Once Upon a Time in Kedarnath

The story I told my daughter after my mystical journey to the Himalayas for the Char Dham Yatra

I walked into the house, dragging my suitcase, but also carrying a big beaming smile on my face.

My daughter then rushed into my arms, and said with excitement, “How was your trip, daddy?”

I had just returned from a pilgrimage to the four most sacred places in India, according to Hindus, commonly referred to as the Char Dham Yatra.

Located in the Himalayas, these four spiritual and religious spots are the aspiration of many a devout Hindu, and had been my long harboured dream too.

For me this was not just another yatra (journey) — it was what my childhood was made of.

I remember the bedtime stories my grandmom used to narrate to me were full of Hindu mythology. Many included the significance of these four dhams, and why we must prepare ourselves to get their darshan (blessings) one day.

And, so, when my daughter asked me to tell her about the trip, I decided I would make it her bedtime story too!

“Sahana, I’ll tell you all about my mystical journey at night… Just before you go to bed! Get back to your school work now.”

When the lights dimmed that night, my daughter enquired once again. She was curious, and so I began the tale that I love to tell every chance I get.

“We were 80 yatris (travellers) in all, from different parts of India. Our first destination was Guptkashi, a town that houses important ancient temples, the main one being Kedarnath, 47 kms away from it. Due to the pandemic, there were several restrictions to enter the sacred shrine, and this became clearer when we reached Guptkashi, and they told us that Kedarnath was closed for visitors.

We had travelled all that distance, only to be asked to leave!

My mind was disappointed, but my heart knew that we were denied entry because we were not spiritually ready to receive the deity’s blessings.

At that point, we were so disappointed that we could not understand the bigger meaning. Our guru, who was staying in a town nearby, called upon us and told us not to worry. He suggested that we should instead trek to a nearby temple called Tungnath, one of the highest Shiva temples in the world.

He said he would walk with us, metaphorically, of course. So after taking his blessings, we set out on a long and arduous trek. Only once we reached the foothills of the temple, did we realise what a steep uphill climb it was. We were definitely not prepared.

The very young and old went up the hill on ponies. We could see some of their faces were in pain, while others were joyous. But we all made it to the top, and, once there, we sat and meditated, the cold wind cutting through our bones.

It was then that I realised that the spiritual part is not merely about getting darshan from the temple, but the steep climb that emptied us of everything we had inside to receive the grace of the Lord.”

“Was it really very cold, Daddy?” My young one questioned with concern in her voice.

“It was, Sahana. We were just not prepared for the biting cold that seeped into our skin, and blocked our ears. But, nevertheless, we started our trek back down, chanting the mantra, ‘Shiv Shambo’, given to us by our guru.

This made our trek smoother on the return. Because of our surreal experience, the mantra almost became a part of our breath. It was then that I knew what my guru meant, when he said he would be walking with us at every step — Every time we chanted the Lord’s name, it reminded us of our guru!

It was not the temple, but the climb, that completely emptied us from within, and made us ready to receive the Lord’s grace, and continue on our journey.

The will to visit Kedarnath also became stronger among us pilgrims. But our will was still to be tested for a while.

“Daddy, did you’ll finally visit Kedarnath,” asked Sahana eagerly.

“Patience, Sahana. That part of the story is still some time away. Before that we had to visit the holy site Gangotri, a small town from where the sacred river Ganga originates. Legend has it that it is from here that water emerged from Lord Shiva’s hair, and became the river Ganga.

Lord Shiva made this provision for those who could not trek up all the way. It is in these waters that several saints and sages bathed and purified themselves.

Singing, dancing and playing games along the way, we set forth for Gangotri. We were in the lap of the Himalayas, twisting and turning on its path…absorbing the early morning sun rays, and sometimes dipping in the mystical river Sangam, a confluence of two rivers, Mandakini and Alaknanda.

Finally, we reached Gangotri, a magical holy site where we meditated, and took a dip in the freezing cold Ganges river.

We continued to chant ‘Shiv Shambho’, an act that made the chilly waters more tolerable. After several dips in the river, I could feel layers of me being washed away…

There was a sense of being cleansed or purified.

Our next stop was the Gangotri temple, a place where realisation dawned upon me — I realised I was here to cleanse myself before we visited Kedarnath…just like you have a bath before you perform a puja (prayer ceremony) or visit a temple.

We yatris had to be cleansed of all our unwanted karma (actions) and other accumulations.

Our next destination was Badrinath temple, whose presiding deity is Lord Vishnu. Mythology says Lord Vishnu occupied this temple by deceiving Lord Shiva, and then refused to leave it. Instead, he sent Lord Shiva to Kedarnath.

The journey to Badrinath was a long one that started at the foothills called Joshimath. We rested here for the night at a quaint chalet, and enjoyed the beautiful location ensconced in the Himalayan range.

The next day we drove to Badrinath, a scenic route indeed, which had new vistas at every twist and turn. The beautiful river Alaknanda alongside gave us company.

The temple of Badrinath was founded and run by the great sage and scholar Adi Shankaracharya. This mystical town boasts of hot springs that emerge in a cold mountainous region — a phenomenon that even scientists cannot explain!

Coming here was nothing short of watching a Harry Potter film — magical and awe-inspiring!

As we sat there and meditated, the pujaris (priests) sprinkled hot water on us, sending currents though us that felt like blessings from the gods.

We, like Lord Shiva also had to take the same route — first Badrinath, then Kedarnath!

Soon the good news finally arrived — We could now visit Kedarnath temple as all restrictions had been lifted. Together, we yatris headed toward Kedarnath.

The next day, on reaching, Guptkashi, a strange silence overtook us all. It was almost like we were absorbing the vibrations of Lord Shiva. We all became meditative before our climb to Kedarnath. Something inside of us was preparing for our meeting with the Lord.

Once we reached Kedarnath and entered the shrine, we saw the Shiv Linga (symbol of Lord Shiva) so close, it was unbelievable. It was closed just a day ago, and now it was open for us to pray to and take its blessings.

This felt like a test of our will power, determination and focus.

Most seekers know that the journey to meet the gods is always an arduous and uncertain one, but the reward is always a benevolent one, where the Lord himself comes to you!

As we meditated at the temple, a strange stillness took over all of us yatris — something in the sacred space touched us deep within, right at our core.

On the helicopter ride back, the pieces of the spiritual jigsaw puzzle started to fit.

There was a reason we didn’t visit the temple on day one of our trip. We were definitely not prepared yet…

Moreover, we didn’t have the blessings and guidance of our guru until we met him. Over and above that, we didn’t have Lord Shiva as a part of us till we went to Tungnath. We had to be cleansed at Gangotri, and get Lord Badrinath’s blessings, before we could get the blessings of Lord Shiva at Kedarnath.

“But daddy, that’s a lot of travelling and testing to visit one temple!” exclaimed Sahana.

“Of course it is, Sahana. But to be able to receive the Lord’s grace completely, you have to first be tested physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually!

All these tests take different forms. As seekers, the more we survive these tests, the more receptive we become to the Lord’s grace!”

“What did you do on the last day, daddy? Did you celebrate?” questioned Sahana

“Yes, we then went to Haridwar, and performed the Ganga aarti (prayer ceremony)… This beautiful ritual brought tears to our eyes. We were happy with the turn of events. We were grateful that we survived all the ups and downs of the journey.”

“What lesson did you learn, daddy?” Sahana finally asked her favourite question.

To which I promptly replied, “There is a story behind every story, so we shouldn’t come to any conclusions in life. As a seeker, you must be ready to face the mystery that is life, and enjoy all that it brings your way.

Our guru kept telling us — “Something should happen that you cannot even imagine. Don’t ask for the ordinary, as it will prevent you from experiencing the extraordinary.”

No one envisioned the trip would turn out the way it did.

We thought it would be smooth sailing, but it turned out otherwise. It broke us to make us — perhaps the real reason of every pilgrimage!”

Sahana felt satisfied by the response, and I felt happy that I could pass on my story to her. The journey will definitely stay in my heart and mind forever, but now she will take a piece of it too, and hopefully visit the places…or tell the same story to her children.

As a SoulDad, my aim is to help parents and children bond and grow in a meaningful and spiritual way… I do this by sharing my experiences, and I invite you to do the same. Share with us any soulful moments with your kids in the comment box below! And, to view more of my travel pics, follow me on Instagram@follow.chets