One of the most beautiful sights in the morning is the vision of ‘Golden Kailash’. When
the early rays of the sun fall on Mount Kailash it glistens and
glitters like gold. Mysteriously even though there are so many mountains
around, only Kailash glows in golden hue.
Sai Shiva Takes Us to Kailash and Manasarovar
Mr. Ramesh Agraharam
In 1982 Mr. Ramesh Agraharam joined the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Prasanthi Nilayam for his XI and XII grade. He continued his education in Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning pursuing his Bachelors and Masters in Commerce. Once he completed his post graduation Bhagawan asked him to pursue further education in Computer Science elsewhere. He then worked in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for a couple of years before joining the Government of Andhra Pradesh as a public servant. He is currently Consultant, Rural Development Sector, to the Government of Telangana besides being an industrialist in the area of organic products.
I left the portal of Bhagawan's
university in 1989. Since then I had a yearning and a desire to once see
Mount Kailash. Many a times I would mentally pray “Swami, You must
grant me this boon. Take me to Mount Kailash please.”
In 2015, with prayers to Swami, I started
planning for a trip to Manasarovar and Mount Kailash. Several of my
industrialist friends joined me; we were a group of 30 enthusiastic
adventurers. Both these destinations, as many are aware, are in China.
So we filled our applications for visas and sent it to the Chinese
Embassy. Every year, from June to September, the Government of China
issues about 1000-1200 visas randomly. It was already the last month of
September and we had not received any reply from them. So we were
keeping our fingers crossed.
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Everyone was anxious and I was receiving
continuous calls from the group enquiring “What shall we do?” So I told
them “Tomorrow I am going to Puttaparthi. I will pray to Bhagawan at the
Sannidhi and let you know the status after that.”
The Samadhi Speaks
On September 5 I attended the morning bhajan in the Prasanthi Nilayam Mandir and after the Arati
went to the Samadhi and prostrated reverentially. Then, even before I
could say anything to Swami, I heard a voice. It was clearly Bhagawan's
voice which I am so familiar with, having studied in His college for
seven years. In Telugu, Swami said “Saamaanlu anninesaddhukko, meeru andharu velthunnaaru Kailash Manasarovar yaatraaki, meeru muppai mandhi vellandi (Keep your luggage ready. Thirty of you are going for Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra).”
It was not any illusion, dream or delusion. He spoke exactly the way He used to talk to us. Further He said:
“Parikrama-matku
padhimandhe veltharu... Inkokati. Oka inhaler theeskellu. Meeru
Kailash Parikrama chestunappudu naluguriki kontha swasa ibbandhi
osthundhi, daniwalla heart rate peruguthundhi. Vaalakee inhaler rendu
moodu saarlu nuvvu administer cheyi. Vaala heart beat sariyai pothundi,
padimandhi yatra complete chestaru. Migatha antha nenu chooskuntanu
(Only
10 of you will be able to do Kailash parikrama. The rest will go till
Manasarovar. Another thing. Take an inhaler with you. When you are doing
Kailash parikrama four of them will have breathing issues, their heart
rate will go up. Administer 2-3 puffs to them. Within 15 minutes, they
will stabilize. All 10 of you will then be able to complete the
circumambulation of Mount Kailash. I will take care of everything).”
I heard this message of Bhagawan at 9.41
am. Frankly, I was totally dazed. I am a frequent visitor to Prasanthi
and I had never experienced anything like this before. In any case it
was such a good news. I stepped out of the Mandir gladly. Just then I
saw my driver running to me with the phone in his hand, saying “Call
from Chinese Embassy.” I took the call and they said “Your visas have
been stamped at 9.42 am”. I was stupefied. At 9.41 Swami tells me and
the next minute I get this news. They asked me to check my email and
come to Kathmandu to get our passports stamped.
I immediately called up my group and
said, “Pack your bags. All of us will meet tomorrow (September 6) at
Delhi and leave for Kathmandu by the evening flight.” We were from
different locations like Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. They were all
extremely excited. I too was but I was more overwhelmed with Bhagawan's
mercy and concern.
At Delhi everyone asked me “What did Baba
tell you?” They are not Swami's devotees but given the way we got the
visas they were now curious. So I told them everything including every
bit of Bhagawan's instruction. They were quite startled and thrilled.
Sai Carries us to China
So as planned we reached Kathmandu, got
the visas stamped and received our original papers from the Chinese
Embassy. From Kathmandu we travelled to Nepalganj in a small airplane.
From there we had to take a 20-seater plane to Simikot. In those
mountainous regions, only such small carriers are allowed. The weather
is always dicey. Every flight is a big question mark till the last
minute. Even after it takes off you have no clue what can happen at any
moment. Fortunately till now we had no hiccups in our journey.
From Simikot we had to fly by helicopter.
It was a half-hour ride to Hilsa on the Nepal border. As we got in, we
saw an American pilot and we asked him “How is the weather? Are we
safe?” He simply replied, “Chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’! Four helicopters
have already gone down. So I cannot say anything. Once we are in the air
I have little control. If the wind becomes severe this chopper will
become a toy in the hands of Nature and it can hit the mountain. So our
only refuge is ‘Om Namah Shivaya’!”
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So that's what we did. We intensely
prayed and the helicopter took off. A chopper can take maximum 5-6
people and so it had to do 5-6 trips to shift our entire group. Moreover
there is no helipad there. The pilot lands the vehicle wherever he sees
convenient space. That day, the
climate and wind conditions were so pleasant and amenable that not only
were all the trips absolutely eventful but the pilot was so carefree and
relaxed that he was telling us stories about these hills. He had become
a tour guide too! Indeed, that is how much Swami was looking after us.
We were now at the Nepal border. In front
of us was an iron bridge. It was half a kilometre long and we learnt
that once we crossed this we would be stepping into China. The Nepalese
military were helpful. They supported us in walking over this
high-hanging overpass. But all the time our hearts were beating fast.
Was it because the bridge was risky? That was now a smaller problem. All
of us were actually extremely concerned about what would happen once we
were face to face with the Chinese military.
The Nepalese army people had told us:
“Once you reach there, everything is in the hands of the Chinese army
there. If they allow, you proceed. If they don't, you have no option.
Just return quietly. Those officers' decision is final. And they are not
obliged to give you any reason. It is futile requesting or arguing with
them. Be mentally prepared for any eventuality.”
This was our worry. And we are a big
group. Would they let us go? What if they allowed some and rejected
others? Where would the others go? “Swami, please do a miracle again!”
was our constant prayer. And the kind Lord did! The
Chinese officer saw us, read out our names, checked our passports and
every bit of our luggage, and then without asking any further questions
he simply let us go. We were done in just 5 minutes! Unbelievable!
The Astounding Miracle at Manasarovar
We then got into a bus which would take
us straight to Manasarovar. When we alighted, we saw 2-3 groups of
people rushing back; there were medical emergencies. Apparently the
water in Manasarovar was so freezing cold that being in there for half a
minute would make one's body numb. That is how there had been 10
casualties that morning.
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After listening to this we decided that
none of us would be in the water for more than 15-20 seconds. When we
reached there, seeing the lake which was so clear, beautiful and
inviting, we could not resist getting in. After all, the whole journey
was for this experience.
But
the astounding thing is wherever our group stepped in, the water at that
point was lukewarm! It is unthinkable! Next to impossible. We were just staring at each other in complete awe and bewilderment. How could the temperature change in just a few minutes?
Our minds became full with: “Thank you Swami! Thank you Swami!”
One person had brought with him a
collection of 1 to 27 faced Rudrakshas. This was his family's legacy,
handed down over generations. It is extremely rare to find a 14-faced
Rudraksha but he had all Rudrakshas serially — from single-faced to a
27-faced one!
It was his desire to do abhishekam to those Rudrakshas in the waters of Manasarovar. So we did this puja with him. We chanted Rudram and did bhajans.
We had decided we would not remain in the water for half a minute but
now we had spent more than half an hour inside! We really enjoyed to our
heart's content. Finally we did Arati and returned to our tent.
That night when we looked at the sky,
wow! It was a live planetarium. All the stars and some planets were so
clearly visible. It was a spectacle! We even saw shooting stars dipping
into the lake. Till late in the night we were lost in that ethereal
beauty. We decided we would start the Kailash parikrama (circumambulation) the next morning.
“Bhagawan
Satya Sai Baba showed to all of us that all the five elements of Nature
will unfurl as per His divine will in this cosmos and that He is verily
the omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient Lord.”
- Mr. Anantha, Ametek Instruments, Aerospace Division, Bangalore.
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The Lord Lifts Us Again As We Trek to Kailash
The scene the next day however was very
different in the camp. Twenty of the group were sick; they were
complaining of breathing issues. We were at an altitude of more than
18,000 feet where oxygen levels drop to 60-70%. Our bodies are generally
not used to such low levels of vital air. They really needed rest.
There was no way this 20 could do the parikrama. It was at this point that I was reminded of Swami; He had clearly said: “Only 10 will be able to do the parikrama”.
So we asked the 20 to recover at
Manasarovar and the rest of us started the 58 km trek to circle around
Mount Kailash on foot. This starts from a place called Yama Dwar and
takes 3 days to complete. On the first day we did about 18 km and rested
at a base camp. These were tents with no electricity. We had carried
4-5 China lamps which when lit together gave as much light as a
fluorescent tube.
The second day's trek was most difficult.
We had to go 18 km up to the top of a mountain and climb down another
18 km. It was really steep and at a height of 20,000 feet. Obviously
there was no road. We had only the local sherpas to guide us. It was
very risky because there was a 10 km stretch where we had to walk on
ice. We had to be careful every step of this journey so that by mistake
we did not apply pressure on any loose ice. If the ice caved in we would
just go down and be stuck. It was indeed an ordeal.
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The sherpas had also told us to be as
light as possible. So we carried only a water bottle and a biscuit
packet each. Nothing else. No camera or any other accessory. With
tremendous difficulty we reached the top of the mountain. Now, tragedy
struck.
Four people became absolutely breathless.
They were gasping for life. I did not know what to do. If anything
serious happened to them there we would be stranded. There was no way to
communicate anything to anyone. Lifting someone and walking was just
impossible. I started praying to Swami fervently.
In a few seconds, like a flash I remembered what Swami had said: “Take an inhaler with you. Four of them will become breathless. Give them 3-4 puff shots.”
Fortunately I had carried the inhaler. Immediately I did as Swami had
instructed. Then I told all of them to lie down for 15 minutes. Slowly
they started regaining themselves. In a few minutes their heart beat
became normal. What a relief!
It was almost like coming back from the
verge of death. If not for Swami, why would I have carried the inhaler?
And if not for His prompting, in that moment of panic, how would I have
remembered to use it at the right time?
Purely by His grace we completed the second day's trek. That night the sherpas were kind enough to serve us some soup and khichdi.
That really put good energy into us. The next day we finished the rest
of the trek without any major hurdle. Now, we were at the base of Mount
Kailash. As soon as we reached
there, someone said, “Hey! Look who is over there!” There was a small
photo of Swami standing out in the midst of all the ice. We were
so pleasantly shocked and thrilled. Never for a moment Swami left us and
now so concretely He was making His presence felt!
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We learnt that if we walked further we
would almost touch the base of the sacred mountain. But the Chinese
military do not allow anyone to go there. They say, “If you go forward
you will not go back to India. That place is so enchantingly beautiful
that you will never want to return!” We offered our reverential
salutations to Mount Kailash and began our return journey to Manasarovar
to join the rest of our group.
When we were returning to our base camp someone said, “Look back!” We turned and saw a huge cloud burst on Mount Kailash. Whenever this happens the Chinese authorities do not permit anyone to do parikrama
for days as it is very dangerous to trek during those times. Just see
the grace of Swami! We finished and the cloud burst happened. It was as
if Swami was holding it back for us for three full days. One of the
members in our group had come to Manasarovar nine times before but was
never fortunate to do the parikrama. That is how uncertain
everything is there. It just left us absolutely humbled. One can imagine
to what extent the Lord can go when He says “I will take care.”
The Serenity of The Mind-Lake
Staying beside Manasarovar that night was
so heavenly. The waters are so crystal clear and pure that when sun's
rays fall on it, they just sparkle beautifully. In fact if you throw a
coin into it you can see it through. No human being goes there except
for 3-4 months in a year. The area is so pristine and powerfully serene.
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One of the most beautiful sights in the morning is the vision of ‘Golden Kailash’. When
the early rays of the sun fall on Mount Kailash it glistens and
glitters like gold. Mysteriously even though there are so many mountains
around, only Kailash glows in golden hue.
That night we did beautiful bhajans
in Manasarovar. By this time everyone had developed a lot of faith in
Bhagawan. They enthusiastically participated in the singing and the
collective wish of the group now was “We have to go to Puttaparthi. We
have to have darshan of Swami.” This trip had brought about tremendous transformation in them. In fact after the bhajan
session, they said, “This is the best bhajan experience we have ever
had.” We lit up a bonfire and till 11.30 in the night we were soaking in
the peace of Manasarovar and enjoying the bliss of Swami's presence and
grace.
The Rudrakshas are Gracefully Returned
Next day with hearts full of satisfaction
we started our return journey. When we came to the bridge we thanked
the Chinese Military officials profusely. We were now back in Nepal. It
was late evening. Helicopters do not fly in the nights. So we found a
place to rest. But somehow I was feeling uneasy. There was a strong
feeling that something was wrong. I asked the sherpas, “Have you brought
in the entire luggage?” They said “Yes”. I told everyone in the group
to check if all their belongings were intact.
It is then that the person who had
brought the Rudrakshas realised that he had inadvertently left that
pouch in the bus. He just broke down. He was crying like a child. In
that packet was the legacy of generations of their family - the entire
collection of one to 27-faced Rudrakshas. It is an absolutely rare
collection. The monetary value would be in crores and some of them
actually had golden caps. The financial loss apart, the emotional
catastrophe was devastating for him. He had lost what his forefathers
had preserved and passed on for scores of decades.
Seeing his pitiable condition I could do
nothing but again pray to Swami. In a moment of inspiration I took out
the ring that Swami had given me and placed it on his right hand index
finger and said: “Pray sincerely. Swami can do anything.”
It was already 3-4 hours since we had
crossed the Chinese border. There was no way we could go back there as
we had only single-entry visa. Just
to try my luck I called up a Chinese guide who had been with us and
requested if he could go inside the bus and check for this bag. He
called back saying it was indeed there in the vehicle. Wow! We thanked
the heavens.
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I then requested him to bring the bag to
us as he could cross over without any problem anytime. By Swami's grace
he did oblige. That is how this traumatic episode had a happy end.
This again made every member of the group
bow down in gratitude to Bhagawan. The joy was back in the group. That
night again we did bhajans.
Blessings from Muktinath and Pashupathinath
Next morning we travelled to Kathmandu by
helicopter and from there we visited the shrine of Muktinath, an abode
of Lord Narayana.
Here too we saw the inscrutable hand of
Sai. Only 10-seater planes fly to this temple. We were told: “Till
yesterday, no plane took off because of unfriendly weather conditions.”
So we had decided to give it just one try. If the flight happened, well
and good; else we would return.
Amazingly, like every event in this trip,
the plane took off and all 30 of us were successfully transported to
Muktinath. Just like in Tirumala, here one needs to walk up the mountain
to have the Lord's darshan. Unbelievably,
just before we went inside the shrine, someone said, “See who is
there!” We saw a beautiful photo of Swami yet again! The Lord was
not only clearing the way but He was also there to receive us at every
altar. We just had tears in our eyes. We then went to the Pashupathinath
Temple in Nepal too.
Sai's Benedictory Smiles from the Samadhi
Once our odyssey was over, the group was
keen to come to Puttaparthi. So on September 25, 2015 all of us were in
Prasanthi Nilayam. When I now bowed down and touched the Samadhi, again I
could hear that same clear voice of Bhagawan. In Telugu He said, “Are you happy now? This time I took you. Do not ask for this again and again.”
I just surrendered at His feet in gratitude. I knew if I was alive it
is only because of Him. How much the Lord had to do just to fulfil one
wish of mine! Lifetimes of service to Him are not enough for all that He
does for us.
Some of us visited Prashanthi Nilayam for the first time in our lives. Its truly an abode of heaven and peace on earth.
We profusely thank and are grateful to Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba from the depth of our hearts for having blessed all of us to undertake this holy yatra and also have the divine darshan of His true abode wherefrom He descended upon as Sai Avatar to bless all mankind.
- Mr. Anantha, Ametek Instruments, Aerospace Division, Bangalore.
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It is so interesting that the journey of
each of these industrialists to Puttaparthi happened through Kailash and
Manasarovar! It was the first trip for almost all of them. They were
astounded with the sublime grandeur of Prasanthi and were highly
appreciative of all the social welfare missions of Bhagawan. They
returned to their homes carrying with them lots of photographs, books,
and lasting impressions of peace and love. Even now every detail of this
divine trip is so vivid in each one of our minds. Whatever we may do,
some scene from this journey always comes back and each time our hearts
only go out in love and gratitude to Bhagawan for His bountiful
blessings showered so unconditionally and ceaselessly.
- Radio Sai Team
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