Scenes from the Trail: Kumaon Trip VI: Around the Baijnath Temple

This is one of a series of posts describing short strolls/hikes from a trip of Kumaon undertaken with my family during December 2012. While sightseeing was an important aspect of this trip, it had added significance since I have family roots in this Himalayan region (indeed, both my parents were born and brought up here). I myself was born and brought up in the middle of the Indo-Gangetic plain (and visited limited parts of Kumaon only a few times), but almost all the family stories I heard as a child were rooted in that area. Interestingly, I myself acquired a love for the hills while living halfway across the world, when I moved to the NYC area for work, and became a (day) hiking enthusiast. This trip was an opportunity to both visit the places I had often heard about as well as acquire at least a passing acquaintance with a part of the mighty Himalayas that span the northern frontiers of India. Some hiccups at the start of the trip required us to modify our plans to omit long walks from our itinerary, but there were still enough opportunities to experience and visually document the natural beauty of the area, as well as some of the worrisome signs of its spoilage.

Date: December 12, 2012

Location: Garur, Uttarakhand, India

Description: The Baijnath group of temples is located along the banks of the river Gomti near the town of Garur in the Bageshwar valley. Built by the Katyuri kings of Kumaon between the 9th and 12th centuries A.D., they conform to the general miniature style found in several hill temples of that time. The temples are of archaeological interest and the complex is also most fortunately located at a point where the river Gomti makes a picturesque turn. We visited them during a day excursion from Kausani to Bageshwar and back.

It is unfortunate, however, that the complex is not adequately maintained. This is of course not entirely a surprise in India given that the Archaeological Survey of India is severely cash-strapped. What caused further dismay was that the surroundings of this important site had also been neglected. The slopes on the opposite bank of the river (visible from the temple) were strewn with trash (litter was actually a very general and worrisome problem we noticed throughout this trip). The approach path to the temple also lacked adequate repair. Furthermore, instead of having a buffer zone around the temple complex (to impart greater protection to the ancient temple structures as well as for aesthetic value) there was habitation right next to it. A short distance away, the congested bazaar of Garur showed a similar lack of cleanliness and aesthetics.

My own disappointment was mirrored in the following lines from Bill Aitken's Footloose in the Himalayas that I happened to read a couple of weeks after our visit:

"Kausani's overgrown tea terraces overlook one of the loveliest valleys in the Himalayas. At its centre lies the superb cluster of temples of Baijnath that once marked a capital of the early medieval Katyur dynasty. With the coming of the motor road the nondescript bazaar of Garur arose to become the town's focal point, its tumbledown shacks mocking the dignity of the temples' deserted stones. These two contrasting clusters are a commentary on how the hill culture of Uttarakhand, which flourished in great style a thousand years ago, has lost its inspiration."

I do believe that it should be possible to address the growing needs of the local townsfolk while maintaining the natural beauty and ecological balance of the region. Indeed, with some effort and care, Baijnath and surrounding areas could be promoted as a major destination showcasing Kumaoni history and natural beauty (KMVN...are you listening?) and this would also contribute to the local economy. But it would require a bit more than just a couple of signs reading "Hamari Virasat Hamara Gaurav".