Mohanji Speaks – Zoom Satsang on June 9th 2019 sowed the seed for the pilgrimage of a lifetime, The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra with Mohanji. Mohanji emphasized that a pilgrimage of the magnitude of Kailash is not just for the individual but for the entire lineage. Even when a single person from the family goes to Kailash, he/she is representing the family and the entire lineage and ancestry. My sister, Sathya, contemplated on what Mohanji had spoken that day and the message was a strong reminder that the family should come together forgetting their individual desires to empower at least one person to take up this sacred task.  She urged me not to miss this golden opportunity to undertake this journey. As I was contemplating on this, Rajesh motivated me to take it up and once I had Mohanji’s blessings to join the Yatra, there was no looking back. I was rest assured that He will take care. Meanwhile my father waited for approval from Lord Skanda and my parents also decided to join once he had the approving signals.

Just a week prior to the Kailash trip, we completed the recording of “Dheena Bandhu” song penned by Sri. Devdas and sung by my sister along with 9 other hymns on Goddess Sharada Ambal (Goddess of Learning) composed by an ardent devotee of the Divine mother. He arranged a trip to Sringeri, a very powerful center established by Shri Adi Shankara, to seek the Jagadguru’s (Head Pontiff) blessings prior to releasing the CD. We joined the tour at the eleventh hour, a story by itself for another time.

In Sringeri, as I waited in the long queue for Swamijis’ darshan, I was wondering to myself, “Should I tell Swamiji, as instructed by my mother, that we are going to Kailash?” Even as I was thinking about it, the queue moved really quickly and by the time I reached near Swamiji, I convinced myself not to say a word and just offer my prostrations. To my pleasant surprise and in fact to the surprise of everyone present there, Swamiji so lovingly welcomed me saying,” va va va !” (Come, come, come in tamil), conversed with me for a few minutes. This allowed me to open up uninhibitedly and seek His blessings for Kailash Yatra. To me, it felt as if I was meeting Mohanji in Sringeri. The Guru mandala operates in unison!

Five AM on August 5th, we left for the airport to fly to Delhi. The first leg was smooth and enjoying Amma’s homemade breakfast on the flight, we reached Delhi on time. From this point, it appeared the Lord had decided to “acclimatize” us to the key aspects of what will make us successful in our Kailash Parikrama – patience and total surrender. The flight from Delhi to Kathmandu was delayed by three hours. The evening Satsang with Mohanji was scheduled at 5 p.m but we reached Katmandu only at 7 p.m. However, I was confident that Mohanji would make sure we attended the session and He actually did. As we entered the Hyaat hotel, Mohanji was just coming out of His room to go to the Satsang hall and he warmly welcomed us to join the Satsang. It felt like perfect timing! He looked at us and said, “good the flight is only delayed and not cancelled.”

An incredible Satsang with Mohanji followed. As Lankesh Bapu chanted the Shiva Tandava Stotram, my thoughts went back to Kedarnath trip where Mohanji himself chanted couple of lines of the Stotram that really took the listeners to a completely different zone.

On August 6th, during breakfast with Mohanji, He lovingly made sure my parents ate well and specifically asked me to serve them Dosa because that was the special dish of the day. He knew I was the fussiest among the entire group when it comes to eating out. As a principle, I do not eat in a hotel that serves both veg and non veg – be it a five star hotel or a road side dhaba. I chose to eat fruits on this occasion. My mother admonished me, “If you eat like this, you will have to be hospitalized.” Mohanji not only said that all the patterns will change during the pilgrimage, but also made sure to take care in every single way. Throughout the trip I was bouncing with a lot of energy and had no hunger pangs.

After breakfast, we proceeded to Pashupathinath temple. The main deity is a Swayambu (self manifested) five faced Shiva linga, four faces (Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vamadeva, Satyojat) representing the four vedas and the fifth one (Ishaan) is associated with liberation. After a good darshan of Lord Pashupathinath, Rajesh told me to take everyone to the sanctum of 108 Shiva lingams. While going around the temple, Preethi Didi asked me to tie the sacred threads around the Sthala Vriksha (sacred tree of the temple) praying for Mohanji and our Mohanji family. I felt humbled and blessed to offer prayers on behalf of all. Mohanji always loves to make people feel special and this was one such incident.

Later, I went on to circumambulate 108 Shiva lingams. The priest gave both Amma and me a huge rudraksh mala each as Prasad. I had carried only three things to the temple – Sathya Sai Baba’s picture, Mohanji’s picture and my purse. I really treasure these two pictures because I carry them with me to all the temples and as such, are highly energized.  As I wanted to offer money to the temple, I had to give the prasad and the pictures to my mother. I had checked if I had it all safe and I was very sure I gave both the pictures to her. When I took it back from her a minute later, much to my dismay, Mohanji’s card was missing. I went about searching for it all over the place frantically.  The priest noticed my anxiety and asked me what I was searching for. When I gestured that I lost a picture card, he mentioned that he handed over the card to two others (Ankush and Maheshwari) in the group pointing at them. Immediately, I rushed to them and took back the card offering no explanation. They instinctively understood my feelings and returned the card. What a sigh of relief! I narrated this incident to Mohanji when I got the opportunity and his response was – “Good, you passed another test!”

We proceeded towards Bhudanilkanth temple – serene open air temple of Lord Narayana where he is floating on the pond in “Sayana kolam” (Reclining posture). An interesting fact about this place is that we can see a perfect reflection of the idol in the water. We had a glimpse of the sacred ablution being offered to the Lord. A temple associate showed us the sacred tree as Rudraksha tree! This is usually associated with Shiva and learning that it was the Sthala vriksha in the Vishnu temple, was another indication of the unity in consciousness.

That evening we had a powerful Satsang with Mohanji on Kailash. He stressed on the point that Kailash is a state, “Do not just look for it outside, look within!, When you connect with your heart, whatever it is, whether it is a person or a place, it stays. It always stays”. He energized and gave each one the Rudraksha maala that was purchased near the Pashupathinath temple. It was around 8 PM when we dispersed from the Satsang hall. Suddenly I realized that I had forgotten to bring my passport size photos that we were supposed to have with us for the potential checks and submission near the border. Given the late hour, I was in a pickle. When I checked at the reception for the nearest photo studio, they said since it was already late, I would have to travel half an hour to the market area to get it done. I was in a dilemma whether to go in the dark or ask someone for help. Just then another receptionist called the shop owner and arranged for the photos to be delivered at the reception. Although it may appear as a silly thing to most, I felt reassured yet again that Mohanji silently took care of my concerns at that late hour in an unknown place.

The next three days was all in travel – to reach Manasarovar. I decided to leave my mobile phone at the Katmandu hotel and take my mother’s phone for clicking pictures. This meant I would be away from any communication for the next 12 days and this was again a change in pattern. The mobile phone has almost become an appendage and I was going to be without it.

Only one half of the entire group could reach Kerung and we thoroughly enjoyed Mohanji’s unplanned spontaneous Satsang for more than two hours till 10.30 p.m. It was such a privilege to be in the presence of our beloved Master who answered all questions so patiently and with so much affection.

The next day was more internally focused, with a powerful POP meditation session in the morning and group healing session by Deviji in the evening. This was the first Mai-Tri session for me and I was not actually too keen on attending it. However when I attended the session it felt more like a beautiful meditation and the best part was when the line, “Chidananda roopam Shivoham Shivoham” was sung, Mohanji entered the room and it was absolutely divine that I could feel His presence even with my eyes closed.

On the following day, we drove to Saga, singing bhajans on the way. That night in Saga when Mohanji met all of us briefly, I had a question for Him ( Very rarely do I have any questions) – “Mohanji, can you please let us know the form of Shiva in Kailash?” His response was, “You see and tell me”. I smiled at His response and understood that if I deserve to get an answer He will let me know.

August 10th, was a long drive of twelve hours from Saga to Manasarovar and on the way Mohanji himself served food to all of us. We had stopped at a point where we could have the first darshan of Kailash. He showed each one of us where and what exactly to see. It was indeed a dream come true, to bask in the benevolent aura of Mount Kailash in the presence of our beloved Guru Mohanji. The clouds appeared to me as the Divine images of Jesus and Sathya Sai, as they drifted in the sky. I saw an M on the mountain, Shiva and Parvati on the snow. Here I was, lost in the abode of the divinity, even as I was keenly observing nature.

The two days at Manasa sarovar felt so transforming. Although some had minor health issues and we had to make some small adjustments in getting used to the open toilet, none of these could affect the divine feeling that one is enveloped in at Manasarovar in the presence of the Master.

As the sun rose the next morning, Mohanji performed Kailash Aarthi to the South face of Kailash with all of us standing on the shores of Manasarovar around Him. It was a magical moment to face the magnificent mountain and witness the extraordinary Arathi as the flames rose up high into the air.

I felt so blissful sitting on the banks and marveling at the lake all day long, as it continually changed colors from blue to bluish green and then to green. Although we were prohibited from taking a dip in Manasarovar, we were facilitated with buckets as an alternative for this purpose. I was a little disappointed initially but my father pouring the water on the head had such an energizing effect that I did not miss the actual dip afterwards.

In the evening, we were blessed with the rare privilege of performing “Paada pooja” to Mohanji on the banks of Manasarovar against the silhouette of Mount Kailash. He presented each one of us with a special Rudraksh maala. The captivating view of Manasarovar and Kailash is yearned for by millions of devotees. Be it for pilgrims or nature lovers, the enchanting view of Kailash is pretty much heaven drawn to earth. We could blissfully enjoy the Kailash darshan for more than three hours with not a cloud in sight. A lot of people from our group, including Mohanji, said it was such a rarity to have darshan of Kailash for this long duration and as I found in the following days, it was so true – Kailash was being unveiled in the Master’s presence!

While seeing Kailash from its south direction, one can actually visualize an image of the Lord Shiva’s face. I could actually see more images on the south face of Kailash – Nandhi,  Sathya Sai Baba,  Mohanji’s face as also my father. I also saw Radha written in Tamil script. It was really interesting to see how these images changed from one form to another and morphed back into Shiva’s face. It was like a live reel playing in nature’s greatest open air amphitheater just for me!

On August 12th, we had the most awaited book release function of Miraculous days with Mohanji by Rajesh Kamath by Mohanji at Manasarovar. The release of this book is a beautiful story in itself. But to put it in short, a couple of months ago when none of us including Rajesh had any clue about the book release, I had asked Mohanji if we could release Rajesh’s book in Kailash. He gave His blessings and the entire team headed by Subhashree worked in perfect synchronization to enable it. Mohanji made the book release happen with special blessings from the head priest from Shirdi on the banks of Manasarovar!

It was such a powerpacked day, with Linga Abhishekam, Naandhi Shrardh and Yajna  performed by each one of us, guided by Mohanji and Lankesh Bapu.

Linga Abhishekam: Personally for me, the feeling of performing Abhishekam to Lord Shiva in Kailash in Mohanji’s presence, felt like an intensely beautiful offering of myself to the Lord. While performing the sacred ablutions, it felt like offering every aspect of life in the form of auspicious items –   sacred water from Manasa sarovar, saffron water, rose-water, scented oil, sandal paste, pure milk, ghee, honey, rice, turmeric to mention a few. Even the elements of nature were dancing to the damaru sounds of Shiva. Despite the weather outside being so cold, we felt intense heat inside the hall. The Spakita Lingam energized by Mohanji at Kailash Manasarovar is to be treasured forever.

Naandi Shraardh:  In my understanding, this is the first time ever such an elaborate prayer for ancestors is performed – prayers for all the departed souls – relatives, friends and the entire lineage. The materials that were offered during the Shraardh were all hand picked without any defects. According to Mohanji, Naandi Shraardh cuts across heavy unbreakable and unbreachable layers of lineage karma. Humble pranams to Mohanji for taking us through this huge cleansing of lineage karma.

Yajna: The highlight of the evening was a powerful purification Yajna. Being in close proximity to the Master, admiring Mount Kailash, listening to the chorus chants of Sai Ashtothram by pandits amid drawing sounds of the conch, observing the thick dark clouds holding back the rain thus showering their blessings to complete the Yajna, soaking in the positive vibrations,  gazing at the flames going high up in the air as a blaze during Maha Mangala Aarthi by Mohanji who was undaunted with the camphor being cast into the flames, sucked me totally into ShivaM. The Arathi was spectacular and the blaze for sure augurs light in all our lives

Words cannot describe the intensity of all these events that unfolded one after other. Mohanji, even in midst of juggling so many activities during the Yajna, made sure that His key people participated in all the significant rituals of the events. He specifically asked me if I had taken the dry fruits from the priest to be offered during Poornahuthi (Ritual that signifies the completion of the Yajna). It felt so special to be a part of these highly energizing events that culminated with a truly magical rainbow.

Aug 13th-15th – Parikrama: It was a life-changing experience, accompanied by many fascinating miracles and incidents. To say that the Kailash Parikrama is an arduous journey that entails high fitness levels, is an understatement! It is infact open just for a few months each year. One has to brave through unpredictable and rough weather conditions, extreme cold, low oxygen, risky trails and the rugged terrain.

We embarked on Day one Parikrama after taking special blessings from Mohanji. I mentioned to him that I was not taking a pony and was planning to walk the entire parikrama, to which He assuringly responded, “I am with you, you don’t need a pony. Do well.“

We started our trek at Yama dwar, which is the gate of the Lord of death. It is believed that one who crosses the Yama Dwar becomes free from the shackles of life and death. It is the gateway to enter the heavenly abode of Lord Shiva.

After walking for a few minutes, Deviji pointed to us the portal to the majestic Shambala where I could see a beautiful M shaped peak. It is believed to be a spiritual place which connects the physical realm with the metaphysical realm. Protected by unknown forces of energy, this is where the Siddhas supposedly reside in deep meditation.

The porter who was accompanying me, was a first timer to Kailash and when I asked him about where Kailash’s west face was, he had no clue. We walked a few steps and I saw a beautiful mountain that had the shape of an M. I waited there a few minutes with my eyes closed and had a deep feeling that I was near the West face. In a minute, a stranger who passed by said, “Dekho, west face of Kailash” and pointed to where I was already looking at! The entire place was filled with infinite serenity, positivity and bliss.

The day was rainy. I did not carry a rain coat with me nor wore the jacket that was provided to us because I wanted to avoid carrying too much weight. My wonderful porter offered me his rain coat and I told him that he needed it more than me given all that he was carrying. Although it was raining and I was wearing only a thin jacket, I just did not get wet! My porter was really surprised looking at how I was just escaping the rain drops. What a miracle! Undoubtedly, I was under the invisible protective umbrella of Mohanji.

I proceeded to the North face listening to the most powerful Shiva Kavacham chanted by Mohanji – on repeat mode – at least five to six times. It was like an energy booster for me. Shiva Kavacham is one of the most powerful chants that I have ever listened and I will share my experiences with Shiva Kavacham in a separate post. Words cannot describe the aura of the place. I was in a completely blissful state, soaking in the divine aura of Kailash.

Day two Parikrama: I was told that this was the toughest day of the Parikrama and the heavier you are in thoughts from the inside, the more difficult it gets to walk this trail. During the Parikrama,  I walked ahead with just two words in my heart- “Jai Mohanji”, and there was complete peace and stillness within me. It felt like the journey of the soul, and not the body.

Dolmala refers to Goddess “Taradevi” and the place is beautifully decorated with arrays of prayer flags. The trail I walked through was unimaginably gorgeous and there was so much stillness within. Stunning beauty and serenity beyond words! Walking half a kilometer down I could see the divine Gauri Kund. The whole aura of Gauri Kund (where Ganesha is believed to be born) is something that one simply cannot do justice merely with words. Gauri Kund water radiates nourishing energy of the divine Mother. My father had the real experience of the revitalizing energy of the Gauri Kund’s water.  Each one’s feelings will be unique to their own experience.

While reaching the Dolmala pass my porter commented that I could be little faster and I told him that I would catch up with the speed while walking down. Eventually towards end of the trek, I started walking much faster and ended up sharing the load because I saw him getting tired.

As a child, I was medically advised not to stay in stuffy places with low oxygen levels as I would immediately faint. It has happened to me in Chidambaram and Guruvayur while waiting for the darshan in crowded gatherings on those special days. However, in Mohanji’s abundant grace, I had absolutely no issues even while crossing the Dolmala pass which is about 19,500 feet. When I was taking couple of minutes of rest, a boy came from no where held out his hand that had camphor in it and said, “This is oxygen, inhale and you will feel more energetic.” A few minutes later, another boy came and gave me glucovita. Even before I could feel tired I had all of these “sent” and with such grace flowing my way, I was able to complete the day two of the Parikrama. The divine forces came together to make it an easy experience for me and as we all know nothing is easy. Like the saying goes – ‘Without You, even a blade of grass cannot grow!‘

Day three Parikrama: Appa woke me up with a green tea that tasted divine with that extra honey.  After day two parikrama, day three felt like a breeze! Again, it is the grace factor that literally made everything so easy. It was wonderful to witness the randomly changing landscapes due to the different topographical boundaries including the lush green natural forests and the rugged mountains with the glaciers. I completed this home stretch in about an hour and fifteen minutes even as I walked at a slow pace, enjoying the beauty of the landscape.

After returning from Parikrama, on the full moon evening, we were blessed to be at Lake Manasarovar once again. I decided to sit in a secluded place, a little away from the group and listen to Shiva Kavacham. After experiencing the myriad of divine aspects and the ravishing spiritual aura of the Mount Kailash, no one can resist soaking in the piousness that lies there.

The most touching moment of the entire Yatra happened when the image of Lord Nataraja and Goddess Parvathi flashed, as I sat with my eyes closed facing Kailash listening to Shiva Kavacham. The question that I had asked Mohanji ten days prior – “What is the form of Shiva in Kailash?” floated in my head. The feeling of gratitude was over powering. I couldn’t hold back tears of gratitude towards Mohanji for taking care of me like a baby and making sure every single thought was answered. I completed the entire trip with absolutely no altitude sickness, palpitations, fever, cough or cold even in those extreme weather conditions.

Summarizing the Parikrama, I would say, I was just not myself during those three days. Most often, we feel the ownership of the activities that we perform and although we may say we surrendered, the “I” factor does not dissolve. But  at Kailash, the surrender was natural.  There was some force that was carrying me and for sure I knew deep within me that it was Master’s grace. All I did was chant “Jai Mohanji” and magic happened. Zero thoughts. Zero oxygen. Zero pain. Zero me. Zero ownership. Zero doership. All that existed was stillness and gratitude.

The trip did not end there.  In Saga, my parents and I were allotted the same room where Mohanji stayed during the onward journey – Soaking more of the divine energy! On reaching Kathmandu, Mohanji asked me, “What’s your room number?” I was not allocated a room then, but later after I was allocated one, I heard a continuous knock on the door.  It was Deviji knocking her door waiting for Mohanji to open. I called her to my room which I found out was right next to their’s and we spent some wonderful time together. Another subtle sign that I was being protected all the time!

That evening we had Mohanji’s closing Satsang followed by each one sharing our beautiful Kailash experience. All that we felt was a deep sense of gratitude and love towards our peerless Master.

At 5 AM the next morning, I got up to see a message that our flight from Delhi to Bangalore was cancelled. By then I was getting used to surprises. I had to call my brother-in-law early in the morning and as always he helped sort out everything for me in minutes. The reason I mention this now is the significance of Mohanji’s comment when we had arrived late at Katmandu at the start of the yatra – “Good the flight is only delayed and not cancelled!” A reminder that a silent hand is navigating the path for us!  Mohanji’s flight timings coincided with ours and during all the transits we were all together. It felt so complete being in the presence of the Master throughout the Yatra.

I am filled with gratitude towards every act – small and big – that helped us to complete our pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. All the encounters in the course of the yatra served as an instrument to express their devotion to Lord Shiva. I feel deeply privileged to be a part of this journey of a lifetime, and I am continually humbled by Mohanji’s overwhelming simplicity, and his silent blessings.

As I conclude, I have just one thing to say – Only unending grace and unwavering faith can take one to Kailash and in total surrender to the almighty, I pray that Kailashpati calls me back once again in this lifetime – to experience the Inner Kora Parikrama with Mohanji!