It is never enough
I can never say I am bored with it
or I know it completely
I always endeavor to experience it more deeply
Rishikesh is that one place
where I can go again and again
in search of my own space.
Like all other trips, this was also a sudden trip where we decided one day before and the next morning we were on the roads. Now I have stopped counting as to how many times I have been to Rishikesh. Every time I go there, I come back as a relaxed and more positive person. Rishikesh possesses such vibes.
Like all other trips which offer me stories, which make me experience more, to know more, this trip also did the same and now there are so many stories to write about.
THAT GIRL, SUMAN
I really wanted to see Triveni Ghat aarti. Last I saw it was with my mom in 2015. It was her last wish. After that, I went quite a lot many times to Rishikesh, but somehow never went to see the aarti. It was 4.00 pm, we were at Tapovan and Triveni Ghat aarti starts around 6.00 pm at sunset time. It is difficult to take your car there because of parking issues. We thought of hiring an auto. Luckily we got a sharing auto. It was full. Ashish (my husband) sat in front with the auto driver and one girl at the back seat offered me space.
Girl: Are you from Delhi?
Me: Yes.
Girl: Yes, many people from Delhi come here on weekends.
It was a simple guess. I smiled.
Girl: Are you a banker?
Me: Ya (I was totally in shock. How could someone guess this?)
Girl: You must be thinking about how I know this. Well, I was just guessing.
Me: Still, it is not an easy guess.
Girl: I do Yoga. Our awareness increases with that.
I was still in shock.
She was M.A. in Yoga. Basically from Jaipur, she shifted to Rishikesh with her husband six months back and was a Yoga teacher.
In that 15 minutes ride, we talked about yoga, meditation, loneliness, and awareness. She told me that it is not easy to take out time from the daily schedule for meditation. However, if we become aware of things around us, it is equal to meditation. For example, if we are watching TV while eating, sometimes we do not realize the taste of our food. I added, that many times we don't know as to what we had eaten. Many times while walking on the road and talking on the phone we go somewhere else and then realize that we have come the wrong way. All this is related to awareness. If we are aware as to what we are doing, experiencing each and every minute, it is equal to meditation. She also told to help whenever we can. For example, she offered me a seat by just crossing her legs and adjusting a little bit. She said that it did no harm to her. This brings positivity to our life. How could someone leave that chance?
While getting down from the auto I asked her name. She was Suman.
MY BOOK AND RIVER VIEW CAFE
We were hungry as wolves and were looking for an ideal place to sit and spend time. River View Cafe became our home for that time. We hogged on food. It was scrumptious. While Ashish slept off after having breakfast, I started reading my book- The Skeleton Cupboard by Tanya Byron. I am halfway through this book and it is amazing. Tanya Byron is a psychologist and this book is about her anecdotes, her point of view, her experiences.
Reading and seeing the river water flowing, it felt that all my worries were flowing and vanishing with that river water. Meanwhile, Ashish got up and said, " I wonder where all this water comes from." Leaving apart the scientific reasons, it is still so marvelous and amazing to see such gallons of water running. Wondering about the same, we got lost in our thoughts.
STREETS OF RISHIKESH
While walking on the streets of Rishikesh towards Beatles Cafe, I saw a foreigner, very handsome wearing only a red dupatta on his shoulder and a red pajama. While I was wearing a warmer, sweater and jacket I wondered how he could survive in such cold weather. And he seemed to be totally comfortable while walking. I do not have much knowledge about it, but I am sure that Yoga does such amazing things to you.
Whenever we go to Rishikesh, we never miss visiting Beatles Cafe. And this time their menu was totally different. I read their menu for almost an hour. It had so much information, so many quotes, and real events. We all know about the soccer players who got trapped in a cave in Thailand. What kept them alive was meditation. Their coach who had previously been a Buddhist monk guided meditation for the players during the ordeal. I wondered if meditation could do such an astonishing thing to people trapped in a flooded cave, what it can do to us for dealing with our normal day to day issues.
One more thought stuck me while walking on these streets. At one wall it was written, "Ganga ke darshan mein he Ganga ka sparsh hai." Meaning, it is not necessary to take a bath in holy water. If we are looking at it, it means we are touching it. Probably this was written, and I read it only in one place, to avoid Ganga pollution. We were given flowers after the aarti to offer them to river Ganga. I told Ashish to keep those in the pocket. And later we kept those flowers in the flowerpots outside our hotel. A small gesture, a small step in avoiding Ganga pollution.
And yes, Rishikesh trip is never over without a massage. On my brother's and sister-in-law's recommendation, I went to Prana Spa & Ayurveda, and it was amazing. For that one hour, I was in a different world.
