It was something curious thing to know about the very holistic place called Satopanth Tal the route which starts from Badrinath to Mana and further. In the year 2008 of Aug we had visited the holy land so called Dave Bhoomi of Chard ham Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. At this last visiting place of the Chard ham we came to know about the village called Mana since as we were having some time to visit to this place and we went there and know about many new things about this area. It was this place from where the five brother pandavas and their wife of Mahabharat that took route to travel their last journey for heaven so called Swarg Yatra. Here we gathered the knowledge about the Yatra likewise how far Satopanth Tal is, how to go there what precautionary measure should be taken and what things we have to carry with us food and safety equipments since this is the place which is something like no man land in other words remote area. This also means that it is all the way we have to travel the distance by trekking through the mountain side and the rough terrain taking with us guide and potter.

Thus we started the preparation for this holistic trip the Satopanth Tal trek having distance of approximately 25 kms from Mana. It is five to seven days trekking it depends how you choose and make your plan for the trip and we decided to take seven days for our trip. As this was supposed to be the very holistic trip with great meanings and respect about the places which comes in the route till Satopanth Tal. Learning the importance of this places we checked the calendar both in English and in Hindi and we were lucky enough to find the chance to visit Satopanth Tal and the places in the route, it was because the importance of the trip is also that to visit the place Satopanth Tal on the Ekadashi according Hindu calendar and the reason is here at Satopanth Tal all three god Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh comes early morning and take bath on every Ekadashi day. So we set our program for the trip on the same terms to take opportunity to be there and spend the day in that environment with three spirits.

Then with the help of one of our good friend Supratim Roy he is regular trekker, we did get in contact with the guide named Mannu Rawat a highly influenced very well experienced guide of this area as he is giving the service to those who wants to visit the Satopanth Tal and further Swargarohini for last 25 years. Here I would like to suggest to this website visitor that anyone who is interested to visit the Satopanth Tal and Swargarohini can contact Mannu Rawat and hire his service without any doubt as his contact number is +919412966171. According on his advice we manage to take the required thing which would be needed on the seven days trip. Thus we arrange all the things from ticket reservation for travelling to all the needed things for the trip like camera, binocular, first aid kit, and so on and the day arrives to move on for the holistic trip to Satopanth Tal. Here everyone has to get register oneself because this whole area comes near the border of china so we had send all the required details for registration to Mannu Rawat well before.

 Further I will try to make understand the importance of the different places of this Satopanth Tal trip with the photographs. Also try to give general idea to get there with the simplest way to reach there and visit these magnificent places.

I apologize to reader if there is some difference of comment on any situation and also request to submit the correction on the same.

Before starting I would like to thanks to some important people and they are my parents, my in laws and my friends who all wished us luck for this spiritual journey. Here I would like to mention that it was my mother who gave the spiritual knowledge and also about the holy books and that drives me here to take chance to be with the holy spirit with in this Dave Bhoomi. Secondly I thanks to my in laws for taking care of our children looking after them for schooling and other daily routine things in absences of us. Above all my special thanks to my brother in law Mukesh who really gave me a strong support by all means.

As I mentioned earlier that one can complete this trip with in 4 to 5 days or as on ones willingness like we had planned for seven days for Satopanth Tal, and this is the way we had planned our whole trip for16 days the journey starting from Mumbai to return back to Mumbai including the seven days for trekking to Satopanth Tal. As this plan could make us move by time table but if necessary the situation changes we had kept the provision to also move according to the situation as time allows.

The day arrives to make move for the Satopanth Tal journey, it was 14th June 2010 and we were ready with all possible required things to start from Mumbai. We begin our first day of our journey by boarding the train Paschim express at 12.14 pm from Borivali to Hazrat Nizamuddin.

On 15th reached at Hazrat Nizamuddin to catch connecting train to reach Haridwar at 8.30 pm but there was couple of hours delay to get our connecting train. We moved our luggage to waiting room, here we got fresh and had some light food which we got right outside the station. After waiting little longer we boarded our train to Haridwar and reached at 9.30 pm we checked in hotel at Shiv murti chowk near railway station we got fresh and went out to have our dinner in market side. So on this day also nothing doing but just being with the Bhartiya rail and travelling to get reach to our destination of that day.

On 16th we got ready and step out at 6.45 am from the hotel to visit the holy places, first we went to Harkipedhi near Ganga ghat as it is said that before starting journey towards Dave Bhoomi one should bath or take wash in the holy river Ganga to purify oneself. Then we visited Mansadevi Mandir which is situated on the hill top one can take on ride with the cable car.

We were free with Haridwar area mandir by 10 am, here we heard about some other holy places nearby town at distance of about 3 km. we decided to go these places after taking breakfast. After 12 noon we proceeded and first we visited Daksh Prajapati Mandir, this temple belongs to Shiv Shankar’s father in law. It was this place where Sati first wife of Shiv Shankar got set fire when her father insulted Shiv by abusing him.

Here we saw something different Shiv Mandir having Shivling made up of Mercury. In this photo one can see that there is no dripping jal dhara over Shivling it is said that only on Maha Shivratri the abhishake is done on the Shivling and it is for 24 hours continues.

This ashram is belongs to Swami Avdheshanand Giriji Maharaj here we also found one huge tree of Rudraksh and it views great.

By the time we completed visiting all these places it was almost 2.30 pm. We returned to the hotel and check out as we had to move further to Rishikesh by 4.30 pm, between this gap of time we had our lunch and rested for some time in hotel lobby area. After 4.30 pm we picked up our luggage went to auto rickshaw stand by tricycle rickshaw which was at ten minutes distance from the hotel place and from here we took the 7 seater rickshaw costing for 300 Rs. It took about 45 minutes to reach Rishikesh at 6 pm. and we checked in the hotel near Triveni Ghat. Here first we have to get arrange for tickets to the Badrinath or for Joshimath whichever is available and that was possible with the help of our last time visited travel agent we do get arrangement of the ticket for the Badrinath and we booked 2 tickets by paying 800 Rs for next day and that was great because it was saving our time providing to spent more time in Badrinath Dham. Since it was suppose to be long journey all buses and the share taxis were ought to start moving early morning from 4.30 am and we were told to reach at pick up point right at 5 am. So after arrangement of the tickets we still had enough time and so we visited nearby places in Rishkesh like Guru Dwara, Lakshman Jula, Ram Jula and its market then further Triveni Ghat there we had our dinner and return to hotel by 10.30 pm. we packed our luggage in night since we have to leave very early in the morning thus the day ended.

On 17th early morning we got ready and step out of the hotel after check out at 4.30 am and reached within 10 minutes at our pick up point which was also agent’s office. It was 5.30 am and it was shiny morning when we started from Rishikesh towards Badrinath, as Rishikesh town is at the foothill of the Himalaya the journey begin to clime the ghats besides the Ganga River line.

Watching all the way the great scene with Roads Mountains and rivers we reached Dave Prayag at 7.30 am we had our breakfast and coffee here and it is this place where Bhagirathi river from Gangotri and Alakhnanda river from Badrinath  meets to form the great river known as Ganga, then we passed Rudra Prayag where Mandakini river from Kedarnath and Alakhnanda river from Badrinath meets here, Karan Prayag where Alakhnanda river and Pindhari river meets here, Nanda Prayag where Alakhnanda river and Nandakini river meets here, we had our lunch near Chamoli round about 1.30 pm had our lunch on the way before reaching Joshimath. We reached at Joshimath after 3.30 pm, this is the place where we can find the Narshimha Mandir and also place for the future time Badrinath called as Bhavishya Badri. Here every one had to wait for the gate from where the authority allows to get pass all vehicles at particular time when all the opposite side coming vehicles are ensured passed first. Since we can see from top still the opposite side traffic was coming we have just to wait and it took almost 2 hours to start again.

But this waiting did gave us opportunity to see some spectacular natural scenes we saw forming amazing rainbow emerging from the valley towards the sky and it was due to some climatic situation right in front there was cloudy and started giving rain shower and from behind there was bright sunlight coming at and particular angle creating a great view. This sudden changing scene made every tourist to step down of their seats to look the view making us forgetting the waiting time for almost 2 hours.

After 5 pm we started from Joshimath to complete our last part of the journey to reach Badrinath but before we passed the last Prayag called Vishnu Prayag where Alakhnanda river and Dhuliganga river meets here, on the way we had couple of halt one at Govind Ghat and one at Pandukeshwar. As we were commuting by the state transport service it has to halt for the passengers to get off and board but at Pandukeshwar every vehicle has to break and lineup in a queue because it is the midpoint of this trek from Joshimath to Badrinath, here both ways traffic get passes each other as this place has enough passage to get it done.

Again all the vehicles started moving upward to the last stop. From here we all of a sudden started feeling cool atmosphere somewhere in middle of this segment of the rout there is place called Hanumanchatti where one should bow to one of the great god Hanumanji.

As we were near to our destination Badrinath the day was closing and the light was dull and it was now 7 pm it was 7.30 pm when we reached at the holy place Badrinath Dham. We walked through the bus station hiring potter to carry our luggage, we check in one of the hotel nearby. Even though we were tired by travelling for 14 hours we dropped our luggage and got fresh within few minutes and went to Badrinath Mandir for last Darshan of the day.

After visiting the Mandir offering puja at 9.30 pm we had our dinner in restaurant near market place and taking nice night walk we came back to our hotel which was little at distance from Mandir. Any way the day was hectic with journey and we were completely exhausted but at the end of the day it was nice feeling being in pleasant climate of the Badrinath Dham.

18th we got up early in the morning and got ready to take morning Darshan of Badrivishal, as I step out of my room I saw magnificent and clear view of Neelkanth parvat, I took my camera and went up on terrace of the hotel and had couple of shots of the Neelkanth.

Then at 7 am we stepped out of the hotel and walked through market had our morning milk and biscuits in one of the small and simple hotel who was serving just only milk tea and coffee and then we walked through down lane to reach Mandir for Darshan as we want to take the blessing of the main priest of the Badrinath Mandir known as Rawalji we went first to his chamber which is situated near the Mandir’s main door we waited for some time as there were few people already waiting for their turn one by one took blessing and also we and we took few snap and step out of the Rawalji’s chamber.

Then we stood in line for Badrivishal Darshan on this day here we had little rush and it took us 21/2 hours in line for Darshan. Then we visited nearby place like Mahaprabhuji baithak here we also performed Satya Narayan puja in short way as my wife wanted it to do. We ask one panditji to make arrangement for us to perform puja within 20 minutes everything was ready. In the mean time our guide Mannu Rawat came to meet us and to discus about the further course of trip to Satopanth Tal, we ask him to join us while we perform the Satya Narayan puja the ceremony took little more the hour.

By the time we completed the puja and Darshan it was 1.30 pm and it was time for lunch, we ask Mannu Rawat to accompany for lunch, while we had our lunch we also discussed the plan for the next day how to begin with and to get confirm with the seven days Satopanth Tal Trek. Seeing things were going well our guide was happy to welcome us to be with his agency for seven days trekking and we split for the day while he went to his place at Mana and we came back to our hotel. We had little rest for couple of hour and then again we set to go out to visit the market place for some required shopping like woolen gloves socks and jacket. We were enjoying the holy place and nice climate. Here we took some photographs of fantastic scenes.

It is said that the early morning view is also nice to see when the first ray of the Sun fall over the peak of the Neelkanth but I have to wait till next morning. We had some heavy snack in market and return back to the hotel, the day was clear and shiny and we had spent nice time from morning till night.