Neelkanth Peak in Badrinath

Day 5 : NEELKANTH PEAK - Hanuman Chatti Temple - Exploring Joshimath - Enroute to Rishikesh - Rishikesh (Dayanand Ashram and Temples) - Haridwar (Markets, Har ki Pauri, etc) - Char Dham Trip Concludes Finally....

The frothy white waters of the Alaknanda River, the bewitching beauty of the Badrinath Temple, and a very memorable Diwali evening… in the past one day that I had spent in Badrinath...Really… I had lived many a dream…

And there was just one more left now – The sight of the first rays of the sun enlightening the Neelkanth peak – Hopefully, this too would soon be turning into a reality in a few hours from now… With these thoughts, I closed my eyes and went off to sleep.

Cold had gripped me tight, no amount of warm coverings providing any sort of comfort. Sleep was something that eluded me that night.

Morning greeted me with cold burns all over my face and a very very stiff body. Anticipation helped me loosen up my body a bit; to add to that, the enthusiasm of my brother who was already out of the bed and raring to go was mighty infectious too. I somehow managed to get out of the multiple layers of quilt and dragged my feet out of my room. Having read a lot of stories of how people craving for one sight of this ‘Garhwal queen’, and despite being in Badrinath for over a week, have had to return back disappointed… I couldn’t help but wonder… Will we be witnessing the sight that has dodged millions before us…?

It was still dark outside. No sign of a single soul out there, no movement – just me overloaded with 2 (or was it more?) thick blankets and my brother, wearing just a jacket (!). Though this was something we both had been eagerly looking forward to, even before the trip began, I must admit, that today, he was more excited of the two of us.

Renowned mountaineer Frank S. Smythe described this peak

as one of the most beautiful in the whole Himalayas...

Named after Lord Shiva, dressed in luminous white

and known as the Garhwal Queen...

The Neelkanth Peak

We stood there outside our hotel room; waiting… everything seeped in absolute silence. The only thing restless was the frigid frosty air piercing through. The lull was finally broken by a loud scream ‘Look Arti!!!’

For the next ten minutes or so… we did not move, nor spoke… just stood transfixed and gaped in awe and admiration at Nature’s own wonder miracle unfolding before our eyes …

The early morning rays of the sun lighting up the Neelkanth Peak in Badrinath

The first rays of the morning sun slowly wiped away the mist… transforming a lifeless stone into a glittering jewel…in its pristine glory! The cap of the great mountain lit up, like those lamps of the Diwali festival… Diwali in Badrinath was not yet over…! Nature’s celebrations had just begun!

The Neelkanth peak is said to resemble the looks of Lord Ganesha,

the God with the elephant head and trunk

(Can you figure that out in any of the above photos?)

Aaahhh! What a sight it was… a true spectacle… can never ever be captured! What a mesmerizing feeling it was… beyond my power to describe it in words…....

Previous posts from this trip -

1. Char Dham Yatra

2. Planning the Char Dham Trip
3. Introduction to Uttarakhand and Char Dhams

4. ISKCON Temple, Delhi
5. Entire DAY 1 of the Yatra (includes The journey finally begins... Haridwar to Uttarkashi)

6. Entire DAY 2 of the Yatra (includes Enroute to Gangotri - Gangnani, Enchanting Mother Ganga... Our First Dham - Gangotri, Places to visit in and around Gangotri, Bhaironghati, Harsil, Pilot Baba Ashram in Bhatwari, Temples of Uttarkashi)
7. Entire Day 3 of the Yatra (includes Uttarkashi to Birahi (Chowrangikhal), Uttarkashi to Birahi (Kemundakhal))
8. Entire Day 4 of the Yatra (includes Birahi-Badrinath:Joshimath Gate System, Badrinath introduction - Where to stay, Eat, Alaknanda River and Brahma Kapal Ghat, Tapt Kund and the Panch shilas, The Badrinath Temple, Exploring the last Indian Village in Uttarakhand - Mana Village, Places to visit in Mana Village, Diwali Celebrations in the Badrinath Temple)