My Third Call to Kedarnath Temple — A Journey I Was Never Ready For, Yet Always Meant To Take
My Long Road to Kedarnath: A Journey That Took Three Years to Begin
My Kedarnath Trek 2024 was the most emotional and challenging solo journey of my life.
Kedarnath was never a place I grew up dreaming about.
This entire journey became my true Kedarnath trek experience — something I didn’t plan, but life kept pulling me toward again and again.
It wasn’t on my bucket list, or a goal I planned for months.
It simply appeared in my mind—softly, suddenly, like a whisper—during my long ride across India in 2021.
I remember that moment clearly.
I was somewhere between highways and unknown roads, travelling from Goa through the west coast and then all the way north. As I crossed city after city—Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal, Leh—the thought came:
“If I can reach this far… maybe I can go to Kedarnath.”
But life isn’t always a straight road.
That time, I couldn’t make it.
I returned all the way to Karur, completing a loop through central India, carrying with me a small disappointment and an unfinished dream.
Second Attempt: 2022 — Close, But Not My Time Yet
In March 2022, I tried again.
I rode to Varanasi—without much planning, without much expectation. Just a feeling.
From Varanasi, the thought returned again:
This time, maybe Kedarnath will happen.
But destiny tested me again.
I rode all the way until just before Sonprayag… and something pushed me back.
Maybe fear.
Maybe uncertainty.
Maybe it simply wasn’t my time yet.
Two attempts.
Two failures.
Yet, Kedarnath never left my mind.
2024: The Year Life Dragged Me Back Toward the Mountains
Life pulled me back into chaos, into cities, into noise.
And one day I felt the urge again — to escape. To ride. To find clarity.
So I began another long journey, once again without a fixed plan.
The idea of Kedarnath trek came… and I almost rejected it instantly.
I heard there were massive crowds.
I felt I couldn’t do it.
So I dropped the plan and stayed in Mussoorie nearly a month — confused, lost, unsure what to do next.
Every traveller around me left one by one, continuing their journeys.
I remained… alone.
Those two days of pure loneliness in the property broke me and healed me at the same time.
And suddenly, without warning, something shifted:
“Let’s do Char Dham.”
That was the spark.
The Call Becomes Real — 21 June 2024
Watch my Kedarnath journey · Both parts
Two attempts had brought me close. This was the journey that finally took me to Kedarnath. Watch the Tamil travel films in order, then continue the story below.
Part 1 · Kedarnath
Watch Kedarnath Part 1 on YouTube · 28:03. Use this link if the player does not load.
Part 2 · Kedarnath
From here, the story returns to the days that led me to the trail.
On 21st June 2024, I started my Char Dham journey with Yamunotri.
(That story will come in another blog.)
After Yamunotri and Gangotri, the date finally came.
26 June 2024 — The day I reached Rampur, near Sonprayag.
I stayed there for the night, restless, nervous, excited like a child waiting to meet someone important the next day.
The Trek to Kedarnath — My First Real Test
The next morning, I left for Gaurikund and began the trek.
The sky was cloudy.
The path was crowded.
People on horses kept passing by.
And rain arrived, as if it came along to accompany me.
This wasn’t a simple trek.
This wasn’t like the movies.
This wasn’t like the “Kedarnath” film where everything looks dramatic but beautiful.
This was raw.
This was brutal.
This was spiritual.
The path was slippery.
The climb was steep.
The cold hit hard.
And the tiredness felt endless.
I kept telling myself:
If you can’t run, walk.
If you can’t walk, take 10 steps.
If 10 steps feel impossible, take 2.
But don’t stop.
Do not go back this time.
This mantra kept me alive on that 16 km climb.
Hours passed.
Rain came and went.
People encouraged each other.
I met some Tamil travellers along the way, but something inside me said:
“This journey… I need to do alone.”
And I did.
10 PM — Reaching Base Camp
By the time I reached the base camp, it was 10 PM.
Dark.
Cold.
Silent.
Some people I met along the way helped me find a tent.
I was exhausted, fully drenched, yet completely peaceful.
I looked at my face in the video clips I managed to record — tired, breathless, but with a strange calmness.
I wanted to vlog the whole trek…
But honestly, even breathing felt like hard work that day.
So my video shows the struggle more through my face than my words.
If you watch it, you’ll understand the emotion I couldn’t say out loud.
This was the third attempt.
This time, I didn’t fail.
Because this time… Kedarnath had called me.
And I answered.
A glimpse of Kedarnath · Part 2
A short companion to the longer story: my Kedarnath Part 2 mini vlog. Both full-length Tamil films remain earlier in this article.
Watch with sound on Instagram. If the embedded reel does not appear, open the original reel. The footage is from my past journey.
What the camera also remembers
Reaching Kedarnath was something I had imagined for a long time. In Part 2, I speak about finally seeing in person a scene that had stayed in my mind. I admired the place, but I also felt uncomfortable with the crowds. Both were part of the experience.
The return was not an effortless ending after darshan. I spoke about being tired, in pain and a little scared. At times, walking took so much effort that filming was difficult. Later, I described being alone in the dark and rain. Those moments belong in this journey too—not only the beautiful temple view.
Near the end of the film, I was still asking for help with transport. My final thank-you and words about getting through the difficulties belong alongside the joy of reaching Kedarnath.
From my Part 2 narration: the long-imagined scene · 9:25 · the difficult return · 17:50 · darkness and rain · 21:18 · finding transport · 27:41.
This is my personal travel memory, not advice to walk alone after dark or continue through unsafe weather. Rest, seek local guidance and leave room to change your plan.
The 2024 Kedarnath avalanche was a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful the Himalayan weather can be, and it made me even more aware of how fragile every step on the trail felt. You can read more about it here:
https://share.google/wBM2sUNvRXJ0huhrF: My Third Call to Kedarnath Temple — A Journey I Was Never Ready For, Yet Always Meant To Take
1 comment