Gomukh

Gomukh Trek and Hurdles In Life

Bumpy roads and dangerous pavements were a big problem for me and gave me much bother till last May. My trek to Gomukh from Gangotri to the source of the Ganga worked the miracle. Trekking on mountainous paths, over stones, boulders and slippery soft sand, crossing swift brooks on thin logs of wood, riding on horseback looking over the depths of mountainside touching a thread-like Ganga flowing beneath - bad roads don't bother me. When I was riding on my Honda Activa over a rugged road behind Valluvar Kottam and was about to complain in my usual journalist mindset, "My God, how can they do this to the motorists. Can't they have better roads?" my mind went to the Paidal Marg enroute Chirwasa, Bhojwasa to Gomukh from Gangotri - Chennai Corporation has let me experience the rugged landscape of the Himalayas very much here amidst the grind of my day-to-day work.
(For a brief description of our trek to Gomukh with a photograph you may refer to The Hindu, Archives, Life, Chennai, June 21, 'Experience of a Lifetime,' by Swahilya. This article also appears when you just say Swahilya on Google Search. A book titled 'Back To Where You Belong,' A Spiritual Guide to Gomukh The Sacred Origin of the River Ganges, with photographs, is on its way to be published by Akshara Foundations.)
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An experience of a lifetime

Photograph of trekkers may be seen at The Hindu site dated June 21, 2004.
ONE STEP AT A TIME: Trekkers resting for a while on the Himalayan rocks.
RESIDENTS OF sweltering Chennai cannot easily imagine what it means to live amid icy winds or wake up to cold mornings.
Nor will parched Chennaiites react soberly when they see gushing waters of wide rivers.
But a group of trekkers from Chennai, who joined fellow nature seekers from different parts of the country, found it all real. A sojourn up the Himalayas right up to the source of Ganga Maiyya can be a refreshing experience. A spiritual rejuvenation as they found out recently on a trek along the lonely `paidal marg' around the Himalayas from Gangotri to Gaumukh.
The 33 trekkers from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai travelled via New Delhi, Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Uttarkashi just for a feel of Gaumukh, the cavernous source in the Himalayas where the mighty Ganga gushes forth and spreads herself to meet the sea.
Leading the Dhyan Yatra, a freewheeling meditation camp under the banner of Akshara Foundations, Swami Akshara says: You approach Nature in two ways: one is with the attitude of a conqueror — scaling peaks. The other is trekking with a feeling of surrender to the might of the mountains, the force of water and the gentleness of life forms that thrive. "The attitude of a conqueror may give the trekker a sense of achievement and victory. But, there is no feeling of oneness with Nature. With a sense of surrender, one gets back with an immense fulfilment."
This very attitude of surrender saw K.O. Shivakumaar, Manager (Credit), India Cements Capital and Finance, negotiating the 36 km mountain trail up to Gaumukh. For 25 years he endured a shoulder and back pain, unable to carry even light objects for over 10 minutes without pain. But at the mountains, he says, he found enough energy to walk 18 kms and back," he narrates.
The Ganga roars in the foothills deep beneath. Snow-capped mountains tower into the clouds. And trekkers clad in several layers of thermal clothing set out on foot to the Chirwasa camp from Gangotri. They take a sand and stone track, cut across in some places by falling cataract.
Along the route are lonely Sadhus and ponies carrying pilgrims to Gaumukh and back. Men are seen carrying older people on `dolies', as porters lug huge loads of luggage. They set a scorching pace and even with their load arrive at destinations, hours ahead of the trekkers.
Hindi signboards warn trekkers of falling stones. Wayside dhabas en route Chirwasa and Bhojwasa offer cushion mattresses for trekkers to stretch themselves out, and `Aloo Paranthas' and tea for refreshments.
Having made it so far, Gaumukh with rocks of ice riding the crest of the turbid Ganga, leaves an indelible impression on a mind that is struck by the grandeur of the Himalayas. The chill winds take away the strain of the journey. As the travellers describe it: It is an experience of a lifetime.
By Swahilya