An attempt to visit Pancha Kedar and Pancha Badari! Day 11.

Day 11: 09/08/2025 – Continuing in the Land of Gods: 

Just a thought: Entering the Land of Gods

Even before I set foot in Uttarakhand, a veil seemed to descend over my mind, woven from childhood tales of rishis in penance, swirling mists, thundering rivers, and Gods who still whispered to mortals in the Himalayas. As we drove past the foothills into the Garhwal region, where snow-dusted peaks slash the sky and deep green valleys plunge into myth, I felt the weight of expectation and awe settle over my shoulders. This was not merely travel; this was a pilgrimage – one that would follow ancient trails, unravel local legends, and immerse me in timeless devotion. It would be a journey that tested muscle and soul alike.

Today's Events:

Our ‘Teen Deviyan’ planned to trek the Kartikeya Hill nearby. Initially, I thought of visiting this place, I was acutely aware of the toll the journey had taken on my body. Sore muscles and the tiny aches that accompany mountain treks threatened to turn memory into complaint, and hence I decided to take. Suma too decided not to visit but to prepare breakfast for both of us and lunch for all by the time they return. Thereafter, we planned to visit Koteshwar Mahadev Cave Temple and Umra Narayana Temple, retiring for the day at Kalyasur, near Dhari Devi Temple.

Trek to Kartikeya Hill (as described by Teen Deviyan): A Pilgrimage Above the Clouds 

Awakening to the Trek

Dawn in the Garhwal hills hints first at silence before painting the sky with lavender and rose. From the tiny village of Kanakchauri, I gazed up at the trail to Kartikeya Hill, aware that every breath already felt sharper, the air thinner, laced with the scent of pine and impending revelation. The anticipation was as much spiritual as physical. Here, every footstep would not just be a measure of distance, but a negotiation with altitude, flaring muscles, ancient stories, and my own resilience.

The Trail Itself

The Kartik Swami Temple trek is modest in length – about 3 kilometers each way – (oh! by the way, at the end of the trek, one has to climb around 380 steps to reach the top), but the landscape it covers is anything but ordinary. The trail threads through dense forests of oak and rhododendron, their leaves shimmering with early dew, the boughs alive with the calls of magpies and Himalayan birds.  As the path ascends, the forest thins, and vast panoramas of the Himalayan wall unravel – Nanda Devi, Kedarnath Dome, Trishul, Chaukhamba, and Bandarpunch, all peer down in icy majesty.

Signboard atop Kartikeya Hill showing the sights of various peaks from here

     

The peaks visible on a clear day - Pics Courtesy Suma Rao, who had visited earlier

The trail can be slippery with loose stones and steep stretches, demanding both sure feet and a patient heart. The moderate grading of the trek, ideal for both beginners and seasoned travelers, lulls many into underestimating its challenge, but the final ridge – narrow, dizzyingly high, whipped by winds – reminds you that no reward in Uttarakhand comes without effort.

Muscle pain is not merely a physical sensation here; it becomes part of the hill’s initiation ritual. Calves and thighs burn as you step upward, and sudden cramps can halt progress. The combination of altitude, uneven terrain, and the weight of your backpack turns every incline into a personal test. Locals, wise from countless such ascents, offered advice –hydrate thoroughly, consume salt and lemon for electrolytes, and when necessary, pause to stretch and breathe deeply.

The Temple’s Setting and Arrival

Emerging from the last stand of trees onto the exposed, wind-buffeted ridge, Kartik Swami Temple rises abruptly – humble yet monumental against the endless sky. Perched at 3,048 meters, the temple is truly “above the clouds.” The horizon ripples with white-capped summits. The wind is charged with incense and the distant sound of bells, devotional chants carried from the handful of pilgrims who have reached the sanctum this morning.

History, Architecture, and Mystique

Unlike Uttarakhand’s more famous shrines, the Kartik Swami Temple is endowed with a unique intimacy and austerity. The stones of its modest sanctum are smoothed by centuries of touch and prayer. Inside, sunlight slants through the wooden-framed doorway, illuminating an idol that, according to legend, houses the bones of Kartikeya – Lord Shiva and Parvati’s warrior son—offered here in a gesture of supreme renunciation.

The temple’s architecture is simple, almost an extension of the rocky hilltop itself, enshrining rather than embellishing the divine legend. The ridge on which it stands, Kraunch Parvat, is itself hallowed ground, cited in the ancient Skanda Purana as the site of Kartikeya’s penance and sacrifice.

The Legend of Kartikeya: Sacrifice and Sibling Rivalry

Every stone here resonates with one of Hinduism’s more poignant stories. Shiva’s sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya, were once set a challenge: to circle the universe and return first, gaining the privilege of being worshipped before all others. Kartikeya, fleeter and proud, set off on his peacock mount to map the cosmos physically, while Ganesha, ever the astute, simply circled his parents, pronouncing them his universe. When Kartikeya returned, Ganesha had already won. Heartbroken and misunderstood, Kartikeya withdrew from the world, performing penance on this very hill, and ultimately offered his bones and flesh to Shiva as the ultimate act of reverence and resignation.

In a tapestry of Faith, interspersed with Devotion and Solitude, we sat there for a while, waiting for the clouds to clear so that we could get a good view of the peaks on the horizon, watching the clouds drag their shadows across the valleys, and understanding why penance in these hills could be so profound. Here, solitude sharpens devotion; faith is not drowned out by ritual but deepened by the landscape’s imposing silence. You leave a piece of yourself behind on the stones and take away a fragment of their ancient gravity.

     

    
Some Flora on the Hill

    

       

   

     

     

     

A few pics of the Kartikeya Hill Trek by Teen Deviyan

We had a great guide in Priyanshu, a local guy whose family owned a restaurant at the base of the trek. He had an excellent knowledge of the flora in that forest and also a decent awareness of the hill's history. Climbing down, we had a hearty meal (in this family restaurant) of hot parathas, dolloped with butter, with pickles and curds washed down with piping hot tea, while Vidya had her glass of hot milk.

As the trio returned, we (Suma and I) had a leisurely lunch and proceeded to our next POI (Point of Interest) - Koteshwar Mahadev, where myth is carved in stone!

Koteshwar Mahadev: Where Myth Is Carved in Stone

Journey to Koteshwar Mahadev

Leaving Kanakchauri, the road wound along the churning Alaknanda, climbing and descending as it neared Rudraprayag. A brief detour upstream and I reached the revered Koteshwar Mahadev Temple, set into a cave at the river’s edge, its entrance half obscured by tangled roots and the spray of river rapids. We alighted and climbed down the 115-odd steps to reach the bottom. At the bottom of the steps flows the magnificent, brisk Alakananda River and creating lots of whirlpools as it turns slightly to the left, before merging with the softly flowing Mandakini River at the confluence in Rudra Prayag. The fiercely flowing river between two mountains is worth a sight.

           

                

 River Alakananda in all its glory      A look inside the Koteshwar Mahadev Cave.

History and Mythology

Koteshwar Mahadev is not a grand edifice but a site of raw presence and mythic resonance. According to legend, Lord Shiva rested and meditated here on his journey to Kedarnath, seeking sanctuary from the demon Bhasmasura. The cave’s cool, dark recesses still echo with the story: Bhasmasura, blessed (or cursed) with the power to turn anyone to ash by a mere touch, threatened Shiva’s very existence. Escaping from Bhasmasura’s wrath, Shiva concealed himself in many caves, with Koteshwar being his final refuge before the fateful confrontation (a legend also whispered in Himachal’s Shrikhand Mahadev and Kinner Kailash). Eventually, the intervention of Lord Vishnu led to Bhasmasura’s demise, a potent lesson in the invincibility of faith and cleverness over brute strength.

Other local traditions hold that Lord Rama, post his victory over Ravana, came here to meditate, seeking forgiveness for the bloodshed of war and the sin of killing Ravana, himself a great devotee of Shiva. Layer upon layer of story is encrusted in the stones of Koteshwar, each told anew in prayers, temple bells, and the steady flow of the Alaknanda beside. 

Another local lore says over one crore rakshasas (10 million demons) performed penance on the banks of the River Alakananda, to please Lord Shiva and attain salvation – hence the name Koteshwar.

Both sides of the steps leading down to the river have small temples of Panchamukhi Hanuman, Maa Durga, and others.

                

Entrance to the Cave Temple, Panchamuukhi Hanuman & Maa Durga

Due to the low roof of the cave, I had a nasty slip and bruised my shin, inside the cave temple, as one has to crouch low down to reach the deity to perform pooja. As in other temples, we did pooja here and adorned the vastra to Shiva. 

Umra Narayana Temple: A Jewel by the River and our next Halt

Discovering the Temple

The drive to Umra Narayana Temple wends through terraced fields and dense groves, hugging the curves of the mighty Alaknanda. Here, time seems to dissolve – the river roars more softly, the air shimmers with sanctity, and a stately temple in the classic Nagara style rises, its white spire gleaming in the midday sun. Another ascent of over 100 steps, from the road, brings you to this temple.

Architectural and Historical Details

The Umra Narayana Temple, perched near the village of Umrola Sour, is an architectural marvel dating back to the 8th century. Its proportions are harmonious, built on a traditional stone plinth with a shikhara – spire – surmounting the sanctum (garbhagriha), thus embodying the upward-reaching aspiration of the Nagara style. Exquisitely carved stonework adorns its doorway and pillars, with motifs of lotus, vines, and deities in relief. The sanctum houses not just the idol of Umra Narayana (a local form of Vishnu, also called the Isth Deva or tutelary deity of neighboring villages), but also images of Lakshmi, Shiva, and a charming child Krishna. Temple artifacts include two sacred footprints etched in stone – believed to be those of Lord Vishnu himself, and worshipped with profound reverence.

The temple’s weathered staircase is worn smooth by centuries of pilgrims, and at its foot the river forms a natural pool where the devout bathe, believing that the Alaknanda’s waters here wash away sin and sorrow.

Legends and Local Faith

Umra Narayana Temple’s mythology is deeply entwined with Garhwal’s agricultural life. Villagers offer the first sheaves of their harvest at the feet of Umra Narayana, seeking his protection and prosperity. The temple is said to grant moksha (liberation) to earnest supplicants – its reputation as a gateway to spiritual freedom drawing pilgrims from across the region.

Many credit the establishment of this temple to Adi Shankaracharya himself during his travels to Badrinath. This connection endows the temple with a scholarly legacy, as it historically served as a center for Vedic learning. Even today, festivals like Ram Navami and Vaikunta Ekadashi turn the temple into a vibrant confluence of song, dance, and ritual, uniting dozens of villages in joy and gratitude.

Climbing up to exit this site, we then drove to the nearby Umra Narayana Temple, again a climb of over 100 steps. The main deity of this temple is Narayana, but it has other deities of Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesha on her lap, Garuda and Hanuman.

       

                  

Umra Narayana Temple - Note Maa Parvati holding Lord Ganesh on her lap

Most of the temples in Uttarakhand are linked to Adi Shankara, as he is referred to in all these ancient temples from the 8^th century.

Promise of Another Spiritual Day Ahead

Continuing our drive into Srinagar and just beyond, at Kalyasaur, we checked into Hotel Shanti Kunj, conveniently close to the revered Dhari Devi Temple. In the evening, Suma struck up a conversation with one of the temple priests, who invited us to attend the morning aarati at 06h00 – a promise of another spiritually rich day ahead.

Synopsis:

Our quest for ancient temples continued unabated as we visited a couple of more temples in Kotishwar and Umra Narayana, deciding to retire at a hotel close to the Dhari Devi Temple.

Our next day's travelogue is in my Day 12 episode.