Veil of the Goddess - Prelude
Nanda Devi is a shy goddess. From behind her misty veil she reveals herself only when she so ordains. The closer you get to her, less likely she is to give a ‘darshan’. But has that refrained anyone from toiling hard to reach as close to her as they possible can? Of course not. Such is her allure.
At 7816 Metres, Nanda Devi is the highest peak in India (with a catch- entirely in India. Kangchendzonga 8586M is shared with Nepal) and along with her sister peak Nanda Devi East (7434M) forms the most breathtaking, awe inspiring…. ok lets cut the adjectives… formations in the Indian Himalaya. Snow covered peaks (most of them above 6000M) formed in two concentric rings surround her. Viewed from the top it lies on the middle stroke of the inverted alphabet E, as the westerners will decipher it, or at the centre of an ‘OM’ formation, as romantics seeped in the spiritual significance of the Himalaya will see it. The bindu of the ‘OM’ being the Kailash mountain in Tibet. Just perfect.
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(Courtesy- Wikipedia)
The Devi, along with her two rings of mountains, is now part of what is possibly the last self-sustaining biosphere in the world. The Nanda Devi sanctuary. Protected of course from human intrusion. For reasons shrouded in controversy. But protected nonetheless.
Our specie can really be heartless sometimes. The unique flora and fauna of the outer and inner sanctuary must be wondering (at least those still surviving) what life for them would have been if they were left undiscovered. If the humans along with their pack animals and military scale expeditions had not ravaged the pristine wilderness. But they were mere spectators. Like the unsuspecting bharal (blue sheep) who instead of scampering up the slopes which they are so adept at, stared curiously at the gun barrels loaded to provide for the evening meal of the expedition members. Not so different from the unsuspecting Indian army who helped the CIA in a covert operation to place a nuclear device on top of the Devi, only to lose it and never recover it. (Or so they claim. Just google it.) The ticking time bomb or large scale environmental damage, whatever the reason, the authorities reluctantly had to close down the sanctuary in 1983. One can trek to the walls of the outer sanctuary but not beyond that.
Few regional rivalries can beat the one between Kumaon and Garhwal. Since recorded history they have fought, bickered, conspired against each other. But the only thing that unites them is Nanda Devi. Bang on the geographical divide, the peak holds sway over both the regions and rules as the dominant Goddess. The Garhwalis however stake their dominance as the 12 yearly Nanda Jat yatra passes through it. The Kumaonis, not to be left behind will tell anyone who will listen that the Nanda Devi east peak (it falls completely in Kumaon) is the real one on account of its truer dome shape.
Ok, so that was the prelude. Our trek story coming up soon….
