Vasudhara: The Mystic Falls

This is a trek which I undertook last year. The trek falls under the simple category and can be completed in half a day. I visit Badrinath every four years due to religious reasons. I had always heard about this place but never been there. This time I decided to go for it. Vasudhara Falls is a waterfall situated near Badrinath, in Uttarakhand, India. Total distance from Badrinath to Vasudhara is 9 km. The first 3 kilometers of badrinath to mana village is drivable road. Next 6 km is walkable trek from Mana village to Vasudhara waterfall. However I travelled from Badrinath itself on foot. Being the local of that area I am familiar with the language and people. Because of which the trek took me 15 Km. However I enjoyed the fullest.

I took the back road from Badrinath to reach Vyas Guda. The priest over there knew my father and grand father really well, hence we received a very warm welcome. We had tea at the shop named "Bharat ki akhri chai ki dukan". And its literally the last shop hence pack some water and food for the trek.

From there we proceeded towards Bheem Pul. This is a stone bridge which according to the scriptures was created by Bhima in order to help Pandavas cross the mighty Saraswati river. On the way you can actually see the Saraswati river merging into Alaknanda and disappearing all together. A contrast in the waters of the two rivers is clearly visible. Bheem Pul also has some shops near by for refreshments post which you will not find anything.

From here we proceeded towards Vasudhara. It's a mountainous terrain hence trekking shoes are highly recommended. The view during the trek is ecstatic. The entire mountain range seems to come alive. Sometimes its misty, sometimes its sunny. The nature plays these little games to make the experience all the more beautiful. My cousin being a student of Ayurveda kept on telling me about the various medicinal plants which could be seen on the way.

We had to cross two glaciers in order to reach Vasudhara. Crossing the glacier in trekking shoes was a fearful experience. The trek does leave you tired towards the end and you keep on wondering when will I see the falls. But just like all good things take their own sweet time to happen, you will be mesmerized by the beauty of the falls. The falls had a thick glacier beneath it which prevented us from going nearer but what we saw was breathtaking. Vasudhara falls from a height if 145 meters but the strong winds and low temperatures cause the water to fall down as droplets. There is a interesting legend about the waterfall which says that if you are not pure at heart, the water will not fall on you. After a good view and a lot of pictures, we returned back to Badrinath. The enchanting falls still make us smile when we think about their beauty.