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6. India
Amritsar -
Haridwar -
Rishikesh -
Manikaran -
Pushkar
Bombay -
Goa -
Hampi -
Dharamsala -
Gorakhpur
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Rishikesh
With a bus I drove along the river to Rishikesh; where the Ganges leaves the Himalaya and the water is still clean. One can drink it without hesitating. Hindus continue to drink it much further down, when it is dirty of arsenic, mercury and other poisons. One could even see fishes in the clear stream. But even the consumption of fish and eggs is forbidden and of course meat and alcohol are banned.
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Ghats
I took a room in a pension, led by a sympathetic Swami. The rooms were framed around a large inner court with a garden.
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Ting Po
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Swami
A refuge for some Saddhus and an inexpensive, comfortable and enjoyable lodging for a few Europeans.
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Family with Swami in the inner courtyard
In this small and contemplative village one finds the Ashram of the great Swami Sivananda, who deceased in 1963. And
here also was the Camp of Maharishi Mahesh Yogy. In 1968 the Beatles as well as Mike Love, Donovan and Mia Farrow were here as guests. "Dear Prudence" on the white album and the "Maharishi Song" from the sessions resulted from it. According to several John Lennon biographies, the singer and songwriter felt "disappointed and betrayed" by Maharishi, to the extent that when Maharishi asked him why he was leaving the camp, Lennon reportedly snapped, "if you're so bloody enlightened, you should already know why." Nevertheless George Harrison had met in India also Ravi Shankar, and this had a large influence on the further music of the Beatles. And affected the entire history of music.
Rishikesh is, without question, a place of power with the positive energy of great deceased and living 'Rishis', in english 'seers'. When however the 'holy spirit' is carried to market, it becomes hypocritical.
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Veranda of the Lodge
In the lodge I became acquainted with a young Saddhu, a begging monk. He invited me to accompany him on his pilgrimage to the source of 'Mother Ganga'. The next station would be Kedarnath. Next morning, we made our way into the Himalayas.
Early in the morning we took a bus to Gaurikund. From there we wandered 14km, to where Kedarnath lay at a height of 3584 mts . From there, still it is approximately 300 km over Badrinath to Gaumuhk, the source of the Ganges. Gangotri, the next village, i.e. the next more comfortable overnight accomodation possibility, is 18 km away. On the arduous, but breath-taking beautiful way, we sometimes passed older pilgrims. Most were Saddhus, and they invited us again and again to a Chillum. According to the 'Mahabharata', one of the large people epics, the chillumsmoking God Shiva fled, after Kedarnath. The Pandavas wanted to prove lord Shiva their honour, but he did not want to receive them, since they had killed brethren. Seeing the Pandavas coming, the Lord disguised himself as a bull. After he noticed that they saw his conversion, he tried to disappear in the underground. But the Pandavas were faster, held the hind legs of the bull and prevented thereby his disappearing. During the following fight, different parts of the body at different places appeared. In Kedarnath the hump, the forehead in Pashupatinath (Kathmandu), the Torso in Madhmaheshwar, the arms in Tungnath, the face in Rudranath and the hair in Kalpeshwar. Kedar is also another name for Shiva and for a stone, which was rounded off by the Ganges in all the years. Besides the round stone, one finds also a Lingam, the phallussymbol of Shiva, and it's unusual pyramid form in the main temple. Thereby Kedarnath is sanctified to Shiva.
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Harvesting baba
Photos by Ting Po - 1975
Along the path one found oftentimes cannabis plants. The babas, the fathers, as the saddhus are also called, rubbed the plants between the hands and slowly a small sausage of charas grew in them. This technique is used only in the Himalayas. The higher, so much the better. The best hashish of the world. Incomparably! Totally high we finally reached by evening the strong holy place. In this magic atmosphere, I took a room in a Lodge with my friend. Which, he enjoyed it obviously because the others slept outside. I spent the half night with the Babas, while my way companion was already dreamful. When I finally laid down in my bed, I had difficulties falling asleep. And in the half sleep I had a memorable dream:
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"Morpheusisdreaming"
Digital Graphic by Dravidian A. Ageran
A monsterous being, whose appearance I could not determine closely, pursued me through a mountain-landscape. Behind a shrub I discovered a small entrance, I crept through, and came into a dark and moldy cave. I continued to run further inside, until I felt safe enough, in order to turn on a lighter. Briefly before I'd burned my fingers, I discovered, lying on the soil, a skull, which was gazing at me. Scared of it, the hot lighter fell down from my hand. I didn't dare to look for it, because I feared touching something. Carefully I tried to exit the cave. When I saw finally the light of the entrance hole, I woke up bathed in sweat.
Also my friend woke up.
"What happened. Did you have a bad dream?"
"I had a meeting with a Demon!"
"Let's continue our way today. Onward to Gangotri, it's still a long way. Gangama will help you!"
"How long will we need for it?"
"Perhaps three weeks. That depends also on the weather!"
"Excuse me, please, but that's too long for me!"
"Shiva will recompence you for it!"
"Sorry, but I'm going back to Rishikesh!"
After breakfast I bought a bit of food for the Babas, and started on my way back. My Saddhu continued his pilgrimage with the others. On the way I got the desire to smoke, and rubbed some plants between my hands, like the Babas did.
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Dravidian A. Ageran
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The harvest
Photo by Ting Po - 1975
I needed much longer than them, but after some hours I had sufficient together, in order to make some joints. I didn't possess a chillum yet. People had told me about a Baba in Hampi, who was famous for his chillums. There I wanted to procure one.
On the last kilometers it started to rain, and over Rishikesh a ravencouple circled. What a symbolism!
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Raven over Rishikesh
Digital Graphic by Dravidian A. Ageran
after a Photo by Ardian Fu
In the nordish-germanic mythology they are messengers of the God Odin and inform him about the world affairs. One could call them also spies. In the Christianity they are message carriers of the holy Oswald. And are to help when regaining stolen property. In the Hinduism they accompany the bloodthirsty Kali, and are also considered as heralds of the death. With the Northamerican Indians, the raven is a creature that picks at it's shadow so much that the shadow consumes the raven. And they represent also helpers during courageous changes of consciousness.
How should I interpret that?
They symbolize both positive, and negative aspects.
Was this the right place to upgrade my consciousness?
Will I get back my stolen money?
Or will I, hunted by demons, die in India?
further
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