Talking with the Milky Way

                    Kheerganga - The stage of stars 

are you struck in your mundane life of imposed material artificial beauty and a passive will to somehow survive while waiting for Godot , aspiring to finally take out those few golden days of a trip deep amidst nature. Well, don’t know about you, but i, born with an eternal wanderlust can’t stop mah feet from taking me to any and every dream destination that suddenly becomes too mesmerizing to be true. One such place happened to be ‘Kheerganga’ – a tiny abode set upon those Himalayan peaks deep inside Parvati valley which is believed to be carved by Pandavas.

The mythical story of the natural hot water sulfur spring in the centre of kheerganga covers an interesting story of lord shiva creating a hot pool as a gift to the upset parvati for her recreational purpose. It is also believed that one of Lord Rudra’s dreads dropped here while he was throwing them everywhere out of anger.

Whatever the history is, one thing is for sure, it is indeed the most beautiful place i had ever been to. So the facts include somehow reaching barshaini through taxi or car pools and there begins the real trek through narrow lanes with forest on one side and valley on another. It feels like a garden walk while trekking though it has its risky surprises too. Its a six hour long trek if done v. casually though i covered it in 1 hour 45 min. I am sure,  its a 45 min game for natives there despite of huge weights on their shoulders.

So the trek begins with age old trees, dry rocks but gradually you enter the lush green sea of forest. There are occasional springs welcoming you with fresh sweet water. A constant forest buzz maintains the rythem of the background and if alone you might feel occasional mystical presence here and there. the trek is so engrossing  that you somehow don’t get tired. More you trek on, more enhances the spirit to reach the destination. The sudden curves and turns stage numerous new divas of the valley and at each step you get hypnotized to reach the finale.

But yes, like all, its not just the journey but also the destination that has ripe fruits and fun. I reached kheerganga at the time of dusk. There was a huge dark green slope to still be covered and i lied flat upon the carpet of grass with nothing but a huge clear blue sky above me. the eyes had tears with the safe reach and beauty found. The easy accessibility of a camp, lively atmosphere of those wooden cafes and finding 40-50 people like me – having reached that rare sight – was a combination – too good to be held truth.

 As the night ascended, we walked towards the most compelling cafe – lonely planet – a little wooden cottage placed on an isolated rocky flat cliff – convexing deep inside a valley created out of unchallenged steep mountains surmounted by snow from centuries.  

There was a flat platform with a dance of shimmering lights all over the floor. and as i danced amidst those tiny starry lights on the trance stealing out of cafe’s door, i saw above. There was the most spectacular grandiloquence i have ever been a part of. As far as my eyes could reach, all i saw was numerous stars in silver and white getting lost in that grey and blue milky way capping the snow covered blue mountains all around. World was blue, black and white then and yet, it was beautiful.

There i took my first bath at 12 at night which was banned as such but having reached at a place known for hot spring and not taking a bath right away was not possible. The pool is divided in two portions. The men section is open and i envy them for that. Women section has a wooden wall with gate and latch but the roof is left open. Imagine taking a bath at the top of a hill at 12 at night with cold outside but you all warm in the vapours of hot sulfur water with nothing but endless stars above and none but your imagination for company. It was one experience full of awe.

That night consisted of a bonfire, late night talks with many new people and some solitary time alone with nothing but stars and my deep thoughts. Whole night two dogs accompanied me right outside my tent. Imagine opening your eyes to the first ray of dawn with a wet lick on your face of a gigantic furry hilly dog. It was shocking i must say. However, moment i stepped out of my tent, apart from a freezing wave of icy wind, there welcomed a sight all blue in shades. Blue Mountains, blue sky and blue snow - It was all blue, yet so distinctively clear.

As the day ascended a refreshing sun bath with oil massage at numerous cafes was a pleasing surprise. What enticed the eyes more was bewitching green meadows all around with hilly cattle grazing amidst those fields like seen in English descriptions of pasture lands. Nature had all its shades in huge amounts and i was proudly a part of it.

Though the stay there had been planned for a single day but the place was so touching that one couldn’t have held oneself from not staying there. Rather if it had been in my hands, i would have stayed there forever. So many foreigners working on cheap wages in restaurants there were a livid proof of the same emotions. There was a fine blend of strange sages, people in dreads, foreigners, Indians, locals and yes the endless natural beauty in its naked-most form. And yes, those hot baths after every once in a while was something one could have died for.

Sitting inside any cafe was something i didn’t want at that time surprisingly. The place was too beautiful to stay inside or waste time in interactions. However conversations with localites there was fruitful in getting to know the hardships and impermanence of living at that place. Evening again had blues and greys and night brought a pleasing change when I shifted to a wooden room rather than tent. There was solar electricity, a charging pint and a room fire available here and seeing the luxury of the moment at such affordable price moved my tender heart and boosted up my spirit to live there forever.

However, I knew I had to leave that place – only to return once more and then many more times. That night I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to make the most of all the moments i had at that place. So the anxiety took me to take yet another bath at 4 in the morning. There all alone at a time where none dared to step out in the freezing cold, on walked my feet towards the lonely hot pool. And gosh, i was surprised to find an ancient looking woman –  her skin yelling out her age – without any draping – already taking a a bath. Trust me, her body was so fit and in such perfect shape that even i got envious for a split second. My mind raced to imagine all possible threats and stories to be linked with an old woman at an odd time in a strange place. and deep inside a story of an old witch got plotted. 

However, that strong – woman’s image was something i couldn’t have compromised with. So i decided to converse with her. She along with three other girls used to collect herbs from the mountains and then sell it to foreign markets. Despite of all her normal conversations, somehow, my heart  - felt her aura to be strangely powerful and still there was this strange belief that whatever reasons she was there for, it was for my own good.

Just before i was about to step inside the pool, she bewared me of the slippery surface. Though, i had taken bath so many times for two days, yet , after her warning, i suddenly lost balance but she held my hand. She took me to the further corner of the pool where hot, boiling water was falling out of a metal pipe. I was scared. There were water plants dangling and enclasping my feet below. And there was that strange hilly woman taking me to the extreme corner of both the room and the pool. Water seemed deeper and alien there. still i went on – only to know – what would happen i f i do what she says.

She took me below the fall and told me to stay there with hot – burning water falling upon my shoulders. I was scared to hurt my skin. I was scared of her trying to drown me down or suddenly getting all my youth – like in the stories i had heard in my childhood. But only thing that happened there was that i was suddenly relaxed. I felt so strong and relaxed to fight huge battles of mankind. And yet, after ten minutes, the hot water had drenched out all of my energy. I guess that was because of varying temperature of both inside my body and the new temperature after an hour long bath in that hot pool. Before leaving i gave her a long hug and thanked her for her company. After all , my first expression had been of relief to find another woman at that time in that solitary place. latter were all my mental creations which i guess were bemusing me enough to let them go on.

Nevertheless, another bath at 12 and i was ready to leave the blissful heaven. 

My trip to kheerganga had ended there as i was supposed to venture and explore other dimensions of Parvati valley. But yes, there are places and moments that change who you are, kheerganga was one such place. it made me feel the identitylessness of mine where i was nothing in comparison to those gigantic cliffs, geographical features and milky way above. I tried seeing myself from the vision of sky and found me to not be even a point amidst those huge natural entities around. And yet, i was someone. After all not everyone wills or does finally reach at a place that beautiful to be true. Not everyone was a spectator of the view that i was participating into. Not everyone had the bliss to feel it right through. I had lost and gained an entire entity right in those 2 days and it was all worth it.

written and captured by - MYSTICAL WANDERER