Tuesday, October 22, 2013

My good fortune of visiting Kainchi Dham and Mahavatar Babaji's Cave in Uttrakhand, India

How I learned about Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave?
I think it was during an online search for some information on I.T. czar Steve Jobs last year (2012) that I had first heard of the book ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’. The mention of Steve Jobs having a copy of this book on his iPad and reading it once every year really made me sit up and pay attention. I soon purchased a copy of the book for myself and I would not say I was transformed, but the book did leave a deep impression on me. Especially the part narrating the circumstances under which Shri Lahiri Mahasaya while on a posting with the Railways in Ranikhet in Uttrakhand had his first meeting with Mahavatar Babaji and subsequently got initiated to Kriya Yoga. This encounter of Shri Lahiri Mahasaya with Mahavatar Babaji, the book reads, took place somewhere in a cave in the mountains of Uttrakhand.

I was quite intrigued by the mention of this cave and with the thought that there must be many other such caves where saints lived, or perhaps still live, and perform penance. I do not consider myself exactly a spiritual person, given my leanings towards so many things worldly. I, however, was fascinated with the idea of these evolved beings, and it provided fuel to the ongoing battle within me on the concept of God - the outcome of this battle varies dramatically from one day to another. It was here that the birth of the idea, of travelling to see this cave in the mountains near Ranikhet in the state of Uttrakhand, took place.

Like so many other thoughts, ideas, resolutions, desires etc., this idea too, of visiting the holy cave, found a comfortable place on the backburner while my life proceeded in the more ‘pragmatic pursuits of the worldly objects.’

Chance landing on a YouTube video about Neem Karoli Baba
It was again an online search for something unrelated that led me to a YouTube video (Click for Link) of a foreigner from the United States on his chance meeting with a saint in Nainital, Uttrakhand, and how that meeting transformed his life. I, initially, was dismissive and cynical given the increasing number of Godmen in India, and the lofty claims made by them. As i write this, just a month back, a leading and prominent 'Godman' in India was arrested on charges of sexual assault on a minor. A couple of weeks after his arrest, 2 more girls came forward and filed charges of sexual assault against the same Godman. So, my cynicism was justified. Also, I believed that these foreigners are naive and gullible, and easily fall for anyone claiming to be a spiritual being.

When I researched some more on this saint, Neem Karoli Baba, and read about him, I felt a strong inexplicable pull towards him, something very similar to what Julia Roberts mentioned about him in an interview (Click for Link). I read the foreigner’s (better known as Baba Ram Dass) account of how he came to India and what he did in the US prior to meeting Neem Karoli Baba. I visited the website dedicated to Neem Karoli Baba (Click for Link) and read more about the saint Neem Karoli Baba, his devotee Baba Ram Dass, and stories of many other devotees. After going through a few teachings of Neem Karoli Baba and some of the experiences of his devotees, I felt this inexplicable urge to read more and learn more about him, an urge that stays till date.

Months before the actual travel
The fact that both Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave (Click for Google Map link) and Neem Karoli Baba’s Ashram (Kainchi Dham, Click for Google Map Link) are in Uttrakhand got me thinking what if I had good enough fortune of visiting both these places. I had just returned from my travel to the United States (April 2013) and had time at hand to travel to both these places. I again resorted to online search and gathered information on getting to Babaji’s cave and Kainchi Dham from blogs, maps, and other sources. While I was glad that these places were not very far from my hometown New Delhi, I kept putting the travel off for some reason or the other, until one fine day when I finally decided to take action.

It was on Monday, 7th October 2013, that I mustered up enough courage to go to the Nizamuddin Railway Station in the afternoon and enquire about availability of 1 train ticket from Delhi to Kathgodam Station (nearest to Nainital, about 40 Kms) for the night train. My already low expectations from the train booking system in India kept me from feeling disappointed when i found out that there were no AC Class seats available. And they were unavailable for a week. There was availability in General Class but as October is still quite hot, I decided to not take this option. (There are reports in the media / news about scams where Train tickets are bought in bulk by touts in collusion with the Railway officials and the Police, and then sold in the Black market for a profit).

I returned home thinking that perhaps the ‘Call’ is not there yet for me to make this trip. Interestingly, before leaving for the Station I had packed my bag in the anticipation that it would not be difficult to get 1 single ticket. I did not travel that day but I did not unpack my bag either.

Finally, getting to travel to Nainital
That same night, I searched online for AC / Deluxe Coaches from Delhi to Nainital and learned about a few bus operators whose AC Coaches ply every night on the Delhi – Nainital route. Next morning, on the 8th October 2013, Tuesday, I placed a call to one of the operators King’s Holiday Tours and enquired about the availability of seats on the night bus. I was told there was plenty of room and that I could pay directly at their office upon reaching the departure point in the night at 9:30 PM.

I checked online where this bus' departure point and the operator’s office was, and what were the transport options for me to get there. The bus leaves from a point less than 100 meters from a Metro Train Station Rama Krishna Ashram Marg (perhaps the departure point being close to a Metro Station is strategic, from connectivity perspective). The operator’s office was in a building nearby.

As everything was falling in place, I decided to take this AC Coach and leave the same night for Nainital. I left my house at 7:30 PM and took the Metro Train for Rama Krishna Marg Ashram Station. I was at the bus operator’s office by 8:30 PM and purchased 1 ticket for Nainital which costed me Rs 600.

At 9:30 PM, on 8th October 2013, we finally started our journey for Nainital from Delhi. I must mention that of all my bus travels in India, as far as my memory goes, this one has to be the worst. This includes my travels in the cheapest (non–AC) State Roadways Buses of India. It is disheartening that in India we are still to catch up on the idea that AC does not mean having a device in the bus that cools or heats, it is about making the travel comfortable. The bus was very poorly maintained from inside and was stinking. The seats were not clean and were broken, the AC when turned on was on full blast and after half an hour we were freezing inside the bus. The driver refused to turn the AC off or lower the cooling when a couple of passengers complained. We had to finally resort to taking out warm clothes from our bags to brave the inclement cooling inside the bus. Further, the driver drove like he was carrying cargo in the bus and not living human beings. At a few places, we were actually thrown up in the air when the bus hit a pothole at high speed. Same for tight turns on mountains, we were simply thrown from one end of the bus to the other every time the bus made a sharp turn. By the time we reached Nainital, my whole body was sore, head hurting, and I was feeling extremely nauseous.

The extremely sad Deluxe AC Coach from Delhi

Metallic stairs in the path, Stinking Bus, Broken Seats
Day 1 - Nainital

Surprisingly, the AC Coach did not drop us at the Mall Road but at a secluded point about a mile away from the Mall Road. As we sensed that the bus was going away from the Mall Road, a few of us requested that the bus be stopped and we be allowed to get off. The bus stopped and I, along with a few other passengers, disembarked. Despite the physical and mental state I was in, breathing in the clean Nainital air (cleaner than Delhi) and observing the early morning mist was nothing short of blissful. I chose to not take a cab and walk the distance to the Hotel (about a mile or less). Before leaving for Nainital, I had looked up online for Hotels in Nainital and had decided on staying at Hotel Himalaya on the Nainital Mall Road. Though I had not made the booking, I had called and managed to negotiate the room tariff and had got a deal of Rs 1600/- a night. (One interesting observation, in India one always finds a huge difference in the price quoted on the website or online and the price quoted when a call is placed or a personal visit is made. The tariff quoted online for the same room of Hotel Himalaya was Rs 2400/- a night, but when I called and offered Rs 1600/-, they agreed. I had a similar experience for the Bus Fare, the price quoted on RedBus.in, an online aggregator like Amazon, was slightly higher but when I called the Bus operator directly, I was charged less.)

The hotel is situated right at the Mall Road and the view from my room was simply spectacular. I felt the bathroom and bed were pedestrian but one learns to make these adjustments when travelling budget. Thankfully, I was in time to be able to a take hot water shower as the hot water runs till 11 AM only at the hotel. My hotel package did not include meals, so I decided to step out and have a Cream Roll at the bakery I had walked by earlier while on my way to the hotel.

View of the lake at Nainital Mall Road from my Hotel Room
Reaching Kainchi Dham
Kainchi Dham (Neem Karoli Baba's Ashram) is 18 Kms from the Nainital Mall Road. I had also, earlier in Delhi, run an online search on ways to get to Kainchi Dham from Nainital Mall Road and had decided on renting a 2 wheeler. On the Mall Road, very close to Hotel Himalaya, there is this two wheeler rental company by the name of Him Yatra Travels. I went to their office and rented a gearless scootie for Rs 600 (for the entire day) + the amount of petrol the vehicle consumes while i ride. The company tries to make extra money by overcharging people on the fuel consumption. They quote higher fuel consumption and make the client pay more. i.e.: For a distance of 36 Kms (to and fro Kainchi Dham), the fuel consumed by the scootie would be under 1 Litre (around Rs 70). The scootie, from my experience, should run for approximately 45 Kms on 1 litre of petrol. So, for a journey of 18 + 18 = 36 Kms, 1 Litre of petrol should be an ok deal, but the company, in their pursuit of profit, claimed that the scootie would consume 2 Litres of petrol and I should pay for 2 litres of petrol, about Rs 140. Knowing that many businesses are not very honest and exaggerate these numbers, I offered to have the scootie refueled upon my return. I asked them to help me and have the scootie filled up and when I return, I will again have it filled up (that way, upon refuelling, i would pay only for the amount of fuel i actually used). The company did not like the idea, but agreed reluctantly. (When I returned in the evening and got the scootie refueled, after riding a distance of 40 Kms - I had ridden it a little extra as I enjoyed riding in the mountains - .96 Litre of petrol was enough to fill the tank back up. Not even one complete litre.)

Back to the two wheeler renting. After agreeing on the fuel, i had to further give them a copy of my valid ID, an ID in original (they wanted my PAN Card but i managed to convince them to keep my Bank Debit Card), and some security amount, I was good to take their vehicle and start my journey for Kainchi Dham – Baba Neem Karoli’s Ashram. As it had been some time since I had ridden a two wheeler, i did not ride two wheelers much after selling my Thunderbird Motorbike 5 years ago, I was a little worried about my dexterity at riding two wheelers. But, I was happy to see that i was still ok with riding two wheelers. Riding in the mountains was quite an exhilarating experience, the tranquility of the mountains, without the cacophony of horns, and other vehicles zipping by at frantic pace make riding so much fun.

At Kainchi Dham – Neem Karoli Baba’s Ashram
Not too long into the ride, after one of the turns, the Orange coloured dome of the temple of Baba Neem Karoli’s Ashram was visible in the distance. The temple was some distance away but as it was further below in the valley I had a clear view. I stopped to click a few pictures as this was my first sighting of the temple. I resumed my journey and after a couple more turns, I was at the entrance of the temple.

First sighting of the Ashram of Neem Karoli Baba at Kainchi Dham
Neem Karoli Baba's Ashram at Kainchi Dham
One has to cross a small bridge to reach the final entrance to the Ashram. And right at this entrance is a shoe rack where devotees keep their shoes. Next, in one of the rooms, there were devotees singing Bhajan. As I proceeded ahead, in one of the rooms I saw idols of Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman. There is an open yard in the middle of the Ashram compound and the place is largely open air, surrounded by temple structures. In the corner, on the right hand side, I saw a room which I think houses Baba’s mortal remains from after the cremation. I had read that after Neem Karoli Baba passed away in Vrindavan, after the last rites, some of his mortal remains were brought to Kainchi Dham and kept here in this room. This room is in the corner of the administrative block of the temple.

Picture of Neem Karoli Baba's Ashram from the entrance



After this, we have a room where Baba’s very lifelike idol is kept. I have always found Baba’s all idols very lifelike, as if it was Baba himself sitting in front of us. I sat still there for a couple of minutes before resuming my walk in the temple. It was a wonderful feeling walking in the same complex where once Neem Karoli Baba himself had walked. There was this sense of serenity and calm about the whole place. On one of the walls I saw instructions on the decorum to be maintained in the Ashram. I noticed a signboard requesting devotees to not take pictures inside the temple complex, otherwise I would have loved to capture the beautiful Ashram on my camera.  

As I was making my way towards the exit, one Ashram member summoned me and offered me Prasad. After coming out of the Ashram, I took a few more pictures of the Ashram from the road and started my journey back to the Nainital Mall Road. As I had to pay for the scootie for the entire day and it was still early in the day, I chose to ride around a little bit in the mountains around Kainchi Dham before going back. I was also worried that should something happen to the scootie, I would be held responsible. So, without venturing out for too long I returned to Nainital.

After completing all the paperwork with the two wheeler rental company, I returned to my Hotel room and rested for a while. After an hour or so, in the evening, I stepped out of the Hotel and went for a long stroll along the famous Mall Road of Nainital. It was quite fascinating to observe goods and services being offered for people from all across the spectrum. For the affluent, there were fancy restaurants deploying large sign boards outside, advertising the cuisine offered. It was very encouraging to find an outlet of the popular American chain ‘CafĂ© Coffee Day’ at the Mall Road. For the not affluent, there were these mobile coffee vendors dotting the Mall Road. They carry the coffee maker in a small wooden case atop a bicycle and ride around. They also serve yummy Cream Rolls to go with the coffee. 

A Gurudwara, actually it was a Singh Sabha, caught my eye while walking and I turned in its direction. I did not go inside the Singh Sabha but walked in the Tibetan market around it. I was amazed with the range of items being sold by the enterprising Tibetans. From Squeeze balls to Blankets and Electronics to Momos. One thing I have noticed about the people from North East India, there dressing sense is impeccable. I have observed this in Delhi too, people who come to work from Manipur and Mizoram (North East) have a very good fashion sense, better than many of the local Delhiites. After walking for a while I felt tired and decided to retire to my Hotel Room. On my way back to the Hotel, I stopped at a Wine and Bar Shop and picked up a bottle of Beer (too bad on my part to be unable to recollect the name now. It was not a regular brand that we find in Delhi, that is why I am upset about forgetting its name). From another shop, I purchased 2 packets of Haldiram’s peanuts. Back in the Hotel room, I turned the News on and enjoyed the beer and the solitude. Not long after that I could find myself feeling heavy headed and slowly falling asleep. (Thank god the Television set had a remote that worked and I could turn the TV off from where I lay on the bed).

Lake at Nainital Mall Road at night
Day 2 – Nainital to Kukuchina

The next day, I managed to wake up before my normal waking up time. It was 10th October 2013, Thursday and I was up at 5 AM, which was good as we had a long day ahead of ourselves. Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave in Kukuchina is about 110 Kms from where I was in Nainital. So, it was imperative that I made an early start and covered maximum distance during the good part of the day. I quickly freshened up and stepped out of the Hotel to enjoy an early morning walk in the pristine beauty of pollution free Nainital. Surprisingly, as early as 5:50 AM, there were considerable number of people outside: Taxi drivers, Bus Operators, Hawkers, Mobile Coffee sellers etc. I also noticed a number of people out for some exercise and running. There were some dog walkers too. I took the same track I had walked on last night. Upon reaching one of the ‘exotic’ Mobile Coffee Vendors (exotic because I have not seen this in Delhi) I was too tempted to not try. So, succumbing to my craving, I ordered for a coffee and a cream roll. Needless to say both were Yum. I reached the same Gurudwara (Singh Sabha) road and noticed a mini-stadium right across the road. I noticed dozens of youngsters playing Cricket and Hockey and some simply running. In one corner of the stadium, there were girls practicing Hockey shots with their male coach. I felt it was quite encouraging to see girls trying their hand at a physically demanding sport. There was a beautiful mosque on one side of the stadium and I could not resist the temptation of taking a few pictures.

Bus Stop at Nainital Mall Road 

Beautiful morning by the lake at Nainital 

Majestic Mosque

Early morning callisthenics

Taken from the mini stadium / play ground at the Mall Road

Beautiful Nainital Mall Road
After a long walk, I returned to my Hotel Room and took a hot water shower. As I had to return to Delhi in the night, I packed my bag with all my belongings so that I could Check Out of the Hotel. At about 8:20 AM, I reached the Hotel Reception and asked for settling the bill. I was carrying my bag with me. As I had to rent the motorbike again today, for the journey to Kukuchina and back, I requested the Hotel to keep my bag with them and told them that I would collect the bag in the evening when I came back to Nainital for the night bus to Delhi. The Hotel staff took the bag and issued me a receipt for it. After making the payment of Rs 1600/- to the Hotel, I headed for the two wheeler rental company's office and was there in about 5 minutes. The owner was not there at this time but one of the employees (who I was told stays there for the night) had opened the office. 

Seeing me again at their office and knowing my purpose (from the brief discussion yesterday), the employee placed a call to the owner Mr Bisht. As not every day is the same, today I felt a little change and rigidity in Mr Bisht’s approach. He said he would not only charge higher today, as I was renting a motorbike today and not the scootie, which was something I was fine with, but would also charge me extra for every hour i kept their vehicle starting 6 PM (Additional charges for the time i kept their vehicle after 6 PM). 

Also, for fuel, Mr Bisht said he would not be able to extend the tank filling up approach today and that I will have to pay for the fuel basis the following calculation: 1 Litre of fuel for every 20 Kms, which would mean (Rs 72 * (220/20) Kms) = Rs 800). From my experience I know that motorbikes consume 1 Litre of fuel for every 40 Kms (in city conditions). While these were mountains and motorbikes cannot be ridden fast, there is no constant stopping too, which increases the fuel consumption. I would have still been ok with a more reasonable approach like 40 Kms for every Litre, that way the fuel total would come to about Rs 400. But, Mr Bisht did not budge. This, on top of the fact that yesterday I had paid whole day rental for using the scootie for just 2 hours. It was not about the money but feeling disappointed by such mindset, I decided to not rent the motorbike from Him Yatra Travels today. 

As I walked out of their office, I was wondering which other motorbike rental company I could go to. As I reached the Bus Stop on the Mall Road, I approached a Cab driver who had a fairly new car (a comfortable Maruti Wagon-R, not the usual small Maruti Alto). I enquired from him about charges for getting me to Dunagiri and back to Nainital, he replied Rs 2400. When i enquired about Volvo Coaches going from Nainital to Delhi, he mentioned that I could get Volvos from Haldwani (from the foothill) and not from Nainital. As Volvos are low floor buses, they do not ply on Nainital route because of its steep climbs and sharp turns. Like some switch turned on in my mind, I asked how much would he charge to drop me at Haldwani (40 Kms from Nainital – in the opposite direction of the cave). Nainital to the Dunagiri Cave and dropping at Haldwani, he said he would charge Rs 2700. I tried negotiating a little but that is not my strength and I agreed on Rs 2700 for dropping me to Haldwani after visiting Kukuchina. Before leaving for Kukuchina, we made a quick stop at the Hotel and picked up my bag, I would not be returning for the bag now. As we made our way through the winding roads of Uttrakhand, I was busy making a mental note of the amount I would end up spending. Taking the cab had definitely doubled this particular expenditure of getting to the cave, but I would not have to worry about the risks of riding a two wheeler and returning it in the evening. Plus, now I had a ride till Haldwani which is in the plains and I could travel back in a comfortable Volvo on my return journey to Delhi.

Enroute Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave
The path from Nainital to Dunagiri goes through Ranikhet is very beautiful. Mountains and green vegetation in whichever direction one looks at. There was absolute silence and no signs of human beings around. This tranquility was quite inviting and i found myself battling with the thought of someday giving up my city life for the mountains. Back on our journey, as we reached Ranikhet, we crossed a couple of Army checkpoints as this area is under Army control. I was, in parallel, tracking our progress on the Google App on my phone. This app has been my companion on many trips now and I resort to it even in city, when I lose track of the directions.  

Dwarahat comes after Ranikhet and has some very beautiful views of the mountains and green trees. After crossing Dwarahat, we finally reached Dunagiri. The Dunagiri temple is a big attraction among devotees and upon reaching this point, I noticed a stream of devotees purchasing prayer items from the vendors dotting the road leading to the temple. After this, the road turns to the right as we continue on our journey to Kukuchina. We noticed a milestone on the right indicating 5 Kms for Kukuchina, the final point on this road. Not too long after this, the road in front of us came to an end and upon looking sideways, I saw Joshi Restaurant (Click for Google Map Link) and its owner, the young Mr Joshi. Senior Mr Joshi passed away some years back and his son now manages the restaurant. He greets cave visitors with the same warmth and hospitality as senior Mr Joshi. Noticing our car stop, Mr Joshi did not need any further hints about our purpose of visit and rushed towards us with a broad smile on his face.

Joshi Restaurant at Kukuchina, Uttrakhand (Right opposite the restaurant, in the mountains, is Mahavatar Babaji's Cave)
Young Mr Joshi
I mentioned to Mr Joshi the purpose of my visit and the fact that I had read about his restaurant, his father, and also about his father's passing away on blogs of fellow Cave travellers. Mr Joshi seemed to be aware of his restaurant featuring on the net. I enquired from him about visitors and mentioned to him that he was quite fortunate to be living so close to Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave. Actually, the cave is situated in the mountain right opposite Mr Joshi’s restaurant. 

Mountain housing Mahavatar Babaji's Cave, right opposite Joshi Restaurant

View of the mountains from Joshi Restaurant
We chatted briefly and, as it was lunch time 1:00 PM and we were tired, I requested for Maggi for myself and the cab driver Ramesh. The distance I had covered so far, 300 Kms Delhi to Nainital and 110 Kms from Nainital to Kukuchina. While Mr Joshi was busy preparing Maggi, I enjoyed the beautiful view of the mountains around us and felt glad to be finally so close to the cave. I noticed a black Dog in front of the Dhaba. I had read on some blogs that he sometimes guides devotees, who walk to the cave, on their way back from the cave. I offered a few buns from Mr Joshi’s shop to the Dog who, given the pace with which he consumed them, was quite famished. 

Hungry Friendly Dog :)
Soon, Mr Joshi arrived with the sumptuous Maggi and I had an opportunity to chat with him while I ate my Maggi. He narrated stories of people, over the years, coming from all parts of the world to visit the cave. He narrated story of a point down the hill where one of the Pandavas Bhim engaged in a fight with someone thousands of years ago. Mr Joshi also mentioned that he had built rooms for people who come to visit the cave, to rest and stay. He showed me the register he maintains where some visitors make entries about their experience. I could have chatted the whole day with Mr Joshi and would have loved to hear stories from him on Babaji, Neem Karoli Baba and other saints, but I was worried that if there was a sudden change in the weather, I would lose out on my opportunity of visiting the cave.

After settling the bill with Mr Joshi, we proceeded, on car, on the final unpaved stretch to the cave. This stretch is some 3 Kms and is quite narrow. On some parts, it has concrete slabs, some parts have gravel and some have just mud. There were no sign boards on this road and we were worried about losing our path or going ahead and missing the trek starting point (the final stretch to the cave is a 20 minute trek). I had read about the boards put up by the Yogoda Satsang Society (YSS) and kept looking for them. Finally, after we reached a water stream we saw that the road did not go any further and it was here that we saw the first board indicating towards the cave.

Final stretch (unpaved) before the cave




Water Stream right before the Trek's starting point
First board and the Trek Starting Point 
The Trek to the Cave
Glad and relieved, we parked the car next to the water stream and began our trek. The path is well formed now, I guess a result of years of travelling by devotees, but it is slippery in parts. In some parts, it is quite steep. As this was the middle of the jungle, the calm around us coupled with the trees and mountains made it an experience to cherish. I was getting tired with the climb but the adrenalin kept me going. There was this amazing sense of adventure too about this place, walking in the middle of the jungle away from civilization. The winding path to the cave just did not seem to end and at every turn I prayed to god that it was the last. At one turn, I saw a gentleman standing quietly on the path, alone in the middle of this jungle. I smiled at him, did a quick Pranaam, and pressed on. The cab driver Ramesh behind me told me that the stranger had gestured towards a steeper climb which was a shortcut and would get us to the cave faster. For two reasons, I did not want to follow the advice: i) I wanted to take the normal, longer path (as this was like a pilgrimage :)) and, ii) My fear of losing track of the path and getting lost. But, Ramesh was insistent and took the path with the steeper climb. I did not want to follow but reluctantly agreed. Being not the normal route, this path did not have those indicator boards and I was quite worried and kept an eye out for the elusive board. After a few minutes, I saw one board right ahead of me. I was overjoyed, as I was, thankfully, not lost. After some more walking, I saw the Smriti Bhawan emerge from behind the trees and the path. I was exhausted at this point and could feel my heart throb heavily.

One of the many indicative boards on the Trek
Path on the Trek
Trek to the Cave
Trek continued
The stranger who directed us to the cave shortcut

Babaji Smriti Bhawan
A note for fellow cave travellers, this climb is a little demanding and not very easy, so please people with any heart condition or any other physical ailment, be extra cautious and come prepared. Doing this climb might be extremely difficult and if your body does not permit you, you might be ok not attempting.

I wanted to take some rest at this point at Babaji Smriti Bhawan, but as I had read that the cave is just a couple of minutes from the Smriti Bhawan, I did not want to stop now. A devotee dressed in yellow / orange attire appeared at the Smriti Bhawan entrance and mentioned that the cave is just a few minutes away. This did provide my fast depleting energy reservoir some boost and we carried on without stopping. After a few more beautiful stretches, we reached that final bend, which, I had seen in the videos, is the point from where the final steps to the cave start. And soon thereafter, we were at the entrance of the cave. The devotee back at the Smriti Bhawan had told us that the cave door was not locked (I had read online that the cave door is sometimes locked and someone in the village keeps the key with him. I did not know at what time the cave is kept locked, so I had asked the devotee at Smriti Bhawan about the lock).  

The cave door had a latch on but that is all. With folded hands and millions of thanks in my heart, I undid the latch and opened the cave door. I felt ecstatic to have made it to the cave and it was quite beautiful to finally step inside the cave and see it in real life (after seeing it only on the net). It took us about 20 minutes to complete the entire trek (I am saying this from making note of the time stamps on my pictures in the computer, from the time when I took the first picture of the board in the beginning and the time on the pictures I took inside the cave). I noticed that a part of the cave was plastered and sealed off, perhaps there was a further path ahead but the cave management felt it was best to keep that part out of bounds. The cave felt cooler than the temperature outside and there was a sweet smell of incense in the air. The moment I sat still, I started sweating profusely, a result of the steep climb and the layers of clothing I had on me. I had a T-Shirt, Sweat shirt, and a heavy Jacket on me. I took the Jacket and the Sweat shirt off and it felt quite better. Shortly thereafter, we could hear raindrops outside. Ramesh was quite worried about his car getting stuck in the soft earth on the unpaved path and we had to make a hurried exit from the Cave, without stopping at the Smriti Bhawan. In about 10 minutes, we were back at the car and began our return journey. We stopped briefly at Joshi Restaurant and thanked Mr Joshi for his kind hospitality and guidance.

Final steps right before Mahavatar Babaji's Cave
Entrance - Mahavatar Babaji's Cave

Mahavatar Babaji Cave pictures

Mahavatar Babaji Cave pictures

Mahavatar Babaji Cave pictures

Mahavatar Babaji Cave pictures
View of the mountains from the Trek while returning
Last leg of the journey – drive to Haldwani
We had decided earlier that I will directly go to Haldwani, and not Nainital. Haldwani is about 40 Kms ahead of Nainital, but a bypass could directly take us to Haldwani from Kukuchina without having to cross Nainital. At about 2:30 PM, we started from Kukuchina and began our drive for Haldwani. We crossed the same path we had come on: Kukuchina to Dunagiri to Dwarahat to Ranikhet. We stopped for some refreshments around 4:30 PM, at a place called Uprari, as the cab driver Ramesh was feeling a little sleepy and wanted to break for Tea. I took some pictures of the beautiful mountains around, and of some plantations the owner of the Refreshment shop had grown. He showed me some Guavas that he had grown. I could see plants laden with Amla aka Gooseberry and took a couple of pictures. 

Beautiful view at Uprari

Gooseberry plantation at Uprari

View of the valley from Uprari
We started one last time for our destination Haldwani, from Uprari. Somewhere from Bhuwali we took the turn which would take us directly to Haldwani, bypassing Nainital. As we reached the plains, I could feel the weather getting a little warmer. It was wonderful to see establishments like McDonalds, Dominos’ etc. open up in Tier 2, 3 cities (Haldwani) of India. At about 7:15 PM, I was at the Haldwani Bus Stop and bid adieu to Ramesh. For his entire day’s effort, and the extra 16 odd Kms that he had to drive (I had told him that I have to go to Dunagiri, but Kukuchina was 5 Kms further and the drive to the cave was another 3 Kms), I finally paid Ramesh Rs 3000 (He asked to be paid that amount and as I was thrilled to have been able to visit the cave, I did not think too much about paying him little extra, if that made him happy).

Haldwani Bus Stop
I had no inkling that it would be a full-fledged Bus Stop at Haldwani, just like I.S.B.T. in New Delhi. There were a number of buses preparing to commence their journey to various parts of India: Dehradun, Delhi, Kullu etc. I approached the ticket counter and enquired about the Volvo Bus plying on the Delhi route. The gentleman at the counter told me that the Volvo for Delhi starts at 8:30 PM. I asked him how much time does the coach take to reach Delhi, to which he answered, about 8 hours. It was still 7:20 PM and I enquired if there was an earlier bus, he mentioned there was a Deluxe AC Bus leaving in a short while, but fresh from my recent ordeal in a Deluxe AC bus, I decided to travel by Volvo and wait another hour. I purchased the Volvo ticket which costed Rs 600. In the 1 hour that I had, I walked around a little bit in the Haldwani Market before finally boarding the Volvo at around 8:15 PM.

Returning to Delhi    
I was sceptical about the condition of the Volvo Bus, as I had once travelled in a very messed up, shabby Volvo coach, as well. Thankfully, this Volvo was quite new and very well maintained, both inside and outside. We started sharp at 8:30 PM and made slow progress with some stops in between, on our journey to Anand Vihar Bus Stop (the final disembarking point in Delhi). The Volvo ride was the exact opposite of what I had experienced on my way to Nainital. The driver drove in a very controlled manner and the cooling inside was maintained at a very comfortable temperature. The distance from Haldwani to Delhi is 275 Kms and we took 8 hours to cover it, reaching Delhi at 4:30 AM the next morning, Friday, 11th October 2013. I could not help but think that in a state-of-the-art Volvo, can we not cover this distance a little faster from the current average speed of about 35 Kms Per Hour. Anyway, I do not want to jinx it as the Volvo was driven quite well and I could manage to catch a good amount of sleep. I was absolutely not fatigued when I disembarked at Anand Vihar in Delhi in the morning.

The Volvo dropped us right next to the Metro Train point at Anand Vihar Bus Stop, but as the Metro Train is not operational before 6:00 AM, I had to take an auto-rickshaw. It took us some 45 minutes to reach home from Anand Vihar Bus Stop. I had to pay night charges for the auto-rickshaw and the ride till my house in South Delhi costed Rs 320. By the grace of Babaji, this turned out to be quite a memorable trip.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Volvo ride to Tirthan Valley (near Kullu) from Delhi

It is one of the hottest months of Delhi's summer (June), when i thought of taking a break from the national capital's blistering heat of June 2012 (the months of May and June regularly witness day temperature crossing 45 degrees Celsius or 113 degrees Fahrenheit) and seeking refuge in the cooler and salubrious environment of the nearby hills of Kullu and Manali in Himachal Pradesh.

The hill stations of Kullu and Manali are approximately 500-550 Kms from New Delhi and it takes about 8-9 hour drive to get there. Kullu comes first, about 500 Kms and Manali is further 40 odd Kms from Kullu.

Getting to Kullu-Manali from New Delhi
Driving yourself or taking a ride in one of the Deluxe / Volvo buses are the two top options of going to Kullu - Manali from Delhi. As i was going alone, i felt driving would not be the best decision especially as it involved driving in the hills. Which often have extremely narrow path and broken roads.

Fortunately, there are a number of bus operators running their Deluxe and Volvo Bus service from Delhi to Kullu-Manali and return. I remember running a Google search for bus operators to Manali a year or so earlier and getting hit by a swarm of operators, in the search result, plying their buses on the Delhi-Manali-Delhi route charging Rs 700 - Rs 1000 for one side travel. This time, however, the search result for deluxe buses did not show up the same swelling number of operators, instead it showed services offered primarily by MakeMyTrip and RedBus (MakeMyTrip is a leading travel company in India and RedBus is a recent player in the business of centralized bus ticketing across a large number of bus operators).

Convinced that the surfacing of MakeMyTrip and RedBus would only mean tickets getting more expensive, as MakeMyTrip and RedBus would also keep a margin on the ticket for themselves, i chose to purchase the ticket from one the operators directly, the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (http://www.hptdc.nic.in/welcome.html). I enquired on the phone and learned that there were a number of seats available on the Volvo Bus to Kullu and Manali from Delhi. Some non-Volvo deluxe buses are quite wonderful too (i remember taking a deluxe AC Bus from ISBT to Chandigarh when i travelled to Kasol, near Kullu, a year back and that bus was amazing. Attaching a picture of the Deluxe Bus), but i decided to not take any chances and opt for the best available bus - which was the Volvo. I also decided to not pay online and instead go to their office in Chanderlok Building in Connaught Place and pay them right there.

The wonderful non-Volvo Deluxe AC Bus i had taken from ISBT - Delhi 2 years earlier while going to Kasol via Chandigarh
Deciding on travelling to Tirthan Valley (popular for Trout Fishing) just before Kullu
All this while, i was also recollecting how much i enjoyed being in Kasol, which is a small and secluded town near the popular and touristy Kullu, when i was holidaying in 2009. I decided to visit another place, away from the rush and noise, near Kullu known as Tirthan Valley. This place is away from the hustle and bustle of a main city like Manali or Kullu yet offers the same picturesque view of the surroundings. For reaching Tirthan Valley, one has to take the same Kullu-Manali bus and take a diversion upon reaching Aut which comes 28 Kms before Kullu (Aut is approximately 470 Kms from Delhi). As the bus has its structured plan, one has to make his own travel arrangement after getting down at Aut. Tirthan Valley is 28 Kms from Aut. When my Volvo coach reached Aut, i got down and searched around for a cab or some other vehicle which would take me to Tirthan Valley. I finally found an Alto Taxi and paid Rs 700 (which i feel was steep but i suck at negotiation skills). Earlier, upon doing a little online research, i had decided i will stay at Raju Bharti's Guest House (http://www.indiamike.com/india/himachal-pradesh-f29/driving-time-from-ambala-to-gushaini-t161113/) in Tirthan Valley.

Purchasing the Volvo ticket from Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation
Now back to the part of the day, few hours earlier, when i reached Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's counter in Chanderlok Building to purchase a ticket. I opted for the Volvo bus as i wanted to take the tried and tested option - to my surprise the ticket price here was Rs 1150, which was more than what was offered by MakeMyTrip and RedBus.Realizing that it was too late in the day to mull over it, i purchased the 1150 rupee ticket. I was given a receipt and a ticket along with a gentleman's number and asked to coordinate with him at the starting point of the bus journey which was 2-3 Kms from Chanderlok Building office where i was at that moment.

I flagged down an auto-rickshaw and it took us barely 5-10 minutes to reach the journey's starting point. Upon reaching the point, i saw a number of other travellers (Domestic and Internationalboth) waiting for the bus. I enquired for the Himachal Tourism's contact person and when told he was not around began to wait with the other travellers on the road. This contact person showed up a few minutes later and his behaviour clearly leaned towards the goon types and he acted as if i was travelling on the bus not because i paid for it (and paid handsomely) but because he decided to have mercy on me and allowed me a free ride on 'his' bus. With minimum conversation, i exchanged the necessary information and intimated him that i had a ticket for the Kullu bus. He checked my ticket details and told me that the bus will come in some time.  

Volvo Bus shock and disappointment
I decided to wait with other travellers. I had another half an hour to go before as per the indicated departure time for the bus. I walked around a little and tried reading my book. After about 20 minutes, an old, not pleasant looking Volvo Bus pulled up and entered the inner lane where we all were waiting. The bus easily looked 20 years old with its paint coming off, dirty windows, ripped window blinds and seat covers. There were dirty marks all over in the inside of the bus and it looked like that the bus had not been cleaned in ages forget having a paint job. I was chuckling inside at the thought that some schmuck paid for a namesake Volvo and will now get to travel in this disgrace of a 'bus' (i am not using the word Volvo here). To my dismay, we were told that this is the 'Volvo bus' for Kullu-Manali and that passengers should board. At this moment, i felt like turning around and going back home without even getting into the trouble of asking for a refund from the goon agent. Having born and brought up in India, i knew there is nothing i could do - and i guess so did everyone else as none of the other passengers even batted an eyelid and started boarding. I did hear one girl, overseas traveller - probably American, complain that she would like to go in a good bus, to which, the helper assisting her replied, "This is also good bus."

I would have any day preferred travelling in a roadways bus operated by Haryana government than this so called Volvo, the fair difference alone would have been worth it. However, reminding myself of the destiny of being a middle-class Indian - of living with this day to day compromise and corruption, i picked a seat towards the middle of the bus careful not to touch anything as the very sight of the bus interiors was nauseating. Kudos to some operators who are able to extract money from people by adopting such means. As i was looking for a seat in the bus, i saw a fairly new, clean and well maintained Volvo bus pull up next to ours which further aggravated my injury of realizing that of the 2 available options i had to get the worst one. I learned that the other well kept Volvo was headed for Dharamshala and upon closer look i realized that since there were majority international travellers for Dharamshala (possibly a religious trip) in that bus, perhaps the operator was careful and ensured a clean and well maintained bus - but not for his own countrymen as we know each other well enough to provide a decent treatment. (Sigh, the Middle class Indian life!).

Anyway, we started our journey and after making 3-4 unscheduled stops to pick up people, headed for Kullu-Manali, from the road, who would ofcourse not foot the entire tab that me and most others who purchased the ticket legally did, and this revenue ofcourse would stay with the bus helpers and driver only and not reach the management, we were outside Delhi in 40 odd minutes and cruising towards our hilly destination.

The rest of the journey went on with minor inconveniences and niggles, and very soon i could see my drop point Aut coming in sight. I made my way up to the front of the bus and stayed there for the last couple kilometers before we finally reached Aut, the driver and helper were quite helpful and helped me with my luggage when i alighted from the bus.

Tirthan Valley
The Alto cab took me to Raju Bhartia's Guest House, while i had not made prior bookings, i did store their telephone numbers and address on my mobile phone from their website. After about 45 minutes of driving in the beautiful valley and passing some sensitive government project sites, we finally reached Raju Bhartia's Guest House. Looking at the narrow roads and the pot holes adorning them, i felt it was the right move to not get my car - however, someone having a tough Indian manufactured automobile like a Scorpio, or even some Maruti car like the Swift or SX4 would not have much trouble. People driving cars with low ground clearance could avoid these roads.

View of the beautiful Tirthan Valley
Upon reaching Raju Bhartia's Guest House, i learned that their guest house had no free rooms available. I felt quite disappointed with myself as i had read interesting things about this Guest House. I tried to probe if they had anything for 1 person - to which their answer was the same. The cab driver suggested another place down the road which he said he had heard was good too. This other place's name is The Himalayan Trout House (http://www.mountainhighs.com/). The place is managed by an anglo-Indian Mr Christopher Mitra (christophermitra@hotmail.com) and his wife. As it was holidays, their son was also seen playing with the wide paraphernalia put up there. While they seemed well-heeled, it appeared they had decided to make Tirthan Valley their permanent stay. As i spent more time there, i learned that they actually stayed in this valley throughout the year. Christopher has an uncle (Irish) who stays further up in Manali and has been in India for decades. The uncle had come to India with his father who was in the service of the British Government back in the days when India used to be a British colony. The uncle keeps coming to Tirthan Valley to meet Christopher and his family and we had the opportunity to meet him too.  They all have a strong liking for India, having spent their entire life here, and despite India's challenges they seemed happy living here.

The Himalayan Trout House is very well made and maintained. I would rate it a 3.5 to 4 on 5. The rooms are well kept from inside and the rest room is neat and tidy too. The food served is good and fresh. Christopher's wife makes wonderful Trout Fish which i, being a vegetarian, was unfortunate to have not been able to try.

My room at The Himalayan Trout House



As i did not have elaborate plans, i was happy to kick back and chill around. I took directions from the owner Christopher on places to see around and he suggested that i visit a nearby waterfall in the mountains. It was a little bit of a trek but he said it was well worth it. I followed his instructions and trekked up and down the valley through paved and unpaved tracks and finally reached the waterfall. 

Stretch just before the waterfall
The short trek was both fun and scary too, as i was alone and the thought of having to fend for myself should anything happen, was a little unsettling. Given that this was actually a jungle with wild animals. I checked on the possibility of running into wild animals and was told that they generally stay higher in the mountains and come down only when there is scarcity of food in the higher altitudes, which happens during the winters as everything is frozen at the top.


The Waterfall



After returning from the trek, i was quite exhausted and chose to relax a little. I was there for 1 more day and the next day i decided to walk around and just enjoy the surrounding. It was so amazing to see trees and plants laden with ripe vegetables and fruits. I saw a number of apple and tomato plantations with ripe apples and tomatoes. It was quite a wonderful sight.

Tomatoes
 
Apples
The valley offers quite a spectacular view of nature at its untamed best. With tall mountains and rivers carrying strong current, and green vegetation all around - the valley offers a splendid view.


View of Tirthan Valley from a small bridge
 I spent 2 nights there and was ready to head back on the evening of the 3rd day. Fortunately, some friends of the owner at The Himalayan Trout House were also from Delhi and were heading back the same day. I requested if i could hitch a ride with them till the main road outside the valley from where i could catch a bus to Delhi. They mentioned that they were going there too and had a Volvo to catch, i mentioned that i would like to go on the same Volvo - they very kindly checked with their friend and told me that there was enough room on the bus for me and they will be glad to take me along. 

I left in the evening with the friends of the owner and boarded a Volvo from Aut for Rs 1000. Thankfully, this was a far superior Volvo than the one in which i had come. It was very clean and looked not very old. Happy to pay 1000 rupees. There are some operators who do provide decent service - and i would like to add that while a good bus, this was not a top of the line luxury bus, but a decent comfortable coach. And frankly, i did not seek much more than that. (Sadly, their advertisements carry tall claims of ultra luxury coaches when what you get in reality some times is something which is just one notch better than the roadways bus).

We reached New Delhi the next morning, and i parted ways with the friends of the Hotel owners and flagged down an auto-rickshaw for rest of the journey home.

Total Expenditure = Rs 8000 to Rs 9000 approximately for 2 nights (including everything).