As the Name Itself derive from Home, Here I'm writing about my 3 rd trip to (Uttarakhand )Rishikesh. However, this time it wasn't just vacation or Backpacking but the workplace.
Who had thought that one day work from anywhere culture would storm our world and also could last for almost 2 years ( for many of us, it is yet to finish)?
I've been to Uttarakhand as a tourist twice in my lifetime but this time, I wanted to stay in Rishikesh for awhile and experience the solitude and essence of Devbhumi.
After seeing off my sister and mother (from 1 week trip to Haridwar-Rishikesh-Devprayag-Badrinath ), I visited many hostels/dorms such as @Gostop, @shalom, Bunker etc for my next 2 weeks' stay.
All the above were nice, affordable and happening yet I was looking for a somewhat decent place Not just from a Budgeting point of view but also with little privacy, where I get to deal with a minimum fellow traveller.
One of the most beautiful places to live I could get at that time. This is indeed a beautiful property owned by an Ambitious yoga instructor turned Entrepreneur.
There are just one of the floors you'll get dorm rest all private rooms. So again, this is not a hostel but a Hotel property.
It was nice suitable for an individual like me working during the night and wandering during day time with little sleep.
I'm skipping days to Highlight things that matter.
This is bizarre, when any foreigner visits Rishikesh, he/she goes to an Ashram, temple, Meditation center or perhaps outskirt of the city.
BUT for me (or maybe other millenniums), the case was just the opposite. I went to recommended café, hotel and maybe some adventurous site eg Bungee Jump.
Hence, this time I decided to visit some ashrams and meet some yogis and sadhus.
My first encounter was with one of the amazing Sadhu in Badrinath. Who was on no talk fast (moun varat) whom I met first met in Vyas cave, Mana village? It was just a visual communication with eye and smile, It was indeed a blessing when he touched my head while I was sitting under caves in Vyas gufa and then started his Japa with mala.
The second time, near Badrinath Temple. Where he was trying to communicate with one of the cops who were there to ensure people are following the queue and adhering to covid guidelines. That cop misunderstood him that he was looking for gutkha (which wasn't the case). Later he took out a piece of paper and wrote the message he was trying to express.
He was tall, fair and might be in his late 30s with a face full of divine smiles in a saffron robe.
I was very keen to talk to him however as he was on his moun varat there was no possibility of talk :(.
3 years back in 2019, I had a brief meeting with another sage near the Saraswati river in Mana. He was from Haryana, I cannot recall what exactly we were talking perhaps about his renunciation journey, suddenly he stopped, got emotional and resumed talking with the chocked throat.
Post that when I was living in Rishikesh. I met another Nepali baba and visited his small hut. I was stunned to know he was a little blind and can bearly see things in the dark.
He must be in his mid 50, he said that he doesn't know his age or when he was born. Even after living by himself for so long, he still loves and misses his mother who passed away when he would be in his early 20.
His hut is near Laxman Jhula little downward on the bank of the Ganges. When you go to reach Traimbkeshwar Temple by Laxman Jhula. Do visit him if you can (He's very welcoming and gets happy to see visitors) to see life from their perspective.
Since I'm a non-smoker. He was little surprised to learn that, as this was the only thing he could offer in his small hut and seemed a little perplexed to know that this wasn't the reason why I accompanied him.
We chatted for some time about his childhood, and his fallout relationship with his father while growing up (near teenager).
What I loved about him was that he wasn't staying to pretend to someone he was not. (like a Guru or Godman) Also, was talking out of his heart.
Just a small hut, little bed, dhuni (fireplace with Trishul) with 2 robes and 1 candle. This is what he owns as I could understand, Yet full of life with no complaint nor does he beg for any money.
Life is indeed simple and beautiful don't know why we don't grow up in this drama and start realizing it.
BTW, he also predicted my future's wife first initial lolz but that remains with me only.
Maybe an ordinary household , solo living sadhus or introvert / extrovert millenniums. We're all human with feeling and emotion, little bit of kindness and love even to a stranger can make a lot difference in our surrounding and society.
Hope you like this trip. Will meet soon with another trip on my first himachal blog.
If you've managed to read it completely and like it, even 1% out of 100 do let me know. And if don't like it at all, please leave a comment. I'll try my 200% to best be better in upcoming posts.
May the success always be with you.
To be continued. . . .
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