Shiv Ganga Maha Yatra – A Blissful Pilgrimage Part 1

A Clarion Call

The flyer I had eagerly awaited for, had finally arrived.

The Shiv Ganga Maha Yatra organized by Chinmaya Mission Trinidad and Tobago had been on my mind for two main reasons.

The first is my deep desire to participate in a “Wari”, the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur in the month of Ashadha in Bharat. This would be a good start to prepare for it. The second was to be able to live with a little Tapas, which is all but lost in our present lifestyle.

What came out of it was something surreal, beyond words. More on that later.

So: 1. A walk of total 100 kms within 5 days 2. Walking in complete Maunam 3. Living with Tapas

Despite being unsure if I could do it, Bhagawan’s grace and Guru Krupa propelled me to sign up for it. Bouts of illnesses kept me from practicing for the walk as regularly as I would have liked to, but I finally submitted to the Lord’s will, होइहै सोइ जो राम रची राखा (Hoihai Soyi Jo Ram Rachi Rakha) ~ Ramcharitmanas, Balakanda – Only that which Lord Rama has planned will happen. I was about to witness Bhagawan’s impeccable planning, and how nothing, but His will is making everything move around.

Why the blog?

Certain things in life are only to be experienced. Words will always fall short. However, that should not stop anyone from expressing something truly exhilarating, and one that can spread divine joy. Why else would all our saints write about the inexplicable beauty of the Lord in different ways? The Upanishads point to the nature of the Self, even though the Self is beyond words. Through this yatra I have experienced peace & joy, grace & blessings, love & fulfillment that can only be experienced by being part of this yatra. I wish for all the sadhakas reading the blog to be able to experience the same. It is my sincere hope that some of you might consider joining the yatra next year!

Arrival at Home Sweet Chinmaya Home

I was to travel on Feb 27th to Trinidad so I could be part of the yatra from the first day. I wasn’t sure if I would make the connection from Miami to Port Au Spain on American Airlines, so I had sent an email to the organizers informing them that if I did not make this connection, I would return back to Atlanta. As soon as I sat in my seat on the flight, I sent a WhatsApp message, I MADE IT! Hara Hara Mahadev!

The moment I entered the gates of our Chinmaya Mission ashram in Trinidad, I knew I had come home. It was not an unknown place despite my first visit to the island. The warmth with which I was welcome speaks volumes about our pledge – “We stand as one family”.

Our Chinmaya Mission Ashram in Trinidad has been a manifestation of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji’s Samkalpa. As Swami Prakashanandaji describes, several years before the ashram property was acquired, Pujya Gurudev visited the island and was hosted by a family close to the ashram. Gurudev would come by for a walk at the future ashram property often. Among the various properties that were being considered for the ashram construction, this was the only one that materialized, He had willed it so. The host family also donated the Radha-Krishna statues (seen in the pictures) consecrated at their home by Gurudev. Recently, one Amma donated the Laddoo Gopal (also seen in the pictures) to the ashram. This Laddoo Gopal has traveled with Gurudev all over the world. So it all adds up now – our Gurudev’s Samkalpa, of this ashram has come true, with some amazing work going on. More on that later.

I could sense a lot of preparations were going on for the Yatra, but could not tell exactly what they were. I would eventually find out. One very obvious preparation was the cooking of yummy lentil patties with cheese paste for dinner, and Kheer for the puja for the evening.

Ganga in Trinidad? You bet!

On Feb 28th, 1pm we started the journey in a van to the starting point of our yatra, which is called Ganga Dhara in the Blanchisseuse village of Trinidad. As we entered the van, Hanuman Chalisa was playing, and I saw a line written in bold, displayed inside the van “Powered by Faith, Driven by God”. Co-incidence? I think not!

A beautiful drive of about 2 hours on the winding roads along the mountain took us to a site with tents on the banks of Marianne river in Blanchisseuse. I am usually queasy on winding roads, but this yatra was about Tapas, so decided to not give a lot of room to my mind to complain. I kept myself occupied in the beautiful scenery outside, lush green and tall trees, fresh air and the exciting conversations of the yatris inside the van.

It is said, “गंगा गंगेति यो ब्रूयात, योजनानां शतैरपि। मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो, विष्णुलोके स गच्छति॥” (Ganga Gangeti Yo Bruyaat, Yojanaanaam Shatairapi | muchyate Sarvapaapebhyo, Vishnuloke Sa Gacchati ||) – One who remembers Ganga by calling out upon her even from a long distance (100 Yojanas) is freed from all sins and goes to Vishnu Loka. So why then would She not come to Trinidad?

Mother Ganga was invoked into the Marianne river by adding the holy waters and dust that was collected from several places along the river Ganga in India. A Shivalingam was consecrated here in a cave along the river, and given the name “Trinidaadeshwar Mahadev”. This was exactly how it happened when Bharata came to Chitrakuta to take Lord Rama back with him. He wanted to do Rama’s Rajyabhishekam right there. So Bharata was carrying water from several holy rivers. After Rama refused to return back to Ayodhya, that water was poured in the “Bharata Koopa” or Bharata Well, and is a pious site of pilgrimage even today.

An annual pilgrimage to Ganga Dhara is sacred to all Trinidad Hindus on the day of Ganga Dusshahara, the day Mother Ganga descended on earth. Various ghats are setup along the river Ganga, much as the ghats back in Bharat. Amidst much devotional fervor, several religious activities like taking a holy dip, and continuous chanting and singing of the Lord’s name takes place. One of the ghats is called the Tulasi Ghat, from where our Swami Prakashanandaji delivers talks on Tulasi Ramayana.

Invoking the blessings of Lord Shiva and Mother Ganga

After arriving at Ganga Dhara, we walked up the river Ganga to the Trinidaadeshwara Mahadev. A beautiful and sublime puja and homam was offered to Lord Shiva and Mother Ganga. May the Lord be pleased with us, for it is only to get His love and blessings that we were all undertaking this Yatra.

After praying and invoking Ganga, the holy waters were filled in the various Kalashas that we would carry with us for 5 days while walking.

The case of the American Kalasha I had no idea that I was supposed to pack a Kalasha for the yatra. However I did know that I had to carry a water bottle with me.

I bought a new bottle, washed it and packed it in my bag. The intention was to fill it up at the Miami airport for the flight. I saw a water fountain at the airport, but was eager to get to my gate first. After locating my gate, I thought of returning back to the fountain to fill up the bottle. But I could not find the water fountain that I had spotted earlier! Only later I understood why. I was supposed to carry Ganga Jal in this “Kalasha” for the Yatra, so it could not have been used for drinking.

“Yours will be done, not mine, not mine.” ~ Pujya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda

Night accommodation and Satsang

After the Shiv Ganga Puja it was time for the nightly Satsang. Swamiji explained the meaning of the names of Lord Shiva. This was a wonderful way of winding down the day of the yatra, with powerful messages from the Shiva Purana discoursed by Swamiji.

Satsang was always followed by simple dinner, cooked Trini style. It does not use a lot of dry spices. It is mostly onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro, coconut and sometimes curry powder.

The accommodation was truly very basic. It was like camping under the stars.

Tomorrow would be a big day! I had trouble falling asleep. It was an open tent, I was cold and continuously heard hustles around the bushes. I think I slept for an hour may be, and it was time to wake up at 2:45am. Who was it that protected us all night?

Hara Hara Mahadev!!

The Big Day

Feb 29th, at 2:45am all yatris had woken up quietly and were preparing to get ready for the yatra. We all were to take a dip in the Ganga get ready and pack up to leave at 4am. This was my first time taking a dip in the river at this hour but it felt like the air was charged with so much positive energy. Taking a refreshing dip in the cold Ganga under the moon was a divine experience in itself. After the dip, everyone got ready and packed. Our luggage was loaded in a pickup truck.

It was then time to chant the Shiv Manas Puja Stotram.

Now for some rules. Not all rules are bad, and these were extremely helpful.

The entire walk will be in Maunam. With each step, chant one syllable from the mantra Om-Na-mah-Shi-va-ya.
Walk in a line, follow the instructions of the organizers.
Do not walk alone. Always be with another yatri, in case you need help.
Rest vehicles will be following us, use one to rest if you are tired. After some time you can resume the walk.
Medical vehicles will follow us, in case we need any help.
After every 5K walk, there will be a brief stop, where you can eat some fruit, drink water and use the portable toilet if needed.

The Visionary Behind The Yatra

I asked Pujya Swami Prakashanandaji about his vision behind starting this yatra.

Swamiji replied that Teerth (Spiritual Journey) is an ancient tradition of the Santana Dharma (Hindu) community. It is a spiritual journey, moved by sacrifice, which is meant to take the sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) on an outwardly physical journey to experience an inner spiritual realization, strengthening faith & love for God. In Bharat, this vibrant tradition still inspires millions on a daily basis.

However, that tradition is all but lost in Trinidad. With this in mind, Swamiji initiated the first Shiv Ganga Maha Yatra in February 2015.

What a brilliant vision! One that will serve not only the Trinidad Hindu community, but Hindus all over the world.

Swamiji is a very simple, humble and unassuming saint, readily available and approachable. During the yatra, Swamiji followed every rule that was set for the yatris, and used exactly the same facilities we did. No special treatment anywhere. He slept on the floors that we did and ate the simple meals that we had. He worked and helped all sevaks where he could. In fact the presence of Swamiji, His Tapas, was the source of strength for all of us.

Yatra Day 1 – 24 kms to Surrey Village Shiv Mandir

The first day of our Yatra started towards the Surrey Village Siva mandir, 24 kms away. After initially walking in the dark hours, as the sun rose from the horizon, breathtaking beauty was revealed in front of us. The walk was through the lush and beautiful tropical forests. The valley was full of a variety of birds, flora and fauna. It was a very peaceful walk (to begin with anyway!)

We were steadily climbing up the valley. I found myself getting breathless at several points, so the pace slowed down a bit. We reached the highest point of Las Lapas Lookout from where we could see the blue Caribbean Sea. Swamiji pointed to several exotic parrots on the trees. It was a refreshing fruit break, and then the walk started again. This time, it was a steep descent through the Lopinot village. Swamiji had warned everyone with weak knees to use the rest vehicle, but I had no idea of what was coming ahead. I thought I can do it, so went along (looking back, it was the best decision!).

The descent was quite steep, and filled with gravel. After walking for some time, with the sun rising and the temperatures climbing, I was seeing the phenomenon that Gurudev describes so vividly – mental dissipation of energy. There was a constant thought of how much further is the next stop and why is the sun so hot and may be I should have practiced for this better….. All in all – regrets of the past, anxieties of the future and excitements of the present. The Om-Na-Mah-Shi-Va-Ya chanting rhythm was lost, in fact chanting became impossible at times. It was difficult to keep bringing the mind back to focus on chanting. At that point I was ready to use the rest vehicle, but was very conflicted about it.

Then, our Chinmaya family came to the rescue. I was walking with two other yatris, and I was encouraged by their kind words. Sorry Swamiji – the Maunam was broken for a few minutes. After a 10 minute walk we made it to the rest stop. I expressed to Swamiji that I was ready to take the rest vehicle. Swamiji turned my vision around in a second. He asked me if I had thought about how much farther along I had come? He said I can definitely walk for the next 6 kms. I thought to myself, well, Swamiji knows I can do it, so I am sure I can. Such power through words can only be wielded by a Mahatma.

Around 1pm, we reached the Surrey village Shiv Mandir, which is probably the oldest one in Trinidad. The mandir hosts are very warm people, excited to welcome us all. They made arrangements for our lunch. The Shivalingam was brought from India more than 150 yrs ago and was established by two Sadhus and a Sadhavi soon after east indians arrived in Trinidad. They would fetch water from the river everyday to do abhishekam for the lingam. At the mandir is also probably the oldest Bel Tree in Trinidad planted more than 150 yrs ago.

After lunch was resting time for a while and then followed by the evening Shiv Purana Satsang. Several people from the village joined for the Satsang. It was truly heartwarming to see their simple nature, and the joy with which they served us.

Among the several things that I did for the first time on this trip, here was another, sleeping inside a mandir! Wow! that was amazing, I had a very restful sleep that night. In the morning it was so magical to wake up right in front of the Lord! Happy me, Happy me!!