pilgrimage...

initially we were 6...finally we were 3 left to start our journey...so we boarded the cab from noida to the new delhi railway station...i was carrying a "razai", that of my fello passanger and friend deependra..and both my co-voyagers were having a good time laughing on me for my carrying that object in mid of march anticipating cold weather...but i thot i knew better....thinking that we had some time to spare, we retraced out path from the platform (number 5 if i am not mistaken) to the main gate from the pahad-ganj side...to have a cup of tea each...not bad!...and after a while the train left the station...it was not too much fun thinking that we cud have been 6...the whole of the compartment was ours ...but 3 of the berths were to be vacant i thot...we were cracking jokes and reminiscent of past memories frm college...had our dinner expectedly and then some ice -cream unexpectedly....without much adventure, we decided to put our sleeping bags on...if only we had one ...:)...by this time, my friends had started eating their words...it was rather cold...as it always is in a train in north india at night in march...!!!...my friends needed no convincing that I had some experience of travel on train....it was a nice night's sleep and I was not the happiest soul to be persuaded to pack my bags to disembark at jammu-tavi.....outside the station we went...ques ...that of buses and people buying tickets...soon after, we were on our way to katra...after another hour or two, and a bumpy ride, we reached katra, the foothill or rather the valley where the pilgrimage starts on foot...nice sun overhead, we had to hunt for an ATM, for we had all relied on each other at the start of the journey...there was the UTI ATM smiling on us...i did the honors and regret for I feel the guys made miscalculations of our expenses later and I did not get what I had spent on them..anyways, its a pilgrimage..:)...breakfast..and then we had to hunt for a room...after much persuation and wait, we landed a room in the "Niharika Lodging", a govt. venture...it was great arrangement..it was cheaper than the regular hotel-lodging and the facilities, hygiene was far superior...only thing, get it booked online if u gotta get it before-hand..we were lucky however (or rather my smart work in tackling the manager)...coffee, bath, again coffee...basked in the sun for a while on the terrace and all set to start the "foot-work"....we reached the bottom of the hill, started the outing...there were shops all along the initial pathway...security checks were abound...had bisleri, and a bag on my back..(rather trademark of mine)..we were cheerful by now and craking jokes all-along, taking snaps, started the climb rather quick.....after the initial 2-3 kms, I volunteered for tea...it was there that the "food-fest" started...yes it was one !!!...climbing up the slope, we felt hungry every second moment..and we could not have asked for better arrangements...shops were abundant...i relived the hill-experiences...tea,bread-butter,bun-butter,rajma-chawal..parathe...it was proving to be a gala time...we exchanged a million stories in the time...it was a festive atmosphere..colors all around, pilgrims chanting 'jai mata di"..."main nai suniya..' and the likes...horses and mules carrying the old and not-so-old folks...the enthusiasm carried by the old man or rather "carrying" the old man to the top...alike in the little kid trudging through...it was great time!!!...after 3-4 hrs of ascent, and 12 kms of picnic, there were signs of reaching the destination which we started to feel....it was getting cold as the sun set beyond the clouds...and then it grew dark and the bulbs and lighting shone...we also reached the darbar meanwhile...bought the prasad, chanting and shouting the hyms, we started to move briskly...inside the campus, we had the bath which sent us shivering to the core and reminding me the winters which I had forgotton of, living in bangalore for a couple of years.....(just a snack break guys..resume the post in a while)....back frm the break.. well, i completed the post, did not save the latter part and boom it was lost...really tired now...rest of it later...