What to expect from your first night on the ghats - arrival timings, temple etiquette, and how an ashram stay differs from a hotel.

Bells, bhajans, a swept courtyard and a simple breakfast - an hour-by-hour look at a normal morning inside an ashram.

Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath - when the gates open, how long to allow, and where to break the journey.

No onion, no garlic, nothing fried in a hurry. A short guide to the thinking behind pure-veg ashram meals.

The lamps go up at dusk and the steps fill quickly. Practical notes on timing, seating and photography.

The unglamorous details that make a pilgrimage easier - connectivity, cash, laundry and what not to bring.