Vikash And His Serene Journey To Uttaranchal With Thrillophilia!
The aftermath of any trip includes a few sure actions. You return back home and start to unpack your luggage. After that you will be meeting your friends and giving them the gifts or souvenirs you brought back from the trip. And then you will share all the exciting experiences, stories with people who eagerly hear you out.
But this isn't what most travelers are excited about. Instead they are thrilled about the experience that they had, the memories they made and a lifetime of moments they get to cherish. They are thankful for the time they spent exploring the amazing destinations, meeting new people and getting to know the locales.
That's what traveling is all about. The thrill of taking a less traveled path, or a path that is unfamiliar to you. The excitement that engulfs when someone decides to get out of their comfort zone. And finding a family in the hearts of strangers, with whom you bond over shared experiences and memories. Vikas Kumar is one such traveler, who likes making new friends, traveling through the unexplored paths and enjoying every moment. This is why when the opportunity presented itself, he joined the group of 40 people going to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib Trek.
"When I was looking for a great deal on the trip I had in my mind, I came across Thrillophilia. I was immediately interested in the package and the amenities they were offering. My point of contact in Thrillophilia was Nikhil, who helped us through all the queries and answered our questions regarding the package. The arrangements were great and the entire experience was exhilarating. I had never been this close to the beautiful landscapes of Northern India. But it was everything we imagined and much more!"
Trekking The Picturesque Backdrop Of Valley Of Flowers
Vikas along with his family began the trek from Haridwar. The Valley of Flowers is declared a world Heritage site and it is in pristine condition, something that brings trekkers from around the world to this wonderful spot. The beautiful trek is nestled in the Garhwal District and it's amazing scenery, the vibrant hues of flowers and trees add to the beauty of the snow-capped peaks. While standing at the centre of what looks like heaven on earth, it is impossible to think about something else other than how gorgeous the valley is.
"Upon our arrival in Haridwar, we were transferred to Auli immediately. It took us around 8-9 hours to complete the journey, but every second was so beautiful outside. The views were spectacular and the weather was amazing. We traveled through the sacred towns of Hindus, Rishikesh, Devprayag, and Rudraprayag. With the Ganga flowing along our bus (that's what it looked like), we spent every waking second soaking the beauty of nature. The start of our trip was mesmerizing, and we were excited to see what else was in store for us."
Auli is a beautiful town and majorly known for its skiing spots. After arriving in Auli, we immediately transferred to Ghangaria and the trek was of around 5 hours. On the way, the group crossed the mighty Alaknanda River and continued their trek to the Bhyundar Valley. The Trek was amazing, with picturesque valleys surrounding them. Another great highlight of this trek was the ever welcoming smiles of the locals in the villages that the group passed through.
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The group enjoyed an overnight stay at Ghangaria, where they were welcomed and got the much needed rest. The following day Vikas and the group left for Valley of Flowers, where they were greeted by a breathtakingly gorgeous meadow covered in rare Himalayan flowers. At the entrance of the valley Vikas was stunned at the sight of the Nar Parvat on the left, the Badrinath Valley and a dense forest set on the hill on one side. He couldn't believe what he was seeing was real, the view was heavenly and the group was completely enchanted by it.
"The Valley of Flowers is a unique and exquisitely beautiful place, the view we witnessed was something we can never forget. Our group had people of all ages and each of them were in awe of what was in front of us. In the valley we also witnessed a beautiful waterfall, and flowers that we had never seen before in our lives. The green landscapes of the place inspired and motivated us to be more careful about nature and try to protect it."
Spiritual Bliss In The Mountains
After spending a beautiful time at the Valley of Flowers, Vikas and the group returned to their stay. On the way they took a detour to the Hemkund Sahib, which is a well known religious shrine of the Sikh community. The shrine is built near a Lake, and has a very soothing atmosphere. Surrounded by wildflowers, the lake is a beautiful sight and the group was mesmerized watching it. The Brahma Kamal is one of the flowers growing around it and it also happens to be the most well known among them all. The group took a dip in the holy water of the lake before entering the Gurudwara to offer prayer. Once inside the Gurudwara premises, the group was served hot tea which they all enjoyed. Vikas decided to pay respects at a nearby Laxman Mandir before leaving. While the group stayed overnight at Ghangaria, Vikas decided that he wanted to add one more place to his trip: Badrinath.
"It was day 5, and we had left our stay in Ghangaria. We started the trek back to Govindghat and from there it was an hour's drive to the temple in Badrinath. Nestled around the Alaknanda River, this place is surreal. The backdrop of the Neelkanth peak and the amazing structure of the main temple, it all blends together so beautifully. The atmosphere around this region was exceptionally clean and fresh. I could feel all the polluted particles being exhaled out of my lungs."
The Best Of All: Highlights
"Once I was back home, I couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful landscape, the amazing atmosphere and the time I spent in nature's lap. Everything there was just like a Movie scene, so vibrant, surreal and exotic. The flowers, the wildlife, the scenery - all of it. It was great to hear tales and adventurous stories from the locals of the villages that we passed through during our treks. One such tale was that of Lord Hanuman, as it was believed that this is where he picked up Sanjeevani buti from. During our trek we wondered what if we found it; we would definitely bring a huge stock of it back home."
"My favorite moment in the entire trip was when we visited the Hemkund Sahib and Badrinath. During my research I had read a lot about this gurudwara and I even heard about it from travelers. The welcome that we got was so warm and pure, for that alone I would like to go back to the place. The atmosphere there was calming and soothing. No matter what caste, religion, or race you belong to, you should definitely visit the Gurudwara and the Badrinath temple. The experience of that day was relaxing and divine."
Aftermath
Vikas has now added a few places to his bucket list, which include the promise to explore more treks like this one. The memories he collected on this trip will always be there with him. He believed that life should be fun, and one should never forget to enjoy the little moments.
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