the light baggage

Where the Ganga Begins Gangotri · Gaumukh · Tapovan Uttarakhand, India 14,640 ft 5 days on trail It started with a WhatsApp message. My friend Sandeep asked if I wanted to join his team from the Karnataka Mountaineering Association for a trek to Gangotri, Gaumukh, and Tapovan. This was something I had wanted to do for a long time. I said yes before I could overthink it. We had a briefing in Bengaluru, got our sleeping bags and rucksacks, and then suddenly it was the day of travel. I met a lot of people but couldn't hold on to names. When we all gathered in Dehradun, the nerves hit me properly. I was probably the only one there doing their first Himalayan trek. I didn't follow a fitness regime, and age wasn't helping either. But I looked around and saw people much older than me, moving with confidence, and that quietly settled something inside me. I walk a lot during regular trips and I held on to that. We had two days in Gangotri to acclimatise. We did a practice trek, visi...

Overview: With my return train scheduled for the afternoon, I decided to make the most of the quiet morning hours in Bhubaneswar , exploring a few temples that were still left on my list. What followed was not just a checklist of monuments, but a deeply immersive walk through a city that truly earns its title the "Temple City" of India . Chausath Yogini Temple: Sacred and Surreal I began my day at the Chausath Yogini Temple , located slightly away from the city’s bustle. Set atop a small hillock, this circular, open-air temple felt unlike anything I had seen before. Dedicated to the 64 Yoginis, the temple has an almost mystical aura, especially in the early morning light. The absence of a roof, the weathered stone figures, and the quiet surroundings create an atmosphere that feels powerful and ancient as though time has paused here. Bhaskareshwara Temple: The Rising Sun Next, I visited the Bhaskareshwara Temple , dedicated to Lord Shiva in his solar aspect. True to its nam...

Overview: Our day in Bhubaneswar began early, knowing it would be one of the most packed and enriching days of our journey through Odisha. After breakfast, we set out with curiosity and anticipation, ready to explore layers of history, culture, and legacy, all unfolding within a single day. Udayagiri & Khandagiri: Where Stone Sheltered Faith Our first stop was the ancient Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves , located just a few kilometres from the heart of Bhubaneswar. Among the two, Udayagiri is better maintained and houses a larger number of caves, so we hired a guide there, an excellent decision that brought the carvings and inscriptions alive. Dating back to the 1st century BCE , these caves were carved during the reign of King Kharavela of Kalinga as residential shelters for Jain monks . Together, the twin hills house 33 existing caves:  18 at Udayagiri and 15 at Khandagiri, though inscriptions suggest many more once existed. The most striking among them is Rani Gumpha ...