The Awakening of Spirituality- Shambhavy’s Char Dham Yatra Review of Thrillophilia
It was 6 pm.
The Kedarnath Temple lit up.
The patches of snow on the surrounding mountains were still visible, and the evening air was filled with the smell of til ke laddu, dipped in aromatic ghee.
We were waiting for the evening aarti to start, enjoying a laid-back stroll around the temple premises.
A sudden gust of crisp cold air made us wrap our shawls more tightly around our bodies, and then we sat down on the floor to rest. It had been a long walk, and thankfully we all could make it without a scratch.
This rooted our belief in the call of the gods, we knew they wanted us here, and they wanted us to complete the journey, otherwise, we would have seen some kind of a negative sign already.
All pilgrimages demand a leap of faith, but for us, it was a crucial journey, something that would decide the fate of our future.
Rewinding, Rebirth
My parents had embarked upon this Chardham Yatra twice before. Both times they came back with empty hearts, something or the other had always hindered their progress beyond. But my mother had immense faith in Lord Shiva, and she refused to give up on this venture.
She always said to me,
“When you will realise the importance of this Yatra, we will go there, with you”
It is true when they say that you will get a sign, somehow, which will let you know that it's time to head out for the Yatra.
I never believed it, but if you speak of the signs, I did receive them.
Be it superstition, ancient beliefs, or blind faith, I realised some supernatural forces guided the direction of the universe.
When I saw the dream where Lord Shiva himself invited me for a darshan, my heart crumbled from the constant tussle between my atheist belief system and my theist dream. My mind, however, was confused, unable to process what was happening.
It was only when I set eyes on the Gauri Kund that my mind calmed and my soul woke up, as if from a long slumber. I felt different, I felt that something was attracting me. I had never seen the Kedarnath temple even in pictures, so I did not know what to expect. But after a rigorous trek of almost 5 hours, when we reached the temple and went inside to pay our respects, my body froze in shock.
What I saw in front of me was the exact figure from my dreams.
I did not know how to react, and without my knowledge, teardrops had started to run down my cheeks, in wonder or fear I still don't know.
Karma and Kismat
What I considered to be a good sign to start this trip was the clear sky- the sun shone bright and the massive mountains seemed vulnerable to the softness of the clouds, allowing them to climb and crawl as they wished.
The sight was spectacular, I could not help but gaze at the sky and the green mountains every now and then. The Yamunotri River was flowing just along the trail, making the scenery come alive.
Far away in the distance, I could see some peaks, all white and dreamy. I wished to walk to those distant peaks, on my own, leaving all desires behind.
I was not this person, but this journey was transforming me to the bones and I could feel every bit of the transition.
But one thing had not changed- daydreaming.
Because of this, I toppled down on the trekking trail, TWICE, inviting my embarrassment, perhaps for the rest of the journey.
We boiled some potatoes in the Surya Kund after exploring the Yamunotri Temple and then walked back to Janki Chatti to board the car to Barkot.
I was thankful for having booked the trip with Thrillophilia as it saved us from the tension of finding transportation in the mountains. It was always a safer and better option, especially while travelling with parents.
One incredible incident took place which I can't help but mention in this review.
We were on our way to Gangotri when I came across a person while walking along the banks of the Bhagirathi River.
I went ahead and offered him some water. Seeing the bottle held out to him, he stopped, his eyes fixated on the water, and then towards me. His eyes were glimmering, and took the bottle, had water, and then handed me an apple from his jhola.
We started walking again, and after some time when I looked back, I could not find him...
Upon sharing this experience with my parents in the hotel room at night, they said that a lot of such things happen on the yatra, the gods test you.
My eyes immediately went to the apple kept on the bedside table. I got up, took it in my hands, and took a huge bite out of it.
Nothing happened…until we reached Pipalkoti.
Liberation of soul
It was just the night before our last Char Dham Temple of Badrinath. And I saw a dream again- of the monk I had given water to in Gangotri yatra.
He was just smiling.
Waking up, I could not make sense of the dream and I did not even mention anything to my parents lest they got worked up.
It was a hard pill for me to swallow, but coming such a long way from Amritsar to Badrinath, crossing all the Char Dhams, nothing seemed impossible anymore.
With a steady assurance, we headed to Rishikesh for a rest day. It was the perfect place to reflect on the journey… as if reinventing the soul from scratch.
So we sat at the banks of the Ganga, looking at the beautiful Laxman Jhula.
Silent.
The night was long, but it was perhaps the most important one of my life till date- I felt liberated and renewed. I felt ready to face life head-on, as I knew Shiva and Parvati both were on my side.
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