ARISE, AWAKE AND STOP NOT TILL THE GOAL IS REACHED

On the way back we saw two young friends were coming up looking for the Lakes. We told them that it would take about 3 to 4 hours to visit those Tals and be back to Dharali. The time was about 3.30 p.m. It was good to see young chaps had passions to explore difficult natural locations. We were back to Dharali at 4.00 p.m. and were very hungry. A hotel provided us with lunch but the quality was very poor, specially the rice was full of broken stones that challenged our strong teeth. We returned to Harsil hotel around 4.25 p.m. and had a good rest before tea at 6.00 p.m. The weather here was perfect and we found a Bengalee group newly arrived and I had a good chat with them.

For next day (14th April, 2009) we were determined to take a chance to go to Gangotri. We were bit demoralized hearing that we needed some kind permission from the Forest department even to enter Gangotri, Gomukh was a far cry. We kept our rucksack packed and ready for next day as we were to leave Harsil.

The morning was perfect with sun shine and clear sky. After heavy breakfast we settled our accounts with the hotel man and bade him good bye. We waited on the highway to catch any vehicle that might pass by. We waited for about half an hour but with no luck. Again I suggested that we should go forward and wait at the rivulet that we saw yesterday. There too we had to wait. However waiting by the rivulet was a refreshing one although a nagging thought of how to reach Gangotri kept on ticking. Suddenly we saw a jeep coming and we stopped it and were delighted to know that it was going to Gangotri only. What a surprise! The route to Gangotri was quite a steep winding way about 25 k.m. from Harsil. More we started ascending the more deeper the Ganges could be seen. At last we arrived at the gate of Gangotri but we saw the whole road was dug up and it was so cold that one needs full warm cover to be comfortable. I paid the jeep driver Rs. 100/- for our journey @Rs. 50/- each but my friend was annoyed with me as I did not ask the driver what was the fare per person. I just paid him Rs. 100/- It was given on the assumption that other passengers were also paying Rs. 50/- each. Moreover, I was excited to have made it to Gangotri, so I was least bothered about money being paid more.

The most interesting thing that struck us there is that all the shops, guest houses, temples were closed, locked and sealed except three or four. First we headed towards the Gangotri temple and found some people were painting the domes and a Priest was supervising it. As we expressed our desire to him he directed us to Ishavashya Temple across the ganges where we could be put up for the night and our food requirement would be looked after. We crossed the Ganges over a broken breeze and met a supervisor at the Ishavashya Temple. He permitted us for a night's stay and a big room with four beds was given to us. After refreshing ourselves, we took a walk along the Ganges and went quite a bit. It drizzled a while and when we were coming back we saw a small Ashram and one young man was living there. We went to meet him he turned out to be Swami Ananda Tirtha who has been living there for the last 3 years even in severe winter when the whole of Gangotri area gets under snow. We were told that he was pursuing his spiritual quest living a secluded life. He invited us in for a cup of Coffee. This was really a good Satsang with a Swami and we discussed about Swami Ramtirtha, Swami Sivananda, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Sri Aurobindo and their spiritual enlightenment. I promised to send him a copy of Sri Aurobindo's, Letters on Yoga which I am yet to fulfill. The inner chamber of his Ashram is a cave and very cosy and comfortable. He informed us that he keeps every provision for his living that last at least for 6 months given the unpredictable weather pattern in the Himalayas and the road conditions. He gave us two important piece of information, firstly, a lady by name Lalitamayee was living next to the small police post, who once worked at Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari and whom my friend was looking for since our planning to come to Gangotri. Secondly, when we go back to Uttar Kashi we could stay at the Sivananda Ashram there at Ujeli.

It was already dark and we had to take leave of him promising to meet him as and when destiny so desires. We hurried to our Ishavasya Ashram but just before entering our place we saw a Radha-Krishna temple where evening Aarati was taking place. We both went in and enjoyed the evening Aarti I feel always attached to Radha and Krishna and temples dedicated to them is close to my heart. We also got some Prasad and enquired whether we could stay there for the next night, if necessary. The in charge Swami invited us to have dinner with them and also we were welcome to stay if we so desired. We thanked him for their invitation for dinner and told him we would be happy to honor his invitation some other time..

When we reached, the Ishavashya Ashram, here too evening Aarati was going on and we joined in. After Aarti we were called for dinner. We were so hungry and ate to our heart?s content to compensate for our missing lunch. The in-charge Swami looked after our needs well with respect. We were also given a lantern for lighting our room. I forgot to tell our readers that during the period Gangotri Temple is closed for 6 months all electrical connections, water supply and other facilities are suspended. So any temple that is open during this intervening period had to arrange for everything on their own. Night was so cold that we could not stay out for long but we did not go to bed before looking at the starry night.

In the morning (15th April, 2009) after breakfast we went to meet, Lalita Mayee and we had a long chat with her and heard of her experience of staying at Tapovan, near Gomukh for three years. It was most interesting to hear that being a lady and living alone in such isolated places how providence provided her with necessities and we city people are so concerned about our security! When we visited her she was living in a Hanuman temple but would not accept any donation from us. On the other hand, she offered us a cup of tea and some sweet preparation to carry home. We took leave of her wishing success in her spiritual endeavor.

We went back to Ishavasya Ashram but not before paying a visit to the Krishna temple. The Swami of the Radha Krishna temple again invited us to stay in their Ashram. It was very nice of him to have offered us accommodation but we were scheduled to reach Uttar Kashi that evening. We told the Swami in case we changed our program then we would accept his invitation. I also collected a picture of Radha Krishna of the temple from the Swami.

After a while we went to our room and packed our rucksacks for the next journey. In the meantime the lunch was ready and we did full justice to the food offered to us so gracefully by the Ashram staff. Before leaving we donated a small sum as a token of our offering to the Ashram. We took leave of Gangotri with a thought that next time we must trek to Gomukh . We waited for quite a while for any vehicle going to Uttar Kashi. Finally, we found one vehicle around 3 p.m. and we arrived in Uttar Kashi at 8 p.m. We found out the Sivananda Ashram and were provided with accommodation and food for two nights. Our stay at Sivananda Ashram was very comfortable. The room was quite big with four beds and most interestingly some provision for morning tea with cooking gas.

Next day morning (16th April, 2009) we planned to visit Nachiketatal about 28 k.m. from Uttar Kashi. There was one Swami ji from Kerala, quite a talkative one was staying in the Ashram then. He would hardly miss any opportunity to talk on any subject on the earth to his pupil. We were two of them. He also called two more aspirants who wanted to go to Nachiketatal and tied them with us, a Swami and a Brahmachari. He also advised us on how to go and what to eat and what to carry. My friend was little upset not that we did not like these swamis but the problem was that he would not be able to smoke when they were with us. However, that flimsy fear vanished as we started trekking the mountain path through the jungle and he found ample opportunities to smoke.

Nachiketa is a character we find in Katha Upanishad, wherein his father offered him to the king of Death. The story goes that Nachiketa waited for 3 days and 3 nights to meet the King of Death. He fasted all these three days. To win him over, the King of death offered him three boons: the first boon Nachiketa had asked for was that his father should not be angry with him on his return; the second one was to visit the hell and heaven; and lastly he should be given the knowledge of the Soul. The king of death bestowed him with the first two boons but for the third one Nachiketa had persevere for the realization of the soul through austerity. We saw that Lake on the bank of which Nachiketa did his austerities. It is of medium size but has fallen to poor maintenance. We met a Sadhu, Sitaram baba, who lives by the lake and has been there for the last 30 years. There is also a temple dedicated to Nachiketa. Some local priest of the temple comes to serve him and worships the idol at the temple. The location is good, quiet and surrounded by thick vegetation, a place ideal for practicing (Tapas) austerity. To reach the place one has to get down at Chowrangee khal and trek about 5 k.m. through forest area. This place is higher than Uttar Kashi about 2200 meters above sea level and is quite cold. We were there about 2 hours talking with the Sadhu and going round the place. By the time we came down to the bus stand it was about to 5 p.m. We were told that there wasa bus at 5 p.m. for Uttar Kashi. We had to wait till 6.30 p.m. and we were really scared with the gloomy prospect of being held up for the cold night. Finally the bus appeared and we could also get our seats. While the bus was going down we could see the lighting of the Uttar Kashi town and it looked like a Diwali night. We reached Uttar Kashi around 9 p.m. and had the dinner outside itself and went back to Ashram. To our surprise, we found the main gate was closed. We tried to find alternative ways to get into the Ashram compound but were unsuccessful. Then someone opened the gate but we owed them an explanation for being late. Before going to bed we sat on the 2nd floor corridor and discussed about next day?s program, April 17, 2009. Next day we had our train booking from Haridwar to Delhi. My friend, in the meantime, pointed out many loopholes into our program but he never objected to any of the scheduling.

Next morning we decided to leave Uttar Kashi after lunch, so we had some time in hand. We utilized the time to wash our clothes and dry them. After breakfast that Swami ji told us that he was also leaving for Haridwar around 10 O'clock and he had not much time to talk. Still he called us and gave a big sermon on spiritual life and he also revealed that he was a householder and took to the life of renunciation only a few years back. Swami ji left Uttar Kashi after a while. We decided to have the lunch at the Ashram and then leave for Haridwar.

The Sivananda Ashram at Uttar Kashi is located at a height of 1352 meters and has a beautiful view of the mountains. There are a number of students studying spiritual scriptures who came to join there from nearby villages. Life is quite smooth in an Ashram pursuing a disciplined way of living. As the bell rang for midday meal, we had to be ready for it. The sun was quite hot here unlike we experienced at Harsil and Gangotri. Once again we had a good midday meal and my friend wanted to rest a while before taking on 6 hours bus journey to Haridwar. I reluctantly agreed understanding his age factor and a regular practice of rest after lunch. Before leaving the Ashram we gave a little donation and offered our respect to Swami ji and the Siva Linga in the temple. From the road we got a local bus that dropped us at the bus stand. On enquiry we found a deluxe bus starting at 2 p.m. reaching Rishikesh around 8-00 p.m. I almost forgot two important incidents, the first one was my friends' looking for walking sticks and the second one is to visit Vishwanath Temple at Uttar Kashi. He not only bought a stick but 3 of them. He also bought certain rings that are believed to be helpful in warding off evil influence of stars. At the temple also a priest caught hold of him and got him do some puja for which he was charged Rs. 101/- I just gave him company in such situation.

The bus travel from Uttar Kashi to Haridwar was not all enjoyable because of the heat and the mostly barren hills. I thought of having the dinner at Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh in case our bus could reach Rishikesh around 7 p.m. But it was not to be, we reached Rishikesh around 8.00 and we had to catch another bus going to Haridwar. Another important task my friend had was to collect the water of the Ganges in a plastic container. We took a ricksaw at Haridwar to the Ganga Ghat and bought a container and filled it with water. On way back to station we had a nice dinner in a Dhaba Our train was scheduled to arrive at the station around 10.30 p.m. My friend did not want to go to the station immediately. As outside was dusty and humid I went to the Station platform and sat under a fan. Looking at the passengers crowding the platform, the Indian panorama kept on changing and my time just flew by. About 10.30 p.m. my friend appeared when the train already steamed into the platform and we took our berth and headed for Delhi.