Nightout at Navnath Datar

The long awaited night trip on the full moon night to one of the most serene and wild place in Girnar forest(Junagadh, Gujarat) was finally accomplished on 30th November. The place is named "Navnath Dhuno" (Dhuno means a fire place of saints; Navnath means nine naths that are the main saints of the Nath religious sect. Guru Gorakhnath is one of the Nath). It is situated on the Datar Hills of Girnar Forest. Me and my friends started the journey at 10 PM. Our rucksacks contained water, some snacks, flashlights and blankets ( since it is winter and we are going on a Hilltop). The coolness of winter nights didn't made us tire. Gradually we reached a place of archeological importance, a stepwell made by the Nawab of Junagadh. Gradually as we were about to reach the upper datar place, we were mesmerized by the chorus calls of the Indian Scops Owl. Upon searching we found a beautiful female owl perched on a tree branch. Then a few steps hike led us to the Upla Datar place, where there was a pindrop silence due to night time. Without wasting much time, we took the trail to Navnath, which is approximately a 2 kilometer trek through a tiny trail full of rocks. The flashlight carried by us was of no use since the beaver moon was in full bloom. We could  see everything clearly without any torch. Then came the hard part of the trek, the steep decline full of rocks. A small mistake here could get you into the valley. But the full moon light didn't made us make a mistake. Finally we reached the Navnath Dhuno, and in front of us was the mighty Girnar mountain in its full bloom. I could spend hours watching Girnar. I have done this since my teenage. Girnar is like a God to me and the residents of Saurashtra. That's why whenever u climb Girnar, a stranger will also say 'Jai Girnari' to you. Girnar is the land of saints and is considered to be the grandfather of The Himalayas. The lights from the foothills to the Guru Dattatrey could be easily seen. All the 7 peaks of Girnar can be seen from here. Jain Derasar, Ambaji, Gorakhnath, Oghad, Dattatrey, Ansuya and Mahakali are the 7 peaks of Girnar, Gorakhnath being the highest peak of Gujarat State with an elevation of 1117 meters. The sunrise view seen from here is completely unforgettable moment.

On reaching our destination, we had some snacks and then enjoyed the utter peace of the place. On reaching our destination, we had some snacks and then enjoyed the utter peace of the place. At around 3.30 AM, we took our blankets due to the gushing winds blowing and tried to sleep. But the excitement to utilise each and every moment didn't let us sleep. Finally, the moment we waited for arrived. The sunrise from back of Girnar left us spellbound. We photographed the sunrise and the location. After few minutes, we spotted a Indian Vulture on the cliffs. Soon, a pair of Shaheen Falcon spellbound us by its majestic speed.

Now it was time to move back home. The sun was up by now and we could feel the heat. So we rushed back to Upla Datar where we had some snacks ( Food is available at Datar from morning to evening free of cost). Datar is though a muslim pilgrimage, lots of Hindus also visit the place. Then we descended the hill and returned back to home.