The National Highway 108 leads straight to
Gangotri and ends in a cul de sac. As a kid, I had always wondered where or when the roads ended. Now I knew where it ended-atleast one of the roads.
The narrow gorge leading to the temple was lined with Dhabas, shacks cheap eating joints and motels- very much similar to the narrow by-lanes of Old Delhi. It is also almost as crowded. There was of course no vehicular traffic. That was where all resemblance ended.
The temple is situated in a narrow gorge flanked by towering granite snow peaks, rising almost vertically. The lower levels of the peak are thickly wooded.
Behind the rows of shacks and motels the Bhagirathi River flows. Huge volumes of water gush out from one of the subterranean tunnels with a roar that can be heard several hundred meters away. The sight and the fury of the sound of the water certainly has the force to evoke a feeling of reverence and piety in you.
The 18th century temple housing a simple edifice of goddess Durga and built by Gorkha
GeneraL Amar Singh Thapa is situated further down the gorge beside the boulder filled river..
Enroute from New Delhi, we had stopped at Rishikesh to stay for the night. But all the good hotels were booked up- a risk that you need to take into account when you pass through pilgrimage centres. We decided to proceed further on to
Chamba to try our luck at
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN). It was a wise decision.The GMVN rest house was located on a hilltop, overlooking the mountains ranges. An excellent getaway for people who do not wish to travel far from Rishikesh or New Delhi and still be in the midst of hills.
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| The temple |
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| A closer view |
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| Water gushing out from the subterranean tunnels |
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| View from the temple |
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| Snow capped mountains towards Gaumuk |
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| The temple |
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| Bathing ghat |
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| A monk on the banks of the river |
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| The narrow leading to the temple |
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