A Test of Faith- Vedant and his Family’s Chardham Yatra with Thrillophilia
Going on the Char Dham tour was an excellent decision on our end. We not only visited the major places in Uttarakhand but also had a long and relaxing vacation with family.
Why the small Chardham tour? Well, we believe that it is a blessing to visit the renowned temples of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, four of the most revered places of Hindu pilgrimage.
One night, my mother dreamt of performing puja in Kedarnath, standing right in front of Lord Shiva. When she told us the day after, we all mutually decided to pay a visit.
The roads for the Yatra were to open the next month, so it was the perfect time to book the trip. At first, we thought of arranging the stays and transfers all by ourselves. But then we thought, anyway we will be travelling a lot that too along with my mother, and it would be foolish to dump more headaches of the arrangement upon this.
So, we contacted Thrillophilia to arrange everything for us so that we could travel without any worries and enjoy the trip fully. They duly noted our points and made a very simple yet all-encompassing itinerary that professionally outlined our journey.
The Yatra
From Rishikesh to Barkot to Janki Chatti to Yamunotri- the distance was long but our spirits were high. We were already awe-struck seeing the magnificent mountain peaks and the beautiful valleys and rivers.
Upon that, a powerful sensation of being called by the snow-capped peaks and the ancient temples located there - filled us up with energy. All of us were deeply spiritual, and on this trip, we wanted to submit entirely to the will of the Almighty.
The first destination was Yamunotri.
We faced no issues on the road while going there. Hundreds and thousands of pilgrims were already on the road to pay their respect to Goddess Yamuna, just like us. You know what another common factor played between our family and them? Love for God.
The concept of Dharma in Indian scriptures has always played a crucial part in understanding the social working of the people. It is much more than following one's religion- it is about staying true to the self and always abiding by the law of nature, or humanity, and of service.
Anyways, our road to Uttarkashi was quite eventful. We met many sadhus who told us surreal stories about their lives, how they became monks, and how they meditated for years at a stretch to be where they are now. I was sure they must have some powers that no science or technology can explain- just like the ones I have read in the books about the myths and folklore. Even our driver/guide was listening to these stories with so much interest that we had to remind him of the time every now and then.
We visited the Vishwanath temple, one of the oldest temples dedicated to Shiva in the region. We were also lucky to have the Darshan upfront.
However, something completely strange happened with my mother when we were on our way to Gangotri.
Fiction or Story?
The morning we were supposed to leave for Gangotri, my mother came up to me and said that she had met a monk last night when she was out to go to the bathroom, and he had warned her about the weather in Gangotri.
I refused to believe it was true, and said, “Perhaps you were sleepy. There are no monks living in these quarters, and if the weather was that bad, then why are so many people going?”
She did not seem convinced, and we started on our journey. There was a lot of traffic on the road, and after some time news reached us that there had been a huge landslide on the way to Gangotri temple and that the roads would only be accessible by tomorrow.
We were shocked out of our wits.
I looked at my mother, she had tears in her eyes. With a quick pranam, she said, “We will come back tomorrow.”
We could visit Gangotri temple the next day, and then go to Guptkashi and Ardhanarishwar Temple smoothly. With each place we visited, our souls seemed to be lighter and happier.
The day we went to Gaurikund and Kedarnath, I fell sick. I knew that Lord Shiva was testing me, so I did not give up. I was burning with fever, but I kept on walking until I reached the temple. I knew my faith was true, and that nothing would happen to me if I had been true to my beliefs.
I felt like giving up many times on the way, but I didn't. And with a lot of effort, I reached in front of the temple and broke down into tears. It was a very special journey for me, a test that could either break me or make me.
After Darshan, I emerged out of the temple a much stronger person. My fever was gone, and I knew I had passed the test. We stayed back for the evening aarti as well, whose sight I still hold close to my heart.
Learnings
From Pipalkoti to Mana Village and then to Badrinath, we were all very hearty and content. We had bonded well with our driver and every day was bringing some new experiences to cherish and remember. We were meeting so many people on the way, and each of them had a story to tell that would alter our perspective on life.
It was an unparalleled experience, those 11 days of touring Chardham, and without the help of Thrillophilia, it would have remained a dream.
Thank you for turning it into reality in such a superb way! Not only do we have no complaints, instead, we have loads of appreciation and good wishes for you guys.
Keep up the good work, may the gods bless you.
Read More: Thrillophilia Uttarakhand Reviews