[v&v]

Last year Jan 2013 we saw Ranikhet, Dunagiri , Jageshware of Kumaon region.
TL link : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-sitabani.html


Later in October 2013 to Naukuchiatal, Bhimtal, Sattal & Nainital during dussehra holidays. I will club log along with the current one.

Now about the current trip. As the kids vacation was coming to an end, a quick trip to again to Uttrakhand was planned. This time it was zeroed to Patal Bhuvaneshwar. Lot has been heard about the cave and last 2 trip we could not visit here. Little bit of research zeroed the nearest KMVN hotel was at Gangolihat. Booked rooms online at Gangolihat & Almora(Dinapani on Almora binsar road. Both property are at a scenic location with basic facility. Highly recommended.


So the itineary planned as

1. Day 1 - Drive to Gangolihat - 515 kms from Delhi
2. Day 2 - Visit Patal Bhuvneshwar - 15 kms from hotel, Visit Chaukori & Berinag
3. Day 3 - Visit Baghnath, Baijnath, Kausani & Reach Dinapani by sundown. (Awesome drive)
4. Day 4 - Kasar Devi, Simtola Eco Park,Almora, Visit Zoo (Rescue center)
5. Day 5 - Return to Delhi

Route : Delhi - Ghaziabad - Muradabad - Rampur - {Rampur - Rudrapur (45 km) is tarred} - Rudrapur - Bhowali - Almora - Badechhina Sheraghat - Berinag road - Gangoli hat (515 kms) - 13 hr drive - 2 pit stops.

Over all roads are good condition. Last 20 kms from Berinag bend - Gangoli hat - is pathetic.

Return to Almora : Gangoli hat - Berinag - Choukari - Vijaipur - Bagheshwar - Baijnath - Kausani - Almora - Dinapani (Binsar road) about 180 kms. This route is very scinic and winding roads was awesome to drive. Missed by VRS.


Return Delhi - Almora - Haldwani - Rudrapur - Rampur - Ghaziabad - Delhi - 8.5 hrs drive.


Naukuchiatal/Sattal/Nainital Visit - Oct 2013

Day - 1 - Drive to Naukuchiatal. 3 nights Stay : Club Mahindra
Day - 2 - Around Sattal
Day - 3 - Around Nainital
Day - 4 - Return to Delhi

Route : Delhi - Ghaziabad - Muradabad - Rampur - Kemri (Detour due to bad roads Rampur - Rudrapur) - Bilaspur - Rudrapur - Haldwani - Bhowali - Bhimtal - Naukuchiatal (Club mahindra)


Gangoli Hat, Distt Pithoragarh


View from Hotel @ Gangoli


Patal Bhuvaneshwar


Somewhere between Berinag & Chokouri


Baijnath


Kausani, near Tea factory


Almora

[v&v]

Oct 13 vacation was during the Durga puja holidays. We got reservation for 3 nights at Naukuchiatal Club Mahindra. Wanted to club with Binsar CM too but reservations were not available. I was visiting Nainital after 15 years and never been to Sattal. So this trip was planned to explore these two locations along with Naukuchiatal.

Day - 1
As usual started early morning 4.30 am and aound 830 we were at Haldwani town and woodpecker food plaza is our usual pit stop. This restaurant is at the end of Haldwani town. Nice location with a garden and lots of parking. Good food and neat washrooms are the highlights.
Left from haldwani by 10. Got stuck between Bhowali and Bhimtal for an hour due to some accident and were at Club Mahindra by 12.30 hrs. Had to wait for 30 min for checkin. Also quickly it became overcast and started raining.. Evening was spent exploring around Naukuchia Tal and around.

CM hotel is about 5 km from Bhimtal just adjacent to the tal. There is nothing much to see but one can walk around the tal and do boating. Place is a tranquil site and one can sit by the lake for hours...

Parking Area










Lake view from the property

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Day - 2- Morning went around the lake for a walk and got some birds. Sharing some pics.. Climate was cool and overcast.

Grey Treepie


Lesser Whitethroat


Oriental White eye


Slaty headed parakeet

[v&v]

AS it was overcast, we were in double mind to venture out. Finally decided to explore Sattal.
Spent about 3 hrs there . Had Kadi chawal for lunch. Weather was nice with slight drizzle. By 4 pm we were back at hotel.
Shairing some photos...

View of Bhim tal




Garud Tal


Ram, Laxman, Sita Tal




Purna Tal


Main Lake consist of three Raml, Lakshman and Sita-tal

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Evening went for boating at Naukuchia tal.

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Day-3 - Nainital visit. We took taxi instead of driving to avoid traffic and parking hassles. Day - 3 was partly overcast. We started by 11. Enjoyed the day in Nainital and were back at hotel by 6. Rest enjoy the photographs..

Naina Devi Temple

















Shot from Pangot road, near View point

[v&v]

TL - 2 - Delhi - Gangoli hat, June 2014

Day - 1. Drive till Haldwani was quick. Road from Rampur - Rudrapur been repaired. Reached Haldwani by 8.15 am. Had to wait about 40 min at Woodpecker for breakfast. We left Woodpecker by 9.45 am. Drove past Bhowali, Bhimtal. Around 20 kms towards Almora is under repair. Post that the road is newly laid. Drive along Koshi river is awesome. Reached Almora by 12.30 pm. Took a break for 20 min. Roads after Almora to Berinag is narrow and has occasional bad patches. Progress was slow, took our lunch break about 3 pm near shera ghat. It took another 2 hrs from here to Reach Gangoli. Last 20 kms to Gangoli hat is bad.


Bhowali - Almora Road - Kosi River


Frog Point - Frog Shaped Stone


Almora Bypass




Some where in Shera Ghat


Road after Berinag Bend


KMVN - Tourist Rest House - Gangoli Hat


View from our Room



About TRH, its a small setup with about 10 -12 rooms. They have 2 Super Deluxe rooms and Rest might be deluxe room. Super Deluxe with extra bed costed me 1300 per night. Staff were very friendly and food (veg) was good. Parking for about 4 to 6 cars. TRH is located in main market.

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Day-2
Gangolihat is a small hill town of Distt Pithoragarh. Gangolihat is famous for its Shakti Peeth of Hat Kalika Temple. Also on a clear day Panchchuli peaks and Nanda Devi can be sighted. Again in this trip too rain god has been following us. No peaks were visible. Gangoli hat also has many caves , popular are Shailashwer & Mukteshwar Gufa apart from Patal Bhuvneshwar. Both these caves are away from motor-able road.

Our plan was to visit Kali temple early morning, then leave for Patal Bhuvneshwar after break fast. This temple was chosen by Sankaracharya for installation of Mahakali shaktipeeth. The temple was about 3 kms from our hotel. About 10 cars can be parked near temple.

Main enterance








Lot of Monkeys around. Need to be extra careful with Prasad and Bags. This guy was sitting at entrance of the temple

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing!

[aditbelw]

Looking at all the photographs, how I miss my place! Was not able to visit home this year and your travelogue just ignited the will to do a trip for a week, coming month! Thanks Mate..!!

[Samba]

I always keep following your travelogues and love reading them. This one is no exception. Beautifully written with some beautifully composed pictures.

One thing which strike me this time is how come we end up going for similar kind of road trips! In your last travelogue on Karnataka it was very similar to what i did back in 2009! Again reading this my memories for my UK trip in 2009 got refreshed! It was like Delhi- Corbett- Ranikhet- Almora- Binsar- Chaukori- Gangolihat- Mayawati- Nainital- Delhi. Though not same but but similar.

Originally Posted by v&v

Later in October 2013 to Naukuchiatal, Bhimtal, Sattal & Nainital during dussehra holidays.

I did the same to same again in November 2013.

Just sharing one picture from that trip. Hope you don't mind.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by aditbelw

Looking at all the photographs, how I miss my place! Was not able to visit home this year and your travelogue just ignited the will to do a trip for a week, coming month! Thanks Mate..!!

Thanks aditbelw. Uttrakhand is addictive. Last 4-5 year i had at-least one visit a year. Enjoy your vacation @ home..

Originally Posted by Samba

I always keep following your travelogues and love reading them. This one is no exception. Beautifully written with some beautifully composed pictures.

One thing which strike me this time is how come we end up going for similar kind of road trips! In your last travelogue on Karnataka it was very similar to what i did back in 2009! Again reading this my memories for my UK trip in 2009 got refreshed! It was like Delhi- Corbett- Ranikhet- Almora- Binsar- Chaukori- Gangolihat- Mayawati- Nainital- Delhi. Though not same but but similar.



I did the same to same again in November 2013.

Just sharing one picture from that trip. Hope you don't mind.

Attachment 1260791

Thanks Samba, WOW its real coincidence. In a way these are practical itinerary for family trips. You are most welcome to share more pics

[v&v]

Continuing : Visit to Patal Bhuvaneshwar

After our breakfast , we left for Patal Bhuvaneshwar. Its about 30 min ride about 15 kms from Gangoli hat. We were there by 09:30. It was relatively empty as most of the tourist reaches by 10:30 - 11 am. Parking enough space to park vehicles.

The cave is about 500 meters from parking. Advisable to visit early to avoid crowd. its a pity that photography is not allowed, but photographs are available to buy outside temple. Will scan and upload the photos of Patal.


View from parking @ Patal bhuvaneshwar


Path to cave








Entrance







Cave temple Entry




Cave : Entry is narrow , steep , about 90 feet to get down

[v&v]

We were amoungst the first visitors for the day. The main pujari Umed Singh Bhandari accompanied us to the Gufa. We had to register our particulars and deposit mobile phones and camera as photography is not allowed now inside the cave.

Seeing the entrance, i was bit nervous about kids as it was steep with no steps. I had an impression that there will be steps to climb down into the cave instead there is a narrow passage through which one has to slide down. Chain are there on both side to hold on. One has to slide down a good 70 - 80 feet steep descent takes you to relatively open area.

One needs about five minutes to settle down with cave environment and will be surprised to see the formations and size of cave. There was slight suffocation in the cave and i presume this suffocation will be more as it gets humid during monsoon. Also must say wet floor was making us feel cold.

Disclaimer : These photos of cave are scanned from photographs available for purchase outside the temple.

Then the Pujariji started explaining about the cave.

King Rituparna of the Surya Vansha discovered the cave in 'Treta yug'. It has been described in the 'MANAS KHAND' of 'SKAND PURAN'. Then Adi Shankaracharya visited this cave in 1191 AD and that was the beginning pilgrimage in Kali yuga.


First sight is of Seshnag, hood clearly marked on the rock formation and spine with marked ribs on the floor of the cave. As per Skandapurana, Sheshnag served as a guide to Raja Ritupurna and led him here. it is believed that Shesnag maintains the balance of the earth on his hood and preventing it from sinking into Patal.

Seshnag Hood formation


Takshak Nag


Opposite one can see Airawat elephant with a thousand feet and the Kamandal of Lord Shiva on the right side.

Kamandal


Airawat elephant with a thousand feet

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One walks on ribs of Seshnag to The torso of Lord Ganesha and on the top the Brahm Kamal (lotus of Brahma) dripped nectar on it, keeping him alive. Even today water drips from the lotus.





Next to this one can see Panch Kedar,Badrinathji and Amarnathji




Near to Dhams is Kal bhairav's tounge protruding and its mouth's a cave through which we can crawl reach bhramalokam and exit through its tail, although none has made it.





Goddess Bhuvaneshwari(patal devi) standing guard with her weaponry.




The cursed Hans (the swan of Lord Brahma) , As per puranas Hans was entrusted to take care of nectar (amrit) , instead it tried to drink the nectar and the angry god curses the bird thus ends up with a twisted head.