Walk on Ganga Shore

A million nights this milky moon has flooded these Gabnga shores. The river moves, her sinewy bulk slithers across the deep gorge. Moonlight and Ganga water blend on rounded boulders and pebbles strewn across the sandy shores. There are huge black shaligrams, these smooth stones polished to perfection by the powerful flow are worshipped as lord Vishnu. A new story about their exisitence was told to me by a vendor, I was buying these attractive stones and he tells me that these grow under the tulsi plants and are brought to the hills from all around the country where old tulsi plants grow. I found this impossible, he told me that these black stones where used in marriages and the closing of fatings. A Shaligram is married to Tulsi plant as tulsi plant or vrunda is worshipped as Lakshami. In a way it is respecting the nature's valuable resources and keeping this medicinal plant in each household, just today I made tulsi tea to calm the cough.

It was a moonlit night and silver ripples on the river Ganga were like flowing silk, as if Mother nature was indulging us, pick up as many as you fancy, these beautiful gems, coloured smooth pebbles are for you! Water laps against the shores as I sit down on a huge boulder allowing my feet to be cooled by these glacial water. There is this melody of night rising with the soft murmer of the river's movement, a night bird breaks into this symphony and I dip into meditation as cool breeze licks away the tiredness of travel. Gray clouds scatter above the rising dark peaks, lit by the gentle moonlight, it is magical, this night, I feel blessed to witness this magical world, is cosy like a womb in its intimacy.Soft sand beneath my feet and firm smmoth stones press against my feet as I walk, to walk these shores is to heal, it is as if some one is firmly massaging my feet. Night dissolves into morning as kids sit in clusters telling glost stories, I am also with them till two AM, sharing my experiences. We don't wish to miss a moment, I wander about settling on the boulder to meditate, as the sun warms up the sand, we swim in the river, soak our bodies and soul in these holy waters. Ganga is revered as Mother, Ganga water is fed to the dying, it is said they are liberated from the circle of life and death if they drink a few drops before the soul leaves the body. We are like children in chilly wtares of this beautiful river, the sand rubs against the dead skin, water moves with a force cleansing our skins. I remeber the words' har har Gange!' My mother used to bath me with these chants, I utter these words as I take a dip. It is as if all my sins are washed away in these live giving water. Hidu's beliebve that a dip in Ganga washes away your sins. I used to laugh at this, now I agree it feels as if one is lighter, pure and cleanesed. If only we could lean the Ganga as it cleans us...