We started our journey on 25th November 2008 for Bageshwar (Pothing) School. After having breakfast/ lunch at home we started traveling at 10:30 AM. We purchased some sweets and snacks for students from Haldwani market then we started our journey to Bageshwar.

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I started my journey on the 17th November 2008 for Jakhnyali school which is one of the school where the kids are sponsored by the members of Uttarakhand Worldwide organisation.

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I reached Rishikesh on 16th morning around 5am. I had some rest in the afternoon. I could not sleep in the train as I had no alarm clock and my mobile’s battery had died. So I got up late in the afternoon. Met a few people for the very first time and came to know that the engagement which I was supposed to attend on the 16th was postponed to 19th. It was pleasant surprise when Rajneesh called me up and wished to meet me along with the great journalist Raju Gusain. And as told to me by Rajneesh they kept their promise and came to Rishikesh and we had a very productive chat. We should follow up on a few things with Rajneesh and Raju bhaiji.

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I reached delhi in the morning by British Airways on 15th November Saturday at around 6am. Nirmal insisted to come to the airport but as it was too early in the morning I preferred to take a taxi and went to Gurgaon to meet oue very own bhaiji Nirmal Rawat.

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If you have ever been to Mukteshwar, a small hill town nestled in Kumaon hills some 50 km from Bhowali, you would actually understand how silence can scream. It is not the first time I have been to hills and experienced quietness. But here the silence was piercing down the ears with hardly people seen around or shops open or the women working on their grasslands. Unlike regular hill stations receiving heavy tourist flocks who love to shop around the mall roads, visiting tiffin-top and posing for snaps every 500 meters, I find this place absolutely abnormal.

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If I could escape my dull and hectic life of Delhi for forever, Ukhimath could be the place where I would want to be settled down for my new abode. (more…)

It was around 5:30 in morning when I woke up after a deep sleep though my body still was aching. I came out from the dormitory onto the side balcony and stretched myself. It was still dark outside and silent. One could see the giant gate on right that welcome tourists while bus stand of Gopeshwar at the left. Gagan was up to, and then almost all one after another. We refreshed ourselves and the Independence Day parade down on the road started with student representative from different schools marching with their school flags followed by other students in long queue.

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Prologue 

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Badrinath.  Badrinath – one more temple on the ‘to do list’. To be completed, forgotten and moved on. Was not expecting anything to happen here – to me at a Vishnu temple? – Hah, no way. And anyways what can happen now? After previous experiences on this yatra? After catharsis at Kedarnath, Kalpeshwar? Nothing! I was to learn how wrong and ignorant I was. (more…)

Dear Reader,

This is a write-up of our trip to the Himalayas in 2006. For practical purposes, it is being published as a blog, an upside-down blog. You have scroll down to continue, not up.

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