On 29th March, we travel north from Rishikesh into the Garhwal Himalaya, following routes that have long carried pilgrims, householders and wandering ascetics into the mountain valleys of Uttarakhand. This part of the journey continues the same attentive pace established earlier — shaped by movement through place rather than by schedule — as the landscape gradually shifts from river town to forested hills and widening horizons.

The road traces Ma Ganga and her tributaries upstream, passing through valleys where rivers, settlements and temples have developed side by side for centuries. As elevation increases, the environment becomes more spacious and less densely inhabited, allowing the journey to unfold with fewer interruptions and a stronger sense of continuity between land, water and daily life.

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River Lodge located near Rudraprayag

We spend the night of 29th March at a River Lodge, located near Rudraprayag on the banks of the river. Set within a quiet Himalayan valley, the lodge offers simple, comfortable accommodation in close relationship with the surrounding landscape. The presence of flowing water, open sky and mountain air provides a steady backdrop for rest and reflection at the end of the day.

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Devprayag, the sacred confluence where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers

Along the way, we visit Devprayag, the sacred confluence where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet to formally become Ma Ganga, the mighty river known as the Ganges. Long regarded as the most significant of the Panch Prayag, this meeting point continues to draw pilgrims who come to observe, pray, or simply stand at the joining of two distinct river currents — a place where geography and spiritual meaning have remained closely linked over time.

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Rudraprayag, where the Alaknanda meets the Mandakini River

We also pass through Rudraprayag, where the Alaknanda meets the Mandakini River. The town takes its name from Lord Shiva in his Rudra aspect, and the surrounding valley reflects the long-standing relationship between river confluences and devotional life in the region.

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During this northern journey, we visit Dhari Devi Temple, positioned above the river and regarded as a guardian shrine by local communities. The temple’s location reflects how spiritual sites in the Himalaya are often embedded directly within the landscape rather than set apart from it.

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In the Dwarahat region, we visit Dunagiri Temple, set among forested ridges with wide views across the surrounding hills. The temple is associated with several strands of Indian tradition, including stories linked to the Ramayana and the Pandavas, and is also referenced in the Manas Khand of the Skanda Purana as Mahamaya Harpriya. The surrounding area continues to be known for medicinal plants and a long history of pilgrimage and retreat.

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Village Farmstay in the Kumaon Himalayas

We stay for one night at Dwarahat Village Farmstay, with a family, in the Kumaon Himalayas near Babaji’s Cave. Meals are prepared in the home by the women of the household. We arrive with enough time to settle in before the evening. After breakfast the following morning, we depart in an unhurried way for our visit to Maha Avatar Babaji’s Cave.

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Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave — Kukuchina, near Dwarahat

At the centre of our time in the Garhwal Himalaya is our visit to Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave.

Located near the village of Kukuchina. Within the Kriya Yoga lineage, this site represents a point of continuity — connecting the teachings and living traditions encountered in Varanasi with their Himalayan context.

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The cave is traditionally associated with Mahavatar Babaji, described in Autobiography of a Yogi as the reviver of Kriya Yoga in the modern era. It is here that Babaji is said to have initiated Lahiri Mahasaya in 1861, giving rise to a lineage later carried forward by Sri Yukteswar Giri and Paramahansa Yogananda.

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The approach to the cave is made on foot along a forested hillside path. The cave itself is modest and unadorned, set into the landscape rather than distinguished from it. Its simplicity stands in quiet contrast to the global reach of the teachings associated with it.

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Our time here is unstructured and unprescribed. There is space to walk, sit, observe or remain still, allowing each person to meet the place in their own way. Nearby shrines and natural springs reflect the long-standing view of this area as a place of retreat rather than congregation.

This visit forms a natural point of gathering within the journey — where earlier devotional landscapes, city life and river culture meet the steadier rhythms of the mountains — without marking an endpoint or conclusion.

 

Vasishtha’s Cave

A Place of Stillness and Lineage

​Before returning south, we visit Vasishtha’s Cave, traditionally associated with the Sage Vasishtha, one of the most revered figures in the Vedic tradition. Situated beside Ma Ganga and set back from roads and settlements, the cave has long been regarded as a place of contemplation.

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Vasishtha is remembered not only as a seer, but as a teacher and householder — a figure who embodied wisdom within the responsibilities of worldly life. His association with this cave reflects a long-standing understanding within Indian tradition: that insight and steadiness are cultivated through presence and discipline rather than withdrawal from life altogether.

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Our visit here is unstructured. Time is allowed simply to be in the space — to sit quietly, walk along the river, or observe the surroundings. For many, the cave offers a counterpoint to the density and intensity of earlier environments, reinforcing the through-line of the journey: learning through proximity to place, rather than explanation.

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Return to Rishikesh

On 2nd April, we return to Anju's guesthouse in Rishikesh, arriving in the early evening. Returning to familiar surroundings after time in the mountains provides a gentle transition, allowing experiences gathered across riverbanks, temples and hill paths to settle naturally before the final days of the journey.