Note on Transliteration This book contains words, phrases, and passages that are translated from Hindi, Sanskrit, and occasionally Garhwali. In English-language scholarship on South Asia there is no universally agreed-upon system of transliteration and translation for this particular multilingual translation situation. I have therefore made a set of choices that both keep the work accessible to readers without a background in South Asian languages and at the same time provide linguistically inclined readers with a bit more information where it is especially relevant. In the text itself I eschew diacritics and instead render the word in plain roman transliteration in a way that most closely approximates its pronunciation and indicates the specific language being used: for example, “They are writing” (Hindi: Ve likh rahe hain). If a specific word or proper name already has a known and common convention of use in English, such as Shiva or linga or Ramayana, then I use that spelling. On occasion I will add an English plural suffix to a Hindi or Sanskrit word (e.g., Hindi: yatri, meaning “pilgrim/traveler” would become yatris after the English plural suffix “s” has been added). For transliterated words that exist in more than one language I adjust the default language of reference between Sanskrit and Hindi (e.g., Mahabharata as opposed to Hindi: Mahabharat) according to my own judgment of what best serves the multiple audiences of this work. Bibliographic information will, where appropriate, be given with diacritics. Where they are particularly relevant I provide transliterations of longer passages in Hindi and in Sanskrit in the endnotes in which diacritics are employed. Unless otherwise mentioned, all translations are my own. xiii Himachal Pradesh Uttarakhand (INDIA) Tibet INDIA (CHINA) Yamunotri Gangotri r e er iv iv R R i na th u agira r h e Kedarnath Badrinath m B v a i Hemkunt Sahib R Y i n Gaurikund i Madmaheshwar n k a Fata o d i Kalpeshwar n n a Guptkashi g o M e Rudranath i Ukhimath g Tungnath R e a l a) Dehra Dun a R n Gopeshwar di a R w y da iv er h n (In r an r o a Alakn Rudraprayag a a H G um Riv Srinagar ges e K n r a G Rishikesh Haridwar U t t a r a k h a n d (INDIA) Ko River s i Uttar NEPAL Pradesh (INDIA) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Kilometers Map 1: Uttarakhand. Courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Geographic Systems Information Center. S r a e v r i North Central a N R s i w th a a UTTARAKHAND t r i i R g i a v h e r 9 B r Chorabari Taal ve i Kedarnath R Vasuki Taal Badrinath a Bhukund Bhairavnath Shrine n A g Hemkunt Sahib Linchauli l n a a l Rambara k i h n a B Gaurikund n d Madmaheshwar a Sonprayag M R a i n v d a e k r r ini Kalimath e Phata iv D R i h l a u u a l h Kalpeshwar i Guptkashi g D Ukhimath a r Rudranath ng e er a v v R i Lamgaundi Tungnath i iver R R a a n d n ilang r a h e n B iv Gopeshwar Alak R ni ki da n a M Alaknand Nand a R a iver ki ni R r River Rudraprayag ive nda na Alak Alaknanda & Mandakini Srinagar River Area UTTARAKHAND 0 10 20 30 40 Kilometers Map 2: Uttarakhand North Central Region. Courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Geographic Information Systems Center. KEDARNATH Kedarnath UTTARAKHAND Kedarnath Temple ( u n n a m ed ) M g la c a i n e r d s t a r k e a i n m i R i v e r meters Bhukund 0 40 80 120 Bhairavnath Shrine 20 60 100 Map 3: City of Kedarnath. Courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Geographic Information Systems Center. .