Auli -> Rishikesh -> Corbett National Park -> Varanasi -> Agra
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One morning, I hired a bike from a friendly guy nearby and decided to drive up to Kaudiyala. I have gone on Rishikesh – Kaudiyala road a few times in the bus, but taking a bus does not justify the journey. The road traverses along the bank of Ganga, climbs up into the lower Himalayas as soon as you leave Rishikesh behind you. It is so beautiful that you would like to reach out for it, but the confines of the bus holds you back.
With my own transportation, I took my time to cover the road. The Ganges, somewhere far below in the valley looked beautiful early in the morning and I kept stopping for a good view and photographs. I kept looking out for birds too – especially hornbills and magpies which I had spotted earlier, but I was not lucky today. But the views of the valley more that made up for the loss.
View of the Valley
As I drove further, I went past many tented accommodations that litter the sandy banks of the river. It must be nice to stay in one of those places for a few days. Nothing like living a pampered life in a pristine and beautiful valley with a river running next to you, and with no hassles and nothing to bother about. Most of the tents serve as overnight camp for people rafting downstream.
Tented accommodations litter the sandy banks
I walked into one of the empty beaches. The water wasn’t very cold, and whenever I get close to the Ganges, I get this irresistible urge to swim in its waters. But the current was fast and the banks were rocky, and with an empty beach and no one to rescue if something goes wrong, I had to skip the idea.
I passed a couple of picturesque bridges as I drove further. There were no rafters at this time of the year, since there wasn’t much water. I left behind a few resorts, including the well known ‘glass house on the Ganges’ as I moved on. All along, I looked for rapids that make Rishikesh a famous place for rafting, but I could not see much of them. May be it is better when there is more water, but it did not look appealing for rafting with the current levels.
River at Kaudiyala
It was around 11am when I reached Kaudiyala. GMVN’s rafting camp and a few restaurants welcome you to the village. I notice what could be a grade 2 rapid close to the GMVN camp, and a deeper area a little upstream where they probably start rafting. I was hungry by now and went for a couple of Aloo Parathas at the restaurant, and started my drive back to Rishikesh. Another hour later I was back in Ram Jhoola, where I had started from.
More on Rishikesh at paintedstork.com
* Rishikesh photo gallery
* Arriving at Rishikesh.
* Walking around Laxman Jhula
* Ganga Aarthi at Rishikesh
* Photo Essay: Babas of Rishikesh
* Rishikesh to Kaudiyala
* About Rishikesh
Auli -> Rishikesh -> Corbett National Park -> Varanasi -> Agra
+Previous: Ganga Aarti at Rishikesh
+Next: Rishikesh to Kaudiyala
+Go to beginning of the series
A walk around Swargashram, Ram Jhoola and Laxman Jhoola has many interesting things to offer. The most prominent are the Babas(mendicants) who are seen everywhere. You notice them sitting quietly in a corner doing nothing, reading a book or watching the people walking past, or silently meditating. A few may ask you for a small donation or a cuppa chai. And some of them would be selling odd things that might interest the strolling tourist. Come evening and you are likely to see them studying some scriptures or sitting on the bank of Ganges chatting. I kept seeing them everyday and they looked the same and seemed to do the same thing everyday. Sometimes it is difficult to say if a person is indeed a Baba or not, but they all look the same and they are almost always called as Baba, so it would not really matter.
And some of them seemed to be special. You could feel an aura of peace around them. This Baba would sit here everyday, a little ahead of Ramjhoola, selling a few odd things and with a weighing machine, for using which he would charge a rupee. In my few days of stay Rishikesh, I might have passed him a hundred times, but I never saw him lift his head out of the book and look around to see what is going on in the world. And even when I took his photograph, I am fairly sure he never noticed. I decided to get myself weighed, and when I gave him a Rs.10 bill, he spoke to me softly and slowly asking for a smaller denomination. As soon as our transaction was over, he was back to being buried in his book.
He had a greater variety of gear to sell. Plastic toys, flutes, a few interesting stones in his box, and more.
A few of them seem to be more active. I see them making a conversation with a fruit vendor or the chai shop guy, or sometime smoking away to glory, cigarette after cigarette and breaking occasionally only for a conversation or to sip his chai.
Afternoons are for a siesta!
Some of the Babas turn up at the Ganga aarti and watch silently, standing from behind. It is interesting to catch them in the warm light of the Aarti after sunset.
This is an image that has stayed in my memory. As the baba looks, the sign with the arrow mark above him reads ‘dharma marga’ or ‘divine path'(roughly translated, for th e lack of better words). As I was taking this image, it reminded me the oft-repeated words of Krishna in the Gita – To walk in dharma marga!
More on Rishikesh at paintedstork.com
* Rishikesh photo gallery
* Arriving at Rishikesh.
* Walking around Laxman Jhula
* Ganga Aarthi at Rishikesh
* Photo Essay: Babas of Rishikesh
* Rishikesh to Kaudiyala
* About Rishikesh
Auli -> Rishikesh -> Corbett National Park -> Varanasi -> Agra
+Previous: Rishikesh and Laxman Jhula
+Next: Babas of Rishikesh
+Go to beginning of the series
Evening in Rishikesh are for sitting by the Ganges and while away your time. I had a good coffee at Madras Cafe and walked along the quite ghats to spend the time till sunset. Later in the evening, I headed towards Parmarth Niketan Ashram to witness the daily evening ritual of Ganga Aarti.
The place where the aarti is held
The aarti is a pleasant ritual of worshipping the Ganga. Around 50-100 people visit the aarti on any day. I have witnessed Ganga Aarati in other places like Haridwar and Varanasi too, but they are a crowded noisy ritual with loud screaming speakers, people troubling you to make donations or hawkers trying to sell something highly overpriced. The Aarathi at Rishikesh is a contrast to it, held in a small place with a few people and is a relatively quite affair. You can sit quietly in a corner and witness the ritual or join the crowds singing Bhajans with them.
Also see:
* Ganga Aarti in Haridwar
* Ganga Aarti in Varanasi
People assembled for the Aarati
The aarati happens at a very picturesque place on the banks of Ganga, in front of a Shiva statue built on the river. You see some activity beginning at the riverbank around 5pm. People start cleaning up the area, lay carpets in preparation for the aarati. A few people are seen selling deep or diya – a flower bowl with a wick lamp to be floated down the river during the Aarti after prayers. It starts at 5.30pm, with children studying Veda, the Bhajan singers and the performers walking into the ghat in front of Parmarth Niketan. It begins with Bhajans and prayers for ‘Gangaji’ and Shiva.
Diya being sold for the aarti
It is interesting to watch the children as the ritual progresses. They look bright and alive in their saffron robes. Some of them appear oblivious of the whole thing and drift into their own world. A few start a conversation within themselves. Some continue singing the Bhajans with an uninterested face and a few are motionless, just sitting there or staring blankly. There are some who are completely immersed in the Bhajans and join everyone with full enthusiasm, singing and clapping loudly with the rhythm.
Children Praying at the Aarti
As the sun sets and it gets slightly darker, the Shiva statue is lighted up and it looks beautiful. The aarti continues with lamps in various shapes and sizes lighted up, and passed on from people to people.
Shiva statue lit after sunset
Performing the Aarti
The whole place lights up to a spirited mood with lamps swinging in the hands of people. It lasts for an hour and winds up around 6.30 in the evening with the notes of “jai jai radharamana hari bol…”
More on Rishikesh at paintedstork.com
* Rishikesh photo gallery
* Arriving at Rishikesh.
* Walking around Laxman Jhula
* Ganga Aarthi at Rishikesh
* Photo Essay: Babas of Rishikesh
* Rishikesh to Kaudiyala
* About Rishikesh