Love Icon..!!!

Finally, I could visit the place which I wanted to visit first after relocating to Delhi; it is the marvelous Taj Mahal. Worst part is I visited this place before relocating from Delhi. Yes, I would be off from Delhi in a weeks’ time. I’m moving back to Hyderabad where I had lived for nearly 2 years before coming to Delhi. With this trip, my aim to visit most of the places in North India has come to an end, may be, temporarily.

It was a good drive from Delhi to Agra, a good highway with uninterrupted mobile connectivity. Agra is a normal Indian city; one cannot expect it to be very attractive. Except Taj Mahal nothing here is attractive. Though there are some other places to visit, like Agra fort et al., we visited only The Taj Mahal. After set of security checks, the marvelous Taj Mahal is in front of your eyes. I’m sure one will start pondering after seeing Taj Mahal. This really shows how much Shajahan, one of the then princesses of India, loved his wife, Mumtaz. It is said that he started constructing Taj Mahal as a tribute to his wife after she died. It is believed that his empire was mourning for 2 years after she died. No wonder his love was a wonder (Still a wonder for many of us). That is the reason Taj Mahal is still ‘Wonder’ful. Not only Taj Mahal is losing its beauty, the adjacently flowing river yamuna is also losing its beauty. Before visiting Taj Mahal, my mind had a picture of all white Taj Mahal with impressive river Yamuna flowing adjacently. But, after this visit, my mind has lost that picture. I shouldn’t have visited?

Dreams really come true..!!!

You dream something. You forget it as day’s progress. All of a sudden, your dream comes true making you to realize that you’ve dreamt of this some time ago. Happened in your life too?

It happened to me last weekend when we went to Gangotri (Meaning the Ganges, a sacred river in India, descends). Two months back, when I was enjoying river rafting in the Ganges, there was a thought in my mind. Where does this gigantic Ganges originate from? Can someone really venture to see? In fact, I wanted to see the place where the Ganges originates from. I was fortunate enough to endeavor to see that place myself.

It was a hectic trip, covering 1000+ kilometers (two ways) by road and 38kms (two ways) by trekking all in 3 days time. The drive on the mountains from Rishikesh to Gangotri is absolutely enjoyable. You will definitely appreciate Border Roads Organization of India for having laid a perfect highway. You will not fail to exclaim when you see a steel bridge laid on two big rocks at each end. Also, The Ganges never goes away from your view. Like a guide, she also travels with you. Even she lets out her feelings as she travels. Some times, she is ferocious. Some times, she is very calm. Some times, like a pretty woman, she moves vividly.

After covering a distance of 230+kms from Rishikesh, you will reach Gangotri where you will find a temple for The Ganges, a temple amidst huge mountains. When we went to this temple, it was pooja time. All devotees were shouting “Ganga ma ki jai”. In my opinion, worshipping is not what Mother Ganga wants. All she says to us is “Don’t pollute me”. How many of these people who worship The Ganges hard have remained cautious when it comes to NOT polluting? Only very few people are so. Apart from giving you this so called “Water” resource to people, now, she has the responsibility of making people aware of this pollution. Let us not make her teach us a very hard lesson.

From Gangotri, you can trek to see Gaumukh (means “Cow’s mouth”) from where one of the sources of The Ganges, The Bhagirathi, originates. Gaumukh is 19kms from Gangotri. You need to trek to reach Gaumukh. Even though this 19kms trekking is hard, you will never fail to relish glaciers on both the sides of your path, valley and the dynamic Ganges. Himalayas is at its best throughout this route. It’s very difficult to cover up and down distance in one day. Though we had covered in one day, it was a painful trekking. On your way, at some places, the path is very narrow. The Ganges is just a slip away down 3600 meters. Though the trekking was painful & tedious, we never failed to enjoy Himalaya’s hospitality. Whenever we felt hot, there was chillness in the air. Whenever we felt cold, there was hotness in the air. Please visit: http://www.primeindia.com/manav/tour5.html to know more about Gangotri to Gaumukh trekking.

On our way back in the night, I could enjoy ‘all glittering’ Ganges in Haridwar. In my opinion, water is the most precious & beautiful resource earth can ever have.