Kailash Mansarovar Yatra - Call of the Lord!
Now, let me go day by day.
It all started a few years back, with a visit to Thanjavur where my school friend Meera lives. I noticed that her house walls were plastered with photos of Mount Kailash. In all my stupidity, I enquired what it is all about and she passionately explained that it is her life's ambition to go on Yatra to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar lake. I had always admired her mother's recitation of Thevaram, Thiruvasagam etc. and I thought it must be one strong influence of her mother on her.
One fine day I got a call from her mother saying that Meera is so lucky that she is selected for the Yatra of her dreams. Even then I did not know or bothered to understand the depth of that statement. After a few years I met her and was happy to know that her wish has been fulfilled. There ended the matter.
This year, sometime in March, she calls me up asking whether I would like to go to Amarnath with her and a few friends. As my preoccupation with work and personal life may not allow me to go on any Yatras, that too with friends (and not family), I hastened to reply her that I will do Amarnath Yatra after I complete Kailash Yatra. This had just come out of my mouth with no thought.....
Having said that, I just googled for Kailash Yatra for firstever time. Ministry of External Affairs webpage opened up calling for applications to go on this Yatra. I am allergic to filling up of long forms and with no interest whatsoever, I looked at the online application. The online form was very simple, with very little details to fill up and above all, no payment to be made along with application. Hence, I just filled it - just name, date of bith, passport number, and date of expiry of passport and address. I think they had asked occupation as well. But I bet, the form was so simple and straight-forward, I had to complete and upload the form.
I had casually informed Meera about this over phone and she very confidently told me that I will get selected. I thought that she is one "Shiva-crazy-female" and she has no idea how many would apply for this.
Come April, I got mail(s) informing that I am selected for the Yatra. I was to send a DD for Rs.5000/- confirming my participation to MEA. I did it promptly, though I did not give much thought about the Yatra, the timing, weather or my preparedness. Just after I had sent the DD, I got mail from MEA informing that I had just been wait-listed for Batch 1 and I am not really selected. Having sent the DD, I had nothing else to do other than wait for more information. I was open to the idea of getting rejected also - rather, I was not ready or unready for the Yatra.
Sometime by end of May, I got a call in my mobile at around 9 pm, someone informing me in Hindi that I am selected for Yatra and hence I should start preparation. I thought that it must be a prank call and the next day, I pulled out the number of MEA and asked them whether I have been selected. The person answering me informed me in Hindi that yes, I have been selected, and the call the previous day was genuine call from the Ministry. I politely asked him whether he can speak English and inform me why at night a Ministry person bothers to call me..... he was laughing; he informed me that they have huge shortage of manpower and the matter in hand is so urgent, and hence they are doing some extra duty and working extra time. Should I believe all this??? Anyway, now I was mentally ready for the Yatra and started gathering information.
I googled and pulled out all possible blogs, write-up on the Yatra, while waiting for final written confirmation of my selection. In the meanwhile, my husband who was also selected along with me(I had sent application for him as well) was in no mood for the Yatra. He decided to drop out and was persuading me also to undertake it sometime in future. I was now fairly enthused about the Yatra and did not want to give up the chance. I left the decision to my Guru - writing two chits - one with "Go on KMY 2013" and the other one with "Do not go on KMY 2013". The selected Chit gave a positive indication and then, there was no thinking back.
I started calling Meera more often and got used to her greetings of "Om NamaShivaya" and started repeating it myself.
More on the preparation part in the next posting !!
Om Namashivaya!
It all started a few years back, with a visit to Thanjavur where my school friend Meera lives. I noticed that her house walls were plastered with photos of Mount Kailash. In all my stupidity, I enquired what it is all about and she passionately explained that it is her life's ambition to go on Yatra to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar lake. I had always admired her mother's recitation of Thevaram, Thiruvasagam etc. and I thought it must be one strong influence of her mother on her.
One fine day I got a call from her mother saying that Meera is so lucky that she is selected for the Yatra of her dreams. Even then I did not know or bothered to understand the depth of that statement. After a few years I met her and was happy to know that her wish has been fulfilled. There ended the matter.
This year, sometime in March, she calls me up asking whether I would like to go to Amarnath with her and a few friends. As my preoccupation with work and personal life may not allow me to go on any Yatras, that too with friends (and not family), I hastened to reply her that I will do Amarnath Yatra after I complete Kailash Yatra. This had just come out of my mouth with no thought.....
Having said that, I just googled for Kailash Yatra for firstever time. Ministry of External Affairs webpage opened up calling for applications to go on this Yatra. I am allergic to filling up of long forms and with no interest whatsoever, I looked at the online application. The online form was very simple, with very little details to fill up and above all, no payment to be made along with application. Hence, I just filled it - just name, date of bith, passport number, and date of expiry of passport and address. I think they had asked occupation as well. But I bet, the form was so simple and straight-forward, I had to complete and upload the form.
I had casually informed Meera about this over phone and she very confidently told me that I will get selected. I thought that she is one "Shiva-crazy-female" and she has no idea how many would apply for this.
Come April, I got mail(s) informing that I am selected for the Yatra. I was to send a DD for Rs.5000/- confirming my participation to MEA. I did it promptly, though I did not give much thought about the Yatra, the timing, weather or my preparedness. Just after I had sent the DD, I got mail from MEA informing that I had just been wait-listed for Batch 1 and I am not really selected. Having sent the DD, I had nothing else to do other than wait for more information. I was open to the idea of getting rejected also - rather, I was not ready or unready for the Yatra.
Sometime by end of May, I got a call in my mobile at around 9 pm, someone informing me in Hindi that I am selected for Yatra and hence I should start preparation. I thought that it must be a prank call and the next day, I pulled out the number of MEA and asked them whether I have been selected. The person answering me informed me in Hindi that yes, I have been selected, and the call the previous day was genuine call from the Ministry. I politely asked him whether he can speak English and inform me why at night a Ministry person bothers to call me..... he was laughing; he informed me that they have huge shortage of manpower and the matter in hand is so urgent, and hence they are doing some extra duty and working extra time. Should I believe all this??? Anyway, now I was mentally ready for the Yatra and started gathering information.
I googled and pulled out all possible blogs, write-up on the Yatra, while waiting for final written confirmation of my selection. In the meanwhile, my husband who was also selected along with me(I had sent application for him as well) was in no mood for the Yatra. He decided to drop out and was persuading me also to undertake it sometime in future. I was now fairly enthused about the Yatra and did not want to give up the chance. I left the decision to my Guru - writing two chits - one with "Go on KMY 2013" and the other one with "Do not go on KMY 2013". The selected Chit gave a positive indication and then, there was no thinking back.
I started calling Meera more often and got used to her greetings of "Om NamaShivaya" and started repeating it myself.
More on the preparation part in the next posting !!
Om Namashivaya!
1 comment:
When He calls, he does it in his way and time. OM Shuddha Shakti On Sivam
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