Superunknown / Binsar Mahadev, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

Binsar means bin-sar (without head) that's what priest told me when enquired why this temple is called Binsar. Not to be confused with the Binsar in Sauni near Ranikhet, and nor with the place called Binsar in Almora; this place is largely unknown. Though I have heard of this temple many times when my father mentioned and also from some known villagers at different point of time, and though a friend named Kiran Rawat, who had once confirmed me the route and location. But the tour planning came into existence when i met 'kashmiri uncle' during my first visit to Manilla Devi in Salt region of Almora. I got the first hand feel of the Binsar Mahadev temple from him only who referred it as 'Bindeshwar Devta'.

It was October 2008. Me and Arun, a fellow traveller, were on a trip to Maanila and Diba (Divakhal). It is from here after visiting Maanila we decided to go further to Sarainkhet - the last village of the Kumoan region on this belt. And from here to Uffrainkhal in Garhwal, some 20 kms from Sarainkhet. It is here Kashmiri uncle owns a small grocery store and a set of two small rooms, while he has rented out kitchen part to a fellow villager who runs a small eating joint. Kashmiri uncle got his name after he came back from Kashmir where he was serving in the army, and now lives peacefully in Uffrainkhal managing his shop. If i know him correct he has no family, or atleast not known to me but then i never enquired as well. I could assume because i saw him sleeping in the closed compound of his shop during my stay at two different times.

It was a day before Holi in Feb. 2011 when we started our this tour from Delhi Anand Vihar ISBT at about 7 pm. As usual we were looking for Gagan - all three of us - Rajeev Ji, Sanjeev and me. This is my second trip with both but with Gagan, i've been very frequent. Afterall we are friends since our graduation days! So i knew him better in one way. As usual he came when i bus was about to leave. We were already inside. It was mad rush - everybody wants to board the bus to make it quite a Holi-day with their families and friends. And then came Gagan at last just when me and Rajeev ji were deciding to get down off the bus or continue the ride without Gagan. But Gagan can't be left, and soon we foursome were chit-chatting. The smiles on our face didnt last long and at Garhmukteshwar we found our bus creeping in the traffic-jam. After a while it stopped creeping as well, when driver switched-off the engine and tried to catch up with sweet little sleep, a power nap like, resting his head over the steering and uplifiting his white shawl to cover up himself well. Almost every passenger got off the bus except women and children and the drunkards - to prevent the mosquito bites, and some like us to see how much time this jam gonna take? So me and Rajeev ji started walking towards the small bridge over the Garh-Ganga. The road was completely jammed with tractors, three-wheelers and village folks everywhere on both the sides of the road with white jerricans filled with holy water from Ganges. The moon looked lovely, it was a colourful sight - headlights of the vehicles, colorful people walking and Rajeev ji busy photographing objects like such. We went till the bridge, and came back to find everyone sleeping and some chatting up about the situation inside bus. We climbed up on the bus-roof and sat there for a while discussing our experiences. Afterthat we came down when our adrenaline level came down. After about 4 hours around in the traffic jam, we drove off further. It was about 5 am around we crossed Moradabad. By 9:30 we reached Ramnagar. The driver - an old man in late 50's looked tired and cautious.
We reached Uffrainkhal via Marchula, Dotiyal and Sarainkhet at about 6:30 pm, and straightaway went to Kashmiri uncle. He instantly recognised me, and we exchanged the greetings. That evening we spent with village folks who invited us over to be the part of Holika Dahan (burning of Holika - a ritual represented through a bon-fire sort with people playing color around it to express happiness of winning over the evil). There were no colours but showers of expressions particulalry among the ladies. Soon after the fire was lit, people especially, children started to dance around it. They had placed the speakers on the compound of their village temple just near to the fire. It was a pleasant sight. And the warm fire soothed us to our bones.

After about half an hour, we went to eat at kashmiri uncle's, where another uncle who has hired kashmiri's place, served us with food. It was quite a delicacy, and we ate hearty meal. Me and Gagan decided to take a round and went back to the fire. By then all have gone. It was all ashes, hot enough to keep us talking in the cool breeze of the night. We humans always have something to talk about. Don't we? And about 9 we retired to sleep - me and Sanjeev in one room and Gagan - Rajeev ji in the other, next to us.

Next morning, we were up early. Our taxi driver that we booked to get a drop till Chounda, after Jagatpuri, was on-time. He appeared to be in hurry, citing Holi as a reason which he excitedly mentioned again and again. Infact he suggested that we should play Holi with villagers and taste Bhang (a drink that uses opium seeds). which we politely rejected. Uncle packed us some paranthas for the route knowing that there is nothing in between we will get to eat. Soon we find ourseleves on-foot marching up with enthusiasm. Some 6 kms trek from here will lead us to Binsar Mahadev temple. Alternate route is from Peethsain via Thailisain from where the distance to the temple is 9kms which is mostly downside. But here we were climbing up!

The path was clear and civilisation ended after walking some 2 kms. We made the headway towards the jungle the four of us - talking, laughing, criticizing and making noise. And then came the turning point. After walking about more than 5-6kms, we still did not had any clue about the location of the temple. Meanwhile the path that we were following was completely vanished into the small dry stream that was all rocks and mud. It was about 1 pm and we were in the interior of the dense jungle, without anyone to guide us. I would often go here and there to locate the route thread but nothing that i could find there. Rajeev ji looked exhauted. He had this knee trouble that makes it hard to walk. The fact also was that he had just got up after Chikunguniya, about a month ago. Agitated, he shouted, "think, we have families to take care of". Gagan too said "lets go back". Sanjeev was cool though. I was hard pressed to see the temple. I was longing for it now quite some time. I wondered if the Lord Shiva doesn't want us to be in His temple. But why? And I begain to locate the route.

After 15 minutes, the route was spotted. It was just above us, over our head, a brief steep climb through that dry stream which we climbed using our hands on the rocks. In another 20 minutes, we were at the temple - more than happy and thanking God for His kindness on us. "Maybe He was testing us" said Gagan!

The temple dated back to the time of Vishwakarma maybe some 2000 years ago, who made this temple of Lord Shiva - why, though not known exactly. There is a small symbol on the front gate of the temple to its left which the priest referred to as writing of Vishwakarma himself. With great pride he said, a team of German-British people visited this place and took a wax imprint of the writing alongwith, maybe to decode its meaning. We quickly bathed. The water was ice freezing, cold enough to make me scream once.

We prayed for about half an hour and then ate the paranthas, that uncle packed for us. Rajeev ji streched himself on the slab of the temple at the courtyard; Gagan was praising the chants, Sanjeev and me eating, playing with the dogs and clicking snaps. It was 3 pm and weather started to get bad. And we knew the time has come to bid goodbye to His Holiness and after our tea at the temple premise, we started to come down.

As we started our journey to comeback, I suddenly remember, i've brought some Gulal (color) to play Holi. I gave the packet to the priest. He smeared it upon himself and to the diety in the temple, and finally smeared it on our forehead. It was truely a moment that i cherished, afterall we came to play Holi with the Lord Shiva. This was the feeling - the fragrance of purple Abir, and the sweet smell of oks and birch and the perfect quietness - nobody spoke and i could hear the thunderbold hoard after a pause. The roar got strong and we knew we have to now get started.

Itinenary:

Day 1: Left Delhi @ 8 p.m - Ramnagar (11 a.m because of Jam at GarhMukteshwar)- Dotiyal (Manilla Devi) - Sariankhet - Uffrainkhal (at 6 p.m). Celebrated Holi-Dahan with Village folks. Night Halt at Kashmiri uncle's place.

Day 2: Jeep to Chaunda via Jagatpuri from Uffrainkhal (some 16 kms). Started trek. Reached Binsar temple covering 6kms. Night halt

Day 3: Back to Delhi by 10 p.m

(c) Himanshu