The Incomplete Vaishno Devi Trip

Planning the trip to Vaishno Devi

The trek of around 11 kilometers and the ‘darshan’ made me and Khushboo excited to plan a trip to Vaishno Devi, Jammu & Kashmir. Little did we know that despite reaching the top, we wouldn’t be able to do the darshan. We flew to Delhi from Bangalore, caught up with many friends in a span of two days and took a train to Jammu.

Catching the bus to Katra

It was a refreshing feeling when I got out of the train at Jammu railway station. The North Indian feeling and the fact that I see puri sabji etc. instead of idli chutney etc. kept me enchanted. Not that I don’t like South Indian food (I’m a big fan of nearly everything SouthIndian), but when it comes to experiencing the places around motherland, nothing beats it. Nevertheless, that’s the topic for a different day. We took a bus to Katra from where the trek was supposed to start. A person was loudly singing devotional songs in the bus and later requested money from passengers. While his tone was melodious, I think that bus conductors should discourage such people from entering the bus. The act was nothing less than begging from passengers. Going back to my memories last time I visited Katra was in 1996, exactly 20 years back. Katra has metamorphosed to a great extent with lot of businesses having mushroomed everywhere.

Starting the trek

We checked into the pre-booked hotel and started the trek at around 2130 hours. It was a long queue before the security check. After having cleared our security at we had our dinner in one of the dhabas on the way. Now, all the shops on the way from Katra to Bhawan were selling their stuff for a premium on the top of the MRP at which I don’t complain. Afterall, they have to compensate for the expense they undertake to bring their stuff uphill all the way from Katra. Somehow I didn’t like medicines being sold at a premium. Now, I’m not saying that chemists should incur loss but medicines getting sold at higher rates didn’t feel right to me.

Katra to Ardhkumari trek

There are signboards where pony-rates are clearly mentioned (pic attached). Decide beforehand if you want to book a pony and book it on the spot where they agree on the prescribed rate. Once you cross that area any person with pony will charge you as per his whims and is generally non-negotiable. A number of shops selling all types of stuff have opened up on this route and you can always find a toilet within a 10 minutes walk. The road is unshaded and is generally clean but beware of the fresh poops done by ponies. You’ll also meet several people who will offer massage for money.

Ardhkumari to Bhawan trek

The road from Ardhkumari is comparatively better and shaded. Battery run vehicles run from Ardhkumari to Bhawan for 300 INR and the return fare is 200 INR. The service remains open for a specific duration in the daytime which I don't recall. The views are scenic and limited shops of hot/cold drinks and snacks are available. We started trekking uphill and it was all a smooth trek. That is, until we were around 2 kms away from Bhawan when it started raining cats and dogs. The shades were either broken/absent at some places causing us to get little drenched which was pretty much okay as per indian standards.

Reaching Bhawan and the queue over there

We reached Bhawan and got to know that since Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was cancelled, the devotional tourism wave swept this side. The queue was long was what I thought. I went ahead to find out where the queue ends and I kept walking and walking keeping in mind that this queue would end. The queue did end but only when I reached the stairs where the Bhairo Nath trek was supposed to start. The heavy rain added to our 11 km fatigue as the queue did have a shade to protect us from rain but the water was flowing heavily on the ground making us unable to sit and rest. Khushboo’s mother started getting dizziness and she wanted to sit somewhere. The queue being so long and the rainfall happening, there was no place to sit without getting drenched since the shade is only above the queue where nobody could sit since the rainwater was flowing continuously over there. I didn’t know what to do. Should I had a position secured in the queue or should I look after Khushboo’s mother well-being?

Attempt to seek a doctor’s service and attempts to get blankets

Khushboo enquired with some people to get her mother checked with a doctor since she wasn’t well but was told that the doctor would come only at 10 am. We thought to take some rest over there and then see what action to take next. The Bhawan administration has dedicated a couple of buildings for people who want to take rest. There are multiple floors and multiple rooms in each floor. Wooden beds fixed in each room are unreserved and gets occupied on a first-come first-served basis. Some families were chatting with each other while others were having a sound sleep after the arduous trekking. This facility is actually very nice. What wasn’t nice was the system of making the blankets available. I thought that at least I’ll get some blankets for khushboo’s mother and everybody else so that we can take some rest and think of the next course of action. The person at the blanket counter was rude enough to tell me that blankets will only be issued at night. My pleading made no difference to him and he told me that if anybody comes to return the blanket, I can deposit the money to that person and take the blankets. I, like a fool started looking for people who were coming to return blankets but in vain.

Enough is enough

Khushboo after listening to my plight, went to the same person for blankets, hoping to get a different treatment but once again in vain. All this kept happening with the continuance of rain. I said I have nothing against Vaishno Devi but there is something seriously wrong with the administration and arrangements over here. I don’t expect 5-star facilities but I don’t think that basic availabilities of doctor and blankets are too much to ask for. Adding on to that I think it was a deadly combination of cancellation of Mansarovar Yatra, heavy rainfall and some other coincidences because of which we couldn’t do the darshan. Tired and not slept last night, I said, Enough is enough; I’m going back to Katra. On our way back we used a majority of staircases instead of roads since it was a downhill walk.

Conclusion

Lesson learnt the hard way! The experiences have prepared me to get ready the next time I visit Vaishno Devi.