Day 7: 05/08/2025 – Ransi to Ukhi Math, via Gupt-Kashi & Kali Math
Morning in Ransi
After a hearty breakfast of upma (we even shared a portion with our host for tasting), we bumped into a group of youngsters. Their optimistic tales of the Madhya-Maheshwar trek stood in stark contrast to Sourabh’s warnings the previous evening. Rather than change our minds, we chose a gentler path: a short climb to the hilltop above our hotel to visit Rakeshwari Devi Temple (a revered shrine dedicated to a form of Durga), while our luggage was bundled into the car.
Rakeshwari Devi Temple: Myth and Ritual
This ancient temple marks the traditional starting point of
the Madhya-Maheshwar trek. Pilgrims seek darshan here before embarking on their
journey. According to legend, the moon god Chandra performed penance at this
site to lift a curse from his father-in-law Daksha - an act believed to explain
the moon’s waxing and waning.
The temple also plays a ceremonial role: it’s the first stop for the Doli (palanquin) of Madhya-Maheshwar when the deity is moved to Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhi Math for the winter.
Rakeshwari Devi Temple, Ransi
Rituals: Ramayan Chanting, Pooja, and Aarti
Suma handed over the pooja items to the priest, who initiated the rituals and aarti with quiet reverence, his voice rising and falling in carefully memorized cadence. The air was thick with the scent of incense and clarified butter.
Inside the temple, a group of women chanted verses from the Ramayan in chorus, with devotion and fervor. One of the most striking experiences was participating in Ramayan chanting – a practice with deep roots in Himalayan tradition and essential to the collective memory fostered in such temples. Reciting shlokas from the Ramayana is believed to connect practitioners with divine virtues, create tranquility within, and cement a sense of belonging to an unbroken tradition that stretches back millennia.
I was informed that the chanting of Ramayan verses happens across Uttarakhand during the holy month of 'Shravan'.
As the verses continued – sometimes taking the form of call-and-response, other times sung in unison – the aarti (ritual waving of lamps) commenced. The flicker of ghee lamps, swinging in rhythmic arcs, cast wild shadows across the murals and statuary. This ritual embodies the essence of Hindu temple worship: an act meant not simply to honor the deity, but to transcend the world and draw participants into a shared spiritual rhythm. The temple also housed other deities, including Mahadev, Vishnu, Ganesh, and Hanuman. Outside the sanctum, we admired the ancient stonework.
It also housed a few arms and weapons of the Pandavas, believed to have been left behind here from that era.
Today was a special day, and as the legend goes, the weapons of the Pandavas would be brought out to be cleaned, and a special pooja would be offered to them that day, before storing them for safekeeping again. Locals invited us to stay for a special evening aarti and langar. A temple clerk was busy recording the offerings villagers had brought for the communal meal. Regretfully, we had to decline and continue with our day’s itinerary.
Descending Through Valleys and Legends: Ransi to Gupt-Kashi
Having partaken in the morning’s rituals and received the
blessings of Rakeshwari Devi, we continued our journey through a winding drive along
the contours of hills and valleys. This segment between Ransi and Gupt-Kashi
offers glimpses into the quietly bustling life of Himalayan villages and the
ever-present Mandakini River, lifeblood of the region.
Gupt-Kashi: Temples of Duality
Our next stop was Gupt-Kashi, where we visited the
famed Kashi Vishwanatha and Ardhanarishwara Temples. The climb to
the temple complex involves about 100 steps, from the main road entrance, though local vehicles are allowed to take you to the door of the temple, for ₹50 per
person, return.
These temples are steeped in legend and architectural beauty. For more on their significance, you can explore this earlier blog post.
In front of the main sanctum lies the Manikarnika Kund, a sacred pond into which spring waters representing the Yamuna and Bhagirathi (Ganga) flow – emerging from cow and elephant-shaped spouts, respectively. One can perceive the difference in taste between the two spring waters!
Midday Interlude: Lunch at a Roadside Restaurant
As we climbed down the 100-odd steps to the roadside, the three of us (Radha, Suma, and I) remembered the instance of Sumitra and Dwarkanath hosting our lunch, the previous time we visited this place. It was their wedding anniversary, and that was the best we could ask for from them.
Hunger, sharpened by mountain air and morning devotion, led us to one of the many roadside eateries that serve locals and pilgrims along this route.
Most establishments here boast a menu rooted in Garhwali and North
Indian staples: steamed rice, lentil-based phaanu or chainsoo, vegetable
curries, aloo ke gutke (spiced potatoes), and local flatbreads like mandua ki
roti (finger millet bread). Some restaurants feature thalis (platters) that
offer a bit of everything, perfect for hungry travelers and a great way to
sample the region’s diverse flavors.
Given time and choice, we could have tried these local fares, but we stuck to the more common Aloo Parathas, Dal Makhni, and Curds, and I must say that it was really an excellent choice.
Kali Matt: A Siddha Peetha by the River
We then headed to Kali Matt, nestled on the banks of
the River Saraswathi. This powerful Siddha Peetha is one of the 108 Shakti
Peethas. According to legend, Goddess Kali vanished into the ground here after
defeating the demon Raktabija. The temple marks this spot with a silver-plated
Sri Yantra, opened only once a year during Navratri.
You’ll find more on this sacred site in my earlier travelogue.
As in my earlier trip, I meditated here for some time, and since I had seen the other temple in these precincts, I decided to spend more time meditating while Suma and Sujata went around.
Ukhi Math: Winter Seat of the Deities
Due to the off-season, we were able to park close to the Omkareshwar Temple at Ukhi Math, a majestic temple that serves as the winter seat for the deities of Kedarnath and Madhya-Maheshwar. The temple was quiet, yet imposing, and we had a peaceful darshana of Lord Shiva and other deities, too, which filled our sights.
Legend holds that this is the place where Aniruddha, grandson of Lord Krishna, married Usha, daughter of Banasura. The priests here belong to the Jangama sect of Karnataka, as do those in Madhya-Maheshwar.
A temple clerk was recording visitor numbers – just as we’d seen in Tunganath. And yes, I was lucky enough to retrieve my forgotten cap from the footwear shop!
Return to Chopta House
With temples visited and hearts full, we retraced our route
to Chopta House for a well-earned rest. The next day would bring fresh
adventures and new trails, but for now, the hills whispered tales of divine
encounters and timeless legends.
Synopsis:
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1 comment:
Nice travelogue. Covers items in great depth. 👏🏼👏🏼
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