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Gomukh - Trek To Mother Source
Gomukh - Trek To Mother Source
Gaumukh
TREK TO MOTHER SOURCE
SANDEEP SILAS
G
angotri, a temple town, is a holy place for most Indians. It also
marks the end of pilgrimage for some and the beginning for
others. Being at a height of 3140m above sea-level, you can feel
here the piercing sharpness of the wind.
The religious significance of the place is immense, as many mythological
legends are associated with it. The most popular one has it that King
Bhagirath, unable to bear the suffering of his people due to water scarcity,
worshipped Lord Shiva at Gangotri. His devotion so pleased Lord Shiva
that He asked him for a boon. Bhagirath prayed that Ganga be released
from Lord Shivas hair locks for the benefit of his people. So was granted
Ganga to the earth. It is named after Bhagirath as river Bhagirathi from the
point of its descent at Gaumukh upto Dev Prayag. At Dev Prayag, river
Alaknanda merges with Bhagirathi and thence onwards it is called Ganga.
An arched gate at Gangotri, gifted is quite the same save that the Above: The Bhagirathi peaks (I, II & III)
at the dawn.
by the Border Police to the town, colour combination is now white Following page: Serenity at its peak...
welcomes all visitors. Everyone has walls and silver top. captured by Satbir Silas.
to pass through it whether the
destination is Gangotri temple, the The serious trekkers take to the
bathing ghats or the steps leading steps, which connect the Gangotri
to the 18-km trek to Gaumukh ghats and the trek route. Buy a
from where Ganga emanates. walking stick you might need
Gangotri temple is small. It is three legs on the way ahead. The
erected on the sacred stone where river Bhagirathi is a pleasant
as per tradition King Bhagirath companion all through right upto
worshipped Lord Shiva. The Gaumukh. Sometimes the mountain
building is non-ornamental, rather rocks to your side echo the forceful
ordinary in appearance. There are holler of rushing waves. Yes, the
no statues on the exterior and river makes them sing. The snow
its height is also about 12 feet. peaks enveloped forever in a
E.T. Atkinson wrote of it in the clouded embrace sit happily above
19th century: It is quite plain, their unsteady glaciers. It is a treat
coloured white with red mouldings, to lift the eyes from a rivulet
and surmounted with the usual meeting the river bed; slowly caress
melon-shaped ornament commonly first the green cover, then the
known as Turks cap. The temple black, rough and prominent crags;
refuse to lift again. Bhojbasa, five Cedar along the way. A little ahead The Gangotri temple (above) and
the river Bhagirathi a pleasant
kilometres ahead, has to be reached of Chirbasa, some educationists companion during trek to Gaumukh
for a night halt. And of course, nurse a Bhojpatra nursery. This which begins here (facing page).
sunset must be enjoyed at Bhojbasa effort at preserving a threatened
before you hit the sack. specie is laudable. The Bhojpatra
Utilis has a distinct white bark and
The flora along the trek route is
round green leaves. Its botanical
different and interesting. Ganga
name is Betula Utilis. The bark of
Tulsi, a shrub with a heady scent,
this tree served as paper for
used as an accompaniment during
recording ancient Hindu religions
Hindu worship, and White Jungle
texts. I peel some. It is actually as
Rose, each flower with only four
thin as finest quality paper. I keep
petals, almost line the route. Yellow
it as a memento, but it is not
wildflowers too have a word to say!
enough to write a song!
Some concerned environmentalist
groups are trying not only There are no wild animals to sight,
generating public awareness but save herds of mountain goat and
also giving a green cover to the deer. The sun plays hide and seek
Himalayas where it is most needed. on a June afternoon. Clouds drift at
So we see plantations of Spruce, will. Sometimes you see a snow
Silver Fir, Blue Pine and Himalayan mountain half-concealed by clouds
Gaumukh are tougher. Especially purged all sins. I feel the icy water
the very last! The trek reduces to and look at the slab of ice bobbling
nothing but trapeze walk over beside the rock I sit upon. I look
The confluence of rivers Mandakini and again at Gaumukh or the cows olfactory senses. Start about
Alaknanda at Rudraprayag. Hereafter, the
river is called Ganga...
mouth, the name given to the 6-6.30 a.m. The clouds are still
glacier cavern. Next moment, I am lazing in the valley. Their effortless
in the water, my hands clutching a glide up the mountains is inspiring.
rock and my lungs holding my The atmosphere is filled with the
breath. I have done it! Yes how fragrance of plants and shrubs,
many get the opportunity to especially Ganga Tulsi. You
worship the mother source of a become part of generous nature.
holy river at its hideout deep into Many prayers come to lips in such
the Himalayas. The sun is circumstance God make me a
benevolent. It lights up eyes and mountain stream so that I can
many lives. The ice sparkles. quench the thirst of earth, plants,
Sometimes chunks of ice fall down and men; God make me a
from the top of the glacier cave to wildflower, so that I can enliven a
meet the water below. jungle path; God make me a
The Himalayan glaciers have long birdsong so that I fill the woods
fascinated the British explorers who with music; God make me a cloud
arduously mapped and recorded so that I roam anywhere at free
their uniqueness. Colonel Gordon will; God make me a mountain
(Roof of the World, 17) writes summit so that I tower above
the glaciers of the Western everything else; God make me the
Himalayas are twice as extensive as wind so that I can give life to the
those of the Alps, and are probably world; God make me a star in the
the largest in the world or at all sky so that I fill the eyes of your
events larger than any others out of children with dreams. Any one of
the polar regions. these could be yours. The prayer of
humility, of freedom, of power, or
After a tete a tete with Bhagirathi
dreams; it just depends on how you
glacier and river source one must
feel. I, for one, would like to end
return to Bhojbasa or if possible
up as a birdsong in a forest!
Chirbasa for a night halt. Walking ◆
early morn on return is pure The author, a civil servant, is a noted travel
satisfaction to the visual and writer.
T
he Kangra Fort in Himachal Pradesh, situated at an altitude of
615 meters, has seen the rise and fall of many ruling dynasties
during its chequered past. Its history goes back to the
Mahabharata times when the 234th Raja of Kangra, Raja Sushram
Chand Katoch, an ally of the Kaurvas in the Mahabharata war, is said
to have built it.
The Fort is situated on a precipitous cliff overhanging the Ban Ganga
and Manjhi rivers. The circumference of its walls is about four km. It is
protected by a number of gates named after its victors like Jahangir
a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Antrix under which
Malayasia will make use of the
Indian launch vehicles, in addition
to provision for training of its
engineers at the Indian space
facilities.
A
runner in Sanskrit, the first Indian
s part of its move to double privately owned satellite, is getting
its annual revenue to ready for a launch in 2004. Custom
Rs. 2000-million during built by the Alcatel Space, Agrani
2003-04, the Bangalore based will provide communications and
Antrix Corp, the commercial arm broadcasting services across India
of the Indian space programme, is and its neighbouring countries, as
holding talks with the leading well as in UAE.
telecom players in South-East Asia.
In particular, Antrix is keen to build The tie-up of Antrix Corp with the
and launch one tonne class satellites American outfit Space Imaging
for Malayasia and Thailand. It may has resulted in the data from Indias
be recalled that Prime Minister Atal IRS series of earth observation
Bihari Vajpayee had recently spacecraft getting marketed around
offered to build and launch satellites the world. Thanks to this
for ASEAN countries at a modest partnership, the high quality data
cost. As it is, the Astronautic from the IRS series of spacecraft
Technology of Malayasia has signed today account for one-fourth of the
A
di Shankaracharya, the infant. Shankara was a precocious
versatile genius who child blessed with an extraordinary
epitomised a rare talent and sharpness of intellect.
combination of a philosopher, poet, He emerged as an unparalleled
debater, commentator, saint and prodigy as he picked up the basics
religious reformer, was one of the of Sanskrit when he was only one
most resplendent stars in the year old, even before he learnt his
philosophical and spiritual mother tongue, Malayalam, at the
firmament of India. He was the age of two. Endowed with a
greatest exponent of the philosophy phenomenal memory and an
of Advaita or non-dualism, immense power of concentration,
according to which mans individual he could repeat ad verbatim
soul and Brahman, the Ultimate anything, which he heard or read
Soul, are one and not two separate only once.
entities. In his terse and
He was about five, when his father
unequivocal words, The one
passed away. Soon thereafter, he
non-dual Brahman alone exists;
was admitted to a Gurukul (school
there is no duality at all. In the
for religious learning) and within a
Upanishads the word, Brahman
short period, he mastered the Vedic
stands for the Supreme Reality,
and auxiliary lore. After completing
while the Rig Veda mentions it as
his education when he was only
sacred knowledge of utterance
eight, he embarked upon the
and reality experienced at the
monastic life and constantly
transcendental level. For
practised spiritual disciplines
Shankaracharya, it stood for eternity
involving yoga of action, devotion,
and purity as the most prominent
knowledge and control of mind.
facets of the same Supreme Reality.
Consequently, he was soon
In the context of the real world,
recognised as a leading
Brahman is also spoken of as
philosopher, mystic and a reviver
omnipotent, omniscient and
and reformer of Hinduism.
omnipresent Creator, Preserver
and Destroyer. In the next twenty-four years before
he breathed his Last at Kedarnath in
Born in 788 A.D. at village Kaladi the Garhwal Himalayas in 820 A.D.
in Malabar (Kerala) to Shivaguru, a at the age of only thirty-two years,
proficient religious teacher, and his he had traversed on foot the vast
devoted wife, Aryamba, length and breadth of the pan India
Shankaracharya was popularly of his time and established the
called Shankara. His parents earliest Hindu monastic order with
belonged to a sect of austere, several maths or ashrams
scholarly and diligent Brahmins and (monasteries or shrines), the chief
his father himself started imparting among them being those at
religious education to Shankara Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarka
even when the latter was only an in the west, Puri in the east and
W
hat the world knows as carpets retain the basic simplicity,
Oriental carpets are the the natural sense of colour, the
most universal and finest instinctive feeling for design and
works of art. It is an ancient craft the pride in good craftsmanship of
that arose in areas of Asia as part of these original nomadic rugs.
nomadic tribal life. It is noteworthy
that its original forms have survived In the beginning, the looms that
through the ages to the present. As held the framework of the warp
these tribes travelled with their and weft were simple horizontal
flocks across the high plateaus of constructions that nomadic people
Central Asia, they developed the could easily move. The width of
means to decorate and insulate textiles woven on these looms was
their black goatskin tents. Multi- limited but not the length. Raw
coloured woven cloth was used for materials were limited to the goods
insulated wall hangings, door that accompanied them on their
covers and various types of bags. travels or what was found in their
The hard ground was made soft surroundings. Their flocks provided
with rugs and cushions. In short, it the yarn and dye came from
was an early style of interior vegetable or animal sources that
decoration. The skills and artistry of were readily available. Roots,
nomadic floor coverings provide flowers, bark, fruit, blood and dried
the basis for the tradition of the insects were all used to produce
oriental carpet. The best oriental vegetable dyes. Dye masters
B
amboo plays a very indispensable resource that had
significant role in our lives. no match in terms of utility and
From making knives for availability. While it commanded
cutting the umbilical cord, it is used the center-stage in every respect,
in almost every sphere of human other forest products were
activity. It even finds a mention in relegated to trade between local
the ancient scriptures. Known as communities. However, as the
venu in Sanskrit, it is said that large-scale timber harvesting
Gautam Buddha chose to live in a wreaked havoc on eco-systems,
bamboo grove after his search began for an alternative
enlightenment. that could suitably meet social,
cultural, economic and ecological
Probably no other grass, tree or
needs of man.
plant has been so closely linked
with mans existence in the way This search inevitably led to
bamboo has. Though bamboo has bamboo. Many research projects
over 1500 documented traditional had already successfully testified to
uses, they consist largely of bamboos capability as an industrial
household items and handicrafts and technology friendly resource.
leading to its image as the poor It was also ideal for creating
mans timber. The reason, income and employment-based
obviously, was the dominance of opportunities. Thus bamboo has
timber for decades. It was an catapulted into a major league
T
he envelope that arrived in distinction, he had risen to
the post for Lorna on that become Lieutenant Governor of
cold January morning in the United Provinces of Agra and
1920 came like a bolt from the Oudh (UPAO) in 1917. Lorna
blue. The address on it was in her knew that Sir Harcourt was
mother Lady Hewetts familiar persistently discussed in well-
handwriting. It was the redirected informed Whitehall circles and
letter enclosed within, which was a front runner for perhaps the
startled Lorna and reopened old most coveted post in the Empire,
memories. that of Vicerory of India!
From the words Government But having moved in exalted
House, Lucknow printed on the circles both in India and England
top of the page, it was evident since her childhood, what affected
that the letter had travelled all the Lorna more was not the position
way from India. When Lorna and importance of the sender of
turned her gaze to the foot of the the letter, but the place from
page, she was surprised to find which it had come. The very
the name Harcourt Butler staring words Government House,
at her. Sir Harcourt was a Lucknow transported her to the
conspicuous public figure of year 1906. What a charmed life
whom Lorna had heard a lot but she had led in those days! She was
never met. After serving British a vivacious, carefree teenager and
imperial interests in India with lived with her parents in what was
Banks House in early 20th century Lucknow.
Deen Dayal
THE RAJA OF PHOTOGRAPHY
BHARAT BHUSHAN
I
n his Foreword to Narendra Luthers book on Raja Deen Dayal
Prince of Photographers, British Crown Prince Charles says it all:
Deen Dayal was at the summit of his craft at a time when the
practice of photography outside the studio was still very much in its
infancy. Many associate the beginnings of photography with
Europeans and Americans. But throughout this period, photography
flourished in what was then British India from Delhi to Madras, in
Bombay and Calcutta, in what even at that time was a genuinely
indigenous movement... Foremost in this was Deen Dayal. A pioneer
and practioner, Deen Dayal exhibited internationally, as well as in
India, and won awards.
A mark of greatness in an artist is that he or she manages to capture
the spirit and essence of an age. This Deen Dayal achieved to a
remarkable degree... High praise. For a man who was almost self-
taught in the art and handled crude, primitive equipment but went on
to become a legend in the field for all times to come! He proved to
the hilt that it is the man behind the machine who is important and
not the machine itself (camera, in this case).
R
obins fluting tunes are among the most gladsome sounds of
nature. Whenever the sun shines warmly over the earth, the
males tune their pipe, and enliven the neighbourhood with
their melodies. With the advent of the wonderous Spring, the
blossoms begin to peep forth in every part of the budding woods,
and the nature, in all its beauty, promises happiness and abundance
to all. Then, it is the Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), perched on
its favourite fence-stake or the tree-top, lustily gives vent to the
warmth of its passion, chiefly in early mornings and late afternoons.
These are so lovely that they never fail to fill the heart of the listener
with pleasing sensations. Everyone knows the Magpie Robin and
its song.
T
wo famous sisters, Zohra
Sehgal and Uzra Bhatt, living
in New Delhi and Lahore
respectively and pursuing active
careers in theatre and films,
recently came together to stage
a hugely popular production called
Ek Thi Nani.
Staged in Delhis LTG Theatre, the
play received an overwhelming
response. Apart from the fact that
they are both nanis (maternal
grandmothers) in real life, what
delighted 93-year old Zohra and her
86-year old younger sister, Uzra,
was the fact that the play had been
written on their lives by a Pakistani
playwright Shahid Nadeem. The
play was first staged by Ajoka
Theatres at Lahore in 1993. Since
then it has had several revivals all
equally popular.
The play deals with all that we
have gone through, Uzra says
excitedly. Uzra had gone to London
to meet Zohra when Shahid
Nadeem dropped in to meet them.
It was during that visit that Nadeem
was struck with the idea of doing
a play featuring both the sisters.
Uzra admits her life has not been
as adventurous as Zohras who has
remained a bundle of fun and
rebellion all her life. Zohra loved to
shock people. She shocked the
daylights out of her artistocratic
Muslim parents when she
announced, at the age of eighteen,
that she was going to UK to become
Kriti Arora
little dresses while I was used to
stepping out only in a burkha.
It was in Germany that she met Prithviraj Kapoor. Both sisters admit to anchor 26 episodes of Padosi
Uday Shankar for the first time. their indebtedness to Prithviraj being made by BBC. There was
After completing her training, she Kapoor who everyone fondly called no looking back after that and she
joined Shankars dance school, Pappaji. Can you believe it, he was went on to give an inimitable
called All India Culture Centre, a Rajya Sabha MP with a first class performance as Lady Lily Chatterjee
which he had started in Almora in railway pass but he always travelled in Jewel in the Crown. Other popular
the early forties. My students in the with us in third class. He lived like serials included Tandoori Nights and
school included Guru Dutt and one of us, says Uzra. Bhaji on the Beach. In 1987, Zohra
Narendra Sharma. Later on I went decided to end her self-inflicted
on to do the dance direction for two Life however has a way of taking
strange twists. The even tenor of exile and return to India . The
of Guru Dutts films, Baazi and move, like Uzras decision to move
CID, Zohra recalls. Uzras life changed after Hamid
who was directing, writing film to Lahore, turned out to be a wise
Uzra joined Zohra at Almora scripts and lending his voice to step. Zohra loves living in Delhi and
and went on to become an documentaries, suffered a severe divides her time between giving
accomplished dancer. After some heart attack. His family insisted they poetry recitals and acting in movies.
time, she decided to go and live move to Pakistan and in 1960, they Uzra loves Lahore. The city has
with her eldest brother in Kolkata migrated there. From a culture. For the last 20 years,
where she met Hamid Butt, a theatreperson, Uzra became a I am back to doing what I love
Kashmiri Muslim, who was taken businesswoman, running petrol most- acting in theatre, she says.
in by her dancing. They fell in love, pumps and other family concerns. Zohra, on he other hand, is doing
married and subsequently moved Some years after his death, she gave one grand mother role after another
to Pune where Butt joined a film this up and moved from Rawalpindi in both Hollywood and Bollywood
company. to Lahore to make her home with movies.
Zohra meanwhile chose to marry her younger sister. ◆
The author is a senior journalist.
her student Kameshwar Segal, eight Zohras life also changed when her
years her junior. The couple moved husband committed suicide. She
to Lahore to set up their own moved to Delhi where she became
school. Partition forced them to director of the newly-founded Natya
migrate to Mumbai where Uzra had Academy. An inner restlessnes took
also set up house. Both sisters her to London where she did all
played lead roles in several kinds of odd jobs before getting a
productions staged by the legendary break in 1976 when she was asked
T
he world heritage site of Khajuraho in central India, famed for
its temples bearing aesthetic and bewitchingly erotic sculptures,
is emerging as the most sought-after tourist destination. This is
thanks to the new look Khajuraho which today has many new
attractions added to it after the millennium celebrations organised by
the Government of India to commemorate the 1,000-year existence of
the exquisitely sculpted temples. These attractions include the
Editor
Bharat Bhushan
Assistant Editor
B. Bhushan
India Perspectives
wishes its readers
a Happy & Prosperous
New Year
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contact the Indian Embassy in your country. Front cover: Sculpture of a lady at the Khajuraho
temple complex. Transparency: Joginder Chawla.
Editorial contributions and letters should be addressed to
the Editor, India Perspectives, 149 A Wing, Back cover: Char Minar of Hyderabad, as photographed
Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110001. by Raja Deen Dayal in the late 19th century.
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email: editor_ip2002@yahoo.co.in
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