A Rejuvenating Hike to Bijli Mahadev
A student’s worst nightmare is waking up early in the morning, all the more for the college students. But when you see these faces awake even before daybreak, it’s a promise for an entire amazing day that awaits. Fortyfour enthusiasts packed in a bus and a van left for Bijli Mahadev, Kullu, at half past five from the campus. As the sun rose so did our spirits, with some music in the backdrop. Kullu is a beautiful valley through which the river Beas flows. Surely a mesmerizing view as are minds too flowed like a river.
We stopped for a quick breakfast and had some paranthas that were packed by our mess staff. After a four and a half hour journey we reached the starting point of our hike, Kharal. A 3 km long moderately steep, what seemed to be a never-ending flight of stairs, awaited us. That’s when you realise the best part of hiking in a group. Being a large group, there were many people who lagged behind but even more people who patiently waited and encouraged their counterparts to hike their way through the stone steps.
The narrow stairs covered by deodar trees all along, opened to a gorgeous pasture land where we witnessed a lot of cows, dogs and horses in bliss of their surroundings. Looking at the animals roaming around and drinking water from ponds, one could feel a certain sense of calm which was lost in the hectic schedule of our course-works. As we were reaching nearer to the temple, the trees transitioned into grasslands. Lo behold! Under the blue sky over the green pastures rested the divine power.
It is said that the 60 feet tall staff in front of the temple, attracts the divine blessings of Lord Shiva in the form of lightning. The lightning strikes the butter covered Shiv Linga, through the staff, once in 12 years. This phenomenon occurs during winters when everyone has come down the hill. On the occurrence of this phenomenon the family of the temple’s priest experiences some paranormal activities. Either a young or an old member of the family starts producing an uncontrollable humming sound. Acting upon this indication, the priest goes uphill and fixes the crack with some fresh butter.
The Bijli Mahadev temple, made of wood and stones, is among the ancient temples in India. At the entrance, one is greeted by the beautiful intricate wood carvings showing men, women and even children worshipping Mahadev. Also known as Pashupati, ‘Lord of Animals’, the beautifully engraved birds and animals very well depicts his love for the wild. Right across the Shiv Linga stands Nandi, the bull, carved out of a single stone who willingly sends all our prayers to the Lord.
The serenity of the place was enhanced by the picturesque views, one saw of Kullu and Parvati valleys. The soothing aura of the place was such that it made us lay flat back on the lush greens; relish the fluffy sky and absorb the calmness that nature had for us. The place also had many sweet apple trees and the locals were kind enough to share them with us. After some exploring, lazing around and a lot of photo sessions it was time to head back to the vehicles. The journey down the flight was comparatively easier and faster than the uphill.
Amassing the experiences of our short hike we headed our way back to college. A lot of music kept us awake even in our tired state. We were held up for about two hours in Kullu as one of the bridges had lost its plate. Thankfully time flew by as we sat beside the beautiful Beas river, now at its mightiest, with a drizzle and a game of Antakshari. What followed was a memorable journey with lots of music and singing, where the energy never dropped till we reached our college at half past ten.
This trek was organized by Hiking and Trekking Club IIT Mandi, an adventure sports club that organizes treks and hikes for students of IIT Mandi, you can follow us on Facebook ,Instagram and Youtube.
Picture courtesy :Parimal Kumar, Mahipal Kulariya and Shailendra Kumar Singh
Editing Credit : Tushar Tyagi
Content Writer : Neha Aswal
Trails for the Bijali Mahadev Trek: Trail was recorded while climbing up
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