@ashwinrajt is hosting this wonderful contest where Steemit travelers are sharing their stories. I too thought to give it a try
Shikari Temple is a famous shrine in my hometown and because this temple is located at a height of 10650 ft, it receives ample snow in winters. The winters in India seem to have dried up permanently this year and there's not much rain or snow in hilly states. Though the situation was entirely different when we had gone to Shikari Temple on 19.11.2017.
Little did we know that the valley wouldn't see snowfall for two months. It recently snowed around 23-24 January 2018, which was delayed but welcome nonetheless.
The word Shikari is a Hindi word for Hunter and the Goddess is believed to be the protector of hunters. These days the practice of hunting is abolished by law yet the Goddess is revered in the entire state. One has to walk through an intimidating temple that involves climbing approximately 500 stairs so going here all by yourself in winters could be a risky affair.
Start of the Trek
We were not expecting it to be a snowy day and even AccuWeather predicted otherwise. Though by the time we reached atop the temple, we were completely immersed in white powder that was falling incessantly from the sky. We were fortunate to have the company of local policemen who were on their way to establish a security check-post for winters.
The temple is built without a rood and there are idols of Gods and Goddesses placed inside. By the time we reached there, it was bloody windy and one couldn't really stand at the top for more than five minutes. I fell down twice because the snow had hardened on the floor and while I was nursing my fresh wounds, it started snowing again.
The Roofless Shrine of Shikari Devi
White Out
A Bloody Windy Affair
And when it snows at the top, it pours like anything on the road that leads to the temple. The road is still under construction and that makes it a risky affair for all the water flowing down takes the same route which we were supposed to take on our back.
Remember those 500 stairs that we had just climbed on our way up. Now we were to descend those stairs and going against gravity on solid ice is a risky affair. So while climbing up took not more than 30 minutes, going down took us more than an hour.
The policemen were kind enough to wait for us.
If you're planning a visit to mountains in snowy conditions, make sure you always carry the following items:
- Sunglasses
- Water Bottle
- Gloves
- A small bag/pack to bring back all the plastic that you intend to use on the trail.
P.S. I am not a slefie guy, so I haven't posted any selfie here as required by @aswinrajit. Though all images are clicked by me and some of them are posted on my Instagram and Facebook Page.