Wander through India : UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY ( Day IV : WANDERING IN HARDIWAR )

UTTARAKHAND : AN ODE TO HIMALAYA AND SPIRITUALITY

#DAY IV: @Haridwar.

23. Today we were supposed to visit few more temples in and around Haridwar as well as go back to the Ghat in the evening and take part in the evening aarti. It.It was five thirty in the morning when I got up and hurriedly picked up my gear to go to the ghats. The town was all hustle and bustle at this hour and by the time I reached the ghat, there were quite a number of pilgrims and visitors .The pilgrims were all assembled in order to take a holy dip in the Ganges during sunrise.

24. However try as I might somehow I was unable to understand from within what I was looking to click , my thoughts rather went on reflecting on the way how I had landed up here , for till some months back there was no thought in my mind that I needed to visit Haridwar but then that’s how wheel of life turns . The early morning sunrise surrounded by humanity yet finding space amongst all in order to connect with the vibes of earthly elements, the flow of the Ganges, the warmth of the rising sun, the feel of the earth out there, if I close my eyes I can still feel those vibes come up to my inner heart making their presence felt as they did that morning. They made me feel different in a way that I cannot describe but they did … Rousing myself from my thoughts i did try to click a few pics and then wandered the Ghats just observing the atmosphere surrounding me. By around eight I was back to the hotel.

25. The schedule for the day included a visit to Kankhal as well as the RK mission out there followed by a visit to Maa Mansa Devi temple atop the nearby hills and then the evening aarti. So accordingly we set out and decided to hire the services of the tam tam for a visit to nearby temples .These are battery operated scooters which are similar to the auto rickshaws but have less power, more speed, agility and definitely less pollution. It makes more sense to hire them for a pre negotiated amount and fixed places that one wants to visit.

26. We visited many temples in the morning on the way to Kankhal , the entire region has so many temples with each having its own story. Thereafter reaching Kankhal, we visited the Daksheswara Mahadev Mandir. Also we visited the Shree Yantra Mandir and the RK mission out there. The summer heat was at its peak and it was scorching in the afternoon. In the afternoon we visited the Maa Mansa Devi mandir which is reached by taking a sky lift cable car till the top of the hill. The mandir had a very strong positive vibe and one could feel the aura of Devi Maa out there. By the time we were done with the visit it was evening and we decided to have a look at few of the ashrams that are spread out to the north of the city. It was very calm atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle when we visited these places.

27. As dusk was approaching we retraced our steps and reached the ghaat to take part in the aarti which definitely has a very strong pull and after an exhilarating experience our day drew to a close.