First Call of Gurudev: Tests at every step 1

My first invitation to the Himalayas was my first experience of its kind. I had no prior information about hazards which I would be required to face there. In those days there was road and bus conveyances facility from Devprayag upto Uttrakashi only. The entire track after Uttrarkoshi had to be trodden on foot. The distance between Rishidesh to Devprayag had also to be done on foot. I had no experience as to distribute to co-pack. I had taken some more luggage, which I had to distributed to co-travelers and I retained only that much which was essential and which I could carry while going on foot.

Gurudev wanted to test me whether I had the capacity to face adverse circumstances. Anybody else placed in those circumstances would have becomes nervous, turned back or would have fallen it. But Gurudev wanted to practically teach me that adverse circumstances could be faced and made favorable if the will power was strong. For achieving something significant in life, one has to be strong in spirit.

It is said that in old days Risis used to live in this region between Rishikesh and Gomukh and the region above Gomukh was the abode of gods. Circumstance, however, changed after the ice age and gods withdrew into their astral forms and they still roam in the astral space. Risis of yore shifted to the region above Gomukh, The region below Gomukh is now visited by tourists. Although there are some cottages here and there, it is rare to find any person who may be called a Risi in the region below Gomukh.

I had heard that siddha yogis (enlighten saints) lived in caves situated in the upper Himalayan region but I did not find any proof of it. It is an inhospitable region and it is well-nigh impossible to physically survive there over a long period of time. Casually people do visit but they do not stay there. I came to know from sadhus whom I met that they were there out of sheer curiosity in the hope of getting something miraculous from someone. They had no philosophical background and their lifestyle was hardly that of an ascetic. After a brief acquaintance, they used to express their wants. I felt unhappy and marched ahead wondering how such people could provide spiritual inspiration to the pilgrims.

In comparison to these sadhus, I found petty shopkeepers in catties (halting place) of higher moral and ethical standards. They were simple good people. On purchasing flour, pulses, rice etc, they gladly supplied utensils for preparing food free of cost. They sold tea, bidis, match boxes, gram, jiggery, sattu, potatoes etc, to the travelers. Pilgrims were often devoted but poor. Locally made blankets were available in the night on hire at the catties.