Into the clouds -Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Sometimes I wonder why some of us really love a comfortable train journey. In my entire lifetime, I haven’t heard anyone saying they love a bus journey. Whether it is the chaos of the cities, or an unyielding monsoon, train manages to keep a rhythm within itself. It doesn’t try to alter the world for us , except it presents the view from it.
 Nilgiri Mountain railway is one among the UNESCO world heritage list. Train whose major stretch is powered by steam ,starts from Mettupalayam which is near to Coimbatore and ends in Ooty by covering 46 kms in 5 hours. Probably the slowest train on earth, it just moves through the pristine and serene nilgiri forest, cowling numerous bridges and tunnels with gasping steam and spells the vibrant forest into a mythical land. For some still moments with nature, it stops at couple of vantage points apart than stations which offer light refreshments. More or less the train itself was like movie house which presented nature in a widest canvas we can never imagine.
To catch the train, you need to go to Mettupalayam which is 35 kms away from Coimbatore which is well connected by road and rail. Mettupalayam is a modest town with good lodging options. The train starts at 7:10, has only 3 compartments and it is highly recommended to book tickets in advance. Out of 3, one is a general compartment and you have to be there in queue at least 90 min before the departure of train to get a ticket. The “general” compartment is not an option unless you are ready to take a chance. The train is powered by steam but uses diesel instead of coal to boil the water. The steam engine which provides stiffest thrust to move the train through tougher gradient, is changed to a diesel engine when it reaches the finer plains of Coonor.
 If you have an chance , sit on a your left side to enjoy the nature. The return train starts from Ooty at 2pm.
Some Pictures

A phone contact

 I am going to delete a phone number from my mobile. The person whom it belonged to , passed away recently. I was having a tea with a friend today and he told me unexpectedly that this person has passed away. When  I asked him further , he told me he got a call from someone a week back informing the death of this person. Apparently his number was on the last call list. Just before his death it seemed that he called my friend.

This person who died was a bachelor. He suffered a massive heart attack shortly after a meal. It was because of him I made the first travel to himalayas. My friend gave me his contact when I told him casually that I wanted to visit himalayas. When I called him he told me he will pick me from airport which he couldn’t do at the last minute. But it gave me enough confidence to set my plans moving. He gave me an address in haridwar where I could find an accommodation. I stayed there, at  a beautiful ashram much away from hustles and dust of a pilgrimage town.

After my visit I met this person for the first time. He was in a temple near to kerala -tamilnadu border. My friend took me there. He looked young, robust and made a fiery conversation. I looked at his eyes with gratitude for the help he did. After that again I met him for the last time, when he was in my hometown recovering from a surgery. He had an assistant boy who spoke a dialect of the hills. He spoke to me for a while complaining about the pain he was suffering.

For a long time I didnt have any contact with this person. But during my last visit to himalayas, while I was returning from yamunotri , I thought of staying at Dehradun for a night. But I didnt see the modesty and serenity when I reached and made a quick plan to go to Rishikesh. Since Rishikesh was at peak pilgrimage season ,I wasn’t sure where to stay. While speaking to my friend he suggested me to contact this person. When I called him , he remembered me immediately and suggested a place to stay which I did. I guess I didnt meet or call him after that.

When my friend came to know his death , he travelled immediately to pay his last respects. It seems death happened in Coimbatore , where he came down from Delhi on the same day. My friend performed his last rites and he told me he just want to forget him.

After that conversation, I looked at my phone, his number was still on the contact list. While gazing it for a while, it seemed to me that contact has just disappeared away with time .I couldn’t accept that for a while.

It may be easy to delete a contact , but some people form very hard impressions and it never goes away with our time. 

The City

More and more have come to the city
A conquest on space ,nature and peace
Boxes of concrete with light and glasses
vanquishing the mysterious green and serenity.

The roads are filled with gushing machines
squalling and filling the air with darkness.
Eyes of fatigue and anger surges ahead
With disconnected dreams and hopes from the rest.

Rich are spreading over the ground
to live and revel in haughtiness and in disdain.
Damped commoners sense the crush
Grumbling and brooding against disownment.

Going to Gomukh

Gomukh is on the top of Gangotri and it requires around 18 kms of trekking to reach there.Unless you are going on a pony,you need basic fitness and good health .Gangotri national park is a protected area , you need permission from Uttarakand forest department to go here.There are two offices which you can reach out for this, one at Uttarkashi and another one at Gangotri. If you need to go ahead beyond Gomukh ie Tapovan-Nandanvan , you need to get permission from Uttarkashi office.Also there is a maximum limit of 150 people per day


Getting started

For people from South , you need to travel to Delhi , by flight or train. From there you need to go to Rishikesh.From Delhi, buses are available from ISBT-Kashmere gate. ISBT can be reached from delhi airport via shuttle services in front of Terminal -ID. Also it is connected by Delhi -Metro.

Buses to Rishikesh can be frequent , but it can be crowded . Avoid going there on friday nights.Buses can take 6-7 hours to reach Rishikesh.Its only 220 kms ,but traffic can be really messy.

From Rishikesh , you need to go to Uttarkashi . Buses and shared jeeps are available. For shared jeeps , you need to go to Nataraj chowk. Rishikesh to Uttarkashi requires less than 6 hours(154 kms).
Avoid sitting in the back seat in the jeep.

Uttarkashi is a modest town and you can get affordable places to stay. Try ashrams , you can get good food and descent rooms(yes its important to keep your stomach intact).

From Uttarkashi ,you can get shared jeeps to Gangotri .Road is very narrow and traffic jams are very frequent.For covering 97 kms , it may take 4-5 hrs depending on traffic snarls.

Things to carry.

Carry basic things , 1-2 pairs of dress , camera , medicines , winter clothes including monkey caps and gloves.
The more you carry , more troublesome it will become.

-Carry dry fruits ,it can give quick calories.
- Water is available from natural sources.
- Carry some food as a backup .
- You need an excellent trekking shoes . (My reebok shoes got completely torn).

Before you start

Start ideally at morning.
Go to forest department at Gangotri to get the permission. There you have to give declaration stating "I wish to go to Gangotri on my risk .Forest dept will not be responsible for any accidents or mishaps". They will charge Rs10 for the form.

Go only in a group. Travelling alone is not recommended or safe. Join some group there itself.
There is a clear trail and its important to stay on it.


Trekking
The route is Gangotri-Bhojbhasa-Gomukh-Bhojbhasa-Gangotri.Total distance is 36 kms .Gangotri to Bhojbhasa is 14 kms and it will take minimum 5 hrs ,but usually it will take more than that.

Head towards checkpost ,where you need to purchase the pass for Rs 150 .They will examine your bag for plastics and will ask to deposit Rs 100 if you carry any plastics. They will count no of plastics items and will refund the amount once you bring everything back.(bottles/bags/chocolate cover/etc).

There are no shops in between except once in chaiwasa which is 9.5 kms from the starting location.There are couple of places where you need to pass through wooden logs to cover the streams.Walk slowly. Your aim is to enjoy the terrain and the beauty around it ,not for any race.

Some parts of trail are very fragile or affected by landslides . Be careful while walking.

Give way to pony ,else it can push you down.

There is one so called "ashram" where people stay overnight at Bhojbasa.They charge Rs 250 for food and accomdation. Accomdation is very basic , toilets are clean and they will give food two times, one at night and next day morning (around 11).

Nights at Bhojbhasa can be really cold .

Next day morning ,you can start towards Gomukh wearing adequate winter wear. Its another 4 kms from Bhojbasa and will take another 90 min to reach. The trail ends 500 meters before actual Gomukh. The Ganges or Bhagiridhi comes from the melting of snow and you can see the ice there.You need a guide to go beyond that (Tapovan) since there is no clear trail.You can get guide from Gangotri.

Once you come back from Gomukh to Bhojbhasa , you can have good brunch and start towards Gangotri same day .

Pictures

Kashmir Unrest

Over the last 2 months , they has been no let up in violence in Kashmir Valley. With more than 70 civilian deaths and numerous injuries , the current crisis spear headed by the young stone pelters has given an unexpected punch to many in Delhi.
What is on the mind of young stone pelters ? Is it rudimentary and over simplified “azadi” inculcated by leaders who want separation from India. Or these men , born under the silence of the gun who have witnessed many conflicts and trauma made them turn into “pressure pots” who express much through pelting stones.

Well there is something missing greatly in Kashmir or any other conflict zones in India. That is “respect”. The image of India demonized as men in uniform who don't fall under the vicinity of any known law is deep rooted in many people living in these zones. The thought of “azadi” is seen as a solution to this.
There are some “intelligentsia” or elevated “stateless people” who advocate complete freedom to Kashmir valley or support their right to self determination. But will be there any chance for survival for Kashmir valley as a independent nation,which landlocked between three powerful neighbors ,India Pakistan and China requires more logical reasoning. The current “guardians” of frustrated kashmirs ,mainly separatist leaders and jihadists are radicalizing their society and selling pipe dreams of independent kashmir without having any idea how it will work.

Conspicuously the current unrest is not given due coverage in Pakistan media which is bickering over the aid , rehabilitation and ineptitude of current Pak administration in handling the devastating floods. Pakistan who is struggling with many demons which they created in the past , offers no hope or future for kashmiri people. And their support to Kashmiri “azadi” movement is meant for installing a proxy regime there which is amenable to them as they did in Afghanistan.

India 's future as a responsible state lies not in powerful army ,economy or massive structures built for commonwealth games. There should be environment where justice, livelihood and individual freedom or expression are treated with paramount respect. We have failed in Kashmir over and over again , by running a state filled with para military and army. But still, Kashmirs has a better hope with India than with separatists or Pakistan who are eager to take them to dark ages.

Reflections on Tamil nadu

Well I think I should say few things about Tamil Nadu ,a place which I visit frequently. Like most people, I feel Tamil Nadu is growing . Lot of new roads ,palatial buildings , shopping malls ,multiplexes are mushrooming everywhere and it needs to be reckoned that Tamil Nadu may be the fastest "growing" state in South India. Away from all these growth indicators ,I feel Tamil Nadu faces some unique problems ,mostly social and cultural ones.

Right from the Cholas , Tamil Nadu witnessed massive cultural and artistic surge which translated into massive stone structures with aesthetic carvings ,music ,dance forms .It continues to inspire and create some of the brilliant people the world has ever seen.

But Tamil Nadu also has a society who are marginalized and completely disconnected with their culture and heritage. May be due to casteism ,they were denied a descent living ,learning and respectful co existence. And that continues , they still live a life without having a culture which defines broad based personal and social behavior. Driven by low self esteem, they treat with people who dont speak their language as aliens. On top of it ,they live in a identity provided by movie stars or their avatars as politicians.

I have been to lot of historical places in Tamil Nadu. Gigantic stone structures always amazes me. But I am equally worried how these wonderful pieces of heritage is treated in Tamil Nadu. May be protecting these wonderful pieces of art involves bringing back these people into mainstream and create an environment in which they can connect with their culture. It requires more human intervention and lot of social empowering.

Hawking and theory of everything

Downloaded the video of Stephen Hawking's theory of everything using Bittorrent . It is a very informative video on efforts to bridge quantum mechanics and general theory of relativity. It talks about issues on "explaining" gravity which is part of four fundamental forces of nature (Other three are electromagnetism, weak interaction, and strong interaction).
Human beings over a period of time tried to explain things based on senses.Unfortunately our senses can think only of three dimensions and it requires complex mathematical equations to define dimensions beyond that.
Recently there was another attempt to define theory of everything.