Shiv Ganga Maha Yatra – A Blissful Pilgrimage Part 2

Missed Part 1 of the blog? << Here it is.

Why Tapas?

Anyone that has achieved anything in this life, whether in the material world or the spiritual realm has been a result of Tapas. In fact the higher the Tapas, stellar will be the achievements, and higher is the evolution of the person. Tapas is indispensable for a sadhaka.

Yatra Day 2 – 23 kms to Hindu Prachar Kendra

The next day on March 1st, our yatra would resume to towards our next destination, Hindu Prachar Kendra 23 kms away.

Wake up time (Shankha Call) was 2:45 am, we got ready, packed up everything, took blessings of Lord Shiva, loaded up the bags, and were ready to start the walk by 4am. The hosts bade us a warm farewell. We were very thankful for their hospitality. Umapati Mahadev Ki Jai!

The walk to Hindu Prachar Kendra initially was through villages, then small towns. It was a very interesting walk with some truly heart warming sights. More on this a bit later. Hindu Prachar Kendra is one of the prominent organizations standing up for the cause of supporting the Hindu culture and activities. It gave Hindus the platform to have their voices heard in the government and gave them the pride in their Hindu culture. One of the noble Hindu leaders from this organization is Sri Ravi Ji who has made an indelible mark on the national landscape of Trinidad and Tobago, helping take Sanatana Dharma forward.

Swamiji was welcomed with arati at the Hindu Prachar Kendra.

We were offered breakfast upon our arrival by our welcoming hosts. After lunch and rest it was time for Swamiji’s Satsang, which we all had been waiting for. Every story from the Shiv Purana had such deep meaning and messages.

Several of us felt that the entire Satsang was meant for each one of us, the messages resonated deep within.

Satsang was followed by dinner, and it was time to hit the bed or the mat or the sheet…. after a long day’s walk, I slept peacefully. The Kendra hosts had an AC hall ready for the yatris to be used for the night. But Swamiji explained that we were there for Tapas, and that is what we intended to do. We slept in in open hall on the concrete floor with our mats spread on it. Mosquitos bothered initially, but then I did not care after some time, they could have their feast, how does it matter.

The next day, the Shankha Call was a bit later, and the yatra started at 5:30am to allow for some Chinmaya Vidyalaya school kids to join the walk.

The Jahaajee (Ship) People

From 1845 to 1917, ships setting sail from the harbor of Calcutta brought in several Indians from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, predominantly Hindus to Trinidad and Tobago. Caribbean’s British colonizers who had lost most of their African workforce after the Slavery Abolition Act needed the workforce for their sugar plantations. Cramped and depressing conditions, with frequent outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, measles, and typhoid, on the ships and living and working in oppressive conditions at the plantations was not exactly the greener pastures the British told them it would be.

Yet, despite such trying conditions, they showed a will and tolerance, born from their faith. The scripture most revered by them was the Ramcharitmanas or Tulasi Ramayana, which is written in Avadhi, a dialect of Hindi, very close to Bhojpuri, understood by them.

The one thing that cannot be missed is the influence of Ramayana on the daily life of people. Even after hundreds of years, Trinidad is very predominantly a Ramayana country. Everyone greets one another with “Sita-Ram”.

One very distinct feature that can be spotted when walking through towns and villages in Trinidad is the presence of Jhandis or flags of different colors, bearing pictures of various deities on them in a corner of their yard. There is also a Shivalingam and/or Rama’s bow and arrows, a clay diya (lamp) and lots of small Tulasi bushes around.

This is the influence of Ramcharitmanas. In Sundar Kanda when Hanuman Ji reaches Lanka looking for Sita Ji, he sees the home of Vibhishana. The Chaupais say

भवन एक पुनि दीख सुहावा | हरि मंदिर तहँ भिन्न बनावा | 

रामायुध अंकित गृह सोभा बरनि न जाई | नव तुलसिका बृंद तहँ देखि हरष कपिराई || 

Hanuman Ji saw a beautiful home with a Mandir separate from the main home. It has the imprints of the bow and arrows of Lord Rama, and several Tulasi bushes. Hanuman Ji was delighted to see this!

Over several generations, Trinidad Hindus have worked hard to preserve their religious values, and are passing them down from one generation to another. Several Hindu organizations have been helping with this daunting, yet essential task. Our Chinmaya Mission is bringing deeper meaning into the Hindu practices and rituals. Swamiji Prakashanandaji has been a pioneer in bringing the scriptures like the Prakarana Granthas, Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads to the island. Chinmaya Vidyalaya campuses around the island help make living the Sanatana Dharma way of life easier for children to imbibe. Sant Tulsidas Campus of Chinmaya Vidyalaya is adjacent to the ashram, it is the best school in terms of academic achievements, laid on the deep foundation of Hindu values.

Synonyms for Trini People

Simple, smiley, genuine, warm hearted, jovial (LOL Personified!!!) are all synonyms of Trini people. I was very much touched by their sweet nature and simplicity. The Trini English is a very sweet, sing-song dialect of English. Initially I had difficulty understanding the language, but by the end of my stay, I realized I could understand about 60-70% of the conversation.

We, The Havaai Jahaajee (Airplane) People

We all have immigrated on the air planes to USA. A couple of generations down our present generation, will we be able to hold on to the Hindu way of life? Will we be able to convince our children and grand children to live a life of values that our forefathers have for time immemorial? Trinidad is 30% Hindu, and it has taken them so much struggle to bring that awareness about their identity. We are less than 1% presently. What do we need to do? Are we ready to make these sacrifices? Think!!

Yatra Day 3 – 15 kms to Divine Life Society

On 2nd Mar, the yatra was rather a short one, with a 15 kms. walk to Divine Life Society, Shivanand Mandir. The walk was partly through towns and villages, and partly on the highway. For our highway walks, the police escorted the yatris through out the walk to keep them safe.

Swamiji was received with arati at the ashram. This ashram was founded by Swami Satchidananda, who was a disciple of Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj and received sannyasa at the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh.

After Satsang and dinner, we wound down for the day. Tomorrow was a long walk, and the Shankha Call would be at 2:45am. Now here, I would have to discuss a very important question.

What does it take to organize a yatra?

Every aspect of the yatra was impeccable, and so one can only imagine the amount of planning and work that would have gone behind the scenes. There was beauty in the little things that were executed to perfection. Our Chinmaya family of Trinidad and Tobago is very welcoming and has a lot of Seva Bhava.

From charting the route for the yatra, to finalizing all places for us to stay, making sure that the walk is comfortable by providing fruits, water, at regular intervals, having the medical doctors and medicines, the portable toilet and rest vehicle move along the yatra route, arranging for police escort where needed and transporting our luggage to the next destination, everything was running like a well oiled machine.

There were several acts of goodness that spoke of the Seva Bhava of our CM Trinidad family. While walking along the route, if they saw that there were potholes that could possibly cause a problem while walking, they would stand right by them, so no one injures themselves. To make sure that yatris were safe, the sevaks stayed up all night. The planning was so detailed that they thought through every possible scenario that could happen while walking and addressed those with us even before starting the walk.

As soon as we reached the 5K stop, the sweet fruits, salt, and water along with lovely smiles were waiting to welcome us.

Knowing that I was from the USA, they would help me understand a lot of aspects of Trinidad life, which I truly appreciated. I was even fed some very typical, traditional Trini sweets. I was amazed to see the elaborate arrangement of puja supplies for the pujas to be performed at various places, that were carried along with us.

Seva by its very definition must include enduring physical discomfort. It must include going above and beyond what one can physically or mentally accomplish, which is not easy. However, only through this Seva, which is done selflessly, can one grow. Serving at one’s own convenient time, or availability without keeping in mind the needs of the one we serve is not true Seva, it cannot help with gaining of Chitta Shuddhi. However when there is love in the heart for the Sevya (the one being served), physical discomfort becomes a joy!

CM Trinidad family served all yatris with love, and they all endured a lot of physical and mental fatigue to make sure the yatra went smoothly. My humble pranaams to all, there is much we can learn from you.

I must also mention, the fruits of Trinidad are so juicy and yummy! I learned to eat them the Trini way, with salt! Another tasty fruit I ate was dried Prunes, sweet & sour and salty versions. These are supposed to help with the cramping if it does happen after long walks. They were so delicious, I practically binged on them. Yummm….. my stomach was okay….

Yatra Day 4 – 24 kms to Corinth Lakshmi Mandir

On Mar 3rd, all yatris were up at 2:45am to prepare for the long walk of 24 kms to the Lakshmi Saraswati mandir at Corinth.

The entire walk was on a highway, so the police escort was arranged for through out the walk. It was truly a sight to see, a neat row of yatris walking silently along the highway, doing japa in their mind led by Swamiji, and a police car moving slowly along with the yatris making sure all are safe. The morning walk was quite pleasant. Then the sun started to rise and so did the temperatures. Being on the highway there were no shady trees to give us some temporary reprieve. It felt like the sun was beating down, well, doing what it must to make all those juicy fruits.

After a few steps and a long walk, we spotted the cute Corinth village from the highway. We arrived at the Mandir, and Swamiji was received and welcomed at the temple by Punditji. Everyone was visibly tired from the walk in the hot sun. Then Swamiji tried to cheer everyone, by firing one joke after another, we laughed till our stomachs hurt. It was Swamiji’s amazing compassion and grace, we were blessed!

Our hosts tried to make our stay very comfortable. As soon as we arrived, we were served refreshing and fresh squeezed juice of Watermelon, Pineapples (“Pines” in Trini English), Oranges and Beets.

Every Trinidad temple has been taken care of by several generations of a family, and they continue this tradition. They ensure that our Sanatana Dharma roots are nourished well, and the tree flourishes well.

After an awesome Satsang on Shraddha and Bhakti from Shiv Puran, it was time to wind down for the day. Sleeping arrangements for everyone was on a huge open terrace of the temple building. Tomorrow would be a big day! The culmination of this great yatra of ours.

Yatra Day 5 – 15 kms to Patiram Trace Shiv Temple

On Mar 4th, the Shankha call was at 2:45am. Everyone quickly got ready. Prasad was prepared to be offered as Naivedyam for the Rudrabhishekam Puja at the Patiram Trace Shiva temple in Penal village. The walk was 15 kms, part of it on the highway, and the rest through the Penal village.

The walk started sharp at 4am, after Swamiji chanted Umapati Mahadev Ki Jai! Our second 5K stop was in the Penal village, near a Shiv temple established in 1888! Surya Narayan had just started to rise, and the first rays fell on Lord Shiva of the Penal temple, as though worshipping Him. Simply divine!

Our walk continued through the village of Penal, towards the Patiram Trace Shiva Temple.

Story of Patiram Syambhu Shivlingam Temple

The temple has a very interesting history. Around 1901, a round stone was discovered by Mr. Nackchair when his cutlass accidentally struck it, resulting in a flow of milk. He was temporarily blinded by it, and later got a dream in which it was revealed to him that the stone was in fact a Shivlingam. Thus a temple was built around it, and regular puja was offered there.

As we walked, one family with devotion stood at their home entrance with folded hands, bowing down to Swamiji and all yatris, for they knew that this is a yatra to the temple. We were greeted by several Hindu people on the street, using their favorite greeting, SitaRam.

We all arrived at the beautiful Shiva temple, so serene and peaceful. It was time to offer Rudrabhishekam to the Lord, and here I cannot forget the loving, heartwarming gesture of our CM Trinidad family and Pujya Swamiji. They offered for me to do the puja also inside the Garbhagriha. This was truly everyone’s large heartedness, and their love. A very devotional Rudrabhishekam puja ensued, with everyone offering their Ganga Jal that they had been carrying for several days to Lord Shiva. He was happy, we could feel it in our hearts.

End of the Yatra, or the start of a new one?

The puja was very fulfilling. My heart was filled with joy, I knew for a fact that Lord Shiva was pleased. He is Ashutosh. I could have sat in the temple for several hours, without the need for any talking, it was extremely peaceful. Then, the devotee who saw us all walk to the temple requested that all of us visit his home for Rotis that he had arranged for all yatris. After eating there, we all headed back to the ashram. It felt strange to be riding in a car, and I slept all the way back to the ashram.

Back at the ashram, I was wondering if this was truly the end of the yatra. It is true that we fulfilled joyously what we started out to do. But in many ways, hopefully, it is the start of a new one. May this be the beginning of the yatra within, to reach the final destination that we can, only in this human birth. May we walk with the same earnestness, discipline and joy that we walked for the past 5 days. Gaining strength from the blessings of the saints to walk forward, through Shravana, Manannan Nididhyasana, through Tapas. Basking in the grace of Guru and God, we will be able to reach our destination.

Gratitude

This yatra has been a great teacher. Bhagawan has His own plans for His devotees that are simply flawless, and are for the highest good of the devotee. Now if only we can surrender to His wish, life would be so smooth. We do not recognize, but Bhagawan takes care of us all, just like He takes care of everything in the universe, including the smallest ant and the tiny blade of grass. Why then will he not take care of us? Bhagawan comes as saints and sages in our life to bring us closer to Him. Presence of saints and mahatmas in our life is a sure sign of Bhagwan’s blessings. Saints teach us the value of living in Tapas, simple living, highest thinking.

My heart is full of gratitude for our CM Trinidad family for lovingly taking care of me while in Trinidad, and allowing me to be part of this inspirational yatra. My humble pranaams and prostrations to Pujya Swami Prakashanandaji who is the inspiration behind the yatra, and the strength of all yatris. Above all, my gratitude to Lord Jagadeeshwara, whose planning overwrote mine, who made sure I could reach Trinidad for the yatra and made the yatra possible without any issues.

Next year’s yatra

Next year, in 2025, the yatra will start from our ashram and go up the mountains to our Tapovan ashram, high up in the mountains, completely surrounded by lush green tropical forest. The yatra will culminate on the Mahashivratri day, which will be celebrated at the Tapovan ashram. I certainly hope and pray that I get called there by the master planner. I also hope some of our CM Gurukul family can join along. It will be a yatra unlike any other!

Hara Hara Mahadev! Umapati Mahadev Ki Jai!! Sri Sadgurunath Maharaj Ki Jai!!!

Here’s how to find more information on CM Trinidad and Tobago programs: https://www.facebook.com/chinmayamissionTT/