Wander through India : UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY ( Day III : ONWARDS TO HARDIWAR )

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY

# DAY III : Delhi to Haridwar.

12. So on to the third day of the travel we found ourselves in the heart of India and on top of that bang in the middle of the Delhi’s traffic too. Delhi marks the transition point for all those who travel to Northern India from the south or the west of the country. From here onwards the direction of travel was North, “up up North” was the mantra to follow, Delhi to Haridwar is a fairly well defined route and urban chaos at its best. There is nothing remotely interesting or exciting. The route takes one through a kladiescope of humanity and its existence. From the urban chaos of Ghaziabad to the seriousness of Muzzafarnagar to the pride of Roorkee, it’s all about living mass of humanity their hopes and aspirations; their sorrows and joys.

13. The journey time was 08 hours and by 1500 hrs we were in Haridwar. Oh yea tutorial on aggressiveness of Delhi traffic goers (if ever there is such a word) was imparted without fail and the Indomitable had a nasty brush with a school bus driven by a ox head of a man, there was no gain to be made by indulging in a verbal spat in the middle on the road other than to provide some real life drama to the ogling public, so we just decided to cut our losses and move on.

14. So, on a hot summer evening in the temple town of Haridwar we found ourselves soaking in the feeling of a pilgrim town. The stay was at GMVN operated rest house which was decent and in a central location. The uppermost thought in the mind was to see the Ganges , I personally never had seen or touched the Ganges and this was definitely one of the defining moments in my life and that too of all the places it was going to be Haridwar.

15. So accordingly we set out of the hotel and decided to use the local transport for the purpose because Haridwar is also plagued by the same problem seen all over the towns/cities that have become tourist hubs , excessive crowding and infrastructure of the city groaning to sustain it . Hence using the personal car was definitely not an option as I did not know where the Ganga Ghat was, there are many ghats all along the Ganges but everyone goes to the most famous of them all: Har Ki Pauri which translated into Hindi means “The Lord’s Feet “.

16. This ghat on the banks of the Ganges is the most sought after place in the entire town and it is taken for granted that anyone who is walking on the road leading to the ghat is going towards it. All along the road have sprung up hotels, eateries, shops, guides who jostle with each other to entice the traveler. It is an unending cauldron of humanity with everyone trying to fulfill his own desires whether it is spiritual or commercial, it’s a sight to see and to soak in , cannot be described but am sure many of us will be able to relate to this.

17. The road becomes narrower and narrower as we approached the Ghats sitting in a pedal driven rickshaw, I think I must be sitting on one after a decade, it took me some ungainly movements to in fact climb on to it. The rickshaw soon deposited us at the Ghat entrance and we moved ahead among the teeming mass of people to see the Ganges and then to orient ourselves as to what was the pull that bought teeming millions out here.

18. Har Ki Pauri, meaning steps of the Lord himself is a highly religious place both historically as well as mythically. The Ghaat has come up around Brahma Kund, which is considered auspicious since the time of the vedas. There are many other ghaats dotted all across the Ganges but this one holds special importance.

19. My first sight of Maa Ganga and what a feeling it was. I hurriedly walked towards the steps leading to the water and touched the Holiest of all Indian Rivers: Ganges. It was the month of May and the Indian plains were in searing heat waves but the water; ahhh the water was cold and inviting. There was absolutely no trace of summer heat in the water of the Ganges as she flowed. The Ghat has numerous temples which have been built over the years and the Ganga flows through the channels that have been constructed.

20. The main event was the evening aarti known as “Ganga Aarti”, performed by 11 priests . Each evening, at sunset priests perform the Ganga Aarti , where in lamps are set in the water to drift downstream The aarti is witnessed by huge crowds and the religious fervor is something worth experiencing. The priests hold large fire bowls which they rotate in a right handed circular direction, gongs in the temples start ringing and chants flow in the air creating a sublime atmpsphere.There is a rush to have the best possible seating in order to view the aarti. We opted to take the seating opposite to the ghaat where the aarti was happening in order to see the aarti from the frontal point of view. The aarti is performed to worship Maa Ganga to seek her blessings and invoke her presence in this auspicious place.

21. By the time the aarti was completed it was close to eight in the evening and people started slowly leaving the ghat. We hung around for some time more, the place and the feeling is so intoxicating. Almost everyone floats a lighted lamp and some flowers after conducting prayers in to the waters of the Ganga which signify hope and wishes.

22. Well that was how the day ended, as we slowly walked back to the Hotel, immersed in the events of the day and discussing the religious appeal of the town which leaves no one untouched or immune.

Odo for the day : 92352