Ram Dass visit Spring, 2007
Shivaya's Stories
Letter from India - Sept. 30, 2007
Letter from India - October, 2007
Letter from India - February 5, 2008
Letter from India - February 9, 2008
Letter from India - February 28, 2008
Trip to India
September 20, 2007
Dear Friends,
We finally made our way to Rishikesh, in the Himalyan foothills. The sacred River Ganga (Ganges) flows through the valley here, flanked by steep slopes of thick, lush foliage. Two famous walking bridges stretch across the river: the Ram Jhula, in the area where we are staying, and about 1km further upriver is the Lakshman Jhula, which is a more popular area with westerners.
On the one hand, the river seems much lower than we remember, and the ubiquitous monkeys have dwindled to a handful. (Thankfully, though, there are few mosquitoes, too!) There are more shops, hotels, and people than ever, and signs advertising condos and spas are everywhere.
On the other hand, the river is as serene and beautiful as ever, drawing us into a reflective, contemplative--and deeply appreciative--frame of mind.
And our friends tell us the river is higher than last year, when they watched dump trucks drive out into the middle of the riverbed to fill up with the exposed gravel!
We're staying at Omkarananda Ganga Sadan guest house, in a large third story room right on the river. For now, we are spending lots of time on the balcony, just watching the Ganga flow, observing the day-to-day life on the river, and taking in the surrounding beauty.
We are so happy and peaceful here that we have decided to skip the next portion of our planned itinerary. Rather than go to Brindavan now, we'll stay here in Rishikesh until early October when we go Kainchi, in the Kumoan hills, for the 9-day Durga Puja festival. But of course, that could change, too! We'll keep you posted.
In any case, we are happy and well in our digs here. Both healthy, no physical complaints. We are sleeping amazingly well, though our beds are wood platform boxes with 3 inch mattresses. Meals can be taken at our guest house, and are very healthy, clean, and delicious. Cost about $1.50 for rice and dal, vegetable dish, flat bread. Shivaya's Hindi is much better than he admits, and is getting us around very well. I'm having a blast reading the signs written in Devanagari script.
We'll try to check e-mail every few days, if possible, and will respond to any messages as soon as we get back to the internet cafe. We send you love and peaceful vibes, and blessings from Ganga Ma.
More to come...
So much love,
Uma and Shivaya
P.S. for the musicians: Here is a beautiful kirtan song to the Ganga that came drifting across the river over the loudspeakers from an ashram on the other side. I jotted it down in sargam notation so I wouldn't forget it. (low Ni, 4 beats per line) Hope it makes sense. Enjoy!
S - R - G - -
Gan - ge - Ma - -
G - G - MG / RG / S
Gan - ge - Ma / a / a
N -S - R - -
Gan - ge - Ma - -
P - P - PG / RG / S
Gan - ge - Ma / a / a
September 26, 2007
Dear Friends,
Here are some excerpts from the journal I've been keeping. I'll add to it as I am able, as we go along.
Pranams,
Uma
September 17
Today we walked across Ram Jhula bridge to Chotiwalla (a famous restaurant that has been here since 1958) for breakfast, then up the sadhu path along the river, to the ashram of Mustram Baba. Shivaya spent much time here with Mustram when he was alive. He showed me around--to Baba's kutir (hut), where he gave darshan, Baba's cave where he lived, and what used to be the "gufa" that Shivaya was given to live in when he came here. It was a rock ledge with a large overhang--sort of an open-sided cave. A rock wall has since been built up to the edge of the ledge. This is where Shivaya had darshan of Ganga Ma, the goddess of light rising up out of the river.
Shivaya bathed in the Ganga, and I waded. We hung out on the beach at the ashram for a couple of hours, very shanti. A young sadhu took us to Mustram Baba's samadhi temple, where his ashes are, and an adjoining puja room with a photo of the baba. I got photos of the cave, gufa, and puja room. We took a boat ride back across the river to our room.
The sun is slowly going down behind the mountains now, and the light casts a golden glow on the water and the ashrams and temples along the banks. Mantras are being chanted into a loudspeaker directly across the river from us.
As we arrived here yesterday, it was just before sundown, also. The Hanuman Chalisa was ringing out through the valley--a perfect welcome.
Ganga aratis at the various temples followed, little bowls filled with flowers, incense, and candles were launched from the ghats, floating downstram to the strains of melodious salutations to Ganga Ma.
September 19
We found Swami Dayananda's ashram yesterday. We arrived just after lunch, and everyone was sleeping!We sat by the Ganga a while, and went into the mandir (temple) there. Then on to Rishikesh town, to visit Shivaya's old friend, Subash. Sweet man, Maharajji devotee. Then lunch in an A/C restaurant, just to get out of the awful heat.
Next, a motor-rickshaw ride to the Neem Karoli Baba ashram and Hanuman temple. It was Tuesday, Hanuman's day, and they sing the Sundarakand (part of the Ramayana), followed by arati. We arrived a little after 4 pm, and 3 hours later the Sundarakand was still going! It was utterly hot, and we were dripping sweat--clothes sticking to us. We decided to leave just as the Sundarakand ended.
Throughout, as I sat in the temple, hundreds of people paraded through to have darshan of Hanumanji, some staying to join in the singing. So many, especially little kids and young people, checked me out--some sneaking a peek, others staring wide-eyed and unabashed. If I smiled or pranamed, they burst into giggles. (White lady with the super short haircut, I guess.)
At one point, I went outside to cool off, when the electricity went off and the fans in the temple stopped working. One young man came over to me and offered me prasad, and another man brought his little boy over to pranam to the "mataji." (Made me feel a little old, but flattered.)
Today it is cooler. The whole valley is filled with fog and mist. Very serene. Yesterday, it was filled with smoke, and I was a little concerned.
September 21
The fog is gone today--bright HOT sun by 7 am. We closed up the room, and will stay in today, doing our best to keep cool under the fan. So far so good.
Now, the mantras and pujas from ashrams across the river are in full glory. The loudspeakers start around 4 am each day, and go throughout the day, with a few short breaks. One particular ashram has pujaris with very loud, whiny voices. It was touching at first to hear the mantras all day, but now it has become a little tedious...
It all fades into the background, though, when I look up the valley and see Ganga Ma again, flowing, flowing, ceaselessly, tranquility emanating as she nourishes life and spirits throughout the land.
September 23
Finally, after 2 days of scorching heat, it was nice and cool this morning. And a wonderful thing has happened: the nonstop loudspeakers have stopped. Last night was completely quiet, and it was so peaceful sitting outside.
We finally left our room today. We had breakfast out, then walked the sadhu path in the other direction, toward Rishikesh town. We found a little clearing in the jungle, where 2 sadhus sat, smoking a chillum. We sat down with them for a while, as Langor monkeys jumped around in the trees above us. (Langors are the beautiful gray monkeys with black faces. Apparently, they tend to stay away from people, so you don't see them in the marketplace, like the impish yellow Rhesus monkeys.) Very shanti, sweet time. I felt another level of surrender--into the pace here, into the fact that I AM here, not to mention the fact that I was sitting in a jungle with real sadhus!
I was flashing back to the Indian temple we happened upon unexpectedly on our way to a wedding in Texas. It was an auspicious day, Ugadi, the new year and first day of spring. The priest gave a talk about how this is an auspicious year, and whatever we ask for with true devotion, we will get. I asked to come to India!! My prayer was profoundly answered...
Prev Next |
