Photographs from a trip to Badrinath, one of the sacred Ganges sources and a major place of pilgrimage. The journey to Badrinath was adventurous, the rainy season was over but the road conditions dangerous, lots of landslides along the road, demolished cars and endless waiting while a bulldozers cleared the path. It is often said that a death in the river Ganges during a Yatra (pilgrimage) to its sources gives extraordinary merit and provides instant access to nirvana. I was not reassured by these statements. The modern culture has made the pilgrims lazy. The original Char Dum Yatra pilgrimage to all four sacred sources, are now comfortable done by jeep or bus. A few do it consistently as originally intended. Himalaya has green coniferous forests on the southern slopes and peaks up to 3000 m. Farther inward the massif becomes steeper, more dramatic, shooting up into the sky to 7000-8000 m, with perpetual snow and tundra. In post-monsoon I got to see glimpses of the peaks shining through the clouds. The clouds rolled through the valleys up the slopes, a constant spectacle.
Davey Hammarsten
Davey Hammarsten
