Adi Kailash

Adi Kailash is a mountain peak located in the Himalayan mountain range in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India and is a popular pilgrimage site of the Hindu devotees. The trip to there covers remotely situated villages (Gunji,Nabi, Kuti), rivers (Kali Ganga, Gori Ganga), beautiful meadows, high altitude passes, and many more.

My Trip

• 2024 June 12 to 20 (1 Week): I travelled to the base of Adi Kailash peak from Doha with a group of friends. We were part of a pilgrimage group tour arranged from Delhi and visited many important temples on the way to the peak.

Visited Places/Attractions

• Jageshwar Dham group of temples
• Kuti, last village on Tibetan border
• Parvati Sarovar glacial lake
• Gauri Kund glacial lake
• Adi Kailash mountain peak base
• Om Parvat View Point, Nabidang
• Kali Mata Mandir, Kalapani
• Dharchula Town, Ghat Bazar, Api, Nepal
• Patal Bhuvaneshwar Cave Temple
• Bell Temple or Chitai Golu Devta Temple
• Kainchi Dham - Shri Neem Karoli Baba Ashram

Day Plans / Travelogue

(00) 2024-Jun-12, Wednesday (Doha - New Delhi)
Started the trip from Doha with a group of friends. Qatar Airways flight from Doha to New Delhi took off on time at 8 PM.

(01) 2024-Jun-13, Thursday (New Delhi - Kathgodam - Jageshwar Dham - Pithoragarh)
The flight landed in New Delhi by 01:30 AM. Immigration was quick and some of us used the shower facility which cost 944₹ per person for 30 minutes to use toilet and have a shower. We all boarded the metro train from there to New Delhi Railway Station. Rest of the group joined us there. We were 11 people including the trip organizer.

The Shatabdi express train from Delhi to Kathgodam started at 06:20 AM. We had taken tickets in a/c coach with recliner chair seats and the six hour long journey was comfortable. They served tea and biscuits first and sandwich and snacks later. We were all sitting next to each other and spent time chit chatting and taking naps in between.

Landed at Kathgodam by 12 noon. A tempo traveler van was waiting for us and we loaded our luggage in it and started the trip. Had mini thali lunch from a restaurant there and left Kathgodam by 01:30 PM. Most of the road trip was climbing up the Himalayan range through narrow mountain pass roads with sharp hairpins and steep ledges. Weather was hot and driver couldn't turn on the a/c citing power issues with steep climb.

After 5 hours, reached the Jageshwar Dham group of ancient temples built by stacking up carved laterite stones. This was a holy site for shiv bhakths and we spent a lot of time exploring the various small and large temples there. We continued our journey by 8 PM after having a tea from there. Stopped for another tea after few hours. Reached our hotel in Pithoragarh by 11 PM.

(02) 2024-Jun-14, Friday (Pithoragarh – Dharchula – Gunji)
Woke up by 6 AM and after the bread butter breakfast from hotel, started our whole day drive from Pithoragarh to Gunji at 8 AM. Reached Dharchula by 12 noon. Changed to three 4x4 Mahindra Bolero camper van jeeps as the roads ahead were not paved at many places and were more steeper. Had rice dal lunch on the way.

Reached Chiyalekh checkpost by 3:30 PM and had to wait there for around two hours to get the Inner Line Permit which was needed as the area ahead was near the borders of China. Reached our home stay in Gunji by 6 PM. It was very cold and temperature was below 10 degrees. We had two very basic bath attached rooms with 6 beds each. They also had few bathrooms outside.

Went for a walk outside with all after wearing jackets and we explored the Gunji settlement. After having dal roti sabji dinner and the kher desert from the home stay, slept by 10 PM.

(03) 2024-Jun-15, Saturday (Gunji – Nabi – Kuti - Adi Kailash - Gunji)
Woke up by 4 AM, and got ready. We had to heat the water manually using a geyser where firewood was burned and cold water was fed to get hot water through the coil pipes. Had tea and rusk as breakfast. Temperature was below 10 and very cold. So fully dressed up in thermals, t-shirt, jacket, and boots.

Trip started in 3 Boleros before 6 AM. Passed through Nabi and the last village Kuti. Scenery around was beautiful, but the scary mountain passes and some bad roads was worrisome. Reached Jyolingkong base station after 7 AM. It was crowded. We got nice view of Adi Kailash mountain peak from there. Many people were using mules to go to temple. We trekked around 3 kms to Parvati Sarovar glacial lake at 4,500 m or 14,700 ft altitude. Spent a lot of time there visting the temple and enjoying the magnificent views of mountain peaks around the lake.

Next trek was to the base of Adi Kailash, Gauri Kund glacial lake at 4,700 m or 15,420 ft altitude (Peak is at 5,945 m or 19,505 ft). It was bit long around 4 kms and was hard. We decided to go ahead even though no one had proper food and it was already noon. We also didn't carry enough water and snacks. Narrow trekking tracks at times were crowded with pilgrims and people carrying mules. Due to high altitude, blood oxygen level was low and was causing headache. It was all worth once we reached the top. The close up view of the snow capped Adi Kailash peak and crystal clear glacial water lake at its base and slowly flowing stream out of it was amazing.

We returned by 2 PM after spending some time there. We had trekked a total of 12 or more kms up and down in 4 hours. Was very hungry and tired after that. Had Maggie noodles and tea on the way back from Kuti after 4 PM. Reached room by 5 PM. Took rest for a while and had roti dal dinner with all by 8 PM. Everyone hit the bed after 9 PM as we had another early morning trip tomorrow.

(04) 2024-Jun-16, Sunday (Gunji - Om Parvat - Dharchula)
Woke up by 4 AM, had a hot water shower and got ready. Had tea and biscuits and then trip to view the Om Parvat started from Gunji before 6 AM. We reached the border village named Nabidang in an hour. There was a view point to watch the famous Om Parvat Himalayan peak from there at 4,200 m or 13,800 ft altitude. The Om Parvat peak was at 5,590 m (18,340 ft). Spent some time enjoying the views.

Returned after 9 AM. Stopped at Kalapani village on the way back and had tea, samosas, snacks from Dosa Point, a military run canteen. We also explored the nearby river and area the Kali Mata Mandir there. On our way back, stopped on the banks of Sharda (Kali River) marking the border. Nepal was literally just a stone's throw away across the river.

After reaching the home stay in Gunji, we packed our luggage, had Alu Paratha breakfast and started our descend down to Dharchula by 12 noon. We were supposed to reach there within 3 hours, but had to stop and wait few times on our way to let pass military truck convoy, and also due to road works. Reached our hotel in Dharchula after 4 PM.

We went for a walk to explore the Dharchula town and decided to try entering the Nepal as the border was just few meters away. Some of us didn't carry anything like ID or wallet and just had mobiles. There was a suspension bridge across the Sharda or Kali river connecting India to Nepal. The border guards allowed us entry using one Aadhar card as Id and making rest of us as his guests. Within few minutes we crossed the bridge and landed in the Ghat Bazar of Nepal. There were many people crossing both ways and the place looked similar to Dharchula with small shops selling fake branded clothes, footwear and other accessories. We checked out some but all were of poor quality. We roamed around for a while and walked back to hotel within half an hour.

(05) 2024-Jun-17, Monday (Dharchula - Patal Bhuvaneshwar - Chakouri)
Woke up by 6 AM, got ready and had Poha, Puri, Bhaji breakfast from the hotel and started our long drive at 9 AM in van from Dharchula to Patal Bhuvaneshwar. Took our first break after 2 hours at a roadside restaurant to have some food. Continued the drive by 11:30 AM, and reached the village of Bhuvaneshwar after 3 hours.

There was some walk to the Patal Bhuvaneshwar Cave Temple complex and we also visited an old temple on the way. There was huge rush to get in as they allowed limited number of people per batch. We took the tickets and waited outside for more than 4 hours.

Patal Bhuvaneshwar is a limestone cave temple. Limestone rock formations have created various spectacular stalactite and stalagmite figures of various hues and forms. This cave has a narrow tunnel-like opening which leads to a number of caves. The cave is 160 m long and 90 feet deep from the point of entrance. The entry through the narrow hole and steep pathway down to reach the cave base was bit difficult. There was metal chain to hold and we had to sit and squeeze ourselves to move forward. It was a wonder world of many rock formations inside the cave. Legend and folklore have it that this cave enshrines Lord Shiva and thirty three koti demigods. The guide was explaining the stories of each in detail. We came out after spending around an hour inside by 7:20 PM and started our return trip to hotel after half an hour. Reached the hotel in Chakouri after 2 hours.

(06) 2024-Jun-18, Tuesday (Chakouri - Chitai Bell Temple - Kanchi Dham - Shri Neem Karoli Baba Ashram - Kathgodam)
We were not in a hurry today as it was our last sight seeing day and we are now returning from Patal Bhuvaneshwar to the base in Kathgodam to catch train tomorrow. Will be visiting two temples on the way. Woke up late, got ready, had upma, bread, alu paratha breakfast and started our trip after 9 AM.

Reached Bell Temple or Chitai Golu Devta Temple further down in Kuchar region of Uttarakhand by 1 PM after a long 4 hours continous drive through up and down mountain passes.

Golu Devata is a deity of the Kumaoni and Garhwali community of India. Golu Devata is considered to be an incarnation of Gaur Bhairav (Shiva), and is worshipped all over the region and is regarded as the dispenser of justice by the devotees. The Bell Temple or Chitai Golu Devta temple is the most celebrated temple dedicated to the deity. Worshippers come to Chitai to petition Golu Devta for what they desire. They visit the temple again after their wish has been granted, to thank the god by making offerings, including offerings of brass bells. People tie the bells, ranging from tiny to huge, to various places around the temple, using red chiffon ribbons edged in gold. People also tie letters they’ve hand-written to Golu Devta, petitioning him for what they desire. Visitors walk up the short path from the road to the temple with trays of offerings: flowers, food to be blessed as prasad, money, and other traditional items. As they pass beneath each red gateway, people ring the bells that hang there.

We continued our journey after few hours and stopped at a restaurant in Almora on our way at 3 PM and had roti, dal, sabji lunch. Continued after an hour.

By 5:30 PM, we reached Kanchi Dham - Shri Neem Karoli Baba Ashram. Baba was a Hindu guru and a devotee of the Hindu deity Hanuman. He is known outside India for being the spiritual master of a number of Americans who travelled to India in the 1960s and 1970s. It was a private enterprise and was well managed. Even with huge rush, we all completed the visit in less than half an hour. Spent some time in that town, had tea and continued our trip.

Reached our hotel in Haldwani after two hours by 9 PM.

(07) 2023-Jun-19, Wednesday (Kathgodam - New Delhi)
After Poha, Paneer Paratha, Bread Omelette breakfast, we went out for a quick shopping outside. Most brand shops had good discounts. Went to Kathgodam Railway Station before 3 PM by auto rickshaw and boarded the Shatabdi express to Delhi. Train started at 3:20 PM and reached New Delhi Railway Station by 9:30 PM. Took metro and then auto to reach our hotel in Aerocity.

(08) 2024-Jun-20, Thursday (New Delhi - Doha)
My Qatar Airways flight from New Delhi to Doha took off on time before 11 AM and landed in Doha after 12 noon.