As promised, visited “Vaishno Devi” Last, three days long weekend. Still can feel pain in legs and freshness in mind. It was my first visit and as always people take “more than enough” interest in your trip to make you excited/scary, especially when they have seen the place you goanna visit, I also encountered some of them. It was really making me scared to track on (14+2 + something more) *2, i.e. around 36 kilometers on the feet’s journey. But as they say…“Mata ne Bulaya Hai” thing happened to me perfectly and it came up a full fun filled and devotional trip.
Big Label - DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) pasted on the back side of our VOLVO bus extended our 14 hours calculated journey to 18 hours. It had some problem with battery but at least they had their TV in working condition and playing “GULAL”, yeah I m talking about Hindi bollywood movie. I guess battery was heating up of movie dialogues effects !!... A must LISTEN movie….somehow after embarrassing newly married couples sitting around , movie decided to reach “THE END” point and we decided to sleep. It was already 2 AM of Friday. But as you know divine law of struggle before glimpse of god (goddess in this case), a bunch of young collegians containing mixture of around 15 guys’ n gals started playing “ANTAKSHRI”. Starting 10 minutes were torture but after that it reminded others there college lives and we too started enjoying group songs by them, specially – “Ye Dosti Hum Nahi Chodenge”….really those were the days.
Finally all six of us reached KATRA around 3:30 PM and first thing we did was, secured tickets for returning and fortunately or unfortunately we got same service for back journey too. Wished either a decent movie played by them or absence of newly married couple at the seat before us. Booked hotel, had some rest, took bath, did some other things that are supposed to be done for good health, had lunch cum dinner and finally started climbing at 6:30 PM.
Really these are ever-lasting moments that made a special space in my memory. It would turn to be a book rather than a blog if I write all the things that are coming in my mind. Better if after placing first step on the way I directly come to last step and happenings in between can be summarized as I am trying to point out.
These are the things which made me to see at them differently :
- Queues and Check posts: Never saw these much queues and check posts in my life. Thank god my stomach favoured me otherwise it could be an embarrassing situation. Other question I kept asking my inner-self many times through out the climbing was …Do I look like thief ?...covering every 2-3 kms cops were making me to feel so…Jokes apart , I was feeling proud .Atleast at some places government gives you a sense of security……a feeling was growing in.
- Horses and Ponies: Its amazing experience to walk with horses that too when they are shitting all around. Either you save your life or play colors with colors given by them. Fragrance is still alive in my breaths …Haven’t you heard the old song …… “Humari Saanson mai aaj tak vo hina ki khusboo mahek rahi hai ”.
- Pilgrims : Salute to devoted pilgrims. Slogans echoing all around were giving a different energy to walk, that din’t let us feel the distance being covered. I saw people covering distance like reptiles, really hats off for them and their spirits.
- On the way Shops : Shops are big will booster’s.Everytime you pass on a shop a new melody of “Bhajan”, gives you a different color of the way. Though some were made on bollywood rythems like “Kajrare - Kajraare ” !!...also Rajma-Chawal served by them is awesome.
Finally after completing climbing in six hours and queuing up for two hours before BHAWAN (hours would be more appropriate unit of measurement for distance) we reached the place for which we have been waiting for, and got to touch forehead to holy statues. A true voice of “Jai Mata Di “ came from heart and long awaited thing got completed. Two hours rest n again movement to “Bahiro Nath” temple which is two kilometers from there started, completed it in two hrs and started rolling down at 4 AM in morning.
Experiencing all above and some more things which are not allowed to be part of a pilgrimage but are accepted to happen when you are accompanied with five more co-aged friends and all are playing their bachelor lives. My weakness, I can’t stop smiling at some odd situations, did same when saw people coming down getting there way completed. There walk was like worst than 2 years old kid who just have learned standing on his feet’s. But in accordance of Newton’s third law “Every action has Equal reaction”, I could see same smile on peoples face when I was trying to walk down !! .Dint try for “Garbh Gufa” (a cave with some spiritual beliefs) as it is believed that sinners can’t pass it through ..… ….Just kidding, couldn’t as it needed six more hours of wait and the word WAIT was impacting like slang at that moment.
So that was all how I spent close to six rounds of clock of my life.… n yeah as it happens, while coming back to Delhi we planned next trip to GOA...Lets see if it shapes up true….n one more thing while coming back bus guy played “Oye Lucky Lucky Oye” bt we had other married couple at that seat ....Wish came true :) !!
Lets wrap it up here.Many more things are striking my mind, otherwise I will start it again!!
"Jai Mata Di" once again , May god bless you all !!
--Love—
~Ami
No comments:
Post a Comment