My Adventurous Pilgrimage to the Sacred Vaishno Devi Shrine, by the risky 'Made in India' Chopper 😆 😆 : Write-up on the Journey & Experiences, Below the Pictures
There have been not one, but several shattering & heart breaking occassions in my life, of more than half a century, where I have found solutions to my intense sorrows & agonies, only through Divine Intervention. No earthly support or human help could have helped me even one bit, on those devastating occassions. Such life transforming occassions, have only strengthened my feeble faith, in the Power Divine, and gradually taught me the secrets of Total Surrender.
During one such occassion, in the secret cave of my heart, almost quarter of a century back, I had taken a vow, that I would visit the Sanctum Sanctorum of Maathaa Vaishno Devi, with whole family, if she shows me a path out of my agonies. In course of time, my prayers were granted by the Divine Mother. But Shekhar & Pappu, with ultra modern beliefs, thought all this was Total Bullshit, and they refused outright all these years, to waste their precious time, on such funny pilgrimages.
Only recently, on gun point, I could convince both of them to accompany me, and in a matter of few minutes, all the arrangements were made for the journey, in March this year. बरसों बाद आखिर , शायद माता का बुलावा आ गया था.
I could easily have gone on a solo-trip To Vaishno Devi, like some of my other usual pilgrimages, had I not taken a vow, to bring the whole family with me for Darshan.
After the holy trip, I immediately took a permanent vow, that I would henceforth only pray for my pilgrimages & my trips, and would never ever pray for the whole troop, I mean whole 'Khaandaan'. 😆 It's indeed a Herculean task to convince non -believers.
FYI, Vaishno Devi Shrine is one of the oldest Shrines of India, located at a height of 5300 feet, on the holy Trikuta Hills, of the Shivalik Mountain Range of the outer Himalayas, in J&K.
I thought, both my husband Shekhar & son Rohan, were going to abuse me lavishly throughout the journey, with dedicated Mala- Sahasranaamam rituals. But fortunately the trip was unusually adventurous & full of fun, and both the co-travellers,especially Rohan, was simply overjoyed.
It was Rohan's (& also mine), the very first trip by Hellicopter. The Shivalik Mountain Range underneath, had panoramic, enchanting, awe-inspiring view. The wind blowing past us in the middle of the sky, in the valleys of mountains, was a MIGHTY Psunami in space.
Rohan was sitting next to me in the front seat of the Chopper. He softly whispered into my ears, " Amma , is a Hellicopter too expensive to afford? Can't we purchase one for our own use, for wandering in the skies of our Western Ghats, during week ends?"
The idea was no doubt great, and I too would have loved it. I definitely could have gifted one to Rohan on his Birthday ; A Toy Hellicopter from FunSkool or Leo Toys, with of course, a powerful battery & a high-end remote control. But a real one???? Hmmmmm !!!! Subject for some serious thought. 😆
After getting down in the Hellipad of Vaishno Devi, I was immediately asked to get into a manual Paalkee, by my dearest Soulmates from Terrace Garden.
There were four young energetic Kashmiri Muslim lads to lift me, sitting on their robust shoulders, in Paalkee, for a trek of 3 kms, to reach the Shrine. 😆
The boys were very entertaining, and they entertained me enthusiastically, chattering throughout, with all the Hindu Mythologies of Maathaa Vaishno Devi, from ancient Hindu Puraanaas. Instead, I would have loved the idea far more, if they had entertained me with Arabian Nights or Esop's Tales. Anyway, it was my dear Maatha's Wish, and I had only Maatha's Tales in my blessed fate. 🤣
Just then, my Holy Gurudev Swami Sivananda Saraswathi's 'Discourse on Islam', on the eve of 'Holy Eid' flashed before my Inner-Eye of Wisdom, reminding me that ours is a country of 'Sanaathana Dharma' ; 'The Universal Religion'
The boys were very respectful, and were addressing me constantly, as Maathaajee, wondering if I was hard of hearing, which, I believe, I was, though didn't ever go for investigations, despite the choicest abuses of Shekhar. 😆
I blessed the young lads wholeheartedly, for making life light for me, and the Shrine reachable for my fortunate self, inspite of being the perfect candidate for heavy-weight lifting.
On reaching the Shrine, I got down from the Paalkee, with great difficulty, as I was feeling terribly heavy, after hogging two massive Aaloo Paraanthas, in a local Dogree Pahaadee Dhaaba in the hills, along with terrorising Desi buffalo's Dahee. I was perhaps getting fully ready for Cardio Vascular Investigations, just on landing in the blessed soil of Bangalore.
There ends my one way trip to the Sanctum Sanctorum of Maathaa Vaishno Devi. After that, there was no energy left, absolutely no energy, for climbing down to the Hellipad, for my return journey, even most comfortably on the shoulders of poor, innocent, but supremely entertaining creature, I mean my pally Kathaavachak Paalkiwaalas. 😆
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There have been not one, but several shattering & heart breaking occassions in my life, of more than half a century, where I have found solutions to my intense sorrows & agonies, only through Divine Intervention. No earthly support or human help could have helped me even one bit, on those devastating occassions. Such life transforming occassions, have only strengthened my feeble faith, in the Power Divine, and gradually taught me the secrets of Total Surrender.
During one such occassion, in the secret cave of my heart, almost quarter of a century back, I had taken a vow, that I would visit the Sanctum Sanctorum of Maathaa Vaishno Devi, with whole family, if she shows me a path out of my agonies. In course of time, my prayers were granted by the Divine Mother. But Shekhar & Pappu, with ultra modern beliefs, thought all this was Total Bullshit, and they refused outright all these years, to waste their precious time, on such funny pilgrimages.
Only recently, on gun point, I could convince both of them to accompany me, and in a matter of few minutes, all the arrangements were made for the journey, in March this year. बरसों बाद आखिर , शायद माता का बुलावा आ गया था.
I could easily have gone on a solo-trip To Vaishno Devi, like some of my other usual pilgrimages, had I not taken a vow, to bring the whole family with me for Darshan.
After the holy trip, I immediately took a permanent vow, that I would henceforth only pray for my pilgrimages & my trips, and would never ever pray for the whole troop, I mean whole 'Khaandaan'. 😆 It's indeed a Herculean task to convince non -believers.
FYI, Vaishno Devi Shrine is one of the oldest Shrines of India, located at a height of 5300 feet, on the holy Trikuta Hills, of the Shivalik Mountain Range of the outer Himalayas, in J&K.
I thought, both my husband Shekhar & son Rohan, were going to abuse me lavishly throughout the journey, with dedicated Mala- Sahasranaamam rituals. But fortunately the trip was unusually adventurous & full of fun, and both the co-travellers,especially Rohan, was simply overjoyed.
It was Rohan's (& also mine), the very first trip by Hellicopter. The Shivalik Mountain Range underneath, had panoramic, enchanting, awe-inspiring view. The wind blowing past us in the middle of the sky, in the valleys of mountains, was a MIGHTY Psunami in space.
Rohan was sitting next to me in the front seat of the Chopper. He softly whispered into my ears, " Amma , is a Hellicopter too expensive to afford? Can't we purchase one for our own use, for wandering in the skies of our Western Ghats, during week ends?"
The idea was no doubt great, and I too would have loved it. I definitely could have gifted one to Rohan on his Birthday ; A Toy Hellicopter from FunSkool or Leo Toys, with of course, a powerful battery & a high-end remote control. But a real one???? Hmmmmm !!!! Subject for some serious thought. 😆
After getting down in the Hellipad of Vaishno Devi, I was immediately asked to get into a manual Paalkee, by my dearest Soulmates from Terrace Garden.
There were four young energetic Kashmiri Muslim lads to lift me, sitting on their robust shoulders, in Paalkee, for a trek of 3 kms, to reach the Shrine. 😆
The boys were very entertaining, and they entertained me enthusiastically, chattering throughout, with all the Hindu Mythologies of Maathaa Vaishno Devi, from ancient Hindu Puraanaas. Instead, I would have loved the idea far more, if they had entertained me with Arabian Nights or Esop's Tales. Anyway, it was my dear Maatha's Wish, and I had only Maatha's Tales in my blessed fate. 🤣
Just then, my Holy Gurudev Swami Sivananda Saraswathi's 'Discourse on Islam', on the eve of 'Holy Eid' flashed before my Inner-Eye of Wisdom, reminding me that ours is a country of 'Sanaathana Dharma' ; 'The Universal Religion'
The boys were very respectful, and were addressing me constantly, as Maathaajee, wondering if I was hard of hearing, which, I believe, I was, though didn't ever go for investigations, despite the choicest abuses of Shekhar. 😆
I blessed the young lads wholeheartedly, for making life light for me, and the Shrine reachable for my fortunate self, inspite of being the perfect candidate for heavy-weight lifting.
On reaching the Shrine, I got down from the Paalkee, with great difficulty, as I was feeling terribly heavy, after hogging two massive Aaloo Paraanthas, in a local Dogree Pahaadee Dhaaba in the hills, along with terrorising Desi buffalo's Dahee. I was perhaps getting fully ready for Cardio Vascular Investigations, just on landing in the blessed soil of Bangalore.
There ends my one way trip to the Sanctum Sanctorum of Maathaa Vaishno Devi. After that, there was no energy left, absolutely no energy, for climbing down to the Hellipad, for my return journey, even most comfortably on the shoulders of poor, innocent, but supremely entertaining creature, I mean my pally Kathaavachak Paalkiwaalas. 😆
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