Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 5)

Day 6 - Gaya Shraddha

Gaya Shraddha (also known as Gaya Pind Daan) holds immense religious, spiritual, and cultural significance in Hinduism. Located in Bihar, India, the city of Gaya is considered the holiest destination (Moksha Puri) for performing ancestral rites (Shraddha). According to scriptures such as the Garuda Purana, Vayu Purana, and Mahabharata, performing Shraddha in Gaya frees the souls of ancestors from the cycle of rebirth and helps them attain ultimate liberation (Moksha). Gaya Shraddha also helps us fulfil / repay our debt to our ancestors (each of us are born with debt to Gods, Pitrus, Rishis etc. which are to be repaid in different ways) and to remove / reduce any Pitru dosha that may be affecting us.

While this can be performed by any of the sons / daughters, it is even performed by women for their departed husbands, parents, sons etc.using the help of vadhyars. Some people do Gaya shraddha multiple times (we heard of one person who does this annually) even though doing it once is sufficient.

Vishnupad temple, Gaya

Legend of Gayasura - The demon Gayasura performed intense penance, prompting Lord Vishnu to bless his body with pure sanctity. Anyone touching or offering rites over Gayasura's body would go straight to heaven. Lord Vishnu placed his foot on Gayasura to stabilize him, creating the sacred Vishnupad where part of the rituals are conducted as described below. The Vishnupad Temple at Gaya houses a 40 cm footprint of Lord Vishnu etched in basalt. Offering Pind Daan here is said to bring divine mercy and liberation for ancestors.

Our Day 6 started with morning bath and prayers in our room. We woke early as the day breaks early here (as in Kashi). By 5.30 am it was quite bright. At around 7.30, we moved along with a Vadhyar to the banks of the river Phalguni. There we had a washing of hands and feet from a tap water drawn from river Phalguni which flows under the river bed. Some people make shallow pits on the river banks to draw the water while others, like me, us the water that is pumped out. Legend has it that this river was cursed by Sita. The river flows with water only during monsoon - otherwise the water is below the river bed.

Rama, Sita & Lakshmana had come to Gaya to perform Pind Daan. When Rama & Lakshmana were away bathing in the river Phalguni, Raja Dasharatha's soul appeared in front of Sita and asked for the Pind daan. As rice was not available, she gave balls of sand as Pind. When the brothers returned, Sita told them about this. Rama had some doubt about this and Sita called five witnesses to corroborate her story - Phalguni river, a cow, local brahmin, Tulsi plant and a banyan tree (Akshay Vat). The first 4 witnesses denied the story (out of fear or greed) and only the Banyan tree confirmed it. The 4 who denied were cursed by Sita as follows - the river will only flow below the ground and not be visible, the cow would never be worshipped from the front side, the brahmins would always remain in poverty and remain greedy / unsatisfied, the Tulsi plant would never grow in Gaya. The Akshay Vat was blessed with immortality and Shraddha at Gaya would be incomplete without an offering under the tree and the ancestors will achieve Moksha when this is done.   

The dry river bed of Phalguni river

At the river bank, there was a Rama temple where we did our first set of Pinda danam. We did two rounds of Pinda danam. The first set was 17 in number and offerings were as described in the previous blog (part 1 of this yatra)

In the second set, we had to make 64 pindams. 17 goes to the usual list. 16 additional is offered to our mother who has undertaken so much of sacrifice (both pre & post natal) in our upbringing. The balance pindams are offered to specific individuals (relatives, friends, teachers, gurus, servants, pets etc.) who have obliged and served us / helped us in some form of or the other. It is essential to carry a list of such people (including names, gotras and relationship info.) and say their names etc. before offering the pindam.

The first set of 17 Pindams, which were earlier offered to our Pitrus, were collected in a container and fed to local cows to eat. Bulls do not eat this pindam but the cows eagerly ate it !!

Holy Vishnu Padam

The second set of 64 Pindams, which were earlier offered to mother and other deceased ancestors / Guru etc., were offered at the place where Vishnu Padam rests. It is believed that  Gayasura who gave his body for performing the rituals at Gaya is satisfied on receiving the Pindams.

We then returned to the Vadhyar's house and performed normal Shraddham etc. This included homam, tarpanam etc. This also included lunch for 3 brahmanas and danam like Veshti-Angavastram etc. In Gaya, it seems that even Bramhachaaris (bachelor Brahmins / students) are allowed to become bokhtas. We gave Rs. 100/- to each bhokta.

After this, we went by car to Akshay Vatam which is about 3-4 kms away. There we again did 64 pinda danam as described above. These pindams were then placed at the base of the Akshay Vatam tree. The significance of this is ritual is given above. Then we ritually gave up consumption of one leaf, one vegetable and one fruit of our choice. After this, we are not allowed to eat that particular leaf, vegetable or fruit for the rest of our lives.

After this we left Akshay Vatam. Here, the beggars are unusually aggressive in demanding alms. They physically pull you and try to grab whatever you have in your hand. One has to carry limited cash / coins to this place. All across in Gaya, we will come across people who ask for dakshina / alms. Everyone there expects you to give them something. Once you are seen to be giving, you will be in high demand as everyone will rush towards you like flies go towards honey.

Holy Akshay Vatam

We gave Rs. 300/- to Vadhyar (basically this was a compensation for use of room) and another Rs. 100/- to the vadhyar who came with us to Akshay Vatam. We also gave miscellaneous tips to various people totalling to about Rs. 250/- The overall vadhyar fees was about Rs. 4-5000 which was paid directly by Kashi Vadhyar and collected from us as part of the overall 'package'.

After this, we returned to the Vadhyar's house in Gaya and had Pitru sesham lunch.  We paid Rs. 200/- per person for lunch (3 vadhyars and 2 of us). We had to carry banana leaves from Kashi as it is not available in Gaya.

After this, we returned to Kashi by car and check into hotel Sunshine again. Later, in the evening, we did miscellaneous shopping. For dinner, we had tiffin from the local lady. This time she gave us thick soft dosas with sambhar & chutney. It was delicious as always. Then we had hot milk from a roadside vendor outside our hotel before retiring for the night.

To be concluded...

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 4)

Day 5 -

After having bath and finishing morning prayers at our hotel, we went to the banks of Shivala ghat where a boat had been arranged by the Vadhyar. This was a motorised boat and about 6-7 other couples were also present - mostly old couples. We were the youngest couple in the group.

Boat used to go across various ghats for pinda danam

We were to do the Panch Theertha Shraadham also known as Panchaghatta Shradhham on this day.The process entails visiting 5 holy spots in Ganga - Assi ghat, Dashashwamedha Ghat, Adi Keshav Ghat located where Varuna & Ganga rivers meet, Panchganga Ghat where 5 holy rivers viz Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kirana and Dhutpapa are believed to spiritually meet and Manikarnika Ghat where Shiva gives moksha to departing souls.

We went in the motorised boat inside the river Ganga and performed Pinda danam (17 pindams) at each of the ghats mentioned above. The cooking of the rice, the preparation of the pindams and the danam rituals were all conducted within the boat. A vadhyar accompanied us to help in the process. The ladies were busy preparing pindams and the menfolk with the rituals. This was done at each 5 different holy spots within the river. So, rice cooking and pindam preparation and danam were done 5 times within a span of about 3 hours. That was quite a task especially for the ladies who had to cook in a rocking boat on makeshift stoves.

We were supposed to have ritual bath at each holy spot but, as the water was deep, we were content in taking mugs of water and pouring it over ourselves in the boat itself. So, we were wet most of the time during the boat ride.

Bindu Madhavar

At one ghat called 'Assi Ganga' we disembarked and had a darshan of Lord Vishnu at the Bindu Madhavar temple. This entailed a climb of nearly 100 steps to reach the small but very vibrant temple. The main deity is a large Shaligram which gives out powerful vibrations. This is a must visit temple during any visit to Kashi.

After we finished all 5 pinda danams, we returned to the Shivala ghat and performed Ganga pooja there. This was a brief 10 minute affair wherein we offered flowers etc. to the holy river Ganga.

After this, we went to Vadhyar's house and performed Dam-pati pooja of Kashi Vishweshwar and Annapoorna. A local brahmin couple was invited and the deities were invoked into them and a full pooja was done including gifting them with Veshti- Angavastram and 9 Yards Saree.

Later, we had lunch at a local mami's house (Lalitha mami). This was excellent home made food served with love. The meal, served on a banana leaf, consisted of rice, sambhar, kootu, vegetables, curd pachadi, rasam, buttermilk etc. The atmosphere was almost like we were having a traditional meal at home.

After lunch, we left for Gaya by car. The route to Gaya is excellent - it is a tolled four lane highway. Just before reaching Gaya, we went to Bodh Gaya and had darshan at the famous Buddha temple there. It is an excellent must visit place. Keep sufficient time for this place - at least 3 hours.

After reaching Gaya, we went to a local Vadhyar's place who was referred to us by our Vadhyar in Kashi. He has a 2 storied building with about 10-12 rooms in each floor with common toilets. The rooms are compact and have hardly any furnishing. As it was very warm and the rooms had little ventilation, our bedsheets (which we had carried) came handy here as we slept on the floor. We didn't use the bed in view of the heat, although we got thick mattress and pillows from the vadhyar.

At night we had light tiffin & fruits that we had carried from Kashi. Power supply is a big problem in Gaya. Frequent cuts and fluctuating voltage. Please make sure you carry a torch if you are visiting Gaya.

To be continued...

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 3)

Day 3 -

Janaki Ghat Temple, Ayodhya

The distance from Prayagraj to Faizabad is about 160 kms. It took us nearly 5 hours to reach with a couple of breaks in between. The drive was peaceful with farm lands on both side and a few small villages / towns in between. We were told that there aren't many good lodgings at Ayodhya and hence, we stayed at the twin city of Faizabad which is about 12 kms away.. We stayed at Hotel Shane Awadh in Faizabad for the night of Day 2. It was a decent hotel but there were simply too many mosquitoes. I purchased 'Hit' from a general store and had a decent night sleep without any further disturbance from the mosquitoes.

Bade Hanuman Mandir, Ayodhya

In the evening, after Sandhya prayers, we went by cycle rickshaw to a place called chowk and had a nice Marwadi thali that night. Later I realised that this was probably a mistake as we had done tarpanam etc. in the morning and normally one is not allowed to have a full meal on that night.

We visited Ayodhya on morning of Day 3, had a dip in Sarayu river, visited various local temples including Ram Janmabhoomi. Ayodhya is a beautiful and holy city. We could see temples everywhere and lots of bhajans and other pious activities going on. Overall, it is clean and definitely a must visit piligrim spot for everyone. Unfortunately, we could only see the Ram Lalla makeshift temple from a distance as there was heavy security all around. We decided to come back another time after the temple would get constructed and spend 3-4 days here at Ayodhya.

Ram Temple, Ayodhya

We then returned to Kashi a drive of about 210 kms which we covered in about 5 hours. By the time we reached Kashi, it was evening. We went around some local temples in the evening. The first was the famous Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple temple. Then, we went to a Shakti Peeth called the Shree Durga Mata Mandir - a beautiful red temple which stands out as unique.,We then went to a nearby Chozhi Devi temple known here as the Kaudi Mata temple. She is considered as a sister of Shiva Bhagavan. Many South Indian pilgrims believe that Kashi yatra is incomplete without visiting this temple.  

Inside Bade Hanuman Mandir

Later, we checked in again into the hotel Sunshine and met our Vadhyar here who briefed us about next day rituals. That evening, we had tiffin from the local lady at Kashi which comprised Upma, chutney and buttermilk. It was excellent as usual and very filling. We had a good sleep that night as we were very tired after all the wanderings during the day. 

Banks of Sarayu River, Ayodhya

Banks of Sarayu River, Ayodhya

Day 4 -

Walk in the Kashi ghats

Day 4 started with morning bath and regular Sandhya prayers at the hotel room. After this, the vadhyar came and guided us in doing the snanam Sankalpam. We then went for a plunge bath in river Ganga at Shivala ghat which was less than 100 meters from our hotel. Post the bath, we went to Vadhyar's house which was very close to the ghat. Here we changed into fresh dry clothes and performed full fledged Shradhham including homam, tarpanam, pinda danam (17 pindams), lunch for 3 brahmanas, danam of Veshti-Angavastram and dakshina etc. to them.

Later, we partook in the Pitru Sesham which concluded around 3 pm. This was all arranged by the vadhyar and we didn't have any preparatory work to be done. All we did was be present and repeated the mantras & did the rituals as guided by our vadhyar.

In the evening, we took a stroll along the ghats. The weather was cool as it was late March. It was pleasant and after walking some distance, we took a boat to Dashaswamedh Ghat where the Ganga Aarti is held each evening. It is a elaborate ritual witnessed by a huge crowd both at the banks and along the banks on boats. The boat view is better. We stayed in the boat by which we went and returned via the same boat after the Aarti.

That night we virtually fasted as we had performed Shraddham in the morning. Also, the late lunch was very heavy and we didn't feel like eating that night.

To be continued....

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 2)

A few days after we returned to Mumbai from Rameshwaram, which was the first leg of this yatra, we proceeded to Kashi. We performed rituals / ceremonies at Prayagraj, Kashi and Gaya - Prayag is supposed to be Vishnu mukh (face), Kashi is Vishnu nabhi (navel) and Gaya is Vishnu Padam (feet) - if you plot the 3 locations on a map, you can see this)

Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya visit is described below.

Day 1 -

At one ghat in Kashi

We landed in Kashi and were escorted to our hotel by a car arranged by our vadhyar. The vadhyar has an arrangement with a hotel which is very near his house. It is a budget hotel meant exclusively for yatris and people who come to do rituals. The hotel name was Sunshine and is located at Shivala Ghat. The room tariff was Rs. 500/- for ordinary room, Rs. 750/- for deluxe room and Rs. 1500/- for deluxe AC room. We stayed in non-AC deluxe room. The rooms were simple, compact and decent. People who are used to luxury travel and fancy hotels may not like this place.

In the evening, we visited local temples in Kashi - Kashi Vishwanath, Annapoorna, Vishalakshi, Kala Bhairav. The temples are open through the day except for a brief Siesta time in the afternoon. A good time to go would be around 4 pm as the crowds will not be much. You are not allowed to carry cell phones, electronic items etc. inside Kashi Vishwanath temple. Luckily for us, we had good darshan in all the temples without much waiting.

In the evening we had our dinner in the form of snacks / tiffin which our vadhyar had arranged from a nearby Lady's house. It costed Rs. 70/- per person and comprised of idlis with sambar & chutney. It was delicious and quantity sufficient.

Day 2 -

Boat full of yatris at Triveni

The next morning after bath & prayers, we checked out of Hotel Sunshine and proceeded by car to Prayagraj. We went directly to a local Vadhyar's house - Shiva Mutt (contact provided by Kashi Vadhyar). This house has stay facilities also for people who want to stay overnight. The rooms are average and compact with no furnishing.

There, we first did sankalpam for Veni Danam. Veni danam is a sacred Hindu ritual where a married woman offers a small portion of her braided hair to the holy waters at the Triveni sangam area. This is done accompanied by the husband to pray for the health & longevity of the spouse and the prosperity of the family. The hair represents her vanity & offering it symbolises shedding of ego. 

After the sankalpam, we gave betel leaves, coconut, blouse piece etc. to one Sumangali (you can give to more Sumangalis if you come across them). Vadhyar dakshina Rs. 1000/- Then we went by car to river banks, and proceeded to Triveni Sangam by boat accompanied by a boy sent by the Vadhyar (paid Rs. 180 for boat plus tips). At Triveni Sangam, we were attended to by a local Panda (priest) who made us do another sankalpam and then we had to do Veni (Hair) danam. Dakshina to Panda was Rs. 40 plus another Rs. 30 for 'annadanam'.

All this was done on a stationary boat for which we had to pay Rs. 10/- per person for the use. I had to comb and braid my wife's hair and snip off a bit which was offered at the Sangam. The barber also cut my hair and gave me a shave. Barber was paid Rs. 30/-

After Veni Danam

We dissolved the Veni (Hair) and also the Bindu Madhav & Veni Madhav sand heaps, which we had collected at Rameshwaram, at the Triveni sangam. Later, we had a holy dip at the Sangam (where Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati meet). The water was only upto the waist and we got off from the boat midstream for this bath. Then, we collected holy Sangam water to be later offered to Shiva lingam at Rameshwaram. Tips to the boy who accompanied us Rs. 100/-

We then returned to the Vadhyar's house and did tarpanam and pinda danam for Pitrus (17 pindams). The Vadhyar who facilitated this was very good person who has retired from corporate life and is doing this work. One could give him dakshina as per ones desire. There was another vadhyar (his assistant) who helped us do the tarpanam and one could give additional dakshina (optional) to him too.

Our boatman

This was then followed by a change of clothes into dry clothes and then lunch. Lunch was about Rs. 75/- per head. It was a South Indian style lunch - delicious and cooked by a couple who operate out of the Vadhyar's residence on a commercial basis.

Then we visited a few local temples. First was Veni Madhawar (Vishnu & Lakshmi temple). It is regarded as the presiding deity of Prayagraj and a holy dip at Triveni is not complete without a visit to this temple. The other temple we visited was of Shri Bade Hanuman also known as Lete Hanuman (Sleeping Hanuman where 20 foot long reclining Hanuman holding Ram & Lakshman in His right hand). Legend has it that Hanuman ji rested here after the Lanka war. This idol, whose origin is unknown, was recovered from the river bed at Prayagraj several centuries ago when the waters had receded.

After this we were free to return to Kashi. However we went to Ayodhya as it was nearby. This was in 2014 and Ram Lalla at Ayodhya was still housed in a temporary makeshift shelter.

To be continued....

Rameshwaram - Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya Yatra (Part 1)

This was posted on Facebook in 2014 and am reposting it here as it is easy to retreive, edit & share.

Rameshwaram Temple

My wife & I had visited Rameshwaram- Kashi - Prayagraj - Gaya and completed the rituals related to our departed parents in 2014. Among Hindus, there is a belief that at least once, in our lifetime, we must perform the rituals for our departed parents and other ancestors at Kashi & Gaya. This will give immense satisfaction and relief to our pitrus (ancestors) to whom we owe so much...

This note is an attempt to capture the various procedures involved so as to be a guide for people who also plan to do this. Please note that I am not a scholar and my knowledge is limited to what I was told by my Vadhyar (Priest). For expert guidance, please consult your family Vadhyar. There are many people who have written about the rituals in far more detail and one can access this by googling for this info.

We started off with a visit to Rameshwaram.

As per the prevailing practice, based on guidance of Mahaperiyavaa Sage of Kanchi, one has to visit Rameshwaram-Kashi-Rameshwaram which is considered equivalent to circumblating our holy land of Bharat Varsha. We flew to Madurai and then took a road trip to reach Rameshwaram. Here we stayed at the Kashi Mutt which is very near the West Dwar. The rooms were average and compact. In my previous stay, I had stayed at Sringeri Mutt which is near the East Dwar and is much better. The only hitch is that vehicles are not allowed inside the perimeter and hence access to the Sringeri Mutt is by walk or battery operated Rickshaw which is not regular in service. The Kashi Mutt room (Non-AC) cost us Rs. 450/- for a day's stay.

That evening we had a darshan of the Lord Shiva at the Rameshwaram temple and had dinner at a Gujarati restaurant located within close proximity to the temple. The food was decent. The next morning after bath & prayers we went to Dhanushkoti by 4 wheel drive jeep hired locally (arranged by the main Vadhyar) accompanied by a vadhyar. Danushkoti is the southern tip of India and is a barren strip of land / beach. It used to be a thriving town once which got completely destroyed by a catastrophic tropical cyclone in 1964. Now, there are only dilapidated structures which gives an impression of a ghost town.

Danuskoti Beach

At the beach, where the Sun was shining bright and there was virtually no shade / shelter, I did Sankalpam and Tarpanam for my ancestors under the guidance of the vadhyar. This is done wearing the traditional Panchakajam dhoti (men) and Ombodugajam (nine yards) saree (Women). For people who are old or otherwise unable to make this trip, this ritual is done at Agni Theertham at Rameshwaram. The vadhyar who helped us complete the rituals did a good job of explaining the significance and meaning of the different rituals.

This was followed by preparing three heaps of sand in a Lingam format - one was called as Sethu Madhavar (SM), one was Bindu Madhwar (BM) and one was Veni Madhawar (VM). All three are representative of important deities (all Narayana) at Rameshwaram, Kashi and Allahabad. SM is one of the 22 theerthams inside Rameshwaram temple. BM is a temple at Kashi and VM is a temple at Allahabad. We worshipped all three lingams at Danushkoti with flowers etc. and then had a ritual bath at the sacred theertham (waters) of Danushkoti. The water was very clear, unlike any of the beaches near cities like Mumbai. The water was flowing / moving gently and it was cool. It was a welcome relief from the heat of the mid day Sun. Later, we took the VM and BM heaps in two plastic bags. SM was immersed (visarjanam) in the water at Danushkoti.

The world famous corridors of Rameshwaram Temple

We then returned to Rameshwaram. We entered the majestic temple at Rameshwaram which is world famous for its splendour and grandeur. This temple has one of the 12 Jyotir Lingas and also has the longest temple corridor in India. The corridors are lined with intricately carved pillars which are a shining example of Dravidian architecture. Here, we had a bath in all the 22 theerthams (holy wells which are believed to have been created by Lord Rama to get the water to purify Himself after killing Ravana) inside the temple. The bath was simple - we walked towards a well, following our guide. He would make us stand near the well and he would draw a bucket of water from the well and pour it on our heads. Then we would proceed to the next well. All across the temple, one can see people trooping from well to well and it looks like a massive movement of people criss crossing each other. 

We then proceeded to the Vadhyar's premises, located very near the temple, for the Shradham ceremony - complete with 5 vadhyars, homam, pinda danam etc. All these were done with wet clothes (wet from the bath inside the temple). The style of wearing the dhoti & saree continues to be panchagajam and ombodugajam respectively.

17 Pindams are made and offered to Pitrus. One each for parents, grand parents, great grand parents and one for unknown relatives (Karunya vargam). One each for maternal parents, grand parents and great grand parents. Four Pindams for friends / relatives / Guru etc. who have helped us and who haven't received Pindam from their descendants.

After this, we changed and went back to the temple for a quick darshan of the Lord in the Rameshwaram.

The Vadhyar had arranged for lunch for all the Vadhyars (Bhoktas) and also us at a nearby place - excellent stuff. Cooked and served on a plantain leaf by a one man army who was a Brahmin. We then left Rameshwaram in our car with our precious plastic bags of BM & VM.

We returned to Madurai and had darshan of Lord Narayana at Azhgar temple and Lord Murugan at Pazha Madur Cholai in the evening. We stayed at Hotel Supreme (decent) and in the evening also had darshan of Meenakshi and also Sundarar (Shiva) at the famous Meenakshi temple. The next morning we went to Thiruparankundram temple of Lord Muruga and returned by afternoon flight to Mumbai.

The entire cost of the proceedings at Rameshwaram including lunch, jeep etc. costed Rs. 5000/- paid to the Vadhyar who had arranged everything. This excludes the cost of reaching Rameshwaram from our home city and back. Those days, we were not so regular in taking photos and hence the limited pics in this blog.

To be continued...

Muktinath Yatra in 2016

This blog was first posted in Facebook in 2016. However, I realised that this is a better place to host it and hence reposting it here. 

My wife & I completed Muktinath yatra in the last week of May 2016. This was immediately before our Kailash Manasarovar yatra in June 2016. I give below the details of our Muktinath yatra for the benefit of future yatris.

We used the services of Shankar Treks, Bengaluru to organise our yatra. Our itinerary was as follows

Kathmandu - Pokhara - Jomsom - Muktinath - Jomsom - Pokhara - Kathmandu

We flew into Kathmandu via Delhi from Mumbai. Kathmandu airport is very simple and basic. After a quick retrieval of our luggage and immigration, we were transported to a good hotel (Hotel Amadablam) very near the famous Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu. After lunch and some rest, we went in the evening to the temple which was a mere 5-7 minutes walk away. The weather was good and, fortunately for us, it was not too crowded at the temple.

Pasupathinath Temple

Like any typical Hindu temple, there are many priests available outside who offer to guide you as well as organise the pooja. We declined the offer and, instead, used the services of a local guide. We were warned about pickpockets and other petty thieves and took care of our belongings. The guide was nice and showed us all the important spots in the temple including the small river that flows by and the cremation grounds adjacent to the river.

There are four doorways to the inner sanctum of the temple and devotees can have a darshan of the deity from any or all of the doorways. The four doorways are opened simultaneously during the aarti only -at other times, only the doorway in the east side is open. The Nandi outside the sanctum on the east side is huge and plated with a metal which looks like gold. The priests who manage the inner sanctum are traditionally from South India only. Usually no devotee is allowed inside the sanctum. Special tickets for darshan and pooja can be purchased from the State Bank counter just outside the main gate of the temple.

There are lots of monkeys in and around the temple premises and I had the experience of one small monkey coming and tapping my right shoulder while I was seated along the wall in the temple premises. The tap was gentle and felt like a small child's hand. I was startled and also worried that the monkey should not snatch my glasses. Luckily, nothing like that happened.

There is also a temple inside the main compound of Pashupatinath temple dedicated to Shankaracharya and His chief disciples. Inside the temple premises, there is also a nice 'Kaal Bhairav' temple. There is also a Hanuman idol next to the gigantic Nandi. There is a small compound adjacent to the temple which has about 108 Shiva Lingas. The walkway in this compound is like a mini-maze and, when we walk in that mini-maze, we virtually do a pradakshina around the 108 Shiva Lingas.

Outside the temple, there are many shops selling Rudrakshas, Sphatik items etc. We had a good time shopping around for souvenirs. We were lucky to get some very good Shaligrams from a shop run by one of the temple priests. As there are so many shops selling similar stuff, one should be careful not to end up buying spurious stuff. We did see some shops selling fake Shaligrams.

We returned to the hotel and came back for another visit the next morning. The rest of the day was spent shopping around in Kathmandu and relaxing in the hotel.

Hotel Landmark, Pokhra

The next morning, we took a bus to Pokhara. This tourist town is about 180 km from Kathmandu. We went through some scenic countryside in a bus driven very well by a local driver called Radheyshyam. We reached Pokhara quite late at night and barely had time for dinner and a quick sleep. We were put up in a good hotel (Hotel Landmark) at Pokhara very near the huge lake that is the main attraction of the town.

The next morning, we had breakfast and drove to the nearby airport of Pokhara. This is a small airport and very very basic. The airport is surrounded by mountains and the place is very picturesque. From here, we had kept our fingers crossed because flights are directly dependent on the unpredictable weather. Luckily, after some delay, our flights took off. The ideal time to leave is early in the morning when the winds are quiet. Within a short time, approx 25 minutes, we had landed in the high altitude location of Jomsom. The flight to Jomsom was exhilarating - there were only about 15 passengers in the small flight.

Inside the small aircraft

Along the way, we could see the beautiful Annapurna range above which we flew. At some stage, the wind was strong and rocked the flight. The landing at that high altitude was a great experience.

It was very cold and windy at Jomsom. There was hardly any vegetation due to the high altitude. We walked to our hotel (Hotel Majestic) from the airport as it was barely 75 meters away from the airport gate. At the hotel, we had a quick briefing and then we left on a bus towards Muktinath. It took us almost an hour in a rickety and wobbling bus to reach Muktinath. The ride was through rough paths and at times over the bed of the Gantaki river. The river bed is huge but actual water flow was not much and was more like a small stream. I guess the river might be full during melting of snow or rains.

After reaching Muktinath, we still had a 3 km distance to cover to reach the temple. Most of us walked but a few took the help of Ponies to cover the distance. The walk was not easy as the lack of oxygen in that altitude made us a little breathless. We reached the temple in about 45 minutes. Luckily for us, it did not rain on the way as, with the exception of a few small shops, there was no scope of any shelter along the way. On the way up & down, we found a few locals selling Shaligrams at very reasonable prices.

Muktinath temple

The temple is a quaint and small structure.

There are two ponds outside the temple where one has to have a dip before taking a bath on the 108 streams of the Gantaki river. These streams are arranged in the form of pipes of water flowing from the mouth of cows along a semi circle around the temple. The water in the ponds and from the streams are chilling and my head became virtually numb underneath the streams of the Gantaki river.

After this bath and a quick change of clothes, we went inside the temple for the darshan of Lord Muktinath who is believed to give Mukti or Moksha or Salvation to all devotees who come to have His darshan. The same deity is worshipped as Vishnu in the morning hours and as Buddha in the later part of the day.

Rudrabhishekam at the temple

This temple is holy to both Hindus and Buddhists. We had a small pooja ceremony sitting outside the Sanctum and chanted the Vishnu Sahasranama (1008 names) and also did Rudrabhishekam accompanied by the chanting of Rudram-Chamakam.

On the way back, we visited a temple which has many Shaligrams and which is within the Muktinath temple complex. Muktinath is also known as the Shaligram Kshetram (abode of the Shaligram) which is found in plenty along the bed of the Gantaki river. Shaligram is believed to be the swaroop (form) of Lord Vishnu and hence very auspicious. Readers may google more on Shaligram stone to understand the significance of it.

Before returning to Jomsom, we had a hearty vegetarian lunch at a local restaurant organised by our tour operator. As we were all hungry after the trek, bath etc. and because it was also delayed, we wolfed down the chapatis, dal, rice and sabzi very quickly.

That night we stayed at Jomsom. We were provided with a lovely south Indian style vegetarian meal at Hotel Majestic. We left early the next morning back to Pokhara. The flights took off on time and the return journey was equally thrilling. At Pokhara, we did some sightseeing including a boat ride in the lake and a visit to the Devi temple which is located in the middle of the lake. We went to a huge underground Shiva temple called Gupteshwar which is in the center of the city and marvelled at the effort that would have gone to build this temple.

On the way back from Pokhara to Kathmandu by bus, we halted at the famous Manakamana temple. This temple can be reached by a ropeway - the largest in Nepal and runs over 2 km long. The trip was memorable and thoroughly enjoyable. The temple was under renovation after being damaged by the recent earthquake. It is believed that one who visits this temple can get all wishes (Manakamana means desires of the mind) fulfilled.

Gujjeshwari temple

We reached Kathmandu in the evening and visited the Shakti Sthal temple called Gujjeshwari (also called Guhyeshwari) where it is believed that the hind part of Sati's corpse had fallen when Lord Shiva was carrying her body after Her self immolation. It is a nice temple and a must visit for all visitors to the capital city of Nepal.

We also visited a unique temple in the city of Kathmandu called the Jal Narayan temple. Here the Lord Narayan can be seen lying in a reclining pose on Sheshnag (the divine serpent) on a body of water. The unique thing about the temple is that the reflection on the water is an exact replica of what is seen above the surface. It is an engineering marvel indeed. Another must visit for all visitors.

Jal Narayan temple

The other big attraction which we visited is the Swayambhu temple in the heart of Kathmandu. This is a Buddhist temple which can be reached by climbing a steep stairway of about 350 steps. There are Buddhist stupas and other temples at the top. One can also get an aerial view of the entire city of Kathmandu from here. One the way up and also at the top, there are many shops where one can buy curios and other locally manufactured stuff.

Broadly this covers our Muktinath Yatra.

Happy to respond to any questions and provide further information.

Newly wedded Nepali couple

Karnataka Yatra - Day 6 (Final Day)

Mangaluru is a nice city. While it is spread over a large area of about 130 square kilometers, it still has a small-town flavor with less population leading to smaller buildings & less traffic. Given its excellent location and facilities, it has a lot of potential to grow in the coming years.

We had our breakfast at the Sagar Ratna pure vegetarian hotel. As breakfast was complimentary and there was no buffet here, we were allowed to order our choice of items from the menu. We had a juice, some dosa & idlis and filter coffee.

Kadri Manjunath Temple

We first wanted to visit the Mangala Devi temple which gave the city its name. This temple is famous for its Kerala-style architecture. However, their annual 9 day Jathra Mahotsava (car festival) had just commenced which was expected to draw huge crowds. Hence, we decided to skip this important temple visit.

Instead, we went to the equally famous and beautiful Kadri Manjunath temple which was located less than 3 kms from our hotel. Initially, we tried to book an Uber but after multiple cancellations by the drivers, we took an autorickshaw. If it wasn’t so warm, we would have even walked to the temple. The main deity of Kadri Temple is Lord Manjunatha, a form of Lord Shiva. The idol is believed to be Swayambhu or self-manifested. This temple, approximately 1100 years old, is one of the oldest and most revered Shiva temples in the region, with its serene atmosphere and beautiful architecture.

Kadri Manjunath Temple

Bhagawan Parashurama had undertaken intense and severe penance to win the favour of Parameshwara (the Supreme Lord). Pleased with his unparalleled devotion, Parameshwara said, “O Parashurama, I reside eternally in the Rasakupa (sacred well) in Suvarna Kadalivana. Go there and worship me.” However, at that time, Suvarna Kadalivana was located under the sea. Therefore, Parashurama reclaimed this land from the ocean and began worshiping the Rasakupa for a long period. Eventually, the sacred Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara) manifested in the form of Shri Manjunatha through the convergence of their divine powers to fulfil Parashurama’s desire.

We first visited the beautiful Ganesh temple located on the left side after entering. The idol was lovely and blissful. There weren’t many devotees present at that time and that gave us ample time to have the darshan and recite a few slokas. After this, we visited the main temple where we had the darshan of Manjunatha (the usual Nandi in front of the sanctum seemed to be moved for some renovation work). We then visited the Durga shrine. Later we came out and visited the Sastha (Ayyappa temple) and the Naga shrine. Usually, temple ponds are at the same level or below the level of the temple. In this temple, however, there are 7 ponds located about 25 feet above. We saw some people taking a dip here and we were told that a dip here cures devotees of skin diseases and helps them wash off their sins. Although we didn't go near the ponds, it is a must visit for all devotees who come here.

Anjaneya Swamy Temple

After climbing several steps in front of the main temple, we came to a lovely & serene Anjaneya temple. The atmosphere here was so peaceful that we could have spent hours here meditating & chanting. There was a huge Hanuman idol (approx. 30 feet tall) in green colour outside this temple. After we came out, we went up further for a few hundred steps to reach the Bhairavnath temple.

Later we returned and had a drink of tender coconut water to beat the heat before returning to our hotel in an autorickshaw. We then had a light refreshment of Dahi vada (Excellent👌) at the same restaurant where we had our breakfast. We came back to the room, rested a while and then packed our bags for our return journey.

As usual, we had some difficulty booking Uber cars. Each driver would call to know our destination and ask for a higher fare to be paid and if we disagreed, they would cancel the ride. This happened a couple of times. On the third attempt, the driver tried the same technique. I didn’t tell him our destination but told him that we can decide the fare after he drops us off. Luckily this driver, coincidentally named Manjunath, agreed. After dropping us off, he asked for a tip of 20% over the fare, which I gave him.

Our flight back was uneventful and on time. We came back home after arriving at Navi Mumbai airport and using the Atal Sethu bridge for the very first time. Thus ended our short but memorable trip to Karnataka.

Karnataka Yatra - Day 5 (penultimate day)

As we came near the end of our short yatra, we consciously chose to go slow. Also, the weather started warming up forcing us to try to stay indoors during the daytime. On day 5 morning, we woke up early as usual (some habits are difficult to give up) and then, after a sumptuous breakfast at Sagar Ratna along with our driver, we checked out of Ocean Pearl. We then moved to our next stop which was Kukke Subramanya temple. 

This temple is one of the seven temples originally constructed by Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. The other six temples are the Krishna temple in Udupi, the Shiva temple in Gokarna, the Kollur Mookambika temple, the Anegudde Vinayaka temple in Kumbhashi, the temple of Shiva and Vishnu in Shankarnarayana, and the Shiva temple of Koteshwara.

Kukke Subramanya Temple

The distance between Ujire & Kukke Subramanya temple is about 62 kms and the drive through the thick forest area took us about 90 minutes. Kukke Subramanya was very warm when we reached although it was only about 10.30 am. The car dropped us 100 meters away from the temple. We kept our footwear at a free unattended stand near the temple entrance. Seeing that there were many devotees in the temple who had formed a long queue, we decided to go for special quick darshan. Tickets were priced at Rs. 100 only although there was a queue to buy it. 

The darshan entry was almost immediate, as there were hardly any people in the special queue. Within less than 10 minutes, we had our brief darshan of Sri Subramanya along with Vasuki & Adisesha in the main sanctum. We realised that there is another Abhishek Seva where one is allowed to sit in front of the sanctum for a longer time. Within the temple, there are also shrines of Ganesh ji, Umamaheshwara (slightly crowded) and Kaal Bhairav. When we stepped out, we also went inside a shrine for Narasimha Swamy which we almost missed.

As we came out, we saw the crowds were increasing steadily as it was a weekend. We then proceeded on foot to the nearby Adi Subramanya Mandir. As we were without slippers and the Sun was shining in full glory, the 10 minute walk through ill maintained road was tough. We reached the temple to find a short queue waiting for darshan. There was a small stream flowing near this temple where we could see many devotees taking a dip before visiting the temple.

The Aadi Subramanya Temple is believed to be the moola sthana (original abode) where Lord Subramanya resided before moving to the main temple. It is a highly revered ancient shrine where the deity is worshipped in the form of natural ant hills (valmiki), representing Lord Subramanya and serpents Adisesha and Vasuki. As per legend, the serpent king Vasuki meditated here to seek protection from Garuda (Vishnu's mount). Shiva & Subramanya assured him protection, making this a crucial site for resolving Sarpa Dosha. This place is revered as over 5000 years old. It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya stayed here for some time during his travel around the country. Skanda Purana has also mentioned this place as having the spiritual significance. 

Adi Subramanya Temple

Devotees are offered mrittika (earth from the anthill) as prasadam, which is believed to cure skin diseases. We also collected this and carefully got it back to Mumbai to distribute among family. After this, we walked back to the main temple. On the way, we had a drink of fresh lemon soda served in a earthen container - it was very refreshing. We also did some small shopping of spices from a market nearby. 

When we came back to the main temple, it was overflowing with devotees. People were sitting all over the corridors leaving hardly any space for circumambulation. Somehow we managed to squeeze ourselves through and collect our Prasadam and exit the temple. The Sun was scorching hot at this time making it difficult to stand in the open for more than a few minutes. Luckily our driver brought the car quickly and we departed for Mangaluru. 

We covered the distance of roughly 100 kms in about two hours. On the way, we stopped to buy some fresh fruits to serve as our lunch. We reached Mangaluru around 3 pm and checked into Ocean Pearl (yes, the same chain). This was one of the best properties in the yatra. After resting a while we had some tea and, left to visit couple of more temples within Mangaluru.

First was the Raja Rajeshwari temple in Polali - a drive of about an hour from our hotel. This temple is located on the banks of the river Phalguni and was constructed about 1200 years ago by a king called Suratha. The main deity is Devi in the form of Raja Rajeshwari which is another divine form of Her. It is believed that the idol is made from special clay having medicinal properties. The temple also has smaller idols of other deities like Ganesh ji, Subramanya, Saraswati & Badrakali. The temple has its annual festival in March in which a unique activity takes place. A football match, wherein over 500 people participate, is played representing the fight between good & evil. When we were in the temple, there were very few devotees present. A couple of young girls were singing devotional songs. After our darshan here, we left for the famous Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari temple.

This temple at Kateel is highly revered and visited by devotees from across the country. It is located about 20 kms away from Polali which we covered in about 45 minutes. Located on the banks of the river Nandini, this is a small yet powerful temple. One of the unique things about the Kateel temple is its location between the two branches of the river.

The temple is associated with a mythological story in which Goddess Durga appeared in the form of a bee to defeat the demon Arunasura, and the temple was established after his death. Built in the traditional South Indian style, the special feature of the temple is its ever-moist sanctum sanctorum, which is believed to be a blessing of the Nandini River. Several major festivals are celebrated at the temple, including the eight-day Mesha Rashi Parivartan in April, the festival of lights adorned with diyas on Kartik Panchami, and the nine-day festival celebrating the feminine power of Goddess Durga, which includes traditional dance-dramas and special puja rituals. The temple continues the tradition of serving free meals twice a day to all devotees, regardless of the devotee's background.

We had excellent darshan of the deity and the temple. I also took the opportunity to do my evening prayers at the temple itself before we proceeded back to our hotel. After we reached, we signed off the car as we were flying back home the next day. Then we had a light dinner at the pure vegetarian restaurant Sagar Ratna before retiring for the night.