Mountains, Maggi & Memories

As a person who used to love simply staying at home and just reading books, watching random YouTube videos and scrolling endlessly on Instagram, signing up for a week-long trip seemed a little too much out of my comfort zone. But I’m glad I did it. The trip turned out to be (somewhat) a turning point in my life. And, shockingly, it took a turn for the better!

Day 1 – Bengaluru to Rishikesh

12 of us were to meet at the airport, and 2 were to join us in Rishikesh. We reached the airport in smaller groups. Some familiar faces, some complete strangers. Small introductions, a power bank misplacement (I still can’t believe how Adarsh was so chill about it), last-minute panic, and a couple of hours later, we reached the Dehradun airport. And then came cab chaos! Booking on multiple apps, checking with cab operators at the airport, and planning to split into smaller groups, nothing could stop us from getting scammed in a new place. Turns out Bengaluru cab drivers aren’t the only ones good at scamming tourists.

A couple of hours later, we had freshened up and explored the gaming area. Keerthi and Sachin ended up inventing a new version of table tennis. People were mad that no one was losing at Jenga, we found out that the caretaker of the stay was from Mangaluru, and just like that we had turned from strangers into people who were starting to enjoy each other’s company.

Day 2 – Exploring Rishikesh

Damini and Samarth had joined us by the morning. We hired two wheelers and split into two groups. One, with insanely adventurous folks, wanted to try out Bungee Jumping. The other, slightly scared and inclined-towards-sacredness souls went to seek refuge in Parameshwara. The slippery, narrow roads with warnings of rocks falling at every other mile looked like the maximum adventure my heart could bear. The small tea breaks helped calm the nerves for sure. We reached the Shree Neelkanth Mahadev Temple and scurried for safety from monkeys that were trying to snatch anything they could lay their eyes on! Even amidst the buzzing crowd, that one glimpse of the idol felt surreal.

In the evening, we had the world’s best Maggi, and then both the groups met near the Ghat to witness the Ganga Arthi. Bhajans, the thunderous sound of Maa Ganga grew louder with time. The loud waves had a calming effect on most of us. Such an irony!

Back in the stay, we jammed, sang random songs, ordered too much food and waited for the clocks to hit 12. It was Adarsh’s birthday. I’m sorry, I have zero idea what happened during the celebrations. I was asleep like a baby (:

Day 3 – Rishikesh to Govind Ghat

We had to leave for Govind Ghat in a TT. But to reach the TT we had to go a few kilometers away from the stay. The boys did multiple trips to drop off the luggage and humans, too! Another problem, we were falling short of seats, so a couple of us had to switch to another TT.

Keerthi, Sachin and I switched to the other TT. Again, we have zero idea what happened with the others but we had fun. Stupid talks, praying for our dear lives whenever the roads got too narrow and hoping that Psych Sidda’s iPhone slipped out of his hands whenever he put his hands out to capture something.

We reached Govind Ghat in the evening. The trek guides (Pankaj Bhai, Balli Bhai and Ashu Bhai) briefed us about the journey. Then, we gathered in a room where Keerthi rejected all of our jackets and suggested we rent the ones that were with the trek guides. We shared our first opinions about each other, and hoped for a safe trekking experience.

Day 4 – Govind Ghat to Ghangria

We had to trek our way up to the base camp in Ghangria. We spoke to a couple of people who had just returned from the trek and garnered some courage. Now, I know most of you all will recall how utterly stupid I was when I made up my mind to carry my trekking bag with me. I would forever be indebted to my Brathashri for carrying my bag all the way uphill. Not gonna talk about the trek because all I can recall is the guilt (:

Day 5 – Valley of Flowers

Valley of Flowers. The name sounded poetic, but nothing could have prepared us for what awaited. The trail was steep in parts, and every step tested most of our patience (and quads). The athletic squad (Adarsh, Atharva and Sushmitha) seemed to disappear between the valleys. The rest of us were figuring out how to make it to the top without damaging our bodies forever. But the moment we entered the valley, it was beautiful all around. A riot of colours, yet strangely peaceful.

We stopped for a while for pictures and lunch. Then, some of us from the non-athletic squad joined these folks who had ventured deeper into the valley. The stream flowing quietly, and the lush greenery around, all felt magical.

The way back downhill was where reality hit, straight in the knees. Every step down sent a jolt of pain, and I swear if my knees had a brain of their own, they would disown me. Thanks to Damini, Karthik, Keerthi, Sachin and Sravani for keeping me company as much as you guys could. I have zero idea about what happened with the others, but I did see a post on Jois’ insta where I was missing, so I figured I missed the photo ops!

Not sure if it was the pain, the exhaustion or the hunger, but it made the Gulab Jamuns and Badam Milk taste even sweeter once we reached Ghangria. After a couple of hours, we gathered in a room again, and none of us would ever forget the iconic ‘Who the f*ck killed Rutu’ moment that followed.

Day 6 – Hemkund Sahib

If Valley of Flowers tested our patience, Hemkund Sahib tested our very existence. The trek was brutally steep right from the start. No warm-up stretch, no “easy first 100 meters.” Just straight-up punishment. I knew I would give up if I stopped for breaks, so I took baby steps with no breaks.

The higher we went, the thinner the air got, and the tougher it became. At one point, even breathing felt like an achievement worthy of a certificate. But then, we finally reached the top, and suddenly, all that exhaustion made sense. Hemkund Sahib stood tall, serene, and divine. The glacial lake reflected the mountains like a mirror, and the gurudwara’s peaceful chants floated through the air.

The quiet aura around the Lakshman temple was unreal. It was almost as if time slowed down. Standing there, with the mountains guarding us, it was impossible not to feel humbled.

The descent was another episode of “Knees vs Gravity” for me, and let’s just say gravity won most of the rounds.

Day 7 – Govind Ghat, Badrinath & Mana

I had no confidence in my knees to trek downhill to Govind Ghat, so I did something that I was always against. I asked Kavya about her experience on the mule the previous day, and took a mule ride. Just taught me that sometimes, going against your value system is the only way through.

I had reached about half an hour before everyone else. I sat there doing Duolingo because I had nothing better to do.

Once we were done with lunch, we left for Badrinath. The temple, with its colourful facade and chants echoing through the air, instantly felt larger than life. The sheer devotion of people who had travelled from across the country was overwhelming.

After Badrinath, we drove to Mana. The village had its own charm, locals weaving stories, and mythological whispers at every turn. Between selfies, chai breaks, mule adventures, and soaking in the aura of the Himalayas, the day felt all-encompassing. By the time we left to return to Govind Ghat, exhaustion had become our constant travel buddy, but so had wonder.

Day 8 – Govind Ghat to Rishikesh

We had demanded a TT that could accommodate all 14 of us. Thankfully, we got that! We played silly games on the way back for some time, then let YT algorithm take over the playlist and mostly dozed off from exhaustion.

Once we reached Rishikesh, we went temple hopping. Sung Bhajans for Shri Krishna (It was his birthday!) Looked for souvenirs we could carry back home. Jenga, foosball, snooker, and mafia all made a comeback that night. Before going to bed, we made plans to explore one last place before returning home. Haridwar.

Day 9 – Rishikesh to Bengaluru

A morning of mixed feelings. The calm from all the experiences we had shared in the last few days, and the chaos of city life calling out to us. All plans of exploring Haridwar managed to slip out of everyone’s minds.

We squeezed ourselves, the luggage and all the sweet memories from the trip into cabs and reached the Dehradun airport. We double-checked if someone had their power banks in the wrong bag, and even worried if the ultra-powerful fridge magnets would disrupt the flight communications. Then we boarded the flight and reached Namma Bengaluru.

I didn’t know that I would grow so close to all these people in a week’s time. Bidding byes felt like pressing pause on a melody that still echoed in my soul.

Now, what exactly I meant by this trip was a turning point at the beginning of the blog. I used to be a through-and-through introvert. In fact, the only person that I was close to at the beginning of the trip was my Brathashri. Now, I’m pretty sure that I have 12 more people in my life who would grow tired of my nonsensical talks and arguments, but would still show up for me whenever I need them. I realised how bad my physical health was, so I started taking small steps towards a fitter me. The very fact that I had completed a Himalayan trek gave me the moral boost that maybe I can do things that seem to be difficult if I just take baby steps like I did on the Hemkund Sahib trek. So, yeah, that’s about it. Thank you for the wonderful experience, guys!

PS. I’ve been working on this blog for over 7 months now (effectively 5 working days). I started writing it sometime in January when I was recalling all the canon events that happened last year. Feels so good to finally have the final piece ready and published! Time for all of us to go on a new trip so that I can have ‘WRITE THAT TRAVEL BLOG!!!’ on my to-do list for the next six months.

Fable – AATMANIRBHAR: Efforts and Faith

AATMANIRBHAR: Efforts and Faith
“Mumma, Dadi keeps telling me that Kanha will help people when they are in trouble. Why does He not help me? Does He not like me?” Naina hugged her mother’s photo to her chest. She felt abandoned because Kanha had not come to her rescue.
“Mumma, you are with Kanha now, right? Please ask him to help me. You know Ajay, right? He stays in our neighborhood. He keeps troubling me, Mumma! He tells me that Kanha does not like me that is why he took you away from me. Is it true?” Naina broke down.
“No! It is not true,” Naina looked around.
A chilling terror crept over her when she could not find anyone.
A sparrow flew towards her through the window and sat beside her.
“Hey! Do not be afraid of me. I will not cause any harm to you,” the sparrow spoke.
Naina stared at the bird for a moment.
“You can talk?” Naina asked the bird in astonishment.
“Of course, I can! But only a few people can hear me,” the bird replied.
“Wow! You are so cute! What is your name?” Naina asked.
“I’m Chanchala. You look cute when you smile like this. Why were you crying Naina?” the sparrow asked her.
Before Naina could answer, another sparrow flew in through the window and asked, “Where were you Chanchala? What are you doing here?”
“Dhriti Dadi, I was on my way returning from the river, but I heard Naina crying, so I came here,” Chanchala replied looking at the elderly bird.
“Why were you crying sweetheart?” Dhriti asked Naina.
Naina seemed to be upset at being reminded of her misery again.
“Ajay tells me that Kanha hates me. That is why he took Mumma away from me and he does not even help me,” Naina answered. She was on the verge of crying again.
“Naina, Kanha does not hate anyone. As far as helping is concerned, He helps those who help themselves,” Dhriti spoke looking at the two little ones.
“How can I help myself Dhriti Dadi? I’m still a small child,” Naina said helplessly.
This made Dhriti think. What if Chanchala too was in the same line of thinking?
Now that Chanchala had learnt to fly, Dhriti was aware of the perils of flying. They were always at the risk of being troubled by vicious vultures and the harsh climatic conditions. Dhriti wanted Chanchala to learn to be self-reliant as well as a bellwether. So, she took this as a great opportunity to guide Chanchala while helping Naina.
“Naina, do you like to listen to stories?” Dhriti asked.
“Of course! I love it!” Naina exclaimed.
“So, I will answer your question through a story,” Dhriti declared.
“Yaay! Story!” Naina and Chanchala exclaimed together.
Years ago, when the battlefield of Kurukshethra was being prepared, large trees were being chopped off to clear the ground. My neighbor, Parul and I were so scared, we had just laid eggs.
We were left homeless when a huge elephant knocked down the tree on which we had built our homes. However, miraculously our eggs were safe.
Both of us were baffled. We did not know what to do. In fact, Parul was paralyzed by fear. After a few minutes we saw Kanha. He had come there, with Arjuna, to examine the battleground.
With all my might, I flew towards him.
“O Krishna! Please save us! We will be crushed when the battle starts!” I could not help crying out loud.
“I hear you Dhriti, but the Wheel of Time moves indiscriminately, I cannot interfere,” He said.
“You are the Wheel of Time, O revered one! I surrender to you,” I bowed to Him.
He smiled at me and said, “Stock food for three weeks in your nests.”
I thanked Him and flew back to my nest.
Parul was waiting for me anxiously. I informed her about the task at hand. Though she was a little reluctant initially, I convinced her to have faith in Him. And we followed His instructions.
Two days later, the armies were lined up. The battle was just about to begin.
Krishna was holding a bow and arrow. A moment later, he aimed at the elephant under which we along with our nests were present. We looked on.
Thud!
He had aimed at the elephant’s bell. The elephant’s bell became our shelter.
We heard the blaring of the conch shell. The war began and we could hear screeching metals and the whimpers of humans and animals hurt in the battle.
It was depressing, but we trusted Him.
A few days later, our little ones emerged from the eggs. This lightened our mood for the next few days. However, the happiness did not last long as they felt uncomfortable staying inside the bell, their constant chirping was the evidence for the same. But all we could do was to trust Him.
It seemed like an eternity had passed by.
“Arjuna, could you lift this bell for me and put it aside?” we heard Krishna say.
“Is this not the same bell that had come off the elephant’s neck you had shot at?” Arjuna asked Krishna.
“Yes, it is the same bell,” Krishna replied.
Finally, we could spot rays of light.
“O Kanha! I do not know how to thank you enough!” I swirled in circles around Krishna while Parul sat on His shoulder.
“Forgive me for not trusting you initially Kanha,” she apologized.
“O Kanha! How silly could I be! That day, I made fun of you for missing your target. I thought your target was the elephant. But your aim was to protect these families. Forgive my foolishness, Sri Krishna!” Arjuna apologized to Kanha.
Krishna just smiled in turn and walked on.
Dhriti completed narrating the story and looked at Naina and Chanchala.
“You have seen Kanha?” Naina looked surprised.
“Yes, but were you thinking of only that all this time? Did you not listen to my story?” Dhriti sounded a little disappointed.
“No, Dhriti Dadi! I have understood that no matter how small we think we are; we should help ourselves and when we do that, Kanha will help us,” Naina replied.
“Absolutely! You need to learn to help yourself. It will make you self-reliant as well as help you be a bellwether. You will be able to guide others when you take the lead,” Dhriti was happy that Naina had understood the importance of being self-reliant.
“But Dadi, Kanha should take care of the entire universe, right? That means, he should help everyone who help themselves. Will he not be tired Dadi? And, what if many of us are stuck in a problem at a time?” Chanchala asked.
Dhriti smiled at the question her pensive granddaughter posed. Chanchala, as always, looked at the deeper aspects of this story too.
“Let me answer that question with another story,” Dhriti said.
Vedhika, one of my friends had laid her eggs on the shore of a vast ocean. She went in search of food for a few hours. When she returned, she was shocked on not finding her eggs. She realized that the ocean had carried away the eggs.
Vedhika was upset. She had trusted the ocean with her eggs but, all she got in return was betrayal. She furiously asked the ocean to return her eggs.
However, the ocean did not even consider her appeal. She grew mad at the ocean and decided to dry it up. She picked out the water in her tiny beak and started emptying the ocean. Most of us were shocked looking at her actions, it was not possible for us to empty the entire ocean.
When we expressed our views to her, she replied, “Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani. My dear friends, one must do all work but without attachment; work for work’s sake, never for oneself. To work you have the right, but not to the result.”
Vedhika continued to make us understand the importance of working without attachment, “I am but a small bird. All I can do is to pick water drop by drop and try to empty the ocean. I may or may not find my eggs but, if I do not do this, I will always feel guilty for not trying. It is my right to try to find my eggs and I shall utilize my right.”
After a while, she spoke again, “My dear ones, what would you have done if you were in my position? Would you stay quiet? Please let me do my work. If you wish you can join me.”
She got back to her work and that got me to thinking. What if I was in her position? Is it right to keep quiet in such a situation?
I looked around. Every one of us was lost in our thoughts. Then, I looked at Vedhika, she was completely involved in her work. I followed her actions and started trying to empty the ocean. One by one, all of us were onto the task. The task went on for days, but nothing could falter our determination to complete the job at hand.
After a few days, Garuda, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Vishnu came to see us.
“My dear little sisters, what are you doing?” Garuda asked us.
Vedhika narrated the happenings and Garuda seemed disturbed.
A moment later, Garuda said, “My dear ones, I will help you.”
He asked the ocean to return her eggs. He said to the ocean, “Return my sister’s eggs at once unless you want me to take up her work of drying you up!”
The ocean was frightened. Thus, it returned the eggs to Vedhika.
In a few minutes, Lord Vishnu too came to see us.
He smiled at all of us and thanked Garuda, “Thank you for taking care of my devotees when I was busy, Garuda!”
“I hope everyone is happy now,” He said looking at us.
“O Almighty! Thank you for helping us through Garuda,” Vedhika expressed her gratefulness.
“Vedhika, you have been a great bellwether to your fellow birds. I am pleased with your determination and perseverance,” He said to Vedhika.
Vedhika flew towards him and sat on his forefinger.
“It was my duty, Shri Hari. Thank you so much Garuda and my dear friends for helping me find my eggs,” she expressed her gratitude.
Garuda flapped his wings in acknowledgement while we smiled at her.
After a few moments of silence, Chanchala asked, “That means even if Krishna is busy, he sends help in some or the other form, right Dadi?”
“Correct! But we first need to help ourselves before expecting help from others,” Dhriti replied.
“Yes, Dhriti Dadi, I have understood that God loves everyone. And, more importantly, He helps those who help themselves. So, we need to become self-reliant, we need to put in our efforts and have faith in Kanha. Also, we should take initiative and be a brave bellwether when we find ourselves in a bad situation,” Naina summarized.
“Great!” Dhriti exclaimed.
“We shall leave now, it’s quite late,” Dhriti said.
“Bye, Naina. Take care,” Chanchala bid adieu.
Naina smiled and waved at them.

*****

“Kanha does not like you Naina,” Ajay said trying to make Naina cry. He loved bullying her.
“Ajay, Kanha loves everyone. He loves me too. Stop troubling me,” Naina said fiercely.
“Really? Then why did He take your Mumma away from you?” Ajay asked.
“He loves my Mumma more, maybe He wanted her to stay around Him, so He took her close to Him,” Naina thought out loud.
“That’s true Naina, Kanha loves your mom a little more, so now, she stays around Him,” Naina’s Dadi, Janaki spoke walking towards her.
“Ajay, it is not a good habit to trouble others,” Janaki advised caressing his cheek.
Naina looked at her Dadi for a moment. She realized that her beloved Kanha had sent help in the form of her Dadi. She smiled happily and thanked her Kanha.
“Sorry Dadi,” Ajay lowered his head.
“Don’t apologize to me, Ajay. Apologize to Naina,” Janaki said.
“Sorry Naina. Friends?” Ajay held his hand out in front of Naina expectantly.
“Friends!” Naina happily shook hands with him.
Janaki smiled looking at her granddaughter befriending Ajay.
Dhriti and Chanchala, who were sitting on a nearby tree and watching Naina, were glad that she stood up for herself.

*****

Glossary

Dadi – Grandmother

Kanha – Name of Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu

Lord Vishnu, Shri Hari – Hindu God. The preserver.

Garuda – Vahana (vehicle) of Lord Vishnu

Poetry – Be your own star!

To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine the brightest.

Napoleon Hill

My Own Star

Many a time, I look at the sky

And wonder how serene the stars look

I wish to reach out, and fly

And trap them, by hook or by crook

But, then, I hear them say from afar

That the stars aren’t for me alone

Frowning, I wished on a shooting star

For a star, that would be my own

I heard a wolf howl aloud,

Standing by the window, I looked around

There it sat, howling at the dark cloud,

Captivating eyes and a body of scar and wound

A look at the wolf, brave and courageous

And I realised my life might have a scar

And might look ever so mysterious

But, now, I know, I can be a star, MY OWN STAR!!

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