Himalayan Journey (Contd.)

IN Kedarnath Ramdas performed a most difficult feat – all by Ram’s grace. He ascended one of the surrounding high rocks covered with snow. Of course, Ramkinker followed him. While going up they had to do so by holding the rough grass that grew on the hill. It was a steep ascent. For nearly half the way Ramkinker accompanied him and then he refused to go higher up with Ramdas, both on account of cold and the danger of slipping down. Meanwhile, Ramdas, who had surrendered himself into the hands of Ram, mounted higher and higher until he reached the summit of the hill, and touched its narrow conical peak. As he touched the top he gave a cry of triumph in the name of Sri Ram. He uttered at the top of his voice: “Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!” O Ram, what a glorious Being Thou art!

Now descent was most perilous, an unguarded step or a slight slip meant a headlong fall, and certain destruction of the body. However, when Ram guides where is the fear? What danger cannot be faced boldly? He slowly crept down, nay, slipped down the hill. While doing so, it began to rain white solid globules of snow. He had ascended without any warm clothing. But by Ram’s grace he felt neither cold nor fear. At last, Ram brought him safely to the base of the rock. It took five hours to accomplish this ascent; the height of the hill might have been over a mile. Going to the source of the river, Mandakini, which starts at this place, where the snow melts and flows down, he took his bath; the water was, of course, very, very cold, but what cold can affect him when Ram protects!

In Kedarnath there is a temple, some shops and residences. A day’s stay, and he, on the advice of Ramkinker, travelled onwards. After descending for some miles, the pilgrims commenced to walk up another chain of mountains. Higher and higher again they climbed. Again glorious enchanting landscapes and scenes met their eyes. At the foot of a hill they came upon a resting place where there was a small tank called Gauri Kund, wherein hot water through a spring is collected. There was also another tank in which the water was yellow in colour. From there he and Ramkinker started on their upward journey, miles and miles of ascents were traversed. The pathway now was not so bad as that which led to Kedarnath. For days and days they walked on and at last neared the place called Badrinath or Badrinarayan. While they were yet about half a mile from the place, they sat down on the path and looked at the Badrinath mountains. The sight was bewitching.

To describe the scene the poor pen of Ramdas is quite inadequate and unfit. As he gazed on, he for a time lost body-consciousness and became one with the tall mountains in the midst of which he was sitting. Badrinath is the source of the river Alaknanda. While going up these heights, at 3 or 4 places, the pilgrims had to cross wide tracts of snow. He travelled over them with naked feet. These tracts of snow are glaciers. Below the surface of these vast cakes of snow is flowing water in heavy torrents downhill to meet the river below. It is said that many pilgrims, while walking on their surface, have been sucked down by the torrent, some thin layer of snow giving way beneath their feet. The story is current that a wealthy merchant of Bombay, while being carried on a Doli or cradle-like conveyance by four strong men, was drowned and lost in the swift current below.

Badrinath was reached – it was a flat valley surrounded on all sides by high mountains like Kedarnath – and here stands the temple of Badrinarayan in white marble. At this place also there was a tank containing hot water, received from a hot spring running down the hills. All the pilgrims bathed in this tank. The cold was very intense. But Ram was kind and gracious at the same time. So Ramdas did not feel the rigour of the cold very much. He had some difficulty in gaining entrance to the temple for the Darshan of Badrinarayan, as there was a heavy rush of pilgrims at the front door. But some sickly people were permitted to get in by a narrow side-door at which two Pandas or Brahmins were set to watch. He sought entrance here. One of the Pandas said:

“If you are sick, you can come in,”

“No, Ramdas is not sick,” replied Ramdas.

“Well, pretend that you are sick, if you are not,” suggested the Pandaji.

“Never,” returned Ramdas, “he does not want the Darshan of Badrinath by telling a lie. It is against the command of Ram.”

Saying thus, he turned away from the place. But the kind Pandaji at once grasping his hand took him inside and getting him the Darshan of Badrinath gave him also some Prasad. O Ram! Thou art testing Thy slave in various ways. Remaining in Badrinath for a day, the Sadhus started on their return journey. After several days’ walk they came to a place called Ramnagar whence the railway-line starts running southward. In all, the distance travelled over the Himalayas was 400 miles, and the time taken from Hardwar to Ramnagar was 40 days.

Ramnagar, as the name suggests, is a blessed place. Charity is the ideal of the people there. Near the railway station there was a dispensary, worked by the Congress volunteers for the benefit of ailing pilgrims. Hundreds of pilgrims are everyday receiving aid from this dispensary. Arrangements by well-to-do citizens are made for feeding Sadhus and poor pilgrims. The people of the place are kind and hospitable. For his part, Ramdas must say the same with regard to all parts of India wherever he travelled. Ram was uniformly kind to him in all his travels, because he had started on his travels at the bidding of Ram alone.

At Ramnagar, he and Ramkinker got into the train proceeding to Mathura, which they reached in due time. Here Ramkinker who was taken ill proposed to return to Jhansi. During all the time he was with Ramdas, Ramkinker was more than a mother to him. He took every care of him. It was all Ram’s wish that such a friend should leave him. Accordingly Ramkinker left Mathura for Jhansi. Ramdas was now alone only for a few minutes, for Ram had another Sadhu ready at the Dharmashala, where they were halting, to take him up.