Where is Mana Village and why and how did I travel with a stranger?
Mana village is enroute to Badrinath, and geographically it is the first village of India. Now, why did I travel with a stranger? Let’s find out
DISCLAIMER: I had planned my itinerary months back, with just a little prayer, that on 27th August, I wanted to visit Badrinath and also Ganesh Gufa in Mana Gaon. This year, 2025, Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated on 27th August and all I wished was to bow my head in the temple of Ganesh Gufa. And guess what? Ganesha listened. My prayer turned into reality.
I reached the Mana Village taxi stand by 2 pm. I had already bargained with one of the drivers, but with no options left, I felt restless. Now, I couldn’t sit around any longer and left with two choices. Either I should start walking on my own or, anyhow, find another way to get there. Just then, I noticed a man who was also trying to figure out an option to reach Mana. I saw he was already bargaining with someone for a scooty. Out of curiosity, I steeped in and asked, ‘Do you give your scooty on rent?’ The man nodded and said yes. But it was of no use, as he insisted he would give his scooty on rent separately to both of us and charge 500 rupees each.
I was confused, standing there and trying to understand what kind of deal it was. Sooner, I realised that it was nothing but a short scam. Yes, there are people who take advantage of your uncertain situation. I told him straight, “No one will take your scooty on rent if you try to cheat people like this.”
Huh! After the heated argument, I moved on and decided to let it go. I started walking, convincing myself that even if I had to walk to reach Mana on foot, I’d manage. Just a few steps later, the man walking along with me suddenly shouted, “Madam, come this way!” I turned back and to my surprise, he had found someone who was ready to lend us his bike for just ₹200. And the best part was we both could go together at the same time. In that moment, I felt like God had sent someone to help us. The person only asked for an ID, so I quickly provided my Aadhar card. By 2:10 pm, we left and within minutes we were on our way. The sun was high above us but the cool mountain breeze kept me refreshed.
On the way to Mana Village, the mighty Alaknanda was flowing gracefully on my left, and on my right stood the tall mountains adorned with cascading waterfalls. And after we finally reached Mana, a grand gateway appeared, welcoming us into India’s first village. As I entered through the village gate, the charm of Mana welcomed me right away. A few metres walk, I found small shops lined up on both sides selling colourful winter clothes and woollens, just like the ones in Badrinath. There were tiny stalls and restaurants serving Maggi, noodles, dosa, and pakoras. Perfect snack bite while enjoying mountains.
Note: The people of Mana Village are not the permanent residents here. When the harsh winter arrives with heavy snowfall, life in the himalayan villages becomes nearly impossible. That’s when villagers pack up everything and migrate to the lower towns like Humuman Chatti and Pandukeshwar. In these towns the climate is milder and survival is easier. This feels like the entire village goes into hibernation and waits for the spring season to breathe back.
The walk ahead was a little steep but not so tiring. But with small pauses, I managed and it was like the village wanted me to slow down with every detail. After a few metres’ walk, the road split into two. In the middle, a board from the State Bank of India stood, pointing the way with clear instructions. To the right lay Ganesh Gufa and Vyas Gufa, while to the left were Bheem Pul, Saraswathi Dham and Keshav Prayag. It felt like the village itself had offered me two paths of stories and legends to explore. We started our walk to the right, crossing by the stalls until we finally reached Ganesh Gufa. My heart was full of joy, as this was the very place I had prayed to be on this exact date, which was 27th August, the day of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Note: Whenever you are planning to visit, here’s a little tip. Do remember to start with the right path first. It does have a slight climb, but once you complete visiting Vyas Gufa, there is a shortcut that will lead you straight near Bheem Pool.
If you choose the left path first, be prepared for a much steeper climb later. This becomes a little more exhausting. So trust me, take the right side first… You can thank me later for this advice.
It felt like Lord Ganesha himself had listened to my prayer. According to legends, it was at this place where Ganesha penned down the eighteenth adhyaya of the Mahabharata as Vyas dictated. The place gave me goosebumps while standing there. I immediately called my mother just to tell her, “I’m fine…. And I’m at Ganesh Gufa.” I climbed the stairs, reached the cave temple and sat for some time. There was already a small crowd gathered inside, where people were offering prayer and some rituals. I prayed there, offered haldi with flowers and did my prakrima. I sat again quietly for a while soaking in the divinity of the place. The space was small and intimate near the temple, so one can’t linger too long. Before leaving pandit jee called me and gave me prasad with a warm smile.
After all this time, the stranger who had been with me stood silently nearby. And finally I asked his name; he looked at me and said softly, “Prabhat”. After we left the Ganesh Gufa, the walk towards the Vyas Gufa turned a little steeper, demanding a few more pauses and deeper breaths. On the way, we met an old couple making their climb slow and steady. The grandma would pause at every few steps to rest, while the grandpa waited patiently ahead, encouraging her to keep going. I also stood up at one such stop, catching my breath beside her. She looked at me and asked, “Where have you come from?” When I told her I was travelling solo, her eyes widened with surprise. Then, she laughed and said, “I’ve never travelled alone in my entire life.”
She said that before marriage, she had visited Banaras once with her parents and after marriage, she has only ever travelled with her husband. She was around 70 years old, but her voice was full of warmth and wisdom. In that moment, her words deeply touched and struck in my mind. I felt an overwhelming mix of gratitude and pride. I was proud of myself for travelling solo and grateful to my parents also that they trusted and supported me to do so. Talking, laughing, sharing a little conversation, and encouraging each other along the way, we finally all managed to reach the Vyas Gufa. The first thing that caught my eye was a small tea shop, right at the entrance of the Vyas Gufa. This gave me the instant feeling of comfort after the steep climb.
I immediately stepped inside the gate, finding a spot just outside the gufa to sit and soak in the atmosphere. The space here was slightly bigger than the Ganesh Gufa, which allowed more people to sit and rest. Some people were praying quietly inside and the others were resting outside the gufa. Inside the gufa, the pandit jee was narrating the story behind the cave. How Ved Vyas composed parts of the Mahabharata here with Lord Ganesha as his scribe. After about five minutes, a new group of people was called in to hear the same story, and I joined them again. I sat near the entrance and listened intently to the story. The echo of the tale within those stone walls with the mixed sound of the mountain breeze made the moment feel timeless.
I prayed silently and felt grateful and not just for being there but for learning something deeper out of history, right where it was once written.
The famous celebrities visit
Note: Photography was not allowed inside the gufa, so I couldn’t capture any pictures myself. However, inside, there’s an idol or rather a life-size statue, of Ved Vyas. This idol is positioned as sitting in deep meditation as if it’s still composing the verse of the Mahabharata.
(Later, I searched online and found an image, so I’ve shared it below with credits.)
I clicked a few pictures, and you know what? There were two dogs just sitting calmly right in front of the gate. It looked like the dogs were guarding the place. Nearby, a pandit jee was sharing stories about the ongoing development of the Mana Village. We talked a little, and then I just walked out of the temple premises. Just outside, it was the famous “First Tea Shop of India”. Of course I had to step in! The wall was covered with the photos of celebrities who had visited, even Rajnikanth. The little shop was selling tea, coffee, maggi, biscuits, and some chips. After clicking a few more pictures, I started walking downhill. We took a shortcut which led straight towards Bheempul. About 500 metres before reaching, the sound of a roaring waterfall echoed through the valley.
As we came close, I saw a small white stone temple and the golden statues of the Panch Pandavas with the backdrop of the mountains. We finally reached the place and were really mesmerised by the breathtaking sight. From there, we could see the Saraswati river, the legendary Bheem Pul, the path leading to Swargrohan Marg, and even the trail towards Vasudhara waterfall. There was a newly built white marble temple dedicated to Devi Saraswati, which stood gracefully nearby. We walked a little further and our eyes caught the massive golden statues of the Pandavas, Draupadi and the dog. They stood really tall and majestic, made of cement and lime, painted entirely in gold. When the sunlight fell on them, the statues gleamed against the rocky mountain.
The place was full of buzzed energy. People were scattered around clicking pictures, recording videos and soaking in the divine aura. Towards the end of the place, there was a small local eatery serving parathas, Maggi, chai, coffee, rice and Garhwali thali. We stopped there for some time, took a little rest, and clicked some beautiful pictures. Just then, a group of people returned from Vasudhara Waterfall. Their face showed the excitement and shared their stories and experience. I wanted to click a few solo pictures, but the crowd was just not letting me! Everyone was busy taking their sweet time posing and finally, after waiting, I managed to get my turn. I seriously got annoyed, even then, a few people photobombed my shots. But, well, it’s a part of travel charm, isn’t it?
After completing the photo session, again we started walking back, crossing the golden statues and the Saraswati River. As we re-entered the village, the same tiny shops showed up again. One sweet woman kept insisting that we buy something and she might have asked almost two or three times. But as I had them already, I gave her a warm smile and told her I already had those. Soon, we reached the point where the road was previously divided. The spot where I had taken the right turn first and trust me, that was the best decision. From there it was just a five-minute walk downhill to the entrance from where we all started. We finally reached back and hopped on our parked bike. We rode back towards the Mana Taxi stand, clicking some beautiful pictures on the way.
I couldn’t resist capturing those last glimpses of the mountains on the way back. My heart was full, mind calm and finally a day’s adventure beautifully wrapped up. After about a five-minute drive, we reached the little shop from where we rented the bike. I quickly thanked them and ordered a chai with a plate of maggi which is one of the best mountain combos. Prabhat had to head back to his hotel, so we said our goodbyes there. I sat quietly, sipping my hot chai and enjoying every bite of Maggi. The sun was slowly dipping behind the peaks and the beautiful sunset gave me the best memory. By then, it was already 4:30 pm.
After paying the bill and exchanging the last smiles with the shopkeeper, I started my walk back towards the Badrinath Taxi Stand. I was walking a little slow, enjoying the cool mountain breeze against my face. Finally, I soaked in the views, the quiet streets and the peace of the day. I finally reached the stand and then…
Curious to know what happened next? Read more: Day 2 – Exploring Govind Ghat, Badrinath, and Mana Village.
Photo Credits : Nabamita Choudhury
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