Char Dham Yatra 2019

Transcription

1 CHAR DHAM YATRA 2019 ç ç Om Namah Shivaya Char Dham Yatra 2019 Karnali Excursions, Nepal 1

2 2 Fixed Departure Dates 8-22 Sep, Sep and 22 Sep-6 Oct, 2019 Yatra Overview: India is a big subject, with a diversity of culture of unfathomable depth, and a long continuum of history. India offers endless opportunities to accumulate experiences and memories for a lifetime. Since very ancient times, participating in the Char Dham Yatra has been held in the highest regard throughout the length and breadth of India. The Indian Garhwal Himalayas are known as Dev-Bhumi, the Abode of the Gods. Here is the source of India s Holy River Ganges. The Ganges, starting as a small glacial stream in Gangotri and eventually travelling the length and breadth of India, nourishing her people and sustaining a continuum of the world s most ancient Hindu Culture. In the Indian Garhwal Himalayas lies the Char Dham, 4 of Hinduism s most holy places of pilgrimage, nestled in the high valleys of the Himalayan Mountains. Wearing the Himalayas like a crown, India is a land of amazing diversity. Home to more than a billion people, we will find in India an endless storehouse of culture and tradition amidst all the development of the 21st century!

3 3 Trip Highlights: A complete darshan of Char Dham: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedharnath and Badrinath. Visit the holy places of Rishikesh, Haridwar, Uttar Kashi, Dev Prayag and Gaumukha. Pancha Prayag, the five holy confluences (Dev, Rudra, Karna, Narad and Vishnu Prayag). Garhwal parts of the Himalaya & Mana Gaun, the last village of India. Visit Surya Kund, Divya Shila, Tap Kund, Narad Kund and Vyash Gupha etc. Trip Facts: Total Duration Max. Elevation Trip Grading Best Months Accommodations : 14 Nights/15 days : 3,585m/11,760m : Moderate : September : Hotels and Guesthouses Journey Starts/Ends : New Delhi Covered Destinations: Delhi - Haridwar- Barkot - Yamunotri - Gangotri - Uttar Kashi- Gupta Kashi - Kedarnath- Rudra Prayag - Badrinath - Dev Prayag- Haridwar

4 4 Day-to-day Detailed Itinerary: Day 01: Arrive at the Delhi Airport and transfer to hotel One of the Karnali representatives will meet/greet at the Delhi Airport. He will arrange immediate transfer to hotel. Karnali s team leader will deliver a detailed briefing on immediate and further arrangements. We will spend overnight in a tourist standard hotel on full board basis. Day 02: Drive to Haridwar After breakfast, we will commence our scenic vehicular journey to Haridwar, the gateway to the heaven. The driving distance is 206 km and it takes 5-6 hours to reach Haridwar. After settling in the hotel and being freshened up, we will visit some of important temples of Haridwar and attend Evening Ganga Aarti. We will spend overnight in a tourist standard hotel in Haridwar on full board basis. Day 03: Drive to Barkot After early breakfast and exploring major not-to-miss places of Haridwar, we will drive to Barkot. The driving distance is 170km, but it takes 8 hours to reach Barkot. We will spend overnight in a tourist standard hotel or Tent House on bull board basis. Day 04: A side trip to Yamunotri (Barkot- Yamunotri-Barkot) After breakfast, we will drive to Janaki Chatti (84km) via Hanuman Chatti and Phool Chatti. And then, we will start trekking of 6 km to Yamunotri, where we will take a holy dip in the Garam Kund. We will also perform Puja and Darshan of Shree Yamuna jee. After performing Puja and having Darshan of Shree Yamuna jee, we will retrace our journey back to Janaki Chatti and then drive back to Barkot. We will spend overnight in the same hotel on full board basis.

5 5 Day 05: Drive to Harshil Today, we will drive to Harshil (172km) via Utter Kashi, which takes approximately 9 hours. En-route we will also visit Prakateshwar Cave. We will spend overnight in a hotel on full board basis. Day 06: Drive to Gangotri and trek to Gaumukh After having early breakfast, we will drive to Gongotri. It takes an hour to reach Gangotri where we will have Darshan of Gangotri Temple. After Darshan, we will commence trekking to Gaumukh and return to Bhoj- Basa (22 km in total). We will spend overnight in a guesthouse at Bhoj-Basa. Day 07: Trek back to Gangotri and drive to Uttar Kashi We will trek back to Gangotri (14km), and then, we will drive to Uttar Kashi. Utter Kashi is situated on the bank of Holy Bhagirathi Ganga, and the temple of Lord Vishwanath is located here. The massive iron trident is the special attraction of the Lord Vishwanath Temple. We will spend overnight in a hotel at Uttar Kashi. Day 08: Drive to Gupta Kashi After breakfast, we will drive to Tehri Dam, and from there on, we will continue driving to Gupta Kashi (225km). We will spend overnight in a tourist standard hotel at Gupta Kashi on full board basis. Day 09: Helicopter Ride to Kedarnath Today is one of the important days of our Char Dham Yatra as we will fly to Kedarnath by helicopter and visit major holy shrines of Kedarnath. We will attend the evening Aarti of Kedarnath. We will spend overnight in a guesthouse at Kedarnath on full board basis. Day 10: Fly back to Gupta Kashi and trek to Rudra Prayag/ Pipalkoti After performing morning Pujas, rituals and having Darshan at the temples, we will fly to Gupta Kashi. We will drive to Rudra Prayag/Pipalkoti (157km). We will spend overnight in a hotel on full board basis.

6 6 Day 11: Drive to Badrinath After breakfast, we will commence our vehicular journey to Badrinath (72km) from Rudra Prayag/Pipalkoti. En-route, we will also visit Narsimha Temple. After settling in the hotel and having lunch, we will visit Badrinath Temple and have Holy Darshan. After darshan, we will spend our time exploring the Mana Village, the last village before the Tibetan border. We will also have Darshan of Vyas Gupha, Bhim Pul and Saraswati River. We will spend overnight in a hotel on full board basis. Day 12: Drive to Srinagar/Dev Prayag Today, after breakfast, we will drive to Dev Prayag (222km/9 hours), which is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in Tehri Garhwal district, in the state of Uttarakhand. Dev Prayag is one of the Pancha Prayags (Five confluences) of the Alakananda River, where the Alakananda and Bhagirathi Ganga rivers meet, and from here take the name Ganga or Holy River Ganges. We will spend overnight in a tourist standard hotel on full board basis. Day 13: Drive to Rishikesh After breakfast, we will drive back to Rishikesh. Once again, we will attend the evening Aarti in Rishikesh. For those who are wishing to experience rafting on the Ganga River, can be arranged (optional). We will spend overnight in the hotel on full board basis. Day 14: Drive to Delhi We will drive back to Delhi after breakfast. If time permits, we will explore Akshardham Temple as well. We will spend overnight in a hotel on full board basis. Day 15: Depart for onward journey Karnali Excursions will provide a vehicle for airport transfer.

7 7 Tour Cost: USD 1,899/person for the entire tour Single Supplementary: USD 149 The cost includes: All ground transports including airport pickup and drops. Hotel accommodations on twin sharing basis. Domestic flight fares and Helicopter ride to Kedarnath as specified in the itinerary. All guided sightseeing with applicable entry fees. Pure vegetarian meals and mineral water during the entire Yatra. Service of experienced and knowledgeable team leader and support crew. All government taxes. The cost does not include: Indian visa fee. International from/to home. Travel and medical insurance, which should cover the expenses of emergency air/land evacuations and cost of medical treatment if needed. Medical checkup charges if needed. Pure personal nature gears and equipment needed for the Yatra. Personal porter and Doli or pony charges. Pure personal nature expenses, e. g. canned and bottled drinks, telephone bills, laundry, tips to guide and support crew. Any expenses caused by factors that are beyond our controls such as: train and flight delays and cancellations, road blockades, vehicle mal-function, and etc.

8 8 Essential Information: 1. Must bring Documents: The most recent and valid passport 4 passport size colour photos 2 photo copies of the most recent and valid passport Cash-less travel and medical insurance policy Health certificate 2. Hotel and Power Related Matters: Infrastructures in these areas are not well developed. Thus, you should not expect or compare it to other more developed destinations. There are occasional shortage of water and power in this region. You may come across situations where water is supplied on a timed basis, morning and evening only. very important, as we need to arrange for your airport pickup in Delhi. Please look for the Karnali Excursions sign board as you come out from the Airport. 4. Passport, India Visa Related Issues: All foreign passport holders require a valid visa for India. Get this at home by contacting the nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate. Indian Passport holders or OCI cardholder do not require a valid visa in India, but need to travel with the valid passport. You must be in possession of a current passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining beyond your arrival date in India. In this region the hotels may not have generator facilities. In case of any power failure, hotels will provide candles for light. 3. Flight Details: Please send us your flight details as soon as you book your flights. If there are any last minute changes, please notify us immediately by . This is 5. Remaining Balance The remaining balance is to be paid in USD (US Dollars) or equivalent GBP (Sterling Pounds) cash in New Delhi upon arrival. Unfortunately, Karnali Excursions cannot accept any personal cheques. 6. Additional Funds: Please plan to bring approximately USD 700 OR GBP 500 per person for your

9 9 personal use during the Yatra (to hire a horse, Doli and porter during the Yatra, phone calls, mineral water, souvenirs, etc.) drinking at least three litres of water every day. This habit will be extremely helpful to keep you in good shape during the Yatra. 7. Travel Insurance Mandatory: Everyone must carry cash-less travel insurance which covers emergency rescue (both by Air and ground), repatriation and medical expenses. Please bring two hard copies of insurance containing policy number and emergency contact details only.. When you come to New Delhi, please handover one copy to our representative and keep the 2nd copy with you. 8. Preparation, Health and Medical Related: Although most of the trip will be done by vehicles, it is important that everyone is relatively in good health. If you have any chronic health conditions please consult your doctor prior to leaving for India. Medical facilities are available throughout the journey. However, taking the health issue into a sheer consideration, Karnali Excursions (P) Ltd. will provide a first aid medical kit and equipment for treating high altitude sickness. Remember to exercise and or hike/walk regularly. Form a habit of 9. Karnali Staffs: Karnali Excursions (P) Ltd. employs only well-trained, responsible, and capable staffs who have successfully led several trips over many years throughout all over India, Tibet and Nepal. Each trip is staffed with experienced guide who speaks English and Hindi, ensuring a pleasant and smooth journey for the group. Karnali Excursions (P) Ltd. is committed to providing the best and most reliable service for each group for the Journey of a Lifetime. 10. Risk and Liabilities: Karnali Excursions (P) Ltd will make every effort to ensure that your journey is smooth and as pleasant as possible. However, please be reminded that all programs in India are strictly conducted under the rules and regulations of the Indian government. Therefore, neither Karnali Excursions (P) Ltd. nor its Indian Agent shall be responsible for any changes in the itinerary due to unavoidable circumstances, including: government restrictions, landslides, road blockades, flooding, snowfall, political

10 10 disturbances, flight cancellations, illnesses or accidents. Any additional costs that may incur as a result of such circumstances shall be taken care of by the yatris. 11. Yatra logistics: You will be picked up and dropped off at the airport, so please provide your flight details in advance. Every Yatri will be provided a reasonable sized duffle bag for the entire duration of Yatra. This bag will be provided in the evening of the arrival day. Hence, each yatri should have a personal backpack/rucksack to carry personal valuable belongings and handy items. Transfer your necessary items into this duffle bag from the suitcase and remember the duffle bag number. Your normal baggage and suitcase will be stored at the hotel in New Delhi until you return from the Yatra. Ensure that you have some snacks and minimal supplies along with you in your backpack for personal use as your duffle bag might travel separately with the support vehicle. Please bear in mind to bring the adaptor for volts for charging any electronic devices. WIFI and Internet connection is available in New Delhi. Local SIM card can be bought in the New Delhi airport. You are welcome to use a home-based cell phone. Please make sure that India is in your roaming coverage area. 12. Important Preparation Tips for a Successful and Memorable Yatra: Get some hiking and breathing practices. Develop habit of drinking plenty of water (at least 3 litres a day). Stay mentally focused and physically healthy for a memorable Journey of a lifetime.

11 11 World-wide contact details of Karnali Excursions Nepal Head Office Hira Dhamala P. O. Box: 5778, Durbar Marg, Ktm, Nepal Office: / Mobile: karnaliexcursions@gmail.com North America 1. Sarla Dave (USA) 4440 E Hartford Avenue, Phoenix AZ Home: (Call anytime) Mobile: sarladave1@aol.com 2. Harish Patel (USA) Home: (Call anytime) Mobile: Sridevi Gayathri Ramesh (Canada) grdiyers.karnali@gmail UK 1. Savi Meghani Home: Mobile: (Call anytime) savi_meghani@hotmail.co.uk 2. Vanita Hirani Home: (Tues-Fri, Call after 4:30 PM) Mobile: vanitahirani@hotmail.com UAE & Middle East Vaishali Thakker Mobile: journeywithvaishali@gmail.com Australia Pushpa Raghwani Mobile: (Week days, after 5.00 PM, Weekend, anytime) 64pushpa@gmail.com