Hi,
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| A cloudy morning at Chamba Jot, August 2016. |
Almost five months after I went on that Maigal to Murah Devi temple trek, I finally went on to another. The latest one is definitely a very famous trek already, and I am sure you have heard about it - The Manimahesh Kailash trek in Chamba Bharmour. Yeaaaaaa! Personally, for me, this has been a very important trekking experience.
Quick info about Manimahesh
Kailash yatras to the five Kailash of lord Shiva are among the most famous pilgrimages, which are taken by the most daring and faithful people, mostly Hindus. Manimahesh lake, located at the base of the Manimahesh Kailash peak, is at an elevation of about 4115 m above mean sea level, while the peak itself is at 5775 m.
As per the locals and my overall knowledge, nobody has reached this peak due to the difficulty involved in climbing. It is said that this Kailash was discovered by the Gaddis, the shepherd tribe that is found mostly in the Chamba and Kangra region. The Peak remains covered with white ice for the whole of the year, and therefore, the yatra up to the lake is feasible in July and August each year.
Though the trek gets open earlier for trekking, the official yatra dates are chosen on a religious as well as weather basis. This year it started on Janmashtmi(25 Aug) and is yet to end on the Radha Ashtmi(9th September).
The advantages of following these dates: first is linked with the religious beliefs of maximum blessings from the lord, and second is the free food and accommodation facilities.
With the help of Khachar(mule), various rich people and committees, mostly from Himachal and Punjab, take all the necessary items for cooking and night stay to the different locations of this 15-kilometer-long trek.
This facility is called 'Langar.' Therefore, Langars are available at almost every 2 kilometers of a stretch along the trek. Others who don't get the spot at these heights set up their Langars along the road up to Hadsar. This way, Langars starts a long way back, from Nurpur or Chamba.
Blessed with such facilities, a person doesn't need to spend a single penny to take the blessings from lord Shiva, all you need is, to reach Chamba and Hadsar and then the determination and strength to reach the Manimahesh lake.
I even saw few physically handicapped people, with crippled legs or arms, but their hearts are stronger than gold. That is all you need. Few people ride on the mule's back, and few take the helicopter services, but that doesn't seem like a proper yatra to me.
I think, if you really want the blessings and joy of the trek, then you should reach the lake on your own feet. I assure you that it will benefit you.
Personal Story - Chamba Manimahesh Yatra 2016
It was twenty days earlier that I had left for my village. It rained for days and nights, and therefore, the plan got postponed. It was the trip to Manimahesh that Ghosh(Shankar Ghosh) and I had been planning for the past few weeks. The second obstacle was the final viva voce, which I would give as part of the completion of my master's at NIT Hamirpur, on August 26.
On the evening of the 26th, a plan was made, and Ashu Bhai(as Shankar calls him ) might join us the next day. Ashu bhai would tell us that he already has the experience of trekking up to the Manimahesh lake. The second most important thing that he had was his Alto car, which would prove to be very comforting and necessary in the rainy season.
Ashu Bhai, Shankar, and I are friends from our jobs at different times and locations. With few intermediary communication gaps in the last two or three years, this trip would be my only trip of its kind with all three of us.
It was a pleasure to go together on such a blessed journey. Next day Govinda, a carpenter who worked at Ashu bhai's home, was seated in Ashu's car that approached the dedh gate(three gates of NIT Hamirpur are name as 1st gate(main gate), 1.5(dedh) gate and 2nd Gate) in front of the Himgiri hostel at NIT Hamirpur. It had been about fifteen minutes since we stood there waiting for them. One Guitar and a sleeping bag were other things that I carried on this trip, though they were not absolute necessities.
Road Journey from Hamirpur to Jot at Chamba
Ashu bhai drove while Ghosh sat on the adjacent seat. The guitar was kept in the lap, while all other things were in the luggage box. Hamirpur to Jwala Mukhi temple was a quick ride, and was full of discussions about each other and the place we were going to visit.
It was the first time for Govinda, so we showed him the gate to the Jwala Ji temple and told him the story of Akbar's gold umbrella.
Mostly, stories are told to refresh our memories and learn more, so the bigger the number of people in a car, the better it is. Govinda shared his experience about Bol Bam Yatra(Kanvar yatra) that he had completed with a bare feet walk of 100 kilometers from Sultanganj in Bihar to Baidyanath temple at Deoghar in Jharkhand.
The aim of this yatra is to fetch some holy Ganga water from Sultanganj and take it to the lord Shiva temple Baidyanath at Deogarh in Jharkhand. This was his main source of confidence, which showed itself while he tirelessly climbed the fifteen-kilometer Manimahesh trek.
Shankar also had a few trekking experiences such as the Kheerganga, Kamrunaag, Bijli Mahadev, Sarahan(Bhima Kali), Sareolsar lake, and Murari Devi trek, etc. So he was confident, too.
By the time we crossed Kangra and reached Shahpur, the sky had become overcast with darkness, and it was time to eat dinner in the dhaba. Shankar had switched to the driver's seat, and our next stop would be over the mountain ridge at Jot. It was already around midnight, so we thought to take a few hours' sleep in the car itself.
Night at Chamba Jot
The road crosses the mountain ridge at Jot, leaving Kangra's plains and entering the more zig-zag and steep roads towards Chamba. At jot, it could be cold at night even in July and August. Our jackets and caps were of much help. On the right of the road, there was a two-storey concrete building that looked like a home, but the lights were already off.
Another one was just a few meters down the ridge, but its lights were off too. Ground floors were shuttered, so not even a tea shop was open. While making the arrangements and turning the car to the right stable spot, we chatted loudly. The lights got on for a while, but again, everything went silent.
Ashu bhai took the sleeping bags and spotted an empty carriage van, with an open roof, but under a rain shelter. He is the one with the longest legs and height among us, and it was not comfortable for him to sleep in the car in a single seat. The remaining three of us managed to close our eyes and get subconscious till the morning.
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| Green Roof at Chamba Jot, Manimahesh Yatra August 2016 |
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| From right - Ashu Bhai, Govinda, Shankar and I. |
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| A view of Kangra valley from Chamba Jot, Manimahesh Yatra, August 2016 |
to be continued in part 2......
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