Kartik Swami temple – a platform for viewing
Himalayan vistas
The majestic view of the Himalayan ranges as seen from Kartik Swami temple
I had read about this destination with awe and had seen
the photographs of the spectacular vistas of Himalayan ranges on the
internet.Accordingly, visiting Kartik
Swami temple was the last, but not the least in order of priorities for
me.I had kept this trek for the last
leg, so that even if we got tired, it would be the last trek of the trip.Having visited Deoriatal the previous day and
that being a tiresome journey, sans any food etc. we all got up late in the
morning, including the driver.The
ladies of the group i.e. my wife and daughter had started mumbling and
grumbling about the trek to Kartik Swami temple, when they heard that it was a
3 km. trek one way.Therefore, I had no
other option than to drop them at Syalsaur and my Son also volunteered to stay
back with them.Thus, I visited the
famed Kartik Swami temple on my own.
View of Kedarnath peaks from Syalsaur as we start for Kartik Swami temple
As the road construction activity is underway the vehicles stop on either side
Going past Mohan Khal en-route Kartik Swami temple road
Katik Swami temple is a small temple dedicated to Lord
Kartik, son of Lord Shiva & Parvati, placed on a ledge that offers 270º
view of the Himalayan ranges.It can be
reached by trekking for 3 Kms. from a nondescript little village called
Kanakchauri.This village can be
accessed both from Rudraprayag as well as a small village called Banswara on
Kedarnath Highway, about a kilometer from Syalsaur.Kanakchauri village is about 40 kms from
Rudraprayag on the Rudraprayag - Pokhari route, whereas from the road at
Banswara, it is about 37.9 Kms. from Syalsaur.This road is a narrow and due to ongoing road construction work for
another road, connecting some of the villages in the hills, which was taking
place, due to displacement of rocks in the process, we had to wait mid-way for
about 45 minutes or so.But this road
being used mainly by the local villagers falling in this route, namely – Gair,
Kanyas, Akauri etc., till one reaches Mohankhal, which is the nodal point wherefrom
the road from Pokhri meets, it is a smooth ride with very few vehicles
traversing along this road patch.Kanachauri
village can also be approached from Karanprayag, which is about 40 Kms. from
Pokhri and it is another 15 Kms. from Pokhri to Kanakchauri.
Terraced fields and small villages perched on mountainsides en-route Kartik Swami temple
First view of the Kanakchauri village and ridge astride which is the famed Kartik Swami temple
The first view of Chaukhamba massif on trek route to Kartik Swami temple
Kanakchauri village is a very small village and total
length would not exceed 150-200 meters along the main road, wherein numerous
shops catering to local requirements as well as eateries dedicated to tourists
run shop. In case of heavy rush of
tourists, there is not ample space available and the road, being quite narrow,
parking is definitely a problem here.
The Mayadeep group has a reasonable rest
house constructed mainly with bamboo here and they quote a price of Rs.2000/-
per night for each such bamboo hut.
However, I have come across blogs wherein it has been claimed that
bargaining can give you a good deal of around Rs.800/- per room per night also
during lean seasons. The trek route for
the famed Kartik Swami temple is easily identifiable by a gate constructed on
the road side leading towards the trek route.
Although, there are no sight to any Himalayan peaks visible from the
village road itself, but a few hundred meters upward trek would make them
visible. The trek route is about 3 Kms.
and takes about two hours’ time at a medium pace and the trek runs through a
pleasant and virgin Oak and Rhododendron forest and the stillness is broken
only with a twig or two breaking under your shoe or that of a bird chirping
somewhere in the canopy and the gradient is moderate.
A Nuthatch bird on trek route to Kartik Swami temple
The description hoarding on trek route to Kartik Swami temple
The hut of the temple priest of Kartik Swami temple
A display poster erected by Uttarakhand Tourism near Kartik Swami temple
Nestled in
the Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 3048 meters (about 10,000 ft) in the Rudraprayag
district of the State of Uttarakhand is the temple of Kartik Swami. Kartik
Swami temple is perched on a spur of a ledge, in a serene and beautiful
location, that provides a spectacular panoramic view of some of the highest
mountains peaks of the Himalayan ranges in India. The snow laden peaks of Bandar punch are
visible to the west. In addition, the peaks of Kedar Dome, Meru,
Kedarnath, Neelkanth, Trishul, Nanda Ghunti and Nanda Devi group of peaks are
also visible from Kartik Swami. The main attraction of Kartik Swami is the
mighty Chaukhamba peak which appears, as if as, it is framed as the temple’s
background. En-route, just before you
take onto the huge stone steps for the final assault on the ridge to reach the
temple top, is the home of the priest of the temple, who stays in a basic
concrete house (an ashram), which is less than 1 km before the temple and he will
accompany travelers/devotees to the temple, if required. There is something mystical about Kartik
Swami temple trek, as on the way you find broken bangles and vermillion
(sindoor) all along the path made as offerings, while the temple complex has a
lot of bells hanging around it. The ever
interrogative mind of mine was getting vexed to know about the mythology of the
place and hence I made some research on the internet, searching for answers to
my query.
The pen nib like peak_Janhukoot peak as seen from Kartik Swami temple
Panoramic view of the famed Kartik Swami temple
The main temple doorway of Kartik Swami temple
The idol of Lord Kartikey in Kartik Swami temple
The mighty Chaukhambha peak as seen from Kartik Swami temple
Mythological anecdotes relate this place to Lord Kartik
Swami, who is the elder brother of Lord Ganesha and according to Hindu
mythology, he is considered as “God for War and Victory.” He is also known as Murugan Swami in Tamil
Nadu, Subramanya in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Kartikeya in Bengal. The
temple encompasses an idol of Lord Kartik Swami carved on a marble rock.According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva (the
destroyer) told his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya that one of them, who will be
the first to take seven rounds of the universe will have the privilege of being
worshiped first.Ganesha took seven
rounds around Shiva and Parvati, stating that he saw the Universe in them, while
Kartikeya faithfully circled the universe. Impressed by Ganesha, Lord Shiva
gave him the honor of being worshipped before anyone else. While Lord Kartikeya
was taking his final round, he encountered Narada Muni (albeit intentionally),
who informed him that he had been made to look like a fool by circling the
Universe and that Lord Ganesh had already been granted the boon. Angered by this kind treachery, Kartikeya
sacrificed his body and gave his flesh back to his mother Parvati and his bones
to Lord Shiva as an ultimate sacrifice.
As the evening sets in we head back to Syalsaur from Kartik Swami temple
Having visited the temple and spent some quality time
there, we traversed back through the serene trek through the Oak and
Rhododendron tree forest and reached back Kanakchauri in about an hour’s
time.As we were totally famished by
this time, myself and my driver, who had accompanied me to the temple top, ate
some noodles with eggs and tea, which was so sweetened that I could only have
one gulp, before discarding it.Thereafter, as we were about to make our way back, a forest worker
requested for ride upto Mohankhal as he had missed the last bus.We dropped him at his desired destination and
made our way back to Syalsaur and thus, ended my winter sojourn for the year, albeit
visiting a few more destinations on our way back.
Having
completed of morning Puja at Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath, we commenced with
our onward journey towards the Sari village wherefrom the trek to the famed
alpine lake known as Deoriatal begins.
The road leads along the same road that one takes for Chopta but bifurcates
from main Chopta road, but as the signpost is on the opposite side of the road and
is thus, not clearly visible from this side of the road and hence as a key reference
for taking the U-turn, the first point of reference that comes into view is the
‘Anjali Tourist Lodge & Restaurant’.
Thereafter, the road actually takes the U-turn towards Sari village from
the corner of ‘Hanuman Inn & Resorts’ (check
out the video below).
Distant view of Sari village - starting point for trek to Deoriatal - shot from Chopta
View of Mandakini River from road to Deoriatal
Panoramic view of Ukhimath - as we head towards Sari/Deoriatal
Sari
is a very small and a remote village in Uttrakhand, situated at a distance of
12 Kilometers from Ukhimath, it is the base for the trek towards
scintillating emerald alpine lake named Deorial Tal (2483 meters). The trek is about 2.3 kilometers trek from Sari
village. Many of the visitors set up camps or hire them at Deoriatal and use it
as base for trek to Tungnath Temple
and Chopta. One comes
across very beautiful bhugyals (meadows) along the road journey from Sari to
Chopta. There are no hotels in Sari village but one can find a few lodges
or home stay options, if you explore. Perched
at an altitude of 6,601 feet, the village is
quiet & quaint with very little of modern amenities. The villagers go about
with their daily chores and lifestyle untouched by commercialization, as we see in the cities in the plains, except for a handful of youngsters enjoying mobile phone facilities. Thus, it also
emphasizes that in case you have missed out buying on any of your trekking
gear, there is no market in here and you will have to retrace your steps all the way back to Ukhimath to purchase the same. Also please keep in mind that electricity at
the village cannot be relied upon as it is intermittent and breaks down in event of any inclement weather hitting the region. You may not be
able to charge your electronic appliances here at times, unless you are lucky during the freak weather or you are carrying your own power bank. However, mobile signals of Airtel, Vodafone and
BSNL numbers function at Sari.
Scenic view of Himalayan peaks on way to Deoriatal
A local herder tending to his flock of sheeps
The
trek from Sari Village to Deoriatal winds through dense forest of Oak and
Rhododendron trees. I had gauged the
steepness of the trek and was seeking some mules to ride on, as being a city
brigand I could make out that the trek would be very arduous for me and my
family. However, the contractor with
whom I negotiated sought Rs.700/- for onward trip, we therefore decided to trek
on ourselves. However, just ten minutes
into the trek we could make out that it was quite tiring, much more that we had
anticipated. However, the mule provider
was still waiting below and shouted that he was willing to negotiate @Rs.500/-
per mule for one way drop. This sounded
reasonable and hence I agreed and we trekked upwards on mule back, which too
was an unforgettable experience (check
out the video below). Fifteen
minutes on mule back and half an hour into the
trek, one comes across a small temple dedicated to lord Shiva known as the Omkar Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple. Locals worship
here and a Pundit is available just outside the temple to help you in making
your offerings. Made in the early Nagara architecture style, the walls of
the temple are plain with geometrically placed ridges made in stone. A rock
sculpture of the mythical cow Nandi is
strategically placed at its entrance. Inside the temple one can see avtars of Shiva carved in
rock. This temple is a landmark before you start towards the
first view point wherefrom you can enjoy the panoramic views of the village
below. There are several such viewpoints on the way and locals have
conveniently opened small tea shops selling cold drinks and water as well.
The panoramic view of Sari village
Deoriatal is beyond this top that requires to be surmounted
The spire of the Omkar Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple
Panoramic view of the Omkar Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple
White chinned laughing thrush on road to Deoriatal
Chopta as seen from trek to Deoriatal
As you almost reach the summit of the mountain after the long
and arduous trek, one comes across the last the biggest of the ‘dhabas’/local
eating joint, which offers tea/water/cold drinks alongwith maggi etc. One cannot comprehend the majestic view that is
going to unfold before one’s eyes, as the narrow kuchha road behind the dhabha
leads to the spectacle and offers no clue of what lies beyond until you reach the clearing overlooking the famed Deoriatal. Yet this stretch I found to be most rich in
the avifauna of the region and was able to click a few white throated laughing thrush birds with only a 55-200mm lens attached to my camera. As one steps out of the oak covered road, the
splendor of Deoria Tal opens up before you.
Deoriatal is in itself only a small lake, but the spacious lawns
surrounded by dense vegetation around it makes it an excellent spot for
camping, sighting distant mountains and star gazing. Local legends associate this
lake with certain events of Mahabharata.
As for the legends, it is a mythological belief that the Devas bathed in
this lake hence the name, the lake is also sometimes believed to be the “Indra
Sarovar” referred to in the Puranas by wandering, Hindu mendicants Sadhus. It
is also believed that it was the place from where the Pandavas due to extreme
fatigue and arrogance failed to provide answers sought by Yaksha and on
drinking its water died, Yudhistara, the eldest of all Pandvas was then asked four
questions by Yaksha, which was answered by him and the life of the other dead
Pandavas was then restored by Yaksh.
The emerald green deoriatal
Cloud covered Chaukhambha from Deoriatal
The base of the Chaukhamba massif visible from Deoriatal
Another peak looming across the other side of the deoriatal lake
This is a photograph taken from the internet to show the readers the beauty of Deoriatal
The pen picture of the lake would describe it as an emerald
colored lake, surrounded by undulating, soothingly inclined, grass fields that
are bounded by a dense wood cover all around. Set majestically in the lap of
the mountain, with a backdrop of magnificent mountain peaks, especially
Chaukhamba peak that puts in a spectacular reflection on the waters of
Deoriatal, is a popular tourist destination for the adventure loving lots. On the day we visited Deoriatal, it was a bit
of damper for me as the Chaukhamba was not visible as it was snowing on its top
and hence could not get a glimpse of the reflection on the lake surface. Yet the trek to the famed lake was worth
every penny and after enjoying the environs fully, we started out trek back
towards Sari village. We stopped at the
dhaba to have some maggi, so as to get some fuel into our stomach before
starting the arduous trek back. However,
there was some smell of either oil or something that dissuaded us from
partaking the same and we had to trek back on an empty stomach, which nothing
much available at Sari village either.
Accordingly, on the way back we purchased some biscuits, sweet meats
etc., as it was almost evening by the time we reached back to Syalsaur.
The outer facade of the famed Omkareshwar temple complex in Ukhimath
After having visited
Chopta as the first destination from my so called base camp i.e. Syalsaur, we
were ready for our next trip to Deoriatal.However, being a Tuesday, as per my practice, I had to visit some
Hanuman temple, but this time around I chose to visit Ukhimath because of its
importance as a pilgrimage destination that finds mention in the annals of
ancient scriptures.Ukhimath is a small
little hamlet situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand State in
India. It is situated at a distance of 41 km from Rudraprayag and is perched at
an elevation of 1317 metres above mean seal level and is juxtaposed to another
ancient township of Guptkashi, on the Kedarnath route, saddled on the opposite
ridge across the valley.As we started
for temple town in the early morning, the weather was clear and very pleasant
and we traversed a distance of about 19 Kms. along the same route that we had
taken the previous day and reached the temple precincts of the famed
Omkareshwar temple.
As we get ready for the journey - a perfect clear day lights up Kedarnath peaks - view from Syalsaur
This temple popularly
known as Omkareshwar Pith is one of the oldest in the country and houses the
deities of Kedarnath and Madhmaheswar during the winter months (November to
April). During this time the temple of Kedarnath and Madhmaheshwar remains
closed. The deities are brought here from Kedarnath after Diwali and from Madhmaheswar
in December and worshipped here for six months. These deities are taken back in
a procession to their original temples in mid-May and in 2018 the opening of
Kedarnath temple is scheduled for 29th of April, 2018. Ukhimath can
be used as nodal destination for visiting different Shiva temples of the Panch
Kedar fame that are located nearby, i.e. Madhmaheshwar (Second Kedar), Tungnath
ji (Third Kedar) and also Deoria Ta l(natural fresh water alpine lake) that we
were scheduled to visit later in the day.
View of the inner courtyard of Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath
Typical pahari style painted frames in Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath
Ukhimath temple dates to the time of Mandhaata, ancestor
of Rama. It is believed that the
wedding of Usha (Daughter of Vanasur) and Anirudh (Grandson of Lord Krishna)
was solemnized here. This place was named as Ushamath after the name of Usha
and is now known as Ukhimath.Ukhimath is also written as Okhimath and the temple is
known as Omkareshwar. There are quite a
few mythological anecdotes associated with this destination and the name of the
temple as Omkareshwar is related with story of Mandhaata. According to one of the legends, the emperor
Mandhaata, during his last years of his reign gave up everything, including his
empire and came to Ukimath and did penance for 12 years by standing on one leg.
At the end Lord Shiva appeared in the form of ‘omnipresent sound of Omkar', and
blessed him. From that day onwards this place came to be known as Omkareshwar.Ukhimath
has many other ancient temples dedicated to several Gods and Goddesses such as
Usha, Shiva, Aniruddha, Parvati and Mandhata.
The anecdote associated with Mandhaata is quite intriguing, it is
written in the ancient scriptures that Yuvanashva, Mandhaata's
father, had one hundred wives but no children. So his guru advised
him to perform ‘Putrakameshti yoga’ to beget a child. The sacred water that was
generated from this yaga was supposed to be given to his wives, the next
morning. But destiny played a different hand or rather a prank with him
and that night Yuvanashva, who was feeling thirsty at night, so he got up
and drank the sacred water without realizing that it was the holy water and not
the normal water that was kept alongwith. Thereafter, Yuvanshava started having intense pain in his chest and within
a few days Yuvanashva's chest got torn open and therefrom emerged a child, was
born as Mandhaata.Normally, whenever
a child's birth takes place from the mother's womb, she feeds the infant
with her breast milk to satisfy his hunger and then the child becomes calm and
quiet.However, in this peculiar case ast
the child that was born from Yuvanashva's chest, it started crying.
Yuvanashva could not feed the infant, so it started sucking its own
fingers. Lord Shiva had blessed that child with nectar (Amrit) in his
fingers. Thus sucking his fingers and satisfying his hunger and thirst,
the child grew up and in course of time became an Emperor. This
emperor, during his last years gave up everything and did penance for 12
years by standing on one leg. At the end Lord Shiva appeared in the form
of ' the omnipresent sound of Omkar', and blessed him. From that day
onwards this place, where the present temple stands came to be known as
Omkareshwar.
The main temple base of Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath
The Chatri shading Nandi bull in front of Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath
The statute of Mandhata inside Omkareshwar temple complex in Ukhimath
There
is another interesting ancient anecdote associated with Ukhimath, Okhimath or
so called Ushamath of ancient times.Ushadevi, was the daughter of the devil king Banasura, who
used to reside at Ukhimath. Ushadevi had
a close friend whose name was Chitralekha. Once, in her dreams,
Ushadevi saw a very handsome prince and in her dreams she instantly fell in
love with him and married him. Not only this, she even experienced a
physical relationship with him in her dream.
The next day she described her dream to her close friend Chitralekha and
told her to search for this prince as Usha had decided to marry him in real
life too. Hence, Chitralekha started making portraits of all the
princes on this earth. After observing all the portraits, Usha was able to
identify the prince who had appeared her dream. Usha asked Chitralekha to
cast a magic spell to locate his whereabouts and bring him to
Ukhimath. The name of the prince was Anirudha, the grandson of Lord
Krishna, and he was staying in Dwarika. Ushadevi with the help of her
friend Chitralekha brought him here to Ukhimath, where Anirudha and Usha
started living together. When Usha's father Banasur came to know about it
he got angry and put prince Anirudha in prison.
The temple spire of Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath
Close up of the temple top of Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath
Lord Krishna came to know about the
imprisonment of his grandson Anirudha and attacked Banasur. A fierce
battle took place. There was no sign of vicotry on either side and it
became a stalemate, because Krishna himself was God and Banasur had the
blessing of Lord Shiva. Thus, there was no sign of this fierce battle
ending soon.At this juncture Lord
Kedareshwar appeared there and placated the anger of either side by consoling
them.With the blessings of Lord Shiva, the
marriage ceremony of Usha and Anirudha took place in Ukhimath.Even today you can see the place where they
got married. In the beginning this place was known as USHA MATH later it
changed into UKHA MATH and now it is popularly known as UKHI MATH.
Worn out sculptures of temple pillars that pre-date history
The panoramic view of the old temple complex behind the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath
The bill board displaying historical facts about Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath
The
temple precincts and the holy shrine therein is
built in the North Indian Nagara style of architecture.The temple houses, a navel-shaped
Shivlinga, made of black stone and is located in the sanctum sanctorum.
Furthermore, there are shrines of both Shiva's consort, Parvati,
and Ardhanarishwara, an image of half Shiva and half Parvati. To the right
of this temple is a small shrine of Maa Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of art and
learning. It is wholly made of marble. Ukhimath is dotted with
several artistic ancient temples dedicated to Usha, Lord Shiva, Goddess
Parvati, Aniruddha and Mandhata. Ukhimath is mainly inhabited by the Rawals,
who are the head priests (pundits) of Kedarnath. Snow-capped peaks of the splendid Himalayan
range are distinctly visible from Ukhimath. From Ukhimath on a clear day one
can see the beautiful view of Kedarnath peak, Chaukhamba & other green
beautiful valleys that sprawl alongside the lower reaches along the enchanting
Mandakini River. Having performed puja
at this ancient temple town and especially when both the deities of Kedarnath
& Madhamaheshwar were being housed there, made our souls feel blessed and
rejuvenated.
Here is the link to the video for the destination -
