We visited Kedarnath and Badrinath about a week back with IRCTC. Kedarnath is a difficult climb especially for two women both above 60 yrs. There were 3 other couples in the group all above 60. We were very fortunate that we encountered minimal rough weather and everything proceeded smoothly by the Grace of Mahadev and BadriVishal. We heard about a landslide the day we returned to Hardwar and heard on the news that pilgrims were stranded on the road due to government restrictions due to non-stop rain. So yes, we were lucky.
Going by the feedback from the internet and friends’ experience, we took a packaged tour from IRCTC - do Dham yatra. For those of you traveling on your own, that is the best. But for those of us who had to have a tour operator, please DO NOT USE IRCTC. NEVER. EVER.
The whole tour was conducted with the help of one driver, whose rash driving and run-down vehicle - the least said the better. Before the tour, I had contacted the tour manager regarding the tour details, asking about palki charges, about available guides on our trek to Kedarnath. Every, every information provided by Mr. Jitendra Tomar, the tour manager was incorrect. The tour manager has no idea of the ground reality of the tours he is conducting.
The driver dropped us off at Sonprayag and that was the last we saw of him. Once we started our ascent, it was completely on us, no guide, no medical help, no emergency help. We arrived at the temple 8 pm, tired, cold, drizzling and dark. No guide to take us to the dormitory where we were booked for the night. Had it not been for the kind and compassionate pithuwallas who accompanied us right to the dormitory door, we would have been completely stranded.
IRCTC charges a substantial amount and we were literally put up in a basti bed for a dormitory - no hot water, no western system, itchy blankets, filthy rooms. Manager stays put in Delhi and is quite appalled that the dormitory could be such pathetic.
With two sleepless night and no food, I thought that it would be impossible to get darshan the next day. Physically, my body was not taking it. But Baba brought us this far and so he arranged for our darshan too.
Next morning at 5 am, miraculously, we were guided to the garbhagriha within 1 hour of our entry into the temple premises. Normally, it is a 4 hour long wait just to enter the temple. It was immensely congested but that is to be expected. We could offer to Mahadev. To make a long story short, darshan was Mahadev’s Grace.
After puja, we had breakfast not very far from the temple. I asked about dormitory rates. Place looked clean and rates were very reasonable. So IRCTC tell me why do we get a BASTI after a long haul throughout the day?
On the descent from Kedarnath, we had to walk literally from Gaurikund to Sitapur parking lot where our driver was waiting. He would not budge and pick us up from Sonprayag. Sonprayag to Sitapur is at least a 1.5km stretch.
Back to my feedback on IRCTC hotel and accommodation. With a few exceptions in Hardwar and Badrinath, hotels were resort type in remote locations with frequently power cuts and make-shift bathrooms. Driver could have been transporting vegetables instead of human. I got sick at the end of the tour and requested that I be driven straight to Hardwar without stopping at Rishikesh. Tour manager would do nothing even when I told him I was running 102 degrees.
So IRCTC BEWARE!
- Thank You! We appreciate your effort.
