Protect Our Porters: the Indian Initiative

The Tented Post at Bhujbas,Gangotri

Bhujbas shelter and medical post is now open!

Hi friends, Namaste!!!

I am truly glad to share with you all that the Bhujbas Porter Shelter is now open and operational! The picture above shows the big mess tent dedicated for the porters’ night shelter. We can now accommodate 20 porters and provide them blanket for the night. It’s a dream come true! We are running a free medial post from the same camp as well!

We have received tremendous support and encouragement from the porter community of Gangotri and Uttarkashi and the free medical post has been particularly busy! As I write this email to you, two of our veteran mountaineers are volunteering at the Bhujbas post. I am thankful to Rabin Banerjee and Banabhushan Nayak for traveling all the way to Bhujbas and taking charge of the works at Bhujbas. Without them this project would still remain a dream. Thanks and gratitude also goes to Dr. Jim Duff & the IPPG for all the support.

This has been a humble beginning. But I now know where we actually stand in terms of running this shelter successfully in future. We are in constant need for more medicines and of course, the presence of a doctor.

The Bhujbas shelter will need volunteers, especially doctors in the coming days. I will share further details of the shelter after the first season in October with an e-newsletter. Please do not hesitate to send us your guidance and advice.

Cheers! Raja

News, Views, & Comments

The free medical post at Bhujbas

veteran mountain lover Rabin now is busy treating porters at Bhujbas

About the project:. Located at the gateway of the famous Gangotri Glacier complex, Bhujbas is the perfect place for a Porter Shelter. Every year, apart from hundreds of trekking and mountaineering teams going in to the Gangotri glacier complex; thousands of pilgrims pass by Bhujbas on their way to the Gomukh (the snout of Gangotri glacier, the source of the holy river Ganga). After a carrying up a mountain of load from Gangotri, or after a tricky day on the moraines of Gangotri glacier, we want to offer warm shelter to our porter friends of Garwal. In the Bhujbas Project, they will have a mattress to crash and a blanket to keep them warm. Yes, it’s going to be very basic. Basic, but clean and hygienic with first aid facilities. In Bhujbas they do not even get these basic requirements. It’s been like this since the early exploration days. And its time to do something about it! And the time is NOW! In near future hopefully we will be able to use the shelter as a rescue post as well.

The Need is Basic

A Shelter up in the Indian Himalaya

view from the Bhujbas post

looking towards the Bhagirathi peaks & Gangotri glacier

Initiated by Anindya Mukherjee along with some of his buddies, Adventure Mania is a climbing & trekking guide service. Anindya, mostly known as Raja is the Country Rep for IPPG (International Porter Protection Group) has now started the porter shelter & medical post in Bhujbas. This project has received support& endorsements from the IPPG and by Dr. Jim Duff; the International coordinator of IPPG. This is the first shelter project of it's kind in Indian Himalaya.

Bhujbas Photo Album

Adventures Stories: Find out more about Anindya Mukherjee