Garhwal: Rishikesh to Rudraprayag

The question is not what you look at, but what you see.
- Henry David Thoreau

The journey of approximately 140 kms from Rishikesh to Rudraprayag in the rickety bus that took more than 5 hours – most of the time climbing up the mountain roads – was not very comfortable, but the scenery I came across more than made up for the discomfort. Typical scenery was that of curving narrow mountain roads and no matter how limited in size the roads were, somehow two-way traffic was being skilfully maneuvred. The road was mostly through mountain gorges, plunging into deep valleys at the bottom of which flowed the Ganges. Being the monsoon season, the Ganga flowed in its full glory, accumulating rain water in addition to the waters of the melting glaciers originating from the Himalayas.

The Ganges flows on

To reach Rudraprayag, the journey took me through Devprayag (one of the five holy confluences or Panch Prayags) and Srinagar (not of the Jammu & Kashmir fame). Devprayag is another small mountain town situated at the confluence of the Bhagirathi River and the Alaknanda River. What I like about these mountain towns is their characterization by their natural beauty, religious significance, their lakes and glaciers, and the simple mountain folks who dwell there.

From a moving bus near Rudraprayag

The small pilgrim town of Rudraprayag is named so after the Hindu God, Rudra. It lies on the confluence of River Alaknanda that flows from the Alakpuri glacier beyond Badrinath and River Mandakini originating from Kedarnath.

River Alaknanda

The holy confluence is venerated by Hindu pilgrims and an ancient temple, Rudranath, is dedicated right at the confluence.

The Confluence of the Rivers

On my return journey at Rudraprayag, from the modest GMVN accommodation that I had stayed in, I also happened to watch an open-air cremation ceremony at the opposite bank of the River Mandakini. Earlier, I had only heard of disbursement of the ashes in the Holy Ganges, but this trip made me witness it. I watched the covered body consumed in flames, and then with the heat it vaporized into nothingness. At the end of the process, the ash was collected and then scattered into the water from the bank of the River Mandakini at the holy confluence. As soon as this was done, one by one the gathered folks left.

At the ghats of River Mandakini

It also made me introspect on the intricate issues of life. Life is short, and delicate. It would be nice to live it simple and in peace. Nothing is to be feared, it is only to be understood as Marie Curie said. I pondered on the decision of those mountain folks who opted for cremation. They dispose of their dead immediately in a simple ritualistic ceremony, and that must have certainly cost far less than the traditional burial ceremony. Then there is the environmental advantage as well.

View from balcony of GMVN at Rudraprayag

I got a feeling they appeared relaxed because they "think simple" without much drama. I am sure those mountain folk do not worry about the stock market crisis, or for that matter, anything that detracts them from the joy of living in simplicity. Now I see this post turning out long and I should immediately stop. My wisdom is limited to my awareness of my ignorance on these issues. Sounding philosophical on the death and meaning of life is not my cup of tea. After all, philosophy could get one killed, as it did Socrates!

As my destination was to travel higher up the mountains to Joshimath and Auli passing through Chamoli, the journey through and stopover at Rudraprayag was mainly for a night of rest and relaxation, and these are my observations of a peaceful evening spent there.

Sunflowers of Rudraprayag



How to reach Rudraprayag:

The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun, about 160 kms away and the nearest rail head is at Rishikesh 140 kms. Rudraprayag is connected by narrow roads with other tiny mountain towns of the region and has bus service to Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun.

Recent Travel Posts:

• Garhwal: Rishikesh
• Garhwal: Haridwar
• A Journey to Garhwal
• A Tryst with the Himalayas