Fueling up...
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Prakash making his way to the dining tent.
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Prakash making his way to the dining tent.
Totally on the opposite side
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Wow! we have come really far, haven't we? This is what I said to myself on seeing the towering
peak of Kedarnath behind our camp first thing in the morning.
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Wow! we have come really far, haven't we? This is what I said to myself on seeing the towering
peak of Kedarnath behind our camp first thing in the morning.
This is so good!
.
It was a sigh of relief, at last, seeing a camp kind of setup in broad daylight because it made me
reassuring that people would actually come here to stay.
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It was a sigh of relief, at last, seeing a camp kind of setup in broad daylight because it made me
reassuring that people would actually come here to stay.
Dark and Dramatic
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The cold trail through the woods marked the beginning of the stroll to Tungnath.
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The cold trail through the woods marked the beginning of the stroll to Tungnath.
Contrasts
.
The higher I went, the more I could see my surroundings and spotted a few fellow trekkers too!
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The higher I went, the more I could see my surroundings and spotted a few fellow trekkers too!
Clanging of Metal
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Saw a few ponies being brought back from the top
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Saw a few ponies being brought back from the top
Higher I go, clearer it gets
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As I gained altitude, I got a glimpse of what I could expect when I reached the top.
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As I gained altitude, I got a glimpse of what I could expect when I reached the top.
Overly Uneven
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Towards the hillside to my right, I could see an odd piece of land that was slowly starting to light up by the sunlight.
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Towards the hillside to my right, I could see an odd piece of land that was slowly starting to light up by the sunlight.
C4
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Far away, Mount Chaukhamba (Translating to four pillars in English)
starts to peek in from behind the Kedarnath range.
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Far away, Mount Chaukhamba (Translating to four pillars in English)
starts to peek in from behind the Kedarnath range.
Scale
.
I was kind of getting overly excited about getting to the top,
but I also couldn't refrain from looking back as well!
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I was kind of getting overly excited about getting to the top,
but I also couldn't refrain from looking back as well!
A gradual discomfort
.
An hour into the walk, the last section of the trail- a really long ramp that leads to the temple of Tungnath revealed itself.
.
An hour into the walk, the last section of the trail- a really long ramp that leads to the temple of Tungnath revealed itself.
In line with Skyline
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Could see a few of the locals near the temple area basking on the rooftops as it was a clear and sunny day.
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Could see a few of the locals near the temple area basking on the rooftops as it was a clear and sunny day.
Tungnath
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Moments late, I reached Tungnath Temple at the top at an altitude of 3,470m. The highest Shiva temple in the world and one of the 5 Kedar temples of the Uttarakhand region. Walked into the shrine, took the blessings of Lord Shiva, and offered a prayer of Gratitude. As I was so delighted by the serenity of the surroundings.
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Moments late, I reached Tungnath Temple at the top at an altitude of 3,470m. The highest Shiva temple in the world and one of the 5 Kedar temples of the Uttarakhand region. Walked into the shrine, took the blessings of Lord Shiva, and offered a prayer of Gratitude. As I was so delighted by the serenity of the surroundings.
After all, I witnessed close to 15 peaks over 6,500m to my left...
Manifestations of humans and nature
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A Trishul or trident to the left -a symbol of lord Shiva alongside the mountain of Kedarnath
to the right considered his sacred abode.
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A Trishul or trident to the left -a symbol of lord Shiva alongside the mountain of Kedarnath
to the right considered his sacred abode.
Red Fabrics
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One can easily spot the bright sacred cloth known as "Chunni" tied to various objects in the temple premises. The red fabric is an offering to the deity in the Hindu religion. In this case, these are the mountain gods.
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One can easily spot the bright sacred cloth known as "Chunni" tied to various objects in the temple premises. The red fabric is an offering to the deity in the Hindu religion. In this case, these are the mountain gods.
But now, the next question which came to my mind is whether I have enough time to get to the top of this mountain, the summit of Chandrashila, approximately 320m high from the temple. Because we people, Prakash and I, were on a time crunch, and there was no way to communicate with one another as there was no phone reception. At that point, I thought that I had not come this far only to turn back from here, so I planned to get to the top in just the next 60minutes, followed by a 30minute descent to Tungnath...
This small trail along the edge of the mountain was the was which would take me to Chandrashila.
Oh, there's the top
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To the top right, one can see the summit of Chandra Shila, it looks pretty close
in the photograph here but was actually quite far
.
To the top right, one can see the summit of Chandra Shila, it looks pretty close
in the photograph here but was actually quite far
Continue
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I met this lady in grey from the above picture halfway through to Chandrashila who said "kuch bhi karke upar chale jaana, saari thakaan duur ho jayegi..." translates to "Just get to the top, and all your tiredness will vanish away..."
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I met this lady in grey from the above picture halfway through to Chandrashila who said "kuch bhi karke upar chale jaana, saari thakaan duur ho jayegi..." translates to "Just get to the top, and all your tiredness will vanish away..."
Certain sections were way too rocky
TikTok stuff
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I spotted a couple filming one another doing pushups in front of the giant mountains.
Could literally hear them scream out in excitement.
.
I spotted a couple filming one another doing pushups in front of the giant mountains.
Could literally hear them scream out in excitement.
A man was standing on the edge reviewing the selfies he had just taken.
Presence of a God
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Soon, the land in front of me just flattened out, and the next thing that happened was totally unexpected. As I moved past the temple at the top of the summit, I started to see Nanda Devi far away alongside a group of other mountains.
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Soon, the land in front of me just flattened out, and the next thing that happened was totally unexpected. As I moved past the temple at the top of the summit, I started to see Nanda Devi far away alongside a group of other mountains.
Just Enough
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The flat piece of land at the top of the summit was only a few meters long, but the view from
there would just make anyone stand still in awe!
.
The flat piece of land at the top of the summit was only a few meters long, but the view from
there would just make anyone stand still in awe!
A twin?
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To my left side, a bizarre thing captured my attention. I could see a twin of Nanda Devi, but without the snow, a peculiar similarity when looking at its ridge.
.
To my left side, a bizarre thing captured my attention. I could see a twin of Nanda Devi, but without the snow, a peculiar similarity when looking at its ridge.
Up close
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There she was the Goddess of Garhwal, Mt. Nanda Devi, the highest peak in the Indian Himalaya
at a staggering height of 7,816 m.
.
There she was the Goddess of Garhwal, Mt. Nanda Devi, the highest peak in the Indian Himalaya
at a staggering height of 7,816 m.
I could spot 15 more peaks along with her, all rising above an altitude of 20,000 ft.
Go ahead or not?
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I could spot a ridge slightly below from the summit, which would take me closer to the ranges, but
I gave it a pass since I was already short on time.
.
I could spot a ridge slightly below from the summit, which would take me closer to the ranges, but
I gave it a pass since I was already short on time.
No one's there...
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Turning back, I realized that the place was empty and everybody had left. So, I waited for someone to show up, so I get photographed against the backdrop of the mountains.
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Turning back, I realized that the place was empty and everybody had left. So, I waited for someone to show up, so I get photographed against the backdrop of the mountains.
Waves at an elevation
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Using the time, I photographed the mountains as waves in the sky disappearing into the mist.
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Using the time, I photographed the mountains as waves in the sky disappearing into the mist.
Gratitude and Prayers
.
Same time, I stacked a few stones, made a small cairn or a stone sculpture and whispered
my gratitude to the mountain gods.
.
Same time, I stacked a few stones, made a small cairn or a stone sculpture and whispered
my gratitude to the mountain gods.
A few close ups of the Gods
People, Finally
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Moments later, people started to flock to the area. So took this opportunity to ask a person to take a picture of me and at the same time allowed me the chance to take a quick panoramic view from there.
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Moments later, people started to flock to the area. So took this opportunity to ask a person to take a picture of me and at the same time allowed me the chance to take a quick panoramic view from there.
That is me!
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I don't know why but I always avoid being photographed, but lately, I've realized that there has to be proof that I was there at this place to add credibility to my work.
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I don't know why but I always avoid being photographed, but lately, I've realized that there has to be proof that I was there at this place to add credibility to my work.
The stick goes away
.
Coming down, I met a lady who was very afraid of the steep descent and the rocky terrain, so I decided to give her away my walking stick to help her with it.
.
Coming down, I met a lady who was very afraid of the steep descent and the rocky terrain, so I decided to give her away my walking stick to help her with it.
Those at the top and the ones getting there
.
Those people who already did the steep climb until Tungnath decided to call it a break and took a power nap. The others were huffing and puffing their way to the top with the hope of getting a majestic view to take a break to.
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Those people who already did the steep climb until Tungnath decided to call it a break and took a power nap. The others were huffing and puffing their way to the top with the hope of getting a majestic view to take a break to.
A Portrait of Kedarnath Massif
A Warm Farewell
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It started to become really warm as it was afternoon already and the light passing through the trees
lit up the path towards the exit
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It started to become really warm as it was afternoon already and the light passing through the trees
lit up the path towards the exit
Clarity
.
A final glimpse of the Kedarnath massif, before we departed for Ukhimath, where our season came to an end
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A final glimpse of the Kedarnath massif, before we departed for Ukhimath, where our season came to an end
