To the birthplace of Lord Ganesha – the Dodital Darwa pass trek

Sitting peacefully by the tranquil Dodital lake, I found it difficult to visualize the battleground it had once been. This is where the wrath of the Lord of Lords had resulted in the beheading of a child – a child who was only safeguarding his mother, a child who would then be brought to life with an elephant’s head, a child who would consequently be blessed by all the Gods, a child who would attain the boon of always being worshipped first before anyone else. Perambulating around the lake, I recalled the legend which mentions that Maa Parvati, Lord Shiva’s consort bathed in the Dodital lake and then went to a nearby cave to change. Lest she be seen, she created a child out of the sandal paste she had smeared on herself and some earth and infused life into it. The child was instructed not to let anyone enter while she was there. Lord Shiva, looking for his wife, was surprised when the child was adamant and wouldn’t let him enter. What’s more, the Lord’s ganas also failed to deter the resolute child. The angry lord Shiva finally beheaded the child. Maa Parvati on realizing what had happened, resolutely demanded that the child be brought to life. Lord Shiva, on discerning his mistake asked his ganas to get the head of the first animal they sighted in the forest. The animal chanced upon was a baby elephant and it was attached to the child’s lifeless body and Lord Shiva then infused life into it. Thus was born Lord Ganesha – created by Maa Parvati and brought to life by Lord Shiva.

So, before I venture to write this travelogue, I bow my head in obeisance.

Ganpati Bappa Mourya, Mangal Moorti Mourya

Reaching the base camp in Uttarkashi

This trek had been on my list for quite some time for obvious reasons – I wanted to experience being in the birthplace of Lord Ganesha. It would’ve been ideal to combine it with visiting Yamunotri but that wasn’t to be. Technology, as we all know, has its advantages and flaws, so when, for the first time in my YHAI experience, a WhatsApp group was created before the trek and my group members’ names were posted, I tried my best to not look at it – I wanted to know them only when I met them and not before. I didn’t want to lose the element of surprise. However, curiosity got the better of me and frankly, I was dejected to find out that ten members already knew each other and had booked the trek together. I’d experienced in my previous treks how people from the same group kept to themselves throughout the trek. Well, well, I said to myself; there was nothing to be done.

So, when Viju (I’ve been asked to call her that and not Mam) peeped into our jeep and started conversing, the ice was broken. Ten Bengalureans and three Mumbaikars travelled from Dehradun to Uttarkashi in two jeeps. This was going to be my eleventh YHAI trek. It took us around six hours to cover about 140 kms with a few breaks en route to reach Uttarkashi. The drive was scenic and it always feels good reaching the mountains. As we neared Uttarkashi, the gurgling of the Bhagirathi (Ganga) welcomed us along with trees in full bloom, especially the ones fully laden with purple flowers (Neeli Gulmohar or Blue Jacaranda). Our accommodation was in a hotel with a beautiful view of the valley, river and the villages that lined it. We had barely settled in when the sky started rumbling and soon it started pouring. This was only a glimpse of what we were to experience ahead. Sitting cozily, sipping tea, we were briefed about the trek and also shared about our past trekking experiences. It was still drizzling when we called it a day but the pitter-patter of the rain could hardly abate the glorified sounds of snoring.

Uttarkashi to Agoda to Bebra camp

The morning had the sun smiling and a two-hour jeep ride post our breakfast took us to the village of Agoda via Sangam Chatti. The driver told us how Sangam Chatti used to be an important landmark once but landslides had taken away entire hamlets and no-one stayed there now. A green board told us we were there and we offloaded our luggage; some preferred mules carrying their luggage throughout the trek while a few carried them themselves. If one needs to hire mules, Agoda is the village one can get them from. The trek started through narrow alleys surrounded by rustic houses – some were really old and beautiful wooden houses. As some of us were posing in front of the houses, a few of us meanwhile were being interviewed by journalists from Doordarshan channel. Very soon we entered the forest and were sheltered by the canopy of tall, majestic trees.  Rhododendrons added colour to the trail every now and them; the locals call it Buransh and a nice soothing drink is made from its flowers. The trek from Agoda to the Bebra camp was a very short gradually uphill one (3 kms) and we had hardly broken a sweat when we reached a nice gurgling stream only to realise that we had already reached the Bebra camp.

When we had been told earlier that the Bebra camp comprised of shepherd’s huts, it sounded romantic but it was just three small dark rooms in a brick and mortar house that we occupied. The afternoon was made eventful with we playing games like ‘Dog and the bone’, ‘Blind Man’s buff’ and another funny one called ‘Laddu laddu timaya, yen bek malaya’. Rekha ji showed us a few dance steps and Viju taught us the German alphabet as well while there was soulful singing and dancing from others. Gauging from the fun and laughter we had, it can be easily said that everyone was feeling at home. After a while, Adarsh, Pratibha and I followed the waterfall for a distance and then it started to drizzle; the rains wouldn’t leave us alone. In the night, we had a wonderful Antakshari session where Pratibha readily showed her pratibha and as we stepped out after it, we could see that the clouds had cleared and ‘like diamonds in the sky’, ‘twinkled twinkled the little stars’ – magical!

Bebra to Manjhi camp

Sitting by the stream early in the morning was really therapeutic. The sound of the flowing water, the fresh air and the chirping of the birds had a very calming effect and a little wooden bridge made the picture perfect. A couple of white-capped redstarts flittered on the rocks and their red tails were a wondrous sight. Kusuma ji, like I would find on other days of the trek, was my 5 o’clock partner as she was an early riser and took in the surroundings and captured it in her videos.

We had a nice and useful yoga session in the morning conducted by Rekha ji and Chhaya ji and departed from Bebra camp after our tea and breakfast and singing the national anthem at around 8. Today’s was to be a 9 km uphill trek and everyone’s endurance and readiness for the later Darwa pass trek was to be tested. The trek again was through dense forests of tall pine and deodhar trees and partly along narrow paths along the mountains with steep cliffs to the right. Every now and then the scenery opened up and you could see the layered majestic mountains green and brown as far as the eye could see. We took our first break at a Chhatri (a shed) which indicated that the steepest of climbs for the day was done. This is the last place that network is available so everyone called home. The spot was perfect for taking pictures as it offered a panoramic view of the mountains and skies and we obliged. Golden eagles gliding effortlessly with their wings spread only made one wonder the views they were blessed with.  After resting for a while, we continued on our journey. About 2.5 kms later, one comes across a makeshift dhaba which was to be our lunch point. It is the last source of water as well for the day’s trek. Eating your lunch in the middle of the forest surrounded by greenery is a treat, with mules being ushered past your window, woodfire burning in the kitchen, maggi being cooked on it, the trek and other things being discussed in the verandah, designed ornately with trees and flowers of various colours, sunlight finding its way through the dense foliage and the majestic mountains extending the frame. As your body cools down after all the walking, one suddenly starts feeling chilly. 

Post lunch, we had another 2.5 kms to cover and our next camp at Manjhi was again at a small hillock, past a few deserted shepherd’s huts. It had started raining by the time we reached the camp. Bebra (a dog) had followed us from Bebra (the place) and was to guide as all the way to the Darwa pass and back. I’ve now got used to being accompanied by a canine companion on each trek – they’re Lord Shiva’s soldiers sent to guard us. It reminded me of Jalori pass where a dog had followed us for more than 30 kms as we cycled to the last camp and then just disappeared.

The camp leader was only telling me how it had hailed heavily a few days ago, when as if eavesdropping, nature wanted to give us a first-hand experience, and it started hailing. And boy, did it put on a show! Nestled under a tent, sipping hot tea and enjoying popcorn and mathri, we experienced cotton balls being pelted from the sky, only heavier and harder. Within minutes, the entire surface around us had turned white and was covered with hail. It hailed for about an hour and then there was a constant drizzle and the temperature dropped considerably, so retiring into our tents was supposedly the best thing to do.  

 

Manjhi to Dodital

The skies were absolutely clear in the morning and the snow-capped peaks of Bunderpoonch could be seen in the distance. Manjhi is not even a hamlet; it’s just a small place en route to Dodital which shepherds use to let their flocks graze. The trek from Manjhi to Dodital is again an easy 5 kms one through the forests. A gradual ascent marks the first part of the trek until one reaches the Bhairav Baba temple. It’s a total descent after that all the way till Dodital.

I was ahead of the group and as I followed the curved ascending path right after crossing a stream, a blind bend awaited. Just as I navigated the blind bend, though only momentarily, I saw a deer ten paces away from me. It would have been walking the same path a few seconds later but as it put its next step ahead on the slope, our eyes met, it saw me and instantly darted back into the forest. I was amazed at its lightening speed; in a second it had disappeared, without the fear of crashing into a tree or hurting itself. Nature! Nature! I will never forget the look in the deer’s eye. A similar thing happened after I crossed the Bhairav Baba temple; I probably disturbed a lazing Monal as it soon took flight on seeing me. It was a female and it was the first time I had seen a Monal in flight. I had had sightings of Monal before on my Tungnath trek.

There was not a human soul around the Dodital lake when I walked around it. It was so peaceful. The Ganesh temple was at one end of the lake, a Shiva temple near it and the lake was surrounded by trees and mountains on all sides. A small narrow stream of gurgling water flowed into the lake. We were to go to the source of this stream the next day as ahead lay the path to Darwa pass. The placid waters of the lake were rippled intermittently by fish occasionally popping their heads up and then diving back. The Dodital lake is known to house Himalayan trouts and other fish. After my perambulation, I sat by the lake for quite some time trying to go over the legend of the birth of Lord Ganesha. The priest invited to open the doors of the temple but I was waiting for my trek mates and said that we’ll come together post lunch. So, post lunch, we all visited the temple and the Panditji disclosed that we had arrived on the very auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya and performed an extensive puja. He also narrated the story of the birth of Lord Ganesha apart from telling a few more incredible tales. There’s a small black bird, he said, that picks up each leaf or twig that falls into the lake, and that’s how the lake always happens to be clean. He also mentioned that on the second or third night of Diwali, he has heard the giggles and incomprehensible conversations of ladies around the lake but had never spotted anyone; his take is that they are apsaras who descend to bathe in the lake. Also, he mentioned barasinghas (deer with antlers) visiting his house, which is right next to the temple every night between 10 – 12. This seemed more plausible as around the same time, while we were snuggling in our sleeping bags, there was loud and continuous barking from dogs right outside our tents and it went all through the night. 

We brought the rains everywhere we went. It started raining heavily in the evening and our teeth started clattering in the cold. Reluctantly, we had to retreat into our tents. Oh, and in the evening we got glimpses of a colourful male Monal near our campsite – well spotted by Pratibha.  

Dodital to Darwa pass (3750 m) and back

The trek on the website was mentioned as ‘easy to moderate’ and the trek to Darwa pass is the only moderate bit. Thankfully, we weren’t carrying our heavy bags but just a small backpack with a few necessary items for the cold and our packed lunches. The trek started from the end of the Dodital lake to the right of the temple and the initial walk is over pebbles – the stream bed which would obviously be submerged under water when, in the winters, the glaciers on the top melt for the flow of water to be stronger. The weather the previous evening had scared us; however, in the morning it was much better and we embarked at 7:35.

Unlike on the other days, the day’s trek was almost along the path of water flowing from the top and the forests lay on both sides but not over you. There’s a clear pathway for most of the way to the top and you go from the left side of the stream to the right, back and forth, crossing the stream about three or four times, probably even more. As you keep making the steep ascent, the mountain top can be seen getting closer and closer. At one point, as I was busy clicking pictures, Bebra helped me not to lose my way, almost knocked against me showing the right direction. Even when he’d race ahead, he’d wait, and when I raced ahead, I’d wait. About an hour away from the pass, a glacier had formed and Bebra and I waited there for the others to catch-up. The scene from there was simply breathtaking. Darwa pass was behind us and other mountain peaks stood majestically to our left and right, some coated with fresh snow and right ahead in the open lay the entire path we had traversed. It felt like having captured the best seat in an amphitheater, and the show being put on was unquestionably magnificent. A beautiful quiet pervaded the scenery with the only sounds being that of the wind and the rustling of leaves and those made by twittering birds. Clouds, either confused or playful, curtained the peaks of the mountains hiding them, only to reveal them the next moment. Slowly, coloured specks, like tiny ants started materializing in the green and brown of the scenery and one by one everyone reached the spot.

It didn’t take much time to reach from there to the pass (we reached at around 11 am) and what a beautiful panoramic view awaited us. Darwa top, in front of us, was totally laden with snow but there wasn’t much snow in the other parts. Even though it didn’t match the views I had seen of the mountains in the Kedarkantha, Deo Tibba and Chanderkhani pass treks, it was humbling to be a part of the picture. We went around the mountains for a bit and then quickly had our lunch as the weather started giving warnings. Needless to say it was cold at the top.  

On my way back, as I raced ahead without Bebra (he was busy having a brawl with another dog that had materialized a little away from the top), almost half way through as I hit the stream for the first time during the descent, I stopped frozen as ahead of me, to the right, on the trees and some having descended from them was a group of about 40-50 langurs of all sizes. Not knowing what to do, I waited there for a while; they were at a distance. Finally, avoiding looking at them, I slowly continued walking; I knew I was trespassing their terrain. After a while I was assured that I wasn’t being followed but the fear had creeped in that had it not been langurs but a bear or a leopard! They say ‘One is always being watched in a jungle’. Anyway, I wasn’t very far and after slightly losing my way twice, I finally reached the campsite. It started drizzling a little later and finally rained. Descending in the rains can be troublesome. Thankfully, everyone reached the campsite safely and in the evening we visited the temple again to attend the aarti and thank Lord Ganesha for making our climb a success.

Dodital to Agoda

The next day, we covered the entire stretch from Dodital to Agoda (about 16 kms) retracing the same way we had come. To give us a complete flavour of the mountains, just as we were about to reach the Bebra camp, it started raining very heavily and soon there was a hailstorm. Everyone was elated when they reached the homestay in Agoda, with Ingle Madam not being able to control her tears as this was her very first trek at the age of 65; Adarsh and Pratibha had been her trekking poles. For Suddha Madam, her childhood dream of trekking the Himalayas had come true. For Rekha Madam, it was a respite from her routine - I truly respect the preparation she had put in for the trek; for others, it was a challenge they had undertaken.

For me, what had started at Harishchandragadh in Maharashtra, continues, and the mountains never have ceased to fascinate and allure me. By the way, we were really lucky to see a family of Himalayan griffon vultures on the jeep ride from Agoda to Uttarkashi. Amazing sighting! So, cheers until next time!

A big thanks to all my trek mates, the camp leaders at YHAI and our guides Dhaniram and Manoj.

Ganpati Bappa Mourya, Mangal Moorti Mourya