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.
2. Sonprayag: Concfluence of Songanga (on the left) and Mandakini (seen in the middle) Rivers
3. Entry bridge to the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary - just above Sonprayag.
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.
5. and 6. Poly-bag menace at Gaurikund
7. To Sri Kedarnath
8. and 9. An interesting fungus and the HIMALAYAN TAHR!!
10. and 11. Leopard Pug marks..apparently not alone!! (Verified by Dr. Sinha of the WII)
12. Jangal Chatti
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.
14. Back to Sonprayag - to make the long journey back home.
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...."
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.