Trip to Badrinath and the Divine Experiences

We say that when there is God's grace only then you get the good fortune to visit famous pilgrimage places. If they could not reach, people say that God has not called at all. These are their own beliefs which are very popular in India. I am saying these things to you because last year i.e. in 2022, I had the privilege of visiting Badrinath, the famous pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand, India. Badrinath is a world-famous pilgrimage site for Hindus located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and it is considered to be the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is one of the Char Dham, Badrinath, Kedarnath Gangotri, and Yamunotri. I want to share my experience of a Trip to Badrinath and the Divine Experiences that I felt during the journey which gave me a lifetime of unforgettable memories.

The Plan:

I was planning for a long time that I would definitely go for darshan once. When I told this to my wife, she was also very happy and both of us got our tickets reserved.

But at the last moment she came to know that due to her studies and some important work, she would not be able to go. I was very sorry that my wife's plan has been canceled. But she convinced me to go to the holy place and she had made up my mind to go alone because she knew that Lord Vishnu was my cherished divinity.

What was it then, picked up the bag and left. For the darshan of adorable God.

Coincidentally, my uncle from my own family was also planning to go to Rishikesh at the same time and it was a strange coincidence that tickets of both his family and mine were booked on the same train.

and I didn't know this until I reached Haridwar.

Haridwar:

Haridwar is a city placed in Uttarakhand, nearly at a distance of 250 km from New Delhi, the capital of India. It is considered a gateway to the holy Char Dham, Badrinath, Kedarnath Gangotri, and Yamunotri.

First of all, after reaching Haridwar Junction, I took a hotel and stayed there.

I had gone here thinking that if I am going alone then I will enjoy it a lot. This was my first visit to some pilgrimage place where I was going alone. In Haridwar, Ganga ji's aarti which is held at Har ki Paidi is very famous where people come from every corner of the country and also from abroad.

I also went for a walk, not far from my hotel. Saw Maa Ganga ji's aarti. Have a look👇

It was a great pleasure, but alas, there was such a crowd on the way back that my slippers were stolen from there. Bought slippers after walking barefoot for a while. But by that time I had come to believe that traveling alone does not bring the same joy that comes with someone. Two heads are better than one.

The next day, took a direct auto rickshaw and reached Rishikesh where my uncle and his family were staying. Near Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh, there is a very famous Dharamshala called Geeta Bhawan and it was built by Shri Hanuman Prasadji Poddar, one of the founding members of Geeta Press Gorakhpur, way back in the decade of 1920's! The Geeta Bhawan provides free accommodation and you have to get up at 5:00 in the morning to do Satsang there. 

Friends, if you really want to enjoy Ganga bath, now you can take it only in Rishikesh. Gangaji was not so clean in Haridwar. was polluted. People there were taking bath in Ganga ji ignoring the rules. According to Hindu scriptures, no kind of soap or clothes etc. should be washed in Ganga ji.

In Haridwar too, warnings were written at various places on the ghats of the Ganges that washing clothes or using soap is prohibited.But this is a special thing about Indian people that they always keep ignoring the rules.

Well coming back to Rishikesh.

It was September 2022 and the rains just wouldn't let up. Monsoon had also arrived late and was not taking the name of leaving.

But be it monsoon or storm, I had firmly decided that if I have come to Rishikesh, I will definitely visit Badrinath Dham even if I have to go alone. What was feared happened. When I told my plan to my elder brother, he got a little worried. He felt that how would it be safe to go 300 kilometers away on a hilly road in such a rainy season.

But I told him clearly. Whether you go or not, I will go, so he said okay, let's see tomorrow morning.

The next day's plan was to go to Badrinath by road early in the morning as the last bus from Rishikesh to Badrinath leaves only till 6:00 in the morning. That too of Uttarakhand Transport. Because the journey takes 12 hours because of the hilly roads.

I woke up at exactly 3:00 am and to my dismay as it was raining outside.I looked at the sky and said don't you want me to see you?

It was hardly 10 or 15 minutes before the rain stopped and I ran away and told my brother to get up, the rain has stopped. ''Have to get ready brother, get up''. After retiring from our routine, we got ready after taking a bath.

But alas it started raining again.

My brother was looking at me and I and my elder brother were thinking in our mind that we don't know what God wants? The matter of trouble was even more because to reach the bus stand, we had to cross the bridge of Laxman Jhula about 1 km long and only then we could get a ride further. Even if we had good luck, there was no chance that I could see the holy Badrinath Dham even in this rain.

Well, God listened to us and after 5 minutes the rain stopped.

We hung our bags on our backs and started crossing the Laxman Jhula bridge chanting the name of God.

Had barely crossed three-quarters of the bridge when it started drizzling lightly. I thought that now I would definitely get wet. Taking the name of God, we started moving forward, don't know from where an auto driver came and we immediately sat in it and he safely dropped us at the bus stand without getting wet.

As soon as we reached the bus stand, we got a bus of Uttarakhand Transport. But alas, there was only one man's place on this bus. So I entered inside, was disappointed to see the condition of the bus, and came back. I told my brother that there is no place at all on that bus. Then I inquired and came to know that the bus in which there was no space, is the only bus of Uttarakhand Transport Corporation which goes to Badrinath.I was both disappointed and desperate. Waking up early in the morning to come to the bus stand and then felt dejected, but I was thinking in my mind that they say that if it is of the mind then it is good and if it is not then it is even better. While walking like this, I went outside the bus stand and came to know that there is another bus stand adjacent to the bus stand which operates private buses.

I told my brother and both of us happily headed towards the ticket counter but alas! There were still a lot of twists left in the story.

The man at the counter told that your luck is not good. The bus to Badrinath has already left a while ago.

Now I was convinced that I would not be able to see the Lord today. As soon as I started turning back, he called out to return, "Listen brother."

I said, "tell". He said, "One of our buses is going to Kedarnath". I said, "I do not want to go to Kedarnath". He said, "Hey brother, at least listen to the whole thing. The bus that has left is ours and you will be made to sit in that bus as soon as you reach Devprayag. Till then take the bus to Kedarnath. Sit in it''. If seen, we didn't even have many choices. Under compulsion, took the ticket for Kedarnath and sat on the bus.

And the Journey Begins: 

As I mentioned in the beginning, it was raining very heavily. The bus journey started in heavy rain. We took the name of God and sat on the bus.

As the way to the mountains was coming, we were getting worried because due to heavy rains, there were a lot of landslides on that way, due to which the work of cleaning and debris was going on on those roads. Was going, due to which the traffic of one side was stopped and the traffic of the other side was being taken out. Due to this, a lot of jam situation was being created. Our concern was increased by the messages coming on our mobiles at that time, in which it was clearly said that in the coming 24 hours, there may be incidents of cloudburst in Uttarakhand.

But I didn't get so distracted, I don't know why the voice was coming from inside that I will definitely have darshan. Say it in spirituality or in devotion, it is this one faith that maintains your spirits even in the heaviest of problems and adversity.

Sometimes after getting stuck in traffic for half an hour, sometimes for 1 hour, as we were moving forward. Both our minds and hearts were becoming happy because along with the increase in altitude, the sun started shining slowly.

But we did not know that this happiness was only for a moment.

The Srinagar district of Uttarakhand falls on the Badrinath highway itself, where the people of the area had staged a sit-in demonstration due to some criminal incident that happened at that time.

While raising fierce slogans, the workers of the opposition government and the general public blocked the entire road, due to which queues of vehicles about 2 km long were formed.

After being stuck in that jam for about 3 hours, it has become clear that we were not going to reach Badrinath that day as Badrinath was still more than 180 kilometers away. But meanwhile, a good thing happened that we got the bus going to Badrinath in the same jam and we happily sat in that bus.

Finally, the jam had cleared and now the last stop of our journey was just a short distance away, but on the way, we came to know that due to the long delay, we could only go till Joshimath. Beyond this, the bus will not go. So! He was so tired that he would not have died. We had been sitting on the bus for more than 12 hours. That's why me and elder brother made a plan to stay at Joshimath.

We took a very cheap but durable and beautiful room in Joshimath and decided to spend the night there.

We had our food when we were tired and we went to deep sleep.

But it is said that the fruit of waiting is very good. But in our case, the result of waiting was good as well as very beautiful and natural.

After waking up in the morning and waking up from a deep sleep, we were feeling very refreshed and as soon as I opened the door of my room outside, the cloud-covered mountains were welcoming us in the lap of the golden sun.

All the tiredness had gone away. Seeing such nice weather and seeing the scenery, my heart became like a garden. I picked up my brother. I said brother, see what a sight, even my brother was not getting enough of happiness. He was thanking me again and again "Wow younger brother, if you had not come, I might have had to see these scenes sometime in my life".

I said, "Oh brother, no problem. Now Badrinath is only 40 kms left. Let's take a quick bath and have breakfast, then move ahead". We had a quick breakfast and after walking for some distance we reached the taxi stand. Where many cars and jeeps were parked and we sat in one of the jeeps and it dropped us at Badrinath within 1 hour.

After getting down at the Badrinath bus stand, I still clearly remember that my heart rate was very fast.

To say that I had gone to Badrinath about 20 years ago. But I remember a little, I was young then and I did not remember that much.

Right now my mind, my eyes, my heart, everything was looking for the temple of my God.

While walking slowly we reached near the temple. And after looking in two-three Dharamshalas around the same, finally we got a small but affordable room.

The month of September is a month that generally has very less crowds.

We took a room from where the temple was clearly visible. As soon as I saw the temple, I silently bowed down at the feet of my Lord and said thank you, Lord, at last, we have come.

Final Destination:

Keeping our luggage in the room, we went out for a walk. When I inquired with the local shopkeepers there, he said, brother, there is no crowd at all. Now the doors of the temple will be closed for 1 hour. Then you will come immediately and take bath in the hot pool and have a comfortable darshan.

This is what we did. Bathe comfortably in the Tapt Kund first, let me tell you about the Tapt Kund that it is a natural source of naturally hot water.

Devotees who come for darshan take bath in this hot pool before darshan. Only after they go for darshan. This water is so hot that if you put your hand in it now, it is possible that your hand will get burnt, but it is very surprising that devotees bathe there every day. Still, there is not even a single burn mark on his body.

Even science salutes such a miracle.

After taking bath we reached for darshan. After standing in line for some time, I had the darshan of Shri Badrinath Bhagwan with great enthusiasm. After having the darshan, I was very emotional, but there was a desire in my heart that why not sit in front of the Lord and recite Vishnu Sahastranam.

Just what then? Immediately I cut the slip and got in line again. Brother said, okay brother, you can do it comfortably. I walk to the room. Although I told him that you can do it too, but he was probably too tired, so he thought it more appropriate to rest.

Divine Experience:

It is said that when God wants, he makes such situations favorable to you that you can sit directly in front of him and stare at him for a long time or it is possible only when there is a strong longing in your heart for his darshan.

I had the same experience that day.

It so happened that there are two types of queues at Badrinath Dham. One line is the one in which we had already had darshan of him. The second line is the one in which the devotees can participate in the worship of Aarti like Kapoor Aarti, Silver Aarti, Vishnu Sahasranama Path, Vishnu Path, Namavali etc. according to their devotion. By paying a convenience fee for this one can be included in this. The second line was of such devotees in which I was also standing. Everything used to work in sequence. Aarti is performed first. After that Vishnu Sahastranam is recited and after that there is Namavali.

I had a slip of Vishnu Sahasranama's text but I forgot it and thought I had a Namavali slip.

Because I forgot that I have the slip of Vishnu Sahasranama's text. So I stood at the back of the line of pilgrims with Namavali slip and became dejected. The reason for being disappointed was that if I stay at the back, I will not be able to sit in front of the idol of the Lord after going inside.

But by God's grace, the security guards present there checked my slip and said that yours is for Sahasranamam recitation and not for the Namavali, so you are standing in the line for Sahasranamam recitation and a happy coincidence happened that I was with the devotees of Vishnu Sahasranamam recitation standing at the front.

By the will of the Lord, I went and sat in front of him and enjoyed the recitation of Vishnu Sahastranam. And sometimes while gazing at the Lord I became emotional and sometimes I started crying. I can't forget that beautiful image of our Lord.

Don't know what will I be able to say next?

After the lesson was over,I came out comfortably. In the meantime, father's call came from the temple premises. He was asking how was it. I told him everything, and he was also very happy. I said I will call you in a while. Can't talk now. Because I was getting so emotional that words were not coming out of my mouth. I called brother back to the temple premises and we got our photo clicked by the photographer there and the beauty of the temple at night cannot be described. Such a beautiful view of the temple at night.

It is difficult to describe in words. After darshan we had dinner and it was decided that tomorrow morning we will leave for the historical Mana village located nearby.

Mana Village:

Let me tell you about Mana village. Mana village is the last village of India. This is because after Mana village. China's border begins. Therefore, from the point of view of security, the headquarters of the Indian Army are also located there.

Early in the morning after having breakfast, we started for Mana village which is about 2 km from there. I was feeling very happy. We were walking and there were such beautiful natural views that I and my elder brother were talking that I wish we could stay there.

There are many historical and mythological places inside Mana village like Ganesh cave, Vyas cave, Bhim Pul, the origin of the Saraswati river, and Charan Paduka.

The mythological importance of Vyas cave and Ganesh cave is given in Hindu scriptures. This is the same cave where Maharishi Ved Vyas, who is believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu, told Lord Ganesha the Mahabharata, which is the biggest holy book in the world.

It was written, that is, as Maharishi Ved Vyas was saying, Ganesh ji was writing.

It is believed that Lord Vishnu's footprints are in Charan Paduka. Very holy and religious place. The footprints of Shri Vishnu are still present on a rock there.

While roaming around the village, we finally reached the origin of the Saraswati river and after that place, the Saraswati river is not seen anywhere in the whole of India, that is, it vanishes. Have a look👇

Bhima bridge was placed on the Saraswati river itself. Let me tell you about Bhim Pul. At the time of Mahabharata, after the Mahabharata war, when the five Pandavas proceeded towards the Himalayas ahead of Badrinath to sacrifice their bodies, Draupadi was horrified to see the fierce and fierce speed of the Saraswati river on the way. Seeing this, Bhimsen lifted that big rock with his arms and placed it on the way. Which we still know by the name of Bhim Pul. This bridge is very huge.

From there we went ahead and had tea at the world-famous tea shop known as the last tea shop of India and then made up our mind to visit Sahastradhara which is 5 km away from there.

It is believed that the drops of its fall do not fall on the body of a sinful man. Had to go had already drunk tea. Taking steps in enthusiasm, we started walking. Stone paths up and down on natural paths. As they were moving forward. Seeing the natural scenery, my mind was getting overwhelmed with joy. High mountains are nothing anywhere and small humans and their sheep grazing grass on it are located at a very distant.

These were local shepherds who had a habit of taking their cattle to graze far away in the lap of the mountains. We had hardly walked a few meters when both of us started feeling short breathing due to lack of oxygen. The situation has become such that after walking just a few meters, we had to sit down to make our breathing normal.

But there is a saying that where there is a will, there is a way, in spite of heavy breathing and tiredness, we have reached there. Enjoy the Scene👇

 After sitting there for some time, we took a step to return because it was evening and there is no assurance of the weather there in the evening. Don't know when the clouds fall, then it starts raining. By the grace of God, we reached back safely.

We got down at the Badrinath bus stand where we had come from Joshimath, whereas advance booking has to be done for private buses 1 day before to going back from Badrinath to Rishikesh by bus.

There was no desire at all because so much was needed and after walking so much, we were exhausted.

But it was also necessary to return, so even without wanting to, we reached the Badrinath bus stand to book tickets. After reaching there, there was a lot of crowd and there was little hope that we would be able to get tickets on any bus.

Helping Hand of GOD:

Then I experienced His grace.

Standing at the back of the line, we were getting disheartened then all of sudden from nowhere a girl came and gave us two tickets. She said that I had to go to Haridwar but I am not able to go. For some reason you guys please buy my ticket.

A drowning person needs the support of a straw. I happily took him both the tickets and we and elder brother reaching the peak of faith and belief kept talking to each other that whatever happens in reality, happens only for the good.

Returning back the next day, we found that the day we halted at Joshimath was a very good decision as Badrinath had received heavy rains overnight. If we had reached Badrinath on the same day, we would have definitely fallen ill because there was no chance of getting a room that day.

We bowed down to his Leela in our hearts and with deep devotion and love, we sat on the bus and left for Rishikesh.

Sayonara, my love:

After reaching Rishikesh, we narrated this experience to our family members.

I still remember my uncle that day, he said only one thing.

"Whatever happens in life, never give up the trust or faith and unwavering faith is what takes us closer to Him".

After visiting some places in Rishikesh, catching the train to Lucknow the next day, and thinking about these divine experiences and faith all the way, I did not realize when I reached Lucknow.

That's why friends, I have a request. Try trusting God just once, when you leave everything to Him, then you will see that from that day your life takes a pleasant turn.

There is only one need. To surrender, to love, and to believe in him.

Do take care of yourself. God is always with you.

Good night!