(Written in 2011)
It was about an hour before the dawn. At 1700 meters (5500 feet) above sea level, it’s quite cold, though in late May, compared to the summer heat of Indian plains. At this small village of Gaurikund, in Rudraprayag district of Uttaranchal, the day has already started. This is a narrow strip of land beside the river Mandakini. About 30 to 40 meters wide. At one side, the mountain standing like a wall, at another side of this channel, the river is roaring. It is hardly 25 meters wide here. At the other bank of the river, another mountain is standing. No other way to go. At one end of this narrow channel, the motor-able road has ended. No cars can go northward from here.
