White River Rafting at Rishikesh

It garnered admiration as the place for spiritual rejuvenation but with time Rishikesh is turning out to be a must visit place for adventure buffs. White river rafting in the frigid waters of the Ganges entices tourists from around the world, braver souls, however, also aim to experience the thrill of bungee jumping as Rishikesh boasts of the highest (83m) bungee jumping facility in India with Jumpin Heights.

Rishikesh is nearly 230 km away from New Delhi and by road it would take nearly 6 hours by bus to reach there. As mentioned in the Haridwar post, my journey had begun from Kashmere Gate, Delhi after which I took a 'spiritual' halt at Haridwar and then reached Rishikesh. Even the bus stand at Rishikesh is so well located that as soon as you arrive, you are beholder to the stunning vistas of the verdant mountains surrounding it. From there you have to take an auto (which usually run on sharing basis and ask for INR 10 to drop you to the rafting agents’ site).

  

You need not worry of your safety during rafting as all service providers have similar facilities and it’s better to ask a couple of agents in the area to choose the best deal. I have now done rafting at Rishikesh twice, once for INR 300 and once for INR 500 (disadvantage of going on a crowded day) for the 18 km route. Rafting boat would need 10 people and the guide. The agent takes you to another of their offices where you can keep your baggage and change your clothes, if you need. Once the required number is achieved, everyone is stuffed in an SUV and taken to Shivpuri, the point from where the 18 km long rafting originates (you may also choose rafting options of other lengths but 18 km is sufficient in my view).

You are asked to keep your mobile, wallets, cameras and anything you don’t want to get wet while rafting in a water-proof bag that’s carried along on the boat. In no time, you will be on the boat, your heart pounding for the journey ahead. Supported with life jacket, helmet & the paddle to row the boat and emulating the typical slogans and watchwords that the guide hollers; you embark on the ride of your life.

Rowing through foaming water and gurgling rapids makes you feel animated, especially when you can’t swim (like me). The first contact with the splashing Ganges river on your face in the terrifying rapids sends adrenaline running across your body. The effect is almost intoxicating; you only want more of it. It’s even more fun when you blindly jump in the river and feel the chill of river. That’s the time when you can ask your guide or another co-passenger who’s afraid of plunging in the river to take your photos and save some memories.

The boat makes a stop on the way to a cliff jumping site wherein people can eat noodles and other stuff. If they choose not to make the pitstop the journey is almost over, with a couple more rapids to go. This 2-3 hour adventure is enough to sap all your energy. Soaked in water and feeling cold, you should dry yourselves and reach the office of the agent to take your baggage and clothes back.

Feeling famished, I looked for good meals around. Finding many options, I devoured the food; roamed around the city for some more time and took the bus to New Delhi again. While I was taking memories with me, this memory is not to be held on to; it definitely needs to be relived.

Getting Rid of Stress at Har-ki-Pauri Ghat, Haridwar

I am sure I have taken dip in much colder and lesser polluted waters (streams mush closer to the Himalayan glaciers), but I wonder what is so special about the dip in the Ganges in Haridwar. Is it the peace of mind or the belief that all your misdoings will be washed off by dunking yourselves in the gushing waters of one of the holiest rivers in India that makes it so different?

I am one of those persons who hate going to religious institutions in pursuit of god. I am also the person who, by sheer chance, gets to go to such institutions a lot. My first trip to Haridwar was never motivated to appease anyone for my misdoings, nor was I encouraged at the thought of getting up at early morning hours just to go to one of the ghats and immerse myself in the gelid waters. I merely wanted to see how many people gather to do just that.

I was more inclined to do white river rafting at Rishikesh and Haridwar was on the way. When I got to know that Ganga Aarti, performed everyday at sunrise and sunset, at the Har-ki-Pauri ghat can give me a sense of people’s faith & belief in god, I decided to make a halt at Haridwar and witness it once. Although the morning aarti mayn’t exactly replicate the impression that evening aarti creates but I had to make do with the morning one as I was reaching Haridwar at odd morning hours.

I reached Haridwar at about 3 a.m. with another friend, found a place to sleep for the next couple of hours, just to get up again to experience the chill of taking a dip in the holy Ganges. We took our clothes with us and reached the Har-ki-Pauri ghat before sunrise. While the weather was gentle in May, water in the Ganges, which originates from the Gangotri glacier, at 5: 30 a.m., was understandably extremely cold. Only courage or faith can make you plunge that time. At that moment, courage helped me make the dive and boy, wasn’t it invigorating!

It was an experience I would not ever forget all my life. Neither the extreme pace of the mighty river ready to take one along nor the low temperature making it harder to breathe would make me come out. I remained in the river holding the supporting chains as long as I could. But coming out, I was at peace with myself. I felt overwhelmed. It was surely not cold. But even after taking the dip twice now, I am still scratching my head to understand what is it that makes you so relieved and unburdened after the dip. It made me feel alive and excitedly I joined the crowd for the Ganga Aarti. I can’t really say that I started believing in god from that day but now I do enjoy coming to Haridwar just to be part of the mass that show their trust for god.

Buses to Rishikesh keep departing from Haridwar. We left at around 9 a.m and reached within an hour. Go on to read White River Rafting at Rishikesh to get a glimpse of my experience of river rafting at Rishikesh.

Weekend Escape to The Jewel of the East Coast: Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh

They say, "A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it ". Sometimes most memorable moments happen sans planning. Such was my fascinating trip to Vishakhapatnam aka Vizag, Araku Valley and Borra caves. With tatkal train tickets booked just a day before and no deliberations on how to come back; four of us set off for this wonderful weekend journey from Hyderabad to Vizag on 17th Aug, 2012.

We were greeted by a mesmerizing view of the Eastern Ghats when we landed at Vizag the next morning. Looking at those picturesque mountains, I could only imagine what our trip was going to offer. We bargained for our stay & transport and got decent deals. After having rejuvenating tea and breakfast at the hotel, we left for a day's expedition to Vizag.

It seemed as if weather had reserved its best for our arrival. Mild drizzle and gentle breeze setup a perfect weather condition for peregrination. First stopover in the itinerary was the famous Hindu temple, Simhachalam, cocooned in the verdurous Eastern Ghats which we followed up with the ruins of a Buddhist complex, Thotlakonda, perched imperturbably on a hill along the sea cost.

On our way back, we stopped over at the Ramanaidu Film Studios which had to be approached along a sinuous yet a spellbinding road giving a magnificent view of the curvilinear coastline of the Bay of Bengal. No wonder why the movie producers are making a beeline to shoot here.

We headed ahead to the renowned Kailasgiri Hills. It can be reached either through a ropeway or a walkway to see the majestic 40 feet statue of Lord Shiva and Parvathi and the adjoining pleasing garden. Because of the hordes of tourists, a barely moving queue and the strict timelines of the ad lib trip, we had to give it a miss.

We proceeded to the prominent Rushikonda beach. It was a cracking time there with my three other daredevil companions. Despite lack of swimming skills, we withstood the battering waves. Frolicsomely we played and sported there for a long time before marching further to the Mahankali temple near the other lionized beach, the R.K. Beach and its unique museum. For some people, visit to a museum is a wearisome affair but this one was a bit unconventional as the museum is a retired war submarine! INS Kurusura, living history of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, has now been converted into a tourist attraction. Going inside that submarine would only marvel you. To imagine a 75 member crew working in such a small space (91 meters) and at such low depths of the oceans gave me goose bumps. We sat at the RK beach for an hour, unfazed by the hustle and bustle of life. Soon, it was dusk, time to leave and end day one of our journey.

Next morning we had to catch the noted train from Vizag to Araku Valley and get down at the Borra Caves in between. And were not the caves a wonder! Formidable and astounding; well taken care of by the Tourism Department of AP, these caves have a lot to offer. Irregular limestone stalactites, stalagmites, a small Shiva temple inside and an opening along the top of the caves with a folklore associated to it, provides a great vista and a challenge for photographers under meager lighting conditions. A sumptuous meal at a nearby dhaba awaited us and we gluttonously devoured what was on offer.

And if the caves were not grand enough, something even better was to follow. We went along a delightful nature trail till the Katiki waterfalls originating from the Gosthani River, tumbling from a height of about 50 ft. Enroute was another attraction of the place, the bamboo chicken. The indigenous people roast chicken in bamboo obtained from nearby jungles. While every non-vegetarian was having a go at it, the monsoon weather made it inevitable for us (vegetarians) to have a bite of the masala-flavored corns applied with tangy lemon, taken along with a cup of hot tea.

After rejoicing a great deal, we came back to our hotel worn out but not without accruing more respect for nature and the gifts it has bestowed us with. If we could only be more selfless and less greedy, we will realize that neither it is too difficult to conserve our environment nor too easy too degrade it.