Himalayan Pilgrimage

Every spring pilgrims begin arriving in the town of Gaurikund in the Indian Himalaya. They are among the hundreds of thousands of Hindus who come to participate in one of the largest pilgrimages of the modern era -- a trek to the temple of Shiva at Kedarnath.Leaving the familiarity of their homes and routines, thousands of Nepalis migrate to India for a season's work hauling luggage, provisions and people from Gaurikund, the nearest roadhead, to the Shiva temple at Kedarnath. Beneath a pantheon of Indian heroes, pilgrims in a Gaurikund tea shop fortify themselves before the start of their trek.Pilgrims starting their trek wind their way through Gaurikund's labyrinthine alleys.In a scene probably little changed from the middle ages two Rajasthani pilgrims walking to Kedarnath pass a Hindu holy man taking a rest.A Rajasthani pilgrim -- with an uncharacteristically thin mustache.Though most pilgrims walk the fourteen kilometers between Gaurikund and Kedarnath, the old and infirm, as well as the well-off and lazy, are carried up in rudimentary palanquins by porters.A woman and a monk on their way down chat happily, while an weary woman on her way up is born by four porters.Though it is less comfortable than a palanquin, some people ride in a basket carried by a Nepali porter because it is cheaper.Arriving in Kedarnath by helicopter is one option for the wealthy and status conscious. Nepali porters with baskets wait to carry passengers the few hundred meters that separate the helipad from the Shiva temple.A woman on mule-back looks anxiously at the trail winding its way up into the mountains as she passes some tea stalls lining the pilgrim route.Dozens of ramshakle shops, serving tea and simple meals, line the trail to Kedarnath. An odd-looking chef with no eyebrows prepares chapatis -- Indian bread.A waiter in a tea shop -- crazy eyes and a creepy smile.Most mysterious and intriguing among the pilgrims are the Hindu holy men, called Sadhus. Here Govind Giri, a saffron-clad Sadhu, sits in a tea shop with two zoned-out pundits.Sadhus on the trail to Kedarnath.Sadhus and pilgrims at the ancient Shiva temple at Kedarnath. Having walked all day, many pilgrims reach the temple at night.Some see in these homeless, wandering ascetics the holy men of the Hindu faith -- men who possess a spirituality to which others aspire. Others say that Sadhus are drug addicts, sorcerers, child abductors and cannibals. Sadhus wait for alms near the entrance to the Kedarnath temple -- warming themselves by a fire, smoking hashish and blessing pilgrims who seek their benediction.Partly out of tradition, partly as ritual and partly out of sheer boredom, Sadhus smoke prodigious quantities of hashish.Mani Mahesh -- a young sadhu with his guru, an ash-painted naked Sadhu.Boy Sadhu Mani Mahesh.Some Sadhus undertake severe penances -- such as sleeping while standing or alway keeping one arm raised high in the air. This sadhu is a Muni Baba -- one who has taken a vow of silence and has not spoken in years.Sadhu Govind Giri in a mountain meadow above Kedarnath. Some sadhus seek out isolated places in the mountains for meditation and prayer.Sadhus Nandi Bharti and Govind Giri in the mountains above Kedarnath. Many Sadhus stay for weeks or even months at Kedarnath and in the nearby mountains.Among the strangest of Sadhu sects are the Aghoris. They are known to practice human sacrifice, engage in cannibalism and rituals involving dead bodies.Pilgrims resting on their way down from Kedarnath. Most pilgrims spend just a few hours at the temple and then descend immediately to escape the cold and harsh mountain climate. A tribal woman with a tattooed face elated at the conclusion of her pilgrimage. After finishing the trek to Kedarnath many pilgrims visit other Hindu holy sites in the Himalaya before returning home.A pilgrim on his way out of Gaurikund.