When Lord Shiva beckons

The restless mind \Vants to go everywhere but when it reaches tl1e pinnacle of destinations, it rests in peace and tra n quillity.

This is what I experienced when I travelled to tbe

H imalayas, Mr. Kailash and Lake M,rnsarovar in particuJar.

As a devout Hindu, I feel I am one of the few lucky ones who got the call from tbe Lord h imself to visit him ac his abode, at the very top of the wo cld.

Whac a journey it became for the body, mind and soul.

We started from Nepal, a land which is a heaven in its m:vn r ight.

Srock in tl1e midst of mountains and valleys, Nepal provides the best of natlue anyo ne can ask for.

Part of the journey had me seeing th is beau ti fu1 land like never before. The most memorab le was a 90- minme

Aight to the top of the world where we witnessed fast-hand the glory of Mc.

Eve rest.

Crossing the border inco Tibet was a breeze. The paperwork, handled immaculately, helped us cross into China with out any hassles. Once across, we were put in a Land Cruiser, four in one plus a sherpa, and we started our pilgrimage to wbac turned one to be tbe best journey of my life.

The bordering cities of Kodari (Nepal) and Zhangmu (fiber) compete with each otl1er for namral beauty. As best as l could tell, boili came ouc as winners! Eve r y kilometre or two, we encountered a waterfall; seen through me greenery, each one was a fantastic spectacle.

The road travelled through water and lush mountainsides. Occasionally, cascading water from a waterfall brushed ilie roof of ilie car, sending shivers down the spine just from tbe ecstasy.

Our first night stop, Like aU subsequent night scops, was quite p leasant, given the humble arrangements availab le Of the few stops throughout me journey, this had running tap water and western style toilets. This stop is meant for the body to acclimatise for che high al titudes in the next couple of weeks, witl1 th in air and less than normal oxygen. A bic of climbing on th i s day gave us a feel of what to expect.

The tour guides were exceptional in their care. Every morning, one of the sher pas would go through the group ensuring that everyone was in good heal th and that all had taken t he popular 'altitude pill'. The food on tbe tri p was simp le buc healthy, as well as rascy. Bottled water was provided throughout the journey.

Even i f you are nor a photographer, a camera becomes yom best friend, such is tl1e beauty of mis p lace and the who.le tour in general.

To reach Lake Mansarovar you across the plains of Tibet high on the mountains at more man 3,000 metres. Tbe roads snaking through tl1e landscape simp ly take your breatb away, and there is always a sn owy peak in VJSJOil You cross many lakes and rivers and then comes the best of all, tl1e m o utl1 of the r iver Brahmaputra. lf weather permits, a first Look of Mt Kailash can be had here.

As you stand on the innumerable sand dunes i n front of the rivermouth, you are m esmerised by tl1e sheer beauty of nature.

Lake Mansarovar itself is an overwhelming sight. Por me personally, it was a spiritual expe rience like never before: the stillness and quiet were overpowe ring, and after a while 1 felt my eyes and heart welt up. Gazing at the wonder around me made me forget the troubles of my wo rldly existe nce.

The 80 km circumference of t he Jake was completed by bus, stoppi ng at a perfect location for water immers ion and prayers The night was spent on tl1e banks of ilie Jake in a hun1bl e setting, performing;1ag11as and offering praye rs to the wonder that is namre.

The main pilgrimage iliat begius bere, is not fo r weak hearted. We started from YamDwar for the pa1ikra111a (circumnavigation) of Mt. Kailash, walking anywhe re between 12 to 22 k m s a day fo r the next fom days. But for tl1e devom such as me, tl1e thougbt of reaching the Lord's abode was insp iring and kept me going This divine walk enabled us to sight the mount from all follt directions, seeing all of the Lord's four faces. We could almost vis ualise him si tting in meditation!

During this wa lk, we climbed mountains and ascended into valleys; we crossed screams and covered Aat p lains; we walked on rocks and we walked in the snow We just kept wa lking, rain or shine.

The first v iews of Gauri Ku nd , Kuber Kund, Astapad, Hanuman Tekri and Nandi peaks wne all joyous moments, bur sighting :Mc. Kailash was cn.1l y exhila.racing. The whole area i s a naniral temple. Just like in a temple setting, we saw Hanuman on the side, Naodi in the front and then Lord Shiva himself W/e gazed upon the heavenly sight just like the Saptrisbis did, and accually got to offer prayers at the very same spot as mey did , before tliey attained moksha.

The night spent at the foot of Mc. Kailash was magical. I gaped in awe as me rays of the setting sun fell on Mr. Kailash, curning it into go ld. La ter, mooo.lighc would turn it silver. lt would be back to bright gold again me next morning at sunrise.

The first ray of the sun is the moment to watch for, as it transforms the s leeping Mr. Kailash inco a waking giant. Tbe snow -clad tip of Mt. Kai.lash mros from milk1• white to golden yellow, offe ring the Hindus down below a sight of the llimtra (Shiva's third eye) You laugh and cry at the san1e time, such are tbe emotions chat engulf you at chis wondrous sight.

How I wi shed tin1e would stand still!

I felt a similar upliftment and trans for m ation at tl1e next part of me journey, as we starred the climb to the Saptarisbi caves. Breatluess and speechless, tlie sight of the caves also left me sim il arl y awed and dumbstruck The journey back is the same. The ver y same emotions came over me, and I wished I did not have to leave Ta fa ct, I w ished I could return again and again.