My Gangabal Travelogue of 2018

 

I had heard about Gangbal many times from APMCC Chairman Shri Vinod Pandit. It is he who restarted this Yatra in 2008 and has been organizing it ever since. I used to be glued to his narration, captivated by his eloquent storytelling of his experiences in the mountains. Ihad also heard about the mythical creature Krim that supposedly lives in the lake called Gangbal. My grandfather described Krim as an octopus-shaped creature who pulls down anyone attempting to swim in the lake-and even eats them alive. Ihad already had the honour of undertaking the Shri Amarnath Yatra twice and the Dhyaneshwar Bandipora Yatra once. Yatras always fascinated me, as I have always loved being on a spiritual journey. The Yatra, after all, signifies the journey of life, which everyone undertakes in pursuit of the final destination. This year's Gangbal Yatra was scheduled from 15th to 18th September 2018. For this Yatra, one has to register with the HGGT-APMCC Trust at least a month in advance. My friends from Mattan, who are also PM Package employees, decided to go together from our area. The dynamic Ranjan, Romi, Cheeku, Roop Sapru, and I made plans to travel to Srinagar in Romi's car. At the last moment, Roop Sapru couldn't make it and was replaced by Raman Ji, Ranjan Ji's brother. On 15th September, five militants, including a top commander, were eliminated by security 44 forces in Chowgam, Anantnag. The situation the valley was tense, and it was raining as wel But neither the rains nor the tense situatio dampened our spirits-we were determined go ahead with the Yatra. I contacted my other friends-Vineet, Sum and Pawan Ji-who were coming from th Kulgam and Qazigund areas. They too were fir in their resolve to begin the journey witho delay. Amidst heavy rainfall, we started ou journey from the historical village of Martand Mattan, in Romi Ji's car and reached Rajbag Srinagar, at 2:00 PM-a deadline fixed b APMCC Chairman Vinod Pandit. Rajbagh wa designated as the assembly point. Afte reaching, we exchanged greetings with ou known circle. Once all the yatris ha assembled, Vinod Pandit signaled us to beg the journey. Driving through Srinagar, Boulevard, an Ganderbal, we reached Kangan. I signaled Rom to take a left turn onto a link road that leads the historic village of Naran Naag. Naran Naag is the base camp for the Yatra. As we reached, we were struck by the monumental beauty of the ruins of the ancient temple, which dates back to the 6th century. The organizers had hired tourist huts, and our group took rest in one of them. We were given sleeping bags. After dinner amidst the chill, we rushed into our sleeping bags. Some clicked selfies; others joked and laughed-it was a night to cherish. On the morning of 16th September, the skies began to clear. We bathed in the Naran Naag spring. Sunil Raina Rajanka, a reputed senior journalist, told us about the Paap Naashi Naaga sacred spring where, it is believed, one's sins are washed away upon bathing. After our bath, Sunil Raina took us to the nearby temple ruins and showed us a magnificent Shiv Lingam that had been thrown to the ground. Together, we lifted it and placed it back onto an elevated platform amid chants of "Har Har Mahadev." That moment gave us the strong feeling that unity can move the world. Meanwhile, the ceremonial Chhari Pooja had begun. Dignitaries had started to arrive. We learned that the DC of Baramulla, the CO of 26 RR, the SSP, and other guests were present. We joined them for the ceremony. The Indian Army's 26 RR battalion had also arranged breakfast for all the pilgrims. After breakfast and the ceremonial Chhari Pooja, our ascent towards Gangbal began. The initial climb, known as Buts her, is quite steep. After climbing a few hundred meters, I looked down at the valley below-clouds floated like wisps of cotton, and a stream ran through the lush green cleavage of the valley. The Buts her climb takes about four strenuous hours. The path is lined with tall deodar trees. A vast stretch of burnt deodars en route was particularly intriguing. At the end of this climb lies the only refreshment point-a small dhaba named "Hotel Khidmat." We enjoyed Maggi and hot tea there. The journey from the dhaba to Trinkhul is gentler. After an hour or so, a lush green meadow opened up before us. Two forest department huts stand at Trinkhul, and from here, the view of Mount Harmukh is breathtaking. We took hundreds of photos in front of Mount Harmukh, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva. As I stood there, I couldn't help but recall that during the reign of Mir Shams-udDin Iraqi, in 1519 AD, 10,000 Kashmiri Pandits were martyred during the pilgrimage to Harmukh-Gangbal. They had come to immerse the ashes of 800 Pandits massacred during Ashura the previous year. On 17th September, we resumed our journey to Gangbal. The green meadows along the way mesmerized us. The path was breathtaking. As we passed Nandkul and Nandsar, some enthusiastic yatris bathed and even swam there. Finally, we reached Gangbal. My joy knew no bounds. I had changed as a person-forever. It was a journey of self-realization. I made a vow to follow my dharma. We have a glorious past. We need not invent or discover anything new; we simply need to reconnect with our roots. Next year, I will again visit Gangbal-with renewed zeal and energy. Till then, I will continue to learn about Kashmir Shaivism, the Nilmata Puranas, and Rajtarangini.

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Courtesy:  Vinod Tikoo  and Koshur Samachar-2025, May