Devprayag- Last Confluence of Ganga Rivulets

Moving on from Rishikesh on way to Devprayag, We reach a small village Byasi. Some breathstopping views of River Ganga were visible, which we captured in our camera.
Here are some images... Devprayag will be our next stop.

Rishikesh, The Holy City on the banks of Ganga

Rishikesh is one of the holiest places of the Hindu Religion. This is the place where Ganga touches the plain lands after its arduous journey from the Himalayan peaks.
Anyone having interest in Hindu Religion has to visit Rishikesh.

 This photo series is the first in our journey along the Ganges Trail.

We start from Rishikesh & go upwards in Himalayas till Badrinath & Kedarnath.

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The Great Indian Jugaad...

India is Incredible....
There are so many colors in an Indian life, it never stops feeding your thoughts, your imagination... !!! Sometimes, you find India to be incredibly weird also.

Necessity is the mother of invention, & The Great Indian Jugaad is an example of it. Literal meaning of "Jugaad" is : "something functional made out of whatever resources are available".
The above pictures are of a Jugaad as it is popularly known. It is also known as "Maruta" (masculine word for Maruti-the popular car brand) at many places. In Haryana hinterlands, its also called "Bhoond", a variant of Haryanvi word "Bhoonda" -meaning "Bad Faced".

Howsoever bad names it might have earned, it is an example of solid will power of rural Indian folk, who have to live on.. despite the shortage of money, technical support, advanced technology, etc etc. Made from the water pump, Jugaad is the most popular, most workable & one of the most successful transport vehicles of rural India. This is an original example of Indian Ingenuity, which has bloomed in recent times after finding the right environment in the shape of IT revolution.

Kerala: Mannar

Here are some beautiful pics from the Southern End of Incredible India... Mannar, Kerala. No need to say much, the pics themselves speak for the incredible beauty of the place... (photos contributed by Sachin Verma)

A Village on the banks of River Yamuna

Beauty is in abundance in India. You just pick your camera, aim it anywhere & just click. It is bound to come back with a beautiful picture. These pics were taken during journey through a small village on the banks of River Yamuna, on the border of Haryana & Uttar Pradesh states.
A watered field, Trees on the roadside forming a cave like view and A bulging River Yamuna looking like a sea on a rainy day.

The Giri Ganga Temple, Khara Pathar, Himachal

So here are the pics from the Giri Ganga Temple. This dates back to Mahabharat Age, i.e. approx 5500 years ago. Beleived to be built by Maharishi Ved Vyas as told by the local priest, This shrine is full of peace. Far far away from the maddening world, situated on the banks of Giri Ganga river, Surrounded by the thick deodar jungles, 100% pure peace awaits you here. You suddenly feel like meditating to rise above mortality. in winters, this entire space is filled with snow. An overwhelmingly peaceful place, very highly recommended by us if you are seeking a break.

The Path to Giri Ganga

So, We start moving from Khara Pathar to Giri Ganga. A trekking I'll never forget. Here are a few pics of the path moving up to Giri Ganga Temple, supposedly approx 5000 yrs old.

Road is paved with Silver Dust presenting an amazing view. (The mountain is of Mica stone, the powder form shines no less that Silver).

It takes almost 45 minutes to cover 7-8 Kms of upward journey on a rough road barely wide enough for a single vehicle. You have to drive so slow out of the fear that sometimes you prefer to get down & walk on foot. Going through the jungle is a bad idea... we came to know this when, on the way back, we lost our way in the jungle & had to travel all the way back, wasting an hour or so .

The track itself was enjoyable, the destination all the more so.

Untouched Corners- Reckong Peo, Kinnaur

This is a view on the way to Reckong Peo, District Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India. Taken on April 2, 2010.

This is just a glimpse & many more images of breathtakingly beautiful trip to Kinnaur are lined up. Its just awesome... Incredible India !!!

Khara Pathar - Base Camp for Giri Ganga

After Kotkhai, we reach Khara Pathar. It was not less than a shock for us to find Khara Pathar to be just like an ordinary destination.
Local people told us that this place got this name from a Standing Stone at a temple. But that stone is no more & two years ago it gave way to a calamity.
However, sharing some phhotographs of Sunrise & some Misty Mountains at Khara Pathar, District Shimla.

From here, we were advised either to go to Hatkoti or to see the temple of Giri Ganga, atop a hill, a 7 Km long trek.

We decided to go for Giri Ganga.... wait for the next post.

The Lonely Tree at Kotkhai Valley

From Fagu we moved on towards Khara Pathar, the base camp for Giri Ganga.
Kotkhai is a small town on the way. These are two pics. The Lonely Tree in the Kotkhai Vally and An Apple Orchard at Kotkhai.