during the winter. In
order to find solution to these problems something has been done
through IGADA in Almora district and HADA in Pauri district.
But this has solved only fraction of the problem. Still much
needs to be done.
The existing cattle wealth is almost useless for reasons of
quality. The returns out of it are very low. Unfortunately,
most of government cattle and sheep farms have been a failure
due to incompetent functioning of the authorities and widespead
corruption. In fact, what we require is traditional Gujar type
economy which provides professional dedicated norms with a
spirit of adventure. The conventional type of cattle rearing is
totally useless because most of the existing livestock is worthless.
The place of existing system must be taken by more industrious
and dairy oriented livestock and people.
Transportation
Notwithstanding all the progress that has been made in road
building, particularly after 1962, transportation of raw material
still ramains a problem due to distance, height, rains and faulty
constructions. The last railhead is at Tanakpur, Kathgodam,
Ramnagar, Moradabad, Hardwar, Kotedwar, Rishikesh and
Dehradun, which can be called gateways for high Himalayas. No
tourist centre of this area is connected to the plains by railways
as against Simla and Darjeeling. In fact, the old project of a
railway line up to Karanprayag and Bageshwar needs to be
revived so that we can economise on the telling resources of
petrol. This mini rail system can be run through hydroelectric
systems. ^ «
Rivers are too fast-flowing to be navigable and they now
mostly over rocky terrain. However, wooden logs are transpor¬
ted through some of the rivers, particularly during wmtex and
■summer season when the flow of water is smooth.
These fast flowing rivers can certainly be utilised for generating
power which'can be utilised for running roadways and electric
trains.
Abode of Gods
230
Social problems
Many of the current problems owe their ‘Origin to the socio¬
political neglect of the area which in its wake has left following
problems:
(i) Social disabilities based on the caste structure which has
resulted in the practice of untouchability and free sex parti¬
cularly amongst the polyandrous groups,
(ii) Extravagant expenditure on social ceremonies,
(iii) Adverse influence of superstitions on the psychology of
the people which tells on their health and productivity.
(iv) Socially crippling diseases, dificient diet, want of hygiene
and low housing space.
(v) Illiteracy has caused excessive drinking and resultant
poverty.
It is gratifying to note that with the increase in the means of
communications and increasing education, the former tendency
towards social stratifications even within sub-castes is now being
replaced by attempts towards caste consolidation and inter-caste
marriages are on the increase. However, this aspect is still
isolated. Untouchability is fast disappearing in the cities but in
the remote villages the barriers of caste are still held tight round
the neck of the village social structure.
The place of women
In the economy and social framework of the Himalayas,
woman occupies an important place but unfortunately her
condition is ridiculous because at her parents’ house she suffers
from illiteracy because they consider that if they send their girls
to the school, they will lose the fetcher of water, wood and
ceretaker of small children, particularly when the mother is
working in the field or forest or does some odd jobs. When she
grows, her father very often faces the problems of dowry and
meeting marriage expenses which seem ridiculous in an area of
deficit economy as has been rightly pointed out by Chandravarkar,
“People who need money badly to fight against illiteracy, disease,
ill housing condition and destitution cannot afford to waste their
meagre income in such a ruinous unproductive manner.” In
some parts of Uttarakhand after her marriage, she has to with¬
stand the sexual lust of four to five husbands because of poly-
231
Uttarakhand
androus formation of society which adversely tells on her health.
The serf of tire day who carries heavy loads on her head or back
has also to cook meals for the family and after a strenuous day
she finds at night one of the young husbands making amorous
advances. Tire result is total physical breakdown of the woman
concerned, confusing growth of the children and increasing
immorality which has created the horror of venereal dlseases m
Now with the passage of time, introduction of primary
education, continued social work and mcreasing.awareness amongst
the women and their guardians is taking place a ou
condition of womenfolk. Evils like child marriage, dowry, sate
price, polyandry and excessive physical labour are fas P*
pearing.
Lack of proper sanitation and death of medical coverage
Inspite of their hard life, close proximity to nature
bracing climate, the average man m the hills is shorter! ^
and poorer in physique. This is because of lac p
and environmental hygiene, impure drinking water ’ ^ f
diet, living in dark dingy and smoke filled rooms. Mostof *e
village streets are littered with night soil which causes not j y
widely prevalent diseases but also helps in the spread o
other^villages. The result is that today diseases hke
mutism leprosy venereal diseases, tuberculosis and intestm
diseases are widely prevalent. This is caused ° n ^^ k 0 f
habits, impure drinking water, poor ^ f the
space. In fact, this has accounted for the poor health
hl The°Government has certainly opened widesp ^d2
hospitals, primary health centres and Ayurvedm
to lack of knowledge about the local ^Sicines.
tdng most of the hospitals are e lt herwi*out doct a
In fact, Government should open smaUer hospital ^ ^
compounder can manage. The centres should
increased and the officer-m-charge conditions of
be prompted to induce people to 0 ld
sanitation and hygiene, so that we are able to wor y
aflagp that prevention is better than cure.
232
Abode of Gods
Scarcity
The whole environment of an unknown beautiful place centres
round one important object—water. The main source of water in
the Himalayas is precipation, either in the form of rain or snow.
While snow falls above 6000 ft. during winters, rainfall takes
place at the foothills. Rainfall over the southern ranges facing
planes is higher than the northern slopes. Many of its people
suffer from scarcity of water which becomes acute during summer.
Ladies can be seen carrying heavy water laden vessels over their
heads. Water is also scarce for irrigational purposes. Therefore,
it is necessary that water conservation schemes are developed
which will generate power on the one hand, irrigate low lying
areas on the other hand and provide drinking water side by side.
If there is more water in a village, the people can lead a decent
and clean life. They can also grow variety of cash crops and
vegetables which will ultimately lead to the development of agro¬
industrial units.
Small scale industries
At present the economy of the hills is based on the ‘Money
Orders’ which every hillman serving in the plains sends home;
as such the hill economy has come to be described as ‘Money
Order economy’. We have failed to give it some sound base on
the basis of available raw materials. If countries like Japan,
Czechoslovakia, Israel, Switzerland and Yugoslavia which are as
big as Uttarakhand can capture world market by providing
consumer goods why can’t we do so. What is required is that
we need to establish some raw material based plants which could
be easily run by local hydro-electric power generation.
In order to examine above feasibility we must appoint an
expert committee which should evolve schemes which will—
(i) Boost hill economy
(ii) Avail opportunities of local initiative.
(iii) Capture and meet the demands of market.
(iv) Consume locally produced electricity.
(v) Provide stable base to the Himalayan economy.
n ourism
Gifted with an extensively beautiful panorama, UttaraKnana
Uttarakhand
233
provides places of breaA ^“® ExwpTfor the hill towns
and inquisitive tourist can go and rela . P develop
of Mussoorie and Nainital we have not been able ° J
other places like Lohaghat Pttoora^ah »>, A
Ranikhet, Pauri, Gopeshwar, Barakote and cha ^“
can certainly be most sophisticated snaokelessindty^ ^
In the aforementioned paragraphs, I have list ^ d iate
the basic problems. There are numerous o hers The imm
and ultimate task for us is to formulate a plan of actio .
Task before m .
The land where Gods and Goddesses are ^Lfofthe
todav anguished by the sobrieties of na ure, 0 f
rulei and dMojalt, offte som of
action aimed at the overhauling of the entire ^
systems and reframjng of the rules an rega ^ development
functioning of various government departmente^devei^p^ ^
of forests, implementing soil conservatio , nti<jn of
horticulture, exploitation of fodder res ° urC ’^ nce of ever-
soil erosion, systematic destructions! i mpr oved
growing vegetation and waste wood^ improve health,
varieties of sheeps, improve urngational facihti , P
hygiene, sanitation, drinking water and “ e Jcalard jim
another and above all mobilise agriculture and hcrtc^
utilisation of wastes and ^ f ^ enta l and physical
educating people about the necessity
health is required. Himalayas call for
In order to achieve above m is today Hm^Y ^
workers, dedicated workers, workers withtatah,««^
ambitions who will identify themself
people and their problems and are not l^d mere y y ^
of the snow capped peak or Ware will-
are able to respond to the caU «f* Qur objective should
ing to endow them with hope for rn
b 7) to create conditions of security -d ^
increased employment opportunities through complex smati
^cale industries based on local raw entrepreneurs
(ii) to make raw material available to tne en F
234 Abode of Gods
more particularly wool and turpentine which form an item of
basic necessity.
(iii) to strengthen and develop local economy by establishing
consumer goods industries wherever possible.
(iv) to encourage local initiative, local leadership and a sense
of community consciousness among the people by promoting
cooperative efforts.
(v) In order to build up local initiative and skilled labour
the system of education needs to be overhauled with particular
emphasis on vocational education, connected with local
conditions incorporating through training of local cadres in
management and technical skill.
(vi) to keep increasing productivity and eliminate drudgery
by introducing new and improved tools.
(vii) to open up an institute of Himalayan studies which will
prepare a programme of social reconstruction after taking into
consideration prevailing socio-economic conditions of an area and
assess the future potential for development. Apart from the
resources that can be taken up for study at this institute, it will*
also work as a cleaning house of thought and information on
Uttarakhand. It will also organise camps and courses for
training dedicated cadres who intend to do their bit for the
Himalayans.
(viii) Reorientation of government machinery is necessary in
order to bring developmental schemes into fruition. The
administrative structure should be such so as to dispense with,
bureaucratic dilatoriness and multiplicity.
(ix) An inventory of natural resources be made through ICAR
so that it could be known what is available where.
(x) People’s participation in programme (PPP) has to be
introduced so that the beneficiaries could feel a sense of
association.
(xi) Hydro-electric power generation needs to be linked up
with the irrigation and supply of drinking water.
(xii) The local bodies need to be strengthened and their area
of jurisdiction defined.
(xiii) A new outlook needs to be taken for the functioning of
forest and PWD department.
We have had enough of seminars, committees and conferences;
Uttarakhand
therefore, the need of the hour is that we sit together to mend
the shattered dreams ,of Himalayan people through dedicated
work and devotion.
_ SOME MAJOR PEAKS AND THEIR IND IAN CLIMBERS
Name of the Peak Height {ft.) Location Name of the Leader Climbers
236
Abode of Gods
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Annapurna I 26,504 Western Nepal
II 25,041
NandaDevi 25,645 Kumaon Maj. N. Kumar Nawang Gombu, Dawa 1964
Norbu
Uttarakhand
237
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238
Abode of Gods
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APPENDIX 1
CHRONOLOGY OF UTTARAKHAND KINGS
CHRONOLOGY OF KATYURI KINGS
Uttarakhand.
239
Devpala
240
Abode of Gods
(Appendix 2 Contd.)
242
Abode of Gods
Uttarakhand
243
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(Appendix 2 Contd.)
244
Abode of Gods
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APPENDS 3
HOLY PLACES IN UTTARAKHAND
Uttarakhand
245
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Abode of Gods
311
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APPENDIX 4
AN INDEX TO IMPORTANT HEIGHTS AND DISTANCES FROM RISHIKESH
Uttarakhand
247
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Abode of Gods
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war bifurcates.
Pipalkoti 4400 422 „ Old town
Joshimath 6100 257 PW P/Forest/Tourist Old township
~~~ ( Contd .)
250
Abode of Gods
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,1^
a £J
S 6 t *
3 j> tC o
tri ^ S ^
* rg S ,§
S > "2 *
esj S § .a
2 *5
W 6H
P S3
o
PL, Pi,
oo «0 cn
into Rudra-
prayag-Sone-
prayag route.
Rish ikesh-Hemkund- Valley of Flowers :
Rishikesh As above Joshimath 6100 257 Forest/PWD/Tourist Trade Centre
Govindghat 4500 268 Gurudwara
Govindehat On foot Ghagaria 9000 274 Forest/Tourist Thick Deodar
Uttarakhand
of sigjs
l.i-2 siJ s
£*3 £ s3 §
w o
T 3
§ ° £
H s g
a> ^3 ,2
M f> m
i si
.« < &
Rest Houses.
Almora 5000 70 Distt. H.Q. Old township
which has every
thing to offer.
~~ ' (Contd.)
252
Abode of Gods
Tawaghat On foot Narayan- 11000
Ashram
Uttarakhand
253
£3 Cj tfi
O rs £5 ^T* q3 <i> O
tS P^d>cdr^3i<z|*-3 a,
^ «3 ^ 1 .§ 8 § .9 w .9 a
H ftOS oOOfflW 50
4-i 03
■a ^ S
^ jg
gll-
s'S &
w ^ o ;
£3 {£ T 3
Klo
Ph t« XI
"^3* 0 ,Gj
S3
M X
O fix
3 <
3 &"8
Dhaula-Devi 6000
Ghat 3000
(Appendix 4 Contd.)
Starting Type of Transport Destination Height Distance Facilities Remarks
Point. for Stay
254
Abode of Gods
<u
0 Q
& 0
j§ o
4-»
rl r*l
’■§ S
V4 f-4
8 8
g
If
Ctf 03
s a
H Jj o
fi s ^
«+H >>
u O «
s s a
: B
. Q
ags
B fe.
* 1
•S3 o
A
8 8
8 8
22
O
f3
PQ
2
o
5
<
Uttarakhand 255
APPENDIX 5
Some Important Distances (in km)
Kedarnath to Badrinath ... 244
Yamunotri to Gangotri ... 241
Gangotri to Kedarnath ... 352
Yamunotri to Kedarnath ... 325
Gangotri to Badrinath ... 429
Yamunotri to Badrinath ... 399
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Paripoomanand Painuli, A Tourist View of the Valley of Gods*
Swami Anurup Krishna Tirtha, Celestial Uttarakhand,
Swami Prananand, Exploration in Tibet, Kailash Mansarovar,
Rahul Sanskrityayan, GarhwaL
K.M. Pannikar, Geographical Factors in Indian Bistory.
Edwin T. Atkinson, Himalayan Districts—North Western
Provinces of India „
Himalayan Mouutaineering Journal, VoL 4, No. 2, 1968 HMI
Darjeeling..
B.N. Datar, Himalayan Pilgrimage.
D. N, Majumdar, Himalayan Polyandry .
Indra Singh Pangtey, Indian Explorers of the Nineteenth'
Century r
Gita Press, Gorakhpur, Kalyan.
Rahul Sanskrityayan, Kumaon .
B.S. Calela, Kumaon Hill Stations.
K.S. Pangtey, Lovely Furrows of Borderland.
N. Kumar Maj., Neelkanth,
Om Prakash Vaidya, Pahari Chitrakala.
Pd. Brajratna Bhattacharya, Skandpurana.
Ram Rahul, Social Work in the Himalayas.
Ramsay Ullmass, The Age of Mountaineering,
Prakash Kishan, The Broad Spectrum.
Gyan Singh Brig., The Lure of Everest.
Ram Rahul, The Himalayan Borderland.
Takadir Kazmi, The Himalaya ~A Journey to Nepal.
M.S. Randhawa, The Kumaon Himalayas.
B.N. Mullick, The Sky was his Limit—Life and Climbs of
of Sonam Gyatso.
H.F. Richardson, Tibet and Its History.
Shiv Prasad Dabral Dr., Uttarakhand-Ka-Itihas.
Shiv Prasad Dabral Dr., Uttarakhand Yatra Darpan m
E. S. Oakley, The Holy Himalaya.
Jim Corbett, Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag , Oxford
University Press, Bombay.
Uttarakhand
257
Jim Corbet, The Man Eater of Kumaon.
Prakash A. Raj, Nepal—A travellers guide. Lonely Planet,
Australia.
Lt. Col. M.M. Sharma, Through the Valley of Gods Vision
Books, New Delhi.
Geoffrey Clunberledge— Indian Hill Birds,By Salim Ali,
Oxford University Press, Bombay.
J.S. Lall and A.D. Hoddie, The Himalaya—Aspects of Change
Oxford University Press, Bombay.
F. Sherman Oakley M.A, Holy Himalaya.
Ganga Dutt Upreti, Folklore of Kumaon.
Index
Agastyamuni 91
Agriculture 227
Akhand-Jyoti 73
Almora 113
Almora Bazar 115
Animal husbandry 228
Annapurna 121, 23
Annapurna II23
Anup Shah 200
Arjunayanas 40
Ashokan pillar 39, 40
Askote 203
Auli 71
Badrinarayan Temple Act 75
Badrinath 66, 71, 72, 75, 76
Bageshwar 118,151,165
Bagwali 166
Baijnath 150
Baitha Deota 132
‘Baland Badri" 74
Bampa 178
Banderboonch range 80, 99
Ban Rawats 203
Barahoti Valley 178
Basudbara fall 89
BelchaDhara 179,189
Bhabar 6
Bhabar forest 111, 205, 207
Bhagirathi II 24
Bharirathi valley 178
Bhagirath shila 83
Bhagvatgita 25
Bhai Vir Singh Ji 125
Bhavishya Badri 89
Bhimtal 108, 109
Bhotias 39, 101, 103, 154, 157,196-
Bhyunder Valley 122,125
Bimlas 89,178
Bist, Dan Singh 63
Brahma 178
Brahamanism 194,195,196,212
British occupation 58
Bruce, Charles G. 20
Buddhaghosa 26
Buddhism 18,193,194, 196, 212
Buddhist missionaries 18, 26
Buhl, Dr. Herrmann 21
Bullocks 21
Bury 21
Chamba 80
Chamoli 69
Chandravarkar 230
Chandrodaya Kavya 68
Chands 54, 55
Chaturangi Glacier 87
Chauhan, Shri Pratap Singh 75
China peak 107, 111
Chinese takeover of Tibet 191, 2 il
Coolies 8
Consumer goods industries 234
Cooperative efforts 234
Corbett, Jim 9, 46, 68, 173, 236
Dancing girls 168
Dar 153
Daronagiri hill 123
Death ceremonies 156
Deo-Dekhni 72
Dhammachakra Pavattanasutta 1&
Dharma Rishi 72
260
Above of Gods
Dhauli Ganga 89
Dhurang ceremony 158
Dhyan Badri 70
Dias, John 23
Dibrugheta 200
Dioorital lake 95, 218
Divorce 156
Dudhwa Park 218
Dukhdu 153
Dung 102
Duplat, Roger 200
Education 225,234
Employment opportunities 233
Everest, Mt. 19, 20, 23
Everest, Sir George 19
Fa-Hien 19
Fairs 165
Fateh Parvat Bangan 130
Fauna 175
Festivals 165
Flora 171,172
Folk art 62
Folk dances 61
Folklore of Nanda 137
Forest wealth 63, 228
Freshfield, Douglas 20
Furth, Gunther Dyren 21
Gagar range 111
Ganga temple 82
Ganges 77, 78
Gangotri 81, 82
Gantua 144, 145
Garhwal 45
Garhwal kingdom 50
Garhwal Rifles 47
Garhwal Vikas Mandal 218
Gartang Gallery 86
Gaucher mela 167
Gaumukh 83
Gauri-kund 83,91
Gausse, August 21
Ghagaria 125,126
Ghosts 147,148
Giri, V.V. 222
Girthi Ganga 178
Gohna lake 110
Gomati 150
Gopeshwar 69
Goriganga 102
Gorkha Regiment, third 46
Govind Ghat 125
Govind Singh, Guru, 124
Graham, W.H. 20
G’feat Himalayas-Bahoagiri 28
Guhyas 38
Gunji 183
Guptakashi 91
Guptas 40
Gurdayal Singh 22
Gurkha invasion 57
Gurla Manthata 179, 184
Gyan Singh, Brig. 23
Hanumanchatti 72
Hanuman Gadi 107
Hari Ki Doon 161
Harsil 81, 82
Hathi Parvat 126
Heims, Arnold 21
Hemkund 124, 125
Hemkund-Lokpal 71, 126
Hillary, Edmund 21
Himalayan economy 224
Himalayan fauna 30
Himalayan flora 30
Himalayan geology 31
Himalayan problems 226
Himalayan rivers 31, 32
Himalayas 27, 28, 217, 221
Hinduism 193, 197
Hirodotus 196
Holy Dham 72
Huen-Tsang 18, 40, 41, 81, 195, 206
Human skeletons 136
Hunter, Sir William 77
Hurak and Hurkiyani 167
Hurkiya songs 168
Indian Mountaineering Foundation
22
Irrigation 227
Indek
261
Isvara Devi temple 39 >
Jagra festival-' 133'
‘Jambudwip 4 188
Jangannath 96
Jauharis 101, 103
Jauhar196 .
Jaunsar Babar 129
Jaunsar festival 132
Jaunsari weddings 131
Jaunsaris 40 '
Jayal, Nandu 22, 200
‘Jhula’ or rope bridge 9
Jim Corbett National Park 173,. 174
Jodh Ganga 86
. Jogin group of peaks 86
. Jonksong peak 21
Joshimath 69-71
Julien, M. 196
Kaxlash peaks 179, 181-184, 189,
191
Kailash Mansarovar 182
Kalapani 183
Kalidasa 3, 25
Kalimath 95
Kamet 21
Kanchenjunga 20, 21
Karakoram 20, 21
Karanprayag 68, 196
Katyari dynasty 40
' Katyuri empire 42
Katyuri inscriptions 42
Katyuris 38-42, 44, 195
Katyur Valley 149
Kausani 151
Kavyamimamsa 40, 43
Kedar 94
Kedar Ganga 85
Kedarkhand 37, 65
Kedamath 76, 92
Kedarnath dome 87
Kedarnath Temple 92
Khasees 38, 42, 54
"Kingri-Bingri pass 102
Kinnerdesh 37
_Kinnars 38
Kiratarjuna battle 80
Kiratas 203
Kishan Singh 19, 59
Kohli, M.S. 23
Kulinda dynasty 40
Kulindas 39
Kumaon. 37, 52,. 63
Kumaon pass 71
Kumaon Regiment 58
Kumaon Vikas Mandal 218
Kunnindas 40
Kunwari pass 71
Kuwar, N. 23
Lakhamandal dynasty 48
Lakshmanganga 125, 126
Lakshaman temple 123, 125
Lamaism 197
Land 46
Lapthal 179
Lata 200
Legge, Miss John Margaret 122
Limbus 203
Lipulekh 183
Lokpal 124
Longstaff, T.G. 20,121, 201
Madhyamaheshwar 95
Mahabharata 17, 20, 25
Maheshu 131
Majumdar, D-C. 136
Majumdar, R-C. 44
Malari 89, 177
Maluk Singh Buda Pass 117
Malusahi 61
Malwa-ka-tal 109
Manali Institute of Mountaineering
23
Mana Pass 71, 75
Manaskhand 37
Mandakini 76, 91, 92
Meneri-Bhali project 81
* Manodanya-Kavyd ’ 51
Mansarovar lake 102, 181, 812, 184*
188
Marriage ceremony 155
Maularam’s paintings 46, oe
262
Above of God&
Medical coverage 231
Markel, Willy 21
Meru 184, 187
Middle Himalayas (Antargiri) 29
Millam 102
Millam Glacier 101, 102
‘Money order’ economy 63, 232
Moorecraft 19
Mountaineering 19, 20
Mountaineering hazards 13
Mountaineering Institute of Darjeel¬
ing 22
Mouryas 40
Munsiyari 101
Mussoorie 220
Nainital 107, 219
Nainital Mountaineering Club 200
Nain Singh 19, 59
Nanda 140
Nanda Devi 21,114, 167
Nanda Devi Sanctuary 71, 89, 173,
199
Nandaghunti 135
Nanda Jat 136
Nandakhet 23
Nandan Kanan 121
Nandan Van 87
Parvat 86
Nandprayag 69
Nanga Parvat 20, 21
Narayan Ashram 183
Narendarnagar 79
Narshingh Deota 132
Nangan 161
Naukthiya Tal 109
Nayaks 168
Neelkanth 23, 72
Neem Karori Maharaj 215
Negi, Gabar Singh 47
Negi, Naik Darban Siiigh 47
Nehru Institute o f Mountaineering,
Uttarkashi 23, $1
Nehru, Jawahar Lai 22
Nishan Saheb 175
Niti valley 89, 177, 178
Norkay, Tenzing 21, 22
Oakly, E.S. 116
Okhimath 91, 95
Outer Himalayas (Upagiri) 29
Pala kings 4 3
Panchachuli peak 9, 153
Panchgain-Fateh parvat 162
Pandukeshwar 72
Pangu 183
Pant Agricultural University 63-
Pant, Pt. Govind Ballabh 213
Parshuram temple 81
Patalkhan 201
Pauri 67
Pandari glacier 117
Pinuli, Sri Paripoornanad 162.
Place of women 230
Pokhri, Nagnath 209
Power generation 234
Pranawanand, Swami 136
Purola 16
Pushpaganga 126
Rajaji sanctuary 173
Rajawar 203
Rajis 203
Rakastal 182, 184, 188
Ramayana 25
Ramsay College 115
Ramsay, Sir Henry 707, 213
Rang-Bhang 154
Ranikhet 109, 219
Rawal 74
Rawali 73
Raw at, Harish 59 •
hamni 201
Rishi Ganga 201, 202
Roche, Andre 21
Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburg,
, 1 . .,22
ag 68
Rupkund1 35
Sakas 40
‘Sagarmatha’ 19
Jndet
263 -
Salim Ati 171, 173
Samchamalla 179
Sangam 88
Sankarac'hairya, Jagadguru 18, 212,
215
Saptrishi 99
‘Saptabringa 125
Saraswati 88
Sarin, H.C. 22
■Sarsonpatel 202
Sat Tal 109
Sayana-chatti 98
Shaivism 43
Shakti sangam 37
Sharma, K.P. 23
Sherpas 20
Sherring 156
Shifting cultivation 226
Shipton, Eric 21, 199
Shiva worship 193
Shiv Ling 83, 87
Shiv Parvati figures 130
Shrine of Brahmari 149
Sikhism 193
Singhpura dyn sty 49
Sircar, Radanath 19
Skandpurana 25, 37
Small scale industries 232
Smugglers rock 108
Smythe, Enmund 121
Smythe, Franks 21, 122
Sobala 153
Social reconstruction 234
Social welfare projects 223
Socio-political neglect 230
Sohan Singh 124
Srinagar 67, 68
Sriganesh, Gen. S.M. 58
-St. John in wilderness’ 111
Stratchey, H- 19
Stratchey, Sir John 111
Stratchey, R. 19
Strutt, E-L. 20
Sumna 178
Svargarohini 89
Switzerland of India 222
Taklakot 182
‘Tuptkund’ 73
Tehri 80
Terai-Bhabar 205
Thai Mela 166
Thapa, Amar Singh 32
Thimayya, Gen. K.S. 58
Thoks 38
Thompson, T. 19
Timersen 178
Tourism 7, 232
Traill, G.M. 117, 147
Traill’s pass 117
Transportation 229
Trekking 2, 11-13, 18
Trisul peak 20
Uttar eni 165
Uttarkashi 80, 81, 98
Untouchability 230,
Valley of Darma 153
Valley of Flowers 218
Vasuki Tal 87, 88, 94
VedVyrsa 26
Vegetation 7
Victoria Hotel 109, 111
Vignes 200
Vishwanath temple 81
Vridha Badri 70
‘Vyagreswar’ 166
Vyagreshwar temple 151
Vyas Bhotias 183
Wadia, D.N. 26
Water conservation schemes 232
Waugh, Sir Audreen 19
Wilson, Bishop Daniel 110
Wilson, F. 81, 218
Workman, Dr. and Ms. William
Hunt 20
Yaksas 38
Yaksha and Yakshani sculptures 130
Yamunotri 97, 98
Yamunotri temple 99
Yodheyas 40
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