GOMUKH CALLING....URGENT...

Vishwa
Feb 3, 2021
5 min read

Updated: Apr 27, 2022

#Atragedywaiting

I visited Gangotri & Gomukh back in 2017, and that year a landslide caused by Akash Ganga river, had blocked the way near to Gomukh. Not only that the debris fell in large quantity just in front of glacier and it caused river Bhagirathi to change its course, moreover a lake was formed, and standing on debris, just opposite side, we had our Darshan of Gomukh, obscured though by debris. Shivling was right in front and we performed Lord Shiva Arti from there.

There were trekkers and fellows who, from the very left side adjoining debris and hill, and then turning right and climbing on Gomukh Glacier, headed for Tapovan.

Bhagirathi coming from snout, was taking a left turn towards us, then into a small lake, that was formed by debris, was able to get past it and due to no approach towards snout, we couldn't see it coming from it.

But in front was a high Glacier that starts from Chaukhambha and ends at Gomukh, with numerous hidden routes towards, Badrinath, Kedarnath and other peaks. By traversing through it many saints had made it to these remote shrines, sometimes barefoot on this demanding and unforgiving accumulation of ice.

Many mountaineers also found it direct for there ascent to Chaukhambha, Satopanth and other peaks as well as treks to hidden Lakes and Tals.

Renowned mountaineer, trekker, sage and photographer; "Sadhu who clicks,"Swami Sundaranandji had traveled along this glacier route many times, sometimes with mountaineers, sometimes with Army men, and sometimes with his Guru, a renowned recluse Swami Tapovan Maharaj, and sometimes alone and was aware of almost every nook and corner of this formidable glacier.

This gully divides Tapovan and Nandanvan, Shivling and Bhagirathi Peaks, and various other small and big glacier streams contribute to this 30 km long and at places 2 to 4 km wide massive storage of ice.

Now why am I writing all of it? Don't you know already? Yes.. you know, but there is something else you probably don't... And its the latest Satellite pictures.

We know its receding and over the last 25 years, it has retreated more than 850 meters ( 34 meters/year ). It used to end at Bhojbasa, that is now 5 km away from snout, at the beginning of 20th Century.

In 2017 landslide that caused massive debris, broke it further. There is an increase in water outflow from rapidly melting ice, and that may have caused AkashGanga to bring heavy debris that eventually caused massive landslide. besides Global warming massive cutting of trees, and increase in vehicular movements and constructions also have caused adverse effects on already sensitive Himalayan ecology with increase human inflow the ice is further melting fast.

What I saw on those Satellite imagery from Google maps on earth view, is hard to describe. It was taken sometime may be in Summer 2020. It showed just behind the wall of ice, and in front of it, that is climbed to move to glacier, there are lakes. They are different from the lake we saw in which Bhagirathi waters was pouring. (In fact the glacier wall on the very left, from where folks used to climb in order to turn right towards Tapovan is broken now.) They were right behind it, where there was supposed to be solid ice on which trekkers and climbers used to walk. And not only that when I moved the map towards north-westwards towards Chaukhamba, I was even more surprised.

Since coming back from Gomukh in 2017 I used to search the news and maps of Gangotri, Gomukh and area around Tapovan. I used to follow the path of Glacier till Chaukhambha and survey the nearby peaks and tributaries. The peaks of Kedar, Shivling and Meru that lie on the east side of the glacier and Bhagirathi to the west. Chaukhambha to the north west is the source of it.

I was shocked to see the several spots of clear green glacier waters not only near to Gomukh but all the way to Chaukhambha that lies almost 30 kms away. That used to be a solid sheet of ice is now broken and dotted with pools of blues and greens. The thick sheet on that climbers, trekkers and saints used to walk, and that is one of the biggest glaciers in entire Himalayas, is ruptured to such an extent was unimaginable.

There was a reason, I used to follow it. I was interested in that small lake right in front of Glacier where Bhagirathi waters before proceeding any further falls, and then moves again to overflow through debris. The depth of it was not known, but it was supposed to be dangerous if exploded by any further obstruction or landslide.

And a case in U.K. High court is going on regarding its existence, which the state government denied at the very beginning, and I used to search about it. So somewhere in Dec, 2020 I again opened Google map to see how the lake looks when I discovered all of it, and was beyond shocked and surprised.

Now the High Court has recognized it ( I don't know to which- in front or backward lake ), and asked for continuous monitoring also involving Wadia Institute, so hope is there. But what about the tremendous amount of Glacier melt, that may be frozen at this time in Feb, but that is ready to explode, may be coming summer while weather continues to get warmer every year, and of that hardly anybody is aware.

Even if only the lakes explode, that is going to cause massive disturbance in entire glacier system and there is a great possibility of it shaking the entire system and thus compounding the damage.

With big boulders and stones all around, this enormous amount of water will create devastation to the scale much bigger than of man made 2013 damage. It will not only shake and ruin the entire Garhwal but also the great plains of North.

Gangotri the great land of penance, the center of spirituality, the land of unmatched beauty and blessings, that is surrounded by most divine and sacred peaks of Himalayas, the DevBhumi where holiest of holy Ganga originates, where vibrations are so strong that you can get to meditative state in no time, where great sages made their ashram from time immemorial, and which quenches the spiritual and physical thirst of millions, is synonymous with purity, and where there is purity there is Shiv and only that is true and beautiful, and Shiv is always inseparable with prakriti, and prakriti is Parvati.

So can we afford the abuse of nature ? Or can we survive after it ?

Time to think and think quickly...

I don't have many social contact, as I am a kind aloof but am trying to spread this, and you are also welcome to spread it, as we don't really have much time left.

|| ॐ नमः शिवाय ||