| 12 DAYS TOUR – CHARDAM YATRA – BY FIBRE MEMBERS WITH FAMILY | |
| 10.05.2018 | All the participants joined at Delhi and left Delhi to Haridwar by road. Reached Haridwar early morning on 11/5/2018 |
| 11.05.2018 | Group got divided into 3 groups and travelled by tempo traveller vehicles for their morning ablution and tea at Umeshwardham which was arranged by our Indian Bank, Haridwar Branch Manager. Then proceeded to bathing ghat in Ganges with it’s cool water soothing the mind and body followed by the ritual eating of Puri which is a tradition followed there. Then proceeded to Rishikesh to get a green permit for the vehicles. But due to local agitation and strike, the vehicles went back to Haridwar to get the clearance. The participants were left at Rishikesh bus terminal till evening. Then we proceeded to Himalayan Eco Lodge at Newtehri that night instead of Barkot for night stay because of unexpected delays.
This lodge belongs to the tour operator and it is a beautiful pine hillock with cottages and landscaped gardens with variety of flowers, peaceful triest with nature far from the crowd. The night stay was very comfortable and we enjoyed the scenic beauty. We could all see the early morning sunrise in the midst of snow top mountains. |
| 12.05.2018 | The group left for Barkot after breakfast and taken a group photograph. The journey to Barkot by the side of the Tehri river area to Bagirathy area valley and there after to Yamuna Valley at Barkot and stayed overnight at Hotel Devbhumi. |
| 13.05.2018 | Morning we left to Janakichetty to go to Yamunothri. All of us took the pony ride to reach the Yamunothri shrine for a 5 km distance in a narrow path. All the members reached the shrine except Mr. Muniappa and Mrs. Muniappa was worried about his non arrival. After anxious moments much to the relief of everybody, he turned up after 1 hour and we came to know that he had fallen from the pony and got hurt and hence the delay.
All the members had taken bath in the hot water pond where the temperature is tolerable. Thereafter undertook a small pooja at the temple. During descend crowd had swelled making our return journey difficult with jolting and pushing added to the rain . We started from there in the evening and reached Uttarkasi late night and we were accommodated at Hotel Sivalinga which is located on the banks of the river Bagirathi with excellent views of the neighbourhood, hills and riverbanks. |
| 14.05.2018 | After breakbast at Hotel we left for Gangothri through a dense foliage and breathtaking scenary and halted at Harsil with huge pine trees all around called as the little Switzerland of India and clicked some photos with soldiers on duty there.
The water in Gangotri after waking over a KM from the parking area. At Gangothri many of our members took bath in the cold water of Bagirathi and many were trembling because of icy cold water. One of our senior colleagues Mr.Prabahakar’s spirit, physical fitness and mental makeup allowed him to take bath in that icy water for more than 5 minutes. He could withstand taking bath in the icy water till we took some snaps of him taking bath. Throught the tour he exhibited his team spirit to remain with the group in spite of his age. After the bath, we went to Gangothri temple to pay obeisance to Goddess Ganga. On return, we stopped at the hot water springs at GangaNani and some of our members took bath there. All along we have witnessed large number of earth movers , bull dozers employed to clear the road and landslides making the roads naviagable for all. Reached back to Hotel Sivalinga and stayed overnight. |
| 15.05.2018 | We left for Kund which is at the base of the hills going to Kedarnath. On the way at Uttarkasi we visited Kasi Viswanath temple and reached Kund at late night and stayed at Himalayan Eco Lodge, best rated hotel on the side of the river Manadakini and stay there was an amazing experience. |
| 16.05.2018 | We left for Gaurikund with two traffic diversions and with a fallen tree blocking our path. As we could not get helicopter services 2/3 of the group went to Kedarnath by Phoneys 14 km. The rest of the group members 11 in no. could not go due to health reasons and stayed back at Kund.
The members reached Kedarnath shrine after four hours and again they have to walk 3 km to reach the shrine. Due to inclement weather they could not have the Darshan and were forced to stay back there itself at an altitude of 12500 ft. and one the members developed breathing problems and was administered oxygen to set him right. |
| 17.05.2018 | The group which stayed back at Kedarnath got a good darshan inside Karpagraha and some were able to touch the linga and were overwhelmed with joy and satisfaction in the early morning. The group then returned back by phoneys and 5 members came back by walk all the 15 kms. And reached the Kund Hotel in the evening and joined the main group.
The group which was staying at hotel, made a local day trip and visited Trilok Narayan Temple and had dharshan |
| 18.05.2018 | The group left to Auli without staying in Swiss tent at Chalkot as per original plan due to earlier delays. Stayed at Himalayan Eco Lodge, Auli which is surrounded by pine and oak forests with a panaromic view of the Himalaya’s . The place brought out an additional charm with the Birth day celebration of Mr. Muniappa followed up by the camp fire with the spirit and fraternal warmth of the participants. |
| 19.05.2018 | Started for Badrinath . There were lot of land slides on our way and to our luck we had no problems in crossing over the area and reached Badrinath safely. The group went through the Darshan of Lord Badrinath. On return, the group visited Kalpatharu tree under which Adishankara as a boy of 11 worshipped Joshima and returned back to Auli and stayed in Himalayan Eco Lodge. |
| 20.05.2018 | The group proceeded for Auli Top, and had a panaromic view of central Himalayas witnessing ranges, peaks and mainly the Nandadevi Peak the second highest peak of India. The group went on ski lift to the ski area which in winter is filled with snow and the group enjoyed the adventure.
The group undertook a long return journey and reached Hardiwar and stayed at Hotel Lakhshaya where in the food and ambience was good to cater to the people from various parts of india. |
| 21.05.2018 | The group members went to local temples in Haridwar and could not proceed to Sivananda Ashram at Rishikesh as planned because of time delays. Late afternoon the entire group assembled on the banks of Ganges and got a mesmerising view of the entire faith and devotion of the people by witnessing the Ganga Aarathi and thereafter left for hotel. |
| 22.05.2018 | The group disposed off the tempo traveller drivers and the guides and complimented them for their safe driving skills and hospitality extended by the tour operator making the journey memorable. Then the group proceeded back to delhi by road on a chartered bus and on the way many of the group members spoke in appreciation the arrangements made by Mr. Ramasamy and Mr. P M Jose . Evening the group reach Delhi and the group attended a dinner hosted by the Zonal Manager New Delhi and their colleagues.
Mr. B. Natarajan, our secretary and D. Viswanathan, were periodically monitoring the movements as well wishers right through the journey and as an initiator had brought out excellent opportunity merriment with the family members in the post retirement era.
The takeaways are good post retirement interrelationships can be built and that the exertions could keep members away from the doctor for atleast one year as the exertions built support walls. Finally great cheers to the 80 year old veteran who showed in sterling manner how confidence can be built, for the entire team. That the environment was tough but the homely stays which are complimented herein helped to make journey comfortable. |
The Team That Went With Steam
- Mr. Kathiresan M
- Mrs. Jamuna K
- Mr. Ramaswamy T
- Mrs. Vijayalakshmi
- Mrs. Usha Srinivasan
- Mrs. Padmavathy
- Mr. Rajeswaran K S
- Mrs. Geetha Bhuvaneswari
- Mr. Muniyappa G
- Mrs. Nalini Muniyappa
- Mr. Selvaraju R
- Mrs. Amutha S
- Mr. Ganesh Kumar R
- Mrs. Jayanthi
- Mr. Rajiv Ratna
- Mrs. Anjali
- Mr. Ramachandran K S
- Mrs. Suseela Ramachandran
- Mr. Jose P.M
- Mr. Ramachandra Naik M
- Mr. Jayachandran D
- Mr. Surendran R
- Mr. Natesan S V
- Mr. Satish Kumar
- Mrs. Purnima
- Mr. Sakthivel C
- Mrs. Meenakshi R
- Mr. S.Arulselvan
- Mrs. A.Nandini
- Mr. P.Adeppa
- Mr. M.Harihara Subramanian
- Mrs. H. Shyamala
- Mr. Prabhakar S
article by KS.Ramachandran
