as i made my approach to the edge of the town. Uma told me that, while in Rishikesh she may be silent; she roars in Uttarkashi. :) I liked that. She was right. The Ganges was alive and powerful in Uttarkashi. Overtones, undertones and harmonics all combined. Many sounds coming from her plentiful bosom.
I reached the edge of the town and there she was before me. Greeting me with her cool breeze and playfully splashing cold welcome drops on my warm skin. I breathed her in, closed my eyes and stood still for a while, just listening, just feeling, just a little letting go. :) It was still light so i decided to walk a bit along her banks. The city, although still very much alive, was far away and now the only sound that filled my ears was the sound of the Ganges. I decided to walk upriver, a dance in my heart at the thought of getting a little closer to the Mountains up North.
Something mysterious. Something enchanting about being still by the Ganges in Uttarkashi. Hypnotic and addictive. It was getting a little late and i knew i had to make my way back to the town. My body was getting tired. I needed a place to lay my head. I reached the main road and asked for an Ashram. One of the locals was very friendly and took me to a very nice Ashram along the main road. Uttarkashi's main road is filled with many Ashrams from different orders. One of the swamiji's in the ashram welcomed me. I did my pranam and he took me to a very nice room on the first floor. It had marbled floors and a double bed. It had an amazing view of the Ganges and it only cost me Rs100. I looked at her from my balcony and felt a restleness come over me. I could hear her still roaring in the distance, calling me to come and play. By now night had settled and the stars were all out in luminous dance. The night was very much alive in Uttarkashi. There was excitement in her beautiful breeze. My room looked very welcoming, but the open was inviting me to adventure.
I turned to the swami, did my pranam, thanked him and told him that i will not be taking the room. There was somewhere i needed to be. I picked up my sleeping bag and my satchel and made my way back to the Ganges. By now it was night and the only light present came from the stars and the dim light of the moon. Still i walked along her shores, resolute to find some place to lay my head and rest. There was a light burning on the horizon. (I was still walking further north.) I approached it as it got brighter. It was a diya (a clay oil lamp) lit by one of the devotees and left there to burn through the night. It was also my welcome call and the perfect place to lay down and rest. I opened up my sleeping bag and lay down to sleep on the banks of the Ganges that beautiful evening, and as my eyes began to close i thought about my day. I thought about the people i left behind at Anand Prakash Ashram, I thought about Uma and the swamiji in the bus; I thought about the familiar old man, I thought about the journey ahead. A light splash of water hit me on the face and brought me into the moment, it was Ganga, her currents were rising so i moved my residence a little further up shore and lay down again ; gently by her side, feeling her cool drops, reveling in her light breeze, listening to her multifarious melodies exposing slowly my hidden heart.
