Nowhere in this world can you undertake such a spiritual trek than the one which you are about to read below. It is called the Himalayan trekking or “Satopanth Trek” in the Uttarakhand mountain region of the Himalayas.
For once, I request you to forget the spiritual tag of this Himalayan trekking and read about what exactly awaits you in the mysterious places in the Himalayas.
“Satopanth Lake” is located in Uttarakhand, India. The backdrop of this most beautiful clear water lake is simply breathtaking. The lake is situated at an altitude of approximately 15,000 feet and it is surrounded by snow-laden tall mountains. There is not much vegetation on the mountain but at some stretch, you can find tall trees and wildflowers.
The Glaciers of Himalayas
The mountains surrounding the lake and beyond the lake are named by:
- Satopanth Glacier
- Bhagirath Kharak Glacier
- Alkapuri Glacier
When your real walking starts from the Mana village, you will reach the Alkapuri glacier after walking for 12 km only. It’s a huge glacier that extends into two big valleys namely Satopanth and Gaumukh.
Somewhere to the north of Alakpuri glacier, the legendary rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda ordinate but flows in a different direction before meeting again at Devaprayag that is situated above Rishikesh town.
- Nilkantha mountain in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. Its peak is situated at over 21,500 feet!
- Balakun is another Himalayan peak situated at an altitude of 21,200 feet. It is quickly accessible from Badrinath temple, the foremost sacred temple in India. The distance between the Balakun summit and the Badrinath temple is only 16 km. The Himalayan trekking route is via Mana, the last village in India. You then enter the Mana Pass and cross over to Tibet. The Mana village itself is reached by walking (30 km) from the Badrinath temple.
Vehicle travel is possible only up to the Mana village. You Himalayan trekking starts from there. And You will have to stay in tents only if you want to complete the holy trek. You need to approach a reputed pilgrimage organizer to join the rejuvenating Himalayan trekking on specific dates only as planned by the touring company.
The Himalayan Trekking Trail
The himalayan Trekking trail is thousands of years old.
This Himalayan trekking trail was created by several thousand years ago by the Pandavas who are said to have walked along this trail before they attained liberation.
As you start your Himalayan trekking, you can see some of the most beautiful places on earth that would stun your visionary senses. You will frequently gasp at the sheer untouched beauty of the mighty Himalayas. Remember, they are not literally touched by human beings. It’s nature at its unspoiled best in Uttarakhand.
The Himalayan trekking guide will show you the following places of spiritual and natural importance. It is advised to take a professional camera; don’t rely on your mobile phone camera.
- Badrinath temple
- Mana Pass
- Vasudhara Falls
- Lakshmivana
- Satopanth Lake
- Sahasradhara Falls
- Chakra Theertha
- Anandvan
The entire Himalayan trekking will last for four full days and it starts from Badrinath temple situated at an altitude of 10,170 feet in the Himalayas.
Satopanth Lake
Your first incredible sightseeing will be the Satopanth Lake where Hindu Gods, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva visit this lake frequently to take holy bath.
On the way to Satopanth, you will open your mouth in awe at the sight of Vasudhara Falls and the mystic Saraswathi River that vanishes into the earth after this spot only to emerge again at the Triveni Sangamam, Allahabad. It’s a three river confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswathi.
Your pilgrimage guide will point out to you the Chakra Tirth and Lakshmivana. Don’t start counting the waterfalls that cross your Himalayan trekking path because you will lose count soon.
If you are spiritually inclined also and want to know tit-bits of Hindu mythological information, please read on.
- After some distance from Mana village, you can see Sri Mata Murti Mandir. It is where the Pandava Queen Draupadi fell to the ground and attained heaven.
- Further up your Himalayan trekking trail, you will pass the Vasudhara Falls which is said to be a sacred waterfall.
- Then, you will enter the Anandvan where one of the Pandava brothers Nakula left his body.
This is the end of your first-day Himalayan trekking.
Subsequent Days of Himalayan Trekking
- On day two of your Himalayan trekking, first, you will be pointed out at the Sahasradhara which means a thousand waterfalls. Another Pandava brother Sahadeva sheds his body here. Your second-day trekking ends at Sahasradhara Falls.
- On day three of your Himalayan trekking, your first goal is to reach the Satopanth Lake. On the way, you will see Alkapuri, the kingdom of Kubera. I suppose you possess some knowledge about Hindu epics to know what you are reading.
- Be ready to witness the majestic Bhagirathi peaks.
- A short while later, Lake Satopanth will cross your path. You are supposed to take a holy dip in the ice-cold but very clean water. On the shores of this gorgeous-looking lake, Pandava brother Arjuna left his body. You will stay at this holy place in a tent.
- On your final day of Himalayan trekking, you will reach a place called, “Swargarohini” meaning the staircase to heaven. It is here that the Pandava brother Bhima and Pandava king Yudhishthira bid goodbye to the earthly life.
So, that’s it then. You have successfully completed the holy trekking of the Himalayas and saw some of the rare places in the world that only a very few fortunate people have seen.
If you want to take part in this Himalayan holy trek, comment below and I will tell you the most reliable trekking organizer in India.
