Manasarovar - Mount Kailash  Yatra 2016

 

Day 1: 16th May

We did not expect this but this is what happened. Reaching Shamshabad airport before 5am was an achievement as we almost missed the 6:05am flight. In fact the Airlines announced our names on the last call for boarding. Airport was fully crowded.

It was a long wait in New Delhi Airport, almost 5hrs for connecting flight to Kathmandu. At Terminal 3, around 12:30pm, we met our Kailash yatra guru Anandan Swamy (from Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai) and other members of our troupe; in all 36 members.

Landing at Kathmandu airport was 25min delayed due to no clearance from ground.

Once landed, a mini bus picked up all 36 of us and took us to a hotel called Royal Singi Hotel. It’s a very decent 4-star hotel. After fresh up, there was team meeting at 7pm and we all were briefed with details of our itinerary, pony, currency and emergency. We were all given empty red bags, jackets and caps. Post dinner, we transferred our things into red bags and slept. Red bags help in easy moving of baggage of entire group at one go.

 

Day 2: 17th May

Started with a scrumptious breakfast @ 7am.  Visited Pasupathinath temple, Bhujeswari shaktipeetam and Jala Narayan Temple...3 excellent darshans.

PASUPATHINATH TEMPLE: The amazing temple architecture and the Nepali ambience can move anyone visiting it.  A huge 15ft long and 10 ft wide Nandi covered with Brass plating stood right at the entrance of the temple. It is believed that the darshan of Lord Pasupathinath must be done from all the four directions. Someone in our group was mentioning that there was an animal's head placed right near the main idol. On the eastern side of temple was a very tall and strong metal Trishulam, maybe 18-20ft.  On the southern side is the ghat for burials. We noticed few people paying their last respects to a couple of bodies. On the western side is the Ammavaru vigraham in a very dark room where a lady was giving a customary shot on everyone who is bowing down to get Ammavaru's blessings. Any less faith, I am sure, will make anyone pass this for a scary house.

The entire architecture of the temple was so breathtaking. The artistic designs of the many solid metal gongs of those ancient times echo the magnificent craftsmanship of those times.

The residential monkeys in the temple complex freely move and jump from pillar to post and eat whatever the pilgrims offer or other food found around.

Also in the temple complex, there was Sankaracharya's mandiram where 5 generations of Sankaracharya were sitting and meditating. One pujari there gave us each a Rudraksha. We are blessed. As no cameras were allowed inside the complex, some of us clicked outside the main entrance.

BHUJESWARI TEMPLE: Here in this Shakthipeetam, there is the Knee part of Ammavaru. At the top of the temple dome were four serpents facing each other. We tried to do japam (meditation) but somehow were perturbed by the sounds of the army of monkeys all around the complex. Actually to enter the temple, we need to cross over a small bridge over a small low lying stream. Here we saw something unusual. We saw a sage sit on a makeshift platform made of odds and ends in the middle of this stream. The stream was so murky. He was fully focussed on his prayers and was showing the mudras to the river. Later someone told me that the stream is the same that is passing behind the Pasupathinatha Temple and that this river is very holy.

JALANARAYAN TEMPLE:  Here there is a very nice temple tank where a very large idol of Lord Vishnu can be seen in a sleeping posture on a coiled serpent, facing the sky. Felt so unique and so good. There was a huge tree of a particular variety of Brahmakamalam right beside the tank.

We almost forgot about lunch but somehow the tiredness set in and we ate. We scurried to the airport to catch 4pm flight to Nepalganj. Somehow the weather gods decided that it should rain and the flight got cancelled. It didn’t stop raining till late in night. We checked into a different lodge - Hotel Marshayangdi. Very good lobby and cafe. Enjoyed the ambience and the slightly spiced up dinner.

After dinner, one of our troupe members, a swamiji named Srinivasan Palaniappan Swami briefed me about him being a black belt in Karate and about his devotion to Lord Nataraja. In the Nataraja Temple @ Chidambaram, they do puja with vibuthi only 6 times a year it seems. He gave us the vibuthi he stored and brought it along with him. He said he has only 6 numbers stored in his mobile. He took my number too and said he’ll call me when the next puja will be held at Chidambaram. Saroja and Sunanda sat for reciting Kadgamala. Charith and I just listened. We slept at 10:15pm

Day 3: 18th May

Managed to shower in the cold weather. Temperature was around 16 Deg by 4am. We had coffee by 5am and set off to the airport to catch 6am flight to Nepalganj. Breakfast was packed and handed over to us at the hotel itself. The flight to Nepalganj was a nice, smooth, simple and scenic flight. The fully and partially snowcapped peaks were an absolute visual treat through the window view.

The brief 50min brought us to this tiny airport of Nepalganj. We ate our packed breakfast and waited. After about 45min, 16 out of 36 were scheduled to go to Simikot as first batch and they left. The second batch waited, waited and waited in the sun for almost 3 and half hrs outside in the sun basked land. It was 40deg out here at Nepalganj today. Very hot like Hyderabad.

Finally it was announced that the weather was too windy and the flight was cancelled and even the first batch returned. We all took electric rickshaws to Hotel Siddhartha.

Here at lunch we met other tourists. Some of them returned from Parikrama and said it was -9 deg around Mt.Kailash and that it was too difficult to venture out for the Parikrama.

After an hour’s break we went for a swim in the pool at the Hotel. Around 6:30pm, Saroja and Sunanda joined a group for a bhajan near the lobby.

After the bhajan, from our pack, a group of 15 members or so, quickly decided and set off to a temple 4km away by 3 electric autos. This is Bhaaveswari shaktipeetam (tongue part). Ammavaru's face was so cute and after darshan we sat outside. Then we had an Amazing Amazing Amazing and simply amazing darshan of Bala Tripura Sundari. Sunanda and Saroja were reading Kadgamala. Before they could finish, Bala came in form of a little cute girl and started blessing us. I could sense that the reading was getting difficult. I was listening to them with my eyes closed. Sunanda patted me and said 'Bala Vochindi'. Amma, i just can’t explain myself enough to describe what I saw. Even as I type now chills are passing through me since 10min. Amma, thank you so soooooooooooooooooooooo much for the darshan and blessing!! Very soon so many children gathered around and I just can’t explain the feeling in complete...on one side Kaala bhairavudu was listening too. Bala ate prasadam and blessed all of us.

Next we immediately hopped to a Hanuman Temple right opposite to this temple. We witnessed the 10min long aarathi with Hanuman Chalisa accompanied by a ritual of the ringing of almost 5 large temple bells in unison.

We went back to our hotel around 9:15pm, had dinner and set alarm for 3:30am.

 

Day 4: 

Packed breakfast was handed over to us by Hotel Siddarth. I still remember the huge beehive hanging from the topmost floor of the hotel in the front. We were at the Airport just in time to catch the 6am flight, and were in the first of the two batches. At the airport there was this man who couldn’t hear on both ears and whom I actually met yesterday when he was explaining to me in an animated way how few people died in a helicopter crash sometime back. It seems he has been working there since 15years. I tried to get a glimpse of him this day but couldn’t see him. The check-in process was detailed but soon we were flying in this mini 17-seater plane. The aerial view, from our flight to Simikot, had changed within minutes from barren valleys to snow capped mountains. 50min went by in no time and even without any decent, we saw this tiny 400m stretch airport suddenly loom out of the clouds, right in front of us. We are at 3700m altitude. Very breezy and cloudy. The view of the taller hills around us was simply breathtaking. We could see a few mountain peaks.

We spent about two hours at the airport before we started off the 20min uphill walk to reach the two storey dormitory. The rooms were cozy enough and could lodge 6-7 of us in one. The combined warmth helped us. The walls were made by blocks of rock chiseled from mountain. Restroom was common for 6 rooms. Just before lunch, most of the clouds cleared up and we could see a complete mountain range, right in front of us, whose view was earlier, assumed to be clouds high up in the sky.

The two-tiered dining was even cozier, maybe the thought of food and warm water did that. The meal had all the energy we needed. To get into the rhythm of walking for the Parikrama, Anandan Swamy suggested we take a 2km walk to a Shiva temple, situated right at the centre of the valley.

On the way to this temple, walking on the cobbled stoned path through the local town, we saw numerous kids, most of them below 8yrs old. 

These are mostly tribal settlements and the only mode of transport would be by foot. Most of supplies come in by plane. So it’s either by foot or by these small planes. Simikot is headquarters of the district Humla.

We reached the temple in an hour. The temple is on an elevated platform and as such is only visible platform of the size 8ftx8ft and all 4 sides enclosed by grill and the wind would sweep past the Shiva lingam as if there was no enclosure. It took a complete 2min to get a first glance of a 360 deg view of the valley from this temple. The setting sun was streaming beams of light through a few holes in the clouds. This is one of the very scenic places to lose oneself. 

The walk back seemed longer. Dinner was even more scrumptious. The mountain chill pushed us quickly under covers. Sleep set in immediately.

Day 5: 

At 4am we started our turns to the common loo. After a superb breakfast, we strolled down to airport where we grouped ourselves to board the 6-seater helicopters to Hilsa, 25min away. Some shared a larger helicopter with other travel parties.

The helicopter flew through a narrow gorge and 25 min is not enough to absorb the beauty of these mushy green ravines behind a thin film of mist and clouds. Hilsa is so tiny a place that it wouldn’t be larger than 10 football fields. We landed on a flat bed of rocks, right next to a stream with very less flow.

It’s a 5min stroll to the lodge-like accommodations. We were not gonna stay there as we have to reach Taklakot by evening. Tea and lunch was served one after the other without much gap. We crossed the suspended foot bridge over the stream to reach Tibet.

Tibet is part of China. Yes, Hilsa is on the border of Nepal and China. We waited for two hours on the other side in the hot sun for the vehicle from Tibet to arrive. The Chinese officials on the other side scanned each and every one of us, meticulously matching our faces with our passports. The battery run bus whizzed past through several mountainous terrain. Surprisingly, the landscape was so different from that in Nepal and we saw the change happen hardly in few minutes. Most of us fell asleep very soon as the sun sucked most of our energy by then.

Taklakot arrived in about 3 hours. This hotel, unfortunately on that day, was understaffed. It took them almost 1 hour to allocate rooms. Temperature was less than 12deg Celsius by day and near zero in nights. The wind chill caught us. To add to the discomfort, they had only 2 or 3 housekeeping staff who don’t know any word in English other than YES and NO. The water is available only on scheduled hours. We all were taken to another hotel, 15 min away, where dinner was served. Taklakot definitely had no Tibetan left in the people. The modern restless fast life is very much there. We bought some energy bars, small snack and milk to ensure our stomachs don’t cry out while on the move. It was a very cold night and we soon slept comfortably in our rooms.

 

Day 6: 

We assembled in the bus after breakfast. Soon the Himalayan landscape revealed itself in the most captivating way. Everything around us seemed so mystical. The bends in the roadway in the flat and barren land with sign posts made me feel, someone ensures the orderliness here. We reached Raakshash Tal and there was no blue in the world that can match this lake's color. 

We got our first glimpse of Mt. Kailash (south face), standing far behind the lake. Raavanasura had done penance right here at this lake for Lord Shiva’s darshan. Hence the name Raakshash Tal. The water is considered poisonous and we are not to touch the water. We could not spot a single bird above the lake.

We were told the mountains behind us represented Subramanya Swamy. We drove another 20min to reach Manasarovar. Here the lake had completely different color scheme, actually I could see a mix of different shades of blue, some parts brown. At that moment itself it was very clear that what our cameras were capturing is so different from what we saw. We dropped our bags in a shelter allocated to us right there. They are more like small cabins. We started our Parikrama around the lake. It’s 80km long.

Exactly half way we stopped by at a point for the much awaited dip. Before we came here, we were all wary of the freezing temperatures around and doubted if we could take a dip. But Amma is with us. The sun was up and this is the best of the conditions, one can get at Manasarovar. The holy dip is so soooooo magical and I felt completely elated and thankful to Amma for this life. This dip will definitely make anyone see how beautiful our lives actually are. I was so happy and completely content at that moment. This is a unique experience and one can’t get the feel of it unless it is experienced in person. I could make out atleast the four of us in this group had all different happy reactions. Charith was on top of the world. Thank you so much Amma for your blessings.

Saroja and Sunanda lit floating lamps and did the rituals. We collected few pebbles here. Back in bus, we were all speechless for a longtime. Most of us chanted inside while few hymned 'Om Namah Shivaya'.

In 30min we stopped at a Buddha Temple right at the bank of the lake. The dim lit Buddhist temple had its own charm and energy in and around it. After a quick photo session we hopped back in bus to reach our cabins. We were given about half hour to rest before we assembled to prepare for the Homam. The wind God, Vayu Devatha, had really put to test all of ours’ ability to withstand chillness. Lighting up the fire was a challenge but we succeeded. Divinity had brought all of us together that moment. The sun was setting behind us with the lake in front of us. Even when the Homam was in progress, Charith and i scurried quickly towards the lake so that we could take a few snaps at sunset. It was worth it and I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. We collected more pebbles. We joined back the Homam. Towards the end, the wind was blowing so cold that we were almost chased into the cabins. Dinner was served right there in between cabins. We took a nap for couple of hours only. We woke up in the middle hoping to see streaks of light or little stars land into the lake. It is believed that the Devathas descend on full moon night here to take a dip. By the time I was there, few who gathered there 1hr before me, were excitedly narrating what they sighted. We sat in the shadow of our cabin to witness the expected spectacle on this moonlit shore. Somehow I was confident we will see a spectacle and we did. Within in few minutes Sunanda and Saroja said they sighted couple of streaks of light drop into the lake. I missed them. But in half hour, for a fraction of a second, i saw a very thin beam of light streak go from the lake into the sky above. Yes, the Devathas come here. This is a laser show gifted to us from heaven. That was the last and we huddled back into cabins. No light bulb in the cabins but there was a charging point though. This was the best night in our trip so far.

Day 7: [Day 1 Parikrama]

Sun is up in the Tibetan region very early around 5am. From a distance, we could see Lord Shiva in all smiles in the form of Golden Kailash. This is what we call the morning bliss, right here beside the lake and the immortal birds gliding and squalling in the air coming through the morning air above this magical water body. The serenity is simply awesome. We quickly ate and started driving towards Darchen, the basecamp. It’s just 40min away.

Most of us purchased a walking stick here at Darchen. Some of us bought supplementary mini lightweight oxygen cylinders here. There will be no shops beyond this. The ponies are hired here. The pony and its master are allotted through a lottery system where we get to pick the name of the horsemen from a hat. We are to pass through Yamadwar, a small 5ft by 5ft doorway, before we start. Few had trouble bonding with their pony but it was only momentary. Few brave souls walked and those who feared climbing on to a pony also walked. Within half hour I got off the pony and walked to give company to one of our group members, Nani. He was only slightly overweight but the ponies refused to move beyond that. I guess the pony was not fed well before this. Anyways, at this altitude, climbing on slowly around the hills, with lowering oxygen levels, it was quite an effort to walk even 100m. The mountainscape was amazing. The ice from the night in a barely visible stream, was slowly melting, making the sound of a nascent stream louder as time went by. This stream must have been a frozen white patch in the night.

Though we stopped for few minutes for a drink and to gauge the well being of us and other visible members of our pack, we just kept moving ahead. We absolutely did not know the time go but I guess we reached Diraphuk, the North Face of Kailash, by 4pm. Those who already reached here before us came rushing to us describing all the God forms they could visualize to be seen on Mt. Kailash. But soon, we realized that we should leave that visualization ability to one self.

We could see glorious Mt. Kailash filled with all Godly forms like well carved Siddhi  Vinayaka, Sarpam at the peak, Elephant saluting Lord Shiva who is looking down at the frozen stream beside, two Abhaya Hasthams, Trishulam and more. Others also saw some Abhishekam being performed on Ammavaru. Mt. Kailash is the only hill in that visible range which was covered with snow. Throughout the year there is snow. No one can really touch Mt. Kailash. It is believed that anyone attempting that would simply disappear.  The weather by itself is a major testing force. The power of the Lord can only be experienced. It cannot be described by anyone. Around 5 in our group went close to about 200-250m point from the magnificent Mt. Kailash. I was too exhausted inside and needed to rest for an hour. This was our first halt in the Parikrama. The cabins were just about cozy. Any less cozy means we could freeze in the night. Sunanda fetched a bottle of theertham straight from the melting snow off Mt. Kailash. Blessed we are! The hospitality crew members served us hot water, soup and dinner. They really help us get our energy. The crew were all God sent. Dinner gave us the needed warmth to protect us from the blowing wind. Somehow i couldn’t eat.

All those who attempted Parikrama, completed Day 1. Nani struggled so much but felt so blessed to have Lord Shiva's darshan by the end of the day. Many in the pack decided that they would not continue the Parikrama but only return back to Darchen the next day.

Day 8: [Day 2 parikrama] 23rd May

The gleaming Golden Kailash is a spectacle and stood right in front of us. We don’t need anything more. We submit ourselves at your feet Shiva. Om Namah Shivaya!!

Really can’t say how much time spent there can be enough for anyone. We have to complete the Parikrama and from here on either we go back or move forward. Once we are moving ahead, there is no turning back.

One of us developed a fever and to stand by him his 2 sisters and mother dropped out. Another family had an 82-year old braveheart; they came till here but turned back. Saroja was having a mild headache. She was shuttling between her cabin and mine in the night to check how I was. Sunanda was assessing our energy levels. Charith, who was awaiting his X class board exams results, is one young man we all admired. God bless him! Well, Saroja asked me whether I can complete the Parikrama. I hesitated for a moment as I was worried if she couldn’t pull any further but I simply pointed my finger in the direction of going ahead and that was her fuel and all of ours. Om Namah Shivaya!!

We were 13 of us starting our day 2 of the Parikrama. Bid adieu to the rest and the pony men wasted no time anywhere and I hopped on the pony. The air was just waiting for us to move. Most of the ponies and walkers were ahead of me. From here on, it is a steady uphill and in about an hour we were reaching a peak called Dolma Pass. It's the highest point in our trip and is at 6600ft above sea level. 50 yards before this point, you can see several strands of triangular flaps of many colors, 15cm height each, threaded together into lengthy lines of 50 to 60m. Few Buddhists leave their footwear here to mark their respect and prayers. It was very steep here and we were asked to get off the ponies.

Here I saw a cheerful 14yr old boy of another group. I should say he is a blessed soul.  Not many parents bring their kids along to venture here. At the peak i felt we were surrounded by mountain tops at close proximity. But on the eastern side was a valley down with a very steep descent. The gap between us and the other side of the valley must be 200-300m. Deep down was a beautiful teal green lake. This is Gowrikund. Goddess Parvathi is believed to come here to take a dip. Just above this captivating view on the other side on the hill we can see rock formation about 6-7ft high of Tara Devi. Few horsemen were brave enough to descend this steep drop and fetch a bottle of theertham from the lake.

I could see that the path which we were to take to descend on the other side of Dolma Pass is very steep even by foot. I can't imagine sitting on a pony while descending. Around this time I couldn't see Saroja...She was much ahead of me. We walked down looking backwards till we lost sight of Gowrikund.

I caught up with Sunanda here at a place where the descent was over and we had to cross a small half frozen stream, must be from the snow of previous night. Walking through the pebbles in a completely serene place was so peaceful. In about an hour's time we reached a slightly difficult and risky path where we have to descend about 100m on loose soil packed between rocks and it was steep enough that one may topple over if we decide to slide. However, i managed to use my walking stick to get a grip on the path. Sunanda had slowed down and was thinking over how to go down. Just then Lord Shiva sent a man to help her out. He held her hand and guided her for a quick descent. I slowly climbed down and we reached our mid day resting spot. A makeshift tent was selling small eats and water. We were exhausted and I lay flat on the rock for 10min. That was good rest and now we can hop on the pony. The course is pretty much flat or slow gradient. Now we can see much wider open space, maybe 3 or 4km far before there is a mountain.

In our group we had an ace athlete kind of a friend Radha kumari. She is so fit at almost my age and she was on foot all through and was ahead. Salute!!

From here on till the next 2 and half to three hours it is a continuous unraveling of mystical landscapes on the mountains around us. Though we sat on the ponies and watched the scenery pass by we couldn't click much as we had to be seated in a certain posture and can’t afford to miss the grip on the pony. I just kept chanting out and my Sherpa, a young lad, was self-fuelled and was all energetic. The pony, however, seemed to be walking in rhythm to my chanting.

The pony men had hardly rested, but them being part of the mountain people known as Sherpas, had no difficulty in the trail. In fact they refuse to rest. Only later I realized that they were racing against time as they exactly know when the weather may turn hostile.

We reached an isolated place in the middle of these mountains where there were cabins set up for pilgrims to rest. Very cozy cabins i should say. Each of us lay flat on our beds while we waited for others to reach. Ram, Arjun and team wasted no time in serving us hot water and dinner. Hardly anybody moved that night.

Day 9 - [Day 3 Parikrama] 24th May

When we woke up, to our surprise, we saw the mountains around us were completely wrapped in snow. As we stepped out of our cabins, it was a white blanket all around us. Wow!!

There in that cold morning in the Himalayas we are seeing snow in this holy journey. It started to drizzle lightly and we have to make a move from there. Soon we set foot for the last leg of our Parikrama.

After a distance we hopped on to ponies while some preferred walking then too. Soon within a time less than 2 hours we reached a stopover. Just before here we spotted few Buddhists religiously doing their Parikrama. Their way is that they prostrate on ground for every 7ft or so and continuously repeat this throughout the 52km route. It's nothing but pure devotion and discerning belief in the Lord.

At the stopover we bid adieu to our respective Sherpas and we clicked a couple of snaps and off we hopped into a mini bus waiting for us.

Now as you see that this last leg of the Parikrama is actually by bus till we reach Darchen. On the way I saw some pilgrims walking this last mile too. I just cannot explain in words the plain barren land I saw here. It is the most scenic barren land between the far off mountains that surround it. The shadow of a film of cloud above can be distinctly seen far beyond and we were travelling in between the varied shades of grey above and below us. Birds were seen only in individual numbers at a distance and I can only say that they were there for a purpose.

Someday I wish I could paint this view in front of me. Am sure there are many many stories right from this barren land. So picturesque, so moving, so untouched and seemed like it was filled with lots of hidden stories.

At Darchen we met others who turned back after Day 1. These members were stationed their till we folks reached there. After an hour of completing the Parikrama, our Swamiji Anandan lit camphor for one last aarthi, and we all started back to Taklakot.

We saw amazing mountainscape and an upcoming huge reservoir project, on way to Taklakot. We stopped in front of the same 4 or 5-star Hotel at Taklakot. Every single person including the hospitality crew was completely worn out. We have to rest before we muster energy to even go to our rooms. Apparently this Hotel was still severely understaffed. It must have been one of those hard luck days for them. The front desk was so confused in allocating rooms that they could hardly do anything other than smoke. It took them 45min to allocate rooms. Ram and his friend set out in the cold to fetch tea from a hotel which was almost a kilometer away.

Then came the business of allocating rooms amongst ourselves and sorting out our red bags. We were so worn out. But for a 10 of us, the rest conveniently expected their bags to be picked up by others. Tea arrived and we got some energy to clean ourselves. However, it was not before 2hours that I could get into a shower. We didn't shower since 3 days. We had all freshened up but were famished. Though we were ready to hit the sack, we wanted to eat. We set out in the cold to eat and soon we were snoozing. It was 4 deg in the night outside.

Day 10: Taklakot to Hilsa

It was around 8:30 a.m. when we had hurriedly sat in the bus. We were getting ready to go to the immigration office at Taklakot. I guess our contingent was the second bus to the centre. However it took us over 45 minutes to get our bus out of the parking lot just because of a jam created by other buses of other parties. The checking process at the immigration was as tough as when we were enroute to Kailash.

The drive to Hilsa was more or less a silent journey. When we reached Hilsa exhaustion set in though we did nothing. Crossing the suspended footbridge over the stream seemed difficult for the elderly as the bridge was swaying in the wind and also due to so many people crossing over at a time. We were served tea and light snacks. We were told that the helicopter would take us in batches to Simikot which is 25 minutes away however it is all is in the hands of the weather God. That's right, we were told that the weather was slightly bad and it was difficult for any helicopter to take off or come in. We saw three or four trips of helicopter go which took members of other returning parties who had also arrived at various timings. Now we are told there will be no more trips for the day.

We are to stay in the make shift lodge created by the village people who offered us their homes for the night while they huddled together at someone's home. It was around 6pm and cold air was getting in and we were served tea made from a completely ancient form of preparing tea from a long cylinder where tea was crushed and the brew was served hot.

I hopped into a nearby hut where we were 7 of us spread out in the dark. We were saving our battery on our torches. Our friend Nani stepped in a little while and he was the only man with a connected mobile phone. All of our phones were either dead or wouldn't connect. Anticipating much delay I took Nani's phone and called travel agent and postponed our return flight tickets to two days later. I spent 45min on the phone and am sure the international roaming rates would've cost us not less than Rs. 20,000 for that call. Om Namah Shivaya!!

The dry fruits and other eats that we packed for the trip came in handy at Hilsa. We slept through this dark and silent night. Of course I was worn out physically and mentally but I did enjoy the sounds of the chilly wind pass through this cut off village.

Day 11: Day 2 @ Hilsa

We woke up all anxious and eagerly waiting to hear when our group 'Eco Trek' will be given chance to board the helicopter. The weather was still bad and we were waiting for the clouds to clear up in the mountains beyond. We had to answer nature's call in the open. While we waited, we were nibbling carefully on the leftover snacks we had.

Just before noon we saw people coming from other parties on their return journey to Hilsa. This marked the beginning of a crucial part of our journey.

Hilsa is a very small place where there were about 30 to 40 huts surrounding a small lodge that could house 30 guests. Now we have around 150 to 200 guests. This place neither had food nor electricity. We were completely cut off. Only way out is helicopter and that too if the weather permits.

The helicopter operator had tough time convincing the parties to wait for their turn. In one flight Saroja and 5 others from Eco Trek got their turn and they left. But from then on it became difficult and the operator said two from each of the three parties will board the flight. Sunanda was boarding this time and just then I could see a tussle starting between the parties. The next few flights were completely chaotic and people lost their minds due to exhaustion and anxiety. It was very clear that Shiva had put all of us to test right here at Hilsa. At one point there was one lady Ms. Anarkali, two elders and 4 middle aged men from our team. We had to strategize. The lady and the elders go first. In one flight there was a lady from another party suffering from breathlessness, and we all gave way for her and her near ones. Time was running out and Kumar and I saw off others and we were left behind. Anandan Swamy had to go earlier too so as to take care of connecting flights at Simikot. However, Ram, Arjun and 3 others in the hospitality wing of Eco Trek were around to take care of us. The nightfall set in.

Kumar and I were taken to a different hut where the locals dwell. After we settled in a cozy place, we were served the greatest soup in the world. Yes, we were so famished and after witnessing scuffles, pushing and shoving amongst pilgrims, we needed this rejuvenating soup. I prayed that Saroja be given enough strength to withstand the anxiety she would have worrying about me. No communication at all. We quietly snoozed while Arjun was narrating something to his local buddies.

Day 12: Hilsa to Simikot

Even before the weather cleared up, Ram and Arjun were in dialogue with the operator. After a long wait, Kumar and I finally boarded a helicopter, where I had to barge in and yell at the operator to pull out a passenger who squeezed in out of turn. Ram had to hand over my backpack from below. It was one moment I cannot forget in life. As the helicopter was beginning to take off I saw Ram with his both palms together saying 'Namaskar'. I can say that I saw Shiva in Ram. He has been an aiding force to all the members of our group. We all liked him a lot. Pure service at this altitude definitely has to be driven by a divine force. Om Namah Shivaya!!

The short flight to Simikot was rough and everything was left in the hands of the highly skilled pilot. Hats off to those pilots who make these trips in between these mountain places. Maneuvering through these mountain ranges requires great skill, especially in the rough weather.

At Simikot airport there was absolute rejoicing and relief that our team has successfully returned to Simikot in full. I can't forget Srinivas Swamy from Chidamabaram hugging me with tears in his eyes. They all said the same thing "Call Saroja".

Saroja was far ahead in our return journey. She however was thinking of my plight all the time. Soon when I got a chance to talk to her through someone’s phone, she only said one thing – “Stay back with whomever you want in that place”. My sister Sunanda too had thrown her anxiety on to me in different words. I was so glad to have spoken to both of them. I was completely relieved. I told them not to worry about me and asked them to proceed without me as I could foresee that I would not be able to catch my scheduled flights. I am sorry Saroja and Sunanda that I didn't be with you guys in the return journey.

The weather was very bad. I was told the chances of boarding a flight today were grim. It took me a while to accept it but soon after lunch, Kumar and I set out to get our communication line going. We luckily found an ISD booth from where I called Chennai and informed all is ok. We purchased local SIM card too which came in handy as the incoming was very inexpensive. The dinner was as before a very nourishing meal and this time I had put in whatever possible tip I could, in the wooden box. We barely charged our phones and the power went off. No problem, we prayed and slept.

Day 13: Simikot to Nepalganj

Weather God had just made enough clearance for the Yeti Airlines and Buddha Airlines to fly their mini planes to shuttle the pilgrims. On way to Nepalganj, i was seated right behind the pilot and co-pilot. They are so focused and they know the terrain in detail and they know exactly what to do and when. No automation can replace this skill. At Nepalganj, we were hurriedly taken to the Hotel where we are to decide how to reach Kathmandu's airport by the next day. Both Kumar and I had tickets for different flights from Kathmandu to New Delhi but in the morning hours of next day.

Over yet another delicious lunch, the team had decided that Kumar and I will be given a chance to be pushed first in the line for the flights to Kathmandu. We were immediately rushed to airport and we were very lucky to board the plane to Kathmandu. There were 11members left behind at that Hotel when we left Nepalganj.

At Kathmandu, we checked into the same Hotel Royal Singi where we had to return the red bags and collect whatever we had earlier left in the cloak room there. We were so relieved to have reached there. After a quick warm shower we went to cafeteria for dinner where we caught up with few others from our group who had returned there earlier than us. Saroja, Sunanda and Charith were reaching Hyderabad by then. I got news that Charith passed Xth Board exams with good scores. Om Namah Shivaya!! One big first hurdle in life crossed for Charith. We also heard that the members behind us in the route were heading to Kathmandu by bus. This means 10 to 11hours including ghat road. I felt bad they had to come by bus.

Sleep set in as soon as we hopped into the covers.

Day 14: Kathmandu to Hyderabad

It was cloudy and cool. At the airport the security screening was extensive. Soon I was on my plane to New Delhi and Kumar was to wait a bit more to hop on to his. My seat in the second row and my mind was drowned in a sea of thoughts. Though a part of me was absolutely content about the entire trip, the picture of anxious Saroja and parents pushed me to reach out the newspaper and a magazine. Soon after takeoff, I see a flight attendant hand over a beautiful flower bouquet to a lady in the first row.  The captain then announced that there was a special lady onboard, Ms. Aparna Kumar who was just returning from a successful climb on to Mt. Everest. Wowwww!!! How excited she must be. I read about it in the newspaper in my hand. After scaling Mount Vinson Massif, the highest peak in Antartica, earlier this year, IPS officer Aparna Kumar has become the first lady IPS officer to scale Mount Everest. Congratulations to her again!!

The layover at New Delhi was too brief and I was hurriedly trying to tweak my phone to check if it came on to the Home Network. It did.  It was a silent airport but heavily crowded. On my flight to Hyderabad, I was thinking more about Anandan Swamy and 10 others behind us in New Delhi. Reached Hyderabad by 4:30PM or so. Om Namah Shivaya!!! Om Namah Shivaya!!! Om Namah Shivaya!!!