Travelogue: A Visit to the
Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary!
Location: District
Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
Visited in: Feb-March, 2007
While words may fail...pictures never!
1. Sonprayag Township: The Base Camp. While it is difficult to find a place to step a foot during the warm season (of the Sri Kedarnath
yatra), the town is lazy and ghostly during the rest of the year.
![](http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1461/image1422zd7.jpg)
2. Sonprayag: Concfluence of Songanga (on the left) and Mandakini (seen in the middle) Rivers
![](http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/9517/p5210117ws2.jpg)
3. Entry bridge to the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary - just above Sonprayag.
![](http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/1131/p5210119vt8.jpg)
4. Gaurikund: The last motorable town en route to Sri Kedarnath. Steps lead to the entry-gate of the 14 Km. trek to Sri Kedarnath.
![](http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5600/63225362xy2.jpg)
5. and 6. Poly-bag menace at Gaurikund
![](http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/8453/73603995re2.jpg)
7. To Sri Kedarnath
![](http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3395/p3040301yg7.jpg)
8. and 9. An interesting fungus and the HIMALAYAN TAHR!!
![](http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/3343/p3040324um6.jpg)
10. and 11. Leopard Pug marks..apparently not alone!! (Verified by Dr. Sinha of the WII)
![](http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9660/p3040331kj5.jpg)
12. Jangal Chatti
![](http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/6227/p3040338vc7.jpg)
13. Nature is kind enough to the wildlife - to prevent people from going above Jangal Chatti (owing to avalanches, snow, etc.) Am glad it is! So, the best view of Sri Kedarnath that I got.
![](http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/133/p3040349kx1.jpg)
14. Back to Sonprayag - to make the long journey back home.
![](http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/8915/lastrn9.jpg)
15 . A View of the Chaukhamba peak several kilometers away from where it is (zoomed into focus)! Just a reminder of the glorious glory of the Himalayas. Reminded me of a poem I had read long back in my Hindi class.."Giriraj Himalaya
ka Bharat se kuch aisa hi naata hai...."
![](http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/9052/chaukhambazr8.jpg)
P.S. The above was a University of Delhi Research trip. Unless one has a permission (at times not even then), it is not possible to go beyond Gaurikund during off-season.
The images can be used for any socially useful purpose after proper citation.