Spiritual Himalayan Pilgrimage
Badrinath and the Alaknanda River, 2017
A Vaishnava pilgrimage site of vital importance, the holy Himalayan town of Badrinath sits along the banks of the Alaknanda River. Although Hindu mythology considers the Bhagirathi River the source stream of the Ganges (Ganga), hydrologists consider the Alaknanda River to be the Ganga's source stream due to its great length and discharge.
Getting to this holy site was an extremely unsettling experience. As if on a whim, I decided to leave Rishikesh in order to savor the finer stratospheric air of the Himalayas. After dunking my mind and body in the Ganga, I was left with an insatiable spiritual thirst. I felt a magnetic pull, and Badrinath seemed to me to be the source of this northward pull. So towards the heavens I decided to ascend on one of those overpopulated rickety-rackety Indian buses. The only seat available was at the left back corner of the bus, which proved to be an unfortunate blessing. As the bus picked up additional passengers along the way the local Indians began to plop themselves on the floor. Eventually, the aisle of overflowing passengers reached all the way to the back of the bus and people somehow piled on in the carnival clown bus.
Getting to this holy site was an extremely unsettling experience. As if on a whim, I decided to leave Rishikesh in order to savor the finer stratospheric air of the Himalayas. After dunking my mind and body in the Ganga, I was left with an insatiable spiritual thirst. I felt a magnetic pull, and Badrinath seemed to me to be the source of this northward pull. So towards the heavens I decided to ascend on one of those overpopulated rickety-rackety Indian buses. The only seat available was at the left back corner of the bus, which proved to be an unfortunate blessing. As the bus picked up additional passengers along the way the local Indians began to plop themselves on the floor. Eventually, the aisle of overflowing passengers reached all the way to the back of the bus and people somehow piled on in the carnival clown bus.
Sleeping on the floor of the bus seemed to be a natural daily commuter occurrence, despite the incessant bus horn blaring and the bus occasionally becoming airborne after hitting the right fallen rock on a bump in the road at just the right speed. As we snaked up the cartoonishly bumpy Himalayan road, the expert bus driver naturally blared his horn to alert the oncoming traffic that we were clearing a blind corner with a smooth vertical cliff directly to our left. Sheer and utter terror overtook me as I glimpsed down the screaming Himalayan abyss from my back-of-the-bus window seat. It seemed that either death or Shiva was definitely knocking at the back of the bus emergency door, but then again I couldn't quite be sure since the incessant blaring horn was piercing my amygdala.
Suffice it to say that it was a thoroughly hellish pilgrimage. I might as well have kissed the ground in full prostration when we were finally able to spill out of the ridiculous motorized chariot in a state of exasperated terror. The only way I'll ever be able to reenter the parti-colored splendor of the Badrinath Temple and re-enjoy it's spiritually luxurious hot spring pools overlooking the sacred source of the Ganga will be via helicopter.
Suffice it to say that it was a thoroughly hellish pilgrimage. I might as well have kissed the ground in full prostration when we were finally able to spill out of the ridiculous motorized chariot in a state of exasperated terror. The only way I'll ever be able to reenter the parti-colored splendor of the Badrinath Temple and re-enjoy it's spiritually luxurious hot spring pools overlooking the sacred source of the Ganga will be via helicopter.
Badarinarayana Temple nestled in the Himalayan fold.
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