Arrive Bhimtal by afternoon.
Bhimtal is a pretty little hill town in the Lake District of Kumaon in the foothills of the Himalayas. The lake, which has a little island in the middle, is the largest of the lakes here. The climate is wonderful: spring and autumn are beautiful, summer is pleasant, and winter is sunny and bracing. Even the monsoon is lovely - misty.
Evening, attend the meet up and an orientation session.
Welcome Dinner at the hotel.
OVERNIGHT IN BHIMTAL
After breakfast, check out and drive toDharchula (269kms/ approx. 10hrs) enroute visiting Pithoragarh.
Pithoragarh is the easternmost district of Uttaranchal in north India, surrounded by Nepal to the east and Tibet to the north.It is popular for its exquisite natural beauty and is widely known as the "Little Kashmir".
Lunch will be arranged enroute.
Dharchula is one of the most scenic places in the state. Bounded by the mountains of the Kumaon Region as well as the high peaks and glaciers of the Panchchuli range, this town lies on the way to Kailash Mansarovar, which is an extremely popular pilgrimage site in India. Situated on the banks of River Kali on the Indo-Nepal border, Dharchula follows the same traditions, customs, and lifestyle as Nepal. Blessed with a large variety of flora and fauna; from Oak, Pine, Apple, and Deodar trees to animals such as deers, foxes, leopards, and bears, this area can also be spotted with plenty of dry fruits. A peaceful place adorned with very few attractions, Dharchula is a good place to go only if you are looking for solitude or want to give the city life a miss for some time.
Arrive Dharchula and check into the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel.
OVERNIGHT IN DHARCHULA
Breakfast at the hotel.
Later, we will get our paperwork for the Inner line Permit and Medical.
Rest of the day to explore/ walk around the town.
Lunch will be arranged at a city restaurant.
Dinner at the hotel.
OVERNIGHT IN DHARCHULA
After breakfast, check out and drive to Gunji Village (70kms/ 3hrs) enroute visiting Garbyang & Narayan Ashram.
In ancient times, Garbyang used to be a picturesque, flourishing village located in the lap of the Himalayas and the main center of for Indo-Tibet trade. Although the trade route was reopened in the 1980s, it could not regain its earlier glory as many villagers, which includes wealthy merchants had shifted their base to other nearby cities as houses were sinking due to geological catastrophic reasons and now it is known as the 'sinking village'.
Lunch will be arranged enroute.
Narayan ashram was established in 1936 by Sri Raghavendra, locally known as Narayan Swami. Late Kushal Singh Hyanki donated a large area to Swami ji to build this Ashram. Subsequently, Swamiji purchased extra land from the people of Sosa. Initially, a hut was built. It took almost 13 years to build the Ashram completely as it took about a fortnight of walking to reach Narayan Ashram from the last motorable road of Almora and people spent nights in villages or in caves. Before the Indo-China War of 1962, the Narayan Ashram served as a resting place for pilgrims of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Arrive Gunji and check into the hotel.
Gunji, at an altitude of 3500 meter is one of the 21 upper-Himalayan villages of Dharchula block of Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand. It is located near the borders of Tibet and Nepal and the confluence of the Kuthi Yankti and Kalapani Rivers, on the east end of the Kuthi Valley.
Later, we will visit the temple and Gunji village, and in a mountain, just in the middle of Gunji (Manela), there is a beautiful depiction of 'Shiva, Bholenath Ji, and Ganesh Ji'.
Dinner at the hotel.
OVERNIGHT IN GUNJI
After a leisurely breakfast, you will be taken for excursion to Nabidang to see Om Parvat.
The viewpoint for Om Parvat is Nabidang.
The mighty peak of Om Parvat lies in the Dharchula district of western Nepal and in Pithoragarh District, Uttarakhand, India, and is very close to Adinath peak as well. The peak rises to a massive height of 6191 meters from the bosom of the surrounding mountains making this destination is an important landmark en route to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. One of the most bewitching details of this attraction is the fact that the snow deposition pattern on the surface of the mountain resembles the sacred 'OM', which is an important symbol in Hinduism. Owing to the same, it is considered as an important religious site by Hindus. With a great resemblance to Mount Kailash in Tibet, the view is simply magnificent and enchanting.
Lunch will be arranged in enroute.
On return we see Shesh Nag Parvat and Ved Vyas Gufa opposite Kali Temple.
This snake-shaped mountain is called the Shesh Nag Parvat, which is probably related to the snake which Shiv Ji carried around his neck. According to Hindu mythology, worshiping Lord Shiva along with the Nag Devta or the Snake God will help devotees in getting rid of their problems.
You can see Ved Vyas Cave from a distance. One can see a flag at the top of the cave which has been placed by the army, however, civilians cannot reach the cave because there is no way to do so. An interesting story that follows in the cave is that Mahabharata was written inside the cave by Sage Ved Vyas and Lord Ganesha. It is said that Sage Vyas requested Lord Ganesha to write down his dictation to which Lord Ganesha agreed but kept a condition that Sage Vyas cannot stop even for a second, if he does so, Lord Ganesha will stop writing and leave. Thus, Sage Vyas started dictating and Lord Ganesha started writing, and there came a point when Lord Ganesha's pen broke, so instead of stopping, he broke a part of his tusk and continued writing, and that is how Mahabharata was written.
Kali Mandir is found at Kalapani which is located in Vyas Valley, in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. Kali Mandir is the temple from where the Kali Nadi or Kali River originates.
Dinner at the hotel.
OVERNIGHT IN GUNJI
After breakfast, you will be taken for excursion to Jyolingkong enroute we will see Kunti Parvat, Pandav Fort & Parvati Mukut.
Kunti Parvat, located in Kuti Village in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, is named after Kunti, who was the mother of 5 Pandavas. It was named after her because when Pandavas were leaving for their abode to heaven, their mother Kunti was mesmerized by the beauty of the place and stayed there for a long time, hence the place was named after her. Lush greenery and panoramic views surround the village.
Lunch will be arranged enroute.
Pandav fort was built by Pandavas themselves. According to Mythology, the five Pandavas namely, Bhim, Nakul, Arjun, Sehdev, and Yudishthir, played a game of Chaucer with the Kauravas and got so carried away that they bet everything they had on the game, including their wife Draupadi. Eventually, they lost the bet and had no other choice but to submit to the Kauravas. They lost everything in the game along with Draupadi, however, they got Draupadi back but they were aware of the fact that they have to do everything the Kauravas ask them to. The Kauravas ordered them to go for 13 years of exile and 1 year of incognito so when their exile comes to an end, they have to stay at a place where no one can recognize who they were. Thus, the Pandavas stayed at Pandav Fort. At present, one can only find the ruins of the fort.
Lunch will be arranged enroute.
Parvati Mukut is a mountain that is naturally cut and carved in a shape which resembles that of the crown. It is believed that this naturally formed structure is the Crown of Maa Parvati, which she used to wear. Since we are aware of the fact that Pandavas have spent a lot of their time in the nearby areas, and also spend their 1 year in hiding, this place has a remarkable historical significance. One can spot the five consecutive peaks one after the other, which are named after the five Pandavas, Bhim, Nakul, Sehdev, Arjun, and Yudushthir, who are the characters of the famous epic Mahabharata.
Later, we start a 3km trek to reach Parvati Sarovar & Adi kailash.
Later return back to hotel.
Dinner at the hotel.
OVERNIGHT IN GUNJI
After an early breakfast, check out and drive to Nainital (338kms/ approx. 11hrs).
Lunch will be arranged enroute.
Arrive Nainital and check into the hotel.
Nainital is a paradise for nature lovers and holidaymakers. Alluded to as the 'Lake District of India', Nainital possesses a spot in the Kumaon slopes of the Himalayas. This hill station highlights great lakes and slopes and it's visited by thousands of individuals of all ages. As history looks after it, the Nainital turned into a center of open consideration in the wake of being found in 1839 by P Baron, a British sugar trader. Captivated by its magnificence, the Britishers built a house called Pilgrim's Cottage and turned into an inhabitant of Nainital. Before long the pattern was trailed by others and Nainital came to fruition of an authoritative town. The slope station gives you significant serenity and gives you a chance to reconnect with nature.
Farewell Dinner at the hotel.
OVERNIGHT IN NAINITAL
After breakfast, check out and depart for respective destinations with the fond memories.
End of Expedition