Tattva

This is the second of a 3-part series on Sowmya Ranganathan’s Kailash Yatra, a journey that was a life-changing experience for her. She was 15 years old at the time that she embarked on this 18-day yatra. Below, Sowmya shares her diary account of the pilgrimage. To read Part 1, please visit http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2008/05/kailash-yatra/

DAY 6
We were to stay in Nyalam this day. We did not have the facility to have a shower. The water was freezing cold in the taps but we could get hot water for brushing teeth. All we had to do was familiarize ourselves with our new environment.

DAY 7
The roads on the Nyalam-Saga stretch were definitely the worst and this doubled the strain and tedium we felt. We started from Nyalam at 6 00 am (IST). The drive was very long and consisted of infinite ups and downs. It felt like the wildest roller-coaster ride I could imagine. The roads are quite narrow and the drivers must have 100% control over the vehicles. If he loses concentration for one millisecond, then God help us.  On the way to Saga, we crossed Pikutso lake. A little later, we saw an amazing landscape around us. We were standing on desert sand with absolutely no sign of greenery. A little ahead of us was a river flowing in full rage and beyond that was a complete range of snow-capped mountains. Just before reaching Saga, we crossed Brahmaputra river. After crossing the recently built bridge, we stopped and went down to the river. We quickly came back and continued journey. In Saga, we were to stay in the Post Hotel. Here the toilets were only ground dug pits and they were not clean. However, there was a five star hotel nearby and we booked a room for the night, mainly because we were badly in need of a shower.

DAY 8
The road from Saga to Paryang is better than that from Nyalam to Saga. We started journey at 6 55 am IST. The distance to be covered was only about 185 km but there were 15 minute halts every 1 or 2 hours and these slowed down our progress. Our tyre got punctured on the way. We finally reached Paryang (altitude 15000 ft) at 3 00 pm IST. We lodged at Tashi Hotel. It was very comfortable except for the toilets, but here we had no other alternative. All the buildings were actually mud houses. It was quite cold at night.

DAY 9
We were at last headed for Manasarovar. We could not sight the lake or the mountain for a long time. At about 3 30 pm, we climbed a small plateau and we finally had Darshan of the sacred lake. However, Kailash was well hidden behind the clouds and we did not get to see it. As soon as we got out of our vehicle, we did sashtanga namaskaram to the holy mount and lake. Some people got so emotional they started crying. The place was completely quiet and the whole atmosphere was serene. It was actually quite sunny. For a long time, we were trying to figure out where Kailash was but we finally gave up. Then, all our eyes were on the lake. It was massive and I could feel a certain divinity about it. We then proceeded in our vehicles to the banks of the lake. We were to camp here. From where we stood, to the right was Kailash and to the left was Mandata Parvat (where Ganesh and Skanda were given birth to). At 4 0’ clock we reached Manasarovar and immediately, some people went for a bath. The tents ( accommodating two people each) were pitched. We were a bit cramped inside the tent. We slept in our sleeping bags. For many, me included, this was the first time in their lives.

DAY 10
After a dip in the lake, I sat for the Rudra Homam. As yet, we had not gotten Darshan of Kailash. Most of us were quite disappointed. After the Homam, we went for our lunch. Following lunch, we immediately started for our Parikrama (Pradakshinam) of Manasarovar. The distance covered by the vehicles is nearly 80 km. About 5 minutes after we started, the clouds around Kailash suddenly cleared and lo behold! What a sight! Mt Kailash stood right in front of us and we were taken by surprise. The scene now seemed to be complete. Seeing Kailash and Manasarovar together sent a thrill through my veins. We crossed several streams during the Manasarovar Parikrama and we stopped and collected a few small pebbles ( called ‘murthams’) as souvenirs. These are said to be ancient sages who attained the boon to be at Kailash forever; even today, they are supposed to be chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ all the time within themselves. We passed ‘ Rakshas Sthal’ during the Parikrama. It is a local belief that one should never stop at this place. Unfortunately, all the passengers in my vehicle had fallen asleep and I did not get to see it. After the circumambulation, we proceeded directly to Darchen. From here, we got our closest yet darshan of Kailash. The formation of snow on the black mountain was in such a way that it looked liked a person doing penance with closed eyes! I just did not have the heart to take my eyes off the mount. At Darchen, accommodation was positively the best we had had as yet. It was about 5 o’ clock when we reached there.

In the evening, we packed essential items like medicines, dry fruits and energy bars in our back-packs in preparation for the Kailash Parikrama starting the next day. During the Parikrama, the weather is extremely unpredictable. It could be scorching hot, rainy, snowy, cloudy and sometimes it can even hail all in a day’s time. There is no shelter you can expect during the walk. So it is necessary that you have a rain coat or water-proof trousers, just to be on the safe side. Horses and porters are available and they can be booked in advance, if necessity arises. Of the 28 people who left from Chennai, 17 people could do the Parikrama. Of these 17 yatris, only 5 opted for a horse while all others desired to complete it by walk. But, the Parikrama cannot be completed solely upon the horse. There are places where the path is so rugged that the horse absolutely cannot carry a passenger. So, any yatri undertaking the Parikrama should have 100% confidence in their physical fitness. The distance covered by foot is 52 km. Normally, 52 km in three days is not a very big deal, but the fact that we reach an altitude of 19,500 ft from 15000 ft on foot makes the trek quite challenging. This is enhanced by the fact that we have to face all kinds of hostile weather conditions; the lack of oxygen only makes things harder.

I am sure all the yatris who were undertaking the Parikrama  from our group were perfectly aware of what awaited them at this stage. To be honest, what kept us all going was only determination to complete the Parikrama and devotion to the Lord. That night before going to sleep, I shut my eyes and I pictured mount Kailash. It was unbelievable- we had finally got Darshan of the abode of God.

DAY 11
At 8.00 a.m IST we left the hotel. We were driven in our vehicles to the starting point of the Parikrama where we met our porters, horses etc. In the morning the sky was absolutely clear and we had beautiful darshan of Kailash. I decided to do the Parikrama by walk. As soon as we started, there was a small hill and I found this first climb difficult. The first day’s route consisted of numerous ups and downs that were not very steep. Overall, I felt it was good preparation for the next day’s rigorous trekking. During the walk, I saw a Tibetan doing their version of Parikrama, called the ‘ kora’. They follow the same route and the amazing fact is that they cover the whole distance by sashtanga namaskaram! Throughout the day’s trek, we had constant darshan of the mount on our right-hand side. We covered 18 km of the 52 km on this day. We camped at DeraPuk that night. A bed in a mud house for 40 Yuan was available for the night and most of us opted for these.

Sowmya Ranganathan is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo, Canada. She can be contacted at rsowmya90@gmail.com. This was the second of a 3-part series on her Kailash Yatra. Please be on the lookout for Part 3 in the next issue of Tattva.

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