Friday, 12 November 2021 | Vinod Chamoli | New Tehri
With the portals of Gangotri temple being closed to the public for the winter, the whole area now wears a deserted look with the devotees now seeking blessings from the temple deity at her winter abode at Mukhba. However, about 60 ascetics have stayed back and are engrossed in various devotional and Yogic pursuits. Some are doing it by remaining silent while some are involved in difficult penance and continuing their practices in the bone-chilling cold at an altitude of about 4,600 metres above sea level at Tapovan. The number of such ascetics is expected to rise with the absence of the devotees.
The Himalaya has been the centre of spiritual practice for centuries. There are still many ancient caves where the Sadhus performed extreme penance. From 1980-90, many seekers were seen here, but gradually the number was reduced over the years. Now 60 Sadhus are practicing their penance amid the silence and grandeur of the Himalaya.
Notably, Gangotri valley is famous for Yoga and meditation from Gangotri shrine to Gaumukh-Tapovan. Thousands of devotees come here every year during the Yatra season but only a few seekers live here in winter after the Yatra period is over. The seers practice Sadhana not in Ashrams, but in caves and that too in the sub-zero temperatures. Sub divisional magistrate Chatar Singh Chauhan said that about 60 Sadhus are staying here in the winter season.
