First Step - Kathmandu

8^th June 2011

Jai Sri Guru Maharaj ji ki jai, Jai bhagawan Ramakrishna dev ki jai, Jai Mahamai ki jai, Jai Swamiji Maharaj ji ki jai, Jai sri sri Durga mai ki jai, Jai sri sri Durga mai ki jai, Jai sri sri Durga mai ki jai, Durga Durga Durga.

With these chants by my mother, my taxi started off to the airport. The actual start of the journey was to be from Delhi on 9^th at 7:30am. This meant I would have to check in at the airport by 5:30am and no means of transport would get me to Delhi by that hour. I had to be in Delhi the previous night.

I had a bit of a repacking at the airport to satisfy the luggage weight limits and was able to get through without paying anything extra.

9^th June – Delhi - Kathmandu

“Sat Sri Akaal, Bole So Nihaal” – chanted Gyan Singh ji as he drove off swiftly towards the IGI airport terminal 3 at 4:15 am in the morning. I was the first one of the group to get there; I called up Swami Madhavanandaji on reaching the airport at about 5 am. He was on his way and instructed me to wait at Gate # 1. Soon he arrived and was followed by the tour operator representative. The tour operator representative had our tickets and passports. Soon the other members of the group trooped in, we were 66 people going for the Yatra.  We waited for another 15 minutes for the vehicle carrying the duffle bags, the pithoo bag, down jacket and sun hat to arrive. This was distributed to the group and we proceeded to check in counter.

There was some commotion at the baggage counter with some people having luggage weight issues. Luckily, I had these things sorted out during the check in for my connecting flight the previous day, so my baggage went in without a hitch.

Our flight faced some turbulence and a strong tailwind which got us to Kathmandu about 50 minutes before time. There were some beautiful cloud formations to be seen from the aircraft window.  At Kathmandu airport we had to fill out a couple of forms. After a couple of rounds of checking and baggage collections we were out of the airport, only to find no arrangements waiting for us.

Our lodge at Kathmandu - Park Village Resort

Evidently, the tour operator never factored in the flight coming in this early. I found a lady wearing the tour operator’s uniform and enquired with her. She was actually there to receive another group. She had no information about our group and was expecting a group of 6 people. The poor lady was flabbergasted to find 66 people surrounding her! She made a few phone calls, and this resulted in a Tata winger type vehicle coming in for us. The driver shouted out "sabhi log gadi mein baithiye"  - all of you please sit in the car. Soon he realized that his car was too small to hold 66 people and decided to stuff it with our luggage instead! After more than an hour’s wait they managed to scamper in a bus and we were stuffed into it, many of us standing. The resort where we were to be put up was at the outskirts at the other end of the city – Hotel Park Village. The hotel was nice, clean, comfortable and inviting with beautiful green surroundings, a good buffet, but a little too far from the city.

A street in Kathmandu

 There was a tour briefing and introduction session in the evening. Upfront, people wanted to voice their grievances about the goof up at the airport. This soon turned into a shouting match, much resembling the pandemonium routinely seen in our parliament. The planned introduction session did not happen, much to the chagrin of Swamiji.

10^th June – Kathmandu - 4430 ft

The day began with a meditation session by Swamiji and an introduction to Sarvasara Upanishad. After a sumptuous breakfast, two A/c buses arrived to take us to the major temples in Kathmandu. Our first stop was BudhhaNeelkanth. By the name, we were expecting this to be a Shiva temple, but found it to be Lord Vishnu lying on Sheshanaga. The significance of the temple was explained by Baba Sachidananda in the bus on the way back. Baba Sachidananda was another swami part of our entourage – he is the head of a Math near Jagannnath Temple in Puri.

Lord Vishnu - Buddha Neelkanth

Buddha Neelkanth

Neelkanth was an old pandit living in that area. He got an order in a dream by the lord to dig up a certain area which had His presence. Initially he ignored it, but when the same dream was repeated over multiple days, he went to the indicated location and started digging. After digging for some time, in one stroke of the kulhadi there flowed blood. He became frightened and very carefully dug up the surrounding area. The statue of Vishnu lying on Sheshanaga emerged.  He then refused to fill up the surrounding area. That area got filled with water and became a pond. The temple was named BuddhaNeelkantheswar after the founder, which with time became known as Buddha Neelkanth.

 Our next stop was Guhyeshwari Temple, which is one of the 51 Shakti Peethams.

Guhyeswari Temple

Pashupatinath Temple

Next, our bus took us to Pashupatinath Temple of Lord Shiva, which is the main temple in Kathmandu. As soon as we went in, some Pandas came in and struck a deal to perform Abhishekam puja for the group charging Rs 250 per family. After a less than 10 min Puja, they took the money and disappeared.  We went to the main temple and had a good darshan after some amount of jostling.  I decided to spend some time at a corner there irrespective of the group, and was moved out when the temple was about to be closed. Going back, I found the group busy shopping.

Back at the Hotel, after a sumptuous lunch and some rest, we got busy packing our stuff into the duffle bags.  My roommate Srihari Rao ji had to buy some woolen socks and gloves. I accompanied him in the evening to Chakrapath, the nearest market area of Kathmandu.


Next >>  The Journey Through Tibet

Kailash – The Abode of Lord Shiva

Mano budhha ahankaara chittaani naham,
Na cha shrotra jivhe, Na cha ghrana netre,
Na cha vyom bhoomi, Na tejo Na Vayo,
Shchidananda rupa, shivoham shivoham

These verses from Nirvaanashatakam  by Adi Shankaracharya represent the highest truth of the Vedanta.

I am not the mind, nor the intellect, nor the ego (the sense of individuality or identity). 

I am neither the capability of hearing, nor the taste, nor the sense of smell, nor the capability of vision.
I am not the space, nor the earth, nor the fire, nor the air.
My nature is  Truth – Existence, Consciousness and Bliss – I am Shiva, I am Shiva. 

This is the highest state of existence – Aham Brahmaasmi.  Spiritual progress is all about expanding one’s sense of identity to cover everyone and everything around. This starts with feeling oneness with people around you, and gradually expands to cover all beings; and then continues to expand to cover the very concept of existence and consciousness. When one reaches that state, the ego or the sense of identity vanishes; the aspirant experiences oneness with Sat-Chit-Ananda. As stated by Adi Shankaracharya in Dakshinamoorti stotram – “Viswam darpana drusyamana nagari tulyam nijantargatam” – His sense of identity has expanded such that he sees the whole world within him, and what remains outside is only a reflection. Such a person has gone beyond Maya, or ignorance. 

This is not mere theory. The fact that this can be attained and experienced in human life has been proven and scientifically recorded in the life of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. That would be the subject of another blog post.

But as long as we retain the sense of individuality – the ahankaara, we cannot realize this state. Till that time we remain under the domain of Maya. Shiva is the highest spiritual concept, but remains external to our being. This allows the Puranas the freedom to describe Him eloquently. He is the Param Gyani, Param Yogi, and we pray to Him that one day we may realize our True Self. 

The all pervading Consciousness is everywhere, but there are certain places on earth where His presence is more strongly felt, even to the untrained mind. These form the spiritual nerve centers on earth. Mount Kailash has been recognized as a spiritual nerve center by four major ancient religions. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Taoism - all venerate this sacred land. 

Hindus hold Mt Kaliash as the abode of Lord Shiva – Devadhidev Mahadev, The Mayadheesh. He is Anaadi - Ananta – one without a beginning or end. He is Mrityunjaya – beyond death. He is Kaalateet - the Timeless one. He is Tridev – the Creator, The Preserver and The Destroyer. After each round of Pralaya comes new Creation. Time is his Creation - he is beyond Time. Space is his Creation – He is beyond Space.  Causation is His Creation – He is beyond causation. He is Advaita – the one without a second. As per the Puranas, Mt Kailash being His abode has His special Presence. 

Manasarovar is a high altitude lake described glowingly in the Puranas. It is said to be most sacred and pure, all the devi devatas come here daily for a bath.  Standing on the bank of this huge pristine blue lake with unceasing icy winds raising unending waves in the water, the beautiful symbolism of Yoga is inescapable. Manas - sarovar: the lake of the mind. Strong winds of vaasanaas or desires are raising continuous waves or vrittis in the mind. Kailashnath, the Lord, is always present next to it. But he is shrouded in clouds most of the time in such a way that his presence is completely concealed. His reflection can be realized in the sarovar of our mind only when the waves of vrittis cease. And it is possible only when He by His infinite Grace removes the clouds of Maya and reveals Himself.

Why does the devotee undertake all the hardships to reach this remote inaccessible spot in the midst of the himalayas? The whole journey is all about trying to get a better feel of the spiritual truths; to get a darshan of Lord Shiva, who sits as Antaryaami in the heart of our hearts; whom we, the jiva, find to be our true identity when the jiva reaches the highest state of spiritual existence. Tat Tvam Asi. Thou Are’t That.



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