PANDAV KHOLI TRIP (ALMORA)

Himalayas view from top of the mountain.

It was month of august and rainy season has started. The view from here was green and spread as far as we could see. One day we decided to visit Pandavkholi.

                                                

Scenic view of local village during traveling.

We took the route to Dunagiri temple which is around 71 km far from Almora. It takes three hour to reach there by taxi.Dunagiri is famous for temple of Durga Devi on top of a hill were people come from all over the country to pay their respects and tie bell on fulfillment of their wish.

                                              

Scenic view during trekking towards top of the mountain.

But we were going to visit Pandavkholi so we passed ahead. We reached kukuchina, it was main place where you could take your vehicle. From Kukuchhina you have to trek to pandavkholi which is around 3 km.

                                                   

trek to top of the mountain where temple is situated.

   After climbing for about two hours through dense jungle , speckles view of  great Himalayas we suddenly find a big  open space of land with green grass !!                                                           
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After raining various species Wild mushrooms have grown inside the forest.

A place which is an alpine hayfield called a bugyal in local language. When we were seeing first time, I couldn’t express my feelings through words… Wow.

                                                        

Cropping fields around trek.

When we reached there we were tried, care taker of ashram offered meal to us,
 I can’t say anything that time how hungry we were ,There was an Ashram which was made by a spiritual person in the memory of Mahant Balwantgiri Maharaaj.

                                                               

Cave of Mahaavtar Baba ji that place gave kiriya yoga diksha to his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya.

 After spending some time there we were descending down from the top because I have read that at the base of the hill there is a cave which finds it description in the famous book, “Autobiography of a Yogi” by swami Yogananda.                 
 

We started descending down because we were keen on watching the cave of Pandavkholi, which we found at the base of the hill of Pandavkholi.

                                                       

Statue of  Balwant Giri Maharaj and his Ashram at Pandavkholi.

 
When we reached there it was closed by Yogda society, when we came to know that now this cave has possession of the yogda society who has closed the cave and we needed to get permission first to enter that cave. We were disappointed and in evening we returned to our destination.
  
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Snow Trek Near Almora !!

snowfall in Sitlakhet.

It snowed in the month of January this year. It was very cold the entire month, with strong cold winds blowing and all of us were shivering with sudden weather change that month.!! And rain has started…. :) it has been raining here for two days continuously after that Snow fall has started here.

                                                             

The way was covered in a sheet of snow.

Whole of the mountain peaks in our region were covered in a white sheet of snow. The trekking soul in me was awoken and I called to my friends to join me for trekking. They got ready quickly and we were on our way soon.

                                                  

we got broken trees on the way.

We took the route to Shitalakhet. When were on the way to shitlakhet, we faced trouble to reach there because road has covered in snow, there was not much road left clean to drive safely. We parked our vehicle there, half way into our journey and decided to start trekking from there itself.

                                                  

the way was covered full of snow.

 It was around 6 km far from there but the view was heart warningly beautiful!! There is dense forest but that time the entire forest was covered with snow, some trees has broken down due to heavy snow fall and we were trying to escape from that type of trees because we didn’t know when a tree has fallen down upon our head :) :)

                                                

primary school .

When we reached at Shitlakhet, we bought some packet of lays (Potato chips) and a water bottle because still we had to climb up straight and we couldn’t get even any shop. We got only snow which has speared several area of dense forest.

                                                      

climbing up towards top of the mountain.

We were all playing, running in snow sheet because the whole path was covered in a sheet of snow but we were climbing up continuously without feeling even a bit exhausted. However our clothes have wetted.

                                                                

local children came out side from their home to see us. 

We were playing with snow whole way, throwing to each other, pulling and rubbing with snow, you can say we enjoyed full with snow and I never ever played with snow like before.

                                                         

enjoying snowfall.

While we reached on the top of the peak, the view was awesome where a temple is situated, the name of temple is Siyahi devi.

                                                            

himalayan view from sitalakhet.

A lot of devotees visit to temple every year for worship, we spent few hours there. In evening we returned to our destination.
I would like to thanks  my one friend who helped me to write  this article !! 
            
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