When I was in Haridwar – Part 3

Today again, we woke-up by the same mantras and devotional music. Today we decided to go for Rishikesh. The Yoga Capital of the world. We went to taxi stand. All Taxi guys were charging heavy amount so we thought to go by other transport but meanwhile we searched an old taxi guy with nominal price. We hired him and kicked-off for Rishikesh. Rishikesh is 2-3 hours journey from Haridwar. Road was pretty good and driver himself was a nice fellow who seems bit unhappy with the politicians. He said – Sir !!! If our politicians would become good, our state will be automatically good state. All these mismanagement you are looking is just because of politicians. Nobody is here who have time to listen our problems. Actually, He was right so we were moving our head into yes.

We reached Raishikesh with his non-stop chating.  He dropped us bit far from Laxman Jhoola and said – I cannot go ahead. You can roam around then back to Ram Jhoola where I will pick you up, and then he moved. After a short walk Laxman Jhoola, iron suspension bridge constructed in 1939, was in front of my eyes. Yet again, many childhood memories knocked my mind. Laxman Jhoola was the place where I did lots fun in my childhood but now the bridge was not busy like those days because one more bridge called Ram Jhoola has constructed. Only few foreigners and sadhus (Hermits) were strolling there. Though the Ganga was cover up with the layer of fog but still the scenario of Ganga was very spectacular from here. Huge Daksheshwar Temple was also shining below the bridge. We stood there and enjoyed cold breeze, which calmed us from sweltering heat. When I used to come here in my childhood, bridge swung little fast but now it was not swinging like those days. After strolling on bridge, we decided to go to Geeta Ashram, which is near to Ram Jhoola.

When we were moving to Geeta Ashram, we saw Dhaba so thought to have breakfast. There we met with some local guys. We ordered for smaosa and chai.  One guy ask - where from you are ?  I said – We too belong to Uttarakhand. Don’t know what happened to him, he directly said with angriness – uuuhh Uttarakhand. We were happy in Uttar Pradesh. In Uttarakhand, we don’t have employment but Politicians’ Red Light Cars are increasing which runs all the time with irritating siren. God knows what they do but our problems are still there and can you imagine in interior areas, tradition of liquor is escalating day by day. Meanwhile Dhaba wala brought us tea and samosa. We had our breakfast with those local guys and moved to Geeta Ashram. Though taxi services were also available in seat sharing basis but as it was only 2 km. so we preferred walk.

Here I found many foreigners behaving like Indian sadhus. They came here in search of peace and inner pleasure, which at least I could not found anywhere. It was morning and people were busy in doing their daily work like yoga in the bank of Ganga, Some were taking holy dip in Ganga. Baggers and painted sadhus were asking for money. Some national-international devotees were out of this world. They don’t need anything; some of them were smoking as we came to know is Ganja. On this road many Ashrams can be seen, where devotees, many of them are foreigners, goes to seek out peace and learn yoga, Meditation.  After half an hour, we were at Swargashram, just before Geeta Ashram. Bengali, tourists were strolling inside and were busy taking pictures.

From Swargashram we moved to Geeta Ashram. Here again Sadhus, most of them were foreigners, were busy with smoking as far as I concern was Ganja. Well we went inside for a while and then back. Ram Jhoola was just in front of Geeta Ashram, which was engaged with lots activities. Well we spend some time here and then took a narrow path, where many huge and small temples had situated. One more thing, which again seeks my attention, was dirt. Between those small and big temples lots restaurants and other shops were also available. I saw Chotiwal restaurant, Haridwar's famous restaurant, once they used serve food in dry leaves plate (Pattal) but now it has changed so I had no craze for this restaurant like that time I had but the statue of Chotiwala, who were carrying BHOJANTHAAL (Plate of food), was very interesting.  When we were striding along with Ganga Ghat, one White stone Shiva statue attracted me a lot.

In Rishikesh, Ganga seems in a different mood. Here Ganga was more calm and more wider then Haridwar. It was good experience to see Ganga in this mood. Some water games were also going on there. We wandered in Ghat for a while and then back to other end of Ram Jhoola, where our taxi driver was waiting for us. By that time temperature became hot and heat strokes were very fast. On the way to Haridwar, our driver told us about Jain temple. Though, temple was new but the architect of temple was quite attractive and elegant. When we entered in the temple, a lady, who wore a Jain dress, told us in a very loving way – don’t take pictures inside but you can take pictures outside. We strolled and after taking some pictures, we came back.

After half an hour later, we were at Haridwar taxi stand. We asked driver for good restaurant. He told us one restaurant, which was neat and clean with some wood benches and tables. We ordered for lunch and within 20 mints, we were delighting by simple and tasty food.  Same time we decided that we will come here for dinner again.

After lunch, we moved to hotel through the market. This market was sweet market and shops stuffed with many fresh and mouth-watering sweets. One shop attracted me a lot because of the bell he hung in front of his shop. He was pulling it and saying – Aaiye Prabhu ! Seva Ka Avasr Dijiye. (God ! Please come, give me a chance for service). We thought, if somebody is calling then we must go and give him chance to serve us…so we entered the shop and ordered one plate Gulab Jamun.  He brought Gulab Jmun in dona (dry leaves bowl). Gulab Jamun was damn yummy but I was impressed by the way he served Gulab Jamun. At least something is still alive somewhere. On this note, we ordered one more plate of Gulab Jamun. In roasting heat we had only one option to back to hotel. So we turned to our room through this long delicious market…

Continue…

When I Was In Haridwar - Part 2

After little rest, we set-off for the Har-Ki Pauri for Arti Ceremony. Har Ki Pauri means Steps for Lord Shiva. Every evening Pandas (priests) of Haridwar performs Ganga Arti at the Ghat, bank of river Ganga, to welcome this holy river into the plain of India. Watching this spectacular ceremony can be a lifetime experience for anybody. Well Arti time was 7 P.M. so we were strolling on the Ghat. These Ghats were not new place for me… after 12 years back I was again here but now the things has been changed… Ghats had reconstructed and some more bridges have taken place on the river…

Ghat was bustling with lots activities. Devotees were gathering at the Ghat for Arti ceremony. Other sorts of activities were also taking place there. Hawkers were buzy to sell their stuff like flowers, Plastic sheets, Diya (wick Lamp), Sindur (Red Colour) and so many other things, which could use for Arti... Men who were in blue dress were roaming around to collect money, which used for the Arti ceremony. Baggers and sadhus (hermits) were also asking for money from the devotees…

We crossed Ghat through the bridge and went to the opposite site of Har-Ki-Pauri to see the complete view of Arti…Arti was about to start and everybody got buzy to search a good place. We also searched place for us. Eventually ceremony starts. Devotional song was blearing on speaker and pandas were swinging huge lamps around Ganga… Everybody was enjoying the ceremony and suddenly people stood by their place and we couldn’t see anything…now we were just listing but the atmosphere was utterly devotional that time.

After Arti we strolled in Ghat for a while and then set on the stairs of Ghat, our feet dipped in glacial water of Ganga. We almost spent one hour with great relaxation. Though it was peak of summer but the breeze coming through the Ganga was making it very pleasant. This time Ghat was still bursting with of lots of activity. Everyone was busy with their jobs.  Then we moved to market, which was near to Ghat. We found a restaurant and had dinner. We were badly exhausted so back to hotel and slept soon…

Next Morning we woke-up by the mantras and devotional music, which were blaring into Market in praise of Ganga. I think these songs go on 24x7. I still remember some of them – Ganga tera pani amrit….Mano to mai ganga ma hu, na mano to bahta pani…Ganga maiya mai jub tak ke pani rahe, mere sajana teri zindgani rahe etc etc…

 Today we start our day from Kusha Gaht, which was another Ghat near to Har ki Pauri. When we reached there so many pandas (priest) came to us for puja (worship). They were fighting with each other for us coz everybody wants us to go with them, though we were not interested in any sort of puja (worship) but we found one young and good panda so we performed a short puja. Kusha Ghat was engage with lots of Hindu activity like Mundan, Janeu Sanskar, Shradha, Pind Daan etc. etc… Many cows were roaming around and people were giving them food. Pandas were also roaming around to find Jajman (client). By the time we finished roaming around Kush Ghat, it was 2 O'clock. Temperature was very high and heat strokes were very fast. We decided to have lunch and back to hotel.

Evening time, we went to market. Market was jam packed with all sort of national-international devotees. Shops were decorated with many sort of colourful stuff like Rudraksha, Shankha, Vibhuti, Packet of Prasaad, many type of necklaces, wrist bands, audio-video cassatas, stones, coins and the pictures and statues of Gods. Almost every shopkeeper was selling the plastic cans to filled holy water of Ganga. Next year in 2010 Kumbha mela will be held in Haridwar. So the preparations were going on and roads were getting more and more dusty. Many sorts of vehicle like car, bike, scooter, cycle, rickshaw, bulk cart along with cows and buffalos were on the road and the ocean of people were making their way from all these, but no one seemed bothered about it. Otherwise, pedestrians have to be careful about the vehicles all the time.   

Well today, we decided to go inside the Har ki Pauri campus, main Ghat of Ganga, which made by King Vikrmaditya. This is the most sacred place of Ganga, where Amrit (Nectar) fall down. My plan was to float a diya (floating wick lamp) to pay my reverence to holy river Ganga so I went for a street hawker.

 I asked him prize.

He said – 30 bucks for middle size diya and 50 to 100 bucks for bigger size diya.

When I moved for another hawker, he shouted form behind - how much you will pay for this middle size diya ?

I said – 20 bucks only. He said – ok, take it.

Moral of the story is that you have full scope for haggling.  These Diya comes with 2 incense sticks, one small diya to lit and different flower petals. These things are intact into a dona (made by dry leaves).

Before we entered in the Har ki Pauri, we took off our shoes in shoes keeping room. They kept our shoes and gave us a token. When we reached inside campus, many devotees were taking holy bath in the holy river. When I was going to float my Diya in to Holy River, one panda came to me and said – first you have to complete this puja otherwise your wishes would never come true. Other panda said - first you perform a puja for diya only then u can float the diya into Ganga. We were disappointed by this but I ignored everything and lit my diya. I was about to float, one panda said from behind – direction of your diya is in wrong side.  I replied - Pandit ji !!! Man Cahnga To Kathoti Mai Ganga.(if your soul and your intention is pure then nothing can be wrong).  Ultimately, god sees your intension not direction of Diya and I floated Diya into Ganga, which was flowing nicely. When we turned, one Panda said – if everybody will talk like you then how will we survive and feed our family ? I liked his honesty so gave him Dakshina (donation) and made my way to temples. There again pandas were trying to make us fool for some bucks only, which was very heart breaking so we back from there as soon as possible.

After this, we again went to opposite site of har-ki-Pauri for Arti. This time we searched a good place in height to see a perfect view of Arti. Today, again people stood up from their seat when Arti starts. I saw a foreigner couple, who were struggling to see Arti but they were not able to see. I thought don’t know where from they came here for this occasion, so I served the tradition of Atithi Devo Bhav (Guest is God)and gave them my place to see Arti. After Arti we strolled in ghat for long time, which is one of my very favorite thing to do in Haridwar at evening.

After roaming around Ghat, we moved to market, searched a restaurant for dinner, and then back to hotel. Though we couldn’t do much today but it was a tiring day so soon we slept.

Continue…

When I was in Haridwar – Part one

I made this journey with one of my old young friend in 22^nd-25^th April 2009. Haridwar is a pilgrimage city in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. Haridwar is a religious holy place for Hindu. It says that single dip in the holy water of river Ganga can wash off all the sins but my intention to go there was not religious. I only wanted to see the place once more. In my childhood, I used to go there regularly, which had broken after some time. Now I planned for Haridwar again and discussed with my friend to come with me. When he gave his confirmation, I booked tickets from Nainital. We started our journey in morning 6 A.M… Though he had suggested to go by night bus because of boiling heat but as I don’t prefer night journey so despite all the problems I decided to go by morning bus. In morning, you can see many things, places, people that added extra entertainment in the journey.

Bus was on time and set off for Haldwani, big commercial and industrial city. Now the temperature was little hot but tolerable.  New passengers entered in the bus from here, which made the atmosphere full of activity. After some time everybody was settled in their seats and again it was peaceful.  When the bus was moving forward, I start thinking about my childhood. Lot of memories was crossing through my mind. Those days everything was mysterious for me and I used to ask everything to my Mom. I asked about the dense forest, about huge paddy fields, about the heron, a bird which could see in riverbanks, about the hawkers, who always came inside the bus to sell something etc etc. Now the things have changed… dense forests were not that much dense but crowd, pollution, dirt, vehicle, noise everything is increasing which was horrible… Well bus was moving forward and I lost in my thoughts…

 In one station bus stopped for a while and somebody knocked me from behind and said - Excuse me madam … I was still me in my thoughts so looked behind with wonder. One hawker was trying to sell me his ointment for headache. When I said no to him he explained me thousand qualities of his 10 rupees product as if it is something more than life savior. Well I appreciated his art but was not interested to buy so after some more explanations; he went off to other customer. I thought atleast he gave me reason to get happy, coz one thing is still there which was same but customers have definitely changed. They are more aware and smarter now… Bus start again and I again got buzy to gaze out. Scenarios were changing everytime.  Paddy fields and green forests were something, which was soothing eyes finely, but when we were crossing small towns, big cities, buzy markets dirt and pollution was disappointing …

Now the temperature heated up and bus became like sauna. Bus stopped at Dhaba (Small Restaurant) for lunch. We came out and went into dhaba but couldn’t get anything so decided to take only biscuits. Temperature was very high and I was sweating badly so turned into the bus. Water was boiling into sack but we had no other choice that time…after half an hour bus start and now we met with our first traffic jam… two trucks had stuck badly and blocked all the traffic… Almost after half an hour struggle, traffic could start again…

Around 2.30 P.M. We reached Haridwar. My friend told me to go to Shantikunj where we can get Dharamshala to stay. Though, I was not interested to go their but he had been hired a Rickshaw so we moved to Shantikunj… One the way I told him - Shantikunj is very far from here and we can find a good hotel near Haridwar Market. He realized his mistake and turned rickshaw to Haridwar… Well meanwhile, we saw some part of Haridwar…

1 hour later, we were at Har ki Pairi… From here, we took turn into market for Hotel and after some search-research we found a good budget hotel which was near to Har ki Pairi as well. By the time we entered in to the room, it was almost 4 P.M. After freshen up we ordered for lunch, which was not at all a good food… We were badly exhausted so decide to take some rest first and then will go to Har ki pairi for Arti…

To be continued…