21st October – Trek from upper Vantoli to Madhmaheshwar

 

We woke up to the alarm at 5:45 AM, as Anup wanted to begin the trek by 7 AM after breakfast at 6:30 AM. Unfortunately, he had not informed the host about our dietary restrictions.

A few days before the trek, the trek company created a WhatsApp group to share instructions and guidelines with the trekkers. The representative offered a half-Jain diet option, i.e. cooked food excluding onion and garlic. Since this was also a pilgrimage, almost everyone chose this diet until the last Kedar darshan.

The trek leader had to inform all the kitchens about the half-Jain diet. That morning in Upper Vantoli, Anup forgot to inform the host, and the food was prepared with onion and garlic. When we informed the host, he offered to prepare fresh food, but this delayed us by 40 minutes.

This unexpected delay gave us a chance to try something new. The host informed us that tea would be served with breakfast, which was still 40-45 minutes away. Vaidy decided to make coffee. We had the necessary ingredients, and the host provided hot water. So, for the first time since leaving Mumbai, we enjoyed coffee. Many South Indian Brahmins, including most of our group, rely on coffee to start their day. Dada participated and openly appreciated Vaidy's coffee.

After the half-Jain breakfast, we started the day's trek. It was a long but enjoyable walk, and I found it as challenging as, if not more than, Tungnath.

We typically drank water, sometimes mixed with ORS, and often enjoyed local lemonade or fruit juice.

Madhmaheshwar Mahadev's temple was scheduled to close at 1 PM for aarti and bhog. We reached Annapurna homestay around 1:10 PM.  This homestay was a couple of hundred meters from the temple. Vishagan and Ramesh went straight to the temple but returned immediately, informing us that it was closed.

However, Kanni Swami informed us 10 minutes later that the temple was open for a short time, and anyone who rushed there might be able to have darshan. We rushed to the temple, removed our boots, and entered the sanctum sanctorum. Madhmaheshwar Mahadev granted us a blissful darshan.

Returning to the homestay, we had a simple lunch of dal rice, pickle, and homemade puliyodharai. Vishagan, Ramesh, and I spoke to the host, who offered hot water for a nominal fee. A hot water bath was psychologically refreshing. After changing into fresh clothes, we were ready for the evening aarti.

As planned, we recited Rudram at this temple. At 5 PM, we found the temple area empty except for a few tourists. Outside the main entrance, a carpet was laid for about 10-12 people. Interpreting this as a divine invitation, we occupied the carpet and started our recitation. 25 minutes later after completing our recitation, we went in search of tea.

The nearest tea stall owner informed us that overnight guests should have tea at their homestay. We had tea at Annapurna homestay.

When we returned to the temple around 6 PM for aarti and darshan, the atmosphere had changed. The carpet was gone, and a queue of devotees had formed.

About 15-18 devotees were waiting. Colorful lights illuminated the temple, and Shiv bhajan played from a loudspeaker. A pandit opened the temple and started chanting slokas. We realized that some parts of the Sri Rudram were included in the prayer, but with a different musical style.

One by one, we entered the temple for darshan. After the queue, we were allowed to enter again for another darshan and aarti, an unexpected bonus.

After this satisfying darshan, we returned to the homestay canteen. Our host surprised us by informing us that dinner, consisting of rice, dal, and chapati, was ready. The cold weather made the warm canteen inviting. Despite the smoke from the wood fire, we enjoyed a simple but tasty dinner and returned to our rooms by 7:00 PM.

We layered ourselves with thermals and tried to contact our family members, but the mobile network was unavailable. The host graciously allowed us to use his BSNL landline.

I used this early return to review my notes with fellow trekkers.

During dinner, our host explained that after the temple closes for winter (kapat bandh), everyone closes their shops and leaves for their villages. Snow covers everything, and people return in April or May.

We turned off the lights and lay in our beds, discussing the trip, our plans for the next day, and the upcoming visit to Kedarnath Mahadev temple. I drifted off to sleep.

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