When our family visited Delhi for my nephew's wedding little did I realize that my thoughts about mother nature would change forever.
We had a couple of days to visit places around Delhi. Instead of the usual tour of the city we preferred to go to Rishikesh and Hardwar which was some distance away.
Nothing could prepare us for the sights and sounds as we approached Rishikesh. The Ganga gurgling and gushing down with such force, seeing so much pristine water, the hills far away, tall trees and so much green cover on the highway of which I was in awe of.
Hardwar's many temples, our taking a dip in the flowing Ganges, the fast approaching mighty Himalayas as our bus raced, the rudraksh trees, wild and exotic flowers on the wayside, collecting rounded pebbles of varied sizes, shapes and colors on the shores of the Ganges were all such unforgettable memories. They appear so fresh and recent even today even though it is about 9 years since our visit.
Alas we could see neither the morning nor the evening Aarti which is a must-see in these places. I have watched the Ganga Aarti at 6am and 6pm on some TV channel and felt so connected to the divine.
I din't feel like returning back home and wanted to very much stay back there itself and be in close proximity to mother nature. I mentioned to my husband that if I was ever found missing, the place to look for me would be somewhere in Rishikesh or Hardwar. Such was my love for that place. I found a strange peace and quiet in these places.
Manasarover I have not had the chance to visit yet. But in my mind's eye, I have been there. I have gone around the divine lake and have drunk in the beauty of the Mount Meru bathed as if in molten gold at sunrise.
What if I can't physically travel to such places, my mind can and does travel often enough to these places.
Today is Valentine's Day and I dedicate today's blog for my love of these holy places.
Mahalakshmi.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
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