From Sunrise At Kunjapuri to Sunset With Ganga Aarti!

I woke up at 4:30am and by 5am, a cab was waiting to take me to the Kunjapuri temple. Situated at a height of 1920 feet and 25 kms away from Rishikesh, I had heard that it offers a spectacular view of the mountains around, especially during sunrise. 

So we set off, with the stars above and the stillnes of the dark night around. Save for a few trucks, there was hardly any traffic on the roads, and we had a smooth drive up the mountains. It was pitch dark when we started but by the time we got to Kunjapuri, the first rays of the sun had lighted up the sky and the last few kilometeres offered breathtaking views of the mountains rising above and the plains below, with the Ganga snaking through it. The cabbie had been playing some really nice devotional music throughout and I felt completely at peace as I took in the views. 

When we got to Kunjapuri, it was cold with a strong, chilly breeze and I had to brave a really long flight of stairs before I could get to the temple. Especially with the altitude and the cold, I found that not an easy task. But once up at the temple, the breathlessness from the exertion made way to breathlessness seeing the gorgeous backdrop of the quaint, serene temple. The only sounds that accompanied the beautiful sight were that of the breeze, chirping of a hundred birds and the gong of the temple bell that reverberated across as I struck it. 

I realized that I was the first visitor for the day. It was just me, a couple of priests and what seemed like their families on top. So in a way I had the whole temple to myself and I prayed to my mind's content. I had picked up a puja thali (plate) with offerings for the Goddess and once the priest took all offerings, he replaced it with a coconut and packets of puffed rice and sugar balls as prasad. As I walked out of the shrine, a darling little dog started following me, clearly for the eatables on my puja plate. I opened up the packet of the puffed rice and gave it to him, but he politely declined it and continued to follow me hopefully. Then I realized I had a dog with a sweet tooth on hand and what he really wanted were the sugar balls. So I gave those to him which he eagerly lapped up, after which he unceremoniously stopped following me. 

I kept walking around the temple, taking in the views in all directions, and soon there it was - a huge red ball of the sun rising up from beyond the mountains. It was the sunrise I had so badly wanted to see. But when it started to happen, instead of watching it, I wanted to close my eyes, while allowing the warm rays to fall upon me. 

I sat on a metal bench facing the sun, watching it rise, meditating and chanting in turns. At one point in time, while I had my eyes closed, I felt a movement next to me. I opened my eyes to see a baby monkey stealing off some of the leftover puffed rice on my puja plate! As soon as he saw me watching, the naughty little thing ran away. So I left the plate on the bench, got up and stood a short distance away and continued enjoying the sunrise and chanting. After I was done, I walked back to the bench and sure enough, the plate was now completely empty without even a grain of rice left in it. The little one had done his job well. 

After spending a good hour in the peace and quiet of the temple and making friends with two little kids who helped me break the coconut prasad, I walked back down the stairs. Half way down there was a "Maggi Cafe" where I helped myself to a cup of refreshing masala tea and then it was time for the drive back. Now with the sun completely up and the skies fully lit up, the drive offered a different view and I enjoyed it thoroughly, wanting it to never end. 

Back at the resort, it was time for my morning routine of yoga class, breakfast and shower and a short walk to the Lakshman Jhula and back. By the time I was back, I was completely exhausted from the early morning rise, the climbing of stairs and all the walking and I collapsed into my bed and napped right away. 

I woke up just in time for the afternoon yoga class, which thankfully wasn't too strenuous. After two rounds of sun salutations on each side, he made us do different kinds of pranayama or breathing exercises and also got us to meditate. 

And then I set off once again, this time for the Ganga Aarti. Different ashrams and temples around Rishikesh hold evening prayers to the holy river Ganga and the biggest prayer in Rishikesh is held at the Paramartha Ashram. The hotel arranged for an auto-rickshaw to take me there. From where the rickshaw dropped me, it was another flight of stairs and a walk of about 750 mts, which including walking through the Ram Jhula (the other long hanging bridge of Rishikesh), alleys of shops, temples and ashrams - all of which were alive and vibrant with pilgrims and tourists and yoga enthusiasts. I loved the energy! 

At the beautiful Paramartha Ashram, the bhajans preceeding the Aarti had already begun and I joined the big group that had gathered along Ganga's shore. Again, I meditated as they sang, and then once I was done, watched the sun set beyond the river. Soon the Aarti began and several big lamps were being swung in a circular motion in respect of the holy river. It was a fascinating sight but I have to say that I was a bit taken aback by how much of it was "touristy" vs. spiritual. Even though many folks seemed to focus on the prayers, the vast majority, including a few sadhus and people donning the orange robes, were more interested in taking selfies or posing with the aarti lamps. I wished I was in a pre-camera era when the atmosphere would have been so different and I do think they should be banning videography and photography in those premises.  

I was also heartbroken to realize that the huge Shiva statue that graced the waters in that spot before, had been washed off in last year's floods. I was really looking forward to seeing that utterly magnificent statue and had no idea it was no longer there. I believe the guy who passed on this information saw the heavy disappointment on my face, so he helpfully told me that, if I walk down all the way to the other end of the Paramartha Ashram, I can see two other white Mahadeva (Shiva) statues. I thought, might as well. So I walked in to the ashram in search of the statues, and I didn't see two but many more. They had a few really, really amazing statues of the Mahadeva in various Thandava (dance) postures. They were spectacular. I also saw the two white ones the guys had mentioned and at the end of it all, felt a little better and less disappointed. 

By the way, I must also mention that I am really enjoying speaking Hindi here. I had picked up conversational Hindi in college from my future husband and our friends and this is the first time I am really use it left, right and centre. So when I hear new words which I have only learnt in school but never really used before, I feel excited! When the guy was explaining where I would find the Mahadeva statue, he said I had to walk across the "Bageecha" (garden) and I was so amused because the last time I had heard that word was in some story in class five or so! So I did walk through the bageecha and not only find the statues, but also saw a few people scattered across, practicing their yoga in the bageecha. Gosh, I love this place! 

Soon I walked back the whole way - through the bageecha, out of the ashram, through the shops and alleys and temples (where there were more aartis happening and prayers and chants and gongs were vibrating all across the area), across the Ram Jhula, up the flight of stairs, finally to an auto rickshaw that was waiting for me. The temperature had dropped significantly and there was a chilly wind blowing, and even as I sat in the rickety auto rickshaw that made it a point to jump over every gutter and pothole (and there were plenty of them), I couldn't feel happier. 

By the time I got back to the hotel, I was ready to drop from exhaustion but I first ordered myself some more masala chai and some hot kichdi and then got hooked on to my Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni book again (it's called "Oleander Girl, by the way). I went to bed only past midnight after I successfully finished ready it. I have lapped up three books so far on this trip! 

Another wonderful day comes to an end. 

Vasishtha Cave, Ganga, German Bakery & Retirement!

After yet another challenging yet refreshing yoga class in the morning, followed by a shower and breakfast, I set out on my first expedition out of Rishikesh - to the Vasishtha cave. The hotel had arranged for a cab to take me there and I loved the drive that was along the Ganges throughout. Every turn in the road offered more and more picturesque views of the mountains and the river cutting through it in a gorge below. The weather was perfect too - the skies were clouded, hiding away the strong sun, and there was a slight drizzle that brought down the temperature significantly.

I also enjoyed reading the various signboards warning against overspeeding of vehicles. There were the usual "Speed thrills but kills" ones, to more innovative "Licence to drive, not fly", to some stuff which I totally didn't get like "I am the mountain serpent (pahadi nagin), be careful with me"?!, to my most favourite one - the very straightforward, the no-nonsense  "No need to speed". OK then. 

In a way, I didn't want the drive to end but when it did, I was pleased that it was in a remote area with pretty much zero other tourists. I had expected the Vasishtha cave - an auspicious cave which is believed to have been where Sage Vaishtha meditated thousands of years ago - to be crowded. But when the car stopped at the entrance to the ashram which housed the cave, I saw no one else around. 

From the main entrance where the car was parked, it was a steep walk downhill, made harder by the rain that persisted. Thankfully the hotel manager had thrusted an umbrella into my hands just as I was about to get into the cab, and even though many of its wires were broken and it looked like some modern artistic sculpture with no identifiable shape, it did help to keep me dry as I walked down. 

There was the ashram on one side and a really tiny temple in front, which I realized was the entrance to the cave. I took off my shoes and stepped into pitch darkness. I had been informed that it is about 30 feet deep, so I walked in trying to make my way in the darkness, and was a bit startled when I realized there were fellow humans popping up along the walls of the cave. As my eyes adjusted a bit better to the darkness, I saw about 6-7 people sitting on either sides of the cave meditating. The cave ended in a tiny shrine with a shiva linga. With the help of the little lamp in front of the linga, I found an empty spot on the floor in between a friendly Indian lady who smiled at me and a totally unfriendly Indian uncle who looks terrible annoyed with me. 

I sat down on that spot and meditated for a while. The only thing that seemed to break the pin drop of silence of that holy atmosphere was the sound of breathing of the few of us in there. It was just the perfect set up for meditation and I made good use of it. At one point in time, the priest of the temple came by, stood outside the cave but facing in, sang a beautiful prayer and did the puja and walked away. That was a very different experience - usually they are always turned away from you, looking towards the deity as they do the prayers. This was the first time I got to be in that zone between the priest and the deity with the chanting and the glow from the fires of the arati flying by right across me. Wonderful experience! 

Once I had my fill of meditation and silent mantra chanting, I walked out and noticed that there was a path from that cave that led to the Ganga just a little distance. So I walked down to the river and just as I stepped outside the compound of the ashram, I was blown away by the beauty around! There was the might Ganga roaring away right in front with a beautiful sandy beach that leads up to it and  magnificent hills forming the backdrop. It was continuing to drizzle, but it was my first time at such close quarters with the river - till now I have only been looking at from a distant height - so I took off my shoes and stepped into its chilly waters, cupped a handful of the water considered holy and sprinkled it on my head and for a very long time, just stood there taking in the beauty. The best part was that I was the only there - no fellow camera wielding tourists or pilgrims around. It was just me, the Ganga and the mountains! 

After I got back to the hotel, I stepped out again immediately, this time to the market near Lakshman Jhula. I had noticed a few shops with in house tailors and I used the opportunity to get a few pants that were on sale to be re-stitched the way I want them . They were only too happy to oblige and didn't even charge me anything extra! As I waited for the tailors to do their job, I decided to have lunch at the "German Bakery & Cafe". This place is perched on the second floor of a building right next to the lakshman jhula with possible the best view in the area and every time I wanted to go there, it seemed to be over crowded. But this time I was lucky and I got myself a nice "window seat" and read my book as I had my fill of "Chilli Paneer" and Masala Chai. The chai was great and the food was average, but the view was spectacular and the constant din created by the monkeys that played around on the tin sheets right above, added to the experience! 

I was exhausted by the time I got back - the yoga followed by the walk up and down to the cave and then again the walk up and down to market really tired me out, and I took a nap before the second yoga class for the day. The second class ended up being a private one for just me, because my two fellow yoginis got caught up somewhere else and couldn't get back on time. I enjoyed the class (as always!) and treated myself to a glass of sweet fresh lime soda and my book right after. 

I took the rest of the evening easy - just reading, catching up with the hubby, parents, in laws, film crew etc. via whatsapp and generally giving my sore muscles some rest. I managed to finish my Vikramaditya book which I quite enjoyed (even though I have to say that I am rather annoyed with this nonsense trilogy trend - hate a story being incomplete in one book!) and started on my Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni book, which also looks promising so far! 

Thus, yet another day in Rishikesh came to an end and am already at the half way point of this retreat, the thought of which is kinda heartbreaking. The good news is that this place has been shortlisted to be in my "retirement location" options. I have had the good fortune of travelling quite a bit around the world but I think this combination works best for me so far - it is in India and hence affordable, I like the weather so far (even though I need to come back in winter and see how it would be like) and with the thousands of yoga training centres, ashrams and temples there is much to do for a retiree. It is interesting because I had been strangely drawn to Rishikesh even in my first very short visit here, about 20 years ago. We had come on a day's trip from Delhi and covered Rishikesh, Haridwar, Agra and Vrindavan. And Rishikesh was the only place I wanted to go back to. Haridwar is only 27kms from here and I could go there if I wanted to, but I really have no inclination. 

So yes, there is something that connects me to this place and I want to come back again, but for now I am happy that I got this opportunity to be right here, right now. 

Days 223 - 226: Shot Breakdowns, Meditation, Perfect Days & Birthday Celebrations!

Jumping right onto the highlights:

a) The little one, for the first time ever, slept for eight hours straight at night! Woooohooooo! OK, it was just a one time phenomenon and was promptly not repeated afterwards, but just the fact that it happened for one day made me feel super duper awesome! It feels like we are at the cusp of a new beginning... one where I get to sleep through the night, wake up with a ton of energy, and ultimately get to do a lot more than I do right now! Can't wait!

b) I have started writing the shot breakdowns for "Aravindum Aarumughamum" and have completed about 40% so far! Am writing shot breakdowns after a gap of two whole years and it feels great! Honestly, it is not easy to find some focused time after work, time with the little one and maybe even a short workout, but it's progressing well so far and I am very excited! More so because from a direction standpoint, this film would be the most challenging I have done till date. That is making me nervous yet super thrilled!

c) I have restarted on my effort to meditate. For some reason, I simply don't have the discipline to make meditation into a routine. It's quite a pity really, because there is no denying the wonders it can help achieve. I have tried time and again to make it a habit but have failed. Still, there is no harm in trying again. So yes, I have done it for a couple of days in a row and I am loving it so far!

d) I had the Perfect day. By "Perfect", I mean a day where I got a lot done at work, played with the little one in the evening, exercised, completed the shot breakdowns for one of the scenes from "Aravindum Aarumughamum" and ended the day with a 10-minute meditation! So basically work, family, health, passion, and spirituality. It can't get more perfect than that!

e) Last but not the least, the hubby and I celebrate our birthday together tomorrow. Since we will be at the airport to start on our vacation tomorrow evening, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice birthday dinner today evening. So we headed to the fancy French restaurant Le Bistrot Du Sommelier  and gorged ourselves, while continuously wishing each other a very Happy Birthday whenever our mouths were not busy munching on the food. It was our own little private birthday celebration and I loved it!

Now for our first big fat vacation with just the three of us, tomorrow!

Day 86: A Different Holi!

I have hardly celebrated Holi in the past. My one and only proper celebration was a few years ago at the hubby's place in Kanpur. Then I played it the way it was meant to be played and had a ball. But we don't really celebrate it here in Singapore except for some prayers at home and applying a little bit of colour on each other.

This year, it was the little one's first Holi and it started off with... well... a doctor's appointment to get her vaccination. So early in the morning the three of us set off to the doctor's. After the brief unpleasantness during the injection, she was back to her normal self....so she and I, together with our helper Lakshmi (who, by the way, is fantastic and deserves a few posts dedicated to her!), set off to meet Mata Amritanandamayi who is in town. After waiting for 3.5 hours, we managed to get a darshan (a meeting) with her. The hubby too, who had left for his office, also managed to reach just in time for darshan. Thus, we managed to get the blessings of our spiritual guru on the day of Holi, which was fantastic.

Back at home, we had a small prayer, and put a little bit of colour on each other, as well as on the little one.


So yes, it was a different kinda Holi celebration, beautiful nevertheless!