Kailas - Mansarovar YATRA

by Jayant Doshi (I decided to call this article Yatra instead of

expedition. Yatra literally means a religious pilgrimage, and that is what this trip turned out to be. - but in many ways this was truly a memorable expedition. ….This is an account of the trip and I hope readers will enjoy it.)

(Photos in this article are not from this trip but from my later treks.)

Geographical Location : Mount Kailas and Mansarovar ( literally meaning a big lake) are situated just North-West of Nepal in Tibet. While Mount Kailas is considered part of the Himalayan range, it is distinctly away from the actual Himalayan range. Mansarovar is a

very large lake with a circumference of 105 km, and four major rivers come out of it including the Brahmputra, Indus and Sutlej. Kailas and Mansarovar are two different places, separated by about 30 km distance.

Significance : Mount Kailas, as per the Hindu myth and belief, was the abode of Lord Shiva and Parvati , and it is said that they bathed in Mansarovar. For devout Hindus going to Kailas and Mansarovar is the most

important pilgrimage of their life. Parikrama (meaning going round the temple, or round Mount Kailas in this case) is considered as the

essential part of this pilgrimage or Yatra. Devout Hindus believe that one can see the

shape of AUM made from snow on this mountain, and I was sent photograph of this

AUM on the internet. On our visit most claimed to see the shape of Lord Ganesh on one side of Mount Kailas. Buddhists consider Mount Kailas

as the centre of the Universe, and they also consider Parikrama of Mount Kailas as the most important religious rite of their lives. They

believe that one Parikrama will wash their

sins, while one hundred Parikramas will give them salvation. Jains believe that Tirthankar Rushabhdev resided there, and that Gautam (first disciple of Lord Mahavir) visited this mount. Some believe that those who are lucky

may sight Astapad on the Mount Kailas.It is interesting to note that while these three religions claim their distinct identity, they all seem to believe in the same thing when it comes to Mount Kailas.

Our Group : Since my holidays in Himachal Pradesh , I wanted to take another holiday in the Himalayas. I also had heard a lot about Kailas Mansarovar. When one of my relations in Bombay told me about a tour agent organising this tour, I immediately decided to take up the opportunity. I knew no one when I started the trip. So I met the rest of the group for the first time when I reached Kathmandu. A brief introduction would help my narration later. Mukherji from Calcutta, the most senior member was quiet but always had words of wisdom when someone fell ill, or when one of the vehicles had mechanical problems. Barot from Baroda was always obliging and thanking others for the slightest favours. He was very humble and full of humility, and always ready to help but rarely accepting any help. Pushpaben of Bombay, but originally of Uganda , was remarkable in more than one

ways, and with all the supplies she had brought with her, she became the saviour for the rest of the group on this tour. For last sixteen years she takes only one meal a day, and during the trip while everyone was struck with some sort of physical problem, she always kept her smile and her health in total control. Khandekar couple, originally from Bombay but now living in Rajasthan, were different in their own way, less forth coming and mixing, they were both in ill health for most of the trip. Husband was chain smoker, and avoided walking whenever he could avoid it. Yogi couple from Bombay were friendly; husband was life of the group and made jokes, mostly at the cost of the wife, and later the victims were

Khandekars. Sanjiv, from Bombay and the youngest member of the group, was conned into believing that not only had I the interests that matched his, but that I was much younger (he actually gave my age as 42) then I actually was. When he saw me at the airport it must have shocked him, as I was much older than he was made to believe. But I assume that he very soon realised that I was up to his expectations in walking and other activities. I can say with hindsight that without him my trip would have been boring and a total failure, and I can say that with confidence that he must have had the same feelings. Most of the group members never walked or did any sort of physical activity. Even if the hotel room was on first floor they grumbled. Barot had sever health problems including breathing problems. His doctor had forbidden him to do this trip. He lied to his family that he was just going to north India and had come with us. He had got into his mind that God had sent me from Lodnon to make his Parikrama successful. He kept offering to help me, get my things and even offered to massage my legs and I kept telling him not to do that. I explained that I can do my own work and appreciate his offer but do not want him to do that.

Our Convoy : Besides the nine of us , we were to be accompanied by four Chinese drivers who did not understand any language other than Chinese, five Nepali sherpas who were all cheerful

and helpful, and a Chinese guide who was not very co-operative or helpful, and difficult to communicate with even though he spoke reasonable English. We were travelling in three land cruisers, which by our standard were pretty old and in reasonable condition, considering that my land cruiser had already clocked 330,000 kilo meters which indicates the age of the vehicles. We also had a lorry carrying all our needs for the trip, including fuel for four vehicles for total journey of almost 2000 kilometres, our tents, food supplies and even drinking water, as once we enter Tibet nothing is available. When we camped, we had five tents for nine of us, and one for the guide. Our tents were reasonable

sized, enough for sleeping but not possible to stand and change clothes. There was one large tent for dining purposes, which later on some of the passengers used for sleeping, and a tent for cooking which the sherpas used for sleeping also. A small tent, no more than a person could get in and sit, was put up for use as toilet. This was the sum total of the convoy, the sum total of our world and our life for the next fifteen days.

Relaxing in Nepal : We spent three days in Nepal before starting our trip. Sanjeev and I had three wonderful days. We walked through the bazaars of Kathmandu, did some shopping and took some photographs. Next day, on our way to Pokhara we decided to try river rafting. Three hours of rafting with two others from Hong Kong and two from Italy was great fun and something I always wanted to try. We were all wet while rafting, and also had a dip in the river after taking lunch, but three hours seemed too less. That evening, we saw local traditional dancing and singing in the hotel. Next morning, we had a very early morning walk to the top of a hill from where we had a wonderful view of the mountain ranges and the sun rise. Next day in Kathmandu, we all took a flight which took us to the Himalayan range, and we had a wonderful view of the Everest and all the other peaks of the Himalayan mountain range. That, everyone agreed, was the most wonderful experience of our stay in Nepal. That evening we drove to a hillside hotel

half way to the border of Tibet. Next day we drove to the border, went through the formalities of customs and immigration, and all our supplies were moved to the vehicles waiting for us on the other side. As there is two and a half hour time difference between Nepal and Tibet, it was a short day for us, and we spent the night in a border town guest house. The guest house was by any definition rudimentary and in terrible state.

Daily Routine : This was mine, and I guess everyone else’s, first experience in camping holiday. Every morning, around 7.30 the sherpas would wake us up, and leave a cup

of tea outside the tent. We would be all sleeping in the same clothes as we wore during the day. By the time we finished our tea, the sherpa would come with a bowl of hot water. We would then put on our shoes, leather jacket, and come out of the tent with, brush our teeth and wash our face. After use of the toilet tent, we would come and pack our bags. We then have breakfast consisted of hot milk (made from milk powder) and cereals, biscuits and sometimes bhajias or some such hot item. By the time we finished out breakfast, all the tents would have been packed and our luggage put on the vehicles. We would leave the site promptly by 9.00. Each one would be given packed lunch. We would stop for packed lunch around mid-day, and then in the evening any time between as early as 4.00 or as late as 9.00 we would stop for the night camping. The camp site is always selected near some river.

Journey to Mansarovar: We started our journey on Monday. After crossing the Nepal border we stayed in Zagmu, the first and possibly the last town we see on our trip. After dinner, Sanjeev

and I were strolling along the small street when we decided to go into a good looking hotel to see what it was like and there we met three Gujarati ladies from USA who had just come back from Kailas. They had some terrible experiences and told us all about their experiences, giving us hints on what precautions to take and what to expect. Some of their tales were chilling and frightening, and kept me awake at night. Because the tour agent had told me not to bring more than one small bag, I was the least prepared for the conditions we were to face. But luckily, Pushpaben saved me and others with her spare supplies. But talking to those ladies , it helped also as we prepared ourselves mentally and materially whatever

we could do to face those problems . We talked to the rest of our group and told them what to expect. Next day we started our journey, and we soon realised that once the Nepal border is gone, there is nothing but desert with no greenery or much life to be seen. The journey is not very comfortable as the seats in the land cruisers were not what we are used to, and the terrain made the ride bumpy and rough. We did not travel a lot in distance, but we climbed from about 4000 feet above sea level to about 10000 feet, which for one day is quite a climb, and unaware at that point we paid for that steep climb very badly. We stopped at about 4.00 in the afternoon to set up our first camp. The site was near a river, and when we stopped it was sunny and warm and everyone was in good spirits. We all decided to go for a walk as soon as the camps were set up. Within minutes, everything seemed to have changed. The altitude and the thin air takes getting used to, and we were neither aware of this change nor had we been warned about the same. One after other, everyone started complaining of either headaches, or nausea feeling or fever. I had three vomits

within the next half hour or so. The warm weather turned nasty in minutes, and we had severe cold wind blowing in no time. Later, as I was told, it rained with snowflakes. I had gone inside the tent to lie down as the vomits had taken its toll on my body. The night became the nightmare of the trip for most of us. I put on two long woollen socks, had long john and trousers, two woollen cardigans and a leather jacket, scarf, gloves and monkey cap, and I was

still shivering inside the sleeping bag. It was our first night sleeping on the rough ground and inside a tent, and with the after effects of vomiting, and the cold I could not sleep for most of the night. Sanjeev felt so cold that he screamed for help during the middle of the night. He thought he had fever and would not survive the night if he did not get help. I was in no state to get up and help, but while lying down I struggled in the dark and opened my little suitcase which was near my head, and fumbled through the contents and found my woollen shawl. I gave the shawl to him and after that he seemed to have overcome the extreme cold. Barot in the next tent could not breathe properly in that confined space and decided to go and sleep in the larger dining tent. Mukherji started screaming in the middle of the night “Yogi help me…I can’t breathe…I am going to die…please come and help me.” Whilst I was right next door, I was in no state to stand up and help him. Luckily, Yogi came to help. Mrs Yogi was not well for almost the whole week, and she did not recover till we reached Mansarovar. She could not eat anything as she kept vomiting. Khandekar couple were in poor state also for better part of the week. Rest of us recovered from this ordeal by next day. During that night, if anyone had even mentioned of going back, then it was possible that I would have been the first one to say that I will go back.

The sudden travel to a great height where the air is thin, and atmosphere completely different than it takes a long time for the bodies to get used to. Unfortunately we were not warned or prepared for this. After the nightmare of the first night, we slowly got used to the conditions. For the first few days most of us did not feel like eating anything, and even eating was like a difficult chore. After eating a few nuts, the mouth seemed to be tired. I lost over a stone in the first week. For the first few days I hardly ate anything and even after that I was eating a little.

Travelling in the land cruisers was not easy. Pot holes and bumps in the road meant that one got bumped around the vehicle and lifted from the seat. We had a crossing of Brahamputra in some antiquated ferry which took considerable time to ferry all the vehicles. Crossing rivers, I mean actually driving through the water, was quite standard and occurred a few times in a day sometimes as many as five times. One or the other vehicles getting stuck in the sand or in the river was also very common, and luckily we got out of those situations with the help of our other vehicles, or sometimes help from passing vehicles. While it was sunny and warm during the day, and it felt very warm inside the

vehicles, it was not possible to keep the windows open for two reasons. The wind was always chilly, and winds brought a lot of sand. On the second day, the driver missing a big hole on the way, drove fast over it and I got lifted from my seat and when I fell back , my back side hit some solid metal bar at the back of the seat. I screamed with pain. After that time, I could not sit straight as it was painful. Later, on reaching Bombay, I had an X ray done, and it was found that I had a hair line fracture of the tail end of the spine which was causing pain. Luckily this was not serious except it could cause discomfort for a few months.

Arriving at Mansarovar : By Friday mid-day we could see the Mansarovar and Mount Kailas. It was a pretty sight. Mansarovar, a vast lake, had crystal blue water. We reached Mansarovar by early afternoon. Everyone seemed happy having reached the destination. Feeling of reverence and appreciation to god were expressed in different forms of prayers and worship. Some lied down on ground and prayed, some bowed and closed their eyes, some had tears of joy in their eyes when praying. Sherpas, in the traditional Tibetan way, piled stones like a building and

prayed. From there we drove to the other end of the lake to camp. It was very windy, and impossible to stay out or walk around so we all sat in the dining camp. Barot called me to one side and told me something that touched me, and caused apprehension in my mind at the same time. He said that for some time he wanted me to know that if anything was to happen to him on this trip, then I should personally take the responsibility for his final rites – that I should deliver the ashes to his family. I could not get the conversation out of my mind for the good part of the evening and the night. We walked up to the lake but the bank was very muddy, and it was cold and windy. Instead, we walked to the nearby hill,

with a nice view of the lake. The hill had some sort of Tibetan worshipping place, though it did not seem to have any idols. Surprisingly everyone followed us, and everyone, except Sanjeev and I, were totally out of breath just climbing this little hill. At this stage I assume everyone realised that walking round Kailas would not be easy, perhaps not possible. I got the chance to video everyone and introduce them for the record.

Up to now discussion about Parikrama had been academic, but now reality was facing everyone. Up to now it was talk but now we had to face reality. Everyone was adamant and determined that they will at least try and walk. Each one believed that their prayers and their faith in God will give them the strength to do the walk. Sanjeev and I were asked for our opinions, and we frankly told them that if they cannot walk for long time and distance, then it would be difficult for them to do this Parikrama. The alternative was that one could hire a yak and ride on them when walking became difficult, but we had also been warned that yak rides are very

difficult and not advisable. In spite of that, Khandekar couple, Yogi couple and Pushpaben decided to rent yaks and I was asked to arrange them with the guide. All the strong talk about doing the Parikrama at any cost petered out after the walk on the hill that evening.

Next day, it was calm and sunny, and lovely. Sanjeev and I climbed the hill again and took some beautiful photos and video of the rising sun. Coming down the other side we saw a Tibetan house and we went inside. The house consisting of one room and an open compound was neat and clean and well arranged. What impressed us was the side board and a table. The furniture had some nice artful paintings and engravings which enhanced their beauty, and I am sure they would be worth a lot in antiques market. We all went to the edge of the lake where one tent was put up to change clothes. Most of the group had come prepared to do pooja near the lake. Barot and Mukherji put their swimming trunks and walked into the lake till the water reached just below the knees. It was

muddy and water was shallow but there was thick ice on the top which they did not notice and when they came out they had cut their legs which were then bleeding. Others, seeing this, decided to keep full body covered when going into the lake. Even then the water was freezing and no one dared to go much far into the lake. Sanjeev and I decided not the take the chance and wait till we had finished Parikrama, and take a dip into the lake on our return. Most of the crowd performed pooja and I took the video.

Kailas : Before we got ready to move to Darchen , the base camp for Kailas, the guide came and informed us that no yaks were permitted on Kailas as conditions were bad.

It had snowed the day before and snow was up to hip depth. One person was reported to have died and one had broken his leg. We all got packed to move on to Kailas. There was stunned silence and everyone started discussing the next step to take. We asked the guide about the alternatives. Khandekars announced that they were not going for Parikrama. Mrs Yogi joined them. While Mr Yogi kept saying that he will at least try, later we found that he had dropped out without any more discussion. Pushpaben was quiet and her silence implied that she had dropped out. Mukherji said that the feet he cut in ice that morning meant that he could not walk so he dropped out also. Sanjeev and I were determined to go no matter what. Barot was also determined in spite of our feelings that he was not prepared for such a walk.

Near the Mansarovar, there was a hot water stream coming out of the mountain. Barot and I went and had our bath in the open, the first one since we started on our journey a week before. We drove to Kailas and stayed at Darchen camp guest house which is at the base of Kailas. There were lots of vehicles and people around. It was early evening by the time we settled down in our rooms. While the

comments by the guide had been unsettling, we had come to mistrust our guide. Sanjeev and I decided to go out and talk to other people and luckily we met a group from Delhi which had just come back from Parikrama, and they told us that things were not that bad. Talking with them gave us more courage and we told the guide that we were going. As yaks were not allowed he promised that he will arrange for porters to carry our camping and other equipment. We went back to our rooms and announced our decision. The next few hours became full of emotion for us.

Everyone chipped in to help us, to give us items which we might need and help us in every way possible to prepare ourselves for the walk around Kailas. Sanjeev and I were nervous and sceptical. We developed a fear that after all the confidence being heaped on us, what if we were to fail? We both started comforting each other and boosting our morale. Now, after all this moral and emotional support expressed by all, we had a moral duty to finish this Parikrama. “If we do not do the Parikrama, at least our clothing or other personal item will do the Parikrama, and we will be happy with that.” This statement expressed the feelings of all those who backed us up. While I was confident that Sanjeev and I will be able to walk, I was scared about Barot. Not only I thought that he would not be able to walk that much, but that he would also possibly stop us from carrying on as it would be difficult to leave him half way if he had any problem or if he could not walk any more. I noticed that when he came from the outside he was breathless for a few minutes, and thinking of what he had told me the day before I could not sleep at night. I started putting two and two together. He talked about his final rites and his ashes. Did he have a plan to end his life on this sacred mountain? These thoughts bothered me whole night and I could not sleep. In the morning I tried to convince him not to come but he was determined as ever - not adamant but humble. He kept saying that he will not stop us or be a burden on us, and he will come back on his own if he felt he could not walk. When we came out with our bags, the guide informed us that he could not find any porters but that he was trying. After waiting for some time, it seemed that we would have to give up as there were no porters, when luckily two of our sherpas said that they will carry everything and that

they will come with us. We asked them to reduce the load, and suggested that the gas tank could be dropped as we were ready to eat cold food. We said our goodbyes to all, those left behind were emotional and in tears, while we had tears of fear and apprehension.

Parikrama : We started walking around 10.30 a.m. We were fresh and full of energy. We knew we had a very long walk ahead and as such we were trying to cover as much as possible while we were fresh and strong. Sanjeev and I walked at a steady speed. We were walking in the valley between two ranges of mountains. We were walking on rough surface and stones, climbing up at

times and coming down at times. The sherpas normally stay behind, rest a lot, but catch up also as fast. Barot was walking at a great distance behind us. In the beginning, we did not think that he was going to make it so we did not worry or wait for him. After three hours of walking we stopped to wait for the sherpas. We had lunch, and started walking again. We stopped again at about 4.00 and waited for the sherpas, who had planned to camp there. After lunch, Barot kept up his pace with us all the time and we three were walking in unison. We camped, one camp for three of us and one for

the sherpas. The tent was too small to fit two people but here we had to sleep three in a tent. We all had wonderful sleep. Next morning we felt fresh and energetic, and ready for a long day’s walking. After breakfast, the sherpas suggested we start walking as it was going to be a long day. We started to walk at 8.30. From where we had camped, we could see a steep mountain covered with snow, and hundreds of people walking. The sherpas pointed to that side and told us to keep walking and following everyone. It was a purnima (full moon) festival, which meant that hundreds of Tibetans were doing Parikrama. This was lucky for us because that meant that a track was created in the deep snow by the time we started walking.

The morning walk was difficult. We were walking through snow, so we had to watch at all times that there was no soft spot or snow was covering a water pool, or a hole in the track or we do not slip in ice which would have formed on the ground. It was also uphill walking which meant that after every hundred yards or so we sat down to recover our breath. But we kept walking, and we kept going. It was hard work. We were sweating, and breathing heavily all the time. Sanjeev and Barot had walking sticks but I was relying on my instincts to keep my balance, and to check the snow surface I was walking on. By 12.00 noon we reached the top of the mountain. The sherpas, needless to say, had long overtaken us and been waiting for us. They seemed happy with our progress. We were given lunch, and then they said that it was easy now and we could even finish that day instead of spending another night in the mountains. We did not wish to spend another night cramped in one tent and suggested to the sherpas that we might as well stay in a guest house.

It was downhill walking now. We kept walking and reached the base of the mountain by 2.00 p.m. After that we had to walk between two range of mountains which seemed almost straight and level walking, but we soon found out how much more difficult this easy part of the walk was. We soon found that we had rivers to cross every other minute literally, we had stones and big boulders to jump over and overall it was more difficult walking. Jumping over all those boulders and stones caused pain in my right knee and I found walking difficult. Sanjeev always said that he found going up difficult but found it easy to walk on flat ground. He was tired but he was very

eager to reach the guest house quickly. While Barot and I were stopping for rest in between, he kept walking at a steady pace, and was far in front of us. We came across a river where there

was no easy crossing except getting our feet wet, and in that cold it was not a good choice. Luckily, one of the sherpas show us and came to our help. Also I had a knee support in my bag which was with the sherpas. The knee support gave me a bit of relief in the knee, and made walking easier.

It was 4.00 p.m. and we were really tired. If Sanjeev had been there we would have suggested to camp just there, but as he was out of sight, we had no choice but to carry on walking. We kept walking, and walking. Now the walking was up a hill, then down the other side, and then up another hill and so on. Every time we were going up a hill slope, we were hoping and praying that when we reach the top we would be able to see the guest house, and once we reached the top we were disappointed. And this kept happening again and again. I had no strength left in my legs. If given a choice I would have just sat there and refused to move. We kept resting after every few minutes walking. It was after 6.00 that we sighted the guest house, and it was 6.30 by the time we entered the guest house. I removed my shoes, and the jacket and just dropped on the bed. I hardly was in a mood to talk or eat. In minutes I was fast asleep. Everyone had long deep sleep.

Next morning we woke up feeling fresh from good sleep, but our faces showed the effects of tiredness. We took some photos, and looking at those photos I realised how tired and aged we looked after those two days of walking. But now we were in a relaxed mood as we had only half a day to walk. But even that walk seemed to be endless. After almost 6 long hours we came to the end of our Parikrama. We just could not wait to get into our land cruisers. Barot wanted to go to a temple on top of the hill but neither of us was in any mood to walk any more. One vehicle had come to pick us up while the rest of the group was at the camp site near Mansarovar. The

drive from the base camp to Mansarovar seemed too long and I was getting tired sitting and waiting to reach the camp. It took over an hour - seemed like hours - but the emotional welcome we received was overwhelming. All the Chinese drivers, who up to now had never bothered even to return a smile, came and shook our hands and one could see pleasure and pride in those faces. The Sherpas showed the same emotions. Others came and greeted us with tears in their eyes. We had accomplished what they so much wanted to do once in their life. I had come for the fun of this adventure, but here for once I felt as if I had also done the Yatra. Barot stooped down and bowed to Pushpaben and others. To me, the hero of this long walk was Barot. I found out afterwards that my earlier fears were true, almost as if I had premonition. He had been warned by five doctors not even to come to Mansarovar, and to forget about Parikrama. Every family member had pleaded and prohibited him to go on this trip. His breathing problems were so bad and visible, that the way he walked for those 50 km was miraculous.

We all went into the dining tent. We were given very warm welcome, and very tasty food for the first time on this trip. We sat and talked about our walk. It became apparent that some of them started feeling that they could have done the Parikrama and did not do it. Pushpaben declared her intention to come again. Later, Pushpaben suggested that everyone give up something as a gesture of this Yatra. I suggested that everyone vow to spend some time everyday to look after their bodies - their health.

The Return Journey : When we were in Kathmandu and a suggestion was made that we might finish the trip in 13 days instead of the scheduled 14 days, everyone strongly objected to that and said that they will spend 14 days no matter what. But when the time came for the return journey, everyone wanted to get back as quick as possible. We kept asking the guide about the time schedule, and even offered that we would not object to long days of travelling. We did keep on the road till 9.00 on some days. We had got used to the atmosphere and the height and now we had got used to the environment. We started removing extra warm clothing. But now there was no anticipation or surprise at what we were to see. Now everyone wanted one thing only - to get back as quickly as possible.

On the second day, the lorry got stuck in the sand and after half an hour’s efforts the lorry started moving and our driver took off first. Ahead was a hill to the left of the track, and a huge vehicle was stuck at the base of the hill. The right side was sandy plane but where the vehicle could easily get stuck. The driver took the option of climbing the hill, and when he came down the other side we gasped in fear as it was the most dangerous drive down a hill we had experienced. The driver stopped after coming down the hill. Other vehicles were not behind. We waited and waited. We signalled to the driver to go back to see what had happened to others but he refused. It

was almost three hours and our minds were filled with all types of thoughts. There was no food in our vehicle, and what if the other vehicles had taken a different route? Will we be able to find them, and if not how will we survive without food and water? And what if we got stuck somewhere? Finally, Barot and I decided to walk back to see if we could find the others. Walking in the sun and in the soft sand was not easy. But after half an hour’s walking we luckily saw the other vehicles exactly where we had left them. Since they were all in motion, we felt relieved and went back to our vehicle. We found out later that the lorry got stuck again soon after we left it and other vehicles stopped to help it.

In spite of long day’s travelling, we realised that even if we reached the border early we could not cross it until the due date and because the bus to collect us would not be there. The bureaucratic system meant that dates on the permit have to be adhered to strictly. But at last we reached Kathmandu and everyone was happy. Everyone who found out that we had done Parikrama, looked at us

with reverence and respect. Some had brought big gallons of water from Mansarovar, and people asked to be given a little water. We all departed our ways. Some exchanged addresses and promised to keep in touch.

This trip was a different sort of experience, wonderful in many ways, frightening at times and yet satisfying in many ways. I did not go for the religious Yatra but the satisfaction I got from that 50 km walk was great. It felt great to be able to walk that much. It felt great to be in nature without any pollution, to be cut off from the world for a fortnight, to make acquaintance with total strangers but all with the same mission. Many people have shown great interest in my trip, and have asked for my guidance to go there. And I have told them the same thing as I am telling here. Unless you have compelling reason to do this Yatra, do not go on this trip. Unless you are

extra fit and looking for a different sort of adventure, do not go on this trip. From accounts from other people, I understand many people have died on this trip. The arrangements and the safety aspect require lot of improvement. But this little unplanned adventure created a zest for walking and trekking and over the next decade I did many interesting and challenging treks. www.jayantdoshi.yolasite.com