24th October – Descent from Kedarnath to Gauri kund and drive to Gupt Kashi

 

Now that we had completed the darshan at the last Mahadev temple of the Panch Kedar, we went to sleep without setting an alarm. However, accustomed to waking up early, we were up by 6:30 AM. After tea at a local stall, we decided to visit the Bhairavnath temple, located on a small hill. The climb was steep, but the path was well-paved, unlike the uneven rocky terrain we had encountered earlier.

On our way back from the Bhairavnath temple, we visited the Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi. A gigantic statue of Adi Shankaracharya, carved from what looked like black granite, adorned the temple, whose base was designed like a Sri Chakra. On our way back to our rooms, we saw the Bhim Shila (also known as God’s Rock).

 

After checking out of our rooms, we gathered in front of the temple for a group photo. A ceremonial group photo with the trek company banner followed. I had brought an Indian flag, and a few of us posed with it. Kanni Swami arranged for a porter to carry our luggage, and three of us opted to ride horses.

After a hearty breakfast at a stall opposite the helipad, we started our slow and steady descent at 10:30 AM. We took regular breaks, usually every half hour, for lassi, lemon juice, or fruit plates.

I noticed that the authorities had made arrangements for providing horses with hot water.

We reached Gauri Kund by 3:15 PM and joined our fellow trekkers at a tea stall. After a hot tea and some light snacks, we collected our luggage and did some local shopping for souvenirs. Reversing our routine from the previous morning, we took a shared cab to Sonprayag, but this time it was less crowded and the cabs were relatively empty.

At Sonprayag, Uday Singh met us with the vehicle, and we proceeded to the Tri Yugi Narayan temple, an ancient temple with a rich history. The divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati is believed to have taken place here, witnessed by Lord Vishnu and other deities. A unique feature of this temple is the akhand jyoti (perpetual fire) that has been burning since the time of the divine marriage. We saw a few parents with their young daughters of marriageable age performing puja.

After the darshan, we boarded the bus and went to Hotel Sarvaheet for dinner. Our final destination for the day was Paradise Hotel, where we checked in for the night. Once again, we went to sleep without setting an alarm for the next morning.

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