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
 |
EVENING AARTI |
 |
MAA GANGA HOLDS ALL |
 |
HAR KI PAURI |
 |
GANGA MANDIR |
 |
OBLIVIOUS TO EVERYTHING ELSE |
 |
SPIRITUAL MOMENTS |
