The Himalayas, the mind-blowing marvel …!

At the Thriyugi Narayana temple, the ‘yagna’ fire, lit up for the wedding of Lord Siva with Parvathy is burning even today!

The temples on and around the Himalayas will remain closed for six months during winter. They are all opened on the day of Akshya thrithiyai in the Tamil month of Chithrai. The livelihood of the people living in towns around Kedarnath depends exclusively on the pilgrims and their needs. In that case, how do they manage during those six months in the winter when the temples remain closed? Those running tea shops and lodges will be idling in their houses with no work or income. Youngsters will go to places like Delhi and Hardwar and earn as daily coolies. They return to their home towns in April. I realized how safe and protected our lives are in our city. I thanked God for that.

We all slept with peaceful hearts the night after completing our Kedarnath trip. The previous day, the place, the stable etc. were a source of trouble and fear. But after our darshan of Kedarnath at such a height … the horses, the horsemen, the tea shops, the lodge etc. which helped us in our pilgrimage … they all became very close to our mind! The mind is a wonderful thing! We all slept well with the great feeling of being in a safe place. We got up leisurely around 7 a.m.

During this trip, we had to get up very early in the morning. Because everywhere it was mountainous path, the drivers had to drive with caution and avoid speed. So, they want to start very early. If we start earlier, we can reach the place at least before it is dark. On the next day of Kedarnath visit, we leisurely finished our work including washing of clothes, eating breakfast etc. Then, we started for Gowrigund to see the hot water springs. The snow at the peaks melts, flows as river; the hot water springs out at various places wherever rivers flow, thanks to the wonderful nature! Though there are people who offer scientific explanation for these hot springs, as far as we are concerned, the springs are the gifts of God. Mandakini River originates from this mountainous path. There is a temple for Goddess Parvathy near the Gowrigund hot spring. The feeling of joy we experienced when we bathed in that spring is beyond description. We reached Rampur by walk and in some places by vehicle. On the way, we were captivated by the enthralling beauty of the majestic hills, the changing color of the Himalayas due to sunlight, the soft and rhythmic noise of the flowing Mandakini River etc.