It was not a fancy trip. It was a unique one, a kind of pilgrimage actually. We were 24 people in all. We went to Varanasi, Allahabad, Pokhara, Jomson, Muktinath, in Nepal, and returned via Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, crossed the Sanauli border and returned to Chennai.
We went by train though most of us could afford the airfare. It was fun because we spent the next three days getting to know one another. There were several seniors in our group. We visited several Shiva, Devi and Vishnu temples and also some Buddhist shrines. Of course, these places were beautiful to see.
But there is so much more to a trip than just sightseeing or doing Darshan. I got to do a lot of character reading. It was really interesting to see the way people react/respond when they are out of their comfort zones. And often this is the only thought that crosses my mind. We may go on long pilgrimages to get a fleeting glimpse of God. We feel blessed when we do his Darshan. Yet we fail to acknowledge the God that resides within other human beings…
We had to go on several long bus rides to go from one place to another. Unfortunately, we were stranded for several hours in the middle of nowhere when our bus broke down. The bus driver had to travel by foot for a long distance to buy the spare parts. But instead of accepting the unexpected turn of events and empathising with the driver, a few ladies blamed the tour operator and demanded another bus immediately.
By the time the second bus arrived, the bus driver of our previous bus returned with the spare parts. He assured us of a safe journey ahead. But he could not convince the tour operator or the ladies. So he finally left with his bus with tears in his eyes.
Sadly, our new bus was in very bad shape. It started raining very heavily after that and we had to complete the rest of our journey in a bus that had a leaky roof! Somehow I could not shake off the vision of the bus driver’s teary face and felt as if God was punishing us for making him cry.
Another thing I observed was that most of the middle-aged ladies would wake up early and eat their breakfast quickly every day so that they could grab the window seats in the front in the bus. But I was impressed by the dignity of the seniors. Not once did they grumble or ask for the front or any window seat. They just sat down comfortably in whichever seat was available and enjoyed the journey. They had no expectations so they were not disappointed!
I didn’t have too much time to dwell on such things though. After visiting a few temples I realized that God works in his own ways and we can do nothing about it. We were disappointed because we could not do the darshan of the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi but consoled ourselves by visiting other temples.
One thing became clear to me. God is beyond time and space and he reveals different aspects of himself at different times in our lives. Sometimes we offered our prayers to a particular deity in the middle of the night. At other times, we had to wake up early to do the Darshan. We were allowed to touch some deities and perform the Abhishek too. Yet at other times, we spent 4 hours watching an elaborate pooja being performed on a CCTV after which we got to do the darshan of the Aarti!
The Shakti Sthals revealed the stark ugly truth to all of us. The temples were scrupulously clean and the Devi looked very beautiful indeed. Yet I felt very disturbed when I saw the sacrificial goat tethered outside the premises. I know such practices have been going since time immemorial yet I wonder if I will ever be able to accept this kind of reality…
Muktinath, one of the highest Vishnu temples in the world is located in Nepal. We had to climb the steep pathway or take a Palkhi or a pony to reach the temple. The entire view was spectacular, the temple was a sight to behold and Lord Vishnu’s image was stunning. I was amazed to see a woman priest performing the pooja there. The deep sense of peace and solace I felt can never be described in words. That’s when God revealed another facet of himself.
Maybe it was the rarefied air. Perhaps it was the strain of the entire journey. I don’t know what happened exactly. But a woman swooned just before she entered the main temple of Muktinath. She did recover quickly but she was unable to do proper darshan of Lord Vishnu. Strange are his ways indeed. We may travel great distances to get a glimpse of Him. But unless He showers His grace on us, we cannot do even his darshan.
Our next brief halt was at Pokhara, in Kathmandu. I stood in rapt attention when I saw the sleeping idol of Lord Vishnu on Ananta Sesha Nag. This idol, Buddha Neelkanth, floats on the waters of a lake. Yes, I cannot describe even this experience in words …
We then visited the famous Pashupati Nath temple. We were in time for the evening Arti. That is when we got to know that the Bhagmati, a tributary of the Ganga flowed behind the temple. The Ganga Arti is performed here too each evening. We got to witness this beautiful scene the next day too. It was as if Ma Ganga was blessing us doubly here. It more than made up for what we had missed in Varanasi earlier. The priest had a loud clear voice. All of us were mesmerized and watched the entire Aarti, which lasted for over 30 minutes, in silence.
But the minute we walked out of that place we were jolted out of our divine trance. We saw several huge flames at a distance and assumed that other priests were performing the Aarti in other places too. But actually, they happened to be the funeral pyres of people who had passed on. A few people were even waiting outside that area for the Aarti to get over so that they could cremate the departed souls.
A strange thought struck me when I left that place that day. The Aarti celebrates mother Nature. And death too is a part of nature… and somewhere between our birth and death – we have to do our best to connect to God in some way or the other. That is the reality. And it can be very sobering. For all of us. Somehow we forget such things when we live within the comfort of our homes.
We returned to Varanasi on the eve of Janmashtami and we celebrated it by singing bhajans in the hotel lobby at midnight. We did not have any idol with us. And as we sang and danced together that night, we set aside all our petty differences and come closer together as a group.
The trip was almost coming to an end now. But we still had a little learning in store for us. Three seniors fell sick and had to be hospitalized. They were forced to complete the rest of the long train journey home because they could not make any alternative travel arrangements at the last moment.
Yes, we all did reach home safe and sound. We will all surely treasure these memories forever. Yes, the learning that I derived from this trip will linger in my heart for a long time but the most important thing is that I learnt a lot about myself too when I took this trip.