In order to find peace and avoid crowds, I decided to visit the beautiful place of Uttrakhand, Rudraprayag, with one of my travel buddies. Rudraprayag is a small town located in the state of Uttarakhand.
We planned four days to enjoy our trip. (Sat, 1st April to Tues, 4th April)
As I am based in Delhi, I started my journey from Delhi to Rishikesh by bus on the 1st of April. Caught the bus at 11 am and reached Rishikesh by 5:30 pm before evening Aarti.
Evening Ganga Arti of Rishikesh at Trivedi Ghat is widely famous that attracts numerous tourists from across the globe. Restorative Aarti, Laxman Jhula, and Raam Jhula are the main attractions. Rishikesh is also popular for river rafting.
After the aarti, we explored the Laxman Jhula, Raam Jhula, and local markets where we purchased some souvenirs. But we got a huge crowd of tourists that bothered us badly.
We stayed a night there in a hotel. And, woke up in the morning then went for Ganga Snaan. After Ganga Snaan, we decided to head to Rudraprayag to avoid the rush and visit two major sites, Koteshwar (dedicated to lord Shiva) and Kartik Swami (dedicated to lord Shiva’s son Kartikey).
We moved to Rudraprayag by bus. The distance between Rishikesh to Rudraprayag is around 200km which takes around 4 to 5 hours to cover.
We caught the bus at 10 am from Rishikesh and reached Rudraprayag by 2 pm. We got to see beautiful landscapes and picturesque views while traveling along the way.
After reaching the destination, we booked a budget hotel, then freshen up, and head to Koteshwar Mahadev at 4 pm. The distance between the main city to the temple is around 3km which can be covered by local transport, simple trekking, or your own vehicle.
We covered the distance by trekking to feel the beauty of the place. During our 3km Trek, the mesmerizing views of Alaknanda River streaming along the way, mountains and pleasant weather fell me in love with the place. We enjoyed the trek and took photos and videos of breathtaking vistas.
Finally, we arrived at my current dream destination Koteshwar Mahadev where I actually felt the presence of lord Shiva. There’s a Shivling naturally situated in a small cave that is worshipped by numerous devotees. An astounding view of the Alaknanda River and mountains can be captured outside the cave.
I was just lost in the aura of the place that soothed my soul. It didn’t allow me to run out of the moment. But we have to leave the place as soon as possible due to the heavy rain as it’s a bit risky to be there in the mountains during the rain.
We got back to our hotel and spent the night. Next day (the third day), got ready to leave for Kartik Swami temple. The distance between the main city to Kartik swami is around 44km which can be covered by personal or shared taxi or own vehicle, (shared taxi fare is 50/- and private taxi fare 2500rp).
Note: To visit the temple, you have to reach Kanakchari and then go for a 3km abrupt trek.
Shared taxis are available at 6 am to Kanakchari. After this time, you may have to struggle to find a shared taxi. As we got late so we hired our personal taxi. The experience of riding was superb amid the fascinating views of the mountains and spheroidal roads. Our driver was nicely driving the taxi in the mist of clouds. Also, we interacted with some local people who were so kind and generous.
The distance is fully covered with incredible views of clouds, mountains, and greenery. We were lost in the clouds and enjoying them from close. After reaching Kanakchari, we have to cover the rest of the way to Kartik Swami temple by trekking which is around 3km. It is a bit steep trek that took us 2 hours to cover the distance as we were trekking after so long. But the trekking experience was so amazing.
The temple is located on a cliff. It offers a beautiful bird’s view of enchanting mountains. The stunning temple is surrounded by ravishing mountains that filled my eyes and seized my heart. And my soul found the actual peace that I was looking for. Fortunately, I had a successful trip and enjoyed it at its best.
On the fourth day, we back to Delhi by bus. (Direct buses ain’t available from Delhi to Rudraprayag, tourists need to change the bus from Haridwar or Rishikesh).
There are many other popular places as well to explore in Rudraprayag like Sangam of Bhagyrathi & Alaknanda, Rudranath Mandir, Dhari Devi Mandir, and so on. Must add to your bucket list on your next trip.
