The lake and the mountains have become my landscape, my real world.
— Georges Simenon
The quote by Georges Simenon reflects my emotion with the same clarity a still mountain lake reflects the surrounding mountains! As I flow through life, I’m beginning to realize that the Himalayas have finally opened her arms wide for me. It seems she wants to hold me in a tight embrace … because she feels my love, my pain, my suffering, and my joy. Or maybe the arms were always wide open for me, it’s only me who is beginning to notice this now!
After extensively trekking through two of the most visited mountain ranges in the world—the Rockies and the Alps—I’ve finally made a pact with myself to trek around the Himalayas and discover it in all its glory. Though I’ve done a couple of Himalayan treks in the past, they were many years back to a point where memory fails! And although I’ve visited several Himalayan hill stations, I believe, a trek or a climb are the only ways to be intimate with the mountains … to embrace the mountains the way she needs to be embraced … with love, joy, and gratitude!
So, if I had to start this journey of mine, trekking across the Himalayas, where should I begin? Considering how expansive the Himalayas are it seemed to be a difficult question at first. However, after a bit of research, I soon realized the prettiest parts of the Himalayas are in Kashmir. Every photo I saw of the Kashmir Valley reminded me of the Swiss Alps! The choice was obvious and automatic!
Then I heard Indiahikes—India’s largest and most widely recommended trekking community—runs a Kashmir Great Lakes trek. Around the same time I spoke to my cousin brother and boudi (sis-in-law) and came to know that they were planning to do that trek as well. I took that as a sign and signed up for the trek on Feb 2019.
The next few months were all about planning for the trek … making sure that I’ve all the things I need, I was physically and mentally capable, and I could take a longish timeout from work during that time of the year when Indiahikes run the trek.
I was ready … physically, mentally, and spiritually to start my Himalayan journey.
Fri, Aug 2 2019
At about 9 pm, 9 hours before my flight to Srinagar, I came to know that the trek to Kashmir Great Lakes was called off. The preparation and expectation of visiting and trekking in Kashmir for the last 6 months came to a naught … nada … zilch. The caravan of hopes and dreams screeched to a halt. For the next few moments a certain sense of numbness followed.
About 10 minutes later, my cousin brother Anindya, who was supposed to be on the same trek, called. We talked, made futile attempts to try and console each other, and then got into a conference call with Rupa, Anindya’s wife and my sis-in-law. The three of us, located at three different cities at that time, had given up on trying to get to Srinagar, and were looking at alternatives. We made several plans … Ladakh, Pin Bhaba, Bhrigu Lake. However, everything seemed pale in comparison to Kashmir Great Lakes. A bit of disappointment started to creep in. Nevertheless, we started looking at all the options and tried to figure out which option would work out best for our interest, time, and schedule! After much deliberation we narrowed it down to Bhrigu Lake.
Bhrigu Lake was never on my list … and not something I would’ve ever gone for … if not for Anindya’s keen interest to be there. On hindsight, I’m grateful today for the choice that he made. It turned out to be one of the most beautiful and spiritually uplifting experiences of my life!
Sat, Aug 3 2019
After a good night’s sleep, the morning after gave me enough clarity to cancel all my bookings for Kashmir and book for the trek to Bhrigu Lake. After lunch, I was on my way to the airport to catch my flight to New Delhi and thereafter my trip to Manali. The plan was to meetup with Anindya and Rupa in Delhi.
Sun, Aug 4 2019
The last 24 hours seemed unreal. It felt I had sleepwalked through the whole experience. Instead of being at the Kashmir Valley, I found myself looking at the Kullu Valley—with broad open spaces lined by majestic mountains, the Beas river, towering deodars, pines, and apple orchards.
Memories from my childhood trip to the valley flooded my consciousness. I remembered, how I used to take long walks with Baba on the banks of the Beas river and he would share his experiences and wisdom with me. He often said how much we can learn from the river … the way it flows. It never holds onto anything … it simply flows. Can we not live our lives like that … where we just flow … where everything happens in the now … everything happens effortlessly? The reason we have difficulties, he used to say, is because we hold on to our thoughts. We are unable to accept the things that cannot be changed! Let them be, flow like the river, and see what happens. It is through letting go that you can accept completely.
Maybe Brighu was right as well. Everything according to him is preordained. We can’t control the events that happen outside of us, but we can be in total control of how we react to what happens to us. We can be in total control of the universe that is inside of us!
For me, Kashmir Great Lakes was not meant to happen just yet. The moment was the right time for Bhrigu Lake, the philosophy of Bhrigu, the people I met along the journey, and the spiritually uplifting experience on the lakefront that was destined to happen. At the very moment, it dawned on me how beautiful life is. It was difficult for me to hold back the tears!
Mon, Aug 5 2019
I got up fairly early and saw the dawn unfold with magical colors. The Castle, Naggar where we spent the night, is a medieval castle built by Raja Sidh Singh of Kullu around 1460 AD.
The breathtaking views of the Kullu Valley, that I had witnessed from the castle last evening, would be etched in my memory for many years to come. I could fully understand how it had inspired artists like Nicholas Roerich and his son Svetoslav Roerich in creating awe-inspiring paintings of the valley, Naggar town, and the mighty Himalayas.
We reached our designated pick up point at Manali an hour before the scheduled departure. As we settled down, members of our trek group started to trickle in. It was quite an international bunch with trekkers from Singapore, Dubai, Spain, and India. I soon realized that almost all of the trekkers, along with their backpacks, carried a bit of disappointment on their backs. Everyone had planned for a trek in Kashmir. But destiny (or was it Bhrigu?) had other plans.
A 24 km scenic drive for an hour, along the Manali-Rohtang Pass road, with awesome views of the snow-capped mountains, the roaring Beas river, and whistling deodar and pine forests, got us to the Gulaba checkpost at an altitude of 10,370 ft—the starting point of our trek! We got off our vehicles, gathered our belongings, and started trekking through a forest cover that opened up to wide green meadows. After about an hour, we reached the Jonkar Thatch campsite—where we’ll be spending the night. It was a beautiful campsite amidst green meadows, wildflowers, and pine trees. The fog of not making it to Kashmir had started to lift and the sparkling expectation of Bhrigu Lake was beginning to shine through!
The rest of the day was quite relaxing. We started knowing each other. Our Indiahikes trek leader, Karan, made the introductions quite interesting. Instead of introducing ourselves, he tasked us to partner with someone else, know the other person and then introduce each other. It was fun! I got to know Adriana, a final year sociology student from Spain, who wants to travel the world! We made an immediate connection over our love for travel.
Tue, Aug 6 2019
At around 4:24 am, during Brahma muhurta (time of Brahma), I crawled out of my tent. There was a hint of blue light, a bit of a cloudy sky with a few twinkling stars, and a faint outline of Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges. The first row of tents were barely visible when I setup my camera and triggered a long exposure. In about 30 seconds, the wide expanse of the sky, the mountain ranges, and the Jonkar Thatch campsite was locked in my box.
As time flowed, the campsite woke up to the first rays of the sun. I kept my eyes on the snow capped mountains on the western front, waiting for magic to happen. And magic did happen! First, the mountains lit up!
And then … the clouds. There were flowers all around me. I was filled with gratitude and slowly kneeled down and thanked mother nature! These are the moments when our senses become heightened … our consciousness is elevated … and we’re more connected. The connection with every element of nature can be felt.
At around 7:45 am we left the campsite and began our steep ascent to Rola Khuli at 12,566 ft. The lush green alpine meadows had wildflowers everywhere … like a bed of flowers … like a garden in the sky. There were some tree cover in spots with brown oak, cedar, and birch trees. Karan, played a pahari (local Himalayan) tune on his flute. It continues to stay with me even after the trek. As I came out of the tree cover, the grazing horses and sheep looked up as if to greet me.
As we continued with our journey, there was this beautiful interplay of green meadows and grey clouds that literally felt like a walk in the clouds. With every step that I took my eye was drawn towards the breathtaking views of Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges that dominated the western skyline. The meadows changed shape, color, and texture but they stayed with us all along the trek. That’s the beauty of this trek. The meadows are always by your side till you reach Bhrigu Lake.
After trekking for about 3 hours we reached the Rola Khuli campsite. Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges were no more visible as it turned quite foggy. Late in the afternoon, it started to drizzle and by evening it started raining quite heavily.
Wed, Aug 7 2019
It had rained all night and it continued to drizzle in the morning. It was quite uncertain when we would begin the summit climb. Bhrigu Lake was at 14,009 ft and we had a 6-7 hours of trek ahead of us and the sooner we started the better it was for us. Finally at around 8 am the rain stopped and we started our climb soon after.
Bhrigu Lake rests between two high-altitude ridges. We began with hiking to the first ridge, which is about an hour away. We crossed barefoot an icy-cold stream, climbed up the slopes, and saw this breathtaking view of the green meadows with the Rola Khuli campsite tucked beside the stream.
On our way, we crossed vast expanses of green meadows, streams, glaciers with almost no visibility at certain times. The mud, slush, and snow made the trek quite challenging at times. Martha, mother of Ainhoa and Adriana, used all her skiing experience and her understanding of walking on snow to help others cross the glaciers. The mountains have this uncanny ability to bring out the best in others. It brought out the best in Martha from the depths of her heart. I believe, in the depths of the heart, love is always flowing, like a river. Martha’s love and teaching was flowing, like a river … touching everyone who needed help.
After almost 3 hours of trekking we had the first glimpse of Bhrigu Lake. As I pulled out my camera to take a shot I noticed Ainhoa looking at the lake somewhat mesmerized. She had fallen sick last night and was battling a sore throat and fever. Not only did she fight with her ill health but she also fought with nature’s elements.
As I looked at her, I sensed an angelic light emanate from her being. She was touched by divine grace … she was touched by Bhrigu … and nothing could have stopped her. She was every bit my personal hero!
As I approached Bhrigu Lake, to my surprise, the mist completely lifted. The lake was as still as a yogi’s mind and reflected the mountains around the lake. I felt humbled to be standing on the lakefront that was used by Maharishi Bhrigu to meditate. Maharishi Bhrigu was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis, and one of the Prajapatis (the facilitators of creation) created by Brahma.
I walked along the lake, found a suitable spot to sit, and took off my shoes. The lake was completely engulfed with mist at that point. I slowly approached a flat stone by the lake that looked perfect for sitting, sat down, and closed my eyes. Soon the world around me vanished as I followed my breath to every sensation in my body. In a few minutes, the awareness of sensations gave rise to intense vibrations and a sense of beaming light on my forehead. When I opened my eyes, the mist had lifted. There was clarity on the lake and there was absolute clarity on my mind. The non-permeance of my body, my thoughts, and my ego was staring at my face. I bowed down to Bhrigu in reverence.
As I stood up, Roopashree and Akhila came over to the very spot where I was meditating. They are both first time trekkers and their perseverance, grit, and determination to reach the summit surprised me. They have an interesting journey of being acquaintances in college, then becoming friends in office, falling in love with their respective partners almost at the same time, getting married within a span of 3 months, and even having kids almost at the same time (20 days apart). They seem to have similar interests in books, movies et al. and something tells me that after this trek we’ll see them quite often on the trekking circuit.
Moments later, after the team took some photos and videos, the mist started to settle in on the lake. And in a matter of minutes the lake was completely engulfed in the mist. Bhrigu had shown his face for the time that we were there and had quietly gone back to his meditative state. I instinctively knew it was time to leave. We had to descend back to Rola Khuli.
Thu, Aug 8 2019
I woke up next day with a certain sense of calmness that had touched the depths of my heart since I meditated on the shores of Bhrigu Lake. There was a sense of peace and quietness that was very similar and also very different compared to my regular meditation sessions. I don’t know what it was but it was there, just like Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges that were there behind the cloud cover over the Solang Valley.
As the day progressed, the cloud cover was gone revealing the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges. There was a certain joy in my heart. Not like the waves of the ocean but somewhat like the flow of the Beas. I paused and took a selfie.
I could see from the corner of my eyes that Roshni was observing me taking photos and took a quick snap of mine. She then called Ankit, her husband, to come over for a photo. I love how they roll together, taking care of each other at all times. They reminded me of those times when me and my wife were young couples, traveling the world, with no responsibility of a child. 🙂
Seeing me taking photos of Roshni & Ankit, Saket was not willing to give up on his moment of fame. He posed and double-checked with me whether I’m going to feature him on my blog. So here you go, Saket—for instrumenting all those lighter moments that made us laugh.
I wish I could take photos of everyone in the team. But it was getting late and we had to start the descent to Gulaba. The descent through the green meadows was quick. I witnessed a herd of horses running on the meadows. It was one of my secret wishes that I had shared with my sis-in-law. We looked at each other and smiled.
On the way back down, I noticed this vast expanse of white flowers. I took my shoes off and walked barefoot for a while. The child in me, who had listened to his father’s wisdom about flowing like a river, was awake after many years.
Fri, Aug 9 2019
Back in Manali, boudi and I went for this nature walk at Van Vihar. We were awe-struck by the towering deodar trees and wandered around the wilderness area for couple of hours.
On our way back we saw Johnson’s Cafe and it looked so pretty that we made a mental note to come back for our dinner along with my cousin brother.
After a few hours, back at the hotel, we had packed our bags and was getting ready to head out for dinner and back to New Delhi thereafter. Just as I was about to step out of the room I witnessed this sunset finale. Thanks to Ashutosh, one of our fellow trekkers, we had discovered this hotel away from the hustle and bustle of the town.
Bhrigu has been kind. He helped us etch memories and create bonds that we can cherish for a lifetime!
the universe that is outside,
spins out of control.
the universe that is inside,
flows in the depths of my heart.
from the depths of the heart,
love is always flowing like a river.
because I've felt love,
I'm able to embrace others.
because I've made mistakes,
I'm able to forgive others.
because I've suffered,
I'm able to sow the seeds of compassion.
because you're vast,
I learn to be humble.
because you can weather the storm,
I learn to be calm.
because you're unmoved,
I learn to be always there.
I exist because of you ...