A Blessed Holiday

I wanted a short holiday and I needed a break. The options in my mind were multiple, including a short trip to London. Have not been there in over 2 years now and am missing the city. Yet it was not where my heart was drawn to. After the recent trip to Ladhak, that rekindled my romance with the mountains, I wanted to explore the hills. 

The first thought was Ooty and as quickly as it came it got dismissed. It is fairly accessible and is more of a relaxing holiday than an exploration. Sikkim has been on my list for sometime now and so began the research. The only two airports that seemed close by were Bagdogra and Siliguri which are quite far away from Gangtok, the starting point. And then the itinerary I wanted needed more time than I had. Plus it seemed to be closer to Ladakh in terms of the landscape and so I began to wonder if I should pick another destination.

Shimla, Gulmurg, Srinagar were suggestions that came my way. They have also been very popular of late. Flights abound and there is nature, history, culture all to explore. They all seemed interesting options to consider and yet for some reason my heart was not convinced. Snow is not what I craved. Conflict is not what I wanted to be the center of my thoughts. North of the country is something I have seen a bit now. So I was back to the North East, that which was unknown to me. 

I am not sure how, but at some point I came across Meghalaya. I liked, no I loved, what I read fairly instantly. It was nature in its purest form. There was culture that I was completely unaware of. And then there was history. But how to get there was the question. The answer I found was via Guwahati. I recollected a friend mentioning a trip to Kamakhya Devi there a few years ago. Google search indicated that the temple was less than twenty kilometres away from the airport. I think that was the last confirmation I needed and my heart was set on a trip to Meghalaya, Kaziranga and starting with darshans of Kamakhya Devi. 

As I read more it just seemed that the six nights I had budgeted were too little but I had to make do within this time frame. So the trip was laid out with provisions at the start and the end for darshans, Ma willing. As I started to research the darshans at this Adi Shakti peeth, I realised that the most certain way was to hire a guide or get a defence recommendation. I decided to attempt both and both seemed tentative. I booked the trip and yet had no clarity on darshans. 

It was only a few days to departure. The guide was not available only for one day but at three thousand rupees a day I would need to hire one for all six night. It seemed totally unnecessary and so I refused that option. I now needed to hope for Ma's kindness. And it was just then that I got a message from the very generous ex-colleague I had contacted. One of his batchmates from the army would help. My heart leapt with joy and yet I pared back my enthusiasm. What if? And so I wanted to plan for contingency. I read about the queues, the tickets and prepared myself to wait in the queue for hours. 

However, the day before I was to leave, I spoke to the contact in Guwahati who was kind enough to interact for a few hours as we worked through the logistics. At one point darshans seemed confirmed and then suddenly tentative as it was a Sunday that I desired to have darshans. It is the day of peak crowds and so the contact was unsure. My heart sank. I was struggling to understand how to ensure darshans, when something within me said to leave it to Ma. The Benevolent One always said, "Whatever Ma wills is what happens". So I bowed my head and decided I would accept Her will. Before the night dawned, I got a message that darshans were confirmed and the contact person details were in the message. I did not know how to react so just said a prayer of thanks. I was humbled.

The path leading to the temple is thronged by shops selling offerings

Post arrival I reached the temple and waited for the contact. As I was escorted inside the temple complex, I was praying with folded hands and was thanking Ma profusely for the opportunity. What I did not realise in the interim was that we had directly entered the sanctum sanctorum. Right in front of the goddess, I stood, not knowing what I had done to deserve this good fortune. As I stood there praying fervently, I was guided to the main spot where Ma's Yoni had fallen. Devotees thronged this spot to touch the holy water, have a sip and get blessings from the priest. As I knelt in front of Ma, touched the water and gave my offerings I felt blessed and yet incomplete. It's the best word to describe the emotion that went through me then. As the priest asked me if I wanted the saree offered to Ma to take back, I was only able to say "Ma ko Chadha dijiye" (offer it to Ma). And as I said this I was unsatisfied with my response. Darshans done and Prasad collected I went on my trip feeling blessed but not complete. 

A couple of days later I messaged the contact to request for darshans on my return. I know I was being greedy but I needed to be with Ma one more time and then the Benevolent One had always said that after such auspicious darshans one should always head back home. I used that as an excuse to console myself that I was not being greedy but was following what was right. I was very warmly told that of course I would get darshans no problem at all. 

So this morning, the first day of Navratri, the day of Gudi Padwa, on the day that hundreds of devotees came eager to seek Ma's blessings I was back at the temple. As I waited for the darshans, I was told that there was a huge crowd and strangely I had no anxiety, no nervousness, only extreme calm. I was not sure of darshans and had told my driver so when he had remarked on the way to the temple that I was a rare one to get two darshans. I knew I wanted to speak to Ma once and so I would try. Once more she was gracious and gave me my time with her again. Today, as I knelt once more to sip the water, the priest patted my head twice just like the Benevolent One would. This time I remembered to take the cloth back with me and the priest put in around my neck. The entire duration that I was there I felt Ma was hearing me. It was a shorter but a clearer conversation. I was humbled, grateful and overwhelmed. 

Entrance of the temple decked with flowers to mark start of Navratri & the New Year

Coming out of the sanctum sanctorum I went to offer the customary coconut, light the Diya and offer the incense sticks. As I did the rituals this time I felt lighter. Walking out of the temple I felt calm, blessed and ready to return. I am sure that this trip was planned out of nowhere because there was a call by Ma. These darshans were not coincidental. She had wanted to hear me and now I am only hoping that she answers my prayers. Till then I will bow my head to Her benevolence.  

The earthern lamp, the Diya at the main gate of the temple - the light that shines on Devotees

Mountains, Mist and Mystery

I am on my way to plains as I write this and I am already missing these dreamy mountains that have been hospitable, gorgeous and soul uplifting for the last four days. It's funny and strange at the same time, how I am a tad emotional at leaving Meghalaya. Well I am on my way to a wild life safari in Kaziranga, something I had wanted to do for long now and yet I wish I had stayed longer in the mountains. 
 
As I see the cloud covered peaks and trees pass by for the one last time, I am reminded of the day when this view made a place in my heart. I was excited to visit Dawki, the cleanest river in India and the India-Bangladesh border. The legs were rebelling after the previous day's trek but a little bit of pampering and cajoling had worked and pre breakfast we were on our way. Suddenly I saw clouds rising from the valley to the mountain tops as if a cauldron of clouds was on the boil down below. I exclaimed in excitement which my driver interpreted as if something had happened, he stopped by the road side, turned to enquire and saw me gaping. He burst into a laughter and said if I wanted to take pictures all I needed to do was let him know. Off we went, the faithful camera and I, to catch the bubbling clouds. I thought this would be the prettiest sight ever. 

This was the initial view

 

See the cauldron?

How wrong was I! As we went higher up the views just became prettier and prettier. Even where the roads were under construction, I was oblivious to the bumps, jerks and the noise because the green and the mist had me spellbound. Celine Dion and John Denver in the background were completing my movie and I could not help but roll the windows down to breathe in the clouds. I was Alice in Wonderland, peeping out of my hole to stare at this beauty in an attempt to capture it for eternity. It struck me that another way would be shoot videos. I completely rolled down the windows, the wind flowing through my hair, took my phone out and lifted my arm as high as I could to reach over the roof of the car. That was the start of the shifts between still and videos, camera and the phone, being on the move and stopping enroute. 

This was on the move

We parked and I stood at this spot for miutes just soaking in this view!

 
By the time we reached the breakfast point my fingers were frozen and the legs clamoured for a walk. Even at this stop I was tugged by the views of the mountain and as I stared dreamily into the valley I remembered my driver's stern warning of us having to beat traffic. I thought he was fibbing so that I did not waste time but as we neared Dwaki I began to see the truth of his words. 
 
Stone quarries abound western Meghalaya. The produce from here is then "exported" to Bangladesh via trucks. The smaller tonnage carriers go across the Dwaki bridge and the larger ones ply on an alternate route. But as these mountainous roads are single lane motorways, as vehicles pass in both directions a jam occurs requiring the Border Security Force personnel to police the movement. As we were stuck I hopped out of the car yet again with the camera and phone in tow. The river view was perfect from this vantage point. Seeing me run to the edge of the mountain the driver called out to warn me that once cleared we will have not even a second to spare. This time I believed him.

The view from above

 
Dawki was a bit of a disappointment. The green river flowing through the plains between the lush green mountains was a pretty sight but overnight rains meant that the river bed was not visible. What was most interesting though is the river border between India and Bangladesh. There is a stone boulder to mark the border and suddenly it's as if nature has demarcated the border on its own. Where the Indian side has a free flowing river, it thins out into a stream as soon as it enters Bangladesh. The sight was so pitiful that I took no snaps. A decision I now regret. Yet there were tourists on either side, one side boating and the other side floating on tyres. What contrast! 

The river up, close and personal

 
From here we headed to the border. I was looking forward to my encounter with the clouds again but our route took us through supari forests. The sun shone bright and the air conditioning was on in the car. Nonetheless it was a sight to sooth the concrete regimented eyes. As we reached the border fence I was stunned. It was just a high electrical fence just as would be to protect any compound. I could see the cattle grazing on the other end and if not for the barbed wire I would have thought that to be an Indian farmland. The things mankind has invented! 

The supari forests along the way

The border fence runing along for many many kilometers 

From here we were to head to Mawlynnong, the cleanest village in Asia. I am not sure what I was expecting there but I sure was curious to see how it was maintained. Just at the start of the village is a single decker bridge that has been created by the roots of two rubber trees on either side. Now apparently the locals have started diverting the roots so that an upper deck is built over the years and there is a second double decker bridge in Meghalaya. Well that would be a bummer! With easier access who would have the adventure as I did. Well to each their own as they say. 

The single decker root bridge with the ladder tied above to direct the roots for the upper deck

 
Moving on from here I landed in Mawlynnong and honestly it felt like a little curated set of homes. There is an entry fee for maintenance, a parking space with souvenir shops and tea stalls and then you walk into the village. What about the privacy of the villagers? I walked around and saw daily life go by. Children studying, women cooking and men attending to the shops. It maybe was not as curated as it appeared. 

Not as curated really!

 
By now I was hungry and decided to try the local food which for vegetarians is fairly a standard affair across the state. Rice, dal, potatoes, stir fried beans, tomato chutney and papad which is for the tourists. All around the village this vegetarian thali was for one hundred and fifty rupees. I saw a place that had more than two tables occupied and ordered. It was a home cooked meal and that was perfect. 

The village church

 
Now it was time to drive to Shillong and once again I was warned about traffic. But as we started to drive back through the clouds and with rolled down windows they caressed my cheeks, I said all the traffic was a welcome delight. The cotton fluff kept flowing along with us and my hand was now a permanent feature outside the window. A couple of hours later at a beautiful turn I saw a tea stall and asked the driver to halt. Capturing this enigmatic turn on the camera I headed to have a cuppa and met the same couple who sat behind me at lunch. After a brief conversation they headed out and I was left with a thought. 

My enigmatic turn

This holiday brought me face to face with holiday makers of all types - solo travelers like me, honeymoon couples like the one I met, families, groups of friends and tour groups even. They were travellers of all ages, from a five month old to multiple pensioners. I realised at that moment how much this state has to offer to people of all types. But for me it had offered the food for my soul - an absolutely perfect mountainous holiday, a walk through the clouds and a stroll through calm. 

A view forever!

 
I sat in the car ready to go to Shillong and undertake the next day's adventures. Till then I had a heart and a camera filled with memories of my tryst with mist, mystic and magic. 

A Day in the mountains

As the ascent to Meghalaya started, so did my fight to keep my eyes open. I had woken up at 3:00 am, brahmamuhurat as per the ever-graceful grandfather figure or in my language an unearthly hour, and it was now close to mid-day. Post landing and beautiful darshans, we were enroute to Cherrapunji and I wanted to be awake not just for the sights but to be able to sleep early. My driver saw my struggle and suggested that I nap till we reach a viewing point where we could also have a cup of tea. That was all that I needed and my eyes closed shut. 
The next thing I know is being asked to wake up as we were nearing Shillong and the viewing point. My body slowly got into the first gear but as the views of Bara Pani or lake Umiam came to fore there was a sudden shift to the fourth gear. I got off the car soaking in the clean, misty, and dreamy mountain air. Camera forgotten in the car the phone came to life and I was smiling. This trip had been a good decision.
 
But so was the thought of having tea, which was nowhere in sight! The driver I realised had woken me up earlier as this was a clear day and a not to miss view. The tea point was ahead. Knowing that I was now nestling in the mountains, all sleep vanished into the floating clouds. 
 
As we continued to Cherrapunji, the driver informed me that I could synch my phone to the car's audio system and play my music. So came Abhijeet Pohankar from my airpods on to the car stereo. The combination of the landscape, the weather and the music was ethereal. A viewing stop and a couple of waterfalls later we reached our destination, and I was smiling. It had been a great day and good start to the holiday. 
 
Bright and early the next morning I woke up, ready to trek up and down 3500 stairs to see the double root bridge. Not on my original itinerary, I had brought about the change at the last minute. Caves seemed lame. This trek was the adventure that I sought. As we continued our journey through the clouds to the trek point, my driver gave me basic inputs on the history and culture of Meghalaya. It was interesting to note that while from clothes to food their habits are close to their customs (an admirable fact), the script of the language has moved to English alphabet. And yet most locals are more comfortable in Hindi as opposed to English. 
 

Drive to the trek in the morning

At the trek point I craved a cup of tea, which given the morning hour and the weather was more of an indulgence than a need. My guide (one who was going to help me get to the bridge and back) insisted that we have it “down”. I was not sure what “down” meant but I went along. Just as we started our descent, a young girl called out to me. She requested if she could join me and as two solo travellers we split the guide cost. The more the merrier and so we went down the rabbit hole not knowing what lay ahead. 
 

See the white huts, that was our destination

Enthusiasm and excitement took over and we were skipping steps, literally, even those that were let us say about fifteen inches high. By the time we reached "down" which was a small settlement, our legs were shaking or vibrating as Michael Star, our guide, insisted on addressing the phenomenon. Now I realised why he had insisted on tea "down". This was the halfway point and a resting spot. 
 
As a vegetarian, travelling globally has taught me to be food ready. My remedy is to carry methi paranthas for which the flour is kneaded with milk. This makes them need less oil. As the tea came out so did my paranthas. My companion, let us call her Akira, initially hesitant also shared them and we had a breakfast of paranthas dipped in tea. Simple pleasures are indeed the most heartening. 
 
Climbing down had been fun and filled with Akira and I getting to know one another. Two things struck me, first the same path had to be climbed back up and second this was quarter of the way only. I decided to pace myself. As we crossed the swinging iron bridge I was reciting Hanuman Chalisa. Fun it indeed was but with a single file of multiple people of different ages, shapes and sizes, the swing was a bit discomforting. Let me be honest, I was more than a tad nervous and so came the Chalisa to give me strength. On the other side, the view was stunning. The gush of the water that reverberated was a white foam gliding over the rocks. I was now keen to get to the double root bridge and the waterfall there. 

The iron bridge pre crossing

The view below the iron bridge - post the fact

 
Not spectacular in size, the falls were mesmerising for their clarity, white foam and easy access. What took me in was the double decker bridge, made of roots whose strength has survived and strengthened over centuries. The marvel of nature made my entire being smile and I took of my shoes so that I could dip my feet in water and sit in the tranquillity of nature. Of course, there was a crowd of tourists around but imagining the engineering of mother nature obscured all those present and I sat soaking in the unique architecture, the soothing cool water and the fresh smell of the air. 

The waterfall at the Double Decker root bridge

The double decker root bridge itself - yes you walk across

 Akira too was taken in by the place but two decades younger and with twenty tonnes more frenzy, she slipped into my thoughts. Happy having her photographs taken, she wanted to ensure I had mine clicked too. While she took some, she insisted Michael Star also took a few, just to be sure they were worthy. Pictures taken from all vantages we had another cup of tea. There was Maggi going around as well but neither one of us wanted it. Which place in India can say that Maggi is unavailable? 
 
As we were sipping on the cup of tea Akira spoke about the Blue Lagoon which was another 30-40min of trek ahead. Apparently the waters were clear blue, and she was quite keen to see it. I was not sure if I was up for it but I was persuaded. And we embarked on another trek down another rabbit hole. This one did not have steps through the tricky terrain but instead had wooden ladders loosely tied at places. Michael Star showed us how to navigate these. As if these were not enough, there was yet another iron bridge. But this time there were only the three of us, so the swing was within limits. 

As we descended the last ladder to the blue lagoon I was glad I came. There was no other human being but the three of us in this lush pool surrounded by rocks that were overseen by green trees. Clear blue skies smiled from above, little butterflies flew across and the water danced to its own tune as it waved over the rocks. This was truly serene and totally divine. I could have stayed for longer had Michael Star not warned me that it was a climb up that awaited us. 
 

The last ladder at the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon

Michael Star at the Blue Lagoon

The way back was a test of pacing, stamina and will power. As we got to the double decker bridge we took a break, hydrated again and this time ate the local pineapple. They were just delicious; sweet, tangy and refreshing all at once. A couple of pineapple slices, a few back stretches and throwing the waste in a dust bin was all that was needed to start the ascent. Let’s just say that after crossing the iron bridge it seemed that the swing was probably a lullaby! 

A view enroute 

 
As we halted to rest every time I wondered how the villagers living in the valley traversed this path the three times a week, every week. I was wondering about this when I saw a local pass by. He put one foot on a step and then the other on the same step before proceeding to the next. As he did this he inhaled via his nose and exhaled via his mouth. I decided to deploy this and viola, I could climb 3x as many steps without having to rest and even when I did it was not because I was out of breath but to pace. Within three hours and twenty minutes we had reached up. This was a total climb of 90+ floors and close to 12km taking about 20000 steps according to my app. 

See the enless steps?

 
Once at the top my driver waited to greet me, more to see if I made it myself or had to be carried. Seeing me walking and fit he was so elated that he treated Akira and I to tea. Akira decided to grab a bite as well, but I guess I was just delighted to have completed a spontaneous adventure. It was a little over 6.5 hours but it was worth it!
 
The sun that shone in the valley was now calm as this was the playground for the clouds. I wanted to start the journey back to the hotel and drive through the clouds before darkness set in. (Sunrise is at about 4:45am and sunset at about 5:45pm) The drive back, though with aching muscles was equally beautiful. We even stopped at another point where I saw the clouds setting the blanket over Cherrapunji for a tranquil, misty night. After yet some more photographs we were finally on our way to the hotel.

A beautiful end to a wonderful day

 
As I entered the room I was elated. Spontaneous decision making had brought about yes some adventure, some fun, a new acquaintance but most importantly a soul satisfying day in the mountains.