Gaumukh
Tourism
The snout of the gangotri glacier and the source of the Bhagirathi river. Pilgrims
trek upto the sacred spot on foot or on ponies to take a holy dep in the ice-cold
water.
Beyond Chamba, and almost till Uttarkashi, (famous for the ancient temple of
Vishwanath, described in the Skand Purana) the soft violet haze of the jacaranda
lined road weaves through gentle slopes to the district headquarter town, a
cacophony of horns, obnoxious diesel fumes and traffic snarls, from where we
scuttled.
In our haste we neglected to fill our tanks at the last petrol pump en route
to Gangotri, some 200 kms of treacherous hill driving there and back, before
petrol would be available again. Of course experience teaches that everything
in short supply is abundantly available at a premium.
Unable to get accommodation for the night anywhere, we camped outdoors at Bhatwari,
beyond which it is not permissible to drive after dusk. Lying in our sleeping
bags, we listened to the Bhagirathi river as it roared below. Counting he stars
in the moonless sky, we smelled the damp grass around us, as the fragrance of
pine wafted towards us. We tasted the freedom of wide open spaces, promising
to return on our way back to relive a moment in time.
In the morning we headed for Gangotri, manoeuvring through 70 kms of narrow
winding mountain roads that lie snow-bound much of the year round. With a relatively
short distance to cover, we geared ourselves for the trek up to Gaumukh.
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