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The
Himalayas,venerated as the abode of the Enlightened, have been a
destination of great significance for spiritual seekers across the
world
With the grace and
guidance of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Isha Foundation conducts the
Dhyan Yatra Program every year, taking participants on a pilgrimage
through the sacred Himalayas.
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So far, so spiritual!
A party of nearly 200 Isha meditators assembled at Kailash Gate in Delhi....and were assigned to their buses. A 'Magical Mystical School Trip' vibe filled the air!
This was not a trip I would fancy embarking by myself due to the terrifying Himalayan mountain roads! Every day meant long hours snaking around those treacherous bends at reasurringly modest speeds. Sheer vertigo-inducing drops could be witnessed for those lucky (?) window-seaters and it was all I could do to keep my imagination at bay!! Thankfully the driving crew have been repeatedly booked for each of the 15 years or so the Yatra has been staged and this was a massive help at relaxing our concerns.
Bus journeys themselves were fun! Singing, chanting, storytelling ,seat-hopping and snacking abounded.....we were encouraged to change seats on each bus journey which kept it interesting and sociable.
Haridwar.
Our first stop ......we stayed a couple of days as some participants were being initiated into the Shambhavi/Inner Engineering, which is the foundational Isha course and prerequisite for joining the Yatra. I loved this hotel with the huge central courtyard incorporating a temple and here we ate and had our gatherings. Plenty of time for sightseeing and dipping in Ganga, which we had opportunity to repeat at multiple destinations on this Yatra. Here the waters flow extremely fast!! I did not venture too far from the 'chain' and failed abysmally to swim across the short channel :(
Badrinath.
But, y'know, Haridwar is the foothills of Himalayas. The business end of our trip skyrocketed for me as we arrived in Badrinath. The approach to Badrinath was spellbindingly beautiful...jawdropping scenes and energies flooded the bus. As I recall we arrived at dusk so after supper a small party of us stepped out into the mountain air to visit the temple. It was closed but lovely to behold in the crisp moonlight and Himalayan high altitude ambiance! We ret
urned early morning for Darshan. Definately make the effort to arrive at dawn as the crowds generate so quickly. That is, after you have seen the first rays of sunshine light up the Neelkanth Parbat and taken a 3-minute dip in the hot springs next to the temple.
Kedarnath.
For me this was the centrepiece of the trip.....the slightly daunting uphill 15km trek to the abode of Shiva...but such challenges only serve to enhance the experience. We had our mantra to accompany us. Having grown up without a car in my family, my only notion of walking long distances it to set out fast and just keep going with no let-up, no seated rest or heavy snacking, get it over and done with, so to speak! This was an approach which served me well as to my astonishment I was first in out party to arrive (after the caterers of course who spookily were always the last to leave a place and the first to arrive at the next destination).
Kedarnath is even more overwhelming than Badrinath. My memories of the powers unleashed there will remain with me for a very long time. All I can say is they have to be experienced.....the temple is very powerfully consecrated. Fierce naga babas abound, so don't even think of waving your camera near them unless you can pay the tax! Oh, and if I've put you off because of the trek, don't worry, you can approach by horseback (save your legs and get a sore bottom instead). Definately bring a sleeping bag for Kedarnath!
Naturally we had to trek the 15km back to 'civilisation' but one of the strange hallmarks of this pilgrimage is that we would endure, assimilate and then release aches and pains and always find reserves of energy when necessary. There was never a situation where participants had to bail or held up proceedings in a significant fashion...and this in an area where flexibility is key, due to the very real chance of landslides, freak rain and unpredictable weather patterns etc
Lots more to say about Kedarnath which I will cover in another post.
Guptakashi.
Uttarkashi.
Before we knew it we were half-way through our pilgrimage. Guptakashi is an unassuming market town but one that holds special mystical significance for Isha meditators as it is a place where our guru, Sadghuru, has “layed many eggs.”
Uttarkashi also has a very powerful Shiva temple which has been consecrated very powerfully and said to date back 5000 years!! Unbelievable. We took full advantage of the energies with temple trips, group meditations and satsangs at every turn.
Gangotri.
The very source of the Ganges
It's a slightly more arduous trek than the one at Kedarnath but no horses ferrying this route meant one doesn't have to swerve past the horses or sidestep their dung at every step!! And how lucky were we with the weather!? Gangotri has banned all hawkers, tinkers, tailors and spies. You would be amazed to learn it is a 10 km trek with no possibility of dosa or Thums Up. Just man, woman and nature journeying together to approach the source of the mighty Ganga. It's a beautiful thing. Sunny temperature but crisp air, the altitude only registered on the very last 4km, but first we would break our trek for base camp at Bhojasa, and go camping!!!! I will write about Gaumukh and Gangotri another time, but suffice to say it was the most perfect way to start winding up our pilgrimage through the Garwhals.
Rishikesh.
Rishi feels like my old stomping ground as I have spent many visits here before. So this was a great way to wind down the Yatra showing my new friends around and acclimatizing to the plains!
Summary
I had considered visiting many of these places independently but was glad I joined the Yantra. Apart from being more fun, so many of the hassles I would have to have encountered by independent travelling were eliminated by virtue of the fact the Yantra is a well-oiled machine. The distances involved and the difficulty of the terrain make joining an organised trip a no-brainer.
With Isha of course the whole experience is overseen and infused by Sadhguru, the live guru that powerfully guides and links us to the sacred energies so we may experience the mystical dimensions in a direct fashion, bringing the myths and legends out of the manuscripts and into the here-and-now. And you can't put a price on that.
For more information on the Isha Dhyan Yatra click HERE.
